Maris the Chojo

The Choujo is a part of the Rumik World series of OVAs, none of which I've seen. It came out in 1986 from Studio Pierrot. Yes, the same studio that worked on Yuu Yuu Hakusho & Osomatsu-san. So, how does this compare to their other works I've seen? Story: We open with Maris, a survivor from an extinct planet, beating the shit out of some bad guys as part of her duty for the Intergalactic Space Patrol. She goes on vacation and tries to earn some extra money, as her parents break things constantly. That's when she's given a big, important job to rescue a kidnappedheir. She sees it as an opportunity to marry into money. Lady, just take out an ad. You've got super strength and good looks (by the standards of the art style), I'd bet some wealthy heir or heiress would accept you as a trophy bride. In any case, she goes off to confront the kidnapper and rescue the rich twit. The biggest problem with this series is just that it's pretty damn boring. The humour is stale with very predictable jokes. There are also long chunks of the OVA where nothing happens. You want a long scene that's supposed to be funny where we just watch random shit on the beach? That's in this. And I'm sure it's totally not a flimsy excuse to see some ladies in bikinis. Because this series just puts its main characters, protagonist & antagonist, in bikinis any way. There's just nothing compelling to it. Maybe there was some novelty value to be had back in 1986, but I've seen some other anime from that era and I kind of doubt it. Characters: Here's where the real issues come in. This is one of those series that should be relying on quirky characters to make its humour work, but they range from dull to actively annoying. With the major characters gravitating towards the latter. Maris herself is just obnoxiously vapid. The same is true for Sue. They're just physically powerful ladies, who have a vague “hate being poor” schtick going for them. But, you know, they dress in battle bikinis so we can call that character development, if we want to use dumb old memes. Then we have the heir. Think of Andy from Cowboy Bebop if he had no interesting or redeeming traits and was just shit. That's pretty much Koganemaru. Art: Even for the mid 80s, this looks bad. The animation is really slow and choppy, a lot of the artwork is just lazy. In terms of its weirder, theoretically comedic, imagery, it's not exactly Yellow Submarine. This might have actually benefited from being more stony, to be honest. About the best I can say is that it's easy enough to follow and not a huge mess. Just a bit of one. Sound: Koyama Mami & Shimamoto Sumi are both decent enough in this, considering the script. Yeah, not gonna lie it comes across as a bit lacklustre. The music is fine too. Not the best in the world, but it works. Ho-yay: There isn't any. The only bits of romance we see are vapid ladies pining over a bored rich boy. Final Thoughts: The Choujo is a bit rubbish, actually. With a completely trite narrative, weak humour, annoying major characters, poor artwork and sound that's just okay (but still the best element in the piece.) Ultimately, I give it a 3/10 and probably should have left it floating in the septic tank instead of fishing it out just because I was curious. Someone put it in the tank for a reason. Next week I'll look at Makai Senki Disgaea. I just hope the anime is as good as the game.

One of the lesser-known works from Rumiko Takahashi, whose only real claim to fame is the legal issues with its title. There's really only two things you need to know about this one-shot story. The main character is really, really poor, mostly due to her own machinations. And the character is really, really strong. That's it. Every single joke is based off of one of those two points. And I mean EVERY joke. As you might expect, it can get really tedious after a while. Thing is, Takahashi likes to poundjokes into the ground. And then pound some more. Supergal is no exception to this. She has created many humor-based anime and manga series over the years, but in a sense it's all just one big series -- because it's the same style of humor and same set of jokes over and over again. You can watch, say, any ten episodes of Urusei Yatsura or Ranma 1/2, and you pretty much don't need to see anything else she's done, because it's all just variations on the same themes, just in different settings. In fact, if you look at the style of humor in 1986's Supergal, you can see strong echoes of it repeated still three decades later in Rin-ne. That's not to say that Supergal is awful; it does have its moments. But there's nothing new here, it's all just retreading the same humor all over again.

This anime is very, very weird. It is based on story by Rumiko Takahashi that is also responsible for Urusei Yatsura, Inuyasha, Mansion Ikkoku, Ranma and Rinne. Visually it sorta reminded me of Urusei Yatsura, except that animation quality was significantly worse. Basically, there are some fight scenes, and they look very, very, very weird. Strange movements. I've recently watched "The Humanoid", and it also had better art than this. Another anime that came to my mind was "Dirty Pair"(the original dirty pair), but it also looked better than this one. The music is standard 1980s type, somewhat similar to what you hear in first episodes ofUrusei Yatsura. Story wise and character wise the ova doesn't get anywhere. Watching it made me wonder if it was funnier or more interesting in manga form. Basically, in the end the title seems to be very awkwardly executed. There are some interesting cameos in it, but that's about it. IT is not really funny (meaning it is not another Urusei Yatsura), it is not terribly exciting, and it doesn't seem to have any quality that could really grab attention and make it memorable. As far as I can tell, it is one long drawnout gag about Maris trying to get rich. I'd say its only worth watching for historical value.... or if you REALLY love 1980s visual style used in rumiko's works. Aside from that it doesn't really have much to offer. It is not bad, though. Just really average and doesn't stand out.

Maris the Chojo is an underrated OVA with great animation, a well-paced plot, and a humorous tone. While the characters may lack depth and the narrative could use some improvement, the overall experience is still enjoyable. The art style is vibrant and dynamic, making it visually engaging. The OVA's strength lies in its ability to not take itself too seriously, resulting in a campy and fun adventure. Despite its imperfections, Maris the Chojo is a great option for anyone seeking an entertaining and amusing anime experience that is fun and lighthearted. This is a great hidden gem that should not be missedby fans.