Review of Heat Guy J: Vol 2

Introduction

The second volume of Heat Guy J debuts in the UK, and once again presents a wallet friendly alternative for anime fans used to buying their favourite series in small instalments. In the US, the 26 episodes of Heat Guy J were released over seven volumes, but Manga Entertainment are trying a more budget friendly format. This second volume of Heat Guy J actually ups the episode count from before and presents 9 episodes over two discs, replete with Manga`s usual full complement of soundtrack options. Don`t go expecting any extras for that price though.

In the future ocean metropolis of Judoh, androids have been banned. That is with the exception of J, a powerful machine that has been put to work in the City Safety Management Agency`s fledgling Special Unit. Consisting of just three members, Daisuke Aurora who partners J, and Kyoko Milchan who deals with the administration, their mission is one of crime prevention, stopping the worst from happening before it comes to the attention of the police. In the last volume, we were introduced to the future ocean utopia of Judoh, and over eight episodes explored the intricacies of its society. We were introduced to characters like Dr Antonia Bellucci, the scientist who created J, policeman Ken Edmundo, street photographer Monica, and underworld contact Shogun who are friends with Daisuke and occasionally help him with tips and information. We also encountered the Leonelli crime family, an organisation recently inherited by Clair who prove to be a thorn in the side of the Special Unit, as well as the lupine Boma who has his own agenda in the city. In a world where criminals are punished by genetic alteration and the transplantation of animal heads, Daisuke and J will have to keep their wits about them to stay one step ahead.

9. Trust
The rumour going around is that there is a brisk trade in forged passports, something supposedly impossible in the computer-controlled city of Judoh. When Daisuke investigates, what he learns is troubling. Apparently those without family or close friends are kidnapped, murdered, and their biographical data is rewritten to create the forgeries. Daisuke`s investigation also leads to Monica`s mother Christine. Christine spends most of her evenings drowning her sorrows, but lately has been spending time at an illegal smoking club, the same club with links to the forgery ring.

10. Guns
Bomb threats on Central keep turning out to be hoaxes, and the police are tiring of the investigation. Daisuke decides to investigate a nearby military base, where else would a potential terrorist obtain high explosives. J finds evidence of tampering with the inventory, while Captain Valtat Jurgens (retired) takes one look at Daisuke and sizes him up as a potential addition to his family. Daisuke is soon invited to lunch to meet his granddaughter, but it turns out to be a familiar face.

11. Mirage
Roy Bello, an unsavoury individual with a lengthy criminal record has been murdered. He isn`t the first such criminal to meet a violent end, and Edmundo has been assigned the case. All the witnesses identify the assassin as female, and then his ex-girlfriend Alisa Ryan calls him, worried that she is suffering from memory loss. The police quickly assume that she is the prime suspect, and when Edmundo complains, he is suspended. He has no choice but to turn to Daisuke for help.

12. Visitor
The Celestials` ship has docked at Judoh, and it is a time for celebration. It is the Celestials` technology and generosity that keeps the city functioning, and every 18 years they visit to repair and maintain the city`s vital systems. Only Daisuke doesn`t feel like celebrating. He isn`t the only one though, as a Celestial delegation is attacked, 12 of their number are murdered, and the remainder go back to their ship, refusing to come out until the danger has passed. The city`s vital systems will soon shut down, and the metropolis will die. However one of the Celestials has left the ship for his own reasons, and is now wandering Judoh incognito. It`s a race against time for Daisuke to find him, and he is far from the only party searching.

13. Encounter
Clair has got his hands on the Celestial, and the city is beginning to fail. Daisuke`s brother Shun arranges for Clair`s security system to be shut down, but Daisuke only has a few minutes to break in, find the Celestial and get out again before it reactivates.

14. Arrow
A new lead has surfaced in an old case, requiring Daisuke and J to head out of the city and go Offshore, to the independent lands of Siberbia. This case has special meaning for Daisuke as it involves his father`s murder. But on their way out of the city, a Siberbian princess making her way into the city on foot sidetracks them. When she states that she is going to the city to find her grandfather, Daisuke decides to delay the investigation and help her search.

15. Angel
The trip to Offshore still beckons, but before they can leave, Daisuke and J have to deal with Clair Leonelli`s desire for revenge. After having his headquarters destroyed by the pair, Clair has hired some extra heat that are more than a match for J`s android strength. This time Kyoko will have to rise to the occasion and attempt a rescue.

