Maburaho - Complete Collection Reviews

• Just Another Harem Animé?

  
  By APBDZ88BBTN4F on 2007-05-02
  I just picked up the complete series collection of Maburaho, and I have to say I am impressed. Yes, it is another harem animé in the same category as Tenchi Muyo, Love Hina, etc. But, is that really so bad?
  
  Here is a quick run-down of the plot, in case this review happens to be the first thing you have ever read about Maburaho. You can skip this paragraph if you already know the plot ^_- It is a story about a world where EVERYONE can use magic. Worth and value are placed on people with strong magic. Even more worth and value is placed on people who can use their magic lots of times (they can tell how many times one has left to use, by using a special magic meter). Once a person has used up their limit of magic uses, they they turn into ash and (generally) die. Kazuki, the hero of the show, just so happens to have the strongest magic on the planet. His ancestors were all ridiculously powerful magicians, and his genes are worth a LOT to some of the most powerful families in Japan. This leads to most of the girls initial contact with him, they are told by their families to either marry him and breed, or to just breed (depending on the family). The major problem with all of this, is that Kazuki only has 8 magic uses left before he turns to ash, at the start of the show, and he seems to be burning through them pretty quickly...
  
  So, the story has a lot of heart, and it has characters you can really get behind, and cheer for. My favorite is Rin, she is just so loveable, you just want to hug her. Especially when she is being sad because nobody wants to see what her biology club is up to.
  
  I could make strong comparisons to any harem animé with Maburaho, but I will use Tenchi Muyo (because that is another of my favorites). The main character, Kazuki, is a wuss -- just like Tenchi. He is shy around women, and will instantly cave to anything to ask of him -- just like Tenchi. He also has a mysteriously strong inner power (in this case, his magic, and not the power of Jurai) which can overcome darn near anything -- just like Tenchi. He also has a lot of trouble using his power -- just like Tenchi -- although in his case it is not a matter of learning to make Light Hawk Wings on his own, but instead it is due to the severely limited number of times he can use his magic. He also has a bad case of "Knight-on-a-white-horse" syndrome, and he is constantly trying to save every female around him, who gets into any sort of trouble -- just like Tenchi.
  
  The 3 main girls in the show are Yuna, who behaves a lot like a combination of Aeka and Sasami from Tenchi Muyo. Rin, who behaves a lot like Ryouko from Tenchi Muyo. And Kuriko, who behaves a lot like Washu and borrows Mihoshi's busty blond look.
  
  The girls are in no way clones to the girls in Tenchi Muyo. They all have their own personality quirks, and they all have character aspects that set them apart as their own characters. Also, overall, once the show really begins to move, the girls are a lot NICER to each other, than the girls in Tenchi Muyo.
  
  I like this show because of the pretty Shonen artwork, the interesting magic aspect, and the heart and personality given to all of the characters, and the amount of comedy and general silliness in the stories. Yes, it is another harem animé, but I don't see that as a bad thing.
  
  

• A Great Anime

  
  By A1E82KZ5T0WK1J on 2007-04-05
  It was about time this series was released in thinpak form. I been wanting to see this for a long time now. First off its really sweet and really funny, the girls are abundant as well. This series will have you craving more, I loved it and I think it will make a good addition to anyone's collection. If you really liked this series then look into Girls Bravo for more harem comedy. I hope you will enjoy this series. It will touch your heart and your funny bone. It has some decent fanservice and it is really touching. I'd recommend this to anyone.
  
  

• Good, but not that good...

  
  By A3GJD2JQ5IWUOH on 2007-05-14
  I see a lot of 5-star reviews for Maburaho. Now this is a good show, but nowhere near the best that anime has to offer. Whether you are looking for fan-service, storyline, nice graphics, or comedy, everything about this anime is only so-so.
  
  Yes Maburaho is funny at times, but nowhere near as funny as Shinobu or Azumanga.
  Yes Maburaho has some pretty girls, but they are nowhere near as flashy as shows like Divergence Eve or Eiken.
  Yes Maburaho has an interesting storyline, but it is only touched in the first and last episode. Every episode in between is pure filler.
  
  Maburaho was a fun watch for me, but not particularly memorable for me in any way. So if you've run out of other great anime's to watch, then go ahead and buy Maburaho. Otherwise keep looking.
  
  

• Light Entertainment

  
  By A2VC2W21W0K8CE on 2007-04-30
  The premise of the series has been stated elsewhere so I will not go into that. If you like/collect romance comedies then you should find this a decent watch. I purchased this because I found it on sale and reasonable for 24 epsodes but still happy with the purchase. Other reviewers have mentioned "Love Hina" plus other titles which may be even better but collectors should get those too! There is no mech, magic is a plot device and Rin is the ony one with a Katana. Maburaho will make you laugh which works for me. All I'm saying is that if you like these type of Anime and skip this, you've missed out.
  
