![[ANIME REVIEWS]](images/section_anime.gif)
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by Peter Cahill
Unless you're already a big fan of the DEVIL HUNTER series, this tape isn't
worth your time, let alone the money. (Especially since none of this is
new!) But if you are a fan and you haven't had a chance to buy these tapes
separately, then this is a pretty good deal for you.
Don't get me wrong, I got a big kick out of the original DEVIL HUNTER
YOHKO, but the two stories and set of music videos in this tape hardly seem
worthy of the first installment. Episode 2 has cute potential, with Yohko's
self-appointed "business manager," Chigako, planning an ad campaign to
increase "sales." Then little Azusa shows up, announcing that Yohko's
grandmother has instructed her to learn the art of Devil Hunting from
Yohko. Grandma is noticeably absent from both 2 and 3, and she is missed.
Most of the stuff that made the first show so good is missing here. And so
the story plods along with a simplistic and trite "sidekick-becomes-hostage"
plotline straight out of a SUPERFRIENDS episode, complete with preachy ending.
Episode 3 is worse, making it better! At least it doesn't even try to take
itself seriously. The romantic and tragic storyline here is solidly geared
for teen girls, while the visuals are shooting mostly for the boys. It's
hardly original or exciting, but Yohko's bombastic soliloquies are so over
the top they're worth the effort! It's light comedy, which doesn't get much
lighter than this.
The music videos of 4-EVER! present an interesting twist. The two episodes
before it are dubbed, but the videos are subtitled--dubbing the music would
be pointless. But most of the appeal for the music is the singing by the
voice actors, who have been dubbed over in the episodes! Granted, most of
the videos are montages of art from the show or trailer-style strings of
scenes, but the two live-action videos showcasing
Hisakawa Aya (Yohko) and
Yoshida Konami (Azusa) seem almost absurdly disconnected from everything
else!
Again, unless you're already a fan of the show, this is a renter at best.
Aside from DHY 2, the rest isn't so bad, but it's not exactly stellar.
Thankfully, volumes 5 and up get better...
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DEVIL HUNTER YOHKO 2, 3 & 4-EVER!
©1992, 1993 Toho / Madhouse
English dubbed and subtitled, VHSY/023D $19.98
Released in U.S.A. by A.D.Vision, Inc.
Approx. 90 minutes
Now Available
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