▪	RELEASED BY:		FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT
		▪	ASPECT RATIO:		4:3 FULL SCREEN
		▪	AUDIO:		ENGLISH AND JAPANESE DD 2.0
		▪	RUNNING TIME:		100 MIN
		▪	RATING:		TV MA
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		02/26/2008
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		02/20/2008
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		HOLLY ELLINGWOOD

After a dimensional rift ten years ago, the worlds of gods and devils now co-exist with that of humans and there’s one very special school where all three can attend together. Rin is an ordinary guy if somewhat laid back and romantically thick as a brick. He’s been staying with the sweetest girl in the world, his childhood friend Kaede. She’s been helping take care of him since his parents died in the same crash that also killed her mother. Sympathy already is being tugged along the heart strings for these two and they seem like they could be the perfect couple if only Rin would wake up and smell the adoration she has for him. But things get severely complicated when two new transfer students hit the scene. One is the heir to the throne of the gods, the other is the heir to the throne of the demon world and both are Rin and Kaede’s newest neighbors and are claiming Rin as their consort! Now Rin has to choose between the lovely ladies bedeviling his life and for the life of him, he’d better choose fast! Between overbearing celestial fathers and powerful demonic little sisters, Rin’s in for romantic troubles and no amount of prayer can help him this time!

Shuffle is a perfect gem of a romantic comedy. Following along more sedate lines than the racy Pc and PS2 game it was based on created by Navel, the anime still offers a very sexy show with fan service and the most important ingredient: heart. Harem genres in anime are many, but what separates the memorable ones, the good ones, from the mediocre is the amount of heart they put into the show and this has plenty of it. The anime has a lot of fun attaching those heartstrings by showing the various ladies at their best while hinting at troubled pasts that they hide with gentle smiles and caring natures. This is not a façade; all of these girls are absolutely charming. And the show has fun playing with expectations. The celestial angel Sia turns out to be sweet natured but has quite the temper, especially when it comes to having to put down her lecherous father time and again with any nearby chair and pulling a WWE move on him. The devil princess Nerine (Rine for short) is the sweetest girl in the world next to Kaede. Thee two are more angelic than the goddess they live beside. This is amusing to say the least.

The first volume does a wonderful job of showcasing each of the main girls, providing all sorts of romantic comedy and a few hints at drama yet to come. Just what is their tie with Rin? It seems they’ve each met him before but he can’t recall it at all. Rin also has to fight off all sorts of extreme and outrageous groupies for all of the girls who are yearning for his affections. What makes this all the more an absurdist comedy is how utterly witless Rin is to the fact that these girls are interested in him. He’s very platonic in his intentions thus far.  A fourth girl enters the picture when pretty and adorable Rimu shows up. She’s an ultra-shy girl from the demon world that seems to hold one big secret and she really likes Rin. Outside of that main group there is also the mischievous Asa, a fellow classmate and her equally impish friend Kareha. And although not a romantic interest, the hot and blunt speaking teacher is sure to win many fans of the mature female type. Just how will all this play out? It could be anyone’s guess this early in the game. There are no front runners so far in the competition to win Rin’s heart and a whole lot of fun romantic comedy to escape in.

The animation is top of the line with a very glossy and highly attractive look. Each of the girls has a very distinct personality and design that make them stand out. It’s easy to see why they each have groupies! The magical action adds an otherworldly element to the animation and makes it more action oriented than it might otherwise be at times. The true magic however is in the expressive animation itself and heartwarming story that holds a lot of potential than I’m looking forward to seeing followed through on. It has the enchanting charm of Ah My Goddess combined with the risqué allure of Maburaho. 

The score is energetic and pleasing. The opening theme is “YOU” with vocals by YURIA and is a fun and energetic piece. The ending theme “Innocence” has a more slow and quiet quality and is sung by Miyuki Hashimoto.

EXTRAS:
Bonus features include reverse cover art, an exclusive fold-out poster, FUNimation trailers, and clean opening and closing animation.

IN SUMMARY:
Shuffle is sure to win hearts and make tongues wag. Enchanting and sexy, it showcases the best aspects of harem comedies. With gods and devils running romantically amuck, naughty never looked so nice!