Beppu Yugo is one of the world's finest private negotiators. His mastery of multiple languages, psychology, and his iron will set him apart from others in his trade. He has a proven track record of successful negotiations in tense situations where most others fail. Now the negotiator's skills will be put to the ultimate test as he goes up against fundamentalist terrorists in Pakistan.
The 2004 broadcast series Yugo the Negotiator is based on the long-running manga Yugo by Shinji Makari and Shuu Akana. Yugo Beppu will travel anywhere to resolve a crisis peacefully. He's polite to Third World informants, gallant to mistreated women, and impervious to pain. When a tearful girl begs him to free her father from the guerilla band that's holding him for ransom in Pakistan, Yugo accepts, even though he won't earn much. Neither Yusuf Ali Mesa's guerillas nor the Pakistani army want the freelance negotiator involved: they both beat the sushi out of Yugo. Although the storyline feels depressingly contemporary, Yugo plays like a retread of numerous anime adventures. The extras include very brief interviews with some of the Japanese artists, and a rambling discussion with a Pakistani consultant. Despite the work of the consultant, the script refers to Mera's crew as "dacoits," who were 19th-century robbers, not guerillas. (Rated TV 14 VL, suitable for ages 15 and older: violence, violence against women, sexual situations, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon