Movies / Animé and Toons

Heaven's Lost Property: the Complete Series

By Chris Zimmerman
March 2, 2012 - 14:16

Series that rely heavily on fan-service rarely work for something greater. The content alone is usually enough to satisfy its niche of fans. That’s exactly the type of series audiences will get from Heaven’s Lost Property. Despite the content, or lack thereof, the series was popular enough in Japan to spawn a film and to warrant a release here in the states.

The series follows a perverted school boy named Tomoki and his childhood friend (and potential crush) Sohara. When Tomoki goes to investigate what he initially believes to be a meteor strike, he is instead greeted by an all powerful and scantily clad entity in the form of the well endowed Ikaros. She immediately chooses Tomoki as her new master and begins granting his every wish, though he has to be careful, as a single wish granted by Ikaros has the power to change the world.

If the story sounds remotely familiar, that’s because it borrows from other well known properties such as Ah! My Goddess and Chobits. In fact the characters of Tomoki and Chobits’ Hideki are virtually interchangeable. The rest is a mash up of popular anime clichés, including the sexy childhood friend that beats the living daylights out of her crush to keep him in line, as well as the ultra pervy lead who with a heart of gold. The divine female taken in as a slave of sorts, while demeaning, is nothing those familiar with fan-service series haven’t seen before. This one does make for an uncomfortable watch though, depicting Ikaros with a collar and chain binding her to Tomoki.

The episodes themselves are hit or miss. The comedy is passable enough to get by beyond but there is little to really distinguish this series from any other. More than anything else, the series’ greatest fault lies in the transparency of its characters. The idea that a person as lecherous as Tomoki is willing to peep on random females but refuses to peep at Ikaros, who is more than willing to satisfy his need is absurd and a forced bit development that feels tacked on to humanize the character. Likewise, one has to question the mental health of Sohara, who plays witness to Tomoki’s antics, but is secretly hoping to be with him. And need I really get into the subtext Ikaros brings to the table? The morose expression constantly painted on her face as she does her “master’s” bidding does not endear her well to any audience, be it male or female.

Funimation releases the series in a DVD and Blu-ray combo with a limited edition artbox which was not available for review. A separate disc is devoted to the extras that range from the standard clean opening and closing animation to a bonus OVA episode that places it after the series conclusion.

Heaven’s Lost Property is a mish-mash of proven concepts but without the panache. The characters are unlikeable and the story is substandard. For those in desperate need of fan-service, there are several better choices with deeply enriched characters and worthwhile stories to explore. This is one property that should have stayed lost.

C

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12