The main focus throughout the four episodes contained on this volume (On the Ancient Stage of Stone, Opening Movements, Tantric Circle, and Mirage) is on the young man Yushiro Gowa, a test pilot for giant battle mechs, dubbed Tactical Armors or TAs, which are manufactured by his father's company. Of the four TAs, his is the most responsive and has the highest learning rate in combat situations. His father and three older brothers are also using him as a guinea pig to open a large singularity through an ancient dance that is performed in a trance-like state. As Yushiro is performing this dance, Miharu, who is being held captive elsewhere, contacts him. She begs him to stop the dance before a terror is unleashed, and he does, closing the singularity. A similar thing occurs around the same time in Belgistan, and the singularity is mistaken for a high-powered weapons test. The multinational forces, lead by the UN, are quickly called in to investigate, and war soon breaks out. Before long, it is discovered that Belgistan has a few powerful supporters that are supplying them with their own TAs, which easily dispatch the multinational forces. With its own secret motives, the Gowa family convinces the Prime Minister of Japan to allow their TAs to go into battle. He reluctantly agrees, setting in stage the climax of episode four with both countries TAs squaring off in battle.

Gasaraki starts off fairly quickly, but stays mysterious throughout the four episodes. The singularity is never really explained in much detail, but it is sure to play a big role in future episodes. The characters in the episodes, even the smaller ones, were all complex and interesting; I can't wait to see them develop further throughout the remaining discs. The mix of CG and regular animation was also great. This series is definitely one to watch, especially for longtime anime enthusiasts.

Picture:
Gasaraki is presented in 1.33:1 full frame, as it was originally presented on TV. The blend of CG and regular animation is flawless, and the episodes are a visual treat. There is some minor pixelation here and there, but its not distracting.

Sound:
Gasaraki is presented in both English and Japanese 2.0 Stereo. Simply put, the sound is fantastic, with no problems that I could detect. Of small note is that the spoken language doesn't always match the subtitles; it is the worst in Episode 2, where a rather large chunk of dialogue/captions are not even closely related. Most of the time though, they are pretty close.

Extras:
For an anime DVD, I was surprised at the number of extras included, though most are lacking a bit in substance. Included with the DVD is a booklet that details the relationships of the Gowa family, along with the breakdown of the Japanese Special Self Defense Forces. This proved invaluable for learning who everyone was. Before the main menu comes up, previews for Martian Successor Nadesico, Generator Gavi, Sin, Blue Seed, Samurai X, and a few other clips from ADV DVDs play. The viewer has the option of skipping these completely, or fast forwarding through them. Also available are a two-page text interview with Ryosuke Takahashi, four pages of character sketches, a glossary of five terms, and three pages of text memos exchanged between the creative minds behind Gasaraki. The DVD also has terrifically animated menus as well. As mentioned before, compared to other anime DVDs, this is a goldmine of extras, and ADV deserves an A for effort.

Summary:
Anime fans should definitely give Gasaraki a look. The DVD features terrific picture and sound quality, and quite a few extras. Highly Recommended.