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If you are a cynic like me then Battle Vixens (more commonly known by its Japanese title, Ikki Tousen) seems like an anime series created by a committee to appeal to young male teens. The premise is, at first glance, wafer thin - legendary warriors from the four kingdoms of ancient China are reincarnated throughout the ages to continue their feuds, with the latest incarnations inhabiting the bodies of attractive teens who attend schools in modern day Japan - but it allows for massive amounts of fighting and plenty of non-explicit nudity. The story itself seems pretty peripheral at first. A dumb but incredibly busty young woman called Hakufu Sonsaku joins the prestigious Nanyo Academy after being given a 'soul stone' by her overbearing mother and told to conquer the school. The stone marks her out as the inheritor of the soul of an ancient warrior and also gives her the right to fight anyone who also possesses a soul stone, which seems to be pretty much everyone else who turns up. However, Hakufu's arrival causes a big stir amongst the elite fighters in the area, and not just because of her chest size. The reincarnation of Sho-Haou, the warrior who is destined to rule all, has yet to appear and Hakufu has a mysterious power that remains largely untapped. Could this airheaded blonde really be the most deadly fighter of all? Ikki Tousen is a fun but frustrating title. It seems to be patronisingly constructed to include all the things the creators believe its target audience will like, with plot and characterisation a secondary consideration, but is nonetheless infuriatingly enjoyable. One of the main reasons for this is that it never takes itself too seriously. There are asides to the camera, pratfalls, even a musclebound hulk of a man who has a penchant for delicate gateaux and ice-cream sundaes, there's a fighter who enthusiastically repairs the damage he creates after a battle and then there's Hakufu, who is pretty much a walking blonde-joke. The humour, somewhat ironically, often keeps the action from descending into po-faced stupidity. It is, however, well aware of its audience. And they're not female. Ikki Tousen is surprisingly graphic in places, with blood flying in all the battles, clothes being shredded and some very pervy situations. In fact it often comes across a bit like a pornographic anime that has had the sex and explicit nudity cut, leaving a near constant stream of panty shots, groping and plenty of exposed cleavage throughout. There is even a female character who gets sexual pleasure out of fighting. It is only towards the end of the volume that there is any sense that an interesting story may be hiding behind the action and perviness. It must be said, however, that the action is superb. The fight scenes are excellent, with the blood actually adding realism rather than being simply for shock value, and the animation throughout is great too. At the end of the day Ikki Tousen doesn't try to be anything it's not. It promises nubile young women and lots of fighting and it delivers on both counts. Whilst there are a lot of things I didn't like about the way it cynically aims at the male market, it did guiltily find it very enjoyable. The story did begin to pick up towards the end of the volume, although a lot of the references to Chinese history will probably pass most viewers by, and after episode 4 you are slightly intrigued as to where it is going. Ikki Tousen is unlikely to pick up many female fans but it is more enjoyable than it should be, it sometimes doesn't seem to know if it wants to be serious or not but it remains a good choice for anyone who likes action and perviness! Extras Art gallery, trailers and clean opening sequence make up the bulk of the extras on offer with some amusing voice acting outtakes adding some interest, if only for a couple of viewings. The Special Edition release is well worth picking up though as it comes with an artbox for the series and volume 1 of the manga from Tokyopop. Ratings Feature:
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