My Beautiful Girl Mari

Reviewed By: Carla Land

ADV DVD

Review based on only disk

Rating TVG

What it’s (basically) all about: Nam-Woo is having a hard time. His father died in a fishing accident a few years ago, and his mom is starting to show interest in another man. His grandmother, who makes his life miserable, is ill with heart problems. On top of all that, his best friend is moving to Seoul to go to school at the end of the school year. The only thing that keeps him going is a magical world and magical girl named Mari that he has found via magic pebble and an abandoned lighthouse. When tragedy strikes, it’s Nam-Woo and Mari that must save the day.

Nitty Gritty: This movie is Korean, not Japanese, and the animation style is very different from what most kids are used to.  There are a lot of beautiful sequences and poignant moments, too. It starts in the future when Nam-Woo and his friend are adults, and the bulk of the movie is a flashback.

There is no bad language or offensive material in the whole movie, but there is a scene in which Nam-Woo and his best friend use a public bath. (You see rear ends, and some irritated adults that don’t appreciate being splashed by two kids, but that’s all.)

The end of the movie has some pretty scary imagery- ships being tossed around in a typhoon, people getting knocked out by flying debris and the like.

Special features include DVD credits and previews for other ADV releases -Full Metal Panic?: FUMOFFU, Divergence Eve: Misaki Chronicles, Petite Princess Yucie, Sister Princess, DN Angel, and Gilgamesh (which is the only preview not suitable for audiences younger than 13. All the rest are appropriate for teens and/or below.) Also the disk opens with the obligatory ads for Anime Network (which mentions "ass-kicking girls") and Newtype Magazine.

Survey says: Good for teen collections, if only because of the previews. The movie may not go over well with younger kids anyway. There’s not a lot of action and it can get kind of slow.

Personal Ad: I liked it. The animation style was different, and I thought it looked cool. I didn’t get all of it, but I liked it.