The characters never get much depth, but they click in a way that makes the silly comedy work. Maki (main character) does get some flashbacks: I like her unusual fighting background. Mina might offend some people, but her proportions are so ridiculous that it's hard to take her for anything but the parody she is. Even annoying little girl Renge gets a few comedy moments that make her not quite as annoying.
Voice acting is pretty decent. Paku Romi was a great choice for Maki, and Mika Doi does a good job as the psychotic Kaori. Also featured are Yukana Nogami as Mina (Tessa in Full Metal Panic), Tomoko Kaneda as Renge (Chiyo in Azumanga Daioh) and Masumi Asano as Michiru (Hakufu in Ikki Tousen). The music isn't outstanding, but fits the show well, particularly the fast-paced OP and ED.
The art seems to be one of the biggest reasons people avoid this anime. However, after seeing the billionth show designed to have the cutest characters possible, it's downright amazing to have character designs that are willing to slap you in the face and kick both "cute" and "the norm" to the curb. It's also refreshing to see a female anime character that can kick butt AND looks the part. The character art isn't always consistent, but the animation does a great job of making the fights flow well and making the blows look real and painful, while using a variety of crazy fighting styles.
I recommend this show to anyone who wants to see some interesting fights that don't have much in the way of the typical copouts (like hurled energy beams or blurred strikes that are supposedly too quick to see). For those viewers, the key rating is 7 for enjoyment. People who don't care much about fights and want some real character development and substance to the story should look elsewhere.
