So since nearly every series is going to take a break for the Christmas Holidays, I decided that it would be a good time to watch a lot of movies and OVAs. 3×3 Eyes is an action-OVA that got released around fifteen years ago. It consists out of two parts: one four-episode release, and the continuation, consisting of three episodes. Unfortunately, both parts have their problems.
In the first part, the storytelling is all over the place. Especially the first and third episodes are a mess of random Deus ex Machina and convenient plot-twists that don’t make any sense. The main character is also one of those teenaged boys that meats a beautiful and special girl for a very weak reason. Still, despite all this the first part has one big advantage: it’s fun to watch.
Then the second part comes, which was released about three years after the first part stopped. It indeed does fix the storytelling-issues, and the story flows much nicer. But in exchange, it ends up taking itself way too seriously, not to mention that every single character that made the first part so fun to watch either just disappears, or in the main characters’ case develops into rather dull stereotype. The main female lead was fresh, strong and likable in the first part, but the second part turned her just into a boring damsel in distress. There is a lot of angst and sadness, but when the characters fail to connect it only ends up working against this OVA.
Still, 3×3 remains incredibly stylistic, and the first part offers a pretty nice blend of comedy, action, drama and romance. It also isn’t afraid to show the darker parts of action, and the villains don’t hesitate to use the most dirty tricks to overcome their enemies, with the best being episode two. The second part is also well-crafted and built-up. It’s just a shame that the characters don’t work when they take themselves too seriously.
Well, the manga is 40 volumes long and ended in 2002, it’s quite normal that these OVAs (from 1991 and 1995) don’t really shine storyline-like.