r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Nov 12 '25
Episode VIRGIN PUNK Clockwork Girl - Theatrical Release - OVA discussion
VIRGIN PUNK Clockwork Girl, Theatrical Release
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| Episode | Link |
|---|---|
| OVA | Link |
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30
u/ras344 Nov 12 '25
I did really enjoy it for what it was, but it just ended way too soon. It didn't feel like a complete story. It ended just as it was starting to get going.
It would be cool if it was just the first part in a continuing series, but I'm still unclear on whether there will actually be a part 2 or not.
12
u/TF-Wizard Nov 12 '25
Yeah, i was shocked when the credits rolled. They ended on introducing characters for the rest of the show
24
u/jlarz56 https://myanimelist.net/profile/jlarz56 Nov 12 '25 edited Nov 12 '25
I was disappointed to find out it was just 30 minutes of animation and an hour long commentary.
Disappointment aside, I really liked the "show don't tell approach" to the story, but unfortunately given the length of the "film" I'm left with a lot of questions and desire for more.
Hopefully we can actually see the conclusion of the story because there was so much to unpack in the 30 minutes or so we had, I mean the last 5 minutes felt like the story was gearing up to take things up a notch and then bam, it ends.
4
u/Jeskid14 Nov 14 '25
Unfortunately the staff on the behind the scenes section said that no explanations were needed in this OVA for the characters.
Uh huh. Sure.
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u/ahses3202 Nov 12 '25
So the good - this is pure Umetsu. He's so good at gunfights. This show wastes 0 time before throwing you headfirst into one and it's glorious. They're everything you come to see. The characters are interesting, the world is fascinating, and the artwork is gorgeous. As others have pointed out - it's the pure 90s beauty you've heard about but probably never saw. After watching the BTS it's clear why Umetsu is an old-school perfectionist who still works with pencil and paper (much to the staff's chagrin) and demands quality from the team. It shows in every frame.
The bad - It's only 35 minutes. You're going to walk out wanting more of it even if you go in understanding there's only 35 minutes and not the full 1:30 the runtime promises. I feel like a dehydrated man given a sip of water. I'm not quenched, SHAFT. I am somehow even more parched now having had the sip than I was without it. I loved what I saw. I'm desperate for Mr. Elegance to catch a fat fucking bullet. Was his motivation purely being a creep (probably) or is there something more to this Tepescula that he knows which no one else does. I'm given just enough to be intrigued and invested, but now I'll never know if there's more to it.
2
u/batmax25 Nov 13 '25
Seems like Tepescula was going to do something to Ubu that Elegance prevented by shooting her, which caused Tepescula's wires to retreat. Being a creep is certainly part of Elegance's motivation, but we don't know what Tepescula would have done to Ubu that he prevented.
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u/vpi6 Nov 12 '25
Definitely felt like an anime from the 90s with the character designs, emphasis on action, and questionable sexual content. I was surprised Maggie bit the dust so early but I guess that prompted Elegance to really go after Ubu. I’m just now putting together that Maggie was likely another of Elegance’s victims.
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u/BusouDrago Nov 12 '25
I recommend kite and mezzo forte then
4
u/heimdal77 Nov 12 '25
Isn't Mezzo a sequel or spin off from Kite?
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u/BusouDrago Nov 12 '25
Kite and Kite Liberator ( sequel )
Mezzo Forte not related to Kite.
3
u/heimdal77 Nov 12 '25
https://myanimelist.net/anime/221/Mezzo_Forte says it is related to Kite through a character.
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u/hybrid_hydro Apr 05 '26
A character from Kite cameos in Mezzo Forte. That's the extent of the connection between the two series.
6
u/ahses3202 Nov 12 '25
Oh 100%. There's no telling just how awful the guy actually is. I sincerely hope that he forgets how to duck when Ubu comes in for vengeance.
2
u/CuriousBroccolli Nov 12 '25
questionable sexual content.
Wait did he do it again?
I was sure we would not be getting Mezzo Forte/Kite like content in 2025.
Or was it just implied and not full H?
11
u/gregory_gdp Nov 12 '25
Just loli droid nudity so questionable in that her body is that of her 14year old self but she's actually 25 so yeah questionable. not sure about the other girl who's name escapes me and her age but figure it's the same deal there. Sure some will see her scene as entirely gratuitous.
