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| 3. Iodine
Though working under the same general principles as Slayers,
the much more risque bent of Sorcerer Hunters really takes its toll. The
biggest problem is the tone of the show, which insists on playing everything bogglingly
straight even as Tira and Chocolate are running around in SM gear and Marron's
just a few steps shy of cross-dressing. Our supposed hero is the lascivious geek,
Carrot Glaces, whose personality is so completely overwhelmed by his girl-chasing
tendencies, there's room for little else. The problem is, none of this wild behavior
nor any of the situations the group gets themselves into are particularly funny.
Fluffy romances and mediocre monster tales tend to be the general format for filler,
and grow old very quickly. Anything really sexy or outrageous isn't possible in
this format, making the more adult bits that do get through uncomfortable and
out of place. Also, the focus stays insistantly on Carrot and the girls, shortchanging
the less overt and more interesting Marron and Gateau. The designs are fine, but
the animation is rather poor, and heavily dependent on static shots and repeated
transformation scenes. Though the vocal talents tried their hardest, the material
simply isn't very good, with plots so shallow and dialogue so bland, it's a wonder
the show actually survived to the end of its run. |
| 2. Tempy
The Sorcerer Hunters are a group of people fighting for justice.
Their targets are the few sorcerers who abuse their powers and take advantage
of the innocent. Carrot Glace, Marron Glace, Gateau Mocha, Tira and Chocolate
Misu are the main characters in this enjoyable fantasy romp. The character designs
are great, especially when they have the Keiji Goto (Nadesico, Gatekeepers)
touch applied to them. The majority of the show is very episodic with the main
characters having to fight a sorcerer in some village. Some of those episodes
are quite good, but after the same rehashing of jokes and situations, it does
get a bit tiresome. It's not until the last quarter that the main story gets some
attention, and unlike Slayers, where I preferred the episodic bits over
the main story, Sorcerer Hunters' story is quite good. But as the ending
begins to become more interesting and dramatic, the final conclusion leaves me
scratching my head. |
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