Ikki Tousen Dragon Destiny Collection   Starring (voice): Hitomi Nabatame, Kei Shindou Mai Kadowaki and Masumi Asano MVM RRP: £29.99 MVD7049 Certificate: 18 Available 07 November 2011

Ah! It’s been a while, but finally the busty babes, who have a propensity for showing their knickers and for shredding all their clothes during fights, are back with the second series of the very low brow, fan service, show Ikki Touson.

Ikki Tousen: Dragon Destiny Collection is series two of a show which was loosely based on Luo Guanzhong’s classic novel Romance of the Twelve Kingdoms, pretty much in the same way that King Dong is based on King Kong; we're talking very loose. The show has also been known as Battle Vixens and series two ran for twelve episodes, all of which are represented in this three disc DVD set.

For those of you that missed the first series, the story updates the struggles of Shou Hao to modern day Japan. The girls from seven schools have inherited the spirits of great warriors, locked in a Magatama, a comma shaped jewel. They continue their historical struggle through the girls, who engage in endless rounds of combat, which involve endless alliances and deceptions. Let’s just say that the show can become a little repetitive.

There is little to say about the show. The animation is pretty average, possibly because the show is aimed at a young male audience who are more interested in bouncing bosoms and panties than they are of quality animation. Gratuitous sex and violence are the main reasons the show exists, so the plots only serve to get the various characters either undressed or into violent combat, where oddly enough their clothes fall off.

You would think, then, that this would be a pretty bare bone affair, however you would be wrong. It’s not only the girls who are well endowed as the set comes with an impressive list of extras, most notable are the six episodes of the Big Battle at Red Cliffs Hot Spring OVA. The rest is the usual collections of line art, textless opening and closing sequences, trailer and TV spots.

Ikki Touson does not pretend to be other than it is, a show for titillation, both sexual and violent. As such, there is little to criticise, it does not pretend to be well scripted or detail drawn, but then neither does it skimp on the desired gratuities.

6

Charles Packer