AKA: The Hex Files

Genre: Hentai drama / comedy

Length: OAV, 3 episodes, 23 minutes each

Distributor: VHS and R1 DVD from SoftCel

Content Rating: NC-17 (explicit sex, mild violence)

Related Series: N/A

Also Recommended: Buttobi CPU, F3, Magic User's Club, Oh My Goddess

Notes: None

Rating:

Magical Twilight

Synopsis

Three witches are undertaking their exams, and the lucky (depending on your point of view) recipient of said exams is a young man busy with his own studies. But as he's about to find out, there's nothing that's gonna stand in the way of young witches who want to graduate.

Review

The first thing I noticed about this title is that the artwork is more along the lines of Ushio & Tora than ... say, Oh! My Goddess (if you'll ever forgive me the comparison when a hentai title is in question). What I'm trying to say is that the characters, mostly the girls, look more like your girl next door than the general gorgeous anime girl. Well, call that a random observation. This IS a decent hentai title and the girls ARE cute.

Although I have to say that while the art is good, the animation isn't always so. You see quite a lot of examples on shortcuts taken in animation every now and then, though mainly in the first episode.

And on the same strangely uneven balance, the VAs do a good job playing the various characters. The music, though, is very simplistic and tacky, even for hentai music. It's an old title, I guess.

As for the characters, they're pretty much a mixed bag. Some, you'll like. Others, you'll dislike. But that was probably what the series intended anyway. Chipple, the first witch whose exam consists of having the subject like him (or is that love him?) is fairly likable and cute-ish as far as anime girls go, though she IS strong-minded and thereby doesn't fall squarely into the realm of the general love interest of old. Our main male lead, however, does fall into said realm. Somewhat bland, though good hearted ... you've seen him often enough before, even in non-hentai. As for the other two witches; there's Irene, whose exam consists of seducing him and having sex with him. (Say what?) And lastly, there's black witch Liv, whose exam apparently is taking his life in a rather horrible manner.

So, outside of the occational distraction, you are basically treated to a girl trying to make a certain guy happy and watch them fall bumblingly in love. And DON'T tell me you didn't see that one coming. Hey, this IS a lot like Oh! My Goddess without the sex and the Goddesses replaced with witches. Right up to the part where our main lead, Tsukasa, has his memories taken away. (Oops. I better stop there.)

As it stands, this is a decent title. It's not too excessive, seeing as the black witch Liv doesn't really get to do much to Tsukasa before his friend saves him from that fate, though in a scene so contrived I had a hard time believing what I saw. >_<

But in the end, that lands it squarely in the middle. It has got some nice, ambient scenes, even touching ones. At other times, though, ever so cheesy ones. The artwork is nice, while the animation quality varies, though it shapes up towards the ending. The entire plot is decent, if not awfully typical.

So, with that in mind, I can safely recommend it for a rental, but for purchase it'll demand some serious thought.

A decent effort. — Stig Høgset

Recommended Audience: Well, what with the sex scenes, it'll be for adults only. The scenes in question are rather tame, though, so there really aren't anything to shout about.

Oh, and there is some minor violence and explosions with collateral damage thrown in. Nothing too big on that front either.