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R2 DVD Reviews
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Written by maehara
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Sunday, 09 September 2007 17:00 |
 Van & Wendy continue their search for the Claw, along the way meeting a potential new ally (if only he wasn’t so obsessed with vengeance), carrying out some work on the side for Carmen99, and kicking back in a holiday resort. But now the Claw is almost within their grasp...
5 - Twin's Guards
Van and Wendy have been travelling through a barren valley - for long enough now that Wendy's convinced they've made a mistake in coming that way, until they encounter what seems to be an underground city of some sort. No normal city, though, but a city where everyone has a twin. The city's population has split down the middle, one of each pair of twins on each side - and with the leaders of both sides being engaged in a long-running family feud, the two sides don't get along. Unfortunately for Van, Carmen99's volunteered Van's services as "bodyguard" for one of the sides - although it's more a fight to the death with the opposing side's bodyguard than a protective role. When he's promised information about the Claw as his payment, though, Van becomes willing to play along - but his opponent's no pushover...
6 - Light my Fire
Our wanderers have arrived in the resort town of Harbor Parade - and no sooner have they arrived, than Van's on the wrong end of an attempt to steal his Armor, as local lovebirds Honey Cherry and Muscat need some quick cash to finance their wedding. Did I mention this town was Endless Illusion's version of Vegas? Van sees off their first attempt easily enough, but they're not going to give up without a fight. All the attention means Van isn't really in the holidaying mood, but he soon finds himself warming to his new adversaries...
7 - The Vengeance Within
Having let the Claw slip away from so close to them, Van's determined to catch up with him again. Fortunately, a local boat owner claims to have known where he went - but instead of taking them where they want to go, Wendy and Van find themselves abandoned on the private island of one Joe Lutz, and with the next boat due to visit the island not expected for another 10 days, they have an unexpected holiday on their hands - something that Van's not happy about. While their host appears to be as helpful as he could possibly be, though, there's something not quite right about the situation...
8 - Bound by Blood
A path through the mountains brings more than its fair share of surprises, in the form of dragons in the mist - and a young boy named Joshua, a young boy who leads Wendy and Van to safety in a nearby cave. The dragon's an Armor, and one that's not going to be easy to get past - until Joshua's big brother arrives with his own Armor to clear the way. The Armor is Volcain - as piloted by Ray - and realising that connection immediately turns Van against having anything to do with Joshua. Wendy's another story, though - the longer she stays with Joshua, the more she gets to like him. Meanwhile, Ray and Van find themselves woring together to defeat the dragon Armor...
Let’s get the fun stuff out of the way first. Gun×Sword does have a sense of humour, and it gets put to good use again in episode 6, courtesy of Honey Cherry and Muscat. The tone of the episode is similar to the sentai episode on the previous volume – you can’t really take it seriously, as it’s so over-the-top – but it’s great fun to watch. The last few moments of the episode also provide Van with what may be his closest encounter with the Claw so far, although he doesn’t realise that until it’s too late and his arch-nemesis makes a clean getaway.
We may not get to see the Claw in person, but his handiwork is strewn around the disc. Episode 6 introduces Ray Lundgren, who like Van is determined to track down the Claw and avenge the death of his wife. He’s become quite the twisted one and has allowed his desire to vengeance to completely take over his life, to an even greater extent than Van has, and the result is an instant rivalry between the two – Ray is determined to be the one to kill the Claw, and he’s quite prepared to kill Van to make sure he gets his wish, despite Van’s suggestion that they should really be working together. The two seem destined to meet many more times along the way, especially after Ray’s little brother Joshua joins up with Van and Wendy towards the end of episode 8. Joshua has seen his brother turn from a kind and caring person into something completely different, and is looking for a way to persuade Ray to come home and return to normal life. He’s not having much luck, but tags along with Van and Wendy as he knows he’ll have an easier time keeping track of Ray that way. There’s also a certain amount of chemistry going on between Joshua and Wendy that could maybe lead to a little love interest down the line, which could be curious to see.
Episode 7 is probably the best on the disc, though. Joe Lutz is a reclusive eccentric and comes across as being the ideal host, but it’s no real surprise when it turns out there’s more to him than meets the eye. He does a good job of trying to split Van and Wendy up, persuading Wendy that maybe she’d be best off at home, and speaking to Van about how the desire for vengeance can change a person – sowing the seeds of doubt in both of them that they’re doing the right thing.
It’s nice to see that Gun×Sword doesn’t just concentrate on the Armor action (although there’s plenty of that here too, in every episode) – Joe’s efforts are a subtle attempt at psychological warfare, and an indication that the Claw is well aware that he’s being followed and is doing his best to make sure he stays ahead and puts as many obstacles in his pursuers paths as possible. Depending on how that plays out, it could get a little frustrating (see Inu Yasha’s Naraku for an example of how frustrating the uncatchable villain can be). Based on what I’ve seen so far, though, I’d be hopeful that Gun×Sword won’t make that mistake.
This volume brings the Claw (or at least the ripples caused by his passing) a little bit closer to Van and Wendy, and introduces a few more characters that will have an impact on their search. The stories themselves are all enjoyable, with the action, comedy and character development bases all covered, while the show’s presentation maintains its high standards. Still not the most original of shows, but definitely enjoyable.
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