The Series:
For some reason, Bandai Visual decided to release the concluding OVA
from Super Robot Wars first, and then follow that up with the TV
series that actually should come first. That was pretty confusing,
and though the OVA is pedestrian and uninspiring, especially if you haven't
seen the show first, the TV series is actually quite enjoyable. In
volume two the show starts to become more fleshed out and though it is
still a standard mecha show, it has a lot of action and some fun, if typical,
characters. It's unfortunate that BV has priced this disc so extraordinarily
high ($50 MSRP) for a three episode disc, that means most otaku won't be
able to watch this enjoyable show.
Series background:
In the future the earth is a very different place. After being
hit by two giant meteors and going through a series of wars, the Earth
Federation Government united all the peoples of Earth under one flag and
restored the peace.
Then the third meteor struck, but this one was different. Inside
was a cache of alien technology and proof that invaders were coming to
take over. The technology that was discovered was used to create
mecha, called Personal Troopers, in order to defend Earth.
Ryusei Date is a teenager who is crazy about Personal Troopers and is
very good at the popular game Burning PT where opponents fight mecha in
a virtual reality world. Little does he suspect but Burning PT is
actually a training ground to find likely Trooper pilots. When aliens
attack just after a PT tournament, the government sends out an unmanned
Trooper that Date climbs in and uses to defend his girlfriend. Of
course playing in virtual reality and real life are two different things,
but with his life on the line, Date doesn't have a lot of time to adjust
to the differences.
This volume:
These three shows introduce some more of the cast. Date meets
his new teammate Raidiese Branstein after some time in the Trooper simulator.
After some goading, Raidiese climbs into the mock mecha and proceeds to
best Date's high score without breaking a sweat. It turns out that
this new member used to be one of the Federation's hottest pilots until
a mysterious accident caused him to retire.
The team is headed by Aya Kobayashi, who is insecure in her ability
to lead the small fighting group, but she's determined to give it her best.
In their first exercise the three PT pilots fight a mock battle against
a group of tanks. Convinced that there's no way a tank can beat a
PT, Date rushes into the fray and is quickly defeated, which leaves his
teammates vulnerable and they soon fall too. In their second practice
battle, Date is determined to do better. When an unknown enemy arrives
to fight them however, it's evident that the time for practice is over.
The three episodes on this volume start to flesh the series out a little
bit. The dynamics of the Earth government and the terrestrial opponents
of the Earth Federation forces have started to become clearer. It
turns out that Prof. Bian Zoldark, the person who discovered the third
meteor along with the technology inside it and now heads the EOTI (Extra
Over Technology Institute), is using his advanced knowledge to build his
own personal army. Armed with weapons that far exceed the power
that the Federation forces has, his plans are still unknown.
The DVD:
This show comes as a two DVD set with the second disc reserved for extras.
They come in a single width keepcase with a page for the second DVD.
There is also a 24-page booklet with character sketches and technical specs
of the various mecha.
Audio:
Once again Bandai Visual has released a disc without an English dub.
For the amount they are asking, you wouldn't think it would be too much
to provide an English soundtrack for those who prefer watching dubbed anime.
As it is the original Japanese audio is only in stereo but it sounds pretty
good. The track had a fairly wide dynamic range and the impacts when
two mecha were fighting had a fair amount of bass. Of course a multi-channel
mix with a dedicated subwoofer track would make the fights more exciting,
but you take what you can get. Overall this is a nice sounding disc.
Video:
The video quality of the 1.78:1 anamorphic image was very good, much
better than the OVA that was released earlier. The image was pretty
sharp with lines being tight and well defined. The colors were bright
and solid and the blacks were deep. With only two episodes on the
disc compression artifacts weren't a problem.
Extras:
Zip. Nada. Ziltch. Nothing. Just an 8-page insert.
For the amount that they're charging for this disc, I was expecting something
more.
Final Thoughts:
With only three episodes and a running time of 72 minutes, the $50 retail
price is outrageously steep. Add to that the fact that Amazon, DVD
Planet, and DVD Empire have declined to carry the title, and you've got
a receipt for disaster. That's too bad because the show is a fun,
if typical, mecha show and would probably be getting a lot more buzz if
people could actually afford it. I can't say I'd buy this at or near
retail price, but cost aside the show itself is recommended.
Buy: