My main problem with the past installment of Steel Angel Kurumi was that the characters simply had not grown enough throughout the series for me to find their adventures, struggles, and sappy whatnot very interesting. Instead, they simply seemed like a bunch of familiar one-note drones moving along a padded and well-worn plot. The ending of the main arc presented all the regular selfless acts, big explosions, and declarations of love - just like we’ve all seen before. And, much to my dismay, that problem has not been addressed here. The characters are still at the mercy of the script to give them something to do - and now that the actual plot is over, it’s pretty much struggling with just that. The cast is all trying to find something to just get them out of the freakin’ house, but by the end of each episode they’re right back to where they started.

But maybe that’s the point. The final four episodes are pretty much omake - wrap-ups - apparently designed to ensure that the status quo of the characters will be maintained in case the series gets popular enough to spawn Tenchi-style spin-offs. The immediately evident problem with this concept is that two of the characters - Saki and Karinka - are both stuck at the shrine entirely because of their crushes on one person in the main relationship (Kurumi and Nakahito, respectively). Thus, for them to stay there without any further motivation is more of a testament to their delusional, sorry obsessions than any rational impetus - surely this is not how you treat characters that you hope to franchise out the wazoo one day. The reason this worked in Tenchi and, to a lesser extent, Saber Marionette J, was that the male character hadn’t been placed in one definite relationship, and thus each of the girls had somewhat a shot at winning him. However, here the couple is supposed to be completely and entirely devoted to each other, and thus the remaining members of the "love" rectangle just seem stupid and pathetic. Isn’t the special thing about these three Steel Angels supposed to be that they were awakened to be independent of their robotic mechanisms? But even putting all that aside, note that when you have that big of a flaw in two supposedly likable and marketable characters, you should NOT, under any circumstances, build an entire episode just to point that out.

And yet, they did just that. The four episodes here serve as epilogues, finishing the "tale" of one Steel Angel each, the first being Saki. Now, as much as she’s just a one-note and eternally perverted character, I like the girl. She’s cute and not in the annoying hyper way like Kurumi is, and she seems to be one of the more self-restrained players here. However, the plot - which involves Saki becoming a major silent film star in Japan - does a major disservice to the character. Sure, there are some cute scenes here where we see modern-day J-Idol merchandising placed in the 1920s, but otherwise it’s complete drek. The only real conflict here (as all good plots must have conflict) is that Saki is still in love with Kurumi, and thus she isn’t certain she wants to give up the nearly impossible chance in the far future for some good sweet lovin’ in exchange for unlimited fame, wealth, and adoration. So, yeah, it really isn’t a good conflict. And since the goal of these episodes is to keep the characters exactly the way they are, which do you think she goes for? Right. Now combine that with the fact that it houses more Barbie Doll nudity than all the previous installments put together (it’s the attack of the amazing nipple-free women!), and you’re left with a poor, stupid, jarring episode.

Fortunately, the second feature - starring the blonde and ambitious Karinka - fares much, much better, and is probably the best of the lot. Here we have a simple story where one the characters forgets the passion-free so-called romances of the main cast for a few hours and goes on a somewhat sweet, 100% ecchi-free, and altogether quite normal date (gasp!). The premise is that Karinka, who is still trying to overcome her hardwired crush on Nakahito, reluctantly agrees to meet with her secret admirer who wrote her a love letter. The identity (or identities) of her admirer(s) is (are) very predictable, but the episode itself is a light, fun endeavor. The trio of spies is likewise old hat (especially since two of the people involved pulled a very similar stunt earlier on in the series - and did it much better then), but it’s perfectly fine as harmless froth. My only real qualm is the ending, which really irked the little feminist inside of me. Without giving too much away, do men really think it’s healthy for women to devote themselves to submissive, hopeless relationships for the sake of "romance?" I realize it’s just more keeping up of the status quo, but still....

The third episode is the Kurumi one, and thus only as little as possible shall be said about it. In short, it is one of those Be True To Yourself stories and really, it works just fine. The concept has been done before, but this time it has been done rather well. The only low point is that Kurumi’s total non-relationship with Nakahito is put front and center, and yet the writers still refuse to give me any reason to support the couple, other than that they get most of the screen time.

The final episode is perfectly decent, though I’m really not sure why they chose to go out with such a low-key story as they did. The concept is that the various other government-employed Steel Angels we have met throughout the series all at once figure out that Nakahito’s kiss will grant them the powers that the main three possess, and thus they all come a’ calling to lay a circuit-enhancing smooch on the young boy’s lips. By the way, I don’t know why this series thinks people find lesbianism and pedophilia just so darn funny, but I guess they do; I have given up any hope of actual taste in the humor in this series long ago. Luckily, from that not-so-impossibly original concept, things do actually get better. The episode goes straight into a contest in which all of the Angels (with the exception of Saki) compete for the right to have Nakahito as their master. Yeah, I can hear the writers jerking off as they type the screenplay, too. The contest goes the regular path of Q & A, rock-paper-scissors, and then finally a race. Who the participants are in this final race isn’t surprising, but overall it serves as an amusing little diversion. The same could be said about the whole episode is, aside from the horniness of course.

The packaging this time around is okay. I must confess that I took a liking to the nude angel motif, but this one is more light and cute and thus matches the tone of the series a little better. The extras are the usual good load, with the best being the VA resumes for both the English and Japanese cast. The Japanese resumes really prove that they win out in the talent and experience competition, and for the sake of completion (which is what this disk is all about) I liked it. And, finally, there is a good interview!!! It’s a commentary by the voice actresses for the Saki episode, and much to my annoyance it ended up being goofy fun (I SO wanted to hate it). Sure, it isn’t overly smart or witty, but it’s certainly no worse that your regular morning radio jocks trying to improv for your amusement. And Saki’s VA seemed to hate the ending for that episode as much as I did, so more power to her.

The "Encore" edition of Steel Angel Kurumi did what it set out to do: provide a final glimpse of the characters’ lives as they are restored to normalcy, and (presumably) all live happily ever after. Of course, I suppose a better attachment to the characters and a great deal less perversion would have aided my enjoyment here, but for the most part it’s just light and frothy fun and I’ll take it as that. Will I pick up the sequel if it indeed is made? Probably not - I’ve had my fill. But I on the whole I’m happy to have seen this first series, if only for a few minor laughs and a nice character moment every now and then.

Video Quality: A+
Audio Quality: A
Presentation: B+
Content: B
Overall: B+