Reviews & Columns |
Reviews DVD TV on DVD Blu-ray 4K UHD International DVDs In Theaters Reviews by Studio Video Games Features Collector Series DVDs Easter Egg Database Interviews DVD Talk Radio Feature Articles Columns Anime Talk DVD Savant Horror DVDs The M.O.D. Squad Art House HD Talk Silent DVD
|
DVD Talk Forum |
|
Resources |
DVD Price Search Customer Service #'s RCE Info Links |
Columns
|
|
Guyver: Bio-Booster Armor Vol. 1, The
The Movie:
As I popped The Guyver: Bio-Booster Armor Vol. 1 into my DVD player, I suddenly had a moment of introspection, enlightenment, and catharsis (in that order.) I asked myself, "What is it that makes anime so appealing?" Is it the no-holds barred style of animation that pushes the envelope way past the works of other animators around the world? Does the preponderance of giant fighting robots and multi-tentacled demons feed the phallic wish fulfillment fantasies of fanboys worldwide? Do the actions scenes provide for a visceral thrill that live-action movies could never replicate without a budget the size of the Gross National Product of Luxembourg?
Nope, it's not any of that. I discovered the secret, and you heard it here first: it's the big cheesy Japanese pop song at the end of every feature.
Let's be honest, shall we? If you made it all the way through Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (and if you did, more power to you brother), after 90 minutes of pure unadulterated shim-sham and flibbledeefloo, you were rewarded with one of the most insipid and unintentionally hilarious pop songs ever to grace the silver screen. Good God! I never saw such a group of fanboys erupt into fits of impish laughter since the "All Your Base" phenomenon of 2000. If I had my druthers (and I don't, not since the 2000 Key West Fantasy Fest), I'd find all of these songs, burn them on a CD, and play it whenever I wanted to get rid of unwanted guests or household vermin.
So then, what does any of this have to do with The Guyver: Bio-Booster Armor Vol. 1? Not a whole heck of a lot, really, except the English audio eschews the traditional cheesy pop ballad for late 1980s pseudo-pop/metal. The Japanese audio, however, goes all out with the cheese: a Loverboy-esque mélange of fromage and rock/pop the likes of which makes for gloriously silly entertainment. The series itself is yet another chapter in the ultimate incarnation of adolescent fantasy: the Young Boy Who Suddenly Receives Great Power. The story is adapted from the long-running manga series by Yoshiki Takaya and tells the story of a student named Sho, who quite by accident wields the power of the Guyver, an alien weapon in the form of organic bio-armor. He is pursued by an organization known as Chronos, an international cadre of sinister types who breed genetic monsters known as Zoanoids and want the Guyver armor back in their possession. In the meantime, Sho is a normal teenage boy who has the hots for his best friend's sister, but of course he can't tell her about the Guyver, which leads to crises of conscience later in the series.
The quality of these episodes is enjoyable if slight: there's not a whole lot of depth and characterization going on here. While there is an ongoing story-arc that permeates each episode, they generally boil down to Guyver fighting yet another Zoanoid or another Guyver. The quality of the animation, for a TV series, is very good, with some real visceral moments of action, violence, and gore. The protagonists are stock characters: the good-intentioned, noble and shy hero, his goofy yet likable best friend, the virtuous, damsel-in-distress love interest, the questionable mystery figure who may be a good guy (and maybe not!), and a host of sinister bad-guys who you know are truly evil because they bare way too much teeth. Overall, if you like mindless action, just enough storyline to keep you coming back for more, and cheesy theme songs, The Guyver: Bio-Booster Armor Vol. 1 may be right up your alley.
The episodes included on this DVD are as follows:
Data 1 – Genesis of the Guyver
Data 2 – Battle of the Guyvers
Data 3 – The Guyver Smiley-Time Family Variety Hour (just kidding – it's Mysterious Shadow)
Data 4 – Attack of the Hyper Zoanoid – Team 5
Data 5 – Death of the Guyver
Data 6 – Terminal Battle – The Fall of Chronos Japan
The DVD Video:
I have to admit: the made-for-television video looks very good. Framed in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio, the video presentation looks fairly sharp. Colors are strong and vibrant, a definite plus when presenting animation on DVD. Images are displayed with good clarity, with solid contrasts and sharp detail, although edge-enhancement creeps up somewhat frequently. Tell-tale compression noise is also visible. Overall, the image is sharp and pleasant, better preserved than one might imagine.
