Search - Rumiko Takahashi Anthology, Vol. 2: Happy Disaster on DVD

Even better than the first

HeatherLR | Central New York | 07/19/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This anthology is based off short stories written by Rumiko Takahashi, popular for Inuyasha, Ranma 1/2, and Maison Ikkoku. (I believe the manga title was "Rumic Theatre" in English).
Although there are a cameo appearance with a Kagome/Inuyasha look-a-alike in ep. 13, this "Anthology" is not as dark and violent as Inuyasha or Mermaid Saga/Forest. This is one Rumiko's slice of life and light-heart comedies.
Most stories involve Japanese families with normal lives, though some stories involve misunderstandings in communication, a lost memory, struggles in careers, marriage, funerals, pets, strange neighbors, and conflicts with family/in-laws. Some episodes later on in the series involve the supernatural like ghost and spirits.
This volume was more entertaining than the first volume. The first three episodes were cute, but I thought they were a slow start (and three episodes a DVD seemed kind of cheap at first, I did found these volume on sale somewhere).

Ep.4- "In a Pot", a woman's mother-law dies. Not many of the gossiping neighbors liked her as much as the older woman who was so nice. The woman ask one young woman to look after her small house plants while she travels. After breaking a pot, the young woman is under the impression that she found a bone!

Ep. 5 - "Aberrant Family F", a teenage girl her a rumor that her family was having troubles with money. Her parents look depressed. Her little brother didn't notice a thing. But her family is spending money like crazy; eating steak and going to fair. The girl is afraid that it may be a "Family Suicide." No... it couldn't be?

Ep. 6 -"As Long as You are Here" (my favorite) a business man's company went under. His wife gets sick; nothing serious but he must go to work I her place at a take-out stand. But can his serious attitude be welcoming to customers. You can ask him to smile, but it can turn more people away. Eventually he wears a bunny-suit to welcome buyers. The exchange student for Thailand is very helpful, but doesn't know their language very well.

Of 13 episodes, this a cute and simple series, but the list price is a bit too much for most viewers. The animation is pretty good (nothing to brag about, but not bad). Two or three character designs are used more than once, but with 13 short stories of a cast of more than fifty characters, I won't rave about. Some characters remind me of Sailor Mercury or Sailor Moon's boyfriend. I think it's funny that some of the characters are a little over weight.
The DVD is suggested 7 and UP. Although in the series, there is the word "bastard," a few funerals, a mistress wearing a fancy night gown smoking a cigarette (vol.4), a girl worried that someone jumped off a cliff (vol.3), A quick flash back of a mother breast feeding (vol.3) a girl getting social with an older man (as a joke, vol.1), a married man trying to find his high school sweetheart (you can only guess what he wants to do, Vol. 4) and the situation in episode 5.
But other than that, there is NO sex, NO pools of blood, NO extreme violence, NO butt jokes or grabbing, NO nasty words (or f-bombs). The characters are fairly straight (although I do like variety). So there is nothing toooo obscene for younger viewers, but older viewers may understand it more.

It's pretty good, I liked it (but I also got it on sale). You'll laugh and may cry (there may be a few tear jerkers).

If you like Rumiko Takahashi Anthology, you may like Rumiko's other series "Maison Ikkuko," which has a lot of wacky, slice of life situations, one of my favorites. Rumiko also wrote "One-Pound-Gospel" (it's OK).
I also want to suggest the Oh My Goddess manga and the movie Tokyo Godfathers.

Oh, the extras on this DVD are Text-less Ending, Art Gallery , and a few Geneon previews.

Geneon went out of business. I believe Funimation RE-LICENSED titles like Paradise Kiss, Shana-, Black Lagoon, and Hellsing Ultimate. THOSE will be on shelves again soon (along with few titles by ADv). But Rumiko Takahashi Anthology (or Strawberry Eggs) doesn't seem to be on the list, so there DVD's are limited."