YU-NO

Growing up in the mid 80s, things really took a turn for the better by 1990; in terms of both look and story, anime was entering is high age. Sure there were gems in every decade going back to the 1940s, but every now and then we get a prime example in various entertainment mediums how not to fall short of greatness. Yu-NO is one of the BESt examples of the worst way to try and make a hentai. HOw doth one fail at this?! lol

I have conflicted thoughs on how to score this, as the look was fairly good, even though dated, when compared ... to the chibbyish or overly cartoon style of many shows and hentai from that point even to the current year. But whatever other shows lack, they at least get to the nitty gritty and very pretty when it comes to hentai when all else is said and done.

Yu-No is barely "hentai", only scratching the surface of that most naughty and extreme genre definition for japanese animation. Based on a visual novel game where there is fer sure breasts and beautiful women, its little more than a good representation of a young mans dreams of adventure and budding sexual desire that cant quite bring everything into view, die to lack of experience or imagination. Like those old fuzzy channels that were kind on for a free weekend, where you could make out boobs or real sex, but just barely. Theres even a half of the main characters junk sticking out while getting with a chick, but...I just laughed at the pointlessness of it.
It actually had a very great look to it however, being a almost perfect representation of the heights that many studios in their art skill could aspire to. NOt the best looking, but I could not draw better. Also there is decent sound, music, background effects, and at least something of a story that was passable if you dont mind wasting time tbh. There are naked women with breasts bared left and right, and even female genitalias having fingers quasi inserted into them, but the lack of further detail and examination, just jumping from one thing to another, really makes me wonder why something so disappointing would come out near the end of a decade that already had well defined strictures, or even expectations for a genre such as hentai.
Where once movies that went beyond R rating in America but were still mostly soft core enough, careful not to show or overdo things, ended up with the now rarely seen NC 17 ( or due to gore) there was of course the legendary XXX rating for the "real deal". Aside from the fact that pornography has been around almost as long as humanity, as noted from some cave paintings of buxom women, fertility idols and deities down through the millennia, and naughty artwork and early sex mags from a few centuries ago, people know when something gets to that level in a satisfactory way. And when it sure falls short of that wondrous realm of hawtness. lol IF the show had decided on a bit less breasts and occasional genitalia, and put more effort into a story, it would have been really goof. IT owuld not matter if it split from the original material. OR if this went full on HENTAI, which is what people want tbh, it would have also been good. BUt it kinda stagnates with a bit too much tryhard fantasy story and almost pitiful about of hentai elements. I am sure the new anime show is far better, but compared to how mediochre this average show was, thats not saying much.

Jumping from realit to reality, which really isnt a spoiler alert as its a 22 year old "hentai" of a well known visual novel game of the same theme, it all ends in a kinda okay harem ish way, but is also still not worthy of being called a true hentai. Its a BENT-AI (literally bent love, as it doesnt inspire or show any in the truest sense :P)
I would give this a 4.5 , but because of a lingering appreciation of the aesthetics and sound quality to the show as a whole, I will slap a filthy 5/10 onto this. Better than many softcores I saw growing up, but we had real hentai almost 20 years before this came out lol. Stick with something else from that era like the first two La Blue Girl shows for a decent idea of what 1990s hentai could aspire to.
Dont waste your time with Yu-No unless like myself, thou art an otaku supreme baka in need of a couple hundred notches of more shows on your viwing belt. SO MUCH POTENTIAL WASTED!

I'm not one for reviews but since there are none I'll try to warn people.

In case you come from the game, it changes basically all characters' personalities/motivations (if they're left with any) and makes a ton of stuff up so if you love and respect the original game for what it was I don't recommend watching this.

If you've never played the game and come for the hentai, it's also not worth it, there are like 2-3 scenes that last a few seconds and a lot of topless, that's about it.

Otherwise if you just want to watch an old school story/animation it's alright for what it ... lasts but you'll hardly understand stuff since it takes the scenario from the game and doesn't explain almost anything.