Video Girl Ai (Japan)

Rating: ***

Divided into six installments.

A shy and dorky high school boy named Youta rents a girlie movie in a fit of depression, and a girl pops out of the TV to comfort him. Unfortunately, the poor guy is stuck in an awkward teenage love triangle and is too much of a coward to make a stand and express his feelings to the girl he loves (who happens to be in love with his best friend). Video Girl Ai (prolific Megumi Hayashibara) is on the case to get those two together, but complications arise when she starts falling for him. Typical high school relationship hi-jinks, but with a little too much awkward sexual humor and innuendo. By episode three, things start getting a little more interesting and far more serious as Ai starts developing feelings for Youta and starts suffering from "technical difficulties." The final episode is a radical departure that sends Youta into the video world, where he has to fight for Ai's life through the power of human love. But ultimately, the entire series is a tease because there's no resolution! Ai and Youta finally spend a brief moment in each other's arms and then the series is over! Ack! Pretty good stuff though. It also features one of the strangest lines of dialog I've ever heard: "This dress should appeal to his perverted tastes. He can almost see my panties underneath it."