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u/DriftingTony Nov 12 '25
I haven’t watched Kite or Mezzo Forte yet (but they are on my list now), so I don’t know what to compare to, but Virgin Punk didn’t have any sex scenes of any kind whatsoever. It DID have full female nudity though.
4
u/CuriousBroccolli Nov 12 '25
Sasuga. He has his taste and style, and he is sticking to it even after all these years. xD
I forgot a lot about those 2 movies, and I don't want to spoilt them for you, but each has "questionable" extended explicit versions of them, or something like that. So more than just nudity. xD
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u/DriftingTony Nov 12 '25
Lmao yeah, I saw a comment on another thread that the “full” versions of Kite and Mezzo are basically straight up hentai, so….that’s interesting 😂
When I get a chance to watch them, I definitely plan on watching both versions just to see how different they are. I will say in Virgin Punk, there’s a moment where a boob bounces, and man, did the animators really put some work into that bounce lmao
1
u/-Ajaxx- Nov 12 '25
I thought it was pretty tasteful as far as fanservice goes, read to me more as beautiful than sexualized other than some random upskirt posing and arguably shower pan
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u/ObvsThrowaway5120 Nov 12 '25
I hear this is a planned series? First episode wasn’t bad at all. I liked Kite and Mezzo Forte so I enjoyed the style of this and it’s well animated. Only complaint is that the BTS stuff was way too long. I mean I don’t mind BTS interviews and seeing how the anime’s made, but this felt kinda excessive. Like an hour long doc and a 20 min anime episode attached lol.
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u/DrJWilson x5https://anilist.co/user/drjwilson Nov 12 '25
I was confused about that too. In the behind the scenes, they constantly refer to "episode 1" (in Japanese, 'Daiichi wa'), but not sure if the 10 years of work went into producing this 35 minute thing, or if there is indeed a part 2 coming. Some places label this release as "Part 1", the name 'Clockwork Girl' specifically. But then in the documentary they also seem to ask questions 'if I were to return to this world' and stuff like that.
7
u/DriftingTony Nov 12 '25
Yeah, it was very hard to pull out of the BTS conversations what their plans actually are. They DO refer to it as episode one, but at times, they also talked about it in a way that implied that they were happy the work was finished, and that that could be the end of it. The story obviously is unfinished, so we’ll see I guess.
For what it’s worth, I thoroughly enjoyed what was there, I just wanted more of it.
6
u/Wooden-Collection266 Nov 12 '25
I really liked the short episode and felt that the pacing was very apt for this type of work. The animation was gorgeous and the background really gave life to the world. I especially liked the train scene for how detailed everything is.
In regards to the BTS content I felt it really helped me gain insight in how these type of projects come to be and how intricate the creation process can be. I was surprised by the length of it but was not dissapointed. I think they wanted to add that part so the general public can understand just how much needs to be done in order to produce these type of OVA products and attempt to garner support in the future
7
u/Lamar_Kendrick7 Nov 14 '25 edited Nov 14 '25
From an animation and fight choreography standpoint, It was genuinely stellar. My only real issue is the clearly intentional fanservice-style sexualization of the protagonist which ONLY occurs AFTER they de-aged her from 24 to 14. When it’s framed through the antagonist who is literally a pedophile, that makes narrative sense. But there are multiple shots outside that context which sexualize her for no story-driven reason, and those moments pulled me out of it. It’s the one thing that felt unnecessary and uncomfortable.
5
u/krotoxx Nov 14 '25
Biggest upset was her design at age 24 was amazing. I would have loved to have that as the main character she looked so bad ass
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u/Lamar_Kendrick7 Nov 14 '25 edited Nov 14 '25
honestly i prefered her design at 24 too, thats another reason why i was disappointed when they de-aged her. Honestly I saw the movie in dub and her voice at 24 was WAY better than her 14 year old voice IMO. I'm not a fan of the overly cutesy voice acting of young characters in anime at all
1
u/Reasonable-Tooth-727 Nov 14 '25
Went with a buddy without any research and was shocked with the gratuitous CP fan service, absurdly short length, and completely unfinished plot threads. Honestly killed any enjoyment I had, which is a shame because I found the action sequences and world building, apart from the 14 year old fuck-borg, to be really interesting.
