Kizuna 1

You know you're not in mainstream American animation, Toto, when the two central male characters are boyfriends, which is the case with this Japanese anime OVA based on a hit manga by Kazuma Kodaka. Ranmaru and Kei are lovers who share an apartment while attending college. Ranmaru is desired by two other men: a lascivious professor and Kei's half-brother Kai. The panting pedagogue is not much of a problem, but Kai is a major one, since he's not only a martial artist, but both he and Kei are also the sons of a yakuza crime lord. To its credit, Kizuna does not tread the well-worn paths of most anime offerings: no alien invasions, space schools made up of nubile girls with Russ Meyer-worthy anatomies, crazed samurai, rampant misogyny, or violent dystopias ruled by teeth-gritting megalomaniacs here. In fact, this is about as close to reality as anime gets--unfortunately, once the novelty of seeing two animated men in sexual contact wears off, there is little to hold the imagination. The yakuza storyline is dull, the half-sibling rivalry is pedestrian, and the romantic obsessions are little more than heavy breathing. Even worse, only the first half-hour of this merely hour-long entry is included on this subtitled Japanese disc, rated 16-up. Fans of gay animated antics can have a lot more fun watching Bugs Bunny putting on drag to seduce Elmer Fudd than watching the Kizuna gang going through their testosterone-heavy paces. Not recommended. [Note: Kizuna 2 is slated for release on Oct. 11.] Aud: P. (P. Hall)