This lurid classroom "harem" actioner (derived from manga) is tongue-in-cheek, but the Tarantino-lite approach eventually starts to drag. Aichi Coexistence Academy was once an all-girl high school. After going co-ed, the scandalized girl students learned super-sword-fighting in order to defend themselves (there is also a giant trained bear on patrol). Now, the boys who are admitted are actually troublemakers being punished. Flirtatious and cocky new transfer Fudou Nomura possesses legendary martial-arts skills himself, pushing the boundaries of acceptable behavior while painfully winning the respect and friendship of his new she-demon peers. Confusing secret identities, conspiracies, and big doses of fan-service cleavage dominate the narrative, while a naked swordfight (complete nudity is blocked from view, like an Austin Powers gag) takes up an entire episode. Longstanding anime fans will get a kick out of the kooky mock-seriousness and S&M-tinged bloody violence, but Prison School (VL-3/17) did this sort of raunch-com better. Presenting all 12 episodes from 2017 in a dual-language Blu-ray edition, rated TV-14, this is a strong optional purchase. (C. Cassady)
Armed Girl's Machiavellism: Complete Collection
(2017) 2 discs. 325 min. Blu-ray: $69.98. Sentai Filmworks (avail. from most distributors). Volume 33, Issue 6
Armed Girl's Machiavellism: Complete Collection
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