Airmaster

After rewatching series, I have had to admit to myself that I really enjoy this series and would rate it a fun (rent+), or perhaps a (buy).

The main character, Maki is really quite fun. She comes across as a very tall and lean teenager, who might be a bit on slow side, perhaps muddle headed, or perhaps even half a sleep most of the time, except for when she is in a fight. It is then, when she uses her gymnastic skills to soar, and those long legs of hers become a pair of most fearsome weapons, does one understand why everyone calls her the 'Airmaster'. Her opponents are fellow back-alley street-fighters, most of whom are caught up in some gimmick or other; there is a guy who wears a Mexican Lucha wrestling mask, a white mask for when he is walking around, and black mask for when he is wrestling. Another competitor is a hardhat construction worker, with arms that mimic the pounding of jack-hammer. There is a younger boy who uses his BMX bicycle as a weapon when in combat. The strangest (and perhaps most dangerous) opponent that Maki faces is a guy who claims to be in love her (even if he is always calling her Jenny?). Maki pounds and pummels this guy again and again, he keeps getting up and coming back for more, crooning romantic catch phrases and promising to take her home with him. When Maki realizes that she might be outclassed and goes to visit her father, a three-year national boxing title winner, for some hints or techniques as how she might be able to take on and best this unwanted suitor. Her father is a real character, and Maki gets to meet a younger sister whom she never knew that she had.

There is a fair bit of fanservice in this series, coming mostly from four other girls who are part of Maki's high school pack. One of them, Mina, is very well endowed, and takes a real liking to Maki. And with Maki always fighting in her short-skirted high school uniform, her overhead airobatic maneuvers always have her spinning and floating about.

Maki's friend Mina has her fans as well. A black suited gang from Hakkido comes to town and they end up kidnapping Mina, with the intent of introducing her to their gang leader. Maki and all of her earlier opponents all gather together to help beat up the two hundred plus members of the Hakkido gang to rescue Mina, and Maki has to take on the gang leader in a very difficult fight.

I think that my favorite fight series is when Maki gets roped with her kinda-friend/kinda-o­pponent, Sakuya into a woman wrestling competition (aka the World Wide Wrestling events that are always overhyped on TV). Maki and Sakuya are both conned into wearing short waitress uniforms, carrying serving platters as props and calling themselves the 'Fighting Famii's'. And somehow Maki ends up wearing a really silly mask with a big black lions-mane fringe. In a stadium arena, with the different wresting competitors parading around, yelling boasts and bravados at each other, the very tall quiet Maki stands around in a short orange mini-skirt wearing a goofy mask looking kind of lost, at least until the fighting starts.

And then about mid-series (there are 27 episodes total,) the tone of the story changes. Maki gets approached to join a secretive fight club, where the competitors advance or loose their standings or rankings based on how they do in combat. Up until this point in the story all of Maki's opponents have been perhaps a bit strange, but mostly normal. In the fight club, there are some very strong opponents, most of whom have very strange or magical skills and abilities. Maki finds herself facing off against ninjas, weapons masters and some real bizarre opponents.

This series, on the whole, is very light hearted, staying mostly with the different (and colorful) characters and the fights that they get involved in. While there is a fair amount of humor and comedy throughout the entire series, it always occurs around Maki, involving the other characters, so I might not want to flag this as a comedy series. And even at the end of the series when it gets really strange and Maki takes on her strongest opponent ever, it never really gets to dark or heavy. In short, I really find myself enjoying this series a lot. I think that it is well worth the time spent watching.

One of my friends with whom I shared the series writes "Oh... I watched air master... *squeal* this is awesome... Hmm.. it woops Ikkitousen ass... totally. What is getting on my nerves is the Mina girl... *GRrr* ... If she says.. Maki-iii anymore... I'm gonna scream!!!"

If you enjoy this series, then you should check out Tenjou Tenge.