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One Pound Gospel

AKA: Ichi Pound no Fukuin

(1988)

Review by Rowena Lim Wei

Synopsis:
Kosaku Hatanaka is the Mukaida Gym's pride (sort of). He is a natural at boxing, but he can't control his voracious appetite. Kosaku eats anything and everything. As a result, his weight goes up and he is forced to fight in heftier weight class bouts -- giving his coach (and himself) one hell of a time. Sister Angela is a young novice nun who feels for Kosuke. She encourages him, and does whatever she can to make sure Kosaku is in shape. She knows Kosaku loves her, and what do you know... it looks like she has feelings for him too (though she doesn't want to admit it). But nuns aren't supposed to have romantic relationships. How can this love be?

Review:
One Pound Gospel is the anime adaptation of Ms. Rumiko Takahashi's manga series of the same title. It's a nice video; it's got the usual Rumiko touch of fun and wit. I didn't find it as striking as her other works, though. But then again maybe it's because I'm not really into boxing.

The plot is quite daring. It explores the potentials of a relationship that's considered taboo. We have a novice nun as our female lead here, and this is a romantic comedy. Sister Angela is remarkably characterized. She feels all the things a girl her age should, and yet she doesn't act holier-than-thou despite her novice nun-ness. Her sense of duty to the church conflicts with what her heart tells her.

One Pound Gospel definitely has its golden moments. My fave scene is when Sis Angela goes off to the local bar and unwittingly drinks her frustrations away. That was really funny. If you've read the manga, this is your chance to see that scene animated. It's equally amusing. The art and animation are below par. Although based on Ms. Takahashi's drawing style, they don't capture any of the cuteness or charm of the manga art. Sister Angela looks like some sort of fat cow here, thanks to her super bulky clothes. The manga shows Sister Angela in a swimsuit and she's nowhere even near chubby. Given these visual flaws and the general lack of plot elements, I'd have to say that OPG the anime is just a little above average fare.

Miscellanies:
The manga version is better. Click HERE for the manga version.

Nunsploitation.Net would like to extend its gratitude to Animetric.com for granting permission to use this review.

One Pound Gospel is now on DVD!