Review for Gungrave: Complete Collection Box Set

Introduction

I must have reviewed Gungrave: Volume 1 some three years ago, and found it to be stylish in the extreme, with a promising story and some interesting characters. But I have to admit that there was one thing that put me off from pursuing the series any further at the time. It was the opening zombie episode. I'm not a fan of horror at the best of times, and of all the sub-genres, zombies are my least favourite. Even though Gungrave immediately went into flashback mode for the rest of the disc, delivering a truly enticing story, the prospect of zombies remained, and I dreaded continuing the show only for them to return in full tedium. Then MVM released Berserk. Berserk also begins with a supernatural episode, only to proceed thereafter with a flashback. Berserk turned out to be one of the most enthralling anime stories out there, and also one of the most annoying, as it ends mid-flashback and never gets back to the original story, and by the end of the series, it doesn't matter that the opening was pure supernatural fantasy, you just want more. Reading more about Berserk, I found that many people describe Gungrave as the modern remake of Berserk; with the difference that Gungrave actually gets past its flashback sequence and gives the story a conclusion. From wavering about the show, it suddenly became one of my must haves, and it's convenient then that MVM choose this moment to re-release the Gungrave boxset at a lower RRP, for those of us who missed it the first time around.


It is an eye opening, vengeance fuelled first episode though, with a young girl named Mika on the run from the mob, seeking revenge against those who killed her mother, a Frankenstein of a doctor driving a massive juggernaut, and a resurrected gunman named Beyond the Grave. All have issues with the Millennion organisation, more specifically its head, Harry McDowel, and the reverse is true as well, as Harry has sent hordes of bioweapons known as Orgmen, relentless zombies, against the three, and mayhem erupts when Beyond The Grave draws his guns, Cerberus.


But there is a lot more to this story than just the mob, the zombies, and the trio seeking retribution. For in life, Beyond the Grave was known as Brandon Heat, and he and Harry McDowel were best friends, growing up as young gang members on the mean streets of a crime-ridden town. The two were inseparable, and had a good, if rough life with their pals Nathan, Kenny, and Jolice, and of course Brandon had the best girlfriend a guy could ask for, Maria. The occasional gang tussle was to be expected, but when 'Mad Dog' Ladd came back to town, and decided to teach a lesson to the punks who had humiliated his younger brother, life suddenly became a lot more lethal for Brandon and Harry, and the fallout even affected Maria. Suddenly the world looked a lot smaller to Harry, and the only way out was to join the Millennion organisation. Of course best friend Brandon wasn't going to let Harry go off alone. Millennion is a crime syndicate that's going places, but as Harry and Brandon work their way up the ranks, they have no idea just how bizarre those places will be, and that they will lead them in different directions.


All 26 episodes of Gungrave are presented across 7 discs as follows…

Volume 1: Beyond The Grave
1. Destroyer In The Dusk
2. Young Dogs
3. Rain
4. Go

Volume 2: The Sweeper
5. Millennion
6. Big Daddy
7. Five Years Later
8. Family

Volume 3: Undead War
9. Dispute
10. Conflict
11. Heart
12. Kind


Volume 4: Die Trying
13. Betrayal
14. Die
15. Harry
16. Letter

Volume 5: The Protector
17. Mika
18. Grave
19. Superior
20. Brother

Volume 6: Erosion
21. Duty
22. Remorse
23. Daughter

Volume 7: To The Grave
24. Last Bullet
25. Then
26. Dusk of the Destroyers

Picture

Gungrave gets a 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer and it is a clear and sharp rendition of a recent anime. Aside from the standards conversion and digital banding that affects all anime transfers to some degree, there is little to complain about. The first episode has a stunning visual impact, with a degree of surrealism tingeing events and the animation style reflecting that. The episode has a bleached out unearthly feel to it. The rest of the episodes are a little more down to earth, but they still have a moody feel to them, making splendid use of light and dark to establish an atmosphere. Yasuhiro Nightow's distinctive character designs are evident from the off, and work splendidly in terms of the story.

Sound

You have a choice between DD 2.0 and DTS Japanese as well as a DD 5.1 English track. Optional translated subtitles or signs accompany these. Both language tracks work well, and as usual my preference is for the original Japanese. The surrounds are put to good use for the various action sequences in the show. Dub fans won't be disappointed either, as Gungrave's English audio is one of the good dubs. Although, dramatic series like this one are harder to get wrong, and the mafia setting and the western vernacular is custom made for a US studio to go to town with.

Extras

I received the individual volumes for review, so I can't comment on the boxset packaging. However the discs should be identical, and equally sparse in extra features. Expect the usual animated menus and jacket pictures, and each disc offers production art and trailers for other MVM products. If you want more, you'll have to look to volumes 1, 2 and 7, for textless credit sequences, a promo video, and a promo reel respectively.

