SUMMARY
In the near
future, little has changed in the world. Wars and politics still control
our lives, while multinational conglomerates conduct their own band of
control. Japan based Gowa Industries is about to introduce the new face of
warfare to the world. Called the Tactical Armor, Gowa industries hope that
this will be the weapons system for the new age.
The Gowa family (led by the incomparable Daizaburo Gowa), has another
agenda. To bring forth a power that can shift the balance of control not
only on Earth, but the universe as well. The key to unleashing this power
rests in the youngest son of the Gowa family, Yushiro, and the dance of
Gasara.
At the same time, a trans-national conglomerate called
Symbol is also working on a similar plan, with their "invatator",
Miharu. They too have developed Tactical Armors, and are supplying a small
Middle Eastern country with these new weapons to defeat a UN peacekeeping
force. Gowa Industries, curious about what Symbol is up to, convinces the
Japanese government to send Gowa Tactical Armors to Belgistan.
Now, Yushiro and the members of the Japanese Special
Self Defense Force are pawns in a conflict that can shape the outcome of
not only Japan, but the entire world.
DVD VISION TEST
VIDEO: Here
is another rave about how great the quality is. ADV seems like they can't
do wrong. Colors are wonderful, much better than the VHS release here in
Japan. Details are strong, and no blemishes. This is to be expected with
such a new series.
AUDIO: Sharp and crystal clear on both English and Japanese. The tank
battle in episode 3 is a perfect example of excellent mixing. Gunfire
everywhere, and good directionality for combat scenes. Music is a little
loud on the English track, but it does not detract from the over all
battle.
EDITS: In a surprising move, the original opening animation for each
episode is left intact. Since it changes episode to episode, it would have
been easy to just pick one, and use it all the way through the series. A
hearty "thank you" should be given to ADV for taking this time
consuming task. The original Japanese titles have been removed, and the
clean open is used.
The Japanese opening statement has been replaced with English, as have the
titles. Other than that, no edits exist.
EXTRAS: The best extras we have seen on a ADV release.
There are tons of character and mecha sketches with information on each.
Text interviews with people involved in the series are also included. The
booklet in this volume covers the Gowa family, and the JSSDF members.
WIDESCREEN REVIEW
STORY:
Gasaraki is a interesting blend of eastern religion, and western intrigue.
The writers (Hajime Yadate and Ryosuke Takahashi) Have done a great job in
fusing Tom Clancy like intrigue with Gundam-esq combat
sequences. While there are a couple of show sections, there
is still plenty of gripping suspense. This series is a worthy successor to
Evangelion, but with out the strange ending.
ACTING: The English cast does a very nice job, although
Chris Patton's delivery of Yushiro is kind of flat. To be fair, the
character does not have a lot of emotional range, so it is to be expected.
The Japanese cast does a great job, but they do sometimes come short on
the emotional level. No one really stands out. Fortunately, no one is
horrible.
FAN SERVICE: Forget about it. If you consider some cheesecake shots and a
body wrapped in spider webs fan service.
CONCLUSION
The latest in Sunrise's arsenal of politically based
robot anime, Gasaraki is a tight political thriller that combines ancient
Japanese folklore with highly technical accuracy.
Volume one takes place in a near future, not too
different from modern day. We are introduced to Yushiro Gowa and the
Japanese Special Self Defense Force, attempting to stop terrorists by
using a new kind of bipedal robot called a Tactical Armor. While this is
the finial test of the Tactical Armor, this is not the end of Gowa
Industries plans. They are going to use Yushiro to bring forth a
mysterious energy during the dance of Gasara. Why, and for what purpose is
not known.
While Gowa Industries works on their plan, we are
introduced to Symbol. Involving themselves in the politics of Belgistan (a
small country in the Middle East), they too are conducting a experiment
with this same energy. Through either fate or design, Gowa becomes aware
of Symbol. Using political maneuvering, and even murder, the Gowa's manage
to bypass the Constitution of Japan and send the Tactical Armors to
Belgistan.
In the middle is Yushiro. Virtually ignored by his
family, with the exception of his sister Misuzu, he seems to exist only to
further Gowa Industries plans. Fairly blank and lacking emotion, he only
seems alive while using a Tactical Armor. It is during the dance that he
forms a psychic link with Miharu, a tactical armor pilot. Some how, she
manages to stop him from completing the dance of Gasara and bringing back
what she calls "the terror". Soon afterwards, Yushiro and the
JSSDF team is on their way to Belgistan, and that is where things get
really complicated.
This is not an anime you can just jump in and watch.
Each episode builds on the previous one, and things get very complicated.
These four episodes will leave a lot of questions unanswered. While this
may annoy some, this will keep most interested, and disparate to get the
next disc.
While there is a lot of political intrigue, the robot
combat sequences are awesome. The battle between UN tanks and Symbol
Tactical Armors in episode 3 is so technically accurate, you will wonder
if Japan really has something like them. It truly shows why bipedal
weapons systems are more effective than tanks.
The only real downside to this series is the fact that ADV
started out with four episodes on this disc, but subsequent discs
have only three. While this is a fantastic series, some of the more
moderate watchers may not feel that this is worth the investment.
The animation is fluid, and fairly well detailed, when
it comes to weapons. The characters, at times, come off as a little too
rough. Since this is only a minor annoyance, I would not worry about it.
Gasaraki is
an highly detailed, well plotted, and gripping political/suspense
thriller. While it may not be for the rock-em, sock-em robot crowd, it
will appeal to those who like their anime intelligent, well written, and
technically accurate.
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