When I first heard about Coyote Ragtime Show I honestly didn't know what to expect. It had an irreverent sound to it and elicited visions of a goofy comedy though what's really in a name? You can't judge a book by its cover and you can't judge an anime by its title. Coyote Ragtime Show may indeed be irreverent at times but it's a powerful show with a strong cast of characters that will latch on to you the moment you catch the first episode.

In the future humans have colonized many planets across the galaxy and though we haven't really evolved as a people, our technology has. There are cyborgs a plenty and ships that can travel faster than light. For some reason we still use bullets and rockets to get the dirty jobs done instead of lasers which just seems kind of funny (in a Cowboy Bebop sort of way). This particular attempt to do the science fiction genre has been done many times over but it's the manner with which it's handed in Coyote Ragtime Show that makes it feel unique.

The main characters are another big part in that feeling of originality. The main character is a guy named Mister who is a renowned outlaw of sort. He operates a starship known as the Coyote and is joined by a pair of lackeys named Katana and Bishop. Along the way through the first volume we were also introduced to Franca who is the daughter of Pirate King Bruce.

Bruce and Mister were best friends and it's revealed through the course of the introductory volume that Bruce aspired to pull off the biggest heist in the galaxy. With the clock ticking Mister and his compatriots set out to unlock a piece of the past and discover the secret of Bruce's Ocean's Eleven-like plot. Standing in their way are the Marciano sisters and the Milky Way Federation (MWF) who want nothing more than to see Mister and company behind bars or dead.

The second volume picks up right where the first left off with the Coyote's crew on their way to Graceland. In order to get there they have to go through a transit hub and pass through the Graceland gate though it's going to be kind of a challenge with Angelica from the MWF and Marciano's Guild hot on their tracks. Thanks to some clever disguises, ingenuity, and a fair amount of luck Mister and company make their way to the gate known as "Big Pink".

Unfortunately when they arrive Marciano's robotic girls are there waiting for them. All manner of hell breaks loose as the girls go after Mister; one wants to capture him alive and the other wants him dead. In the meantime Franca is kidnapped and Bruce's pendant (the one with the recording about the heist) falls into Madame Marciano's hands. This is kind of the Empire Strikes Back moment where the bad guy seems to have won but Angelica steps in and allows Mister to rescue Franca. Unfortunately in the process he takes a bullet and is wounded badly. Not that taking a bullet would be a goodly thing mind you.

As this volume progresses all manner of hell breaks loose as Marciano goes on a rampage. This leaves the three factions in a mad dash to Graceland in order to get Bruce's treasure from Gigabank. If you saw the first volume and thought the pacing had the pedal to the metal just wait until you see this one. It offers nonstop action and a ruckus affair that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

If you think of Coyote Ragtime Show as a blend of Ocean's Eleven and Cowboy Bebop you wouldn't be far from the mark. The show uses the heist theme to its fullest and the accompanying science fiction theme goes well with it. I'm pretty bummed out that there is only one more volume left but if it's anything like the first two it surely won't disappoint.

Coyote Ragtime Show just finished broadcasting in Japan during September of 2006 so you can imagine how fresh the video quality is. The anamorphic widescreen image features some nice resolution with crisp quality and a vibrant palette. The picture stays strong the entire way through and just about every scene is just as gorgeous as the one that preceded it. There were a couple of scenes here and there where some grain was noticeable but apart from that there were no other flaws to speak of.

With Japanese and English 5.1 tracks Coyote Ragtime Show does a nice job of impressing your ears as well. My first viewing for the show was with the Japanese track and I was very pleased to have the surround mix available. Typically we get somewhat stagnant 2.0 stereo presentations so any time a show comes out with 5.1 it's something to get excited about. The track made good use of the rear channels and spread it evenly between sound effects and music.

The English dubbing offered a little more in terms of the channel mixture but it was more or less the same to be honest. Some sound effects seemed to be boosted a tad and more dialogue played across channels. Overall I was pleased with both tracks and enjoyed them equally. The surround sound was a little more subdued than I'd personally hope for but once the action kicked into gear it was pretty immersive.

This second volume of Coyote Ragtime Show once again offers meager bonus material to take a gander at. All you can expect to find are clean animations, production art, and some trailers.

The first volume of Coyote Ragtime Show made a big impression on me and fortunately the second one did as well. Sure this show may be a guilty pleasure and yes the concept is relatively fluffy but I'll be damned if it isn't a lot of fun. This is one of my favorite series to be released this year and it's depressing to know that there is only one volume remaining. If you appreciate the science fiction genre and appreciate flashy storytelling this is one you'll definitely want to pick up.

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