Bikini Warriors

An anime series sporting the title Bikini Warriors is unlikely to offer much in the way of cerebral entertainment, especially one promising “warriors skilled at battling questionable slimes and taming tumescent tentacles.” Unfortunately, anyone hoping for a jolly bit of camp will likely feel cheated by this offering that feels like a cut-rate version of Barbarella mixed with a half-dozen other anime sci-fi romps. The title characters are a quartet of Russ Meyer-worthy heroines who search for villains and monsters, although their heroic abilities are sometimes lacking and they often wind up being victims of remarkably poor judgment. The lady fighters also have a strange habit of landing in dungeons where they are held up as figures for lecherous amusement—something that happens far too often to be funny. To its credit, one very surprising plot twist occurs roughly two-thirds of the way through the series that suggests Bikini Warriors could have been more than just fan service. But, alas, the series ends up taking a too-easy way out. Presenting all 12 episodes from 2015 in a dual-language Blu-ray/DVD Combo set, rated TV-MA, this is not recommended. (P. Hall)