Hyper Doll

Rakusho! Hyper Doll
Also Known As: Hyper Doll: Mew & Mica the Easy Fighters
Genre: Action/Comedy
Format: 2 OVA
Allegiance: Triangle Staff
Director: Makoto Moriwaki
Vintage: 1995
Intelligence Agency Report by: Drake
Mew and Mica are two alien androids sent by their boss to defend the planet Earth. The only problem is, unlike most superheroes who drop everything to save the day, these two don’t. In fact, they are the laziest heroes of all time. Instead of protecting the world, they are too preoccupied with trivial matters like eating ice cream or arguing over who is right to hear the call of duty. And to make matters worse, they are also stunningly beautiful and are therefore the target of many men’s lust. Can these two lazy superheroes get their act together and save the world? Or are we all doomed?

Field Agent Report by: Drake
Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio
0.50
3.00
1.50
7.50
8.00
Overall 4.00
(not an average)

There are some anime out there that are truly horrible, with no redeeming factors whatsoever, like Tenbatsu Angel Rabbie; these anime should be avoided at all costs. However, there are also anime so horrible that they are actually pretty good, and Hyper Doll is one of these. Mind you, the series will not be winning any awards anytime soon, but at least it’s good for a few laughs with friends on a rainy day. Let’s get this out of the way first, though: I am aware that the OVA is based on a manga series, but I have not read it and don’t plan to read it anytime soon. This review is based entirely on the material presented in the OVA. Now, with that out of the way, let’s begin!

First off, I must admit that I am really, really, really disappointed in this anime’s plot. Well, actually, I take that back—I’m disappointed in the total lack of plot. I felt pretty lost, not knowing who the Hyper Dolls are, where their powers come from, or what organization they represent. For that matter, I still want to know where the jellyfish monster and giant worms come from, why the heck the Dolls’ commander is only able to communicate with them through pizza, and where the giant satellite laser beam that grants them the power to transform comes from. (Yes, their commander forms a hologram of himself that pops off a pizza. Why? I have no idea! And did I mention that he’s a slug?)

I’m pretty sure that by now I’ve made it obvious that there is no plot, and that if you watch this, it should be strictly for the humor and the fanservice. The actual jokes in the anime aren’t that great, and the best they can do is provide a pair of lazy, uninteresting heroines who happen to look really cute. At most, the humor centers on the two girls and some kid from their class who discovers their identities, who is then plagued by their teasing and problems, which in turn lands him in trouble and in debt. On the bright side, there is hope for those of you who love playing Mystery Science Theater 3000. Maybe you’ll figure out the pizza bit? If so, let me know.

Aesthetically, this anime is not bad at all for something from the mid 90s. The characters are cute, and while it’s nothing entirely memorable, they make watching this series a bit easier. I do wish the giant worm in the second part had been redesigned to look less like a certain part of the male anatomy, but oh well. The music is actually decent, with the catchy opening song ”Hyper-Doll” by Yukana Nogami and Mayumi Iizuka.

If you want a serious magical girl anime to watch, don’t pick this series up. However, if you are just looking for something to kill time and have no other options (or if you really want to play Mystery Science Theater 3000), then this is a good choice. Regardless, I won’t be looking at pizza the same anytime soon.