Munto

Yumemi is an ordinary teenage girl except for one thing: she can see another world of massive islands floating in our sky, but has learned to work around the fact that no one else can see this alternate skyscape…until the day Munto blasts his way into her world. Munto, sporting red leather pants and the matching crimson spiky hair of action bishonen everywhere, is a king in his realm, who is attempting to cross the barrier between worlds to save his own, and only Yumemi, with her mysterious control over the “akuto” (think of the Force in Star Wars) can help. Subplots featuring bad guys (excessive editing from the original manga makes it difficult to distinguish who's fighting whom for what reasons) and a seemingly dangerous rite of passage between two of Yumemi's classmates are less effective. As with any magical girl story, the key is whether it brings vibrancy to an overly familiar tale: Munto's flowing animation, dramatic landscapes, and appealing central characters are all pluses, but the story ends in a frustrating muddle. Accurately rated 13-up, this dual-language OVA (original video animation) is optional, at best. Aud: P. (R. Brenner)