  Spoilers
  This series was originally set to be 6 episodes ending with Kazuki's death saving Yuna (ep 12). Kazuki "the ghost" was created when the producer decided to expand the series. I wished there were more than 24 but not everything can be "Ah! My Goddess"
  
  DVD
  The collection box only contains the 24 episodes and no other clips.
  
  Happy viewing!
  
  
  

• Some People Really Need to Develop a Sense of Humor

  
  By A1ZWMBUQW366CP on 2007-07-08
  It's easy to dismiss Maburaho as simply another fanservice riddled, harem anime but Maburaho differs in that it actually has some heart to back up the troves of gratuitous fanservice it forces upon its viewers and that for heaven's sake, it doesn't take itself seriously. It is deliberately over the top, (just look at the size of some of those jiggling spheres...could anyone draw those with a straight face?) silly, touching and effectively hilarious. Each character retains enough emotional depth and uniqueness to remain interesting and endearing throughout. (although, admittedly, I couldn't help but feel that Rin felt somehow incongruous most of the time)Anyone who approaches this anime expecting to see the pinochle of dramatic achievement is missing the point (and, quite frankly, is the biggest boob involved in this whole thing) Despite all of its assets, Maburaho does have some substantial flaws-the story REALLY loses its steam about halfway through the series and resorts to some pretty dull filler episodes before regaining its momentum towards the end, which brings up another problem...the ending is way too convenient...it certainly doesn't ruin the series, though and may even put a smile on your face. All in all, Maburaho is simply an anime to be laughed at-it was written, directed and animated as such, so why not just sit back and do just that? Who knows? If you're the sentimental type, it just might even touch your heart. It's at least worth a try, don't you think?
  
  
• Magical Indeed
  By ADTFUJS8HJN16 on 2007-04-10
  The series revolves Kazuki Shikimori, a kid who is basically a loser, yet in a world where magic reigns supreme, his lineage gives him the genes to give birth to the greatest magician in the world. Word of this gets around to 3 girls inparticular, one adopted to western society, another a business tycoon heir, and the third a traditional japanese family. It's gonna be a ride for Shikimori as all the girls want his genes...
  
  The series I thought had a good story line, even at 24 episodes (600+ minutes), the series could have gone on longer. The animation is extremely well as far as magic designs go and the actual characters themselves, which are very detailed. The series has alot of humor and I found myself laughing through every episode. Music choice for the series also wasn't a bad choice at all. The ending of the series (and I'm putting this cause some think it can affect the entire series) left me hanging to a degree because another question was raised, so to speak, but I was satisfied none the less because it ended the way I hoped it would for the most part.
  
  Although overall I gave the series the 5 star, there are some things that might bother others that didn't bother me. The series does contain alot, and I mean alot, of girls in there underwear, alot of sexual instances, and 2 episodes that contained a brief amount of nudity. Again, this didn't bother me in that, I myself, thought it fit with getting the message across, such as giving in to temptation and showing that Shikimori has the mind of an average 17 year old that likes girls (I think most of us guys can relate).
  
  Overall, I wouldn't get this series for anyone under 14 (as the rating suggest). The language is actually pretty clean, and with the exception of the brief nudity, everything else worked out fine for the series. Overall animation was great, story was excellent, humor is priceless, and I'd watch it all over again. It was money well spent and I'm glad to have it as part of my new collection.
  
  
• Funny Action Romance Anime for Everyone
  By AFV2584U13XP3 on 2007-07-18
  Again ADV Films has come out with another great collection with this one
  This anime has nothing to serious to worry about the main story is mostly about a boy Kazuki who has it in him to be the father of the most powerful magician in the world and how three girls Yuna,Kuriko,and Rin are competing for the right to be the one to carry his genes or more to the point his child
  Again this series isn't to serious there is some fanservice but not much nudity to really worry about so if you like slapstick comedy funny magical situations and fluffy romantic scenes on the side this series is for you
  
  
• an interesting but light series
  By A2QES8YA6HP6CV on 2007-04-06
  Where to begin. This is a decent series that would be best viewed by those just getting into this subgenre of anime. It is good as an introduction but it does not really excel. If you find this series to be interesting then I would point you to Tenchi Muyo and Love Hina as those two anime series pull off this genre far better than Maburaho.
  
