Search - Wandaba Style, Vol. 1: Rocket to Stardom! on DVD

Fluff... but oh, what entertaining fluff...

Tarkus | 01/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A light-hearted slapstick comedy that's equal parts Spice World, Josie & the Pussycats (in space), The Thunderbirds, and the flat earth society. Ambitious kid genius and his perky android assistant try to literally launch a pre-fab pop group's career by making them the first band to perform on the moon. As if that premise weren't shakey enough, the good Dr. Tsukumo insists on lobbing the Mix Juice girls (an unlikely combo of a traditional Japanese "enka" singer, a hard-nosed "rock chick," a hippy-dippy folkie who talks to green fairies, and a "had-been" shopping mall pop star) into orbit by "environmentally friendly" means (i.e., Wile E. Coyote minus the Acme brand fireworks?...).

On one hand, this show is about as serious as a bowl of flan, but it is as sweet as it is harmless. The characters are all appropriately cartoony, the pratfalls and gimmicks are enjoyably laughable, and the requisite fan service is... well, cute, really (the foursome's ill-fated debut concert, for example). And for those of you who don't care to read your anime (or are terminally lazy, like myself), the English dub is competently done, and even enhances the humor in spots (in fact, the "out-take reel" is a laugh riot).

Empty calories? Sure, but it's still fun. Wandaba-daba-doo, baby."

A fun light-hearted anime

Dennis A. Amith (kndy) | California | 08/13/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"What happens when you put together four ladies to form a music idol group? You get "Mix Juice", a new pop idol group managed by Michael Hanagata. A blonde afro-haired manager that will do anything for success.

The four women who are members of "Mix Juice" are Sakura, a fallen child star; Himawari, a construction worker by day and enka singer by night; Ayame, a ditsy folk singer who believes in male fairies and Yuri, a rock singer who has had her share of troubles.

Each women with different music styles and women who seemingly don't get along.

As Manager Hanagata tries to find ways to make these women noticed by the media after several unsuccessful attempts, he decides to collaborate with 13 year-old scientific genius, Tsukumoto Susumu. A genius who doesn't really believe man has landed on the moon and thus wants to be the first.
Also, a scientist who has had unsuccessful attempts in bringing his satellite android, Kiku #8 to the moon, he needs pilots and for Hanagata, he sees this as an opportunity for his girls to be the first musical group to perform in space and on the moon.

"Wandaba Style" is a 12-episode anime TV series that features a fun and humorous storyline and with the first DVD volume, features 4 episodes which feature Tsukumoto's attempt to have his creations land on the moon.
Each episode continues after the previous storyline.

Episode 1 is the introductory storyline that introduces our characters.
Episodes 2-4 features different attempts to bring Mix Juice and Kiku #8 to the moon. Examples of the episodes include the group riding in a vehicle that utilizes carbonation and another that utilizes helium.

The series does feature a little fan service but the enjoyment for "Wandaba Style" is the humor and insane ways of Dr. Tsukumoto's ways of getting the women to the moon and also, the characters of Mix Juice are very interesting, especially since they are very different from each other.
As for the animation, the colors of this TV anime series is quite vibrant and colorful. I enjoyed the character designs at times, especially the art that is shown at the ending theme.

If there is one thing that I didn't enjoy in this anime, compared to many other anime is that for women, I really dislike when women look like young girls with breasts such as the character Sakura Haruno. A child star who behaves and looks like a child and the oldest of Mix Juice. Definitely not very interested in these type of characters.

As for the sound, ADV Films gave the English dub a 5.1 mix and the Japanese is in 2.0.

I watched both language versions and I really enjoyed watching it in Japanese but the English dubbed version is actually pretty good as well.

As for special features, "Wandaba Style" Vol. 1 comes with a clean opening and closing animation, production sketches, Wandaba factoids and a hillarious ADR outtakes.

Episode 1 also comes with audio commentary by AR director John Sweeney and a few of the English voice actors.

I really enjoyed the first volume of "Wandaba Style".

Although there have been several anime about idol singers and groups, I enjoy the zany antics of "Wandaba Style" because it doesn't focus too much on the sci-fi aspect of the anime but the relationship between the Mix Juice members who have a reason and a passion in making it big as music stars but the craziness of trying to get along with each other and to see them try to cope with going up to space.

If you are in a mood for a fun, light-hearted comedy, "Wandaba Style" is one of those cool anime series that you just don't get bored of.
It's not meant to be taken seriously but meant for you to sit back, watch and enjoy. And I feel that "Wandaba Style" is an anime that many of you will definitely enjoy."

WACKY BUT NOT FUNNY

Sesho | Pasadena, TX USA | 06/11/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Michael Hanagata believes he has assembled the greatest pop idol group of all time. He has brought together Sakura, a nursery song singer who has lowered herself to selling her underwear on an online auction to make ends meet. Yuri, a rock singer working at a club who has never had a chance to shine. Ayame, a folk singer who is either psychotic or she really does have a guardian fairy invisible to everyone but her. Lastly, there's a traditional singer of Japanese music named Himawari. He dubs this supergroup Mix Juice. They're having a hard time breaking into the business until they hook up with Dr. Tsukumo, a boy scientist who needs someone to pilot a ship to the moon. Holding out the bait that the first concert from the Moon will make Mix Juice famous, the girls reluctantly agree to go along with his plan.

Well, I'll tell you right off that any anime with a character that shouts out all his/her lines really turns me off. And that's the problem with Hanagata, an afroed loudmouth right out of Excel Saga, another series that was doomed with its annoying voices. And yes, the girls of Mix Juice have some of the most grating, chalkboard voices ever recorded. The situation is made worse in an episode where they breath helium and their voices go into Alvin and the Chipmunks range! This show is a one trick pony, with the girls attempting to get to the moon over and over again, but of course something always happens to stop them and so on to the next attempt, next episode, repeat to infinity. I laughed maybe twice during viewing the whole disk. The characters were not endearing at all and had no personality beyond the usual anime cliches of girls arguing with each other and getting in cat fights. The animation was good. It's just that the show lacked personality in all other areas."