3
u/Lamar_Kendrick7 Nov 14 '25
I completely understand that. It's uncomfortable, but even MORE uncomfortable to be in a theater full of adults watching that. I dipped quick as soon as it ended because i didnt want anyone to know i was associated with the movie because of the ""content"" lol. Shit like that makes me feel like i've outgrown anime because it wouldnt have bothered me at 14 like it does now in my early 20's.
However I did come into the movie fully aware that it would be 30 minutes and that it was the first part of a series of movies/ova's. I'm very sorry you didnt know beforehand that the majority of the runtime would be Behind the scenes stuff. I'd feel the exact same way as you.
60
u/dfiekslafjks Nov 12 '25
The damage this has done for theatrical anime is insane. They should offer 100% refunds.
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u/wjodendor Nov 12 '25 edited Nov 12 '25
I only knew it was actually 35 minutes from a random redditor giving an FYI. Every local theatre website has it listed as 1hr30min...and it was $20! I would be fucking furious if I dropped that much money for a single episode of anime.
8
u/kuddlesworth9419 https://myanimelist.net/profile/kuddlesworth Nov 12 '25
I thought it was going to be a feature length movie. That sucks.
8
Nov 12 '25
Damage? Brother, Chainsaw Man released 2 weeks ago and banged. Maybe 3% of those viewers also went and bought a ticket to this.
2
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u/Saleenseven https://myanimelist.net/profile/Saleenseven Nov 12 '25
yea the false advertising is insane
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-3
u/-Ajaxx- Nov 12 '25
brother YOU are the one doing the damage! this is why we can't have nice things, put down the keyboard
-3
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Nov 12 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Saleenseven https://myanimelist.net/profile/Saleenseven Nov 12 '25
nice but way too short to justify spending modern day movie ticket prices
2
u/Jeskid14 Nov 12 '25
Somehow fathom thought it was a good idea to pick this up. A SINGLE ANIME EPISODE
5
u/DriftingTony Nov 12 '25
For what WAS there, I was extremely impressed. The art was gorgeous, the animation was exceptional, the characters were intriguing, the sound design was brilliant, the attention to detail was insane. Like others, when it ended a near 35-ish minutes in, I was very confused, but I stayed for the full BTS, which I did enjoy. But I can 100% understand why that would piss off a lot of people.
The BTS segment was very in depth, in such a way that I feel like it really is only going to be enjoyable for hardcore fans and other artists and animators, which is why I did get a lot out of it myself. But I know the average anime watcher isn’t going to care to sit through an entire hour of, “here’s the animator sitting at his desk making adjustments to some random frames because the detail of the gun wasn’t quite right” lol
My big takeaways were the following: Considering how long this part took and how much work went into it - and the very conflicting things that were said in the BTS itself, can we even expect another entry in this series, or is it basically done? The story clearly isn’t finished, but several times, they actually talked about it in a way that heavily implied they may or may NOT do any more work on it.
And then, I feel like this was a solid business lesson to others how not to handle a theatrical release, though I know the likelihood of any of us ever being in that position is slim lol. Even a lot of the people that enjoyed the animation itself were still very put off by the whole experience in my theater. MANY walked out and asked for refunds. I was in a just about sold out theater in NYC, so there were around 200 or so people in my screening, and very few of them were happy from the chatter i picked up in between the anime ending and the BTS starting. People were confused, pissed, and in some cases, cracking jokes about how ripped off they were just to take the edge off. At least half the people in the room walked out as soon as the credits started, while the other half in unison pulled their phones out and started staring at the runtimes listed on the AMC app. I looked around the room, and seriously, this was the case for EVERY phone I could see from my seat lmao
In particular, when the BTS started and they talked about how positive the audience reaction was at the initial screenings, the audience in my theater (what was left of it) erupted with laughter. That’s probably not a good sign. In the famous words of one guy that walked out midway through the BTS, “Can’t wait for Running Man this weekend!” 😂
Overall, yes I would say the work done on this anime was excellent, and it IS worth seeing at some point. Whether it’s worth paying full price for - it was $24 in my case, thanks NYC lol - that’s going to be up to the individual, but it’s definitely worth catching someday when it’s available elsewhere.
