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Information

Title (English) Gungrave

Title (Japanese) Gungrave

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Fantasy Novel

Notes

Classification -

Synopsis

Review Betrayal and revenge; that's an old theme in story and film. We had it in "Cowboy Bebop" a few years ago, "Desperado" a few years before that, and long before that, in "Duel in the Sun" back in around 1940. So when someone brings out yet another show with that theme, it's fair to ask what are they bringing new or unique to the concept.
"Gungrave" is a new TV Tokyo late night anime series that is based upon a "shoot 'em up" game from a couple of years ago and has at its heart a story of revenge between two former friends. We know that this is the underlying theme of the series because it is shown to us quite clearly in the opening animation, the body of the first episode, the ending animation, and even in the previews for the second episode. This theme, while certainly not done here in a subtle manner, isn't bad in itself, but relies upon the delivery of the rest of the story to differentiate it from all its predecessors. So how is the delivery?
Well, as might be expected from an anime that was developed from a shooting game, "Gungrave" has lots of shooting from the very start. Again, that in itself isn't inherently bad � see again my references to CB and "Desperado" � when done with style and panache. But what about the style of "Gungrave"? Well, what we have in the first episode is a show that looks like "Hellsing" and is paced like "Kikaidar" - mad scientist, orphan girl and all.
In some future post apocalyptic world run by criminal syndicates, a mad scientist revives the long dormant (dead?) body of former criminal Brandon Heat, who was betrayed by his old friend Harry who now runs the local crime syndicate. The mad scientist has renamed Heat, "Beyond the Grave" and is increasing Heat's original super strength with even greater powers through various bio and mechanical enhancements. "BtheG" has also been equipped with some very large and very powerful guns to allow him to blast away all the monsters that the crime syndicate has developed. BtheG starts off being very shaky but is able to blast away a bunch of monsters during the first couple of minutes of the episode. He then wanders around aimlessly for a while before running into mobsters with an even bigger monster, and proceeds to blow them away too.
Wait a minute - that's not quite a fair description. Because in the second encounter BtheG doesn't shoot up the mobsters, only the monster. Hmmm, I wonder, is this to show some "human" side emerging from the remains of the old Brandon, or just an attempt to try to ease past the rules for violence in kid's shows for future potential North American distribution?
Okay, in summary, the first episode of "Gungrave" sets up the premise for a series that looks like it will take an old theme and milk it for all that its worth in a very unsubtle manner, while filling the time with lots and lots of game-style shooting and presenting characters who are neither likeable nor sympathetic. At the same time the animation is quite murky � I can't really tell if that is being done for "mood" or again in an attempt to minimize the impact of the violence. There is nothing innovative here in the initial delivery or in the promise for the rest of the series. If you really enjoy shoot 'em up games, you may well like "Gungrave", but I can't imagine that it will deliver more than what we see in the first episode.
(Dave Baranyi)

Credits

Episodes

Release

TV Showing See the whole series for free? This series may be syndicated to regional cable, satellite or terrestial TV stations. For Europe click here.

Date 2003 Oct 6 -

Production

Broadcaster TV Tokyo

Animation Madhouse

References & Help Look up the latest data on this title at:
Richard Llewellyn's Animated Divots, or
Anime News Network (see Encyclopedia section) ,
or in "The Anime Encyclopedia" (Clements & McCarthy, Stone Bridge Press, 2001).
Help & further information.

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Information
Title (English)	Gungrave
Title (Japanese)	Gungrave
Advertising Fantasy Novel
Notes
Classification	-
Synopsis
Review	Betrayal and revenge; that's an old theme in story and film. We had it in "Cowboy Bebop" a few years ago, "Desperado" a few years before that, and long before that, in "Duel in the Sun" back in around 1940. So when someone brings out yet another show with that theme, it's fair to ask what are they bringing new or unique to the concept. "Gungrave" is a new TV Tokyo late night anime series that is based upon a "shoot 'em up" game from a couple of years ago and has at its heart a story of revenge between two former friends. We know that this is the underlying theme of the series because it is shown to us quite clearly in the opening animation, the body of the first episode, the ending animation, and even in the previews for the second episode. This theme, while certainly not done here in a subtle manner, isn't bad in itself, but relies upon the delivery of the rest of the story to differentiate it from all its predecessors. So how is the delivery? Well, as might be expected from an anime that was developed from a shooting game, "Gungrave" has lots of shooting from the very start. Again, that in itself isn't inherently bad � see again my references to CB and "Desperado" � when done with style and panache. But what about the style of "Gungrave"? Well, what we have in the first episode is a show that looks like "Hellsing" and is paced like "Kikaidar" - mad scientist, orphan girl and all. In some future post apocalyptic world run by criminal syndicates, a mad scientist revives the long dormant (dead?) body of former criminal Brandon Heat, who was betrayed by his old friend Harry who now runs the local crime syndicate. The mad scientist has renamed Heat, "Beyond the Grave" and is increasing Heat's original super strength with even greater powers through various bio and mechanical enhancements. "BtheG" has also been equipped with some very large and very powerful guns to allow him to blast away all the monsters that the crime syndicate has developed. BtheG starts off being very shaky but is able to blast away a bunch of monsters during the first couple of minutes of the episode. He then wanders around aimlessly for a while before running into mobsters with an even bigger monster, and proceeds to blow them away too. Wait a minute - that's not quite a fair description. Because in the second encounter BtheG doesn't shoot up the mobsters, only the monster. Hmmm, I wonder, is this to show some "human" side emerging from the remains of the old Brandon, or just an attempt to try to ease past the rules for violence in kid's shows for future potential North American distribution? Okay, in summary, the first episode of "Gungrave" sets up the premise for a series that looks like it will take an old theme and milk it for all that its worth in a very unsubtle manner, while filling the time with lots and lots of game-style shooting and presenting characters who are neither likeable nor sympathetic. At the same time the animation is quite murky � I can't really tell if that is being done for "mood" or again in an attempt to minimize the impact of the violence. There is nothing innovative here in the initial delivery or in the promise for the rest of the series. If you really enjoy shoot 'em up games, you may well like "Gungrave", but I can't imagine that it will deliver more than what we see in the first episode. (Dave Baranyi)
Credits
Episodes
Release
TV Showing	See the whole series for free? This series may be syndicated to regional cable, satellite or terrestial TV stations. For Europe click here.
Date	2003 Oct 6 -
Production
Broadcaster	TV Tokyo
Animation	Madhouse
References & Help	Look up the latest data on this title at: Richard Llewellyn's Animated Divots, or Anime News Network (see Encyclopedia section) , or in "The Anime Encyclopedia" (Clements & McCarthy, Stone Bridge Press, 2001). Help & further information.