Audio:The original Japanese soundtrack is included, as well as an English dub. The Japanese 2.0 soundtrack sounds confined and limited. It lacks any real expansion or directional effects, with a slightly hollow quality that detracts from the audio experience. While this can be easily written off as "par-for-the-course" for made-for-TV material (and indeed, one cannot reasonably expect an audio experience on par with that of, say, the DTS track on Saving Private Ryan), with so much bombastic action occurring on-screen one can only dream of a more immersive soundstage.
On the other hand, the English soundtrack is presented in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0. It goes without saying that if you are not listening to the original language, you are shortchanging yourself – the English dub is pretty awful. That having been said, the English 2.0 track sounds slightly better than Japanese, with clearer dialog and slightly deeper fidelity. The 5.1 channel opens up the mix even more, with aggressive activity booming from the surrounds and LFE channel. While this definitely improved the audio experience, the 5.1 audio isn't as enveloping as one would hope. Surround channels basically analog the center channel audio, with some slight ambient and background noise. There is very little in terms of directional or discrete effects – basically two channels of audio are unevenly split over five. It's a workable track, but you're better off listening to the Japanese audio.
Extras:The Zoanoid Data Files provide short video clips that feature data about each of the different Zoanoids, Guyvers, and other plot elements from the series. It's a cute extra that provides sufficient recaps of the main characters from the series, but it's not one that will provide much in terms of replay value. For completists of the series, the Original Japanese Intros are included, featuring a slightly different set of opening credits (but retaining the cheesy pop title song!). The Photo Gallery consists of nine still shots featuring characters and monsters from the series.
The Manga Extras section contains information about Manga Video, the distributor of the series. Manga Video Previews is a six-minute selection of video previews of other Manga titles, including Virus, Ghostsweeper Mikami, Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth, The End of Evangelion, and Blood: The Last Vampire. The Manga DVD Catalogue is a static presentation of Manga's catalog, featuring covers and short synopses of their various titles. Merchandise and Catalogue Info is a 90 second montage of Manga's various titles and merchandise. Web Links features (what else?) web links to various Manga-related sites. Finally, the Palm Pictures Easter egg is a four-minute promo for the Sound and Motion: Volume 1 DVD, highlighting what seems to be the most craptacular collection of DJs and grunge bands since the Carl Levenbaum Retirement Extravaganza of '98.
Final Thoughts:Despite my fairly glib attitude throughout the course of this review, I enjoyed my time with The Guyver: Bio-Booster Armor Volume 1. The episodes were fun and kinetic if ultimately not very memorable. I'll chalk it up to not being my "cup of tea", as it lacks a certain degree of heart, passion, and characterization that I have come to expect from quality anime. I cannot fault the action scenes, which were intense, fun, and definitely good for a thirty-minute thrill ride. However, while viewing all six episodes one after the other, the repetitiveness of the series grows more painfully apparent.
Manga deserves credit for putting forth a quality presentation of the series at a reasonable price. For Guyver fans, this series is a must-buy; you're definitely getting some value for your money. For anime fans who are new to the series, you might want to give this one a rental first. For those new to anime, there are better series out there to "test the waters" of Japanese animation, such as Cowboy Bebop or Escaflowne. And if your tastes include the vast tapestry of cheesy Japanese pop TV theme songs… good lord, get help!
|
Popular Reviews |
Sponsored Links |
|
Sponsored Links |
|
Release List | Reviews | Shop | Newsletter | Forum | DVD Giveaways | Blu-Ray | Advertise |
Copyright 2024 DVDTalk.com All Rights Reserved. Legal Info, Privacy Policy, Terms of Use,
Manage Preferences,
Your Privacy Choices
|