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Yugo the Negotiator Vol. 3: Legacy
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Yguo may have completed his negotiations in Pakistan, but that's not
the end of his adventures. The third volume of Yugo the
Negotiator sends Yugo off to a much different extreme. He's
already endured the blistering heat of the deserts of the Middle
East, but volume three, "Legacy," is sending him to the frigid cold
of Russia's own Siberia.
This isn't necessarily a follow-up to what we've seen Yugo go
through previously, and it's not necessarily a sequel either, it's
simply a new tale. What is the same though is that Yugo isn't going
to finish up with assignment in just an episode or two, and the
writers certainly know how to take what could be a very simple idea
and spread it out. You'll find that like his first journey, Yugo is
faced with great danger in not only the elements but also the people
that he associates with.
Yugo's client is Andrei Sergeievich Romanovski, a Russian national
who is now living in exile in Japan. He has hired Yugo in hopes that
he can find a young girl who is still living in Russia. The young
girl, nicknamed Nadenka, is believed to also be in possession of a
ring that his great-grandfather cut into two which has now become a
family heirloom of sorts. Yugo manages to convince him that his own
ring is important to the job and will prove everything, but this
ring has quite a legacy associated with it.
The Romanovski family once owned a successful trading company, but
the revolutions of the early 20th century caused the company to fall
into ruin and also lead to the exile of the family. As Yugo begins
to explore more about their history, he learns of a vast some of
gold that was deposited in Swiss bank accounts and the interest over
the last few decades would mean there is an estimated $200 billion
just waiting to be claimed, but it isn't going to be easy.
The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs is after the ring for the
same reason, and Yugo is suspicious that there may be others after
the ring as well. His suspicion is well placed, and he eventually
discovers that Romanovski's own secretary is pulling the strings and
is a member of the Ministry herself. While it's never stated, it's
obvious they want the money as well, probably to help Russia get
back on its feet since everything has fallen apart since the decline
of Communism in the country.
We find though that Yugo is as resourceful as ever and manages to
get his hands on most of the things he needs to complete his
negotiation. However, he also is soon the victim of intense
psychological and physical torture at the hands of the Ministry as
he begins to unravel the true value of the ring. And even when it
looks as though he may be deported back to Japan, Yugo rushes
straight into enemy territory to work his special brand of magic
where words have more power than weapons.
The episodes are very well written, and though there is a lack of
action, it's really the twists and turns that make the story. Think
of it as being a series with the intrigue of something like Fox's
24, but without terrorists, nuclear threats, or gunplay. You're
never quite sure who you should trust outside of Yugo himself, and
even the enemies at times show that they either have another agenda
or will actually work with Yugo. At this point though, he hasn't
even made actual contact with his target, though he has others that
have tried to find out if she's still at the last known address.
ADV has been included some very good additional feature with this
release, but Yugo the Negotiator is quite a different series
that most are accustomed to seeing. There is a Character
Relationship Chart complete with bios on each of the characters.
This will give you a better understanding of how everything works
together, and with this story; it is a bit more in-depth than simply
recovering a hostage. There are interviews with Shinji Makari, the
man behind the story, and Shu Akana, the manga-ka, and the two
discuss their creation of Yugo. ADR director Scott McClennen
also does commentary on the first episode to discuss the Japanese
depiction of Russia. The creators of the series have done a very
good job about trying to stay true to life in what is show here, for
the most part at least, and Yugo the Negotiator really never becomes
too far-fetched in its presentation. There also are clean versions
of the opening and closing animations, as you will find them to be
different with these episodes. The DVD insert comes with additional
information that is pertinent to these episodes.
Yugo the Negotiator is an anime that isn't necessarily geared
towards hard-core action as much as it is towards those that want a
more thought provoking anime. Yugo's trip into Pakistan was quite an
amazing journey, but already Russia seems to be even more difficult
and even more captivating. There's no reason for negotiation with
this series, and you won't want to miss a single episode of this
series.
Episode 1 - Nobility in Exile
Yugo has been contacted by an exiled Russian living in Japan who
believes a young girl that is living in Siberia is of family
relation, and a great significance. Yugo takes the job, though he
doesn't trust his new employers.
Episode 2 - Deal
Yugo has arrived in Siberia, but he's already being followed.
Luckily, he meets a college student who has the right connections to
help him in his mission, including providing him with a beautiful
Russian college student, but he's going to find that this
negotiation is going to be far from easy.
Episode 3 - Official Documents
Yugo and Lyuba try and find documents concerning the Russian trading
company in question, but it looks like the government has already
beaten them to it. Their only choice is to try and persuade a
communist to assist them, but just as the puzzle begins to come
together, the government comes looking for them and Yugo finds
himself arrested and subjected to torture.
Episode 4 - Moroz (Bitter Cold)
Yugo heads out alone in the freezing night air with temperatures
reaching well below zero. The KGB however ahs determined what his
goal is and is now obsessed with finding and deporting him before he
can complete his mission. Yugo meets with Olga in secret, and it
appears as though he's going to need the help of a traitor to
complete this negotiation.
-mike-
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Genre:
Drama / Adventure
Series Director:
Seiji Kishi
Written by:
Episode 1 - Kenichi Kanemake
Episode 2 & 4 - Katsuhiko Takayama
Episode 3 - Shoichi Sato
Based Upon the Manga
by:
Shinji Makari & Shuu Akana
Voice
Cast:
Takashi Hagino (Yugo Beppu)
Michie Tomizawa (Olga Elenova)
Akemi Okamura (Lyuba)
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DVD
Features:
Dual Language Japanese/English
English Subtitles
Clean Opening Animation
Clean Closing Animation
Interview w/Shinji Makar & Shu Akana
Character Relationship Chart
The Japanese Depiction of Russia
Contains Episodes
4 - 6 |
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