Plot: What’s it about?
The world has become a dark, dangerous place, but in the darkness, one city is even more pitch black than the others. In this city, a scientist works hard to revive a dead man, a man who seems to have immense power. He is tall, strong, and well built, but his face is expressionless and his body is lifeless. This is because he has died, taken down in some battle no doubt, but this scientist is determined to bring him back. He is also helping a woman on the run, as she hides out from some powerful mafia players. After some intense work, the man is revived and given the name Beyond the Grave, which makes sense, I suppose. The young woman, Mika is quite drawn to the man, though he has little to say and shows minimal emotions. Grave is driven however, driven by a consuming drive to return to his former life. So he and Mika set off to put the pieces together, which starts at his old house. The journey continues in dramatic fashion, when a visit to a graveyard becomes a mirror into the man’s tortured past. He and Mika soon spark a connection, but when the mafia agents finally track her down, she is taken. Now Grave has a target for his rage, as he seeks to take down the mafia and in the process, reclaim Mika as his love.
I don’t watch a lot of anime, but when a series looks like it has some potential, I make sure to give it a chance. In the case of Gungrave, I’d been looking forward to the release of this first volume, as the series looked like it could be a classic one. I liked the basic visual designs I had seen, plus the promise of endless gun battles was there. After all, the artwork all focused on guns and the synopsis on the case listed little else. As the first episode began, all of my wants were delivered, in over the top, testosterone soaked, million bullet gun battles. This could be one of my favorite anime series ever, if the action could maintain this level of excellence. But alas, Gungrave isn’t an all out action series and soon enough, the focus moved over to a more standard, dialogue driven approach. I don’t mind dialogue or exposition, but I did want a return to the action at the same level as the opening, which never came about. The later volumes could revert to the awesome action sequences, once the bulk of the story is out of the way, but these episodes are all talk. Then again, a lot of anime evolves in later installments, so perhaps Gungrave will as well. This volume contains the first four episodes, as well as a couple of minor supplements. I’m not totally sold on Gungrave just yet, but it has some potential, so a rental is probably the best option.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a newer series, so the visuals are quite impressive here, thanks in part to a dynamic presentation. The prints are in pristine condition, with no grain, marks, or debris, which makes sense, like I said, this series is a recent release. The visuals have a darker edge, but contrast is smooth at all times and detail remains solid, even in the darkest of sequences. The colors are quite bold and bright, though sometimes the hues tone down a shade. But these shifts in richness are called for by the material, so don’t think they indicate flaws in the treatment. In the end, these episodes look excellent and I hope future episodes continue to look this great.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio here was a real surprise, with 5.1 surround tracks in both Dolby Digital and DTS options, not a common find in anime releases. I mean, most anime is simple stereo and even newer series rarely have 5.1 surround audio. So the presence of these high end soundtracks, in the original Japanese no less, was a nice surprise. The audio is potent, but not quite as explosive as a normal movie soundtrack would be. No worries though, as the surrounds are put to work and the result is a dynamic experience. The gunshots pack a nice wallop, while other battle and action sounds ensure you’ll feel in the thick of the fights. The dialogue is smooth and tight also, with the choice between the original Japanese or English, the former of which is recommended. All in all, a wonderful audio treatment, so let’s hope for more DTS anime soon. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround option, as well as optional English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some conceptual artwork, as well as creditless opening and ending sequences.
