Makeruna Makendo is an anime OVA from 1995 based on a video game of the same name (otherwise known as Kendo Rage). It's about Mai, a Monster Hunter who has grown cynical and tired of her job, and her younger sister Hikari, an energetic if somewhat dense muggle who is very enthusiastic when she finds out about this monster hunting business.
This anime provides examples of:
- An Ice Person: Chukan
- Anime Hair: Chukan's is multicolored.
- Anime of the Game: Which would explain its brevity and In Medias Res aspects.
- Badass Normal: Hikari is a skilled martial artist even before she becomes a Magical Girl.
- Bystander Syndrome:
- Mai's attitude towards monster-fighting at the start of the OVA.
- When Dolo first tries to hire him as a Monster Hunter, Makenka says it's someone else's problem.
- By the Power of Grayskull!: "Ma-ken-do!" for Mai; "Mairiyagalan Makendo!" for Hikari, which she has extreme difficulty pronouncing. In the end, Dolo has to write it out on a big sign for her, in the middle of a battle no less.
- Calling Your Attacks: "Kendo Ho!"
- Evil Laugh: The Shou/Chukan/Dinosaur mecha gets a pretty silly one.
- Furo Scene: The sisters get one, although not like that.
- Fusion Dance: Shou, Chukan, and Dinosaur merge into a Humongous Mecha at one point.
- Gone Horribly Right: Dr. Mud successfully turns Makenka into a superpowered cyborg... who immediately rejects him, nearly kills him, and then runs away.
- Idiot Hair: Hikari, as befits her personality.
- I Just Want to Be Normal: Mai, though she's less whiny and more matter-of-fact about it than most. Makenka is a much more angsty example.
- Jumped at the Call: Hikari is very eager to become a Magical Girl.
- Knight in Sour Armor: Mai describes her job as "you have to fight something weird in ridiculous clothes."
- Lovely Angels: Mai and Hikari
- Mad Scientist: Dr. Mud. His true form is even a disembodied brain, for crying out loud.
- Magical Girl: With a kendo theme.
- The Mentor: Dolo serves as the girls' boss and mentor, cajoling Mai into doing her job and teaching Hikari the ropes.
- Merchandise-Driven: Sorta...this OVA was pretty much an advertisement for Makeruna! Makendo 2.
- No One Could Survive That!: Makenka assumes that he killed Dr. Mud, not knowing that Mud is a brain-monster inhabiting a humanoid shell.
- Pervert Revenge Mode: Hikari mistakes Dolo for a pervert and unleashes this on him.
- Prehensile Hair: Shou can turn hers into long sharp spikes.
- Shout-Out: Makenka is one to Cyborg 009
- Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer: Makenro (Mai's rival in the games) shows up in the opening, but never shows up in the OVA due to it being a one episode advertisement for the 2nd game in the franchise
- Transformation Sequence: A pretty standard Sailor Moon-style one.
- Transformation Trinket: Mai's elephant wand and Hikari's striped wand.
- What Have I Become?: Makenka's reaction upon being cyborg-ified.
