August 20, 2004
Getbackers:DVD 1
I apologize for my lateness in this next entry...well, not really...I was sick and didn't feel like writing anything. I'm feeling better, but the reminants of an upper respiratory infection, sinus infection, and ear infection have left me tired and cranky. I should have realized I was so sick when I started having a migrane last Friday...oh well...Drugs and antibiotics have left me feeling better, though my mood is still fairly sub-par...
Anyway....
Today I managed to pick up the box and first volume of "Getbackers". It's a title I've been waiting to get my hands on for a long time. I've seen all the episodes via fansub before it was licensed and was overjoyed when I heard it would be making a NA release.
Getbackers is a fantastic show, and I have little to complain about. I wish the series would have been a little more in depth, but as we all know, the transition from manga to anime isn't always a smooth one. Very few shows can pull it off. Still, despite the minor plotholes and inconsistancies, Getbackers doesn't fail to entertain.
The show explodes with interesting characters, each different and unique in their own way. Everyone has a story to tell, a mission to accomplish along the way. Even the "bad guys" are interesting and hardly cliche. I mean, where else can you find a mass murdering villian bringing the hero a fruitbasket in the hospital and being sincere about it. *laughs* (that was a GREAT episode)
The story revolves around Ban and Ginji, the Getbackers. They run a business that involves the retreival of personal items and such. The claim 100 percent success rate and to go at all cost to return what is lost, whatever it may be. Of course, sometimes the two of them bite off more than they can chew...and are always met with opposition. Despite the high fee they charge, the boys often find themselves penniless, thanks to Ban's bad habit of illegal parking and their need to eat expensive food...so they are constantly looking for work. Any work...
Being a retrieval specialist isn't easy...many of the missions are dangerous and they are often met with harsh opposition and forced to battle fierce enemies. Ban doesn't seem to mind violence much, considering his grip emits about 200kg of power and he can snap a persons neck clean off their head if he wants to. Also, he has the strange ability to force people to see a dream, which only lasts one minute and can only be used three times a day and never on the same person twice. Ginji, on the other hand, doesn't care much for violence, perhaps because he'd seen enough of it in his past. However, when cornered or angered, Ginji's fury can be...well...quite "shocking". (okay, bad pun) Like electric eels, Ginji's body is geared to emit electrical charges, sometimes more than 200,000 volts at a time. In his past, he was called the "Lightening Emporer" and was feared.
As the duo completes mission after mission, they start to find themselves surrounded by an odd group of companions. Former enemies, friends turned enemies and then friends again, customers that seem to be drawn to them, etc. Ban and Ginji attract people, and suddenly the "Getbackers" becomes more than just the two of them (though Ban would never admit it).
It isn't until later episodes that the plot of the story is revealed and mysteries start to fill in the pieces of themselves. Where did Ban get his power. What's the deal with Ginji and his past? Who are all these people surrounding him? The list goes on.
My impression of the dub was a shock. I really don't expect too much from ADV. They are often and "hit or miss" company, meaning some of their dubs are great, while others just royally suck big time. Getbackers is one of the best I've heard from them. The scripting, the voices, everything seems to fall right into place. My only complaint would be that Kazuki sounds too much like a woman, but that's over lookable. He sounded like a woman in the Japanese version too, but since my ears are tuned to English, I notice it more....*laughs* I'll get used to it.
Overall, Getbackers is a fun and exciting show. The humor is halarious, a few episodes left me with sideaches from laughing so hard. The cliffhangers aren't that agonizing, but the battles are incredibly well done. They certainly didn't jip us on the action scenes like they did in Saiyuki or Kenshin...Oh, and the artwork is amazing, meaning this show is very easy on the eyes.
Go pick it up...and if you're skeptical, at least rent it to see exactly how good this show really is.
Posted by Zoso at August 20, 2004 07:10 PM