A look at three 90's OVAs: Debutante Detectives, Hyper Speed Grandoll, MAPS

[Fencedude]

So the other night I got a chance to sit down and work through some of my DVD backlog, and among them were these three "gems" that I picked up for cheap. All hailed from the mid to late nineties, and are...interesting in their own ways.

First off Debutante Detective Corp...well, I'm glad I only paid $4 for it.

NEXT!

Hyper Speed Grandoll, now this is more like it. Three episode OVA, probably (haven't checked) based on a manga. Fun little series, has the requisite rushed feeling. Hits all the major highpoints of its genre (Pretty girls + Mecha Armor), including the highly tacked on feeling male lead. The highlight of the show is actually Sigil, the rival of the main girl, Hikaru. Sigil and Hikaru have a great (though very rushed) relationship with distinct Shoujo-ai vibes, despite both being obstensibly straight. Sigil is also gloriously angsty, and milks the melodrama of her situation for all its worth. There's also a great homage to Mobile Suit Gundam with involving what happens to her.

MAPS, definitely the best of the three, MAPS is a fun little show that is definitely based on a longer running manga. It seems that this is a somewhat rushed telling of the first arc or so of the story. There are definite gaps in the narrative, especially between the first and second episodes. The character designs were nice and sexy, with a good amount of skin to see. I also liked the designs of the Living Ships, and how they related to their human sized biomechanical captain. It also had some good, non-humanoid aliens, and one of the more disturbing weapons ever. The main guy was also suitably hardcore, though his girlfriend was somewhat...redundent.

Anyway, just thought I'd share these thoughts, mods, if you feel this would be better on R1 or Recomendations, go ahead and move it.

[Suwako Moriya]

Ah it's been a long time since I've seen Hyper Speed Granddoll. I've forgotten most of it anyway. Heck until this topic, I didn't even remember it's existence. Still I'm sure I haven't seen the other two. If I did I completely forgot. Bleh this makes me wish I could remember what Granddoll was like. Although I'm sure I had my usual "It should have been longer" gripe.

[Njr Scrawl]

Best thing about DDC is its ending song...

[Hunter Sopko]

MAPS is definately an oldie but goodie. I still think the opening is one of the best I've seen (Judging on animation + song). Holds a place as one of the first things I saw and also bought on VHS. Maybe a bit of rose colored glasses... I'll have to watch it again.

[Fencedude]

[ QUOTE ]
Hunter Sopko said:
MAPS is definately an oldie but goodie. I still think the opening is one of the best I've seen (Judging on animation + song). Holds a place as one of the first things I saw and also bought on VHS. Maybe a bit of rose colored glasses... I'll have to watch it again.

[/ QUOTE ]

The opening is pretty good.

[Magic_Knight]

Hyper Speed Grandoll's best part was the bath scene. *Waits for Piano to see this thread* Overall, the main character's personality was kind of fun and it was an ok show, but not something I will rewatch for a long time.

I haven't seen MAPS in awhile, but I remember being slightly disappointed with it (I think because of the ending). I thought it had a good story but it was kind of confusing at times. Overall the best of the three.

I haven't seen Debutante Detective Corps yet, but I only paid $4 for it, too, and it just came in yesterday, so...

[pianocello]

[ QUOTE ]
Fencedude said:

NEXT!

Hyper Speed Grandoll, now this is more like it. Three episode OVA, probably (haven't checked) based on a manga. Fun little series, has the requisite rushed feeling. Hits all the major highpoints of its genre (Pretty girls + Mecha Armor), including the highly tacked on feeling male lead. The highlight of the show is actually Sigil, the rival of the main girl, Hikaru. Sigil and Hikaru have a great (though very rushed) relationship with distinct Shoujo-ai vibes, despite both being obstensibly straight. Sigil is also gloriously angsty, and milks the melodrama of her situation for all its worth. There's also a great homage to Mobile Suit Gundam with involving what happens to her.



[/ QUOTE ]

I loved the part when the two girls were in the bath tub and their big boobies were pressed together. /images/graemlins/shy00000.gif

[Fencedude]

[ QUOTE ]
piano_cello_conducting said:
[ QUOTE ]
Fencedude said:

NEXT!

