We're introduced - in the beginning - to a shady duo accompanied by a young girl and a troublesome boy, who are on the run from a roster much larger and much more powerful than themselves. Innocent Venus starts off a little cliche, and occasionally fails to avoid banality, but as the plot progresses it becomes more complex, exciting and unconventional. It presents audiences with gleefully absorbing questions and defining plot twists, with a satisfying climax and ample pace.
Despite fairly commonplace archetypes, the characters breath a lot of life into the series. They invigorate the plot; their interactions and motivations keep you interested and guessing. Jin and Jo's relationship is especially thrilling to watch unravel. Change any of the characters and dare I say, the series would loose a little steam. The characters are written, animated, developed and voiced very effectively and above all else, they're memorable.
The animation and art is - for the most part - extremely absorbing and well presented. Certain elements (such as the antagonists mecha-like machines) have had CG treatment, however. As a result, they don't blend particularly well with their surroundings. Nevertheless, the animation is very fluid and the more traditionally drawn characters, backgrounds and objects are crisp and detailed. Furthermore, the action sequences are compelling and well choreographed.
The music isn't incredibly memorable, but does contain a couple of stand-out tracks. There's a beautifully composed recurring piano piece, which becomes somewhat of a focus in the series. However, the sound department don't particularly push themselves; they do a sufficient job.
In conclusion, Innocent Venus is a thoroughly compelling series, with a captivating story and characters you actually care about. It's a particularly well written production, with multiple strong episodes and stand-out segments. It has become somewhat of a forgotten about series, which is a mighty shame. It isn't an anime that goes above and beyond, but it is nevertheless entirely worth watching and very deserving of praise.
