Burn-Up W

Type: OVA
Episode Count: 4
Genre: Action / Sci-Fi
Vintage: 1996

Version reviewed: Japanese Subtitled
Date of Review: 23 Dec 2013

Grade: C

Fanservice and violence.

Plot Summary
When the regular police force can’t handle the job, Team Warrior is called in. Slacker Rio, trigger-happy Maya, and computer-whiz Lilica handle the special jobs along with their support team and chief. This time, a terrorist plot needs to be foiled, so it’s Team Warrior on the scene.

The Review
Burn-Up W is a short ’90s AIC series, and in some ways it is incomplete. It tells a complete story arc but doesn’t have a true ending, as this OVA is actually a prologue to the television series Burn-Up Excess.

There isn’t much to Burn-Up W. If you like top-heavy girls with guns, with emphasis on – ahem – both of those points, these are about one hundred minutes of animation you’re sure to enjoy. As for me, it’s not really my thing, so I found both the fanservice and violence to be a bit excessive. Speaking of excessive, only one of the main girls has body proportions that are physically plausible, and she happens to be the computer genius, as well as my favorite character, though her overall screen time is minimal. (It’s the pink-haired Lilica as seen in the picture above.)

Burn-Up W does have a story, and it actually does hold together decently. However, it often gets overshadowed by the main selling points of the series, those of course being the fanservice and violence. These elements aren’t spread evenly, though. The first two episodes focus on the girls’ physical traits, and the last two are suddenly darker and quite violent.

For those who enjoy this kind of fanservice and violence, Burn-Up W is probably worth a shot. Otherwise, it’s safe to skip it.