Hi there! The memorial for my Mom’s friend was this past Saturday, and she’s doing a little better. She still has some ways to go before she’s back to her normal self, but she’s alright at this moment.
You might recall my review of Call Me Tonight last October. It was a quirky one-shot movie, filled with just about as many faults as it does positives. Well, it turns out that it was part one of the 4-part “Pink Noise” series. Today’s review is part 2 of this series, and is another competitor is the long line of goofy shows/movies I’ve watched & reviewed. With this out of the way, let’s review part 2 of the “Pink Noise” series, Gakuen Tokusou Hikaruon.
Story/Setup
Taken from the anidb page:
“Hikaru transfers to a new private school, where he is confronted by the violent class bully, Gomi. As it turns out he is the son of the most influential man in town, and is used to get away with any atrocity. Luckily Hikaru is no ordinary student, but actually a highly trained Campus Special Investigator, sent to investigate the mysterious suicides of several students at this school. Something far more sinister than bullying seems to be happening in this town... Will Hikaru and his super bike Sparon be a match for this ominous threat?”
Like Call Me Tonight, Gakuen Tokusou Hikaruon’s story is downright cheesy. Unlike the previously mentioned movie, this film’s story leans slightly more towards the serious side, and feels just a touch more edgy. I can go with this, as I enjoy a twist to the standard goofy story.
Setting
Gakuen Tokusou Hikaruon’s setting is twofold. You have the school, surrounding city, etc. These areas all look & feel rather standard (Standard for the time, at least), but it’s the supernatural dimension in the last 10 minutes of the movie that stands out. It’s very psychedelic, creepy, and feels like something you’d look at and wander through in your nightmares. Nice!
Characters
The characters in this movie are practically like the characters from Call Me Tonight, in that they all fit a standard archetype. You’ve got the bully, you’ve got the damsel in distress/love interests (Watch the movie to see why), and the guardian/teacher. The only character that seems to have at least a little depth (On the surface, at least) is Hikaru. He’s sociable, but there’s a thin air of mystery that surrounds him. Despite that, none of the character feel unique or original (With maybe an exception for the villains), and nobody seems to break out of their mold.
Animation
The animation in Gakuen Tokusou Hikaruon is pretty much on par with Call Me Tonight. It’s definitely a product of it’s time, but Gakuen Tokusou Hikaruon seems to be much smoother, and is actually a little more pleasing to the eye. This helps the more fantastic locales in the movie, but otherwise stays basic.
Voice Acting
Since this was never released in the United States, this has no dub.
Episodes & Episode Length
Like Call Me Tonight, Gakuen Tokusou Hikaruon is a one-shot movie. Running at 29 minutes & 12 seconds, this should be part of a Pink Noise viewing party, with some popcorn & toned down lights
Availability & Pricing
Since this was never released in the United States, I don’t know if it’s still available in Japan, and I don’t know how much it costs. If you’re looking to download this, click on the link below:
http://www.garoo9.com/elevator_kart/?p=2691
Extras/Other
Since I downloaded this, I don’t know what the extras are.
General Impression & Rating
Gakuen Tokusou Hikaruon is a downright bizarre movie. I know I said that about Call Me Tonight, but in a weird way that movie was normal. This movie seems to revel in it’s weirdness, and doesn’t care what everybody else thinks about them. Personally, I can respect this, and because of that, I consider this to be better than Call Me Tonight, but not by much.
Gakuen Tokusou Hikaruon gets a 7.4 out of 10.
See you all this Friday, when I’ll review one of the sleaziest shows I’ve ever seen (Considering that I reviewed Eiken not that long ago, that’s saying something). Until then, stay Otaku!
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If you would like to watch this (Perhaps before you download it), then click on the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFqYkPxsA8Y
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