Steel Angel Kurumi
Vol. #2: The Trouble With Angels
English Dubbed and Subbed Version
AKA: Kôtetsu tenshi Kurumi
Version: DVD (ADV)
Approx. Rating: R (Due to nudity. PG - PG-13 for language)
Length: Approx. 90 minutes (15 minutes per episode)
English Cast: Kelli Cousins (as Kurumi), Monica Rial (as Saki), Charles Rocket (as Dr. Hakase Ayanokoji, Kira Vincent-Davie (as Nakahito), Shelly Carlene-Black (as Dr.Amagi)
DVD Features:
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Synopsis:
Normally I skip this when I already did it for the first episode, but I thought I'd bring you up to what's happening. Kurumi's creator has been kidnapped, so she, Dr. Amagi, Saki, and Nakahito go to another town where Kurumi's creator's old lab is supposed to be...
The Review:
Kurumi continues to follow what the previous episodes laid out. A very interesting story laced with plenty of fan-service that can include full-frontal nudity of very big-breasted chicks. Most of the time, the nudity is cleverly hidden, but there's still plenty of cleavage to ogle.
I have watched it in its entirety in Japanese with subtitles. I have also seen it in English. I continue to stand by what I said about the first volume. The Japanese is much better. The story seems better and there's less dumb-blonde-ness on Kurumi's part. Plus the profanity and some of the random stuff people seem to say in the English version makes the story different in very subtle ways.
The voice work for both versions seems to be very well done. I think ADV did an excellent job in translating the signs on buildings and such. I wish other distributors / translators would follow their lead as it's really annoying to watch some sign get focused on and you don't have the slightest idea what it means.
These six episodes get you much deeper into the tale. We discover that there are other steel angels out there in the very first episode and that they seem to have nothing to do with the missing Dr. Ayanokoji. One of them manages to examine Kurumi naked by posing as a doctor. We also discover in this 7th mini-episode that the spies from the army are major-league pervs. The girl is very into Nakahito and the guy wants to see Dr Amagi naked. Very disturbing. Kurumi's love for Nakahito is wrong in some ways as well, but she's a naive robot-girl with feelings and it's a lot different.
Saki continues to have her stupid lesbian tendencies. Why a robot has normal feelings is odd...but this is a little out of hand. At least Saki seems to know that her thoughts are stupid/wrong as she even wonders why she thinks as she does. By episode 11, Saki and Nakahito actually hit it off, which really ticks Kurumi off.
The episodes between 7 and 11 are important too as we meet two more angels (very briefly) in episodes 8 and 9. They are just kind of in the background making you want the writers to give us more than these little "bones." It's a good way to heighten the tension though.
In #9 they kidnap Nakahito while he's watching fireworks and Kurumi is off getting him a drink. Thus she goes off to rescue him and we get to see the fight in episode 10. This is where we learn what happens when Kurumi gets really ticked.
The last two episodes bring Karinka into the mix. She's the blond-haired angel in the intro. Once again, she's a bad sister of Kurumi, but she has two hearts to make her extra strong. Karinka nabs Saki and beats her to a pulp which is rather disturbing. Especially so is a point wherein she does some stuff to poor Saki's chest. This show is definitely NOT for young viewers!!!
Finally Kurumi comes along to rescue her good sis (Saki) and the episode ends. We have to wait for the next volume to see who will win. Sigh.
As usual, this story leaves you begging for more. They give you just enough and then leave you hanging from a cliff (or on the edge of your seat). It's annoyingly good, if you know what I mean.
The Good Stuff:
 | Excellent story that leaves you wanting more |
| I love the soundtrack, from beginning to end. It's always good! |
| The character interactions are also good, even the perverted ones. |
| Lots of good extras |
The Bad Stuff:
| Rampant profanity in the English version. Some swearing is also in the Japanese, although it's usually milder and not as often. |
| Plenty of naked chicks, baths scenes, and skimpy outfits. (Check out some of those extras for more of the same) |
| Some of the fighting is extreme and there is a little gore when Nakahito gets smacked into a rock. |
I really enjoy this show, but it has also left me squirming sometimes with its language and some of the sexual content. Use your judgment when looking into this show. I'd recommend a rental first.
STORY: 
VIOLENCE:
(Saki's fight is basically a bludgeoning)
COMEDIC FACTOR:
(Lots of cute funny stuff with Kurumi)
SEXUAL CONTENT:
(More nudity, especially in the Extras!)
LANGUAGE:
(Say hello to naughty words...)
ACTION:
(Some good fighting in the middle)
OVERALL SCORE: