|
|
Home
|
R2 DVD Reviews
|
|
Written by maehara
|
|
Wednesday, 19 December 2007 16:00 |
 The more you see of the Claw, the more you realise that he’s just a little bit unhinged. When you learn the details of his plan to “save” Endless Illusion from itself, that little truth just becomes even more apparent. Yet who’s the crazy one – the madman, or his followers who remain loyal even after they realise just how far gone their Comrade may be..?
17 - Follow the × Spot
Back on the road, Wendy and Van meet some old friends - Jose, Nero and co (as last seen back in episode 3), who have decided to help Van in his battle against the Claw. They've even brought their armour with them. Carmen's been doing quite a good job of gathering the troops, actually, as the gang's all here - Pricilla, Yukiko, Joshua, and a few more besides, all ready to help fight on Van's side. The only problem is, between them all there's a lot of mouths to feed and equipment to buy - but fortunately Carmen's got a job lined up to take care of that, too. The woman who thinks of everything? You betcha. Their target for this mission is in an area where only women are allowed, so it's time for the girls to go to work...
18 - Prayers are for Saudade
The process of integrating Michael with Saudade continues, and not entirely smoothly - he's just too tense most of the time for the process to work as it should. He's also not quite getting on with some other members of the Original 7. Meanwhile, pressure is growing for the Claw to announce the full details of his plan - even those within his organisation don't really know what he's up to, and the lack of information is beginning to cause dissent in the ranks. He may be planning to bring peace to the world, but what if his method is simply massacring the entire population? One of the lab technicians, trying to learn more, has analysed Saudade's functions, and that seems to be its sole purpose. When Michael learns of this, he's got a decision to make...
19 - Prayer's End
Carossa's decided to take matters into his own hands and go after Van himself - he's hungry for praise, and has noticed that the Claw has always been quick to praise those who die in his service. He seems to have forgotten that thy key thing there is "die" - and Melissa, unable to see her brother doing anything dangerous, has decided to help him in his battle. Van, meanwhile, has other problems - mainly Pricilla's advances, and the jealousy that Wendy's beginning to feel seeing her around him so much. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and the way Van's going, he's on track to scorn two of 'em. Perhaps a little Armor combat is just the distraction he needs...
20 - Wonderful Universe
Van and the gang arrive at the end of the tunnel they'd hoped would bring them to the Claw's base - but while there's a base there, it appears to be abandoned - apart from one of the technical crew, barely alive, and a map that's their only clue as to where everyone else has gone. Van's keen to just get a move on and follow them, but with the other mecha needing repairs and Carmen determined to at least have some idea of what they're about to be going up against, calmer heads win the day and they opt to stay put for a while. Meanwhile, the Claw is finally ready to announce his plans to his people - the beginning of his Time of Happiness is at hand, while Michael and Fasalina pay a visit to Wendy...
From the moment the Claw made his first on-screen appearance, there was the distinct feeling that he wasn’t quite all there – his easy-going, friendly persona didn’t mesh at all with the image of the ruthless killer that both Van and Ray presented of him. With this disc, you get confirmation that that’s true – both from his first on-screen killing & his reaction to it, and through hearing of his plan to bring peace to Endless Illusion, which is a prime case of the cure being worse than the disease. You also begin to learn that Fasalina may have more influence over events than you would think, especially when Michael begins to show his doubts over the Claw’s plans. Think of it in terms of the Claw’s organisation being a cult of personality – it’s been said that the most successful cults use sex as a way of control, and that’s what Fasalina turns to when Michael begins to ask too many questions. And it works.
What that means is that episodes 18 & 20 are wonderfully detailed episodes, with plenty going on both in terms of revelations, issues for the characters to deal with, and moving the plot forward towards a conclusion It’s Gun×Sword at its best, and engrossing viewing. The further I’ve gone with Gun×Sword, the more the show has surprised me with how thoughtful it can be in places – this isn’t just an action show, although that’s of course a large part of the mix. Some thought has also gone into how it all hangs together to create a series that’s better than you’d think from just hearing its description.
The remaining episodes are two very different beasts. Episode 19 is another “villain-of-the-week” type, as Van faces down another two of the Original Seven and dispatches them with the usual disdain, despite Ray’s unexpected intervention – it’s the sort of story that’s been seen several times already over the course of the series, and this replay of the idea doesn’t stray too far from the formula set by other Original Seven encounters. Episode 17 is the highlight of the disc, in terms of fun and enjoyment value. In an attempt to raise some money, Carmen persuades the gang to take on the job of trying to capture the Queen of the all-female city of Missoghi - which, if you’re listening in Japanese, you’ll know means “swimsuit”. Guess where this is going. It’s not an episode you can take remotely seriously, but as a fanservice breather before the story heads into more serious territory, it’s hard to beat.
The more I see of Gun×Sword, the more I like it – on top of the great presentation, there’s just something about the characters and the way the series is telling its story that hooks you and won’t let go. Yes, it does have its moments were it plays to a formula, but there are also some great moments, both on the fun side of the scale and the thoughtful, and the result is a very entertaining package. Well worth watching.
|
|
