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A quick paced and simple story about an evil lab and a boy who was experimented on by unethical scientists. The animation is nice to look at and and the voice acting is good. Fun, pacey action scenes with lots of variety in abilities and powers, and there's some tension towards the middle and end. The look of Baoh as a creature is very interesting and the OVA doesn't shy away from gore or extreme violence. There's nothing particularly remarkable about this OVA by itself- it's a fairly standard 80s OVA- but of course the context of its creator is what makes it notable.

Baoh is ... almost more interesting as an artefact than it is as entertainment. You can see the beginnings of the style and flair which would go into Jojo, but it's still underdeveloped. Additionally, the story has been trimmed down and shorn of some plot elements in order to fit into the runtime and structure of an OVA. This makes it feel a little rushed and shallow. The characters are compelling enough, but are missing the development which was present in the manga (and there wasn't much there, either). The protagonist is astonishingly dull- he's a nice young man burdened by this great power, but he doesn't seem to feel any particular way about his horrifying transformations, nor about the deaths of his parents and his new status. What is he now? Is he going to die? He tends to go along with things as they happen to him, and is rather passive. It also just sort of... stops at the end, with a short eplogue. Nothing really feels like it mattered all that much.

Despite this I think there's enough good here to recommend Baoh. It's a fun watch and compelling enough if you can get around the ethnic stereotyping of native Americans in the second half. Watch out for dying dogs, as per with Araki.

I had actually been recommended this many times, but always skipped over it because I thought the cover and title looked dumb. I was a fool! If you like messed-up superpowers and transformation angst, you'll probably enjoy this. This series is very exciting and fast paced, with beautiful artwork that really develops and matures to the point that it's barely recognisable by the end. The protagonist starets out kind of an unlikeable jerk, and to be frank he's still kind of a jerk by the end, but he's more honest with himself and also a lot more buff.
Criticisms:

I will say, the manga is about ... 70% action and drama, and 30% unabashed porn. If you don't like that, this is probably not for you. There are graphic depictions of rape and sexual assault, as well as showing everything short of actual genitalia. The subplot with the shapeshifter was cool, but felt kind of one-dimensional- it would have been nice to see them experiment with forms other than 'hot girl with big boobs'. Obviously having a character whose superpower is tentacles is pretty blatant, but even then, they didn't really use their powers all that much and it felt like somewhat of a wasted opportunity.

The pacing is so fast that sometimes things feel rushed. Some characters feel poorly developed or as if there are things we could have learned about them if the story took more time to show us. The MC's growth often comes at the expense of others, and this can be frustrating especially at the end. The story can sometimes be a little confusing too on account of how fast it goes. It's very easy to binge-read, however.

I love this show! It looks amazing, the voice acting is top notch, the action is so exciting, and what's more it's got a really great OP. I really like the Arabian inspired aesthetics, it's beautiful.

If you want a straightforward fighting show then look elsewhere. The action in this anime is really an accessory to the story, which is about trauma and friendship and what it means to be strong. The protagonist Arajin is a spineless coward but it's clear that he's become that way out of fear and shame. The supporting cast are all well developed and endearing, and the deuteragonist, Matakara, is ... the real star of the show.

The influence of classic BL manga is clear and there are certainly homoerotic vibes, so if that's something you're not into maybe this isn't for you. The tone is lighthearted at times but the show deals with very deep issues around fear and abandonment. The tone alternates between funny and serious and this is done very competently, so it rarely feels jarring or silly. The protagonist is a bum, but then the story is all about him realising what is important and learning to think of others.

Yeah, it's bad. The concept is okay but the pacing isn't great. The MC is a useless bum who needs to be rescued all the time except when he pulls out his DEMON MODE, which is OP and which he always manages to do at exactly the wrong moment.

Also! At the start they’re like ‘omg king level is the highest level and it’s super rare’ and then the MC literally walks into some random person who turns out to be even higher level randomly on the street?? Like these guys are supposedly so rare and yet he is literally tripping over them?

The animation and dialogue ... reminds me of video game cutscenes, and it ends on a cheap cliffhanger. Conceptually it reminds me of Jujutsu Kaisen with the evil spirit inhabiting the body angle, except way more poorly executed. I wouldn't waste your time with this.