Yugo the Negotiator, volume 1: Pakistan vol. 1: Departure

Reviewed By: Carla Land

ADV Films DVD

Review based on (episodes 1-3)

Rating TV 14

What it’s (basically) all about: Yugo Beppo is a negotiator. In fact, he’s the best in the business. If your father is kidnapped by guerilla Pakistanis bent on tumbling the current regime, Yugo is your go-to guy. It helps that he’s unconventional, because that’s usually what the situation calls for. Along the way, he’ll put his own distinct spin on everything, keep calm in the face of danger, and somehow make it all work out in then end.

Nitty Gritty: Yugo is an interesting character. He likens negotiating to a game of billiards, lets his clients stay in his home while he’s off, and willingly gets himself involved in dangerous situations for the greater good. The show is not heavy on action, but it’s very realistic when it is. There are on screen deaths, gore, and blood splatter, as well as some dark and intense situations. The preview for disk two shows torture, heavy violence, and a lot more action. Looks like negotiations didn’t go well.

The language is mild until Yugo gets deeper into enemy territory. Sh*t, bitch, ass and hell are used in both the subbed and dubbed versions (they are more prevalent in the dubbed, though), and while Yugo himself remains cool and rarely swears, those he negotiates with are usually not afraid to let words fly. I think I even heard the F-bomb drop at one point, but it was muffled and not clear enough for me to be sure.

By the end of episode three there are knives going through people’s heads, a scantily clad gypsy woman who has attached herself to Yugo for saving her from a life of prostitution, people’s necks getting snapped like twigs, and army brutality. It also ends at a really intense moment where Yugo learns his life is about to be terminated.

Special features are pretty interesting. There’s the clean opening/ closing, ADV previews for Newtype Magazine and The Anime Network (both run before the main menu loads), and a lot of Japanese promotional materials- “What is Yugo the Negotiator?” clip, interviews with the creator and illustrator of the manga, the directors, and the Japanese voice actor who portrays Yugo. What I found really interesting was a thirty minute presentation by the ADR director and his cultural advisor that discussed the Japanese depiction of Pakistan. Apparently they did a stellar job of accurately portraying the nation. It plays sort of like an audio commentary, covering those parts of the show that deal with Pakistani culture and geography.

Survey says: Teens may be able to handle it, but it looks like it’s going to get a lot more violent. This one is better off in your adult sections. Besides, teens may not be as into the psychological and methodical nature of negotiating as an adult, and there is a lot of that going on here.

Personal Ad: He’s no MacGyver, but there is something nice in the way that Yugo is not a gun toting or sword wielding anti-hero.