Gonzo, the top-notch anime studio that has produced Blue Submarine #6 and Last Exile, released a mecha show in Japan in 2003.  Geneon has picked out the rights and is releasing the 26 episode series Gad Guard as a seven-volume DVD set.   If the first volume in any indication, this should be a well received show.

Hajiki is a young boy who helps his single mother with the expenses by working as a delivery boy after school.  He delivers parcels all across Night Town, a dark and grimy city that has rationed electricity and a good amount of crime.  It is a slum.

One day he has to deliver a box to Gold Town, the rich neighboring city.  The box contains a curious cubical stone, a Gad, that is very valuable; people are willing to kill for it.  Hajiki doesn't have any trouble with the delivery, or so it seems.  When he returns to the office, he finds out that someone had tied up the intended recipient of the package and stolen the cube when Hajiki handed it over to them.  Hajiki takes being tricked personally and sets out to find the woman he made the delivery to.

As luck would have it, that night Hajiki does stumble onto the lady and the Gad.  But he finds them as they are being attacked.  The stone is thrown from the car and Hajiki snags it.  That's when things start getting strange.  The stone starts to glow and vibrate and as Hajiki puts it down the all the metal objects in the area are drawn to the cube.  When the light dims, instead of a stone cube, there is a large robot, a Techode.  This Techode is linked to Hajiki and will do whatever he instructs it to, but will follow no one else's commands.  Jack, the pilot of a normal robot, a 'heavy metal,' was involved in the theft of the Gad and attacks Hajiki's machine, but it's no contest.  The Techode is a much superior instrument.  Jack is infuriated.  He knows that he is a much better pilot, on of the best, and he really wants to destroy the Techode.  When Jack discovers a Gad of his own, he just might get the chance.   But then again, he may not; several Techodes start popping up over town.

This show was an interesting blend of styles.  It contained the typical 'young boy finds he can control a giant robot' story that so many mecha shows have, but it wasn't as simplistic as many of those.  The story line looks like it will be more convoluted than your typical show, which is a good thing.  But it doesn't sacrifice action though.  Each episode has a fight scene, which are well done.

While the designs for the Techodes were fairly standard, the 'heavy metal' machines were very innovative and creative.  I really liked the machine that Jack was driving at the beginning.

The show itself is beautiful.  There is a lot of detail in the backgrounds with trash and dirt on the streets of Night Town.  It gives the show a very 'real' feel.  The soundtrack is also interesting.  They chose to give this show a jazz based theme and background music that is reminiscent of Cowboy Bebop.  The bass riffs during the chase scenes are pretty cool and work well.
These first four episodes basically introduce all the characters and Techodes.  It sets the tone for the series and gives you some of the background to the world that the series takes place in.  There isn't a distinct plot arc for the show yet.  There isn't anything drive on to the next episode aside from finding more Techodes.  I am confident now that the groundwork has been laid that the rest of the shows will have a larger story.

Audio:

Stereo soundtracks were available in both the original Japanese and an English dub.   I prefer to view the shows in their original language, so I had a preference for the Japanese track, but I viewed shows with the dub too.  The dub was actually very good.  The voices fit the characters, and they didn't have any stupid accents or people using high-pitched voices for the children.  The sound quality was also fine, with good use made of the front soundstage.

Video:

The video quality was excellent.  This full frame transfer looked great, with the dark tans and grays of Night Town having a full range of hues, and the colors of Gold Town being bright and vivid.  There were only the most minor instances of aliasing present, not even worth mentioning really.  This DVD has a superb image.

The Extras:

This DVD also has a clean opening, a promo trailer (in Japanese without English subtitles,) an art gallery of 16 stills, and previews for Last Exile, Fighting Spirit, and Texhnolyze.

Final Thoughts:

I liked this show.  It looked beautiful and there was a good amount of action.  Some of the mecha designs were creative and inspired.  The disc looked and sounded very good.  The only minor complaint that I have is I can't see where the show is going yet.  The overall plot of the show isn't evident, but I'm sure it will be soon.  Recommended.