USAGICHAN DE CUE!
Follow the white rabbit... all the way to the bedroom!
Review by: Craig "Hide the Carrot" Norris
Length: 3 episode OAV
Genre: Ecchi, fighting, supernatural
Watched: All, subbed
I love hot anime girls, and I love watching people get beat senseless. Combine the two, and you've got an anime that is guaranteed to hold my attention. While that attention is sometimes unjustly warranted, in this case it was well-deserved. This OAV was a largely entertaining, and surprisingly affecting anime. Although you may have difficulty noticing all that underneath the scrumptious fanservice.
Plot synopsis: After being distracted during a fight by Haru Matogi, Mikami Inaba is hurled off the roof of the school, along with one of Haru's pet rabbits. When Mikami reaches out to grab the rabbit, she does much more than save it; she merges with it. Now the rabbit, Mimika, shares Mikami's body, and unleashes her unbridled affection on Haru. But why do the fusions of animals and humans occur in the first place? And what of the organization that is working to make sure they don't? It's up to Haru and his friend Miku to find out, before Mimika is eliminated.
Artwork: The artwork is adequate for a largely ecchi series. As far as OAVs go, the art may actually be a little bit sub-par, as many of the colors look a bit dull, as though the production cells were left out to bleach in the sun for a few days. The emphasis from an artistic standpoint seemed to be making the female characters look as physically appealing as possible, so they were given all the right curves in all the right places. Other than that, it doesn't appear that an inordinate amount of effort was used in creating the visuals for this anime.
Music: The score is largely unimpressive. The opening theme is snappy and energetic, but still falls into the realm of cookie-cutter j-pop. The ending theme follows suit, as it amounts to little more than a generic ballad. The rest of the soundtrack is barely noticeable beneath all the fanservice, as it is often drowned out by the springy sounds of sexually suggestive body movements.
Characters: Normally a girl with dual personalities is a recipe for a restraining order, but as 3x3 Eyes and Ayashi no Ceres showed us, anime always finds a way to make it work. And Mimika/Mikami works extremely well. Mikami is a very solitary and violent girl who seems to derive great pleasure in beating hooligans senseless. She saves Haru's pet rabbit, Mimika, in a rare showing of compassion, becoming one with her at the same time. Mimika is an affectionate bunny who splits her time between discovering the joys of being human, and being pursued by delinquents attempting to bring out her more violent side (Mikami). She isn't sure why she merged with Mikami, but she doesn't give it much thought, as she is too busy being so happy near Haru. Her ears emit special telepathic signals that prevent others from recognizing her as a rabbit trapped in a schoolgirl's body. The totally opposite personalities inhabiting the same body proves to create an interesting and compelling dynamic which influences the other characters as well. Haru is the happy-go-lucky animal lover whom everything seems to revolve around, through no significant effort of his own. Yeah, we all know the type by now; the sickeningly noble gentleman dweeb who would rather rip off his own arm than make a girl cry. However, he is not completely detestable, since he is notably useless when Mimika is in danger. Miku has been Haru's friend for many years, and is just now (predictably) interested in becoming more than just friend with him, an idea that Haru (again predictably) is totally oblivious to. With Mimika hanging all over Haru in such an unabashed manner, she becomes highly jealous of her. Koshka is a girl who has fused with a cat (read: catgirl. YAY!), and has been retained by the anti-fusion organization to eliminate Mimika. Koshka uses whatever means necessary to achieve her objectives, and presumably continues to fail because of constant interference. Chou is a diminutive gang leader from a rival school who has sought to defeat Mikami even before she fused with Mimika. His services are also being utilized by the anti-fusion organization, and seems to be much more knowledgeable of its inner workings. Pay special attention to his headband, as it changes content more often than a stock market ticker. The characters are not developed into incredibly complex individuals, but they are given sufficient depth to carry a significant part of the OAV.
Plot: This anime has two distinct moods. The first half focuses on lighthearted fanservice and romantic tension, pushing the intrigue and fights to the back burner. The second half is pretty much the opposite. Much like the main character, two personalities are present in the same entity, with one eventually overtaking the other. The story itself is fairly interesting, especially when the focus is shifted to the more serious side of the Mimika/Mikami phenomenon. Of course, with both a bunnygirl and a catgirl involved, how can there not be copious amounts of fanservice? Unfortunately, the large amount of it tends to dilute some of the well-done drama, so most people will find themselves blushing more than weeping. Unless you're someone like me, who cries hysterically whenever he sees an animal girl that he cannot have. You win again, reality!
CHICKS!: Rarely do I ever say this, but the catgirl is not my favorite in this anime. Not that I would pass her up under normal circumstances, but she just can't compare to Mimika. What I wouldn't give to have a bouncy bunnygirl like her fawning all over me. She's got adorable buck teeth, a fluffy pair of cute ears and powderpuff tail, and a set of boobs you could just crawl between and sleep in for a week. The fact that she shows off this package frequently is reason enough to brand her as one of the most successful human-animal hybrids in the history of ecchi anime. She's a refreshing change from the sadistic Mikami, who would more than likely force a man to eat his own testicles before she would show any affection toward him. Koshka, also with impressive dimensions and those oh-so-cute cat ears and tail, is also worth daydreaming about. But kitty's got claws, as her vengeful side shows through more often than not in her attempts to kill Mimika. Having her declawed might be the best option before attempting to jump into the sack with her. Miku, the only pure human female who gets significant screen time, is also a winner, playing the role of the largely ignored, impressively developed, sexually curious childhood friend. God, why does someone as bland and unremarkable as Haru get all the luck? I mean, I like animals, too! I think they're delicious broiled!
Overall: First and foremost, I believe this title holds the widest appeal for lovers of fanservice like myself. However, even if you're not fond of still-frame sex scenes and panty shots, there is enough of a dramatic element to find merit in. There are certainly more dramatic anime out there, and more touching anime, but none that I've seen with a bunnygirl as sexy as Mimika. So if you're in the mood for some moderately impressive theatrics mixed with a hotter bunny than Playboy's Miss October, this OAV is just what the veterinarian ordered.
IN A NUTSHELL
+ Surprisingly good drama
+ Especially yummy fanservice
+ Sufficient depth given to characters
- Punchless soundtrack
- Artwork could be better
Rating: 7.5/10
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