Plastic Little - The Adventures of Captain Tita Essential Anime Collection 2004 Horror Movie Review

When perky pet-hunter Captain Tita of the spaceship Cha Cha Maru rescues mysterious blonde Elysse Mordish from some thuggish soldiers, she finds herself fighting a murderous plot to destroy a lavish resort colony. The extravagantly padded shoulders of Guizei’s cape make the archvillain look like an ambulatory shower stall, and his defeat at the hands of Tita’s unorthodox crew is a forgone conclusion. Although it barely lasts 50 minutes, this slight sci-fi feature overflows with what otaku call “fan service”: gratuitous shots of the female characters in the nude. Tita and Elysse get acquainted in the ship’s lavish bath, and the extras include a “bounce counter” that tallies the jiggles. Fans praise the film for preserving the style of designer Satoshi Urushibara, who specializes in cheesecake illustrations, and the airbrushed look of the girls’ nubile flesh has been lovingly translated to cels. Suggested 15+: Violence, extensive nudity. —Charles Solomon