Yugo the Negotiator volume 1 and Area 88 volume 1 Anime DVD Reviews

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Aug 4, 2005

An anime where words can kill or save a life.

Yugo the Negotiator volume 1 is a compelling new series from A.D. Vision. A driven psychological drama, this anime based on the manga introduces us to Yugo, a man of strong compassion and iron will, he is the best negotiator in the world. The first part of this intense new series is set in Pakistan. Yugo is hired by the daughter of a man who has been taken hostage by a ruthlessly violent gang leader and Yugo must use all his wiles to keep himself and others alive.

The anime does an immense job of striving to show cultural accuracies and the English ADV staff worked even harder to enforce that integrity by putting in actual speaking parts with Middle Eastern dialogue in one episode and relevant Middle Eastern words peppered throughout the anime.

Part drama, part suspense, this is primarily a psychologically driven story about Yugo and his mission. The anime incorporates political circumstances woven into the plot as well as the complexity of varied groups and individuals vying for different goals and competing agendas, most being a threat to Yugo and his mission. Although I feel the story suffers from a slow pace, it is a tense and dramatic anime with quality animation and solid storytelling. A man who moves in such dangerous circumstances, relying on only his mind, will, and words to keep him alive and save others, makes this a series that stands out from the flood of the usual guns and action driven mania. It rates a well earned 8.5/10 kendo swords.

Extras: Normally I don't list extras but Yugo has something far more than the usual previews and clean opening and ending. This anime holds a plethora of behind the anime treasures such as a featurette on "What is Yugo the Negotiator?", three video interviews with Japanese staff and crew, a personnel dossier, an insert filled with a useful glossary of term, cultural insights, and an interview with the original writer, and last and certainly not least, a "Japanese Depiction of Pakistan" commentary by cultural advisor Nawaz Charania and the ADV ADD director Scott McClennen. What a fantastic plethora of extras on a DVD! The last, the commentary on cultural takes within the anime, was fascinating and gives the viewer much more insight into the Pakistan culture as well as being increasingly impressed with the amount of work that went to form not only this story, but the anime.

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