Every so often, a show comes along that cannot decide whether it wants to be suitable for television, or doomed to the hentai shelf at the local video store. These shows rarely succeed as either a normal feature, or as a skin flick. Girls Bravo is an exception to the rule. Instead of joining the ranks of thousands of failed hentai and fanservice shows, Girls Bravo manages to strut along the delicate line that separates acceptable from "eighteen and over" territory.

At first glance, one may dismiss Girls Bravo as a simple harem show. After all, the trademark elements are there. A shy or enfeebled male character? Check. An outspoken girl that has a tie to the main character's past? Check. An obnoxious antagonist? Check. An assortment of ladies that are willing and eager to do the protagonist's bidding? Check-a-rooney! The protagonist in question this time is Yukinari Sasaki: a high school student that has been bullied so much by girls that he's developed a fear of women. This fear is so powerful that Yukinari breaks out in hives when touched by women. The outspoken female role is filled by Kirie Kojima, a childhood friend of Yukinari's that tends to punch first and ask questions later. The antagonist of the feature is Kazuharu Fukuyama: an oversexed, super-rich pervert that bears a striking resemblance to Onizuka (of Great Teacher Onizuka fame). The basic setup of the series is simple, but works well. After a long day of school, Yukinari ends up being transported to the land of Seiren. There, he meets Miharu: the only woman that does not set off his allergies. One thing leads to another, and Yukinari finds himelf back home with Miharu in tow. Now, Yukinari must find some way to lead a normal life, while fending off the advances of the women he fears.

To say the humor found in Girls Bravo is perverted is a profound understatement. Literally nothing is safe from the gags that the show seems to cycle through. From rape to groping, Girls Bravo mocks it all. The groping in particular gets a lot of attention, since just about all exchanges between Kirie and Fukuyama end with Kirie having her breasts rubbed, caressed, or fondled before Fukuyama gets slammed into the ground. The lines of "acceptable for television" are tested in the second episode on the disc. Miharu, on an innocent trip to find curry bread, wanders upon a fruit stand. At this particular stand, Miharu is introduced to bananas. The situation is handled as finely as any hentai film, as Miharu begins by teasing it, then giving viewers one of the best (and only) blow-jobs to grace broadcast television.

You don't need allergens to wind up with a red face.	Yep, we went there too.

Much like any other harem show, Girls Bravo presents a bevy of busty babes to tease and titillate the viewer. Character designer Ryuichi Makino succeeded in delivering a cast that essentially amounts to pure sex. For the most part, the male cast is fairly plain and tends to blend into the background. The exception to the rule is Fukuyama. His exaggerated movements and flamboyant personality, as well as his tendency to grope anything in a skirt sets Fukuyama apart from the rest of the male cast. The animation is about average for a television title, with fluid movement between characters and objects.

Composer Noriyasu Agematsu was given the task of creating the score Girls Bravo. The result is a fairly upbeat mix that merges poppy tunes with a style that closely resembles ska. The vocal themes for the series, "Going My Way" and "Koko ni Irukara..." are catchy, cheerful numbers that adequately capture the overall mood of the show. The Japanese vocal performance is stellar, and casts the experienced and fairly new alike. The cast includes Chiwa Saito (Wandaba Style, R.O.D the TV) and Ayako Kawasumi (Ai Yori Aoshi, Crest/Battle Flag of the Stars), among other popular actors. The English performance presents average performance -- not bad, but certainly doesn't excel either. On a technical level, the disc shows no signs of dropouts, distortion, or other audio defects.

For this release, it appears that Geneon discovered that fanservice can work to an advantage. The cover uses an image of the five female leads, clad in bikinis, as they pose in a swimming pool. The back of the case contains a brief summary, eight shots from the show, a list of the disc's contents, and a list of the episodes on the disc. On this release, the extras consist of a clean opening, the original Japanese opening, and a twenty-five piece art gallery. The menus are simple, and consist of a shot of one of the girls accompanied by the selections.

In a world of copycats, it seems that Girls Bravo has found a unique hook that other harem shows have not dared to touch. This reviewer has high hopes that the series can continue to deliver an entertaining experience without too much reliance on over-the-top fanservice.

Distributor: Geneon Entertainment
Creator: Mario Kaneda
Released: 2005