The show initially focuses on one such candidate, Ken Ando, as he applies for a position as a pilot, but also has something of a slightly ensemble feel in the initial episodes as Ken's family and co-workers come into play. DC itself seems to have something of a past but that is only alluded to in the first five episodes. Their robots look very much like cheaper versions of those employed in the Sakura Wars; owing as much to their function imperatives than anything else. The devices are smaller than the combat robots seen in most other series but these have no weaponry and are designed strictly for cleanup duty, much like the robots in the various Patlabor shows. Without spoiling the show for you too much, the paradigm of DC changes when their robots are attacked by a large robot looking much like the RahXephon or the Big O. Ken and crew are pressed into service far earlier than their limited training would usually allow for and a series of minor successes propels them into the limelight to pilot a specially designed robot that is not only much larger, but carries weapons as well; something Ken finds very disagreeable as a pacifist (another common theme in anime deals with the pacifist hero).

Having missed out on volume two, all I can say is that the characters have now evolved into something far different with Ken now kicked out of DC, piloting the mysterious robot known as Cybuster, and fighting DC as it takes a turn towards militarization. The episodes in order were: 11) Divine Crusaders, 12) The Spirits of the Wind and the Fire, 13) The Army of Prescion, and 14) A Wing in the Flames of War. Without spoiling too much of the adventures here, DC hires mercenaries to fight the Cybuster, now known as an instrument of divine will that has somehow singled out Ken as its pilot. Ken and Cybuster are joined by other robot warriors that also have extraordinary abilities and the DC horde of Prescion robots, armed with new weapons that might even prove a threat to Cybuster (the lead and most powerful such robot of them all). The group of rebels also finds that their mountain hideaway is suspected as such by the mercenaries, who make repeated attempts to flush out the protagonists as they seek truth and justice from the military leanings of the current DC leadership.

If I had seen the middle volume of episodes, I'd probably like the show even more but I'm giving this one a rating of Recommended for all it had to offer. Sure, the concepts and themes were borrowed from dozens of other shows (many of them better and/or more original) but unlike the initial volume of five episodes that dragged on as the premises were established, Cybuster: Tokyo 2040 #3: The Divine Crusaders, had enough action, solid writing, and creativity to keep me watching nonstop.

Picture: Cybuster: Tokyo 2040 #3 was presented in the usual 1.33:1 ratio full frame color, as originally released in Japan five years ago. The first thing I noticed about the visuals were how the show looked muted and dirty; making me wonder if it were an artistic choice or just related to the budget of the show. The colors of the characters varied less than before, and I was glad that some improvement was made to this show, given the limitations of the first volume. There were some compression artifacts and edge enhancement as well, but it didn't look too bad this time. The anime style was very limited with minimal movement of the characters but this is something that many companies deal with using special effects these days so I can't be too harsh on a show that didn't use a form of trickery to disguise an inherent flaw.

Sound: The audio was presented with a choice of either the original Japanese or an English dub track, both in Dolby Digital 2.0 with a choice of optional English subtitles. The audio was better than the visuals in terms of quality with a moderate amount of separation during some of the musical interludes and battle scenes and slightly more dynamic range overall. Some of the dubbed voices seemed stilted but that should come as no surprise to anime fans. Due to this fact, I strongly recommend the original Japanese track (and readers should know that I'm not generally a dub snob) for its quality presentation. Having listened to both versions, I did notice that the subtitles followed the English track very closely so those who consider them "dub-titles" can consider themselves informed.

Extras: All there was (again) were a few trailers and a paper insert.

Final Thoughts: The visual limitations aside, Cybuster: Tokyo 2040 #3 seems to follow in a long history of environmentally friendly series from Japan. I think I appreciated the way Ken and his newfound friends fought for their principles rather than blindly followed the organization they originally were tied to. While it originally started off too slowly for my tastes and I can only speculate about the second volume, this volume seemed to really blossom for me. If you like large robot fighting shows, this will definitely appeal to you in terms of the specifics as much as in the general nature of the material. I hope to see more of the show in order to determine if it will continue improving but that won't be up to me. Check it out though as it seems to be getting better at an accelerated rate, something many of the show's peers can't say.

If you enjoy anime, take a look at some of the recommendations by DVDTalk's twisted cast of reviewers in their Best Of Anime 2003 and Best Of Anime 2004 article or regular column Anime Talk