Nerima Daikon Brothers Volume 3: Daikon Field Of Dreams - Anime Kakumei
- Anime Kakumei
- Sean Connolly
- 05/27/07
- click here
"Nerima Daikon Brothers is a unique, one of a kind show that deserves all the love it gets."
"A smartly written anime musical full of charm and laughs that will undoubtably put a smile on your face"
All good things must come to an end, and with the release of Daikon Field of Dreams, we have come to the end of this hilarious show. So how will it go out? With more wacky hijinx? More crazy characters that are homages, puns, and parodies of real people Nabeshin wanted to rib? A real story arc? Yes, yes, and yes!
Something strange has happened around Hideki's Daikon farm. Everyone has moved out! Weird considering the band is used to the neighbors throwing everything including the kitchen sink at them during practice. They don't really think much of it when Hideki is approached by Donabenabe. A strange, rotund fella with a pot on top of his head. Also the owner of the tabloid paper the Nerima Tsuushin (which spreads falsehoods around Nerima, causing people to move), as well as the professional women's softball team, the Nerima Donabes (which is also uses as his personal baseball wielding army). He wants to buy Hideki's field and erect a baseball dome in it's place, promising Hideki that his band will also be able to hold concerts there as well.
At the same time, Mako steals Ichiro's savings to continue her pursuit of a re-debut. She figures her best chance at doing so is some plastic surgery! At the clinic, she's met by a very plastic, Picasso looking clown named Yukel Hakushon. Probably the funniest parody of Michael Jackson I've seen in recent memory. Besides Michael Jackson himself. He convinces Mako that he can make her into the idol she wants to be, if she can help him get the deed to the daikon field so he can turn it into "Nerima Land." Ow!
Finally, the band is faced with their greatest threat. Truly, the battle to end all battles. The fight of fights. Nerima Daikon Brothers vs. Prime Minister Oizumi. Frustrated by Yukel and Donabe's lack of results, Oizumi himself, high atop his flying National Diet Building, swoops in and proclaims that he will privatize Nerima! In addition, he will use the daikon field to build a shrine to the daikon, and hold a yearly festival! Can the band, who has been torn apart by internal conflict, come together to ward off this threat? Will their dream die with them?
NDB continues it's singing and dancing ways with this story arc (yes, an actual story arc), but the parodies are just cranked all the way up to 11. The three main antagonists are funny on their own, but take on another depth when you're familiar with who they are parodying and just how dead on it is. The writers really get their message out loud and clear about how they feel about those they are roasting. If you stop and really look at it, it's not all that nice either. But it is funny, no question.
If you're not familiar with who the show is making fun of, don't worry. You won't be alone. Not everyone is going to be. Tsuneo Wanatabe and Prime Minister Koizumi being the two main gentlemen in question. I hope for your sake you know who Michael Jackson is. ADV continues to have you covered and does a wonderful job with their liner notes, their dub, and their ADVidnotes, detailing who these people are, and the situations that have brought them to the show to be lampooned to hell and back.
The internal conflict in the band was a nice change of pace to see. Hideki working with Donabe, Mako siding with Yukel (which was just strange), and Ichiro being the one member holding true to their dream. It's nice that the guy who seemed to be the most non-committal, stick to his guns and not want to give up the daikon field without a fight. Ichiro also brings out the pimp hand on more than one occasion, with sexy results.
The Gadget Cop Yukika also plays a more predominate role in this volume, as her character steps away from the mildly annoying high and mighty cop routine, and into one that literally makes her part of the band (complete with her own hot outfit). She struggles between her duty as a police officer the feelings of her heart, ultimately choosing to sing and fight for her love...of pandas. In the end, she really turned out to be a fun member of the cast. Between her inspector gadget like abilities, her unhealthy (or is it?) love of pandas, and belting out tunes of her own or as a member of the band, Yukika was fun to watch.
I really have to tip my hat to ADV's overall release od Nerima Daikon Brothers though. From the top to bottom, this release is one of ADV's best ever. Each disc is packed with great liner notes (ADVidnots included), extras that fans will actually want to watch, and a five star quality dub that will undoubtly earn the studio major props among the fans. All of this top quality work on a little 12 episode TV series that could have very easy flown right under the radar. Not to mention how hard this type of show is to produce. Major kudos to everyone on the production team on this. You've earned my respect once again.
Nerima Daikon Brothers is a unique, one of a kind show that deserves all the love it gets. A smartly written anime musical full of charm and laughs that will undoubtably put a smile on your face. All in a package that is one of ADV's best. Go buy it.
Posted on Sunday, May 27, 2007 (Archive on Wednesday, June 27, 2007)