All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku
ADV DVD
Review
by
: Matt
McConnel
Nuku
Nuku is an older OVA series from way, way back. Call it, early
nineties. The appeal was, as it so often is, a pretty girl,
big machines, and over the top humor. Despite the fact that
this formula has been copied many times over, Nuku Nuku is
nevertheless something that is well worth looking at simply
because it really is funny. While it does get progressively
more sexual as the series progresses, especially the latter
half, it is still a fun series to sit down to.
The concept
is that a geinus scientist on the run from his now ex-wife,
the president of a multi-national industrial concern, with
his son Ryunoske. They stop for a quick Christmas meal of
fried chicken only to be ambushed by the wife's goons in an
attack craft. In the ensuing fray, Ryunoske's brand new cat
friend is injured, and to save it, the father puts the cat's
mind into his latest invention. A battle android. Nuku Nuku
is then the family pet, and older sister of Ryunoske. Then
mommy dearest comes calling again, and the chase begins anew.
After about three episodes, Rynnoske and Nuku Nuku come to
the bizarre conclusion that this is actually what their parents
want, the chase. They both care deeply for their son, but
can not get past the fact that they have to hunt and be hunted
to be happy with each other. An interesting concept to say
the least, but then again, that is not the point. The point
is whacked out humor, and there are three more episodes of
it.
For as
fun as Nuku Nuku is, there are some serious shortcomings.
There the tendency to get progressively more sexual as the
series progresses, and while the series comes to a sort of
conclusion after the third episode, the remaining three seem
tacked on, and not really a part of the narrative displayed
in the first three. No doubt this latter aspect is due to
the popularity of the original episodes, as there are marked
differences between the two halves of the series. The sexual
aspect is something that you just have to accept and move
on. It is a whacked out anime directed at an adolescent audience.
While
the story as a whole suffers from the delineation between
the two halves, the overall experience of Nuku Nuku is enjoyable.
The humor is enjoyable and fast paced while there isn't anything
in the story to wear you down mentally. After all, this is
an anime about a battle android with the mind of a cat. How
serious can it be?
Email
Matt, our resident anime guru, here.
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