16. Target
An assassin`s bullet finds Shun in his office. Daisuke races to be at his brother`s side in hospital, and waits nervously while his life hangs in the balance. He orders J to take care of the investigation, but without his partner at his side, J is getting nowhere fast. Meanwhile Edmundo decides to put some pressure on the Leonellis, but for once, Clair isn`t behind the hit. Clair needs to put himself in the clear, and orders an investigation of his own, but what he learns jeopardises his whole organisation.

17. Survival
Daisuke and J finally make it to Offshore, and head for the Siberbian village. The smell of nature is unsettling to the city dweller, but the society in the village is practically alien. Individual independence is paramount, cooperation is frowned upon, and offering assistance a sign of shame. Conducting an investigation would appear to be impossible, but in the primitive village based on self-sufficiency, there are signs of high technology.

Video

Heat Guy J gets a 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer, and by and large the transfer is clear and colourful. There is a hint of an NTSC to PAL transfer, and the occasional minor compression artefacts pop up during moments of frenetic motion on screen. The animation is accomplished well, combining 2D and 3D elements to good effect. Heat Guy J has a relatively muted palette, with the show having a bright hazy feel to it. The CGI is combined with traditional animation almost impeccably, with the characters fitting into the environments seamlessly, allowing for some grand camera moves. That said, the limitations of the 2D animation become apparent in quieter moments, during dialogue scenes for instance.

Audio

Manga Entertainment does its usual `filled to the brim with soundtracks` routine presenting DD 2.0, DD 5.1 and DTS Japanese and English soundtracks, with optional translated subtitles. Listening to the Japanese DD 5.1 track, I found it to be fairly vibrant, but not too dynamic. I feel that Manga missed a trick by not subtitling the songs during the credit sequences. The music for Heat Guy J is good though, with a couple of toe tapping credit sequences and some good incidental music. The English dub is one of the better ones, with the voices suiting the characters and the translation natural and flowing well.

Features

9 episodes where you would normally get 4, and you want more?

Conclusion

Heat Guy J proved to be successful when broadcast on MTV in America, and it is easy to see why. It`s an action packed series, with interesting characters and a degree of wit. It`s also a cop show that appeals to a wide demographic. The pairing of Daisuke and J makes for an unconventional partnership, with J something of a cross between the Terminator and Robocop, striving to relate to humanity with the use of trite maxims about how a man should behave. Daisuke is the easygoing hero of the two, rising to all occasions, but managing to stay cool about it. Once again, the stand-alone episodes feature well-constructed mysteries, often with two or more disparate clues coming together to reveal the nature of a crime. The stories do rely on coincidence, but they are put together well enough that it never becomes tiresome.

However this time around, this release actually satisfies more than the first, as the hints and groundwork laid about the world of Judoh, and the back story behind the city`s existence come together to add another layer of interest beyond the cop show. The story takes on an overall cohesiveness as the Celestial ship visits the city, and we learn more about humanity`s history, and the technology keeping the city running. The Celestials are an enigmatic lot, and the revelation that Daisuke`s mother was a Celestial is one that is loaded with portent. We also learn more about the circumstances behind the murder of Daisuke`s father, when he is given the opportunity to avenge his death. Yet the arrival of the Princess in Arrow forces Daisuke to re-evaluate his desire for vengeance when he sees it through the eyes of someone else. Meanwhile, Clair`s actions as head of the Leonelli family become ever more irrational, and his desire for vengeance against Daisuke leads him to put his own position in danger.

The final two episodes in this set kick the story up a notch, with the attempt on Shun Aurora`s life unleashing upheaval in the Leonelli organisation, and meaning trouble for Clair. The final revelation of who is actually responsible for the attack on Daisuke`s brother opens a whole other can of worms. Then, when Daisuke and J finally do leave Judoh for their mission in Siberbia, they not only get an external perspective on the city, Daisuke learns an important piece of his past, just who was responsible for his father`s murder. It all points to a final volume that will be electrifying.

Heat Guy J is certainly not the pinnacle of anime. It hasn`t the visual flair of a show like Texhnolyze, or the narrative complexity of something like Paranoia Agent. It`s certainly no Ghost In The Shell either, but what it does do brilliantly, is provide entertainment. The buddy cop show styling of Daisuke and J make for dependable characterisations, the action is well executed, the story while straightforward, does remain eminently engaging and the proceedings are treated with a lightness and amusement that make the show universally accessible. Heat Guy J is fun, and these episodes are easy to watch.

Manga Entertainment have to be commended in releasing the series in such a value for money form. Watching anime in such a hefty chunk is much more satisfying than the occasional nibble. That economy alone would make Heat Guy J worth recommending, but the added bonus that this is such a good show makes it irresistible. If you are an anime fan, you have to have this series on your shelf. And if you are looking for that first hit of anime, then there is no reason not to start with Heat Guy J.