[Review] Mamono Hunter Yohko

This was one of two anime series I had a chance to see recently that were
titles I first came across back in the heyday of a company called Western
Connection. Although the series was later released in the US by ADV,
Western Connection brought the series to the UK first, although not in its
entirety, so some of it is new to me.

The central element of this series is that demons keep managing, through
one way or another, of getting across from their own world to our world
and causing the usual havoc that demons tend to cause. You know the sort
of thing; rape, pillage, murder and rape (they like rape!) To deal with
this problem there are devil hunters. Yohko just happens to be the 108th
in the Mano family to take the job on, guided by her grandmother, Madoka,
who just happens to be the 107th. Why wasn't Yohko's mother a hunter too?
Ah, now that would be telling!

It wouldn't be right for a series like this not to have a cute sidekick,
provided in this case by a daughter of an associated family, Asuza. Gawky,
fanatically devoted to Yohko but sometimes causes more trouble than she
solves. The stories aren't really linked by a specific line other than the
above and the fact that Yohko, as it seems with all heroines of this type,
is hopelessly addicted to finding her one true love and often fails,
either because her hunting gets in the way or because the person she
fancies is currently being possessed.

From the infiltration of her school by a demon that wants to stop Yohko
from discovering her power to a demon that all 108 hunters tried to seal
away, from a time travelling mission to reunite a couple separated by
their parents to an envious rival hunter that wants the mantle of devil
hunter all for herself, the series includes blood, violence, swordplay and
several instances of fan service!

It was good to see the old stuff again, and even better to see the bits
that Western Connection never got around to publishing before they
disappeared from the market. Some of the subject matter is hardly safe for
the kiddies, but I can certainly recommend it for anyone that likes a bit
of kick in the anime.

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//\ // Chika <miyuki><at><crashnet><org><uk>
// \// Mitsuo... Menda... naha naha...

.... 24 hours in a day and 24 beers in a case. Hmmmm.....