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Yugo Beppu is not a dashing spy or unstoppable soldier, but a
globe-trotting negotiator whose mastery of multiple languages,
psychology, and iron will set him apart from all others in his trade.
In a world beset by terrorism, kidnappings, crooked governments and
ambitious military, Yugo looks to save lives through any and all means
at his disposal – but in order to do so, he must first understand the
mindset of his opponents.
Based upon the original manga by Shinji Makari and Shu Akana, now
running for a decade, Yugo the Negotiator strives for a degree of
realism rare in anime. With classy animation on the Russia arc
from Artland (Barefoot Gen, Casshan, R.O.D. TV),
it opens up a fresh new genre by featuring a highly realistic storyline
and setting.
The Story:
In a land of pride, betrayal and broken dreams, only
the strong survive. When the Soviet Union collapsed, a 200
billion-dollar legacy was left buried in its ruins. The key to
uncovering it lies in the hands of Nadenka, a young girl who possesses a
mysterious Khristos ring. When Yugo is hired to bring her
to Japan, he finds himself trapped in the midst of a deadly web of greed
and treachery. Travelling to the frigid land of Siberia, Yugo
is left out in the cold in more ways than one, as he discovers that his
contractor has a sinister ulterior motive for hiring him. With the
KGB hounding him at every step, things quickly turn from bad to worse as
Yugo is subjected to an interrogation so cruel that even he may
be forced to give in. His only hope lies at the end of a frozen
path that even Russians fear to tread, leading straight into the heart
of the enemy.
Yugo The Negotiator: Russia 01 - Legacy (RRP £19.99) is a
DVD-only release of episodes 7 to 10, presented in both English 5.1 and
Japanese 2.0 audio with English subtitles. Extras include:
interviews with original story author Shinji Makari & Designer Shu Akana;
“The Japanese Depiction of Russia: Comments on Yugo” by ADR Director
Scott McClennen & Eddie Shannon, former U.S. Army Russian Linguist
Interrogator; “Character Relationship Chart” with extensive notes on
each character; clean opening & closing animation, and ADV previews.
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