Chameleon (OVA)

Chameleon is an anime that gives the viewer moderate expectations that it immediately lives up to, leaving the viewer sad and confused. Story: 7/10 The anime immediately throws you into a set of circumstances with no backstory. Eisaku Yazawa is a high schooler that, despite his size and personality, wants to be a feared gang member. There is no true explanation for this. There is little backstory in this anime at all, but with length of this OVA, this prevents character development for characters nobody cares about. Art: 5/10 The art in this show is extremely dated, especially for an 1992-1996 release. The animation quality and background drawings areabout on par with something from the mid-to-late 1980's. There aren't any noticeable mistakes or flaws in the animation. Sound: 6/10 Sound effects and music are very consistent throughout the whole OVA. Nothing in this anime is considered bad from a musical standpoint, but it doesn't stand out very much. Character: 8/10 The characters in this show are what saves it from being completely overlooked. The protagonist is a very funny character that can give of many funny lines and expressions. He fumbles around the world of gang violence, but he is viewed by his peers as a real threat by mistake. This dynamic got a lot of laughs out of me. Enjoyment: 7/10 Enjoyment of this show is more subjective than anything. Yazawa can be hated or loved depending on how he is viewed, similarly to Mineta in the newer anime Boku no Hero Academia. He is never portrayed as completely rotten, but he is perverted, as protagonists go. People who are fans of the era might find this entertaining. Final Notes: This show isn't great. But it isn't awful. While dated, it can still keep my interest for an extended period of time. The sex and violence isn't awful, but there are still touchy subjects and stereotypes that haven't aged well (Yu), but it can make for an entertaining time.