Guyver has a long history in the world of anime and beyond. It all started back in 1985 when Yoshiki Takaya created the Bio Boosted Armor Guyver manga. Since then the franchise has gone on to have an OVA and some live-action releases, but more recently Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor was released in 2005. This 26 episode was one of the titles originally released by ADV that was picked up by FUNimation during the latest licensing shift. Like most other titles of this manner released by FUNimation Guyver gets a complete boxed set rather than individual volumes.

There's no denying Guyver's popularity in Japan, but its celebrity status here in the States isn't quite as impressive. The live action offerings have left something to be desired and the original OVA is appreciated solely by lovers of the sci-fi genre who don't mind ample amounts of clichés. For the most part the qualifications for loving the OVA can be applied to the 2005 series. Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor is a fun, action-oriented science fiction show, but it's hampered by bouts of repetition and anime clichés. Ultimately the series is entertaining popcorn fare that doesn't get too deep and it feels slightly imbalanced at times. Don't let that deter you though, if you love sci-fi, anime, and action you'll get a kick out of this series.

The show takes place at some point in the future in Japan (naturally), but the twist here is that bio technology has grown exponentially and there are several monsters running around masking as humans. Known as Zoanoids, these beasts are manufactured by the Chronos Corporation and at the start of the show one of them escapes. Alone and in the woods this guy apparently desires little more than being human again, but Chronos isn't about to let him run free, especially with three experimental Guyver models. Naturally the story doesn't end there.

The Zoanoid is pursued by a team of other monsters and the confrontation ends in a massive explosion that sends the Guyver models flying this way and that. That particular day turned out to be a fateful one for Sho and Tetsuro, who are ordinary high school students that just happened to be in the neighborhood when the explosion went off. While sitting by a tranquil lake one of the Guyver units comes crashing down next to them and Sho accidentally activates it. He's attacked by a tentacled-monster-like-thing which transforms him into an alien-looking suit of armor. Sho's understandably scared silly and Tetsuro, well, he thinks his friend has just been eaten. It's fortunate for them that this happened though, because the pack of Zoanoids comes along to say hi, because they want the Guyver back.

With his newfound bio armor Sho cuts through the Zoanoids like a warm knife through butter. When the ordeal is over the armor melts away and Sho is left standing in front of a very confused and frightened Tetsuro. From here the show explores what Sho goes through as he learns about the Guyver and ponders how it is affecting his body as strange markings grow on his back. Little doses of explanations are doled out as the series progresses, but it's not until later that we really have most of the questions answered.

As the series moves on and the episodes progress we find that Chronos is increasing their efforts to get the Guyver units back under their control. One of their own has bonded with the second unit and he becomes a nice antagonist to Sho, who really is just unwittingly swept up in these bizarre events. Even strange though, is the involvement of Sho's student council president, who is the nephew of a Chronos manager but has ulterior motives all his own. When the third Guyver unit falls into his hands things are all up in the air when it comes to Sho's fate and what Chronos plans to do.

Through the 26 episodes of Guyver the show presents a fast-paced story full of bloody good action and some fine dramatic moments. I will say that most of the episodes follow specific patterns and there's a strong monster of the week mentality. Nearly every episode starts out with Sho getting found by a Zoanoid, turning into Guyver, and finding a way to beat the snot out of his opponent. It's a simple set up that has been used countless times, and though it gets a tad repetitive, it actually works here somewhat. The thing that makes the show work is the running plotline which acts like an adhesive between patchwork episodes. From one outing to the next, Guyver strings you along with an appropriate amount of exposition that helps keep the level of intrigue high.

Whether you're familiar with the franchise or not, Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor is a fast, fun ride. It's a show that feels fresh, yet familiar at the same time thanks to his modern animation and traditional storytelling. It may be rocky at parts thanks to some repetition and predictability, but for what it's worth this is a satisfying ride from start to finish. If you're not a Guyver fan you will be by the time this show is over, and because of that this complete series comes recommended.

Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor is presented on DVD with an anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio. The show looks very good, thanks in large part to its semi-recent production, but there are some aspects that give nods to the original animation and thus make it aged somewhat in appearance. This is more of a design choice rather than a byproduct of the transfer and it's worth noting that all around the show looks great. The picture is sharp, detailed, and vibrant with very little in terms of flaws apart from some slight grain and blocking which pops up every now and then. Either way you look at it Guyver has a lot to offer for fans of the original animation and more modern anime alike.

Japanese 2.0 stereo and English 5.1 surround are the available language tracks as you'd expect. The quality of both dubs is very good, though I felt the English track implemented a little too much cheese into the dialogue and acting. The Japanese dub felt more natural with subtler details and better voice work all around. Technically speaking the show sounds decent enough in stereo, but the surround track didn't quite pack the punch I wanted it to. Elements of the fight scenes make their way onto the rear channels, but the sense of immersion doesn't feel quite as good as it could have. This is still a good sounding show, it just won't blow your socks off.

Guyver comes with a nice selection of bonus content that ranges in terms of quality. Trailers, production sketches, clean animations, and a neat manga to anime comparison make their way onto a fifth extras disc here. The rest of the content is available throughout the four discs of the set and come in the form of four audio commentaries with some of the English staff. The quality of these commentaries is all over the map and for the most part you can expect the commentators to goof around, chuckle, and talk about themselves. They are English anime commentaris and unfortunately these don't break the mold.

If you missed it the first time around FUNimation's collection of Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor is a fun little trip. It may not be the most well-developed science fiction show on the market and it's full of clichés, but for what it's worth there's plenty going for it. Flaws aside Guyver is a blast that holds up well during all 26 episodes and it's safe to say that FUNimation did a great job with this release. It's something fans and newcomers should definitely check out and easily comes recommended for sci-fi anime junkies.

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