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SUMMARY

Hajiki is your average money hungry kid who lives in the energy starved Night Town.  He has no ambitions other than to make enough to move to Day Town.  Working as a delivery boy doesn't exactly bring in the dough.

Things change when he gets his hands on a mysterious device called a GAD.  When a GAD encounters someone with a strong spirit, it will create a 20 foot robot called a Techode, the physical embodiment of their soul.

Calling his Techode Lightning, Hajiki decides to fight injustice, and right any wrongs he may encounter.

DVD VISION TEST

VIDEO: This is one sharp 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.

EXTRAS: The non-credit opening, original Japanese promos, and a small art gallery make up the extras.  There are supposed to be easter eggs, but I'll be damned if I can find them.

WIDESCREEN REVIEW

STORY:  This is a straight forward story.  Looser boy finds powerful and magical friend, goes after bad people and gets the girl.  Director Hiroshi Nishikiori and the writing staff cover up the typical plot with lots of action.

ACTING:  The cast on both sides do a fine job.  No one really stands out.

FAN SERVICE: The only real fan service is a scene involving a big chested chick going down on a carrot.  No, this is not a euphemism, I mean she is really enjoying a carrot.

CONCLUSION:

Style over substance is the best way to describe Gad Guard.  It looks great, and has a lot of energy, but it needs more.  The best animation in the world won't help overcome shallow characters and contrived plot devices.

In reality, Gad Guard is an anime for children disguised as one for adults.  The characters are all archetypes of good and evil, the plot is repetitive, and the Techode designs make for great looking toys.  Just because it includes some mild fan service and sexual innuendo doesn't mean that this is a show for adults. 

Director Hiroshi Nishikiori covers up the deficiencies of the writing and characterization with lighting paced action.  Every episode is packed full of hyper kinetic battles between all forms of robot.  It's a good thing the animation is good enough to accommodate what they need.

Gonzo once again shows why they are the masters of CG enhanced animation.  The motion is fluid, the CG and traditional elements are seamlessly integrated.  The retro future design looks great, and the animation quality is consistently maintained.

The opening theme is awesome.  There is a vibe, and energy that really fits in with the fast paced action of the show.  After hearing "Boomerang Boogie", there should include more swing music in anime.  

This series would have made a great radio show or video game.  As an anime, Gad Guard is average.  If you need to fill the void left by the end of "Steam Detectives", then this will fit the bill, daddy-o!

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