After waiting quite a while for this DVD to be released, the hunt for Gads continue in the second volume of Gad Guard.  New Techode's, Gadrians, and Heavy Metals are introduced, as well as a few new characters.  The plot continues to advance and the series starts to flesh out in a nice way making this an interesting series.

This DVD contains four episodes that are all stand alone shows, but still move the plot forward a bit and fill in some background.  As the volume starts, Hajiki is challenged by Katana who wants revenge for the damage he did to his Heavy Metal earlier.  The fight doesn't even get started before a Gadrian shows up.  That is a mechanical creature that sprouts from a Gad but absorbs all of the greed of the person who sets it off.  These out of control monsters are very powerful and dangerous.

Another Gadrian shows up in the next episode when a Gad that is being smuggled into the country is accidently set off.  Katana is working for the smugglers, and Hajiki is trying to stop them, but the two will have to work together if they want to stop the Gadrian from destroying the city.

Then Arashi, the girl who recently moved into town from Day Town, gets a job putting up billboards.  She does well but she keeps on dreaming of having a Technode of her own.  Even when Wanda tells her that they end up hurting their owners, she won't be deterred from her quest to find one.

The series really starts to evolve in the last episode.  Seikai and Isa are introduced, a pair of loners from Unit Cobalt, a city that was destroyed by an out of control Gadrian.  When they arrive in Night Town, the find it filled with Techodes, which in their opinion are just as bad.  They set out to destroy them all with their Heavy Metals.

This was a good set of shows to an enjoyable series.  I was pleased that they filled in a little of the characters backgrounds, making them more three dimensional and realistic.  Arashi is quickly becoming my favorite character, her longing for a Technoid was charming, and the hints that have been dropped about her background make her interesting.

It's still too early to tell exactly where this series is going.  I'm not sure if the series is going to focus on Hajiki and Katana's rivalry and the latter's change in character, or if the origin and purpose of the Gads are going to be more fully examined.  In any case the characters are interesting and I really like the designs of the Technodes.  They have a retro feel to them that looks pretty cool but at the same time they are functional.  A good series that's worth checking out.

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.

Extras:

This DVD also comes with a clean closing, an art gallery of stills, and previews for three Geneon DVDs.

Final Thoughts:

Though it has been a while since I saw the first volume, I quickly found myself coming up to speed with this show.  It has a good mix a characters and some fun mechas.  For some reason I really like the fact that the kids ride on the outside of the Technodes.  If you enjoyed the first disc, be sure to pick this one up too.  Recommended.