Again to the Vaults: Gunsmith Cats OVA Overview
Extra years in the past than I care to recollect, I watched an Anime Music Video that had a scene displaying two women angrily flipping off somebody. As such, I made it my mission to search out out what anime that scene got here from. After I discovered it was Gunsmith Cats OVA, I instantly picked up a replica to observe this three episode gem.
Notice: I initially reviewed this on the Group Anime Overview website again on June 12, 2008. I additionally did episode breakdowns that may be discovered right here.
The Story, in Transient
Rally Vincent and her quick accomplice Could nab reported drug runner Jonathan Washington as a part of a bounty. Nevertheless, they be taught from their informant, Becky, that Washington will not be what the federal government claimed. In the meantime, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) agent Invoice Collins comes by the Gunsmith Cats retailer. He extorts them into serving to the federal government with a gunrunning case.
Rally makes a take care of the nonetheless imprisoned Washington. She bails him out and goes to the warehouse to purchase his weapons. Washington has Invoice and calls for Rally kill him. As a substitute, she begins a gun battle that leads to Washington’s arrest. Nevertheless, since Washington is aware of an excellent deal about who’s behind the gunrunning, Invoice has him positioned right into a protected home. Invoice tries to get Rally to assist him, so he passes a watch and paper to Could.
A former Soviet KGB agent Natasha, utilizing a replica of Invoice’s key card, assassinates Washington. Becky decodes what Invoice supplied them–a backdoor to a porn website that contained ledgers for arms transactions. When Rally and Could examine a yacht membership warehouse, gunrunners try to nab them. Within the confusion, Natasha kidnaps Could. Nevertheless, Could’s explosive experience permits her to flee.
In the meantime, ATF chief George Black works with Chicago mayoral candidate Edward Haints to push for extra gun management. In actuality, Natasha works for Haints. He desires Rally and Could killed at his political rally to push this message. The women agree to return to be thanked for his or her current efforts. Nevertheless, Natasha fails to kill them, resulting in a determined cat and mouse confrontation.
Authentic Story?
Of us can appropriate me within the feedback if I’m unsuitable, however I’m fairly certain that Gunsmith Cats OVA will not be an adaptation of any manga story. Relatively it’s a distinctive story, unfold over three, thirty-minute episodes. Not solely that, however the collection makes a wonderful gateway into the franchise. One doesn’t must have learn the manga or know the characters there. Proper out of the gate, we perceive Rally and Could’s relationship as mates and enterprise companions. Not solely that, Rally is the gun and automotive chick, whereas Could is the explosive chick. Extra on that in a bit.
Whereas this collection does have some cameos from the manga (although not Bean Bandit), once more, I by no means felt like actually missed something earlier than. Nevertheless, I’ll admit that I did wish to know extra about all of those characters and their backstories. However, the writing for this OVA collection is nice sufficient that it might probably get away with not telling the viewers every thing. As a substitute, it exhibits us all we have to know.
That and the attractive nature of the animation might be why this quick collection is cherished a lot, even when it isn’t an adaptation of a manga story.
Could and Rally
I actually love Could and Rally, because of how they’re portrayed in Gunsmith Cats OVA. Could can generally steal the present since she generally is a bit mischievous. For instance, when the ATF organized for Could and Rally’s good, suburban residence to be burgled, Rally went about issues in a enterprise like method. Nevertheless, Could goes for the grenades and explosives, delighting within the thought of blowing up the burglars.
One other nice second got here from when Natasha kidnapped Could. I imply, what’s just a little C4 for use for? Sure, what Could did was actually not lifelike, however seeing the C4 on the again of the automotive to blow out the window made me chuckle on the surprising side of the second. And since Rally is aware of Could so nicely, she was in a position to seize her.
I additionally preferred how Could and Rally disliked the federal government and the ATF. That was the second the place they flipped off the departing Invoice, after he pressured them to work for him. The chemistry between the 2 characters comes off nicely within the Japanese audio.
Whereas this OVA does service Could and Rally a couple of instances, fortunately, it doesn’t go into the extra sexual points that the supply manga delves into.
Not Japan in Chicago
One in every of my points with anime/manga titles set outdoors of Japan is that the writers simply use the setting, then make everybody act like Japanese of us would. Nevertheless, that’s not the case with Gunsmith Cats OVA. Whereas there have been a relative few makes use of of Japanese honorifics to handle of us, every thing else felt very very like America. Certainly, I’ve learn that the manufacturing staff really went to Chicago to get it proper. That was MUCH appreciated.
I gotta say, this OVA seems to be attractive. The eye to element is superb, and in my view, seems to be higher than modern-day anime titles. After we see Rally’s Shelby Cobra GT500 racing by the streets of Chicago, it astonished me on how nicely this was animated. Not solely that, however the roar of the engine supposedly got here from an actual GT500.
Gun Management Plot
On the subject of weapons and such, I’ve seen Japan take an exaggerated view of how weapons are in America. Nevertheless, for Gunsmith Cats OVA, issues are portrayed in a way just like what one would have seen from late 80s/early 90s Hollywood motion movies. That apart, it amused me that the collection is about in Chicago, the place in the present day, gun violence is uncontrolled, regardless of having such strict gun management legal guidelines.
Nonetheless, what made this gun management plot attention-grabbing is how hiding behind ending gun violence was a canopy to promote weapons on the black market. There’s nothing preachy concerning the story, which is good. The story merely depicts a corrupt politician and a corrupt head of the ATF. Frankly, as corrupt as I contemplate the federal government in the present day, I can simply imagine such a plot.
The one unhealthy factor about this three episode collection is that the third episode has to quickly wrap up issues. The primary two episode properly construct up a thriller as to who’s operating weapons. Sadly, the final episode decides to kill the thriller pretty rapidly. Thus episode 3 devolves right into a mere motion piece, which remains to be good. Nevertheless, I’d have preferred Becky to have uncovered the corruption reasonably than the episode simply say, “Hey, listed below are your villains.”
Lastly, the battle between Natasha and Rally was fairly cool, even when Natasha had some large, cliched moments.
Last Ideas and Conclusion
Let me wrap up my evaluation with some ultimate ideas.
- I’m result in perceive that Sonoda-sensei meant for Rally to make use of the identify “Larry”. I can perceive why, however it will have been cringe in English. So I’m glad Rally was used within the West.
- Sadly, Gunsmith Cats OVA is out of print. AnimEigo did a crowd funded factor a few years in the past. Irritatingly, this did NOT consequence within the collection popping out to most of the people. As we speak, I’m advised that there’s a rights difficulty in Japan. Whether or not it’s as a result of the Japanese don’t wish to license it, or as a result of the rights are in limbo just like the Dragonball franchise, I don’t know.
Ultimately, Gunsmith Cats OVA is a lovely, quick OVA collection with a enjoyable, motion packed story.
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