Review for Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden - Summer Special OVA

Introduction

As I usually do when a new series is announced in the UK, and especially when there is a likelihood that I will have to review it, I take a quick look on the Interweb to see what I can learn. Practically the first thing I learned about Mahoromatic is that there were two series, and one OVA episode. ADV released the first series in the UK, and then MVM announced the second. In the US, everything came via Geneon, both series on six discs, and then the OVA by itself. MVM aren't exactly known for releasing single disc OVAs, the only one that I can recall is Burst Angel Infinity, and that came with over two hours of extra features. The Mahoromatic Summer Special wasn't that loaded in the US, so when I noticed it in a US bargain bucket, I felt justified in placing the order. How was I to know that MVM would include the Summer Special OVA on the final disc of Mahoromatic: Something More Beautiful? You don't need to import this disc to see the OVA, so this review really just looks at how Geneon could justify selling a 24-minute episode on a single half-priced disc. Hint: Geneon collapsed in the US.

Mahoromatic is sort of part Evangelion and part Love Hina, unsurprising when you see that studios Gainax and Shaft produced the anime. It's set in an alternate world, where aliens invaded in the 1980s, and a group named Vesper created combat androids to protect the world from the insidious menace of Saint. Following a successful tour of duty, one such android faces the end of her existence. Mahoro has just 37 days left to live if she continues to fight, but if she shuts down her combat programming, that will be extended to 398, and given her exemplary service, her commanders offer her the choice as to how to live out her life. She decides to live out her last days, serving a young orphan named Suguru as his maid. Although made after the series concluded, the OVA slots in prior to the climactic storyline with the Management.

It's time for total war. Mahoro has had just about enough of Suguru's dirty thoughts, and is declaring the end of his porn collection. However, erotic publications are a teenage boy's God given right, and Suguru is going to stand up for his rights. The battle is drawn down gender lines, girls versus the boys, and at stake is Suguru's life as an adolescent.

Picture

Mahoromatic gets a 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer, which is clear and sharp, and given that it is a NTSC transfer, there's no problem with ghosting or judder. There is the comparatively lower resolution, but it all looks quite pleasant. The second series moved on from the hand drawn look of the first, and it was as clean and bright as most of the CG animated shows of the period. The same is true for the OVA. It certainly doesn't look as rough and organic as the first series. It's a pretty straightforward comedy anime, with simple character designs and fairly standard animation.

Sound

You have the usual anime choices of DD 2.0 English and Japanese, with optional signs and subtitles. I went with the Japanese track as always, and found it more than acceptable, if a little typical for comedy shows of the period. This is a show that is getting on in years, and the English dub is also showing its age. It's not Love Hina bad, but it certainly pales against modern efforts.

Extras

My disc came in a Scanavo case with a reversible sleeve. Inside you'll find an insert with some artwork on the front, a chapter list on the back and which opens out to become a mini-poster.

The on disc extras include a colour art gallery with 10 images, a line art gallery with 23 images, the textless credits, and previews for other Geneon product including Chobits, Ikki Tousen, and Someday's Dreamers.

The notable additions to the disc are the promo videos. The season 1 promo video lasts just under four minutes, the season 2 promo lasts just under six, while the Summer Special promo lasts around 2 minutes. While the Summer Special promo is a glorified trailer, with clips from the episode with a voiceover, the other two promos are notable in that they are new animation, with the conceit that the characters are real people, actually anticipating the anime of their life story to be made, and pondering whether to sign the contract with the anime studio.

Conclusion

I didn't appreciate the end of Mahoromatic. Indeed, both series followed a similar path in indulging in comic hijinks to begin with, but then slowly letting the laughs drain away to explore something more serious and meaningful for their conclusions. Automatic Maiden went dark and ominous, while Something More Beautiful went off the deep end into metaphysical and reflective. These things aren't why I liked Mahoromatic. I liked it for the silly comedy and sauciness, and when it came to polishing the whole thing off with a single OVA episode, the creators distilled that essence and packaged it into 24 minutes of comic satisfaction.

The story is pretty simple, but inevitable given Mahoro's critical standpoint on dirty thoughts, as opposed to Suguru, who as a teenaged male is comprised almost entirely of dirty thoughts. Mahoro's disapproval of Suguru's collection of erotic publications reaches a head in this episode as she declares war on all of his porn stash, and demands that he gets rid of it. As a teenage boy, he can't countenance a life without porn, so he decides to fake Mahoro out. It escalates from there, with Mahoro roping in all the girls in the neighbourhood to help her achieve her goals, while Suguru gets his buddies to help him try and hoodwink her. Elaborate plans, traps and escapes ensue, and it's as neatly created an episode of saucy comedy as you are likely to get in anime. It also adds the prerequisite bit of nudity and female flesh by having Mahoro and her allies discuss their plans in a public bath.

A quarter the usual anime for half the price certainly doesn't sound like a bargain, and the Summer Special doesn't even have the big bag of extra features that Burst Angel: Infinity got. In fact, for $14.98, the Summer Special OVA is pretty slim pickings, only made slightly bearable by the fact that the episode is so much fun. I can see that fans in the US would have still only bought it grudgingly to complete their collections. As for us in the UK, there is absolutely no need for us to import given that it is available on the final disc of Mahoromatic: Something More Beautiful from MVM. Actually that isn't quite true, as the series promo videos haven't been released in the UK, and while they are still glorified trailers, I didn't begrudge the time to watch them, indeed found them quite entertaining. Is it worth what I paid? Well given online discounts, postage and the exchange rate, this disc cost me a little under £5. That is still pretty steep for one episode. I certainly can't imagine paying full price for it. The anime industry is so much nicer now to its fans.