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R2 DVD Reviews
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Written by maehara
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Tuesday, 22 January 2008 16:00 |
 Train’s new life away from the control of Chronos gets under way, but the person who persuaded him to make to break is the first to be a victim of his decision. Is there a life for a runaway cat, or will the hunter become the hunted..?
5 - The Departing Cat
Black Cat's reputation is that he's a heartless assassin who never lets his targets live - but that reputation's just gone out the window, as Train opts to give Torneo a warning to leave town, rather than complete the kill. That's not something that pleases his superiors at Chronos, and he's soon summoned to explain his actions. His reason's simple: he wants to act on his own free will, and to have nothing further to do with Chronos - a decision that quickly places him on their hit-list. Sven, meanwhile, has taken Eve under his wing - Rinslet's not so sure that's a good idea, especially as Chronos have an interest in her, but his code of chivalry won't let him just turn her loose...
6 - The Cat Under Fire
#1 takes on Train, and without his gun she's able to pin him down comparatively easily - but he voices his doubts about what Chronos stands for and why they should have the power they do, and on listening to him she begins to have doubts of her own. Creed, meanwhile, is still determined to persuade Train to team up with him, and has thrown his lot in with another grouping, the Taoists. Later, a festival and fireworks display promises to give Train a chance to spend some time with Saya somewhere other than a rooftop, but Creed has other ideas, and plans to do away with the woman he believes is leading Train astray...
7 - The Wounded Cat
Seeing Saya killed by Creed drives Train into a rage and, his promise to never kill again quickly put aside, he retrieves his gun from Saya's body and turns to avenge her death. The battle is short but fierce - but the next thing Train knows, he's waking up at Sven's country hideout, recovering from injuries obtained when a runaway oil tanker collided with the pier where he'd been fighting. Of Saya or her body, there's no sign. While Sven tries to find out what happened that night, Chronos are back on the trail of both Train and Eve, while Train's comments to Eve about her own violent tendencies don't go down to well...
8 - The Sweeping Cat
Fast-forward six months. Rinslet's putting her thieving skills to good use again - although this time around, a drunken party guest almost puts paid to her plans. Chronos Number XII, Jenos Hazard, is also on her trail, looking for information about the location of Train and Eve - his investigations had uncovered her name in connection to them, and now he wants her help. He also has a little job he'd like her to do, in connection with the Taoists, who have been busy recruiting new members to their cause. Rinslet knows just who could help her with a job like this: Sven, but first she has to find him...
It’s a strange batch of episodes, this volume, as for a lot of the disc there’s a real feeling that the story is just treading water while working towards better things. There are some confrontations while Chronos tries to deal – unsuccessfully – with their on-the-run Numbers, but apart from that the main focus is on Train, Sven and Eve as they get used to being together and, for Train and Eve, come to terms with what their history has made them. There are a few action scenes thrown in for good measure – usually involving Creed, trying to get his own way. One of those scenes threw in one plot twist that I really hadn’t been expecting, and that left me genuinely surprised; the others were more stereotypical confrontations that were enjoyable enough to watch, but weren’t anything special.
Black Cat seems to be trying to focus more on its characters than anything else at the moment. On paper, that’s a good thing, and for the most part there’s some good work done with them – Train’s change of heart as a result of Saya’s influence, and the motivation that she’s able to give him; Sven’s gradual change from a loner to the father-figure of an ever-expanding gang; and Eve’s switch from naïve killing machine to naïve young girl who’s learning about life. The way Train is dealing with his new life is still a little blunt, which makes him quite hard to like, but he’s softening over time – one run-in in particular with Eve points out that change, and hopefully that will continue.
Of the main ‘gang of four’, Rinslett’s the least convincing – for someone who was introduced as a master thief, she sure seems to get caught in the act a lot and is too quick to turn to others for help, and that makes her less than believable. She seems to be slipping into the mother role for Train and Eve, though, which might turn out to be a better niche for her.
Creed, though, is the big introduction this volume, and his plans with the Taoists and worrying fixation on Train could make him quite the villain. He’s also completely unhinged and unpredictable – two qualities I like in a bad guy, if for nothing else than to add a little colour to the personality. Creed’s enough “out there” that he almost makes Chronos look like the good guys, and he should be a real challenge for the gang to deal with down the line – especially as, come the end of episode 6, Train has a real reason to hate him.
The downside with this volume, though, is that despite there being a lot happening it’s all geared to setting up rivalries and explaining motivations, and doesn’t actually go anywhere. To a point, that’s a necessary evil – if what’s done here is used properly, it’ll make the rest of the series a much more satisfying experience – but it’s also a little frustrating to sit through. I’m liking the possibilities that these episodes throw up, though.
Perhaps a little slower that I’d like it to be, this volume devotes itself to laying the groundwork for the rest of the series, and does a fairly good job of fleshing out some of the main cast members. It also throws a decent amount of action & one or two surprises into the mix, to keep the attention. The end result isn’t a good as it could have been, but is still enjoyable to watch. Black Cat hasn’t quite gotten into its stride yet, but it’s showing plenty of promise.
Watch the trailer for this volume
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