Moeyo Ken: The Complete Series

In an alternate Meiji era, the Japanese government has decided to register and live peacefully with the folkloric demons inhabiting the country. Given the task of hunting down unregistered monsters are the Mobile Shinsengumi, three daughters of the original, legendary Shinsengumi (special police). The arrival of Ryunosuke Sakamoto, school-smart son of their boss, promises to rescue the trio from their chronic money problems (and offer chances for matchmaking), but they must prevent him from abandoning them for Shanghai. The mix of supernatural creatures, swords, sharpshooters, and magic should make for a no-miss show, especially since it was created by Oji Hiroi (Sakura Wars) and designed by Takahashi Rumiko (Inu Yasha), but somehow this potentially rich collaboration results in flat jokes, underdeveloped characters, and a plot that doesn't kick in until far too late in the series. The animation is as fun and sprightly as might be expected, but most anime fans will feel they've seen it all before. Compiling the entire 13-episode 2005 series on a dual-language double-disc set, suitable for 14-up, this isn an optional purchase. Aud: P. (L. Martincik)