Devil Hunter Yohko

What an honor...
I realize writing a review for an anime on a website that doesn't feature video of it can be pointless but the love I have for this series will hopefully entice non-believers to fall for Miss Yohko Mano. I will do my best...

I remember renting Devil Hunter Yohko episode 1 almost 20 years ago when I was still somewhat ignorant to anime. In retrospect such an anime probably shouldn't have been view by an eight year old, but I don't think it warped me too much...Immediately after the video I rewind it back to learn the lyrics and sing along. Hell, I took my mini tape recorder to the TV speaker and recorded the ending theme! I still know the lyrics by heart. But enough with the nostalgia, let me begin my review with a quick synopsis.

Devil Hunter Yohko is a 'fan service' anime that centers on the teen-aged life of Yohko Mano, a 16-year old who unwittingly landed the job as defender of the earthly realm from demons. The Mano family has had the task of vanquishing evil from the world since humanity could remember and Yohko is the 108th in line. Needless to say, a 16-year-old has a lot more on her mind than demons, namely food, boys, and getting laid. However she far exceeds the expectations of a hunter and defends the mortal world with grace, brutality and sex appeal.

The series was very short lived due to studio changes, finances and feigning interest. But the anime has appeared briefly as cameos in modern anime and is a cult classic among thousands of otaku (always look for the girl with braided-hooped pig-tails).

The storyline is average and quick to the point. The first episode pretty much covers what the other 5 episodes will contain (the fourth episode is actually a music video collection with karaoke subtitles and some original animation and slide shows, a must have!). But where it falters is it split identity as an action anime or a ecchi. The plot usually includes Yohko trying to get some nookie but a demon gets in the way. Very transparent. But the story doesn't cloud the comedy and provides the viewer with plenty of good action scenes.

The soundtrack is by far one of the best in anime. Yohko's seiyuu, Aya Hisakawa, provides a naive yet savvy teenager that steals your heart with her voice. The songs honestly aren't stand alone stellar pieces, but the seiyuu's voices, especially Hisakawa-sama, will keep you embarrassingly singing to yourself in the most awkward of situations (Go, Go! Love Coup will be on your iPhone in no time!)

The animation is a little on the low budget side and definitely isn't on par with modern anime. However the action, transformations, drama moments, and Yohko's movements are timeless. You'll smile when Yohko smiles after her crush catches her gaze from far off.

Overall, this review is for nostalgia only, but I hope to create interest in people who either never saw it, never heard of it, or need to catch up on classic anime. This was one of my 'gateway' anime and I never looked back. The particularly special gem about DHY is that IT IS fan service. Expect plenty of panty shots, nose bleeds, and clothes-tearing situations. Its the kind of anime that when viewed with outsiders you feel a little embarrassed but once they giggle a little and say 'hey this is pretty interesting,' you've reeled them in! I've converted a few people with this series and always felt pride when I say Yohko is my favorite anime girl in the most unwelcome situations. One of the original character designers, Miyao Gaku, created a spunky firecracker as gentle as a cherry blossom, a combination I feel the queen of magical girl anime, Naoko Takeuchi, never could reach with Usagi. She's eternal. I don't wish for this series to return, however I do wish for more people to realize that fan service anime do have a purpose, to ignite the passion for animation in a lonely eight year old girl. DHY 4-eva!!!!!!