The episodes in Volume 2 are- INCUBATING THE SUCCUBUS: 13 women have died due to an infected sleep program virus. The virus is taunting the S.T.A.N.D. crew by having the women call out for Raven, the team leader. After the virus abducts team hacker Mirei, fighters Erika and Serge go into the program to confront it, where the virus takes form as a female version of Serge... BEHOLD CHANGE OR DIE: Erika and Serge are being interrogated about their experience with the virus. But more troubling concerns raise their head as the team confronts a new enemy in league with the virus, a hacker named Brain Lizard... ANOTHER BOY MISSING: Mirei-centric episode revolving around one of the members of her hacker group being made comatose by a virus that has infected his brain implant. Her attempts to save him lead to her being infected by the virus. Infected, her life on the line, and no longer able to perform her duties, she contacts her former hackers and goes into net to tackle the virus which takes the form of her guilt over her little brothers death... BEHOLD CHANGE OR DIE 2: Serge's old hacking friend Ryu is captured, suspected of being in league with Brain Lizard, and perhaps being the villainous hacker. While in custody, an infected mech breaks him out, and he takes hostages inside the headquarters.

Unlike the first volume, this round of episodes are less stiff and chaotic and the series becomes more coherent. It still has an awkward hodgepodge of styles and wants to be too many different kinds of anime at once. When you think of great anime, it almost always has a better focus, the adventure of Bebop, the relationship teen comedy of Ranma, the techno drama of Akira, or the creepy action of Ninja Scroll. Virus Buster Serge is schitzophrenic, not sure if it wants to be a superhero in powersuits action series, a relationship series with cutesy girls, an angsy ridden techno melodrama, or a mech battle show. It is a bit of everything, a cliched anime smorgasbord with a rockin' pop metal theme song that doesn't reflect the often sour talky drama most of the episodes lean towards.

The DVD: Manga

Picture: Full-Frame, Standard. Picture looks better here in the second volume than it did in the first. It is like as the writing become more fluid, they even got better animation turned out. It still isn't top notch series anime, more on the middle or bottom rung in terms of quality and definition, but the presentation should be more than acceptable for fans.

Sound: Dolby Digital English Stereo or 5.1 Surround Tracks or 2.0 Stereo Japanese language with optional yellow English subtitles. While I mainly listened to the original language track, tuning into the dubs, one can tell the English 5.1 track having quite a bit more depth and "ooomph" to it. Pretty decent mix, not awe-inspiring but good as far as stereo tracks go. The voice actors in the English dub seem a little subdued, no doubt do the confusing phrases and cryptic dialogue they had to tackle

Extras: Episode and Chapter Selections--- Photo Gallery (40) promo art and stills.--- Character Bios--- Virus Previews--- Manga video Previews, DVD Catalog, and Weblinks.

Conclusion: Serges second volume is a marked improvement over the first volume of episodes. The stories have a bit more focus, you can see where the show is heading, the footing is better. It is still not very original and there are similar themed animes that are far, far superior. If you are a fan the DVD is fine, but it didn't impress me enough to recommend it as a blind purchase for anime freaks. Try to rent it.