Tactics

Publisher
Geneon
Director
Hiroshi Watanabe
Production
Media Net, Studio Deen, TV Tokyo
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
25 episodes
Year
2004

Tactics DVD Volume 2

By David Rasmussen
29th Jul 07

No, no, it’s not an Anime about RTS gaming. If you remember my review of Tactics DVD Volume 1 you know what we are about to look at… if not, here’s a brief recap.

Supernatural detective Kantaro Ichimomiyu is hunting and exploiting his fox demon servant and dodging deadlines from his Editor from the pit of he… I mean fighting the supernatural menace. To do this he has his own little “army” of supernatural on his side. These include Haruka the dark angel winged demon eating gobiln, he who so makes this title a buddy series/Yaoi slash fest everytime he and Kantaro hang out together. Yoko (the cute female fox demon slash female slave… I mean housekeeper sidekick). Suzu Etogawa, the young girl of the team. Sugino the whiney wife obsessed “White Goblin” who seems to always be looking for his wife (Muuchan the Poke’mon lookalike).

Episode 6
Today Sugino and his Poke’mon stunt double wife were just walking about town half drunk when she was run over by a ghost trolley. Seems that starts an investigation into the mysterious ghost trolley as it seems to be going out of it’s way to run people over (like Muuchan).

Apparently the driver of said trolley died six months ago (in a most questionable accident that seems to point at company neglect of the trolleys in terms of safety) and left a daughter behind that he is searching for. Of course, if Kantaro can help it, he won’t get them together… now bring in Suzu and her well meaning ways and we’re in for a touching bittersweet ending you won’t see coming.
In the meantime somebody call Michael Moore and see if he’ll direct an expose about this company (which most likely probably won‘t go well since he‘ll probably try to tie a certain someone to everything wrong with the company).

Episode 7
What does the working relationship between a man and his monkey have to do with this story? Absolutely nothing… but it’s the way this episode starts.
Looks like, well, if Kantaro and Haruka can stop having their little lover’s spat they can investigate the appearance of a strange “evil” cult with a spider motif which isn’t what you may think it is (twist ending). Oh, and in this episode Kantaro abuses Yoko (again) by forcing her to write his manuscript (again).
Write your own (bleep) you lazy good for nothing (bleep)!!

Oh, and today there’s a lesson to be learned.
Don’t get brainwashed by funny looking retards in stupid outfits carrying boxes of parasite burdened candy like they’re fundraising for the School of Evil.

Episode 8
Speaking of Yoko abuse.
Considering that no good bastard Kantaro can’t even write his own books without Yoko’s help, let alone do anything else in his huge house without her constant aid and supervision, you’d think he’d try NOT to piss her off… sorry, he does just that this issue.

A good excuse for a somewhat “solo” Yoko story, she ends up running away from home, nearly recruited by evil (maybe), when that loser Kantaro and Haruka end up eating her taiyaki that she was saving for herself. (bleep) on you, Kantaro! (bleep) on you!

Don’t worry, though, she’ll be back next episode.

Episode 9
And what an episode she comes back to.
On a place called “Bride Island” people are ending up on the ultimate weight loss plan… I mean they’re being eaten alive leaving only their gnawed on skeleton behind. Quick, call the supernatural exterminator… oops. Ended up with Kantaro. Not good (for Kantaro) as he ends up having to rough it on the island with a long time rival (critic of the supernatural).

Forget it though! Today is the day you nearly see Yoko naked!
Well… there’s swimming today and I’m sure Yoko did it in the nude… no nude shots though, sorry.

The DVD ends in a cliffhanger, Part 1 of a 2 parter which, hopefully, I can review once I pick it up one of these days from Barnes & Noble or Right Stuf. I’ll let you know what happens when I review it.

Breakdown time.
I’ll be short.
Remember all the nice things I said about Tactics last DVD review? No? Check it up because it’s the same as before. Everything just rolls together nicely, and feels so right. A nice enjoyable taste of the supernatural if you are not a total fan of horror terror wrenching blood gutting fear… like me.

Tactics DVD Volume 2 gets 4 runaway Yokos out of 5.

-- David Rasmussen 29th Jul 07

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