Review of Ikki Tousen (Battle Vixens): Vol.3 Water Wars

Introduction

With the current popularity of celebrity chef`s, I thought I`d try a menu of my own before I get to the review proper. If you can`t afford this volume of `Ikki Tousen` (`Battle Vixen`s` to some…) then simply follow the following recipe to create your own. You`ll need a large mixing bowl (edit suite) and the following ingredients:

1 Disc `Charlie`s Angels`
2 Discs `Fist of the North Star`
3 Discs from the Russ Meyer Collection
2 Discs from `Love Hina`

Mix them up in equal proportions and hey presto! You`ll have created your very own `Ikki Tousen`. For those looking for a ready-made, well, here it is.

Ikki Tousen Volume 3 (`Water Wars`) picks up the story at episode 8. In order to `catch up` with the narrative prior to this review I viewed some shoddy fan-subs with English subs, though these dubbed episodes were infinitely more enjoyable for me with some good voice choices for the central characters. The animation is all standard fare, but well realised (by the J.C.Staff studio - R.O.D., Ai Yori Aoshi etc) with some imaginative angles and sequences.

`Ikki Tousen` is supposedly a re-enactment of the Chinese Three Kingdom`s saga. For 1800 years the great warriors have fought feudal wars and now the battle has moved on, involving seven high schools battling for ultimate supremacy. Battles are co-ordinated using text messaging on the warrior`s mobiles. Special fighters from these schools are identified by the `Magatama` they wear (usually round their necks or as an earring) which are `soul stones` that contain the soul of a fighter from the Three Kingdoms era. Sonasaku Hakufu, a cute but crazy teen, seems destined to become the ultimate ruler, possessing a passion for battle and an ability to learn new techniques almost instantly. Whilst it`s fascinating stuff for those up to speed with their ancient Chinese history, the link with the 3 kingdom`s saga in fact does little more than provide a feeble almost-there narrative …something to hang the mindless (though cartoonish) violence and voyeurism on.

There are 3 episodes here, with `Water` as their central theme. (Bathing, hot springs and swimming pools all figure in these episodes…I wonder why?!).

Buxom Hakufu`s mother, Goei, wants to free her daughter from the `fighter curse` that killed her father. Curiously, she cheers on Hakufi`s opponent in a school battle who goes on to beat her. She then arranges a trip to visit Chokou, the old caretaker of the hot springs mountain training ground, where Hakufi and her pals can train and relax after losing the last battle. There`s plenty of fighting afoot (man, that old guy is amazing!) and some shenanigans at the poolside as Hakufi is mesmerised by a passing stranger`s watermelons. Ooh-er.

Video

Very nice quality transfer - sharp, nicely presented colours with strong blacks.

Audio

There`s a choice of English Dolby 2.0 or Japanese with subs. For the purposes of this review I chose English and it was a satisfying dub. The voice-choices were all first class and the general mix was good. If the theme music sounds familiar to you it might be because it`s yet another track by frothy popsters `Move` who also penned the theme for Initial D.

Features

TRAILER
Basically the first two minutes of episode 1 (more or less) all set to a nasty euro-pop soundtrack and packed with shots of high-kicking, short skirted, big-breasted girls. Not as good as it sounds…

GALLERY
About 10 stills for those interested in the artwork. There`s also a rumoured `hidden` slide show (Easter egg) though I`ll be damned if I could find it.

OUTTAKES
These are not strictly out-takes. There are three `what the narrator said…` mirrored with `what the narrator would like to have said` gags. These are irreverent gags from the US dubbing crew. (For example, `If there isn`t some major blood or boobies in the next narration, I`m outta here…`).

Then there are `alternative` previews which are a bit spicy, and a few more crude visual gags that will have no-one laughing other than adolescent boys sniggering like Beavis and Butthead.

TRAILERS
A trailer for `Gunslinger Girl` and `Paranoia Agent` - both looking very intriguing indeed.

Conclusion

For those unsure of what to expect, this is a mix of `Love Hina` style teen-fun mixed with full-on martial arts (ala `Fist of the North Star`), all wrapped up with some of the most outrageous voyeurism committed to anime. Every wide-legged kick is realised from the POV of a midget, resulting in lo-angle views of tightly stretched panties under micro-skirts. This is no accident either as such views dominate the action here.

The females in `I.T` are also all unfeasibly large-breasted, giving plenty of opportunity for wobble-cam action during each athletic battle sequence. Naturally these breasts are frequently partly exposed with nearly every fight resulting in torn clothing.

If it all sounds a bit grubby, it probably is. It`s certainly indefensibly sexist, and politically incorrect in the extreme. But it never quite descends into the dark territory of out and out Hentai, which often plays out cruelly misogynous fantasies to provide its kicks.

But it`s difficult not to like this programme. After all, these sneaky peeks are just what most the male viewing audience of `Charlie`s Angels`, for example, are secretly holding out for. This being Japanese anime, they just deliver without apology. It`s astonishing that this aired in Japan on TV at all. If it was aired here there would be a meltdown of objection…schoolgirls as sexual objects seems strangely less taboo there than here, as if it`s all just clean, innocent fun.

In truth, the programme is pretty light stuff.just a lot of fighting really, though the dialogue is not without humour and there are scenes here (such as those in the swimming pool) which are pure `Love Hina`. If you`re easily offended by anime devoid of sexual subtlety, then avoid. Anyone else interested in this bizarre sub-genre of anime should give it a go.