  Now to the series itself. It is about a loser boy (as in the majority of harem girl animes) who ends up being pursued by a flock of very attractive women (also a staple of the genre). What sets this story apart from all the others is the fact that the girls are after the boy's DNA.
  
  oh yes, the series is set in a world in which everyone is capable of magic and have a certain amount of times they can use it. the higher a person's magical count the higher class they are. The boy only has 8, hence he is a loser. but what sets him apart is that his ancestors were all very powerful magic users. Hence the pursuit of his DNA by the gorgeous women.
  
  This proves to be a very bad thing in my opinion as it gives the impression that the women do not truly care for the boy himself, they just act kind to get what they want. this is a cynical view but it is one that the series presents as an underlying theme even though on the surface the girls seem to show affection for the boy after a while (as is the case with most harem girl animes).
  
  also the series follows the same formula of episodes, meaning you will find the hot spring episode, and other episodes where the boy is pitted with one girl at a time so they can plead their case, and you will come across episodes where the girls all fight with each other. Also there is a lot of fan service in this series. The fan service feels as if it is tacked on just to keep viewers watching instead of being put in as part of the story.
  
  unfortunately, this anime is very much a cookie cutter series from the subgenre. there is nothing that truly stands out to set it apart from all the rest. It doesn't do a fantastic job but at the same time it doesn't completely fall flat on its face like others in the genre (like Girls Bravo, DearS, and Eiken) The series could have been a lot better and achieved some recognition by being truly different by having the boy having more of a backbone as well as realizing that the girls did not truly care about him.
  
  If you want to get into this series then this box set would be the way to go but if you want to get into the genre as a whole, I would highly recomend the Tenchi muyo OAV and Love Hina as the series to collect.
  
  
• Funny and Refreshing
  By A20URARRP4KLV2 on 2007-04-28
  This is a different twist on an Anime. It was wild and funny. I bought all the volumes I loved it so much.
  
  
• Great Story Fun to watch!
  By A1RRM10BY1VKAF on 2007-05-08
  Maburaho is a very enjoyable anime to watch. The animation is very fresh looking and colorful.
  By the way this show is NOT for the little ones. (But then again most anime is not.)
  Maburaho's storyline is very different and it's cool to see what will happen next.
  Very good dub cast IMO.
  And the designs of the charcthers are pleasing to the eyes I personally think Kazuki and Yuna are some of the cutest anime charcthers around!(I mean cute in a AWWWWW baby way.)
  Overall I'm proud to call myself a Maburaho fan! ^_^
  
  
• dam
  By A2Q62T6H234LN0 on 2007-06-30
  If you thaught tv was getting xxx this is just a step below with 3 girls after one guy to give up his wild oats and try to survive because he can onley use magic 8 times befor he turns to dust and dies so see what happens and how he trys to surrvive the girls and his choices to use magic
  
  
• a awesome anime
  By A2USPOP3AYQYC2 on 2007-08-31
  Let me start by saying when I bought this I wasnt expecting much but the series totaly surpised me. From the very first episode I was hooked. This is a must see for any anime fan.
  
  
• Why Do They Do This?
  By A2MAE336F5T8HL on 2007-10-30
  This was a collection that was great but it fell in the parts that matter most: the beginning, middle, and end mainly the end. There is probably not enough here to recommend it to those who generally avoid harem comedies, or more accurately there is enough to turn them away, however those who do enjoy harem comedies, or is an true anime lover like me would probably do well to check this show out.
  
  
• Pretty good.
  By AK019BF9HMELY on 2007-05-19
  This is pretty good stuff. The fan services is not offensive or misplaced and is done in good taste.
  
  The virtues of selflessness are explored in this one. The main character is lovable and has more value than is apparent by just looking at him.
  
  The fun part of this is that the women who want him are not deceitful about the reasons why they want him. This has 2 affects. One it is refreshing and two, it makes the humor believable when women are throwing them selves at him (you understand why they will go out of their way to hook up with the lucky fellow).
  
  In the end the virtues of friendship, the payoff of self sacrifice and a good love story are all there.
  
  It is a bit pricey but I am glad I bought it.
  
  
• Wish they were all this good.
  By A3QO324Z4CUNNO on 2008-02-13
  I won't repeat the story line. This is a light-hearted comedy romance with great writing and translation (both subtitles and dubbing). I've seen it compared to Harry Potter series. There are some obvious similarities, but there are considerable differences as well, so don't pass it up thinking it's nothing more than a cheap knock-off. The similarities pretty much end at kids in a school who can use magic. There is no actual antagonist in this series, only conflicting goals and interpersonal frictions, much like in real life. It still manages to keep a good pace and stay interesting throughout the series. It is a comedy-romance mostly, but one even us guys can find entertaining. :P It has become one of my favorites in a very short time. I highly recommend it.
  
  

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