"The World of Beautiful Girls" knows exactly what it is: a parody of epic fantasy anime; unburdened with plot details that try to justify fundamentally silly narrative elements, it doesn't try to make some subplots serious and some campy. It's all campy.

To its credit, this plot is full of holes. And I will give credit to "The World of Hot Spring" for a pleasant setting.

Jinnai develops real chemistry with his insectoid henchmen. Sensei sobers up and develops a sense of humor. Makoto develops a cross-dressing habit. All the characters are better defined now that they have settled on their objectives. On the other hand, they have no interesting relationships or complexity. They just aren't fleshed out much despite all the flesh that's out.

The fight scenes in "The World of Beautiful Girls" are as fluid as a chase scene in "Scooby-Doo," but the characters are drawn with more flourish and the settings have some depth. The art/animation in the third episode is better, but nothing jumps out as excellent except the artists' choice of subject matter.

With volume one's dialogue too awkward to sound like conversation, this volume is even less conversational. But now it succeeds by working perfectly as a parody of badly translated dialogue. The epithet of choice: "Clinging turd." And when Jinnai gives instructions for murder he says, "I'll teach you to commit a correct foul," meaning foul play. The dialogue shines as my favorite part of this episode.

Shayla Shayla and Nanami are shrewish. Makoto simpers. Alielle and Jinnai are easily the strongest of a weak lot.

"The World of Beautiful Girls" is very mild, aside from the overt lesbian puppy love. And even though "The World of Hot Springs" is the least violent episode so far, that small matter of all the nudity makes this tape a R.

"Even if you are a pervert you were a good rival." With lines like that Jinnai would make an outstanding B-movie villain if only he had a B-movie rival.

Why give Sensei superhuman kung fu powers and then unleash him in a fight scene in which he and a beetle stand in front of each other trading punches to the stomach?

"World of Beautiful Girls" requires no explication. Imagine hearing the exchange, "Do we really have to be without guards?" "No choice, it is the tradition." Mix in a little, "Even if you are a pervert you were a good rival," and a dash of ultra-turbo, anti-beetle kung fu, and you pretty much get the picture.