“Upotte!” may not be groundbreaking but for a mature anime series, for the anime fans who desire action, fan service and want to see a lot of boobs, “Upotte! Complete Collection” delivers!
Image courtesy of © Sentai Holdings. All Rights Reserved.
TITLE: Upotte!! – Complete Collection
YEAR OF RELEASE: 2012
DURATION: Episodes 1-10 (250 Minutes)
BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, English 5.1 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, Subtitles: English
RATED: TV MA DS
COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks
RELEASE DATE: March 18, 2014
Originally created by Kitsune Tennouji
Directed by Takao Kato
Series Composition by Naruhisa Arakawa
Character Design by Akio Takami
Art Director: Ryouka Kinoshita
Anime Production: Xebec
Featuring the voices of:
Iori Nomizu/Genevieve Simmons as Funko (FNC)
Misuzu Togashi/Brittney Karbowski as Ichiroku (M16A4)
Akemi Kanda/Tiffany Grant as Saiga (SAIGA12k)
Aya GÅda/Juliet Simmonsas Ichihachi (AR18)
Ayahi Takagaki/Margaret McDonald as Nanayon (AK74)
Kaori Sadohara/Emily Neves as Shigu (SG550)
Madoka Yamanaka/Maggie Flecknoe as Sako (SAKO Rk95)
Mami Kosuge as Jiisuri (G3A3)
Mariko Honda as Gariru (Galil AR)
Mina/Shondra Marie as Faru (FAL L1A1)
Misato/Nancy Novotny as Eru (L85A1)
Saeko ZÅgÅ/Kara Greenberg as Ichiyon (M14)
Shizuka Furuya/Molly Searcy as Agu (AUGA1)
Takayuki Kondou/David Matranga as Genkoku/Sensei
Yuka Iguchi/Tiffany Grant as Tei (T91)
Kiss kiss, bang bang! The arms race takes on a startling new development when the arms come with heads, legs, and very feminine bodies attached! Yes, at Seishou Academy every girl is literally a lethal weapon, and they’re all gunning for the top shot at getting their own personal serviceman! Needless to say, it’s going to be difficult for newly recruited human instructor Genkoku to adjust to working with a living arsenal of high caliber cuties with tricky names like FNC (Funko), M 16A4 (Ichiroku), L85A1 (Eru), and SG 550 (Shigu). Especially since many have hair triggers and there’s no bulletproof vest that can stop a really determined co-ed!
Genkoku will have to rewrite the operator’s manual on student/teacher relationships, and pray that his job description won’t include having to field strip and reassemble one of his cadets in the dark. But unfortunately (for him) FNC’s already thinking about becoming his personal weapon, and she usually gets what she aims for! Get ready for explosive situations, amour-piercing rounds, cheap shots galore and one very shell-shocked homeroom instructor!
“Upotte!!” was an original net animation (ONA) from Xebec that was streamed on Nico Nico Douga and Crunchyroll back in April through June 2012 and now the anime series, which is based on Kitsune Tennouji’s manga, will be released on Blu-ray and DVD in the U.S. courtesy of Sentai Filmworks including the OVA.
A play on the words “Teppou” which translates to the word “Guns”, the mature action/comedy series takes place at Seishou Academy and unlike any other anime series that people are used to watching, the heroines at the school are actually anthropomorphized versions of guns.
These girls are to be trained in becoming a full-fledged weapon and at the Academy, classes are elementary (sub-machine guns), middle-school (assault rifles) and high school (battle/sniper rifles). These female students can automatically draw the weapons they represent. They also represent the positive and negative aspects of each weapon.
The anime series revolves around Funco (based on the Belgian FN FNC) and is the younger sister of Fal. Because the actual gun uses a skeleton stock, she wears a thong instead of panties and she is attracted to her human teacher, Genkoku (Sensei).
Funco’s best friend is Ichiroku (an American M16A4 Assault Rifle) and is quite popular despite always being full of energy and having a loud mouth.
Together, they hang out with the intelligent Sig (based on a Swiss SG 550) and is great at mid-to-long range firing and the clumsy and very shy Elle (based on a British L85A1 assault rifle).
These friends overcome various challenges including facing off with the new transfer students, Sako (based on a Finnish Sako Rk 95 TP assault rifle) and Galil (based on an Israeli Galil AR).
But unbeknown to the friends is that another group who has declared war against western guns are going to cause some trouble!
VIDEO:
“Upotte!! – Complete Collection†is presented in 1080p High Definition. While the series was created for online not television, the series is still vibrant and features plenty of detail when it comes to mechanical designs and art backgrounds. Characters are also well-presented, shaded and if anything, the artwork gives each character their own personality and looks great on Blu-ray. I didn’t notice any significant banding or artifacts during my viewing.
AUDIO:
“Upotte!! – Complete Collection†is presented in Japanese and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Dialogue is crisp through the front channels and both are well-acted!
Subtitles are in English.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Upotte!! – Complete Collection: The Complete Series†comes with the following special features:
- OVA– What happens when our female guns go on vacation for some R&R?
- Clean Opening and Closing Animation
The Blu-ray cover of “Upotte!” is pretty much a dead giveaway of what kind of anime series you are getting.
Yes, this series is your T&A anime series that will no doubt titillate the otaku’s who want fan service and something extra naughty. But before I get into all that, let’s discuss the storyline.
I have to say that the concept of “Upotte!” is rather interesting. Female characters who are representative of a weapon and the positives and negatives are reflected in these female characters. And these characters take part in team competitions and battles.
Throw in the oblivious human teacher who manages to say things that come out as perverted and sure enough, you get a action comedy anime series.
But as the series tries to focus on team competition, “Girls and Panzer” this is not.
This is not a series about strategy and while the action is actually cool when it is featured, the main drive is to get anime fans all revved up with its sexual overtones.
From the sadistic Sako who masturbates, excites herself and gets her hands all wet before going after Funco and OVA full of breast grabbing and nudity, for the most part, it’s no doubt an anime series that is for those who enjoy these type of anime series.
Fortunately, there is a story to “Upotte!” and the characters are fascinating, but the use of gun weaponry and even detailed information for this fan service-driven anime series is a plus.
As for the Blu-ray release, picture quality for this ONA (Online Net Anime) series looks great on Blu-ray! Colors are vibrant, art backgrounds are well-done and for the most part, the acting on both Japanese and English soundtracks are well-done.
While there are no special features, you do get an OVA which features more T&A.
Overall, “Upotte!” may not be groundbreaking but for a mature anime series, for the anime fans who desire action, fan service and want to see a lot of boobs, “Upotte! Complete Collection” delivers!
