Review of Gun X Sword: Vol. 3 - Separate Ways

Introduction

MVM are busting out volumes of `Gun X Sword` faster than an LA County Sheriff can throw a spoilt and rich amateur porn star out of jail; the review for volume 2 had barely any time to bask in all its haphazardly-written glory when volume 3 landed on the doormat. So we`re now halfway through the series, episodes 9 through 12 to be precise, and by either sheer coinkydink or clever pre-thought DVD volumising strategies, this volume feels very different to the previous two. If you don`t know the story by now, then you`re a little late to the party, and a cleverly disguised revision of the disc synopsis is likely to do little to rectify this. But here it is anyway.

The glum Van, the ever-chipper Wendy and Joshua - the annoying stray that hitched itself to the protagonists` star at the end of the last volume - are still on the trail of the dastardly supervillian Claw - murderer of wives, kidnapper of brothers, kicker of puppies and eater of babies. This leg of their journey takes them through Carmen 99`s hometown, the raising of an ancient relic from the ocean and some pirates, and - explored over two episodes - a long wait at a train station where the intentions of old friends and new enemies come into focus, as Wendy finally catches up with her missing brother Michael.


9. Carmen Returns To Her Hometown
10. Thank You Ocean
11. Where The Goodbyes Are
12. The Days of No Return

Video

A top-notch 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer, probably the best you`ll see that doesn`t have the words `Ghost` or `Shell` in the title. Beautifully crisp and brilliantly hued with deeply saturated chroma and great contrast, `GXS` sports one of the brightest, most vivid colour palettes outside the works of Miyazaki. There`s a fleeting hint of aliasing now and again, but you have to try really hard to care. What may not be to everyone`s tastes is the choice of character design for Van, which is a sort of amalgam of traditional action anime design and the elongated, disproportionate characters that designer and director Masami Obari (`Virus Buster Serge`, `Fatal Fury`) likes to employ. But Van is the only main character to be drawn this way, if flashbacks of `Virus Buster Serge` and its overstated body models and gangly legs come crashing back to haunt you. All in all, `GXS` is a particularly stylish looking anime, particularly the anime-meets-James Bond opening credits, and the transfer is difficult to fault.

Audio

Your choices are three-fold when it comes to soundtracks. A native Japanese DTS 5.1 or Dolby Digital 2.0, and an English dub presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. The surround tracks are excellent. There`s sufficient directional implementation to remind you anime can do something special with 5.1 when it comes to travelling a soundstage, the dialogue is exceptionally clear through the centre, and both the DD and DTS really know how to work a sub-woofer with the show`s gamut of various explosions, thuds and crunches.

The English translation from Californian dub house New Generation Pictures is spot on, and for the first time in a long time succeeds in representing a teenage girl in anime without having her sound either inherently whiny and annoying or shy and reserved. Wendy`s dub is full of youthful exuberance and character, and although Van is a stock tough-guy-loner, all terse and laconic, his performance doesn`t sound samey or feel overly contrived. As the show is set on an Earth-like planet with English featuring exclusively in the signposting and in towns, the English track could be considered the lead track in this instance.

Features

Gun X Sword-san reaches episodes 5 and 6 and is a short but sterling micro-series. Other than that, it`s MVM by numbers - a drama CD trailer, a selection of trailers for other MVM discs and an art gallery.

Conclusion

No sooner is a call made for `Gun X Sword` to perhaps consider bucking its trend of predictability than is it answered. In volume 3, a surprisingly action-lite selection of episodes, `GXS` abandons the incessant need to end each episode with a massive Armour battle, instead taking the opportunity to present some character-focused instalments which go a long way to progressing the main over-arcing story of the show - the hunt for Michael and The Claw. Despite being stand-alone in nature, the first two episodes each have a significant correlation to the final two episodes; a 50-minute exploration of why they`re on this journey punctuated with some significant exposition dumping that answers a lot of questions about the `mythology` of the show - the nature of the planet of Endless Illusion, the origin of Dann of Thursday and so on. The disc is a much needed departure, yet a solid continuation of a straight-forward series that`s fun without being shallow or soulless.

However, if you`ve had a cursory glance at the score (and of course you have), you`ll notice that the content is batting below average compared to previous instalments. The reason for this is quite simple: the first two episodes kinda suck. Not suck in a "I`d-rather-be-plucking-my-toehairs", `Ikki Tousen` kind of way, but in a dull, `nothing much happens and when it does it`s pretty uninteresting` manner. They`re not without their merits - there`s the introduction of a particularly humorous antagonist with a funny little moustache - but they`re wishy-washy, anime by numbers stuff. The first episode explores Carmen 99`s history during a sojourn to her hometown, but as a bit-part supporting character whose modus operandi is unannounced and infrequent drop-ins, she could use a little foreground before we go off giving her a background. So too is episode number two lacking in real purpose, other than another town, another stop-over, and one of the few occasions on the disc for Van to suit up in Dann and kick some bad guy derrière, only this time lacking real interest, and seeming as merely an excuse to introduce a large McGuffin which plays a part in episodes three and four. Episodes 1 and 2 essentially lack the sparkle that has marked out `GXS` as a great show despite its occasional run-of-the-millness.

But if the first half of the disc is a disappointment, then the second half is a cracker, particularly episode 4 which ends on a mother of a cliffhanger. Wendy catches up with the brother, but all is definitely not as it seems as the mysterious Claw finally becomes more than a catchy nickname and a shadow in flashback. Several new enemies with serious implications are introduced, a charismatic ally from the past makes a return and several strands of the story bleed together in a fascinating narrative crux which, of all things, is set during a dull wait in a train station. The mis-steps in the first half are all but forgiven as the disc delivers an ending making the next volume of `GXS` something to look forward to. And after all, even the greatest series` of all time are known to make a boo-boo or two in their run. Give `GXS` some love, it deserves it. And what`s a point between friends?