Set in the seedy underbelly of Japan's cultural and societal elite, Speed Grapher is a program that grabs a hold of you and doesn't let go. I first caught a glimpse of this series during 2007's Anime Boston convention and it certainly peaked my interest. FUNimation released the show during the months that followed and recently it has been inducted into the ranks of the Viridian Collection line. It's safe to say that if you missed it the first time around then the reissue's affordability makes it a no-brainer if you ever had an interest.

Produced by GONZO and directed by Kunihisa Sugishima Speed Grapher ended up with 24 episodes by the time it wrapped up in 2005. With a photographer at the helm the series feels a little like Area 88 or Flag but it has significantly darker tones than you'd expect. The first episode serves as an indicator to clue you in on Speed Grapher's twisted sense of style. In the opening moments we are introduced to lead character Saiga who is a war journalist with a sexual fetish for snapping pictures. On the battlefield he takes a photograph of an enemy soldier being shot and walks away from the encounter with an erection. Needless to say this isn't your typical "playing it safe" anime.

Once the opening volume of Speed Grapher gets underway we aren't given a lot to go on as much of the background skirts around providing an explanation early on. The first episode introduced us to Saiga in the aforementioned manner and from that point we revisit him later in life. He's living in Japan now and the world's economy has changed somewhat. The line that divides the wealthy and poverty stricken has grown exponentially and it's safe to say that the separation has been taken to the extreme.

Saiga's journalistic expertise and penchant for getting a hard on for taking pictures make him an interesting, disturbing, and flawed character. He's not the kind of person you can root for immediately but the love for journalism that flows through his veins draws him into a situation where he appears to be the normal one. Following his instincts and a certain senator he is lead to a club that only the elite may attend. Because money is no object for these people any desire they have may be achieved and the place becomes something of a den for sexual deviants.

Surrounded by sadomasochists and fetish lovers, Saiga is uncovered after a short while and becomes involved in a bizarre ritual involving someone known as the "Goddess". She descends from above and gives him a kiss that leads to a mysterious figure ordering his death. That's the very moment when the first episode ends and you're left on the edge of your seat trying to figure things out. When the next episode starts we are introduced to another character integral to the story.

Kagura is a young girl who is locked away by her powerful mother and is involved somehow with the mysterious cult of rich people. Her life is anything but normal as she's chauffeured from home to school and back again. What's even more bizarre is her mother's detest of her beauty which leads to Kagura being subsequently starved on purpose. A few interesting situations arise that display the power of the wealthy and just what these mysterious figures are capable of.

As the first volume of Speed Grapher continues we uncover that Kagura has a strange power that infects Saiga in some manner. The pair is drawn into an inexplicable plot as the series only just begins to scratch the surface. Suspense is something that this show obviously does well and after the first four episodes were done I was anxious to get back to it for the second batch. As far as immediate impressions are concerned Speed Grapher certainly stands out thanks to its unique and gritty atmosphere, interesting characters, and supernatural concept. I can't wait to see what is in store Saiga and Kagura down the road and with the Viridian line's lower pricing structure this is a much easier pill to swallow.

Speed Grapher was originally released a few years ago and as such the program benefits from the recent production. The designs; though sickening in some cases, are beautiful and the animation matches what you'd expect from a series by GONZO. The 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer offers an eerie glimpse at the seedy world that Saiga lives in but it's not entirely without flaw. While the colors and contrast stay on cue for the most part many scenes are blanketed by noise. It's difficult to tell whether or not this was a byproduct of FUNimation's transfer or if it was placed there purposely for the grit that this show loves so much. Either way it's a tad distracting but thankfully it's the only smudge on this otherwise solid looking series.

Like you'd expect from a series of this caliber Speed Grapher comes with a 2.0 track for each language (Japanese and English) with a 5.1 being reserved solely for the English speaking crowd. The dubbing for both tracks stands out as perfect and I'd definitely say that both drag you in and keep you on the edge of your seat. Lines are performed with precise emotions and the flare for the dramatic isn't lost in translation. The 2.0 tracks are acceptable enough for what they are but the 5.1 helps once the action picks up as it creates a better sense of immersion. Even so this is a somewhat quiet program and the channels aren't used to their fullest capacity.

The first volume of Speed Grapher contains some bonus materials worth digging through if you ask me. Sure for the most part it's fluff with clean animations, an art gallery, and character profiles, but there is some audition footage thrown in for good measure.

If you missed it the first time around FUNimation's re-release of Speed Grapher is definitely worth picking up. The first volume was riveting and it perfectly introduced us to the concept and bizarre worth which Saiga lives in. I was anticipating the second volume even by the time the third episode wrapped up, which is something that doesn't happen all that often. It's a little off the beaten path but if you can stomach the representation of wealth corrupting people to an extreme degree then you'll definitely get into the plot. Oh, and the supernatural elements don't hurt either!

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