Yugo the Negotiator Volume 1: Pakistan (DVD) - Anime Reviews


	Number of Episodes 3 Language Options English/Japanese/English Subtitles Released by ADV Films Extras - “What is Yugo The Negotiator?” Featurette - 3 Video Interviews with Japanese Staff & Cast - “Japanese Depiction of Pakistan ” Commentary - Personnel Dossiers - Clean Opening/Closing
Newsletter
Be notified of site updates. Sign-up for the Newsletter sent out twice weekly. Enter E-Mail Address Below: Subscribe \| Unsubscribe

Yugo the Negotiator Volume 1: Pakistan (DVD)

A hostage has been taken in Pakistan ; the chances of his survival are slim to none. Enter Yugo Beppu, the world’s greatest private negotiator. With keen intellect, quick wits and indomitable willpower, he’s got a reputation for getting hostages released unharmed. So, when the negotiations in Pakistan break down, Yugo is call onto the scene to deal with a fierce anti-government faction.

Now, all of Yugo’s psychological strategies will be put to the test as he faces off with a fearsome killer who left the last negotiator dead at his feet. Walking a dangerous line between the powerful military and ruthless guerillas, it will take more than words for Yugo to survive in the blazing desert.

The one thing that you can always count on out of ADV Films is the licensing of more psychological anime like Noir and Madlax. Yugo The Negotiator is definitely in the same vein of more serious anime that balances the action with drama and manipulation.

Episode 01: Negotiator

Yugo is a multifaceted man; at home, a reserved charming individual whose quirks and polite demeanor defuse and put people at ease; at work, an analytical mind capable of seeing multiple sides to the situation and inferring data where none exists. He is hired by Iwase, the daughter of a kidnapping victim to negotiate his release, but the case is not in the best of shape. The kidnappers are a guerilla group (dacoits, led by a brutal man named Ali) looking to overthrow the existing government in Pakistan , and they killed the last negotiator when he brought military support to a meeting that he was supposed to come alone to. Yugo not only prepares for his mission by knowing the politics of the upcoming situation, but to know the people involved and the major players of the case. He believes that intervening with either the existing military or the company will not be valuable in getting the hostage freed – he thinks that the military will use the hostage meeting as a chance to try and kill some of the guerillas.

We also get to meet the rest of Yugo’s supporting cast: Kimura, the travel agent and general secretary for Yugo; Kogure, information and radio ops specialist – he’s prepared all of Yugo’s radio and transmission equipment. By the end of the episode, Yugo has prepared himself and made landfall in Pakistan.

Advertisement

Episode 02: Resolve

Yugo’s arrival into the Karachi airport hasn’t gone unnoticed and he’s immediately harassed by some of the army soldiers on patrol in the city. But after slipping by their “assistance”, he quickly begins to search for a man that may help in his negotiations, Haji Rahmani, the only surviving former leader of the dacoits. After convincing his contact Ahmad of his sincerity, Yugo is brought to Haji and convinces him to explain his overthrow by Ali. Haji explains how Ali lied to draw him into a confrontation, and then spared his life to embarrass him; now the older man is willing to help Yugo negotiate with the dangerous man.

Advertisement

Heading to the docks area, Yugo is greeted by Ahmad once again who reveals the potential meeting place and time with Ali. He has set up a method of transporting to the site, and the meeting will take place in six days. That evening, they come across a group of men and a young woman who is dancing – the girl is being forced into prostitution, but both Ahmad and Yugo find this despicable and Yugo instead buys her contract and grants her freedom. The woman is mute as her tongue was cut out by her parents, but the pretty girl is facially expressive and has taken a liking to Yugo and decides to join him on his travels. The two will travel on carriage to the site.

Episode 03: Contact

Yugo and the woman are slowly making their way towards the meeting point, and so now having some time, he makes his first report back home to Iwase. However, the technology isn’t as foolproof as he thought, as his report is intercepted by the military. The radio activity draws the attention of the local military and his carriage is inspected by the police force. When the police are unable to find any incriminating evidence, they leave the group alone. The driver is upset that Yugo drew attention to himself, and abandons him at this point but offers to take the woman to the nearby village. Yugo insists that the woman go with the driver, and he continues towards the meeting on foot. However, as he travels, he realizes that the girl did not go with the driver but she has been following him the entire time. During their travels through the mountains, they are forced to take cover from a helicopter patrol. The only cover that they can find turns out to be an ammunition depot for the dacoits. The guards of the depot discover them, and begin to beat Yugo and are going to rape the woman until Yugo fights back. They are temporarily saved by one of the lieutenants – but he was merely trying to prevent the guards from igniting the depot with gunfire. As he’s about to kill the two, Yugo reveals that he’s the new negotiator and the lieutenant takes them into custody and brings them in chains along with him to the dacoit base. At the base, Ali appears and personally executes the remaining guard and makes the ominous declaration that he will kill the negotiator in the morning.

This disc of Yugo The Negotiator was excellent, a good balance between action and plot driven storyline. I’m really looking forward to the next disc in the series.

- Tazman

(September 9, 2005)

“You were probably taunting him.”

“You know, you should be a rape counselor.”

- Chelsea and Greg (Greg the Bunny)