Najica Blitz Tactics - Volume 3 (DVD)

Introduction

The anime shorthand for lust, or reaction to malicious sexiness, is the egregious nosebleed. Confusing in a way, as in reality the blood has a tendency to rush elsewhere. I guess it's a visually obvious metaphor for increased blood pressure, and not nearly as obscene as the alternative. It's practically become the Japanese symbol for wimpy pervert. All I can say is that we are fortunate in the extreme that it isn't the case in the real world, else I would be on constant transfusions by now; with my third straight volume of the panty party that is Najica Blitz Tactics. Once again I lose the capacity for rational thought in the face of overwhelming unmentionables.

Najica Hiragi by day works for cosmetics firm CRI, where she puts her highly trained nose to work creating some of the world's most exclusive perfumes. Her real job is far more interesting though, a secret agent, she gets sent on the toughest missions, armed with the latest gadgets, to battle criminals and terrorists, and save the world when necessary. But in this future world where earthquakes have submerged much of the Earth's surface, and megalomaniacal villains can be manufactured, Najica's going to need help, whether she wants it or not, and she's soon partnered with a lifelike android also known as a Humaritt, named Lila. It's just that Lila is a little naïve when it comes to the ways of the world.



Volume 3 concludes the series with four episodes.

9. The Brave Desert Lion with the Goddess
It's off to the Gilda Empire to retrieve another Humaritt. Gilda is in the middle of a civil war though; with the tyrannical Queen Metis being opposed her estranged daughter Athena's forces. Athena's loyal aide is the Humaritt Elith, and separating the two will be difficult. Najica is about to learn the perils of bonding too closely with your Humaritt, and what could happen if the dynamics of that relationship alter too far from the established norm.

10. The Final Destination of the Battle with Dangerous Love
Yoshiki Kamiwazumi was one of the scientists who helped develop Humaritts, and he is now on the run with his wife. He's earned the ire of the creator of the Humaritts, Dr Rinka Ren, and it's down to Najica and Lila to rescue the man. The snag is that he's 'married' to a Humaritt named Serina, and Najica is ordered to retrieve the artificial life form. Separating the two lovebirds would be a bad idea though.

11. A Farewell Mission with the Young Girl's Cordiality
Dr Rinka Ren has an underground secret base, as all self-respecting Bond villains are supposed to. She's using it to increase the world's supply of Humaritts after being censured by her former employers for creating such a double-edged sword. As is the way in such stories, we're up to the show's climax, and that means an all out assault on the secret base, while the heroes sneak in through the back door. Najica and Lila's mission this time is to capture Dr Ren alive, but this time Lila could be a liability, as the base is her birthplace, and coming back could spark some unwanted memories.

12. A Gorgeous Agent with a Rose of Destiny in her Heart
Dr Ren reveals herself, and she has some interesting abilities for a mere scientist. All isn't as it seems, as Lila stumbles upon Ren's secret project to advance the Humaritts, a male Humaritt. Time quickly runs out, as an air strike on the base is authorised. And with Lila's bonding with Najica reaching dangerous levels, could the true showdown be between loyal partners?

Picture

Made in 2001, Najica is beginning to look a little long in the tooth. It's a show that came about on the cusp of the digital revolution in anime production. The animation is then exceedingly crisp, sharp and full of bright primary colours and strong shading. There's none of the nuance and depth of recent animations, but it works well enough for the purpose. The 4:3 transfer is clear and sharp, with no significant problems with compression artefacts or banding. There is the occasional bout of aliasing, but nothing fatal.

Sound

You have a choice between DD 5.1 English and DD 2.0 Stereo, with optional signs and translated subtitles tracks. The dialogue is clear and the shows themes have a cross between sixties spy glamour and seventies funk to them. Choose the English dub for some extra surround goodness, but as usual I preferred the original language track, and found the stereo to be effective enough for my purposes.

Extras

Your usual anime extras to be found here, animated menus, jacket picture, the clean credit sequences, and trailers for the You're Under Arrest Mini Specials, King Of Bandit Jing, Zaion and Rune Soldier.

Also on this disc is a performance from The Diligent Circle Of Ekoda, who get all orchestral with the Opening Theme in a live action video, along with a Production Sketch Gallery containing 15 images.

We conclude with a commentary on the final episode with ADR Director David Williams, along with Kira Vincent-Davis (Najica) and Monica Rial (Lila). The girly gigglefest returns for the final volume, leaving the lecherous laughter of volume 2 behind. Don't expect a lot of intelligent discourse on the sexual politics of anime versus powerful female role models, but there is a comment or two of merit on the show's conclusion.

Conclusion

Panties! Panties! Panties! Panties! Panties!

Another four paragraphs of that, followed by a grade and I should be done. I suppose I should put something meaningful down just in case anyone bothers to read this bit. Najica Blitz Tactics finishes as it started, offering more fun, fan service, and an interesting if hackneyed story. The main thread that has developed over the last 12 episodes had been that of the Humaritts and their appearance in society sparking off all manner of secret agent shenanigans for our protagonists. For a creation of which there was only meant to be the prototype Lila, there have been increasing numbers of mini-skirted replicants showing up. It's obvious that they're coming from somewhere, so for the show's finale, it falls to Najica and Lila to infiltrate the secret base and apprehend the villain.

Meanwhile the relationship between Najica and Lila stays under scrutiny. In the first volume it was really an introduction to the pairing, while in the second volume we learnt how Najica was responding to Lila and her own feelings of affection for the Humaritt as they developed. In this volume, it's Lila who comes of age, and has to come to terms with how she feels about Najica and her own place in the world. All through this volume the signposts aren't promising, as we learn just what the relationships between humans and Humaritts amount to. Humaritts are the equivalent of children, and they imprint on their 'masters' in much the same way as a child to a parent. They are utterly emotionally reliant on their other halves, but being machines they expect rational and consistent behaviour. Humans being irrational have a tendency to act out of character on occasion, which disrupts the imprinting. While Humaritts maybe as children, they have superhuman strength, and it's unlikely that a 'parent' will survive a temper tantrum long enough to spank the 'child'. The first two episodes show this tendency to obsession in stark clarity, showing both the positive and negative aspects of such relationships.



It sets things up for the finale, putting the two friends on a collision course. When Lila first met Najica, her programming urged her to follow orders, and she was quick to pull a gun on Najica when it looked like she would disobey. It's what prompted Najica to give Lila a chance in the first place. Now, as Lila develops, she learns Najica's lessons too well. Najica has been trying to instil a sense of independence and creativity in Lila, and those lessons have an effect here. It boils down to Lila acting on her feelings and doing what is right. For the first time she disobeys orders, and she asks Najica to do the same. But it's something that Najica cannot do.

And while things are getting philosophical and deep, there are panties to look at. Actually, there are somewhat fewer moments of teen male salivation on this disc, or perhaps it's the slightly more dour tone that detracts from the eye candy. Najica Blitz Tactics has never been the most intellectual of anime, and has generally dished up fun, action and lingerie in equal measure. But the final episode is where it finally puts a foot wrong. It offers an ambiguous ending, a conclusion that is undefined and open to interpretation. Normally in anime it is an oft-used plot device to tantalise the viewer and provoke thought. But in a show as straightforward as Najica, it just seems hopelessly pretentious and contrived. It would have been far better served with a definite conclusion that underlined the story, and the end credits could have rolled over a panty shot montage.



It's something of a shame, as Najica Blitz Tactics will probably be labelled puerile Benny Hill-esque smut and put on the top shelf of the anime department. But I've found the only misogyny to be in the pens of the animators, whose fascination with all things gusset resulting in what looks like an animated mid-life crisis. But the story is interesting, the characters well written, and the show entertaining. The female characters serve as strong role models, and the male characters certainly don't treat the women with any disrespect (unless they're villains who are destined for a grisly comeuppance). In fact, given the character distribution and roles, it would seem that Najica's society is a matriarchal one. If the hemlines were four inches lower, and Mini-Me not the cameraman, it would all be a non-issue. But when all is said and done, I prefer it… with the panties.