Directed by: Yoyu Ikegami
Produced by: Studio Signal

There’s something so boring about Go Negai, perhaps it’s got something to do with the monster sex obsession, or the bad character designs, or maybe it’s the cheaply made anime adaptations that so often follow his manga. Unfortunately for us the first thing on our review pile after a long absence is Hanappe Bazooka. The story penned by Kazuo Koike of Lone Wolf and Cub and Crying Freeman fame, the story revolves around a boy named Hanappe; he’s a prime target for bullies, unfortunate with girls and frustrated with his home life. Things can always get worse, when aliens turn Hanappe’s family into sex slaves and he accidentally kills someone, the story comes to life.

The problem with this OVA is due to a lack of focus, the director seems more concerned with quick cuts from sex scene to sex scene than developing or moving the plot forward. So when the plot does get moving it seems hackneyed and lame. In many ways it seems that Koike and Negai tried to create a more adult URUSEI YATSURA in all respects they’ve failed the story is childish beyond words.

Visually HB isn’t pleasing either – ugly character designs coupled with almost static animation and poor special effects, make this an uninspiring experience. Aurally the show doesn’t fare much better, poor 80s soft rock and poor voice work ad to the thought that perhaps you’re not watching an anime, instead you’re watching a headache. What can be said about the ugly characters is that, they embody character, albeit clichéd. At the end of the day Hannape doesn’t have a lot going for it. If you liked Crying Freeman and Devilman you might enjoy this, otherwise get your kicks with better comedy series – Cromarite High School for instance. It’s truly a good thing that ADV dropped this series.

Three out of Ten