Najica: Blitz Tactics Volume 1by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Studio
Credits Grade: 7 Najica is a secret agent. She's also the world's best perfumer. The company she works for uses the perfume business as a front (a very profitable front) for their secret agency. Normally a solo agent, Najica has been partnered with her latest recovery/rescue - a Hummerit (super-humanoid robot with a mind like a computer but also like a small child). Their missions suddenly start involving other Hummerits, even though Lila is supposed to be the only one...This is no Noir - it lack the subtlety and the sophistication. However, Najica is full of fun and fan-service! I knew going into this there were going to be lots and lots of panty shots - I just didn't realize how many that really was! Some of it comes from girls in short shirts falling through the air or running up stairs, but you know you're in fan service land when there's only narrative going on and the camera goe from looking at her face to looking up her skirt from the rear and just sitting there while the narrative is going on. The opening shot from the first episode is a rear panty shot that also shows more forward of that thanks to the angle and art. That same first episode will either turn you off, or make you just curious enough to keep watching - I don't know where all those maids pulled those guns from and maybe I don't want to know, plus we get a lesbian dominatrix type in the very beginning!? Thankfully I kept watching because there's actually a decent plot, and the characters are fairly interesting. Plus, the sheer amount of panty shots will leave you gawking and laughing. It's so utterly absurd it actually works! It's fun to see Najica kicking all these girl''s butts, and it's nice to see so many leading ladies (good and bad). I love that Najica uses her heightened sense of smell on the field, and that it's the one sense she has that's better than Lila. All the Hummerits introduce new challenges and abilities with each episode too - if it weren't for them the story would fall short of being worth watching. I also like the use of plastic bullets and "sonic" energy to fight with - it's an interesting touch and keeps Najica from being lethal so we can cheer her on all the more. The whole thing is a little dated (and Najica's tux-like outfit is horrendous), plus there's that silly rose with every mission thing, but what will really make you cringe is the music. Oh god. The horrible 70's-80's saxiphone romance/spy music ... make it stop! Skip all the openings and closings and you'll bypass a large section, but it still finds a way to be heard!! And don't listen to the dub. The voices themselves aren't that bad, but the recording quality is very poor - it sounds like their speaking in a closed box - especially compared to the sub. Najica takes itself seriously, even though it seems like a spoof with all that fan-service, but it's fun and definitely enjoyable. The art is clean and nice, with nothing weirdly proportioned. So if you enjoy a good laugh with more panty shots than you can fathom, and a decent plot, just sit back and enjoy. Written: April 6, 2009
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