Arcade Gamer Fubuki is a 4-episode OVA based on a manga by Mine Yoshizaki (Sgt. Frog). It was directed by Yuji Mutoh (Green Green) and released in America by Central Park Media (much to Justin Sevakis’ dismay). Anime News Network lists it as a spinoff of Game Center Arashi; however, it would be much more accurate to call it an epilogue fanfic.
When playing video games, Fubuki Sakuragasaki is a force to be reckoned with. At first she seems clumsy and meager, making amateur mistakes in her gaming. But when she unleashes her special attack, its time to give up — you’re already dead. Her special attack, of course, is showing you her underwear. More specifically, her Passion Panties.
Her abilities catch the attention of the evil Gulasic Group, who are hell bent on taking over the world. For no apparent reason, Fubuki stands in their way of doing this so they spend their time trying to destroy her. Where does Game Center Arashi fit in? He’s the one that gave her the Passion Panties, duh. The story is silly and predictable, but it gets the job done for a short OVA. There’s a beginning, middle, and an end, which is all I ask for from my anime.
It’s hard for me to hate an anime that concludes with a video game battle between [Space Adventure] Cobra and Violence Jack/Akuma. And there are plenty more video game references where that came from. It was like watching Comic Party: Revolution, except it didn’t suck. The only problem is if you don’t get the reference, you don’t get the joke. But even if all the tributes go over your head, you still get to see Fubuki play video games against a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
The best part of the show is Mr. Mystery, a masked pro-wrestler that shows up at random points to give Fubuki gaming advice. He’s voiced by Dan Green in the dub, so whenever he was onscreen I pretended it was Yugi under the pink smiley-face mask. Even greater was that everything he said was totally ridiculous. It pains me to say the clip below is not from the dub, but it’s the best I could do on short notice.
There are a few things that I could have done without, namely the annoying perverted character. He doesn’t get much screen time, but when he does, its best to leave the room for a while and get a snack or something. There’s also the pointless bonus episode that focuses on all the female characters in bikini’s. It wouldn’t have bothered me as much if they would’ve at least animated it, but it’s just a camera panning over still shots to the pervert’s narration.
I find it strange that so many people dislike this show. Even Jellokun hated it, and he liked Dance in the Vampire Bund! Maybe it’s because Fubuki isn’t cute enough to masturbate to. Or it might be that the pervert gets his ass kicked, an indication that maybe the creator is using the fan-service as satire. Arcade Gamer Fubuki is not without its flaws, but I enjoyed watching it from start-to-finish and I’m unapologetic about having done so.