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The
Series:
The
second half of Chrome Shelled Regios begins where the
first set left off -- with
the main storyline seemingly building into a grand and exciting
continuation of
events. The Zuellni University Military Arts Section continues to
battle with
giant bug-like creatures (referred to as 'Contaminoids') which the team
hopes
to help defeat for their domed-city survival with the power of
team-effort and
good ol' fashioned superhero abilities. That's not really the case
(exactly),
but it sure seemed that way at the beginning.
Have
you ever seen a movie where you enjoyed it for
the first half and then were horribly disappointed by the way things
turned out
in the race to the conclusion? I'm sure most readers would choose to
answer a
resounding 'YES.' to that question, but just in case the answer is
'NO!' --
Welcome to that horrible feeling. Only with Chrome
Shelled Regios, it is a full length anime series made for
television, which
honestly makes things multiply in level of disappointment and
frustration.
Where was the calculated resolution that I was expecting? Am I a fool
for
hoping that this series could have a somewhat sensible final act that
pieces
together the seemingly convoluted plot elements that continually had me
scratching at my head the further along I watched? Perhaps I should
have seen
the pitiful outcome as inevitable. I had some doubts about where the
storyline
was heading with the first collection of episodes, but I also believed
things
could turn out quite well if the writers could weave together the
story. Apparently,
I was wrong.
 
For
a series that started out as enjoyable
entertainment, the writers prove they had no idea what they were doing
-- or at
least that they didn't care about the story enough to bring new viewers
a
sensible resolution. This anime was based upon a series of novels which
may
have held some concrete answers and explanations to the many narrative
questions
the series leaves viewers with upon conclusion. I honestly wouldn't
know
though. Those novels aren't even available to readers within North
America.
Despite
my harsh criticisms, the main plot-line of
the story ends well enough. The reason I say "well enough" is primarily
because
it actually followed a basic, albeit unremarkable path to a
semi-coherent
conclusion that would work within the framework of the show. Yet the
conclusion
doesn't work. In fact, it doesn't even come close to working. The major
downside
with Chrome Shelled Regios is that everything
surrounding the main storyline is entirely useless to the main
narrative, and
that leads to a high level of indifference to what actually happens
within the
series when it attempts to be straightforward entertainment and not an
example
of bad storytelling 101.
This
series has a long laundry list of problems with
it, and these problematic matters become increasingly apparent in the
second
half.
A
Checklist of Disturbing Chrome Shelled
Regios Story Issues
1)
Poorly
introduced side characters? Check.
2)
Plotline
elements that go absolutely nowhere? Check.
3)
Flashback
sequences that are confusing and make no
sense at all? Check.
4)
Was the
humor that brought a unique charm to this
apocalyptic series almost entirely removed? Check.
5)
Were the
humorous elements replaced by a ridiculous sense
of seriousness that nearly destroys previous charms? Check.
The
unfortunate thing about watching a potentially fun
and fulfilling series completely derail in storytelling is that this
doesn't
necessarily equate to all the other elements of the show collapsing.
This
series is proof of that. It makes the entire effort feel like a bit of
a tease.
The animation is still gorgeous, the direction is relatively solid
throughout,
and characters that were introduced in the first box-set are still
relatively
enjoyable to spend time with. None of this matters with a weak story
though; none
of it at all. What a wasted effort.
The
DVD:
Video:
The
1:85:1 anamorphic transfer is
equally as good as the first box-set release for this series. The
colors are
relatively rich and the animation is generally smooth. The transfer is
a tad
soft, but it is pleasing on the eyes. There is occasional aliasing at
work here
though. The visual presentation is still quite solid overall.
Audio:
Chrome
Shelled Regios
is presented with 5.1 surround sound
for the English-language dub and in stereo for the original
Japanese-language
dub. Either option would work. However, the 5.1 mix has some better
dynamics in
the soundstage, and the Japanese dub is slightly better. Either option
presents
the audio with easily definable dialogue and solid music.
Extras:
This
is another disappointing aspect
of this release. The extras are almost non-existent with only textless
opening/ending
credits and trailers for other Funimation releases.
Final
Thoughts:
In
the end, Chrome
Shelled Regios doesn't amount to having much more than a muddled
and downright
incomprehensible plotline. The entire production feels rather rushed
and uninspired
(certainly from a storytelling perspective) during its final run of
episodes. Skip It.
Here's
a visual representation of how I felt after finishing the series:
Neil Lumbard is a lifelong fan of cinema, and a student who aspires to make movies. He loves writing, and currently does in Texas. |
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