▪	RELEASED BY:		ADV FILMS
		▪	ASPECT RATIO:		4:3 FULL SCREEN
		▪	AUDIO:		ENGLISH AND JAPANESE DD 2.0
		▪	RUNNING TIME:		100
		▪	RATING:		TV PG
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		07/17/2007
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		07/24/2007
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		SCOTT CAMPBELL

Best Student Council vol. 4 is aptly named “The Secret Lives of Students.” Much humour and revelation is born from out of the 4 episodes contained in this volume. We find out that there are undercover agents from outside the school investigating what goes on inside. With a bit of work, the covert squad uncovers that the Vice President of the Best Student Council is actually an outsider from a while back, who was send to Miyagami Academy to investigate the President’s family secrets. Even crazier than that, the President has seemingly known all along, but has never asked Kuon (Vice President) to leave because she enjoys her so much as a friend and fellow member of the Best Student Council. Kuon goes through a bit of a turn around and accepts that her purpose there is known but, with a wink, agrees to stay and continue her work (but not with the same drive as before – it seems that she places more importance on the friends she has made there).

With that all figured out, it’s time for a bit more comedy, and a lot less “serious” stuff, as the Covert Squad members and some total wannabes keeps tabs on some odd off-campus antics. There are some very funny moments with the younger students wanting to “help out” with Covert Squad missions, and thus they show up in detective gear and/or bright red and blue ninja outfits, so that they can ensure they are “conspicuous.” If that weren’t enough, the craziest episode on the disc revolves around the foreign exchange student (from Texas, USA no less) having lied to her mother about every aspect of her daily life at school. The Best Student Council must help her cover up her lies to appease her visiting mother – a situation that allows for lots of tongue in cheek humour. Everyone has to dress up as someone they are not and play their part during the visit – it’s funny to see the “higher ups” acting as maids and cooks to the girl in question, and of course to her mother as well. Lastly, the teachers have a couple of secrets of their own – it’s truly a volume full of revelations and realizations for the Best Student Council.

This volume adds a bit of needed depth to the series, but not without the usual laughs and joys that the show is mostly centered around. It’s nice to get to know a bit more about the characters you have been watching – it “fills them out” a bit, and of course presents a better understanding of each one and the motivations behind some previously misunderstood actions. Everything else is still up to par, no catastrophic drop offs in the quality of animation, music, etc. have taken place, so you can have high hopes that this volume will be just as good as the last. Not all anime series can keep up a good face all the way through, but Best Student Council looks like it should make it, especially with the very entertaining little formula it has going for itself.

EXTRAS:
The disc extras include a clean opening and closing animation as well as a look at a few of the Japanese CD promos.

IN SUMMARY:
Best Student Council continues to be bright and colourful, both visually and in the presentation of characters. It’s fun and goofy – light entertainment that we all need once in a while when we don’t want to have to think too much, while still being entertained.