|
If I was to say the Burst Angel is a sci-fi action anime featuring big robots and beautiful gun toting women you would be forgiven for thinking that it is another studio jumping on the already overcrowded girls n guns bandwagon. But dismiss this series at you peril, because if this volume is anything to go by, it's going to blow the rivals out of the water. Burst Angel is set in a dystopian future Tokyo (no, wait, give it a chance...) where crime has risen so much gun ownership is legalised for the citizens protection. To combat the crime on an official level a new heavily armed enforcement agency known as RAPT issue summary justice from a gun barrel, dealing swiftly and fatally with those who break the law. In the midst of this chaotic city operate a group of female bounty hunters - Jo, Meg, Amy and Sei - who operate Charlie's Angels style for an enigmatic boss. A trainee chef looking for a part time job may have wished he looked elsewhere after becoming their cook, but before you think this is going to lead to all kinds of comedy shenanigans, think again. The chef acts as our entrance to their world but is by no means the focus of the story, which is the first refreshing thing you notice. After that it just gets better. I was expecting busty young women shooting everything, I was expecting comedy interludes and romantic misunderstandings, I was expecting another flashy series with some ropey CGI. But instead Burst Angel is an intelligent, superbly animated and serious actioner. The opening scenes are simply breathtaking, featuring a battle between two CGI robots, one of which is an awesome, massive amalgamation of scrap metal. The CGI is stunning, the battle is stunning, and from here on in you know Burst Angel will be good. As you would expect from a Gonzo series the animation, design and music is excellent throughout, and the CGI and normal animation blends together near seamlessly. The characters are great and the story is slow burning and intriguing, there are a lot of questions popping up already that I really want to know the answer to, especially about the enigmatic Jo. There are a few things which may not be to everyone's taste - it can be surprisingly gory when it wants to be and Meg, a busty redhead that dresses as a cowgirl, doesn't seem to do much except get captured and look pretty - but there is a lot more that will be. It has depth! It has intrigue!! It has interesting characters!!! It has an engrossing story!!!! It has a big robot called Django!!!!! I know I'm waxing lyrical about Burst Angel, but it deserves the praise. I was ready to see another enjoyable but average series but it exceeded my expectations across the board. It may be that the comedy and romance will happen, it may be that it gets more predictable over the course of the next 20 episodes - it has a high standard to maintain after all - but at the moment I find myself extremely impressed. Burst Angel vol 1 is awesome, it simply oozes style and blows away its rivals in the action stakes. Preorder it now, this is going to be one of the biggest series of 2006. Extras: The trailers and textless songs may be pretty standard, but the inclusion of several truly bizarre Burst Angel radio show episodes is a unique and surprising sight. Many popular anime are backed up by radio shows and audio dramas in Japan, but these quirky spin-offs never make it overseas so their inclusion here is interesting to say the least. The shows themselves are extremely bizarre but are well worth a listen - where else can you hear Japanese voice actresses claim to be Gary Oldman, do tongue twisters and impersonate kitchen appliances..? Ratings Feature:
|
