Vandread: the Ultimate Collection
(Funimation, 760 minutes)
http://www.funimation.com/vandread/
Studio Gonzo has been known for its varying degrees in quality in anime. For every Samurai 7, there is a Dragonaut that keeps the studio from truly breaking out as one of Japan’s best. There was once a time when it seemed that the studio could do no wrong, delivering multiple series that ranged from good to fantastic as evidenced by the 2000 sciene fiction anime effort, Vandread.
The series was originally licensed by Geneon in 2002 before the company folded, leaving Funimation to pick up the title in one of its many rescues. With this newest release fans are treated to an economically savvy release, with both the entire series plus its two never before released OVAs packed together in one set.
While the series is a mix of sci-fi and comedy, at its core it’s about the story of Hibiki Tokai, a lowly third class citizen trying to prove that there is more to him than just his class distinction. While sneaking aboard a military vessel, he is captured and prepared for execution, only to escape when mankind’s worst enemy attacks, women. You see this is an intergalactic battle of the sexes, with the fate of the universe on the line. Eventually one thing leads to another, and Hibiki finds himself the allying with the women and becoming a savior of sorts, gaining a harem in the process.
Hibiki it seems, is the only one capable of piloting an experimental mecha that has the ability to merge with the women’s own ships, setting up for jokes on sexual innuendo that start out as funny but grow tiresome as the series progresses.
The episodes start out pretty formulaic, taking the route of having a “monster of the week” format. Luckily, the outlandish characters act as a saving grace, breaking up the episodic nature until we get to the real meat and potatoes of the show. This format holds true for the second season as well and would be best viewed only a couple episodes at a time.
The OVAs are primarily recaps of the first and second seasons with new animation sprinkled throughout. They are presented with only Japanese audio for an option and while they wouldn’t stand on their own as a valuable release, their inclusion here is appreciated.
The picture quality is excellent with colors popping off the screen and grain held to a minimum. Considering that this is only a ten year old show, it should come as no surprise that this is a very nice looking series. The dub quality on both sides is satisfactory with neither one outdoing the other.
From top to bottom, Vandread is an undeniably fun show. While the series does drag at times and the jokes run a bit thin, its great sense of energy and humor coupled with unique characters make it worth checking out for fans of sci-fi and situational comedies.
Vandread: the Ultimate Collection - B
No comments:
Post a Comment