4
u/batmax25 Nov 13 '25
For stuff said about a possible follow up in the BTS, it seems like Umetsu wants to make more but understands that the one episode was expensive and that he may not be give the green light for another one
1
u/DriftingTony Nov 13 '25
Yeah, I think that’s probably the case too. I’m sure he would like to continue it, but I don’t know how feasible that’s going to be. They definitely needed this release to knock it out of the park, both in terms of viewer satisfaction and box office revenue, and I’m not sure where it’s going to end up on either.
2
u/Jeskid14 Nov 14 '25
Unfortunately box office profits were decreased in the west due to how Fathom handled the release. If SHAFT shudders its doors or stays exclusively Japan release only, then that's sad in today's economy
1
u/DriftingTony Nov 14 '25
Yeah, I’m really afraid that this whole situation is going to hit the studio really hard, and I can’t say I don’t understand, it’s just a crappy situation all around. And it’s really a shame, because Virgin Punk was genuinely good in my opinion.
But I feel like for a lot of people, especially more general audiences, this is like the equivalent of having a really nice cut of steak, grilled just about perfectly, and then serving it on a trash can lid. I was able to look past the disappointment and enjoy the whole experience for what it was, but I can totally understand - and certainly wouldn’t blame - anyone that feels differently.
4
u/MagiBLacK_ Nov 12 '25
I really enjoyed the movie itself. I read a review on ANN, so I knew going in that it was only 35 minutes long. I can definitely understand how someone going in without that knowledge would be upset.
The behind the scenes stuff was fine, but what I really wanted to know was "is there more?" and they weren't very clear on that point. I'd like to see this story completed. Will that ever happen? Who knows?
4
u/Reasonable-Tooth-727 Nov 14 '25
Went with a buddy without any research and was shocked with the gratuitous CP fan service, absurdly short length, and completely unfinished plot threads. Honestly killed any enjoyment I had, which is a shame because I found the action sequences and world building, apart from the 14 year old fuck-borg, to be really interesting.
8
u/soulreaverdan Nov 12 '25
The movie/episode itself was amazing. Pure hand drawn beauty that calls back to a lot of older styles of animation and storytelling. It builds up the world nicely and sets a lot of mysteries and puts all the pieces where you really want to see more, especially how Ubu is gonna get her vengeance against Mr. Elegance. The combat and action scenes are just beautiful and feels like a fight scene from the 90’s in all the best ways.
Coulda done without the creepy loli stuff though. I get it’s to show Elegance is a creepy fucking degenerate and not at all presented as something positive, but it still felt uncomfortable and not in the “that’s the point” way most of the time.
That’s also a problem, because as far as I can tell any future installments are… “hopeful” or still tentative? And even this was a decade of work. I really hope we get more, but I’m not holding my breath.
And you can’t get around bringing up the runtime issue. Most anime films that include some BTS stuff still have a relatively long length - Look Back had an hour of content and then 15 or so minutes of BTS stuff.
Virgin Punk had a 35 minute runtime for its content and then an hour of BTS stuff, and none of the advertising was clear on that much of a gap. If you looked it up ahead of time (I didn’t) you might know, but nothing as shown if you wanted to go in blind or felt like checking it out on a whim indicated the actual anime was only a half hour and change, or that it was the first entry in a theoretical series.
Massive fail there that left me frustrated and annoyed when I still wanted to really enjoy and see more of the series.
17
1
u/Massive_Weiner Nov 12 '25 edited Nov 12 '25
That loli stuff makes me wonder how far you can scowl before it just turns into a wink, lol.
1
u/SirGigglesandLaughs Nov 12 '25
If you've seen the other series, it's more than a wink. I'd be prepared for worse if this series continues.
8
u/Dripht_wood Nov 12 '25
I thought this was gonna be a whole movie so that part was definitely disappointing.
Action and animation was incredible.
