Five years after production on the original Jubei Chan series ended a sequel was made and is finally going to be seeing the light of day here in the States. Sitting in the director's chair again is Akitaro Daichi whose artistic touch helped mold the beginning adventures of young Jiyu Nanohana and the Lovely Eye-patch. Daichi had gone on to direct Now and Then, Here and There as well as Fruit Basket after his work on the original Jubei Chan, but it seems only fitting for him to come back to the series.

If you are familiar with the original you will be delighted to know that this follow up essentially picks up where the thirteenth episode of the last left off. Much of the same art techniques are used and even the zany humor we've come to expect makes its return. Some new characters are introduced and more familiar ones will make their appearances, even in this new series.

Things had ended nicely for Jiyu and it would have seemed that the troubles of the eye-patch were left behind her, that is at least until a blue eyed blonde comes to town. Freesia has more going on underneath her golden locks than she lets on and adjacent to her arrival is that of a blonde with a blue eye-patch claiming to be the true successor to Yagyu Jubei. It's quite blatant that the two are the same even before you learn more about her character, but our lead characters don't seem to notice.

In the third volume of the show Jiyu was recovering from her battle with Freesia and the episodes took a more story-focused direction. Bon also had some healing up to do and in the meantime we learned a lot about his character through a series of flashbacks. Meanwhile Freesia kidnapped Jiyu's friends and the Siberia Yagyu in an effort to draw out the fake Yagyu Jubei. Little is she aware that Jiyu has sworn off the Lovely Eye-patch for good and has withdrawn into herself.

The final volume for the show picks up immediately after the last one ended. Jiyu and Mikage are resting in the woods and mourning the "death" of Ayunosuke. If you watched the series you'll remember that particular scene as one of the most heartbreaking ever. Of course the show can't end in silent reverence though so before long Jiyu's father comes along looking to help her snap out of it. She eventually comes around and takes up the eye-patch for a final confrontation with Freesia.

One thing that I have loved about Jubei Chan 2 from the moment the show started was the kinetic energy surrounding it and the sheer amount of action the many fights held. All of the action that happened in past episodes can't hold a candle to the duel that takes place for the rest of the show. I was overloaded by the fighting and was completely blown away for the rest of this volume. These episodes single handedly contain the coolest elements from this great series and quite frankly I feel this is one of the best endings that I have ever seen in an anime.

Everything gets wrapped up here and the series doesn't really leave any loose ends. There are emotional goodbyes and respectful farewells all over the place. I also have to admit that I ever got a little teary-eyed in the final moments and I can honestly say that Akitaro Daichi is a genius. Fans will also want to stick around until after the credits for some bonus animation where the "next episode" slot usually is.

Jubei Chan 2 was one of (if not the) best show that I saw in 2005. The characters are fully realized and the world is imaginative with a rich history. It may be a sequel series but don't let that stop you if you haven't seen the original. This is just about as good as it gets when it comes to anime and it will tug at your heartstrings with emotion and blow you away with action. I laughed, I cried, and I was on the edge of my seat for all thirteen episodes. I simply can't recommend this show enough.

Jubei Chan 2: Unification is presented with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and has received some anamorphic widescreen treatment. The transfer is extremely crisp, clean and looks absolutely gorgeous with vibrant colors and fantastic art design popping from the screen. This is undoubtedly one of the better looking anime that I have seen in 2005 and features a marvelous transfer.

I particularly enjoyed the artwork in Jubei Chan 2 and the sequel is just as marvelous with some of the finest designs around. My only gripe is that the bits of whacky humor detract from the overall look of the show with crudely drawn characters and repeat animations. In this volume the fluidity of the action is single handedly the defining moment for the series. This is a great looking show and receives a marvelous DVD transfer, though you do have to take the silly bits with a grain of salt.

Jubei Chan 2 is presented with English and Japanese 2.0 soundtracks and some optional English subtitles tossed into the mix. Both tracks are equally good and the overall audio quality for this show is very crisp and clear. As is the case with some anime there are voiceovers on both audio tracks that could have been better, but for the most part nothing got on my nerves too much. The musical direction for the show is also another feather in its cap with some very catchy and dramatic tunes.

The last volume for the series contains all three creditless versions of the ending animation. There is also a documentary for the "Making of J2" which is probably the best feature that has been shown on these DVDs. It starts out with the creation of the characters and development of their design then gradually moves into discussion about the plot and scenario. It then goes through storyboarding and the animation process and really guides you through the whole process of the show's creation. The documentary is presented in its original Japanese with English subtitles and is a little over twenty four minutes long.

I said it before and I'll say it again; I cannot recommend Jubei-Chan 2 enough. This show has absolutely everything that you'd want from an anime and in my opinion it blows the original series away. The action is over the top, the emotion is real, and the aesthetic presentation is phenomenal. My only gripe with the show was that the humor didn't quite fit the overall feeling of the series, but even so it got a few laughs out of me. Whether you're a fan of the original or not this is definitely one to take a look at. Highly Recommended

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