The Adventures Of Kotetsu

—by Peter Kenzaburo Cahill

The bizarre and thoroughly Japanese opening theme song is very indicative of the rest of this show. It's an interesting mix of mysticism, swordplay, and lecherous comedy. Linn is an earnest, naive country girl who just happens to wield a demon-forged katana. Miho is a streetwise Tokyo woman who runs her own detective agency. And Mikado is a young but accomplished "puppeteer," a sorcerer who can create and control objects and people with magic talismans.
Suzuki Linn has had an unusual childhood and is now looking for her long lost brother, Tetsujin. She manages to bump into his old boss, Kuon Miho. When Miho learns that Linn is Tetsujin's little sister, she gives Linn the nickname of Kotetsu (little Tetsu).
The female characters are all lithe and buxom, there's a fair amount of nudity, most of the jokes are suggestive, and nasal hemorrhaging is rampant; so it's readily apparent who this show is targeted at. (And if you didn't already know, nosebleeds are a sign of lecherous thoughts in anime...) It's not that this show is "H" or graphically adult, but it's also not afraid to show its heroines topless in a bath (or the effect this has on male voyeurs).
The animation is clean and bright, and the action is fast and entertaining. Although there really isn't anything new or exceptional here, it's a very well produced show. (The only technical glitch I spotted was an errant cloud in the opening credits.)
The music is thoroughly Japanese. It's a bit odd by Western standards and not everyone will appreciate it, but its fairly traditional sounding and fits the mood of the show. After all, it's got a good beat and you can fence to it.
The story and characters are not terribly original but show promise. This is an entertaining video with a few laughs, as long as you're not bothered by nudity and the adolescent slant on female characters. (They may be exploited, but at least they're not helpless.)

Released in North America by A.D.V. Films
Volume 1 VHS, 60 minutes
Subtitled VHSKO/001S $29.95
English Dubbed VHSKO/001D $19.98
Available 5/11/99
Where to buy