"I saw the manga for it and quickly discovered the anime was just released so I grabbed it cause the manga was great! What's your verdict?"
GUILTY BABY! GUILTY OF MAKING STAY UP TO WATCH 10 EPS STRAIGHT AFTER FREAKIN' EPISODE ONE!
"A Cheeky Angel". What's up with it huh? Here's the low down bit by bit.
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In terms of execution and originality. It's both new, and not. Warning (minor spoilers can't be avoided here). How many anime have come up with gender problems? (Ranma, and Birdy the Mighty come to mind) This anime covers it in a "semi-realistic" sort of way. Megumi (odd name for a guy in my book) at age 9 was transformed into a "woman among women" by a demon that came out of a book. (Sound familiar? I'm not sure...
) I won't explain why/how it happened, but lets just say he is pretty much transexualized into the hottest babe in the anime. The AWESOME twist is that at 9, Megumi was a bad ass fighter and in female form (current age in anime, 15) she's just as deadly as the Dead or Alive Gals... (oh yeah, she DOES kick high...) Episode 1 of "A Cheeky Angel" features a "Rurouni Kenshin" teleport technique which immediately got me hooked. ^_^ Megumi's journey from here on in (as far as I can tell in the 10 eps I've watched) is to try her (his?!) darnest to turn back to a male. The book that transformed him in the first place is the key. So, it's both original, and not... ^_^The digisubs I have were "bleh" for the majority of the eps. They weren't "DBZ" standard, but they weren't Onegai Teacher, Kanon, or Hanaukyo Maids "awesome" either. The anime itself features WELL EXECUTED and RARE use of CG utilized only from the magic that comes from the book. If there's other CG being used, it's either a: unnoticeable, or b: rare and well executed. Not as blatant as Vandread or Blue Submarine. It's "Inu Yasha" elite usage of CG... I'd be wary of using these digisubs as footage unless you use a "Soften" filter of some sort.
The music, and various bgms in this anime are what'd I call "Standard". I didn't notice them all that much. The opening intro sounds like something Enrique Iglesias or others would sing! Yes, it's a Latin style Music intro! I liked it. The end theme is rather soft and each ep ends with like 1 minute of "epilogue" events and then the preview. Soundwise, it's good, just not as "epic" as Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex or Noir.
This is most certainly a shoujo anime. The SEVERAL instances that panties should have been flashing (hey, I notice this kind of stuff) is "cleverly censored" by either smart camera angles, or "weird" circumstance. Let's face it, when a beautiful woman jumps from a moving train or 3rd story window or does a high kick while wearing a seifuku, SOMETHING should appear. (Minor gripe, but something to note.) The anime also utilizes "shoujo" style violence. Sailor Moon and Fushigi Yuugi come to mind. The fights use those "retro backgrounds" during impacts and the blood shed and bruises are hidden as "lines" instead of severe cuts. In terms of straight up combat, this anime delivers though. We'll see Megumi, as well as some of her friends fight ridiculous odds and still come out on top. (I'm not talking 10 on 1, more like, 6 on 2...) Lots of spinning kicks from Megumi (with cleverly censored camera angles) and HUGE knockout blows from the freshman bully Souga make this anime move fluidly from fight to fight. The main theme of the anime is what a man "truely" is. Since Megumi was transformed from a boy to a girl at age 9, she didn't know what guys think at 15. She DOESN'T fall in love with any of them in the eps I've seen thus far, but some hilarity ensues with how she discovers what guys should be doing and this either a: insipires her, or b: disgusts her. "I want to be a man, and then NOT OH I'M SO CONFUSED HELP HELP!" Other goofy stuffs are being spouted from her as she progresses from episode to episode. It's also good to note that you Megumi Hayashibara fans may want to just hear what this anime has to offer... ^hint hint^
The English lip synch from digisubs, none to speak of... ^_^
Regarding the CG FX, I covered most of it in the "Capture" section of this review by accident. It's good. Not overused, and not tacky. ^_^
This anime is not a "walk in the park". And if it is, I'll walk in it many times. ^_^ The effort the animators put into this thing isn't nearly as big as say Noir or Gasaraki, but it's more on the "simplistic" side of the anime for TV genres. Think fun factor in terms of Those Who Hunt Elves or Ranma and you'll have this. Each ep isn't really connected but what you see is truely something for the man (or woman ^_^) in you. Wanna see life from another gender's perspective? This anime is a nice way to see it.
Overall, I REALLY like this thing. As one of those "shots in the dark" anime, it's REALLY good and I'm glad that a madman like Chojin sent it to me. Thanks dude! As an avid anime viewer, I mostly by anime on "hey, this seems good" and simply follow my gut instinct. Thus far, the only times I've been wrong were with 3 anime. Appleseed, Eva, and Psycho Diver. I didn't buy Eva and I thought it'd be good. Whatever, minor opinions that are beside the point.
Reviewablity is HIGH with this thing since there's no connection from ep to ep and some scenes (like Megumi's Father) are just too funny not to pass up more than 3x!
Who'll like this anime? People who want something that's both senseless fun (Ranma) and has a hinting at something meaningful (which escapes my mind at the moment).
Who might just avoid it? If you want "DBZ/Fist of the North Star" blood and guts. Step aside. If you're looking for hot babe combat flashing panties fanservice (Dead or Alive style), also, step aside. These are minor quibbles some people may/may not have with this anime. I however, think it's perfect just the way it is.
Minor note, the character design is unlike anything I've seen before. It's not as "freaky" as Escaflowne, and yet, it's just neat. Big lips? Whoa... 0_0
Originality: 8
Capture: 7
Sound: 7
Action: 9
Lip Synch: N/A
Digital FX: 8
Effort: 8
Overall: 9
Reviewable: 10
If you've also seen this anime, please add in anything that I've missed.
Thank you. ^_^
