Ikki Tousen Legendary Fighter-
Volume 1
(Geneon/Pioneer Region 1 NTSC DVD)
(2004)
review by Big McLargehuge

Ikkitousen is my first experience with a true martial-arts anime. This sort of story is very popular in Japan so it’s no surprise that Geneon would bring this series to the US. What makes Ikkitousen so unusual (at least to me) is the undercurrent of erotica built into the story. Ikkitousen is in no way meant for kids, with over allusions to incest, ample bouncy breasts, swollen camel toes, and any number of sexual innuendo, Ikkitousen manages to squeeze a lot of fun material into 4, 22 minutes episodes.

With production by the supremely talented animators at J.C. Staff, directed by Takashi Watanabe (who worked on the well know “Slayers”series’), and taken from the Wani Books “Monthly Comic Gun” periodical, Ikkitousen has a nice pedigree.

Ikkitousen concerns the history and mystical nature of the ancient Three Kingdoms of China carried through to the present day and acted out by a collection of High School students and their associated schools. The politics and mysticism of Ikkitousen are initially impenetrable, though I have no doubt that things get clearer as the series goes on.

When of a girl named Hafuko transfers to a new high school to join her cousin (who was raised as her brother) she is revealed to be carrying an ancient and deadly fighting spirit. The major twist to the story is that Hafuko is an idiot and doesn’t realize any of her potential, even when the “Big 4” of the school repeatedly test her fighting skills. When she is choked out by the strongest of the fighters (the only girl in the Big 4) Hafuko’s fighting spirit makes an appearance and nearly kills her opponent.

Her cousing Kokane vows to protect her.

Meanwhile the guy who controls all these high school and pits them against one another singles out Hafuko for death.

Each episode culminates with a brawl between Hafuko and a boss from either her school or one of the rival high schools. In that the anime seems very much like a fighting game, and for all I know, is, I’ve just not seen it yet.

The production, character design, animation, and writing are all top notch; especially the fight sequences. It’s probably not unusual to have kids beating each other to death, literally, in martial arts anime, but since I haven’t ever seen one this was kind of new to me.

J.C. Staff does a wonderful job of bringing the myriad of characters to life in this title, each character has their own signature style and it’s captured very well in animation. The quiet scenes, though few, are also quite well done. They seem to play ample attention to Hafuko’s ample rack too, I can’t imagine how many frames they spend bouncing her boobies around, but I think I speak for all men when I say, “Thank you J.C. Crew, thank you.”

As the story develops it will no doubt grow in complexity and clear up some of the confusing elements of the plot. Until then, enjoy the movement, the steller fight sequences, and the wonderful voice acting (both Japanese and American are very good).

Geneon releases Ikkitousen in standard TV screen ratio, Dolby stereo, with both Japanese and English language tracks, English subs, and an art gallery along with the usual collection of Geneon trailers.

Ikkitousen Legendary Fighter Volume 1 is a great introduction to the series and a great deal of fun.