Created by relative newcomer to the manga scene, Atsushi Suzumi, Venus Versus Virus is the latest release from ADV. The franchise got its start in 2005 when Suzumi released the first volume of the manga and it went on to be picked up and produced after only two years. With twelve episodes under its belt the show finished airing in March of this year and it's safe to say that ADV's release is hot off the presses.

Perplexing title aside, Venus Versus Virus is actually a straightforward series that follows a particular pattern. It's a show that features demons, school girls, and many other anime clichés so I'm sure naysayers are going to be griping about the lack of originality. After watching the first volume and experiencing four episodes I must admit that I see it from both sides of the fence. Yes some of the elements are very tired but there is enough creativity here to keep the story moving.

As the series begins we're introduced to two girls who come from very different backgrounds. Sumire is your typical school girl going through the motions of every day life but things change when she meets Lucia, the Virus Vanguard. It's safe to say that in a crowd Lucia stands out with her blue hair, eye patch, and gothic maid outfit. There's more to her than just bad fashion sense though. She's actually an elite Virus hunter who is out to exterminate their kind from the face of the planet. The two become friends and Sumire eventually joins her as a sidekick of sorts.

Now, if you're wondering what the heck a Virus is, let me just tell you that it's not the common cold. Basically a Virus is a demon that can only be seen by someone with a special gift. Sometimes they appear in strange forms and at other points they have the ability to possess innocent people. Their motivations are unknown at this point in the show but it's fairly clear that they're the bad guys and naturally we want the Vanguards to kill them. Luckily for us Lucia and Sumire are more than happy to oblige. Well, at least Lucia seems eager to.

The first four episodes of the show presented here on the introductory volume do a good job of setting up the premise and formula of what's to come. For the most part I'm sure you can guess what's going on here. The characters are going about their business, a monster shows up, some people are terrorized, and the good guys kill the demon. There is little deviation from that genre standard here though some of the developmental bits in between help make up for the lack of an overarching plotline.

In particular I found the relationship between Lucia and Sumire to be the most interesting relationship at play here. In some ways they appear to be good friends but at times their bond yields some reluctance on both parts. Lucia loves being the lone wolf while Sumire just wants to get back to leading a normal life with her school chums. In fact it's that struggle for Sumire's character the gives her multiple layers of depth and easily makes her standout amidst the other one-dimensional personalities. I'm sorry to say but as cool as Lucia seems her "cold on the outside, warm on the inside" character just isn't very endearing. I didn't care about Lucia the way I did about Sumire and because of that Venus Versus Virus lacks balance.

Aside from the sometimes interesting character drama, the episodes here wind up kind of flat. The first and third stories feature the current content of the show with the Viruses tearing through modern day life. The other two spend most of their time crafting a backbone for the story and actually turn out to be more enjoyable. I don't know if it was the action or what but something just didn't feel right with the show's formula. Maybe that will change as the series progresses but until that happens we're left with an unbalanced introductory volume.

Venus Versus Virus certainly has a lot of things that appeal to many people but that's not necessarily a good thing. Many cliché aspects work their way into the show and because of that the series loses its soul. I just didn't get the feeling that the show has a good working energy and there's a certain creative spark that's missing. Maybe it had to do with the writing or maybe it was the concept itself; whatever the case there are many things here that didn't work. Then again some of the character drama is interesting and there is the promise that as the show progresses it will become fleshed out. We'll see what happens in the next volume but for right now I'd say this one is a renter.

Venus Versus Virus is presented on DVD with an anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio. The fact that the show recently wrapped up its broadcast should have lead itself to a fantastic looking final product but unfortunately that's not necessarily the case here. Yes the character designs are interesting, yes the animation is fine enough, and sure there is very little in the way of compression. An overabundance of grain knocks this release down a few pegs though it's hard to tell if it was a byproduct of this transfer or a part of the original production. Whatever the case the show's soft look is attractive but I suppose it's an acquired taste.

I must admit that I was somewhat surprised when I saw that ADV didn't put together a 5.1 mix for Venus Versus Virus. The loads of action alone would have justified it but I must say that the 2.0 stereo English and Japanese offerings do their jobs just fine. Channel separation was practically nil and the English dub left something to be desired in my opinion. Fortunately the Japanese track is more than suitable with some fine subtitles. Overall the audio in this show is serviceable but underwhelming.

The only extras you're going to find on this disc are some ADV trailers and clean animations.

Venus Versus Virus certainly has a lot of promise but I wouldn't say that it has shown a lot at this point. The character development of the show's two leads is arguably the highlight of the first four episodes because the other bits tend to feel lackluster. A show like this needs to be energized with intrigue and charm leading the way. The intrigue is there but so far I haven't seen the personality or vigor that it takes to make a show stand above the rest. If you're interested I'd say give it a rental, otherwise you can find something better to watch.

Check out more of my reviews here. Head on over to my anime blog as well for random musings and reviews of anime, manga, and stuff from Japan!