Sumire Takahana and Lucia Nohashi are the focus of the story, and both characters are likeable and interesting in their own ways.  Lucia runs the Venus Vanguard and possesses a strange power in her left eye, which she conceals with an eyepatch.  She's generally blunt and distant, yet shows signs of caring and kindness at the right times. Lucia is especially hard on her partner, Sumire, who is trying to cope with having the sight. Sumire’s hidden power causes her to go into a “berserker mode” whenever she comes in contact with the special anti-virus vaccine.  She's constantly struggling to keep her normal schoolgirl life with her friends and love interests, but maintaining a normal life isn't possible for somebody with the sight.

The ladies are assisted by Mr. Nohashi and Laura, who do the research and weapon development for Venus Vanguard.  Nohashi is a wise father figure who knows a lot about what is going on with the viruses.  Laura is quite the character, as she has the image of a small chocolate-obsessed girl, yet she develops and maintains the weapons. Each character in Venus Versus Virus has their own quirks and problems they have to deal with.

Personal internal struggle is the prominent theme in Venus Versus Virus which seems out of place in an action anime. Venus Versus Virus really isn't that much of an action anime at all.  The action scenes, which are few and far between, are average, at best, and very minimal when they do occur.  The action isn’t bad; it's just expected to have more exciting gunplay or some insane berserker mode craziness. 

The artwork is cute and colorful, and the animation is decent, though noticably awkward a few times.  The English voice-over work and subtitles are well done; however, the dub certainly won't win over anyone from the anti-English dub crowd.  The music usually takes a backseat, but the opening and ending songs are among the catchiest around. Ultimately, Venus Versus Virus is a competent anime with interesting character development.  At only 12 episodes, Venus Versus Virus makes its mark without overstaying its welcome.

Bottom Line: B

Anime 3000 reviews anime, manga, and games based on specific criteria designated by each medium's respective editor. Anime is reviewed on a scale from F to A+. Series or movies that receive a score of A- or above are considered outstanding, B- to B+ recommendable, C- to C+ average, D- to D+ unrecommended, and F terrible.

All in all:  Venus Versus Virus won't be considered a classic, yet it's an above-average series that borrows from a few familiar faces.

The Opening Theme Song:  Needs to make its way into Beatmania and DDR right away.  I'd spend thousands mastering it.

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