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Well, it certainly has all the trappings of previous "Burn-Up" titles, but honestly, it's not as entertaining.

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Burn-Up Scramble

Angels Attack Assailants

Review by Matthew Anderson

12 Episode TV series

Company: Geneon

Running Time: 100 minutes (4 episodes)

Region: 1-4

Rated: PG-13 (Violence, subject matter, suggestive nudity)

EXTERNAL EXAM

In the Tokyo Police Force, there exists a team of specialists who deal with crimes that are far too dangerous for the regular police. They are called Warriors.

Warrior is by far the most mismatched team of nutcases ever put together. There is Rio, the financially troubled point man who can never find true love. Maya, the trigger happy sniper, and Lilica, a young girl with psychic ability. Led by Captain Maki, the three of them fight a dangerous war against the scum of Tokyo.

That's not all they have to deal with. Rio is constantly being hounded by Captain Yuji, a spoiled rich boy who is convinced that they must be together. Lilica doesn't quite have solid control over her powers, and Maya...well she likes to shoot people.

Heaven help the members of the Underworld!

DVD VISION TEST

VIDEO: This is one good looking transfer. There are no pixels, wrinkles, or blemishes anywhere to be found. This is the benefit of digital based animation. Many of the technical errors of the past are gone.

AUDIO: Both the English and Japanese 2.0 are pretty evenly matched. The Japanese has a little more treble than it's English counterpart. There is a fuller soundstage on the English track, but it's softer than the Japanese.

EDITS: The only edits noted were the use of the clean open and close, and the episode titles are in English.

EXTRAS: The non-credit opening, reversable cover, and a small art gallery make up the meager extras.

WIDESCREEN REVIEW

STORY: Burn Up W is not a brilliant series. It was not made to impress the literate, amaze the anime savvy, or break new ground. What it does do is put a smile on your face, and keep you entertained.

Screenplay writers Jukki Hanada and Sumio Uetake have given us a series chock full of silly situations, over the top action, and enough fan service to make any otaku thank God they are alive.

ACTING: Pretty evenly matched on both sides. While I do miss Amanda Lee (the original dub voice of Rio), Julie Ann Taylor certainly does this new one justice. She whines really well, has good comedic timing, and can switch from happy to pissed off in a flash. Angie Sams palays Maya as a fairly even keeled woman, not a sexually frustrated gun nut. The rest of the cast does well, each playing the part as the character demands.

I was really surprised to learn that it was Megumi Toyoguchi (Yao From Miami Guns) who was playing Rio. Hearing her play such a pathetic character so well, totally opposite from the crazy Yao, it a true testament from her abilities. Like Angie Sams, Rie Kugimiya presents Maya as a very calm and confident professional, with a mean streak.

FAN SERVICE: Burn Up W is fan service. This series is wall to wall titillation, with tight fitting battle suits, even tighter uniforms, and plenty of bouncing bust lines. There is also several "almost" shots of the girls in various states of undress or in the tub.

FINAL EXAM

The "Burn-Up" franchise has got some serious staying power!

One of the first anime VHS tapes I bought was the original "Burn-Up" OVA released by ADV. This 50 minute anime was everything you could want; non stop action, hot chicks with guns, and fan service to the max. While sad it only lasted 1 episode, I was completely hooked. When ADV released "Burn-Up W", a solid check of the title was required. Once again, I reveled in it's violence, laughed at it's physical comedy, and drooled over Rio's bouncing bust line. I loved it so much I started getting "Burn Up Excess" sight unseen. Now, Geneon has brought the latest edition to the "Burn Up" world, "Burn Up Scramble". Is it as good as the previous versions? Does it have the same low brow humor and fan service that is synonymous with this title?

Well, it certainly has all the trappings of previous "Burn-Up" titles, but honestly, it's not as entertaining.

First off, most of our characters have undergone some changes, both minor an major. Rio is still our ass kicking heroine, but instead of money problems, her issues run more toward the relational. Maya is still our trigger happy sniper, but she is more reserved and calmer than the previous incarnation. Out of the three leads, Lilica has undergone the biggest change. No longer a cute, bubbly, rich, hacker chick, this Lilica is a moody, meek, still cute, psychic, with power control problems. Every time she touches Rio, she gets on some kick about the guy Rio lost her virginity to, then winds up apologizing for it, after she gets her ass beat. Not the Lilica I have known and loved.

The supporting cast also has "evolved" as well. The permanently horny, over the top Yuji we know and love is gone. He has been replaced with a suave, sophisticated, and spoiled rich boy. He still has his eyes on Rio, but this Yuji is just one step away from a sexual harassment suit. It was different when Yuji was Rio's equal, but here, he's the precinct captain. Still, she don't take any of his crap. Maki (or Warrior Captain) has become a non entity, only serving to send the girls out on their missions. For all you Nodvil fans, she is completely gone, so you may weep now.

One thing that kept "Burn-Up W" and "Excess" interesting was the running plot line that permeated the two series. There is no such thing here, and I think that's why "Scramble" just isn't as entertaining. While it does have Sumio Uetake from the previous outings, the stories all seem to run pretty similar. Rio is trying to use horoscopes to find true love, or at least trap a man. Something happens, and she spends half her time either whining, or beating up Yuji when he hit's on her again. The police chiefs, who seem even more incompetent than the police department, sends Warrior to stop ninja-esque burglars or ATM stealing pick up trucks, or some such nonsense. This means we get to watch Rio and the girls put on skin tight armor, and go out and kick some but. The denouement at the end of each episode is rarely satisfying, and usually results in Rio in the same position as before. I found myself leaving the room, not caring if I saw the end or not. That's not a good sign.

The animation and the characters designs are very well done, and certainly beat out the other "Burn-Up" series as far as technical abilities. It's just that the color scheme is pretty drab, and the computer aided animation lacks the energy and warmth that the earlier series had. I will say the designs of the battle suits have gotten a lot better!

"Burn-Up Scramble" certainly isn't the worst anime I have ever seen. Far from it. The acting is very well done, the writing is solid, if not a bit predictable, and it does have it's moments of hilarity. It looks good, and it does entertain, but it doesn't keep me interested. Perhaps subsequent volumes will peak my interest, or at least, give me some more jiggle factor!

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