Xenos DVD Box

Firstly, it should be said, there are a few things you should know before watching this series. Firstly, it's obviously quite adult, as is hinted to by the cover, and secondly it's in Japanese. If you don't understand Japanese you don't stand much chance of following the rather convoluted story in any detail. The lack of direction is one of the few problems with this series. It does have perhaps too much going on. The attempt to make it gritty and fast has seemed to have the writers introducing lots of plot twists that sometimes don't feel like they really fit. The premis of the story is a little far-fetched and the characters tend to be stereotypical. That said, the over-all affect does work though. It's very pacy and keeps the intregue up even when it's not got much direction. I don't want to give away any more of the plot then is already on display in the blurb, but the lead character has to jump over many hurdles to find his other-half and a good back-story starts to build up as he finds out more and more. Obviously, along the way there's a lot of nudity and some rather explicit scenes, but unlike if this has been made in Britain, it's kept to a sensible level. It doesn't feel like it's just a vehicle for low grade porn. That said, at some point in the 12 episodes, virtually every member of the cast seems to get naked. Nami Ichinohe has slightly more sex scenes then are necessary but once again, seriously, this is a drama, not an excuse for porn. Hotta Yuika does have a very provocative underwear scene but nothing beyond that and she's about the only cast member who doesn't get naked! Being a late night TV show, the directing is sometimes quite tacky, but as I say it does keep the pace up very well. Considering that Japanese acting ranges from some of the best to some of the worst in the world, this really isn't too bad. Ken Kaito is a believable lead character as is his girlfriend played by Nami Ichinohe. Hotta Yuika has one of the most in-depth roles in this series, and after some of her previous rather poor acting efforts, she shines through here as one of the best actors on the screen! Her looks and gravure model history might have landed her the role, but you won't have to cringe each time she has an emotional scene. The rest of the cast support the main three very well. All in all, an interesting story put together in an engaging way. Worth watching.