Combustible Campus Guardress

3 reviews - 10.0 total score (Explanation of the rating system)
avg. score: (3.3)

Creators - CLAMP
Director - Morio Asaka

3. Iodine

In this manic OAV from the creators of Bastard it takes a while to get used to the mad mix of kooky comedy, relentless drama, and physics-be-damned action. Our heroine is the tough and lovely warrior schoolgirl Hazumi, whose goal is to protect Takumi, the younger brother she's technically not related to and therefore naturally in love with. Takumi is the key to a gate that leads to a demon universe, and nasty forces want to get a hold of him to take over the world.  Everything about this show screams excess. There are a ridiculous amount of minor characters, all with their own highly destructive superpowers, who run around and fight each other in big, loud, crazy brawls. The mood swings back and forth between silly and serious with violent haste, and nobody ever seems to stop long enough to adequately explain what's going on. There are lots of funny gags and situations, like Hazumi stuck doing battle in a wedding dress, but it all goes too fast and the story never seems to bother resolving half the issues that are brought up.

The animation is absolutely stellar, and action fans should love this OAV to death.  There are also plenty of cute girls, fanservice bits, and good laughs. If that were all that the show wanted to deal with, it probably would have turned out much better than what was actually produced.  The trouble lies in the more serious side of the story, where Takumi and Hazumi have to play out stale and very unconvincing dramatic roles that take up way too much time in a narrative that frequently feels like it's running late. The plot tries to do too much, and falls flat on its face. For something mindless and cool to look at, though, it's not a bad title to check out.

2. Yogi

This is amusing. That’s actually the intent, as this show is a parody of all the "save the world" type action shows there are. There are some serious moments, though there are MANY more funny hilarious ones. No real purpose, direction, or character. Just laughs.

1. weasl

Primarily an action show, with some comedy thrown in, I found Bakuen Campus Guardress to be a very fun ride. Part fighting game, part outlandish comedy, the show manages to handle both quite well, and combined with the good pacing, keeps the story rolling till the very end.