But that particular cup size is what brings us to Ikki Tousen ? Historic Battles (Vol. 2). You needn?t go any further than the DVD?s box cover art to know that the endowment of the lead character has nothing to do with monies her father donated to an institution of higher learning. This endowment is of the physical kind, and the only doubt it leaves is how the young lady in question doesn?t knock herself unconscious with every high stepping martial arts move that she performs.
That?s our Hakufu. She may have needed a Wonder Bra for about a nanosecond... when she was nine.
Hakufu is the main character in Ikki Tousen, which is a modern day, school girl-style retelling of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. In the original, Chinese generals fought over various neighboring kingdoms. Substitute teenagers for generals, and high school as the battleground, and you?ve pretty much got the idea.
Back to Hakufu. Without being too mean spirited, she is the poster child for the old adage, ?If brains were dynamite, she wouldn?t be able to blow her own nose.? Luckily, Hakufu has a deadly fighting force secreted deep inside her, a fight force that takes over from time to time, carrying the story forward and making her character much more fun to be around. The unpredictable nature of this fighting force causes Hakufu to generally lose the first matches of any tournament. She rebounds, however, and in the final confrontation, the only thing that matches the ferocity of her attacks is her ability to artistically shred the cotton fabric of her school uniform. It?s a good thing Japanese school girls don?t dress in the same fabric as Marvel superheroes. Were it so, half the reason to watch Ikki Tousen simply wouldn?t occur.
The creators of Ikki Tousen treat plot as though they were Superman and it was Kryptonite. Plot, and to a slightly lesser extent character, are nothing more than a lead in to the various confrontations that are the signature of the series. And Historic Battles (Vol. 2) has a lot more fighting than the first Ikki Tousen DVD offering. Freed of character introductions, it?s a non-stop slug fest in shrink wrap.
In Episode 5, ?Get Angry Hakufu! The School of Counterattack,? the Big Fighters Tournament has been announced. Because of openings in the Nanyo Academy team, Hakufu and Koukin get to take part. Kakufu visits Taishiji in the hospital and discovers that he?s still in a coma. She then sets out to get revenge on those responsible.
In Episode 6, ?A Big Disturbance! The Bloody Big Fighters Tournament!,? the tournament begins. Nanyo Academy faces off with Yoshu Academy. The battles aren?t as simple as predicted, and Hakufu must flee for her life, abandoning her partner in the tournament.
In Episode 7, ?The Fatal Confrontation! Kanu Vs. Ryomou!,? Ryomou must fight Kanu by herself, and Nanyo?s victory is anything but sure. Hakufu returns to fight Kanu, but victory hang in the balance unless Hakufu can find a more profound inspiration.
The DVD packaging of Ikki Tousen ? Historic Battles (Vol. 2) comes with many of the standard extras, including a ?clean? version of the ending animation, as well as a full color art gallery. There is also an interview with Ikki Tousen?s director, which takes a behind the scenes look at the show?s production, including a peek at the live action filming that was the basis for the finished 2D animation. More school girl action anyone? Say no more...
If you?re into the kind of fighting action that is routinely delivered -- without the 16 and Up rating -- to kids half your age in such programs as Dragon Ball Z, then you should investigate Ikki Tousen ? Historic Battles (Vol. 2). For fans of this genre, the T and the A mentioned in the first sentence of this review might then stand for Truly Audacious!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrowl!
