Cromartie High School: vol. 1: Cromartian Rhapsody

Reviewed By:  Carla Land

DVD ADV Films

Review based on first disk (episodes 1-8)

Rated TV 14

What it’s (basically) all about: Kamiyama Takashi is one of the the toughest guys in school. No, really. In a school literally FULL of delinquents, mild-mannered Kamiyama writes letters to his mother, tries to figure out what the deal is with Mechazawa, and somehow gets labeled a tough guy. Along with his fellow classmates, (which include a gorilla, a motion sick prone gang leader and Freddie- who looks like a rock star) Kamiyama is in for an interesting school year.

Nitty Gritty: First of all, this show is a parody. The opening sequence is an indication of what is to follow- the teens portrayed in this anime are delinquents. It’s not a good idea to act like them. At all. There is very little plot that goes from one show to the next, it’s way over the top, and some of the humor depends on knowing a little about Japanese culture. Fortunately, one of the special features is cultural notes and comments that will clue you in to those nuances. Other special features include clean opening/closing animation, Japanese TV warnings (“Don’t sit too close to the TV!”), previews for other ADV titles (some of these include fan service), DVD credits, and a preview of volume 2.

The language in this show can be pretty strong. The subbed version is less of a concern than the dubbed version, which uses words like d*ckhead, bitch, and sh*thead, among others of the four letter variety. There are several instances when characters get beat up, threatened, and kidnapped, but most of the violence is implied and not on screen.

The shows themselves are short- only fifteen minutes in length- but they are filled with satire and parody. There is no nudity (actually, there are no female classmates at all, since many high schools in Japan are all boy or all girl.) Considering this show seems a distant cousin to Adult Swim shows such as Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Sealab 2021, the subject matter is often more appropriate for older viewers.

Previews at the beginning of the disk are for Newtype Magazine and The Anime Network, both products of ADV Films.

Survey says: Although the subject matter will appeal most directly to teens (it does take place in a high school after all) this series will cause less drama if included in adult collections rather than teen collections. It’s definitely not appropriate for any child younger than 14 years old.

Personal Ad: This is the funniest thing I have seen since Ghost Stories.