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R2 DVD Reviews
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Written by maehara
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Tuesday, 18 July 2006 00:00 |
 After being sidetracked by an arranged marriage for Sei and some computer problems for Amy, it seems Jo may have met her match after a job in Osaka turns out to be more troublesome than she expected. Burst Angel returns for another volume and seems to be showing signs of developing a real story under all the gloss - or perhaps I'm just engaging in some wishful thinking...
9 - Party of the Dragon
The gang are all dressed up with somewhere to go - a high-class party at a Sei's grandfather's residence. He's her only remaining relative and the leader of the Bailan clan, and he's decided that the best way of keeping the clans in check is to form an alliance with the rival Kokuren clan. Such alliances are best formed through marriage - so guess what that means for Sei. Fortunately, her would-be suitor Jei is quite the charmer - but it soon becomes clear that not everything's above-board...
10 - Uncharted Cyberspace
Jo's been treating Jango a bit roughly of late, so the mecha needs to go in for repairs. With downtime estimated at three days, that means there's also some time to relax for Sei and the gang - time that Amy puts to good use by going gadget shopping. But when she uses a shop's computers for a little on-the-side hacking, her efforts backfire in a very public way...
11 - Angel of the East, Hawk of the West
When an railway carriage in Osaka somehow manages to start itself up and route itself into the path of a commuter train, there's no prize for guessing it's a suspicious event - and lo and behold, investigating office Iriki soon receives a 'phonecall from a self-styled "super-deluxe terrorist" claiming responsibility and promising more of the same. It's enough to scare the police into arresting anyone in the city who looks even remotely suspicious - including Jo. She in town, allegedly to see a local pro-wrestling show, but unofficially to act as bodyguard for one of the wrestlers - and the event's venue is next on the terrorist's hit-list...
12 - Tsutentaku Tower, Drenched with Tears
Takane hauls Jo back to the station for questioning, where she and Iriki lay on the good-cop, bad-cop routine in an attempt to get some information out of her - at least, until Sei arrives to bail her out. With the Hanshin Police seeming to have a handle on events, Sei's content to just leave them to it, but Jo's convinced that Ultra Beast's transformation is linked to the previous ones she's seen (Wong, Nadeshiko and the Man-Crow). When Sei gets some evidence of the link for herself, it's time to call for Jango and the other girls - and not a moment too soon, as the terrorist unleashes a hostile mecha upon Osaka. Meanwhile, the Hanshin Police chief heads to Tokyo to draft in RAPT's help - a move that not all of his officers are happy with...
The first two episodes here are best quickly glossed over, as both of them leave their leads looking just a little out-of-character. The idea of an arranged marriage to cement an alliance is sensible enough, but seeing Sei go all doe-eyed at the first sight of her new husband just didn't sit well with me - she's never seemed the gushy type, or the sort to meekly do what she's told to. There's some fun there (like Meg being turned into a kick-ass fighter by some mystical words from Sei's grandfather - sure beats being knocked out again), but a lot of the idea is just wrong given Sei's personality. Likewise Amy's hacking problems - she's meant to be the little computer genius, so just how did she let herself get into her mess in the first place? Sorry, I call "gaping plotholes for story convenience", and figure we should move quickly onwards. Although I admit I didn't really expect Burst Angel to be hugely consistent, anyway - we are dealing with a GONZO style-over-substance series here.
Jo takes over the show for the final two episodes, as we move to Osaka - a much more peaceful place than Tokyo (the difference that not having RAPT in control makes), but with definite signs that someone would like to change all that. The headline stories, of the super-deluxe terrorist and Jo's bodyguard assignment, both provide some good entertainment, but for anyone who's been paying close attention to the episodes up to now and hoping for signs of a real story to appear, this could be just what you're looking for. There are some good plot twists around the identity of the terrorist and links with the "monsters" battled in past episodes which would suggest some sort of conspiracy - I would bet featuring RAPT and their efforts to extend their influence outside Tokyo - beginning to come together. Add in Takane, who's as kick-ass as Jo and twice as cute, and there's a lot to like.
Overall then, some good and some not-so-good with this volume, although I'm happy to say the good wins out. The Osaka arc is left on a cliffhanger, which is always quite annoying, but that just gives me a reason to look forward to volume four. Jo is really shaping up to be the real star of the show, and that's no bad thing, although giving her a little more personality would do no harm. Burst Angel is still as shallow as anything, but sometimes that's just what you're looking for. Worth a look.
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