Search - Maburaho - Complete Collection on DVD

Just Another Harem Animé?

R. McAdams | CA, USA | 05/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just picked up the complete series collection of Maburaho, and I have to say I am impressed. Yes, it is another harem animé in the same category as Tenchi Muyo, Love Hina, etc. But, is that really so bad?

Here is a quick run-down of the plot, in case this review happens to be the first thing you have ever read about Maburaho. You can skip this paragraph if you already know the plot ^_- It is a story about a world where EVERYONE can use magic. Worth and value are placed on people with strong magic. Even more worth and value is placed on people who can use their magic lots of times (they can tell how many times one has left to use, by using a special magic meter). Once a person has used up their limit of magic uses, they they turn into ash and (generally) die. Kazuki, the hero of the show, just so happens to have the strongest magic on the planet. His ancestors were all ridiculously powerful magicians, and his genes are worth a LOT to some of the most powerful families in Japan. This leads to most of the girls initial contact with him, they are told by their families to either marry him and breed, or to just breed (depending on the family). The major problem with all of this, is that Kazuki only has 8 magic uses left before he turns to ash, at the start of the show, and he seems to be burning through them pretty quickly...

So, the story has a lot of heart, and it has characters you can really get behind, and cheer for. My favorite is Rin, she is just so loveable, you just want to hug her. Especially when she is being sad because nobody wants to see what her biology club is up to.

I could make strong comparisons to any harem animé with Maburaho, but I will use Tenchi Muyo (because that is another of my favorites). The main character, Kazuki, is a wuss -- just like Tenchi. He is shy around women, and will instantly cave to anything to ask of him -- just like Tenchi. He also has a mysteriously strong inner power (in this case, his magic, and not the power of Jurai) which can overcome darn near anything -- just like Tenchi. He also has a lot of trouble using his power -- just like Tenchi -- although in his case it is not a matter of learning to make Light Hawk Wings on his own, but instead it is due to the severely limited number of times he can use his magic. He also has a bad case of "Knight-on-a-white-horse" syndrome, and he is constantly trying to save every female around him, who gets into any sort of trouble -- just like Tenchi.

The 3 main girls in the show are Yuna, who behaves a lot like a combination of Aeka and Sasami from Tenchi Muyo. Rin, who behaves a lot like Ryouko from Tenchi Muyo. And Kuriko, who behaves a lot like Washu and borrows Mihoshi's busty blond look.

The girls are in no way clones to the girls in Tenchi Muyo. They all have their own personality quirks, and they all have character aspects that set them apart as their own characters. Also, overall, once the show really begins to move, the girls are a lot NICER to each other, than the girls in Tenchi Muyo.

I like this show because of the pretty Shonen artwork, the interesting magic aspect, and the heart and personality given to all of the characters, and the amount of comedy and general silliness in the stories. Yes, it is another harem animé, but I don't see that as a bad thing."

Good, but not that good...

P. Baltz | 05/14/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I see a lot of 5-star reviews for Maburaho. Now this is a good show, but nowhere near the best that anime has to offer. Whether you are looking for fan-service, storyline, nice graphics, or comedy, everything about this anime is only so-so.

Yes Maburaho is funny at times, but nowhere near as funny as Shinobu or Azumanga.
Yes Maburaho has some pretty girls, but they are nowhere near as flashy as shows like Divergence Eve or Eiken.
Yes Maburaho has an interesting storyline, but it is only touched in the first and last episode. Every episode in between is pure filler.

Maburaho was a fun watch for me, but not particularly memorable for me in any way. So if you've run out of other great anime's to watch, then go ahead and buy Maburaho. Otherwise keep looking."

Magical Indeed

Hajime Takai | Virginia, USA | 04/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The series revolves Kazuki Shikimori, a kid who is basically a loser, yet in a world where magic reigns supreme, his lineage gives him the genes to give birth to the greatest magician in the world. Word of this gets around to 3 girls inparticular, one adopted to western society, another a business tycoon heir, and the third a traditional japanese family. It's gonna be a ride for Shikimori as all the girls want his genes...

The series I thought had a good story line, even at 24 episodes (600+ minutes), the series could have gone on longer. The animation is extremely well as far as magic designs go and the actual characters themselves, which are very detailed. The series has alot of humor and I found myself laughing through every episode. Music choice for the series also wasn't a bad choice at all. The ending of the series (and I'm putting this cause some think it can affect the entire series) left me hanging to a degree because another question was raised, so to speak, but I was satisfied none the less because it ended the way I hoped it would for the most part.

Although overall I gave the series the 5 star, there are some things that might bother others that didn't bother me. The series does contain alot, and I mean alot, of girls in there underwear, alot of sexual instances, and 2 episodes that contained a brief amount of nudity. Again, this didn't bother me in that, I myself, thought it fit with getting the message across, such as giving in to temptation and showing that Shikimori has the mind of an average 17 year old that likes girls (I think most of us guys can relate).

Overall, I wouldn't get this series for anyone under 14 (as the rating suggest). The language is actually pretty clean, and with the exception of the brief nudity, everything else worked out fine for the series. Overall animation was great, story was excellent, humor is priceless, and I'd watch it all over again. It was money well spent and I'm glad to have it as part of my new collection."

Some People Really Need to Develop a Sense of Humor

Jonathan McCartney | Pennsylvania | 07/08/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's easy to dismiss Maburaho as simply another fanservice riddled, harem anime but Maburaho differs in that it actually has some heart to back up the troves of gratuitous fanservice it forces upon its viewers and that for heaven's sake, it doesn't take itself seriously. It is deliberately over the top, (just look at the size of some of those jiggling spheres...could anyone draw those with a straight face?) silly, touching and effectively hilarious. Each character retains enough emotional depth and uniqueness to remain interesting and endearing throughout. (although, admittedly, I couldn't help but feel that Rin felt somehow incongruous most of the time)Anyone who approaches this anime expecting to see the pinochle of dramatic achievement is missing the point (and, quite frankly, is the biggest boob involved in this whole thing) Despite all of its assets, Maburaho does have some substantial flaws-the story REALLY loses its steam about halfway through the series and resorts to some pretty dull filler episodes before regaining its momentum towards the end, which brings up another problem...the ending is way too convenient...it certainly doesn't ruin the series, though and may even put a smile on your face. All in all, Maburaho is simply an anime to be laughed at-it was written, directed and animated as such, so why not just sit back and do just that? Who knows? If you're the sentimental type, it just might even touch your heart. It's at least worth a try, don't you think?"