Hi I'm Dranzerstorm
You may remember me as a regular contestant on the caption battle contest.
Welcome to Retro Retrospective, my world dedicated to the old guard of the Otaku world; expect some reviews of the old & obscure, and in-depth geeky knowledge with the occasional top ten and I now have a logo.

Little info about me
Well I'm British and I'm in to all things animated and nostalgia.
I've grown up with every cartoon going and have watched hundreds of anime.
Oh and to answer a question I was asked once, no I don't wear glasses in real life, I would wear Loke's sunglasses though.

Ground Defence Force Mao-Chan Review

Okay, now for something that doesn't suit the manga artist.

Earth is under attack from cute aliens that resemble stuffed toys. Worried that fighting them with the usual tanks and guns would make Earth look like bullys, Earth's Defence Force seniors turn to their Granddaughters by making them magical girls. Mao, Misora and Sylvia make up the Ground Self Defence Force defending Japan from Land, Air and Sea; led by long suffering Colonel and obvious Naru lookalike Kagome.
Ken Akamatsu seems the least likeliest manga artist to do this kind of show and yet, he did and at least learned some restraint considering his history.
Mao-Chan plays with the magical girl trope well, it understands how ridiculous the premise can be and plays with it by using the military theme to it's advantage but the anime like much of Akamatsu's work is plagued by cheap animation and bizarre choices in dubbing.
While I've not seen the dub personally it does share a few directions from Love Hina which was already hit and miss mostly miss.
It's weird to say this but Mao-Chan is actually Akamatsu's best work.
Love Hina has aged poorly.
Negima is baffling.
Itsudatte My Santa is WTF.
A.I Love You rips off Ah My Goddess.
And the less said about UQ Holder the better.
Mao-Chan despite being a parody feels unique and disspells the myth that Akamatsu can only do ecchi by being heartwarming and silly further exhibited by the three main girls especially Sylvia.
Final Verdict: A surprisingly well rounded parody only let down by cheap animation.