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Realbout High School Volume 2

The martial arts lifestyle of Ryoko, the Samurai Girl, once again takes center stage in Volume 2 of Real Bout High School. In this disc, the characters have been established for the most part and there are only a few token additions (one time characters introduced). This disc takes a mixed tone with the first two episodes being relatively serious and the third being the sort of funny/ridiculous that is mandated in anime law.

As with the first disc, the main menu system has the “Street Fighter” motif working. In the background, a fight between Shizuma and Akitaka (from the first episode on this disc) is the fight sequence of interest.

Episode 5 – Attack of the Raging Wind

Ryoko gets a job working for a seafood restaurant at the local mall (complete with a cat-girl theme for the servers) as a performer in a magical-girl live show (and it’s about as glamorous as it sounds). Being a local mall, all of the major characters are

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on site in one way or another. (Azumi is working at a rival restaurant doing demonstrations with her naginata; Shizuma is at the mall with three teachers, serving as their porter during their single-handed attempt to revive the Japanese economy.) While the plot unfolds, the three antagonists for this episode are revealed: a gang of street-fighters. The three members: Akitaka (the muscle of the group – an extremely tall and muscled individual who can focus his chi

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energy into a shockwave attack by striking the ground), Setsura (the finesse member – a skinny tall guy who is an expert at dark-fighting techniques and focuses his chi attacks into solid shapes), and Nanase (the looker of the team – a wild female who wields a nasty electrified whip with dangerous efficiency) are looking to battle Shizuma in order to bring out Keiichiro. Confused yet? Anyways, the gang challenges Shizuma in the parking lot of the mall, but Ryoko gets involved to help improve the odds. The battle starts off with Shizuma against Akitaka – but once Shizuma cuts loose, he leaves Akitaka lying down. Seeing the power of Shizuma, Setsura then attacks mercilessly looking for the win. While the men are fighting, Ryoko and Nanase match up, but with Ryoko using only her baton from the magical girl show.

Episode 6 – Threat from Another World

The dust has settled and Ryoko and Shizuma were successful but are now tired. Not missing a beat, the entrance to the alternate world opens bringing all of Ryoko and Shizuma’s friends (and opponents) from the mall. Although the alternate world looks suspiciously like the mall, it is unfortunately populated by 20-foot tall crabs and they outnumber the already tired warriors. Even with the help of Akitaka, Setsura, Nanase, and Azumi this battle may not go well. Things continue to look bleak until the arrival of reinforcements in the form of Keiichiro who tells Ryoko how to defeat their superior numbers while helping out.

Episode 7 – Rematch! Battle at Lunch Time

While walking with Tatsuya at school, Ryoko discovers that he is broke for a while and doesn’t have a lunch. Seeing her opportunity to impress the guy she’s in love with she tries to make a bento (a boxed lunch) for him. Not missing a beat, Azumi also hears of this and challenges Ryoko to a bento-making K-fight. This episode is one of my favorites – with excessive posturing while cooking, pointless mauling of Shizuma, and a battle-hardened Flower Arranging Club helping Azumi, the laughs constantly trickle out. It’s definitely one of the funnier episodes in any series that I’ve seen recently.

All in all Real Bout High School is becoming one of the more interesting animated series that I’ve seen in recent months.

- Tazman

(August 21, 2002)

'That's the stupidest story I've ever heard, and I've read the entire Sweet Valley High series."

- Moe (The Simpsons)