(11 votes, average: 3.91 out of 5)
Loading …
Rent Movie.com movie reviews presents All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku movie review a 2004 film starring Jessica Boone, Shelley Carlene-Black and directed by Yoshio IshidaThis zany, over-the-top OAV from 1992 set a pattern for numerous anime properties. Elementary school student Ryunosuke is unhappy about his parents’ divorce. His father is a nutty inventor, his mother is the president of Mishima Heavy Industries, and their quarrels achieve levels of destruction that eclipse Project A-Ko. Ryu’s father creates Nuku Nuku by transplanting the brain of a kitten into the body of his NK 1124 android, producing a well-intentioned but dangerously maladroit supergirl. Although Nuku Nuku tries hard to please everyone, she doesn’t demean herself, the way the title character does in Steel Angel Kurumi. At one point, Ryu wants his parents to live together, so Nuku Nuku sets up a little fake apartment for them–in one room of the vast Mishima mansion. The six episodes are all slapstick and silliness, but curiously endearing. (Rated 12 and older: brief nudity and risqué humor, cartoon violence, tobacco use) –Charles Solomon
When inventor Kyusaku Natsume transfers the brain of his son Ryunosuke’s cat into a top secret android body, the family doesn’t lose a pet… they gain a daughter! While she may look like a typical teenage girl to the rest of the world, Nuku Nuku’s feminine exterior hides the superhuman strength and abilities of the NK-1124 android chassis, making her the most potent fighting force ever unleashed upon an unsuspecting Japan… and the ideal bodyguard for Ryunosuke! But can even Nuku Nuku keep her young charge out of the insidious clutches of the ruthless Akiko Mishima, president of Mishima Heavy Industries (M.H.I.), financier of the NK-1124 project, Kyusaku’s ex-wife and Ryunosuke’s mother? The greatest custody battle of all time erupts in a conflagration across Japan as Akiko unleashes the full force of M.H.I.’s military products division, manned by her elite team of Office-Lady Warriors, in her bid to win back Ryunosuke.
By now any serious anime fan should be familiar with the Japanese cat-girl stereotype. A hyper-active, supercute, super-girl. I’m not sure where this idea started, but I can tell you one thing. One of the best examples of the genre I have ever seen is this OVA. What makes it a classic? Is it the perfectly insane (perfectly hilarious?) mad-scientist father? The crazed mother who is alternately a business woman fanatic that would remind you a military commander (with a hilarious over-the-top personality) and (can you believe it?) a super-sweet, delicate as lace angel obsessed with her son’s welfare? Or perhaps it’s the ridiculous fights and explosions through the series which never result in anyone getting killed (or even seriously injured) despite what looks like hundreds of millions of dollars of property destruction? Or could it be the heavy-artilary carrying duo henchwomen or the super-aggressive (pint-sized) android, all of whom are all obsessed with destroying the main character in some wild scheme? Na.
What really makes this series is the main character. Nuku Nuku is undoubtedly one of the greatest characters in the whole history of anime. She’s a super-powered android in the shape of a beautiful teen-ager with the brain of a cat. All things considered, she’s almost impossible not to love. Her look is very attractive, yet very sincere. She’s cute and extroverted and silly, yet fiercely loyal and self-sacrificing. She only wants to use her super-powers for good (not to show off), and yet finds herself unwittingly part of battles of mass destruction. She considers her creator and his son to be her family, and loves them dearly. Ultimately it’s the pure heart of her character that makes her so compelling, and the reason why everyone loves her.
You could watch this dvd in English, but that would be a crime. The Japanese language track features some of the finest voice-acting you will ever find. Everyone does a great job, but the voice actress who plays Nuku Nuku is PERFECT. In fact I’d go so far as to say that this series would be greatly diminished without her voice acting, as it truly is spectacular.
I should also mention that this series has great artwork (especially considering when it was made), and a great soundtrack as well (I never get tired of the first opening theme).
This is not only one of the best OVAs ever, it’s also an anime classic. If wacky Japanese comedies aren’t normally your style you may want to just rent this one. If on the other hand, you’ve been searching far and wide for a anime comedy featuring a super-powered, super-likable cat girl with a heart of gold, you’ve hit the jackpot.
…if you’re an anime fan who likes shows that are light and funny, that is. Well, what eles can I say about this one that hasn’t been said before? If you’ve read the other reviews already, you know the basic story by now. Well, let me just say that, if you want to see this series in English, you have to get the DVD, since even though this series has been available in the U.S. since 1996, it hasn’t been until earlier in ‘03 that A.D.V. went back and dubbed it in English, and the dubbed version is only available on bilingual DVD. That having been said, I might add that if you like your anime in English and you’ve been watching A.D.V. licenced shows for some time now, you might hear a few familar voices-Allison Keith (BLUE SEED and Misato from NEON GENESIS EVANGELION) is Nuku Nuku, Kelly Manison (THOSE WHO HUNT ELVES and Naga from THE SLAYERS) is the mother, Tiffany Grant (BLUE SEED, Chi from DEVIL HUNTER YOKO, Maki from BURN-UP & BURN-UP W, Becky from GUNSMITH CATS,) is Kyouko, one of the office lady warriors, and Cynthia Martinez (Yuna from GALAXY FRAULIEN YUNA and Lina Inverse from SLAYERS THE MOVIE & SLAYERS OAVs) is Emi (pronounced “Amy”), the rival android who shows up in episode 4. If you’re not one of those people bitterly opposed to watching dubbed anime, you’ll enjoy it. If you don’t like dubs, you can always watch the origonal Japanese version, also on the DVD.
