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R2 DVD Reviews
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Written by maehara
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Wednesday, 16 July 2008 16:00 |
 Things are beginning to look up for Beck, as the band land an American recording contract, get a spot at one of Japan's hottest live-houses, and another potential love interest for Koyuki arrives on the scene. Not that life for Koyuki is entirely without problems, mind you...
15 - Back to School
Back into school after the winter break, and it seems the guys are having trouble concentrating - there are rumours that Momoko-sensei used to work in a bar with dubious morals, and they're having trouble keeping their imaginations in check. But time flies by and before long it's a new school year & new school for Koyuki - unfortunately, it's the same school as Houjou, who's back to his old tricks. With the stresses of entrance exams behind him, there's more time to spend on band practice, and the small detail of a new guitar to be bought. Ryuusuke's first choice, costing over 1,000,000 Yen, may not be quite what he's looking for...
16 - Indies
Koyuki's working extra part-time jobs while he tries to save up for the Telecaster guitar he's been wanting - although with the poor reception the band's demo CD has been getting with the record labels, there may not be much point in bothering. It seems the influence Eiji's manager Ran has in the industry is going to be a real barrier to Beck getting past the amateur scene. Speaking of the guitar, Koyuki's not the only person who wants to buy it, either. A chance visit by an American indie label producer to one of Beck's live gigs could be just the chance they needed, though...
17 - Three Days
It looks like Alpin, the American record producer, will be able to arrange for Beck to make their American debut - it's only a minor gig, but it's a foot on the ladder that they didn't look likely to get in Japan. Meanwhile, Koyuki's met a new girl - Hiromi Masuoka, a schoolmate who just happens to work in the shop next to his own part-time job, and his guitar-playing skills have impressed her no end. After she sees him playing live, it seems Maho may have another rival for Koyuki's affections...
18 - Leon Sykes
Beck are taking part in an audition show at the Marquee - a venue that every up-and-coming Japanese band would want to play at, if only it was a headline evening show. Things would also be going better if Koyuki wasn't so good at breaking guitar strings while playing, though. Meanwhile, Koyuki's been working on composing his own songs and takes a few samples to Ryuusuke for his advice. He's not overly impressed with the sound, but recognises that there's some talent there if only he takes the time to work on it...
As ever with BECK, it's the daily lives of the characters that provide most of the interest, with the music just literally providing a soundtrack to that.
Hiromi's an interesting addition to the cast - while initially she seemed to be a potential love interest for Koyuki, it looks like Saku's got his eyes on her as well, so there are several ways her presence could cause problems. Meanwhile, the Yoshito / Maho saga continues. Yoshito is one of those characters you would love to just stab in the back, repeatedly, thanks to the underhanded way he goes about things - the way he sees Koyuki as a rival to be put down at any opportunity is an intensely annoying storyline that had me reaching for the volume control every time he appeared. The sooner that little conflict of interests is sorted out, the better - but in the meantime, there's not so much to see of Maho while he monopolises her time. Given the way she keeps Koyuki on his toes, that's a real shame in its own right.
On the plus side, now we know where the series subtitle, Mongolian Chop Squad, comes from - it's the band's American name, as dreamt up by Alpin. The cover of the American album soon causes some problems for Ryuusuke, too, beginning with the flying visit he receives at the end of the episode. This is the point where the 'everyday lives' aspect of the show suddenly becomes less believable, as where we started with a group of fairly normal kids, suddenly we have major-league gangsters dropping in on the scene and adding a sense of threat to the story that hasn't been there until now and that doesn't really fit in with the feel that BECK has had until now. Leon also plays to a particularly bad American stereotype that the show seems intent on pushing, making him an even less likeable character.
Overall, though, this is another decent bunch of episodes. The band side of things is progressing nicely as events begin to slot into place for them, but not so good is the relationship side of the story, which is becoming decidedly confused with the arrival of Yoshito and Hiromi while I could also have done without the gangster aspect that's beginning to appear. Still a show that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend, though.
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