Search - Yugo the Negotiator, Vol. 1: Pakistan, Vol. 1 on DVD

Fascinating...

Mark Kraska | Colorado | 07/10/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I run the anime club at my local college, and we are part of ADV's ADVocates program, where they send us free DVDs and promotional material before being released to the public. The latest DVD they sent us contained the first two episodes of this series, and it looks quite good.

A hostage has been taken by a fanatical anti-government organization in Pakistan, and negotiations are falling apart. The daughter of the hostage, Mayuko, has decided to hire professional negotiator Yugo Beppo. An expert in the field and armed with many allies and his own expertise, he sets out to Pakistan to try to save the hostage's life...and from the previews and these two episodes, he'll go to any lengths to do so.

This series seems freshly realistic. The animation style is cool, the characters are enjoyable, and the story is addicting (like most animes) and keeps you wanting to see more. I can tell this one is going to be fairly good.

Content-wise, its a bit bloody and violent, and some mature themes are present, but this is what makes the series more realistic. It doesn't try to hide the nature of the beast...what you see is what you get...and I find that works very well.

As always, ADV does a very professional job dubbing this series. I'm no expert in telling the difference of accents in Japanese, but in English they work well. Based on their catalog release, there will be 4 total DVDs.

If you're looking for something original, fresh, and realistic, you'll like this. As ADV says, this series goes to show how many genres anime can cover. I recommend checking this one out for yourselves."

Take Japan's top negotiator and put him in a hot spot to neg

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

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A hostage has been taken in Pakistan; the chances of his survival are slim to none.

Enter Yugo Beppu, the world's greatest private negotiator. With keen intellect, quick wits and indomitable willpower, he's got a reputation for getting hostages released unharmed.

So, when the negotiations in Pakistan break down, Yugo is called on the scene to deal with a fierce anti-government faction.

Now, all of Yugo's psychological strategies will be put to the test as he faces off with a fearsome killer who left the last negotiator dead at his feet.

Walking a dangerous line between the powerful military and ruthless guerrillas, it will take more than words for Yugo to survive in the blazing desert.

"Yugo the Negotiator" is an anime that may not appeal to everyone because it doesn't have that sci-fi, over-the-top action that many anime have.

Rarely, do I have opportunities to watch anime that covers current events where the main character doesn't have superpowers or some unique special ability and that is one reason why I enjoy "Yugo the Negotiator" so much.

With action and suspense, I was very into this anime and very surprised by it's enticing storyline.

The first episode deals with the hostage's daughter going to Yugo and pleading for him to take on this case.

Also, a look back at how the last negotiator failed and to see how ruthless the enemy aka Dacoits are.

The second episode deals with Yugo doing his research and learning more about the enemy and what it would take to secure the hostage's release which means being in between the Pakistan army and the Dacoits.

Also, how Yugo and friend work a release for a slave (prostitute/dancer).

The third episode deals with Yugo and the girl walking through the desert and being captured by the Dacoits.

The DVD features an anime filled with a lot of neutrals and darkness. Sunlight to show intense heat but the video quality is nicely done for a TV series.
The audio features dialogue in English via 5.1 and Japanese 2.0. I will say that I enjoyed both dialogue, as the English dubbing is very well done.

Special features include a "What is Yugo the Negotiator?" featurette, 3 video interviews with the Japanese staff and cast. Japanese depiction of Pakistan commentary. Personal dossiers and the clean opening and closing themes.

Although we have seen many romantic comedies that depict a storyline that is close to reality, what I like about "Yugo the Negotiator" is that this man is put through a test. He's not a great fighter, he's definitely no match physically against the leader of the Dacoits but his traits as a successful negotiator is what makes him a wonderful character.

An anime featuring an excellent storyline so far that will intrigue the viewer that wants something different from what is currently out there.

The anime is almost like a Hollywood movie (or can be made into one). Take Japan's top negotiator and put him in a hot spot to negotiate the release of a hostage. "City Hunter" this is not.

"Yugo the Negotiator" is definitely worth checking out!"