" It’s cute as a button and sugary sweet...When all’s said and done though, it’s a fairly average example of its genre "

      Title: Saint Tail from TokyoPop

      Format: Anime

      Reviewing Monkey: Chimpan-A

      The Hype: Come join in the adventures of Meimei. An average student at St. Paulia’s Private School, at least until she turns into the mystical, good-hearted thief Saint Tail! As Saint Tail she adventures about in this Mahou Shoujo (magical girl) story about a Robin Hood in a skirt and top hat. Along with her companions, she fights for love, justice, and petty larceny.

      What This Monkey Thought...

      Animation: The animation is great, if on the cutesy side. The characters are all big eyed and cute as buttons. Lines are smooth, as is the action. The visuals are all colorful, bright and cheery. Even in the darker places you still find the place to be a colorful happy world. It’s almost enough to give a guy cavities. 4 out of 5

      Action: There are a few action sequences as the magical thief evades the cops. They’re not going to fulfill anybody’s bloodlust for real action, but they do make nice punctuation to the series. For the most part the action is very non-violent and generally involves chases and pratfalls. That makes for good family viewing, but lowers the appeal for some anime watchers out there. Then again, what’re you doing buying this cute stuff for the action anyway? 3 out of 5

      Story: Basically, this is your average Magical girl anime. Think Sailor Moon, only with a little Robin Hood thrown in. Meimei, for reasons which aren’t really explained to us, becomes the magical Saint Tail: Thief and magician. In this guise she steals things from wrongdoers, giving them back to their rightful owner. Other than the thief twist this is pretty much your average mahou shoujo, entailing everything that genre does. Right down to getting magically naked to change your outfit. The plot breaks down as such: petitioners with problems visit Seira, the little nun in training. After hearing what they’ve lost, she sets Saint Tail on a mission to get it back. Meanwhile, one of Meimei’s classmates, the police chief’s son, has been brought in on the investigation (because apparently his dad is inept, and they thought a grade schooler would help). Serving as Saint Tail’s romantic interest, Meimei harbors a secret crush on young Asuka Jr., and leads him about with cleverly placed clues to her next crime. Her crimes run the gamut from recovering stolen gems, to stealing a wedding veil and giving it back to the giver, to getting a borrowed doll back from the amusement park. It’s all very cute and sweet. It’s also fairly standard in the magical girl genre. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. 3 out of 5

      Music: The music is just as cute and sweet as the rest of the series. It’s unobtrusive when it needs to be and otherwise pretty good. It sets the mood quite nicely and fits in with everything. Otherwise, it doesn’t really occasion comment. 3 out of 5

      Translation: I didn’t notice any utterly awkward phrasing. The tapes are dubbed (the DVDs are also available), and the voice acting is pretty good. I didn’t hear anything worth making a fuss over. It’s a pretty well translated show. 3.5 out of 5

      Rewatchability: Well, if you’re into Mahou Shoujo, then this story is everything you could want. It’s cute, a bit funny, and romantic. Everything it’s supposed to be. If, however, magical girl isn’t your bag, you probably won’t watch it more than once, just to say you did. Your Card Captor Sakuras are probably going to leave it behind, but I’d say Saint Tail can hold her own.

      The Verdict:

Like I said, if Magical Girl is your bag, then this a great little series. It’s cute as a button and sugary sweet. Humor and romance have their place and fit well. When all’s said and done though, it’s a fairly average example of its genre, and probably won’t appeal to those who don’t like such.

      The Good: Magical Girl cuteness for the whole family

      The Bad: …Magical Girl cuteness for the whole family

      The Overall Ugly: An average example of its breed, great for those who love it, bad for those who don’t.

      What it's Worth: The going rate is good.