Movie: I'm a big fan of anime, especially science fiction anime, and was pleased to get a hold of Infinite Ryvius 1 a couple of months ago. The show detailed the events of an act of sabotage in a future setting that forced a group of students in space to fend for themselves. In the second volume, Infinite Ryvius 2: Vital Guarder, the cast continues their exploits as they fall under attack from outside the Ryvius by unknown enemies, intent on destroying them. With the crew still working on a means to get out of their predicament, they find themselves being pummeled by depth charges and torpedoes, and only creative use of all their talents will save them. The crew then finds the enemy stepping up the attack so they figure out how to employ a mechanized robot, the Vital Guarder. Here's what the box cover said:

"2225AD, an act of sabotage has destroyed the Liebe Delta Astronaut Training Center and stranded 487 teenage cadets aboard the Ryvius, a mysterious interstellar spaceship that was hidden inside the Liebe Delta.
As the cadets settle aboard the Ryvius, their situation continues to fray. The balance of command has shifted as Airs Blue and his team stages a coup to take control of the bridge. The control unit of a giant robot called the Vital Guarder is discovered and several top cadets, including Yuki Aiba and Ikumi Oze, are ordered to train to use it. An attack by the Orbital Security Bureau forces the Ryvius to seek refuge in the Sea of Geduld and drift to Mars. Upon reaching Mars, the Ryvius is attacked by Mars security forces and is forced to protect itself by deploying the Vital Guarder. In the middle of battle, contact is lost with the Vital Guarder. Did Yuki and Ikumi desert everyone else aboard the Ryvius?" In all, the series continued to impress me with its writing and direction although some of the anime style itself seemed a bit oriented towards saving money (there was more of a cartoony look at times). Here are the titles to the 5 episodes on the second DVD:

The Episodes:
6) The Forthcoming Time
7) Unnecessary Things
8) Beyond The Vast Sea
9) Ring Of Ryvius
10) A Little Harmony

Okay, the series proved it wasn't just a flash in the pan with this volume. Most of the first few episodes established the lead characters, such as Kouji and Juli, and the situation they were in but the second was where they started to grow. It was done with a whole lot of class and detail so the series remains on my "must watch" list and my rating for the dvd is still Highly Recommended.

Picture: The picture was presented in 1.33:1 ratio full frame color. There was some grain and a few moments of moiré but otherwise looked pretty good. I think most of the visual matters that weren't "perfect" were intentional this time considering the overall care the show received.

Sound: The audio was presented with a choice of either Japanese or English Dolby Digital with optional English subtitles. There was a good mix here with some very noticeable separation between the channels. Some care was exercised with the audio and I think both languages had something to offer. I liked both versions but give the nod to the English track this time as the story unfolded a bit better without having to read the subtitles.

Extras: There were the usual trailers, double sided dvd cover, clean opening and closing and paper insert but also a second video for the series, a short featurette of the characters, called Ryvius Illusion #2 (done in comical form), some commercials, and a promotional clip.

Final Thoughts: The series was fun to watch as the characters showed a bit of depth with some solid writing. I don't know where the show is going but as long as more corners aren't cut from the production, I can see this one being one a lot of people are going to check out.