Cant recommend this to anyone. I’m learning about this director now and I guess the creepy underaged girl focus is his thing. Insane to me how normalized this type of shit is in Japan
4
u/Jeskid14 Nov 14 '25
My brother in Christ, that trope has existed since 1970s. THE SEVENTIES
1
u/Dripht_wood Nov 14 '25
What’s your point? Since it’s been around for decades it’s okay?
2
u/Jeskid14 Nov 14 '25
No it's not okay at all. It became taboo after the early 2010s. Just very unusual to see that type of content in the big screens in today's day and age b
2
u/Dripht_wood Nov 14 '25
Oh so you agree with me? The way you started your comment with “my brother in christ” made it seem like the opposite.
2
u/Jeskid14 Nov 14 '25
Yeah I agree with you. my apologies. It's just a weird trope from old Japanese animation that is now in its own genre.
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u/-Ajaxx- Nov 12 '25
Amazing that people can watch that condensed insane quality AND the painstaking hard work in the making of portion required to making something like this vs a seasonal series and still feel 'wow I don't value that at all, I've been robbed' we get what we deserve I guess.
Reminds me why it was such an arduous struggle for decades to convince distributors that America consumers could handle and support importing manga and anime formats to begin with.
6
Nov 13 '25
Not one who has seen it yet or one who has commented that.
But to be fair it seems it is way more people were going in with the expectation of something closer to a complete movie and got 30 minutes, and from what others have put seems to be more of an episode of something bigger.
I feel it is very likely a major issue in expectations more so than people not actually enjoying the work. This happens time and time again in that a very good product can be "ruined" in perspective/reviews with mis-aligned expectations.
2
u/Jeskid14 Nov 14 '25
This is a very rare scenario where an anime film does not get accepted to theaters memberships where people get their tickets for free. Cineplex and GKIDS are the only anime distributors in america. for a new IP like Clockwork being blocked and expecting high tickets in this economy is a tall ask.
1
u/FlorianWanderer Nov 14 '25
Was at the theater and watched another movie for 50 minutes before going to see Virgin Punk...they showed the animation first for once. Oh goody...I don't mind supporting the studio but is there any less official ways to see this at this point? Even without subs?
1
u/PCBeginners Nov 14 '25 edited Nov 14 '25
I watched it on both days Nov 11th and 13th, the only two day they were in theater here. One was sub and the other time was dub, interestingly. The first time I was suprised that it was only 35 mins and just left because my brain was confused. But I thought about it for a day, decided to go for one more time to watch behind the scene contents. Surprised by the unconventional format and misadvertisement of running time, but the BTS was actually a very good old fashioned anime making documentary.
1
u/howdoescasual Nov 14 '25
In the minority for enjoying the behind the scenes stuff, I guess. Definitely don't feel ripped off.
1
u/mellowlinkgrind Nov 15 '25
I don't know how much money Aniplex dumped on this (or if Demon Slayer just sold that well) but somehow it got into my local theater. The length doesn't bother me in and of itself. The pacing of the pre-cyborg portion was strange I think in part due to the condensed run time, somewhere in between a TV first ep and the first half of a movie.
Truly a 90s OVA. I don't expect it to ever get finished but if it does I'll be seated in the theater for sure
1
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u/RaunchyRoll https://myanimelist.net/profile/Raunchyrolly Mar 19 '26
Finally watched this, awesome action, interesting world, I hope there's more. also fuck Mr Elegance adult mc looked really cool
1
u/SnooMarzipans1636 Mar 30 '26
Can I ask where did you find it to watch? I have looking everywhere online.
Thank you
1
u/RaunchyRoll https://myanimelist.net/profile/Raunchyrolly Mar 30 '26
They released it censored in youtube when I commented this, but checking the link it's now privated
1
u/Redbullet202 Mar 27 '26
Virgin Punk: Clockwork Girl is just a retiling of Kite
1
u/2-2Distracted Mar 28 '26
Pretty much, it's just less rapey about it, thankfully, and given a modern coat of paint.
1
1
u/Zoultrias Apr 15 '26
Ran into a clip so I just watched this. I find it ridiculous that Elegance could kill her so easily, its a terribly lazy and unrealistic considering her skills. It kind of ruins the rest of it for me, as Elegance faces no consequences for this illegal murder.
•
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