Gungrave 19

February 21, 2004

Title: Superior
Fansubbed by: AnimeOne

The protagonist of Gungrave is a tall, Vampire Hunter D-esque character named Brandon Heat, who similarly has huge shoulders, a cool hat, and . . . an advanced case of amnesia. In this particular episode, we learn that Brandon was initially a rising executive of the super-powerful Okazu Mafia Syndicate, but was killed by his best friend Harry (center), who is now the chairman of the Mafia Syndicate.

In this episode, Brandon faces off against the rather large Mafia executive Bob Poundmax (far left in above picture), who now has the ability to turn into a huge monster.

Initially, Brandon is at a disadvantage, since the Poundmax-monster can regenerate at a rapid rate, but Brandon finally switches from his dual pistols to his chaingun . . .

and destroys his opponent, as expected. The End.

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RATING: C

Without a doubt, Gungrave is an *extremely* stylish piece of work. Regardless if you look at the low-key jazz background, or the pictorial use of the cross, or the DVD-esque 16:9 image format, Gungrave is meant to convey a world of crime that is hip, snarky, and exclusive. In this respect, Gungrave definitely succeeds, as one walks away feeling some of the pathos associated with the world of Al Capone, circa 1920.

However, having said that, it must be said that it's really hard to associate on a personal level with any of the characters in this series. Sure, Brandon Heat is cool, but, then again, anyone with a 42/22 frame and a chaingun is cool. Brandon's characteristic weakness is amnesia, which adds an element of intrigue to the series (*cough* Poul Anderson's 'Total Recall' *cough*), but, honestly, this ailment is shared by less than 0.1% of the population (as opposed to chronic depression [Shinji] or being vertically challenged [Edward Elric]).

In closing, although this series is visually arresting, it lacks the underlying emotional framework to sustain interest.

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