This five-part series is a classic Japanese anime series that centres around a young student named Yakumo Fujii, who works in a gay bar in Japan. One night, while at work, he meets a young
girl named Pai, who as it happens has been looking for him. Pai had previously been with Yakumo's father, the
late Professor Fujii, on an expedition in Tibet. As explained in the Professor's final letter to Yakumo, which Pai had on her to give to Yakumo, Pai is the last of the Sanjiyan race and she wishes to fulfil her ambition to become a human being. In order to do this, they must locate the Ningen-Nozo (the Statue Of Humanity).
A little later on that evening the city is terrorised by a fearsome, giant, winged creature named Takuhii. Yakumo escapes on his scooter, taking Pai with him. Pai, who is actually friends with Takuhii, tries to stop his attacks, but to no avail, and before long his sharp talons skewer Yakumo. Pai, however, manages to save Yakumo's life with the help of her normally-hidden third eye in her forehead
(which causes her personality to alter completely). Well, she SORT OF saves his life -- he becomes a guy that looks and acts just the same, but not only can he now not be killed by anything, but also he carries the Wu symbol on his forehead (the 'sign of the void' is how it is worded in the English dubbed version I have seen).
This complicates things for Yakumo, for now there is no escape from what his
father asked him to accomplish -- help Pai become a human, for only then will Yakumo become a mortal again...
This series is one of the best anime series I've ever seen. It's light-hearted in many places, Eddie Frierson and Rebecca Frostadt provide some more-than-commendable dubbing for the
voices of Yakumo and Pai respectively (though many of the others do brilliantly too), the story never really drags, the artwork is top-notch (as you'd expect for anime), the characters are really interesting and draw you in, the animation's pretty good even though it isn't as smooth as Western animation at the best of times, the monsters that try to stop our heroes are inspired and are the work of genius, and the music's brilliant!
Check out this series, but be warned; there is a lot of bloodshed that makes it unsuitable for children despite '3x3 Eyes' being an animated series.
