Yuugo Koushounin

Title:Yuugo Koushounin
Yugo
Yugo Negotiator
Yugo the Negotiator
Yugo ~Koushoujin~ (Japanese)
Yugo, El Negociador (Spanish)
勇午 ~交渉人~ (Japanese)
Overall:Buy
Keywords: , , ,
Notables: Animation - Artland
R1 License - ADV (Renamed)
Yugo the Negotiator has never lost a case. He has vowed to complete any mission he undertakes, no matter what. A woman came to him one day asking for him to save her father who was being held hostage by a rebel group trying to overthrow a Middle-Eastern government. Aided by his many contacts, Yugo heads to the Middle East with no idea where to start, but he'll discover he's not alone on his mission.
(Summary Courtesy of Anime News Network)


Series runs in two separate arcs set in Pakistan and Russia with both animated by different studios. The Pakistan arc was animated by G&G Direction and the Russia arc animated by Artland.
Aired for 13 episodes starting on February 24, 2004.
Licensed by ADV Films
Based on the long-running Yugo manga series written by Shinji Makari and illustrated by Shuu Akana.
OverallArtAnimationCharacter Design MusicSeries StoryEpisode StoryReviewer
Buy 8 8 8 6 8 8 Ggultra2764 [series:2479#1552]
(Buy-/ Rent+)

A solid mystery/ suspense series, Yugo the Negotiator features the titular character of the series taking two different cases where he is trying to work out the release of a hostage from hostile foreign groups set in Pakistan and Russia. This series does quite a bit to stand out from many conventional anime titles. First off, Yugo comes off as a crafty and intelligent man who does enough at researching the mentalities and cultural significance that individuals within both countries would have in regards to their personal beliefs. This is essential as his very profession is quite the dangerous one where he puts his life at risk at investigating the activity of some shady figures within these hostile countries and working out a release for the hostage he is hired to rescue. In addition, the guy knows enough about whatever terrain he enters and prepares thoroughly for it from Pakistan's hot deserts to the frigid cold temperatures of Siberian tundras. Yugo is about on par with Master Keaton in terms of exploration of hostile environments and having a protagonist who is all-around knowledgeable in moving around said countries.

Another area that Yugo excels in is its realistic details in covering the culture and beliefs of the countries that the man visits. The show isn't afraid to tackle just how harsh the real-life hardships are for people living in oppressed conditions within Pakistan and Russia, as well as the deeply-engrained beliefs that the people Yugo deals with have. This applies to both the Muslim jihadists in the Pakistan arc and the shady Siberian military branch in the Russia arc. Touchy things such as prostitution, torture, poverty and oppression are the norm in these countries which Yugo is well aware of and often comes to odds with during his jobs. The characters within both arcs are fleshed out enough where you get the sense of how strongly they feel in regards to either their religious beliefs and/ or nationalism.

Oddly enough, both arcs to this series were animated by different studios and it does show in regards to color shading and detail. The Pakistan arc had subdued color shading and better polished details in regards to character designs and scenery. This went well with the subdued and tense mood that Yugo gave off while trekking in the country. The Russia arc made use of brighter color shading and noticeably had rougher details in animating characters and scenery.

The show isn't without its faults. The resolution to the Russia arc did feel rather contrived considering it went against how complex and well laid-out otherwise that developments within it and the Pakistan arc were. In addition, this is a slow-paced series that takes its time with laying out the developments that Yugo has with prominent characters with a good amount of it being conversation-driven. If you are used to anime with faster pacing and being more action-oriented, then you might not get much enjoyment out of the show.

But if you are someone that craves realistic and intelligence-focused titles within your anime, then Yugo the Negotiator is well worth the time to look into. With believable depictions of settings and cultural beliefs within the countries visited by Yugo and the guy knowing well enough to adjust to his surroundings and talk his way into earning the trust of some pretty dangerous characters, this proved to be quite the interesting hidden gem for me to get latched on from Netflix.

Last updated Friday, September 02 2011. Created Friday, September 02 2011.

Other Sites
NameURL
Official Japanese Series Web Site http://www.yu-go.jp/

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