Ring ni Kakero 1 - Nichibei Kessen Hen -
Oh My God! I needed a show to keep some DVD space from going to waste, so I selected this one, which I presumed was another fall premiere. I had no idea what it was about, but I figured maybe fantasy, what with the mention of a "Ring". It quickly became clear that this series in fact has a boxing motiff. I was immediately struck by the 80's style character designs--I wondered if maybe this was in fact an old series which somebody had just gotten around to fansubbing, but according to AnimeNfo it is a 2006 release (and apparently a sequel to a 2004 release as well). It also became clear that this show has a pleasing, campy style to it, which soon had me grinning. Was this intentional? Before long I realized that this show contains what are quite possibly the most shocking misconceptions about America that I have ever seen in anime! I don't know how seriously viewers in Japan take this show, but the twisted notions--or wild exaggerations--that it presents of America were so absurd that I found them amusing rather than offensive (though I would kind of worry if people really believe these things). Were the makers just kidding, or are they truly xenophobic? Basically, here's the gist: the visiting boxing team is in fact the "American Ultimate Killer Team", recruited by organized crime and composed of gang members and convicted felons (plus a floosy, presumably to seduce the Japanese opponents). My God, this show covers every base as "Mr. Shaft" goes on a recruiting tour through the US, scooping up the dregs of society. Even though (or maybe because) this is such a jaw-dropping show, I'm eager to see more...
Last updated Tuesday, October 17 2006. Created Monday, October 16 2006.
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Stretch
