dtstratovarius (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} dtstratovarius) wrote,@ 2008-09-01 07:35:00 |
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Matt's Anime Review: "Hand Maid May" TV series
Hey all,
Well, it’s time for the first of two anime reviews. First, we’ll review the short 10 episode (plus a bonus “epilogue” episode) series, “Hand Maid May,” a 2000 release that pretty much sparked a bit of a subgenre boom, as HMM takes the Tenchi formula and adds in maids and cyberdoll robots.
The plot is hapless college student Kazuya Saotome seems to only focus on sleep and his project of making a mini Squid-bot with artificial intelligence. His successes frustrate his arch-rival, Kotaro Nanbara, to the point where he acts like Kazuya’s friend and gives him a software disc. Little does Kazuya know that the software disc contains a nasty virus. However, Nanbara underestimates Kazuya’s typing speed, and by accident, Kazuya unlocks the CyberDyne website where he inadvertently orders a Cyber Doll named May. This little one-sixth-sized cyber doll maid is spunky and makes Kazuya’s life complete along with his neighbor/landlord’s daughter, Kasumi. However, Kazuya can’t pay the near 1.5 million dollar bill for May. So, Cyberdoll Sara, a CyberDyne customer service/collections bot with an affinity for ramen, comes collecting. Can Kazuya and friends save May before she’s repossessed by Sara?
PRODUCTION:
First off, we have the director, Shinichiro Kimura, who has a very extensive resume in directing such shows as “Burn Up Xcess,” “Venus Versus Virus,” “Maburaho,” “Karin,” and “Cosplay Complex.” So, we definitely know that Kimura has great comedy and action direction. Character designer Katsuzo Hirata (character designs: “Cosplay Complex,” animation direction for “Gurren Lagann”) provides some definitely interesting, very Keiichi Gotoh-ish designs, especially with the Cyber Doll Maids. And we have a very solid producer in Akio Matsuda, who has a very full resume too (“Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventures,” “Ergo Proxy,” “Peacemaker” TV, “Someday’s Dreamers,” and “Strawberry Eggs.” Together, this staff put together one solid anime, albeit surprisingly short.
DUB:
This time around we have an early dub by ZRO Limit Productions and Animaze. We have a very solid ADR script by the team of Jenny Haniver, Heidi Wilbur, and Mary Mason. Haniver was considered (at the time) one of the better ADR writers, as she wrote the tremendous dub for “El Hazard.” Lia Sargent (Akari Kanzaki: “Battle Athletes;” Lisa in “eX-Driver”; Nanami in “El Hazard;” Dorothy in “Big O”) stars as May, and does double-duty by being the ADR Director. Lia beings a super-chipper voice for May that’s a bit more energic than her Nanami in “El Hazard.” It’s very similar to her Milly Thompson character voice from “Trigun.” Veteran lead Steve Cannon (Shiro Amada in “Gundam: 08-th MS Team;” Rei Fukai in “Yukikaze;” Arc in “Arc the Lad”) voices Kazuya, and like his Arc the Lad just adds that nice blend of haplessness and innocence to Kazuya. As Kotaro Nanbara, they outdid themselves by letting Bob Marx (Katsuhiko Ginnai in “El Hazard;” Jidan Nickard from “Gundam 08-th MS Team”) do his Ginnai voice from “El Hazard” and amping up the sheer craziness by 100. And as potential Kazuya love interest and neighbor, Kasumi, we have the energetic Michelle Ruff (Kiki Rosita in “Gundam 08th MS Team;” Fujiko in “Lupin the Third TV;” Rukia in “Bleach”).
With the other Cyber Dolls, we have Dorothy Melendrez/Elias-Fahn (Mimori in “s-CRY-ed;” Naru in “Love Hina:” Nina Purpleton in “Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory”) as Mami, Jane Arden/Bridget Hoffman (Mizuho as “Please Teacher;” Raquel in “Scrapped Princess;” Melfina in “Outlaw Star”) as Kei; Reba West/Rebecca Forstadt (Nunnally in “Code Geass;” Mihoshi in the “Tenchi” movies/OVAs) as Rena, and Wendee Lee (Faye Valentine in “Cowboy Bebop;” Mitsuki Rara in “Dual;” B.C. in “Vandread”) as Sara.
All in all, a very underrated dub, especially with Marx going WAY over-the-top as Nanbara.
OVERALL:
A very underrated, yet short show. You can see why this started the new subgenre with maids, but it just added to the Tenchi Muyo formula. Definitely recommended, as it has its share of comedy, romance, and some action (though at times formulaic).
