| Black Cat #3: Cat and Mouse |
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| Tuesday, 11 March 2008 | |
 Two former Chronos members, each with an obsession – Train's need to avenge Saya's death, and Creed's need to somehow prove himself to Train. Put them together, and the results are going to be explosive. From a safe distance, let's see what happens...9 - The Charming Cat Sven's got a killer on his trail - a beast of a man by the name of Gyanza Ryujikke, a man who has no qualms about killing anyone and who Sven brought down when he was a detective. Now Gyanza's on the loose, and he wants Sven's scalp. Unfortunately, according to Rinslet, Gyanza is next on the Taoists recruitment list - and if he takes the Shinkitou potion that will unleash the power of Tao within him, then Sven's going to be in real trouble. Will Sven catch Gyanza before it's too late, or will Kyoko and Charden get there first..?     10 - The Cat Unleashed / Reckless Cat Learning that Creed is still alive is a shock for Train - learning that he's set up his own revolutionary group, the Apostles of the Stars, is another one. Before they leave the scene, Kyoko and Charden drop a hint that Creed is planning something that's going to happen Sangeles City in the next few days - leaving Train certain that he has to go there and find out what his former ally is up to. Which is just what Creed expected him to do - and he and his new allies are waiting for him...   11 - The False Cat / Lying Cat Train's not the only one after Creed - Chronos are also out to bring down their former operative, and have dispatched a small team to do the job. Although you have to wonder how effective they'll be. Meanwhile, there's another Black Cat on the scene - an old & somewhat overweight man who's taken to using Train's codename (and number 13 tattoo) as a path to quick riches. But the Black Cat is quite the target in his own right - there are many who'd like to make a name for themselves by taking down a famed assassin - and so our imposter soon finds himself regretting his name change...   12 - The Fighting Cat Chronos Numbers V, VII and XI - the team that Chronos have dispatched to deal with the threat that Creed is now posing. Not that Creed's overly worried - he knows they're coming, but his little obsession means that he's far more interested in what will happen when Train finally tracks him down than he is about Jenos and his team. For Train, the need for vengeance is getting ever stronger - his dreams of Saya, seeing her killed in front of him, are driving him onwards, despite Sven's best efforts to keep him out of harm's way. Jenos is first on the scene, and his attack isn't what you could call successful - they don't even get to see Creed, much less bring him in. Will Train meet with better success..?   Every volume I watch of Black Cat is an interesting experience. Each time, I think I've got a handle on what the show is going to serve up, and each time it goes and delivers something different – but always in a way that pleases. It's a good way of keeping me on my toes, and as a way of keeping the whole experience enjoyable, it's hard to beat. I hope the remaining volumes keep up the habit. This time out, the main focus is on Train and Creed – two men obsessed, one with the need for vengeance, and one with some twisted version of wanting to be loved or accepted. No prizes for guessing which one is which. In the short time he knew her, it seems Saya's had a powerful influence on young Train, although I'm not sure she'd appreciate the way he's responded to her death. That's something that Sven also seems to recognise, and through his continuous efforts to keep the Train and Creed apart he's also doing his best to keep Train out of trouble. Not that he succeeds. The result is a decent string of action sequences, and I have to say I like the way that Black Cat does its battles – the posturing that's so common in anime is kept to a reasonable minimum, and the fights are nicely choreographed and don't stray too far into "yeah, right" territory. The visual style of the series also changes a little during the fights, becoming a bit more abstract and hard-edged – it's a subtle change, but one that does tweak the feel of the show nicely and helps add to the atmosphere and the sense of threat when Train and Creed really go at each other. This focus does mean that the rest of the cast get left on the sidelines for most of the disc, though. Rinslet is off doing her own thing for most of the disc & providing information for the gang from a safe distance, but for poor Sven and Eve it's a trip to Bit Part City, as they just intervene when the plot requires and otherwise stay out of the way. The exception is episode 9, where Sven has a killer on his tail – this is probably the funniest episode on the disc, and is also used to introduce the first of Creed's revolutionaries. The first meeting between Train and fire-breathing schoolgirl Kyoko is the comedy highlight of the series so far, and she's quickly become one of my favourite characters, despite her bad girl status. Eve also gets a bit of an outing in episode 11, but I would have liked to have seen her and Sven have more of a role in the story. I suppose in some ways Black Cat doesn't seem to know what it wants to be – it's almost equal parts comedy & action with a little bit of drama thrown in for good measure – but the way it's been put together makes it work a lot better than I had expected. It's nothing hugely unique or original, but it is great fun to watch when you're in the mood for something light and unchallenging. This volume of Black Cat covers all the bases, with humour and action dotted around a story that does seem to be going somewhere, along with a few new characters introduced to join the mayhem. While the show doesn't do anything special, it does it with style & in a way that's very easy and enjoyable to watch – especially if your brain is in neutral at the time. If that's the sort of entertainment you're in the mood for, then this release will be right up your alley. Watch the trailer for this volume  |
