Detroit Metal City has to be the guiltiest pleasure anyone can ever have. It's a dirty romp that takes you down the heavier, darker side of rock music with all the works: sex, drugs, fame and...satire? And here's what makes DMC a great anime.

DMC is an excellent comedy. The story follows a young, mild mannered man named Negishi who has a heart of gold that's full of songs that you'd probably find on Sesame Street. It also follows the devious escapades of a villainous creature from the darkness, the make-up clad death metal rocker called Krauser II, who is the lead singer of an up-and-coming underground band 'Detroit Metal City'. I won't say how the two are related, but you sure will be interested in both their stories. DMC creates an utterly satirical story that is both wonderfully unique and totally entertaining. It certainly drew me right into it.

The art may be a source of complaint from viewers. It has that trademark "indie" look that Studio 4°C is famous for. The characters are ugly, I won't even avoid this. If you're looking for good-looking people with pretty eyes and nice hair and amazing bodies, you won't find it here. Everyone looks pretty much like we normally do. The animation may be immediately pegged as bad, but attention must be carefully paid: it's the anime's style. Small details such as the wind blowing a character's hair were animated, however when the characters move around sometimes, it looks as though they're simply hopping across the screen. It is pretty obvious which detail a viewer is going to notice: the "bad" one. However, it isn't subsequently bad, it was purposefully "bad". It is the style. Not a lot of people may go for it.

And this is where the anime also shines other than its brilliant comedy: the music. DMC has various genres of music: death metal, pop and freestyle rap being some of them. It is clear that attention was paid to the sound of this anime, as the songs are actually very good. Of course, the lyrics are all silly, but the music is great. I am not a fan of death metal, but I am no stranger to it, and I can safely say that the metal compositions in DMC were much better than some of the real death metal songs out there. And the pop songs were actually sweet and bubbly; I was surprised that they weren't theme songs for shoujo anime.

Negishi and Krauser II are the two most prominent characters we see in the anime, Negishi being our protagonist. He actually is quite a developed character, as through the course of the series, he changes and grows, however for better or worse is to be determined. The point is, there is character development. Other background characters are equally entertaining even if they are stagnant. There is Krauser who is such an interesting medley of silly and evil. There's Negishi's love interest, who is surprisingly not swooning over him, Krauser, or any other man in the series. One of my favourites has to be the Death Records Manager--a foul-mouthed, base, corrupt woman who smokes and drinks as though she's on shore leave. And of course, there are the DMC super-fans, groups of people or individuals whose common sense seems shot to pieces when it comes to their favourite band and the music they obsessively love. The best part is the fact that their behaviour is all too real--people like this actually do exist.

DMC is magnificent. It is a superb comedy that satirises music and crazy fans and the showy side of music. It had me laughing from start to finish.

However, a word of warning: this is DEFINITELY not for everyone. For more conservative viewers, I suggest you stay clear away from Detroit Metal City. The humour is crude, it is very politically incorrect, it is violent, it gallivants down debauchery avenue, and if that sort of thing is not your style of comedy, then you will not be enjoying this anime. Also, if you are a death metal fan, you may find it to be offensive, but I must say, it is all in jest and whoever made this series is definitely a fan of the genre because they know the ins and outs of the music, the fanbase and the musicians.

Another thing this anime has going for it, a double-edged sword if you may, is the length. It won't even take you three hours to sit through the entire series; its brevity makes all the jokes never get tired and it keeps a pretty quick, energised pace. Sadly, the shortness also means that it ends faster, and trust me, if you like this series, you'd definitely want more.

If you have a broad mind, are looking for a great laugh and some decent music, and some very smart satire then Detroit Metal City is just what the Krauser ordered you to watch.