J2: Jubei Chan 2 – The Counterattack Of Siberia Yagyu

Volume Two – Vendetta (Animé TV)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: B-     Extras: C-     Episodes: C+

 

 

This show is so wacky, we have to recap the basics.  A powerful samurai has been resurrected as two young girls while the polar icecaps are melting at a record pace?  Only in Animé could this happen and empowerment becomes a shaky issue in J2: Jubei Chan 2 – The Counterattack Of Siberia Yagyu, one of the silliest, most preposterous such series we have seen to date.  Throw in some out of place comedy and you have got a near mess of a show.

 

Though a “J1” may or may not exist, who cares?  This is far from any kind of mystery.  Instead of taking an approach to get the audience to suspend disbelief, we get condescending distractions instead.  This time, there is dysfunctional family betrayal that is wacky, yet cannot compete with the wackiness of the show.   The half-hourish shows this time include:

 

5) Peaceful In A Fake Family

6) Yesterday’s Friend is in Fact an Enemy

7) Cut, Fell & Disappeared

 

 

If only the scripts were as thoughtful, though the titles also demonstrate the run-on feel of these shows.  The anamorphically enhanced 16 X 9/1.78 X 1 image is fair, but would have been much better if the creators did not insist on softness so often throughout the shows.  The transfer itself is fine otherwise.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has Pro Logic surrounds in both English & Japanese and are the highlight of the disc.  The few extras include sword lessons trailers for this and three other Geneon Animé titles.  This is for those who like oddball Animé and think they known good comedy, though start with the first volume if you must.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo