Story – To be honest, this is the reason I originally decided to watch this. It’s actually an interesting premise with the main character’s allergy to girls and his mega playboy alter ego threatening the future from overpopulation. The parts where his allergy is exploited are probably some of my favourites. Though, the whole mega-playboy thing is kind of underplayed. That’s probably for the better, since Junta is kind of dull in that form. There are some fanservice bits here and there, but they are there to exploit Junta’s weakness towards girls. This means there will be no unnecessary fanservice you see in a lot of animes these days, just so people can get their jollies off or in hopes of boosting sales. As the story progresses it tends to rush a bit, which could have been solved if they extended the series to let’s say 14 episodes. Even 24 doesn’t sound like a bad idea, but I’m sure the budget had a lot to do with it (which happens a lot unfortunately, even today). The first half of the series is a lot better in my opinion, with a heavier dose of laughs and better pacing. I couldn’t help but feel cheated with the rushed ending though. Not even the OVAs solved this, but that’s a whole different story. All in all, DNA2 does a fair enough job at keeping things interesting.
Art/Animation – For a show that aired in ’94 it does a good job from an animation point of view. There’s still a fair amount of the typical shortcuts being used like single cel pans, repeat cycles and stills. The characters however, are fairly detailed and are even better than in the manga counterpart. I must say that I rather like Masakazu Katsura’s girl character designs a lot. Even now in ’09, the designs don’t seem all that outdated. Just goes to show you that Katsura has an appealing style that can withstand the test of time. On the background side of things, there’s nothing really worth mentioning here. They work with the characters and that’s that. Occasionally you’ll see an interesting shot that stands out, but for the most part they are average.
Sound – I really enjoyed the OP song, but the ED is forgettable. There is a distinct ’90s feel to the sound design, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It works well here. The voice work is executed nicely and Karin’s is probably my favourite out of the lot. The range of emotions she goes through is nicely played out through the voice acting of Miina Tominaga. Word of advice though - do not watch the English dub because it’s horrid.
Characters – Karin steals the show here. She’s very likeable and is the source of many of the laughs. Of course, Junta is an amusing character as well. You can’t help but feel sorry for him one minute and laugh at him the next. His mega playboy alter ego is less amusing however. He seems somewhat robotic and emotionless in his interactions with the others. Originally his actions were misleading me, as I wasn’t sure what to make of his other self. The rest of the cast, play out their supporting roles admirably, but some will make you wish they didn’t exist at all sometimes.
Overall Experience:
I liked it a lot for the first 7-8 episodes and then it got progressively less fun to watch, although it never got bad. The last arc made me shake my head and yet in the end I couldn’t help myself from liking it as a whole. Most of the reason lies in the art and Karin no doubt. Overall DNA2 wasn’t amazing, but definitely worth a watch. Now, whether this is your cup of tea or not, will likely depend on whether you grew up on old or new school anime. Keep in mind that this has very little action, even though the cover might suggest otherwise. Same goes for fanservice, if that’s what you’re looking for. The whole playboy bit of the summary might seem like it will lead to all kinds of ecchi scenes, but it keeps things on a tame level. In the end, if you don’t mind the retro feel this gives off then by all means check it out.
