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AKA: 宝魔ハンターライム (Houma Hunter Lime), Jewel Demon Hunter Lime BEM
Genre: Sexy comedy (no, really; the DVD cover says so)
Length: OAV series, 3 episodes, 25 minutes each
Distributor: Currently licensed by Section 23 Films
Content Rating: 13+ (mild fan service, slapstick violence)
Related Series: N/A
Also Recommended: El Hazard: The Wanderers, Elf Princess Rane, Ranma ½ (duh)
Notes: Based on a 1994 PlayStation game, "Houma Hunter Lime", by Asmik. BEM is an acronym for "Big Eyed Monster".
Rating:

Jewel BEM Hunter Lime

Synopsis

There is a world alongside ours, where magical beings exists. And while most people from that magical world want to live in harmony with the humans, there is those who won't have any part in that. So, when a box with magical jewels are stolen and the chase to recover them ends up in the jewels being scattered over the earth, it's up to Lime and Bass to recover them, preferably before they possess something and turns evil.


Review

When I first watched Jewel BEM Hunter Lime, I pretty much enjoyed most of what it had to offer. Recognizing the art as being strikingly similar to Ranma's character designs (which is probably the reason why Lime looks so much like a green-haired Shampoo and Bass looks so much like Ranma when he's in human form), I figured a three episode show would be worth the money I invested in it. In hindsight, I still think it does, though Jewel BEM Hunter Lime probably works better as a rental, and here's why.

As a concept, the BEMs work pretty well, though I found out, when rewatching the show, that the way the show went about it meant that they wore out their welcome pretty fast. It's a sound idea, really, though keeping things less cutesy would have worked better in the long run. Not that Jewel BEM Hunter Lime had a long run in the first place, so it's all academic, I suppose.

The MAIN characters were fun, though, as were a lot of the supporting cast. Lime herself was, unlike advertised on the cover, a bit of a smart-aleck with a sharp tongue (in a metaphorical sense.) In fact, most of the stupid genes probably went to Bass, who, despite his experience living in the human world, haven't imparted him with much of any human sensibilities. Her somewhat pragmatic personality does give the show a lot of its charm, and balances out Bass' idiocy pretty well.

The BEMs, though, are much like jokes that are funny once, but lose much of their charm for each retelling. In hindsight (again), the show loses some because the BEMs occasionally take over the entire episode, especially in the second one, which features the most annoying one of the three. Luckily, the show does supply some amusing side cast, like the... uh, rather FIT nurse in episode 3. (And no, it's DEFINITELY not what you think.)

Jewel BEM Hunter Lime is, from what I understand, based on a "game" (more like animation on your console), and it does show a little. Having been subjected to a DELUGE of game based anime over the last couple of years, Lime is hardly the worst anime I've ever seen. Far from it. Still, I've pretty much been forced to reassess my opinion of it, knocking it down a notch. I would be lying if I said Carlos' review had NOTHING to do with the rewrite, though I still think it's an ok show that can safely be digested at any time, if just once. But then, that's what we have rentals for.

Short, but all the better for it, I guess.Stig Høgset

Recommended Audience: The DVD box says "16 and up", and I sure as hell don't know why. Like I said, nothing really too outrageous happens here. There is a rather short scene in the girls locker room, with some lingerie shots of the girls. It's not something you haven't already seen in the Ranma series already.



Version(s) Viewed: R1 DVD
Review Status: Partial (2/3)
Jewel BEM Hunter Lime © 1996 Kenichiro Nakamura / SILENCE • Atsuko Nakajima / ASMIK • TBS
 
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