Fight!!

The best thing about one-shot OVAs is that they don't demand a great deal of your time. You put your eyes on the screen for 30-60 minutes, and that's all there is to it. However, not all OVAs are created equal, as the subject of today, Fight!!, shall attest to. Story: There is not much to say for this anime in regards to story. Don't come here expecting something life-changing, or clever, or original, or even straightforward. You got Yonosuke, your ostensibly run-of-the-mill hero who secretly has the fate of the world in his hands. A simple mix-up lands him into some trouble and he soon has tofight the biggest battle he has known...or so you would think. This anime is called Fight!!, yet there's hardly any action and when there is, it's incredibly underwhelming. Talk about false advertising. Further ruining this anime is its questionable writing and shoddy editing. For example, Earth is referred to as "Heaven," while the world Arare and the Inbe brothers (yes, brothers) come from is referred to as "the Earth world." Confusing, huh? Characters: Since this OVA is only 30 minutes, there's not a lot of time to flesh out characters. Unsurprisingly, the most developed character is Yonosuke, followed by the Inbe brothers. That said, there's one question I have about the characters that has yet to be answered: Who are the two guys who live with Yonosuke? Their relation to him is never explained. Music: If you like synthesizers and flutes, you're in luck because there's a lot of those in this particular soundtrack. There's a nice, gentle number at the end which I felt deserved to be in a better anime. Art: I wouldn't have known this anime was made in 1993 just by looking at it. The art looks much older than that. Of course, this was made before J.C.Staff became the power house it is today. The most detailed and expressive part of this anime comes at the 6:15 mark, where we zoom in on the old shopkeeper's face. I can't explain why, but it seems to me most of the animation budget was spent on that one moment in particular. Enjoyment: I can't say I enjoyed this anime. I did watch it a few times, but only to make this review. The problem with Fight!! is that it's not good by any stretch of the imagination. However, it's not downright abysmal; there is nothing here that makes me want to slam my head into a wall. It also doesn't veer into so-bad-it's-good territory. It's not a popcorn flick. It exists and that's all there is to it. There are some parts where I want to like this anime, but flimsy execution makes it a moot point. Oh well. All in all, I would give this anime a 3. One more thought before I go. If you do decide to watch this anime, pay close attention to the phone number on the business card at the 14:01 mark. Then, look at the number on the shop's marquee a few seconds later. Yeah, really. That happened.