GRADE: B+
Hey all,
Well, it’s time for the first of two anime reviews. First, we’ll review the short 10 episode (plus a bonus “epilogue” episode) series, “Hand Maid May,” a 2000 release that pretty much sparked a bit of a subgenre boom, as HMM takes the Tenchi formula and adds in maids and cyberdoll robots.
The plot is hapless college student Kazuya Saotome seems to only focus on sleep and his project of making a mini Squid-bot with artificial intelligence. His successes frustrate his arch-rival, Kotaro Nanbara, to the point where he acts like Kazuya’s friend and gives him a software disc. Little does Kazuya know that the software disc contains a nasty virus. However, Nanbara underestimates Kazuya’s typing speed, and by accident, Kazuya unlocks the CyberDyne website where he inadvertently orders a Cyber Doll named May. This little one-sixth-sized cyber doll maid is spunky and makes Kazuya’s life complete along with his neighbor/landlord’s daughter, Kasumi. However, Kazuya can’t pay the near 1.5 million dollar bill for May. So, Cyberdoll Sara, a CyberDyne customer service/collections bot with an affinity for ramen, comes collecting. Can Kazuya and friends save May before she’s repossessed by Sara?
PRODUCTION:
First off, we have the director, Shinichiro Kimura, who has a very extensive resume in directing such shows as “Burn Up Xcess,” “Venus Versus Virus,” “Maburaho,” “Karin,” and “Cosplay Complex.” So, we definitely know that Kimura has great comedy and action direction. Character designer Katsuzo Hirata (character designs: “Cosplay Complex,” animation direction for “Gurren Lagann”) provides some definitely interesting, very Keiichi Gotoh-ish designs, especially with the Cyber Doll Maids. And we have a very solid producer in Akio Matsuda, who has a very full resume too (“Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventures,” “Ergo Proxy,” “Peacemaker” TV, “Someday’s Dreamers,” and “Strawberry Eggs.” Together, this staff put together one solid anime, albeit surprisingly short.
DUB:
This time around we have an early dub by ZRO Limit Productions and Animaze. We have a very solid ADR script by the team of Jenny Haniver, Heidi Wilbur, and Mary Mason. Haniver was considered (at the time) one of the better ADR writers, as she wrote the tremendous dub for “El Hazard.” Lia Sargent (Akari Kanzaki: “Battle Athletes;” Lisa in “eX-Driver”; Nanami in “El Hazard;” Dorothy in “Big O”) stars as May, and does double-duty by being the ADR Director. Lia beings a super-chipper voice for May that’s a bit more energic than her Nanami in “El Hazard.” It’s very similar to her Milly Thompson character voice from “Trigun.” Veteran lead Steve Cannon (Shiro Amada in “Gundam: 08-th MS Team;” Rei Fukai in “Yukikaze;” Arc in “Arc the Lad”) voices Kazuya, and like his Arc the Lad just adds that nice blend of haplessness and innocence to Kazuya. As Kotaro Nanbara, they outdid themselves by letting Bob Marx (Katsuhiko Ginnai in “El Hazard;” Jidan Nickard from “Gundam 08-th MS Team”) do his Ginnai voice from “El Hazard” and amping up the sheer craziness by 100. And as potential Kazuya love interest and neighbor, Kasumi, we have the energetic Michelle Ruff (Kiki Rosita in “Gundam 08th MS Team;” Fujiko in “Lupin the Third TV;” Rukia in “Bleach”).
With the other Cyber Dolls, we have Dorothy Melendrez/Elias-Fahn (Mimori in “s-CRY-ed;” Naru in “Love Hina:” Nina Purpleton in “Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory”) as Mami, Jane Arden/Bridget Hoffman (Mizuho as “Please Teacher;” Raquel in “Scrapped Princess;” Melfina in “Outlaw Star”) as Kei; Reba West/Rebecca Forstadt (Nunnally in “Code Geass;” Mihoshi in the “Tenchi” movies/OVAs) as Rena, and Wendee Lee (Faye Valentine in “Cowboy Bebop;” Mitsuki Rara in “Dual;” B.C. in “Vandread”) as Sara.
All in all, a very underrated dub, especially with Marx going WAY over-the-top as Nanbara.
OVERALL:
A very underrated, yet short show. You can see why this started the new subgenre with maids, but it just added to the Tenchi Muyo formula. Definitely recommended, as it has its share of comedy, romance, and some action (though at times formulaic).
GRADE: B+
