The couple of chuckles this pair of episodes elicits could easily be replaced by watching a Chia Pet grow. Offensive on several levels, the crime of this series lies in its witless writing.

As pieces of Kyoji's overall arc peep through the script heap, threads of what could possibly blossom into an engaging story flutter. But is it worth the relentless stream of dud jokes and squealing?

Kazuya Miura's design elements are fluid and for the most part extremely inventive. The fluidity of motion, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired, which can of course be forgiven if so much energy weren't exerted making selected endowments jiggly.

Slow, plodding and emotionless, the cast's only believable voice is Nanako, but her incessant whining is unbelievably excruciating. The translation, dry as it is, also evinces several inconsistencies and countless idiomatic hiccups.

The DVD features design sketches, which deserve a look, and navigates well.

"Nanako" swears its blatant sexuality onto the screen, and the maliciousness with which the characters treat each other demands a more mature audience. Sometimes the malice can be quite hilarious, but discerning between funny and wrong shouldn't have to be a hurdle for anybody.

As the bulky mecha faces off with a besuited Nanako, Satsuki points out that this is a classic anime convention. Either let the satire speak for itself or make it funnier. There's nothing less appealing than being so bad as to necessitate explaining your joke.

Don't sprain your neck.

Love it? Hate it? Buy it.