Hyper Speed Grandoll, now this is more like it. Three episode OVA, probably (haven't checked) based on a manga. Fun little series, has the requisite rushed feeling. Hits all the major highpoints of its genre (Pretty girls + Mecha Armor), including the highly tacked on feeling male lead. The highlight of the show is actually Sigil, the rival of the main girl, Hikaru. Sigil and Hikaru have a great (though very rushed) relationship with distinct Shoujo-ai vibes, despite both being obstensibly straight. Sigil is also gloriously angsty, and milks the melodrama of her situation for all its worth. There's also a great homage to Mobile Suit Gundam with involving what happens to her.



[/ QUOTE ]

I loved the part when the two girls were in the bath tub and their big boobies were pressed together. /images/graemlins/shy00000.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Hee...yeah

Hikaru/Sigil OTP!

I like how the whole "two are one" aspect never went anywhere.

[Vicserr]

[ QUOTE ]
Fencedude said:
[ QUOTE ]
piano_cello_conducting said:
[ QUOTE ]
Fencedude said:

NEXT!

Hyper Speed Grandoll, now this is more like it. Three episode OVA, probably (haven't checked) based on a manga. Fun little series, has the requisite rushed feeling. Hits all the major highpoints of its genre (Pretty girls + Mecha Armor), including the highly tacked on feeling male lead. The highlight of the show is actually Sigil, the rival of the main girl, Hikaru. Sigil and Hikaru have a great (though very rushed) relationship with distinct Shoujo-ai vibes, despite both being obstensibly straight. Sigil is also gloriously angsty, and milks the melodrama of her situation for all its worth. There's also a great homage to Mobile Suit Gundam with involving what happens to her.



[/ QUOTE ]

I loved the part when the two girls were in the bath tub and their big boobies were pressed together. /images/graemlins/shy00000.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Hee...yeah

Hikaru/Sigil OTP!

I like how the whole "two are one" aspect never went anywhere.

[/ QUOTE ]

one of the better parts of the series /images/graemlins/noseblef.gif

Grandoll its a fun way to kill 90 minutes, it has great characters and decent action

haven't seen the DDC or Maps but I have a slight interest in watching Maps /images/graemlins/catgirl0.gif

[Isuzu Inugami]

I remember liking MAPS <span style='color:#dddddd;background:#dddddd'>(What the... you just unzipped the Earth!!).</span> I'll have to check out Grandoll sometime.

I don't know much about the other two but I watched GranDoll, I thought it was decent but wanted more, the version I have is an English Dubbed VHS but it's not an ordinary copy, it's a rare non-final screener copy of the English dub, the box looks like the regular packaging until you take the tape out of the box, by the way I bought in a used record store. I guess it was a cool find. Yeah I wish there was more, it was my sister who interested in this title when she saw an ad in Animerica Magazine, but she doesn't really care for this title. Thats all.

[Loafy]

[ QUOTE ]
First off Debutante Detective Corp...well, I'm glad I only paid $4 for it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Am I the only one who LOVED Debutante Detective Corp?!? I thought it was well animated and a ton of fun. I laughed a bunch. I only wish there was more.

I haven't seen the other 2 so I can't comment on them yet but they are both in my extensive to watch pile.

[KrisGranholm]

Debutante Detective Corp is the only DVD I actually destroyed after watching it. I literally broke it into tiny pieces and droped it into the trash. Seriously.

[Loafy]

[ QUOTE ]
Kris Granholm said:
Debutante Detective Corp is the only DVD I actually destroyed after watching it. I literally broke it into tiny pieces and droped it into the trash. Seriously.

[/ QUOTE ]

That makes me cry... /images/graemlins/cry00000.gif

[curr]

Ooh I own Hyper Speed Grandoll and Maps! Maps is a pretty good Sci-fi romp and Grandoll is enjoyable..

didn't care for Debutante Detective Corp much thought.

any options of Battle Skipper? :D

[Shsway]

[ QUOTE ]
Kris Granholm said:
Debutante Detective Corp is the only DVD I actually destroyed after watching it. I literally broke it into tiny pieces and droped it into the trash. Seriously.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you and Flood trade super-disposal techniques? /images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif

Grandoll is the only show out of that lot that I've got a mind to buy, eventually. It sounds like an amusing enough romp.

[DiGiKerot]

[ QUOTE ]
Fencedude said:
So the other night I got a chance to sit down and work through some of my DVD backlog, and among them were these three "gems" that I picked up for cheap. All hailed from the mid to late nineties, and are...interesting in their own ways.

First off Debutante Detective Corp...well, I'm glad I only paid $4 for it.


[/ QUOTE ]

Scary thing is that it was directed by the generally brilliant Akiyuki Shinbo...