Conclusion

I guess that since it took this anime nut so long to get his paws on this series, there must still be some anime fans who are yet to sample Gungrave's delights, even though it has been available in this country for some three or four years now. It would be hypocritical of me to offer a plaintive 'What are you waiting for?' when it's probably the same thing as me. Well, wait no longer, as the price at which this boxset is available makes it an easy purchase, especially when on the day of release, you can pick it up for less than a pound an episode. Gungrave is smart, stylish, epic, and engrossing. It may be a mafia story crossed with a zombie movie, Godfather of the Dead so to speak, but fortunately for my tastes, it's less zombie and more godfather. It's got a really engrossing story, and great characterisations. It's also from that rather fresh and daring period some years ago, during the last anime boom, when creators were taking more chances with their shows, experimenting more, rather than sticking to safe and predictable, as is happening now. This means that Gungrave certainly stands out from the rest, when you think of action shows with a sci-fi bent. It's very much steeped in the lore of the mafia and crime syndicates, in style and atmosphere it feels very laconic and moody, the sort of show that is best served in a smoky room, with low lighting and a glass or two of bourbon.


Gungrave is all about the friendship between two men, Harry McDowel and Brandon Heat, and the way that friendship is torn apart by one man's lust for power and another's divided loyalties. Unlike the average anime series, this isn't a brief tale, and it doesn't focus on teenaged characters. Rather like any good mafia movie, it's a proper epic, told over several years, beginning with Harry and Brandon's rough adolescence as petty criminals in a rundown part of town, to their recruitment to the Millennion organisation, and their subsequent rise to power within that group. Of course there is that moment of betrayal, that blood curdling moment when one friend turns on the other, but that's where the zombie storyline comes in. It turns out that scientists have perfected the art of raising the dead. It's a technology that many groups would like to possess, but it's Harry who gets hold of it first. It's useful for a crime syndicate when your soldiers can't be killed, and they obey perfectly. But it's through that technology that Brandon Heat returns from the dead as Beyond the Grave, and proves that not even death can end a friendship, or settle a grudge.


It's a great story, utterly compelling and the sort of anime series that makes you want to watch just one more episode. But it doesn't quite hit all the right notes with me. Some of it has to do with its videogame origins. I am trying to get past that 'game adaptations suck' stereotype, especially after having experienced so many anime that have made a success of the transition from pixel to cel acetate (or pixel to pixel as it is nowadays), but part of that gaming legacy does taint Gungrave for me. It's that zombie storyline again that does it. You can see in a game where the Orgmen, mass produced obedient zombie army would make great cannon fodder, but it's actually the end of level boss syndrome that annoys me. Part of the technology is Superiorisation, where those who want more power than the Orgmen, but wish to retain their individuality, become super strong monsters. Not only is the story structured that these appearances happen every couple of episodes, just like an end of level, but the effect is to take previously interesting characters, and turn them into caricatures. It does a disservice to what has come before in terms of character development, and it's what I find most disappointing about the show.


But then again, there is that ending. The Orgmen are gone, the caricatured Superiors are gone, and for the final two episodes, it's all about Brandon and Harry. Most of the action has been dealt with, and it's all about character resolution, about interpersonal drama, it's about four decades of friendship, shared experiences, the lust for power, betrayal and vengeance, and it is absolutely gripping. It resolves the story in a totally unexpected way, and is probably one of the best anime conclusions in recent years. Even with my earlier criticism, the ending elevates Gungrave to must own status. It is that good, and I must admit that it is very rare for an anime to get as wholly satisfying a conclusion as the one that Gungrave gets.


Even still, I can't help but compare Gungrave to its inspiration, Berserk, and Yasuhiro Nightow's previous creation, Trigun. Although Gungrave shares a similar narrative structure to Berserk, and has the added benefit of telling the whole story. I don't feel that Gungrave is quite as gripping and brilliant as Berserk. While the characterisations in Gungrave are a cut above the rest, they still pale in comparison to the complex characters that Berserk has to offer. Gungrave also lacks something of the energy and humour of Trigun, although I certainly don't expect a rehash of the comic creation that is Vash the Stampede here. But the thing about Trigun was that the drama and emotional intensity of the story was actually heightened by the contrast between it and the humour. Gungrave lacks that same humour, it's pretty relentless and bleak, a down spiral of two characters who are already pretty low to begin with. While the story is powerful and effective, it doesn't have that same punch that Trigun had when it was firing on all cylinders. Gungrave on the other hand is a good deal more consistent and of higher quality. It certainly never slumps the way Trigun did.


There is a lot to like about Gungrave, and even with my reservations and criticisms of the show, it still exceeds a lot of the shows that are being released currently. It's still more daring and innovative, it's more stylish and atmospheric, and it's still brilliant entertainment. If you haven't yet experienced Gungrave's charms, then this budget re-release of the boxset is the perfect opportunity. Don't wait as long as I did now.