Keeping its head above water, the themes, premise and love story are shackled with a dead weight, iron script.

Charming throughout, Yakumo may have teen angst, but plays it off cool as ice. Except the only time any feelings surface is when his love for Pai becomes more than an adolescent fantasy to see the minor undressed. The story lumbers along dutifully dishing out the requisite sex comedy at the detriment of the occult mystery under its surface.

Dull tones create an ominous mood for the work and some tempered but deliberate use of still shots add a layered pathos to the characters. However, Yakumo's perpetually shut eyes (that anime convention for which two upside down 'U's replace eyes) compromises the characters ability to gain sympathy from the audience.

The subtitles rip the heart out of this beast. However, the New Generation Pictures produced dub is high caliber, if only for the fact that even the Japanese-oriented sex comedy antics come off naturalistically for an American audience. And villain voices sound more menacing than the typical Saturday morning offering.

Veiled allusions to sex and one of the least agile gropes perverts this tale of the occult. And Yakumo's immortal body gets repeatedly beaten, bloodied and mutilated.

Navigates well. Some of the features include an art gallery with renderings of composite images akin to movie posters, a line art gallery with far more interesting glimpses at some sketch studies of the characters, bio profiles on some of the American voice actors, and, of course, DVD credits.

For going through the most awkward stages of their lives, this handful of teen demon hunters gets unbearable self-assured ... especially after Yakumo gains immortality.

Dude. Ed Asner's one of the American voice actors. Lou Grant. Dude.

Love it? Hate it? Buy it.