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skysenshi (09.19.2003)
Through the Lens...
Tohru is your typical angst-ridden teenager—err, above
18, I assure you. You know, one of 'em tortured souls that
tend to get too self-destructive. He loses the one thing that
is most important for him and his future career, which in
turn makes him withdraw from the people that love him. One
important person in his life, the object of his frustrations,
is childhood best friend Asuka Misaki. He basically does everything
that first class jerks are known for. He pushes Asuka away,
insults her by trying to rape her on top of a school building.
He spies lustfully on his teacher—in full view of Asuka,
too! He sleeps with some bimbo he just met…and so on,
and so forth. Add more and more to the list of beastly behavioral
patterns and you've got yourself a totally fucked up character.
I don't blame him, though. Most of us have gone through that
pathetic self-flagellating phase (teens love to call it "angst"),
so I don't think I could act holier than thou. Besides, if
I were in Tohru's place, if I had lost a part of me that was
essential in my work, I would probably go berserk as well.
Not just from feelings of ennui, but also from feelings of
uselessness.
I did have high expectations from the anime, especially during
the first part. My impression of it was that it would turn
out to be romantic and sweet, that Asuka's love would find
a way to pull Tohru through. Let's just say I was already
thinking that this could be another Tokio
Private Police. Well, 80% of my expectations were met.
The other 20% came from the shock that Tohru's perverted ways
can't really change overnight. See, one of the nasty hobbies
he picked up was photography. While being an artistic endeavor
to some, Tohru just puts the hobby into a whole new different
dimension. This becomes the focus of this h-anime, hence the
title Lens or Renzu, if you want to translate it roughly.
Now, his inclusion of that intrusive camera into Asuka's first
experience sort of jolted any thoughts of romance out of my
head. On the other hand, it could be a realistic angle. He's
been behind the camera all those years, psychologically trying
to make up for his failure, that it planted its roots deeply.
And we all know the saying about old habits…
Like most emotionally-charged h-anime, Renzu has the signature
blonde best buddy. I don't really mind their presence in any
of the titles I've seen, since most of them are a welcome
eye candy for us women who are tired of looking at the generic
H male protagonist. My only complaint with Renzu is that the
blonde guy isn't half as sexy as the one in TriAngle.
Heh.
The artwork is like a combination of old school ala Go Nagai,
and digital technology. I wouldn't call it bad, but I wouldn't
call it good either. Truth be told, the DVD cover art looks
a whole lot better than the actual product. English dubbing
is bearable. Hentai scenes…well, it's a little too late
to be conservative now, doncha think? The only thing you can
see clearly is Tohru's penis, and it's not a very appealing
to look at either. I'm also not too keen on the S&M bit,
although there is nothing there to be afraid of. It certainly
isn't Cool Devices both
in the sex and in the story.
Overall, it's a pretty decent hentai flick, although in no
means a masterpiece. If you really need a reprieve from all
those idiotic blackmail or tentacle themes, all I could say
is knock yourself out.
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