Title:  Gunsmith Cats - Bulletproof!  UK distributor: ADV Films BBFC Certificate: 15 Suggested Retail Price (SRP): £19.99 Episodes: 1 - 3 (of 3) Audio Options: English 2.0; Japanese 2.0 Subtitles: English Reviewer:  Tom (Webmaster)

Ah, the classic US crime show.  Sexy people with guns, respected leaders that turn out to be heads of international drug cartels and henchman that could fire entire clips at the crowd of a World Cup final and still not manage to hit anybody.  Add into that some groovy sax music, some car chases and a evil assassin who is always from Eastern Europe and you have a hit show.  Or in this case a hit anime.  

Within five minutes of watching Gunsmith Cats the American influence is strikingly obvious.  In the opening scene we are introduced to cool bounty hunter Rally Vincent and the clichéd 'slightly unhinged' sidekick of hers that is Minnie May as they capture their latest bounty.  After this scene we are then treated to a stylish pop-art opening with an excellent jazz score that sums up what Gunsmith Cats is all about in just a couple of minutes.  Straightforward fun action which is heavily influenced by shows such as Charlie's Angels and, unlike Hollywood remakes, pays homage rather then mocks. 

Starsky liked the new Tachikoma paintjob...
 

The expectantly thin plot which involves gun-running, crooked cops and a Russian nemesis may not be the strong point of Gunsmith Cats, but if you have ever seen Charlie's Angels, The A-Team, etc., then you will know that plot is never important in this type of show.  All that is really important is style and action and Gunsmith Cats has this in abundance, as well as a good slice of humour. 

Even though it is now over ten years old, Gunsmith Cats is still incredibly stylish and has many action scenes which have yet to have been bettered.  The climax of the second episode features on the most thrilling car chases you will ever seen committed to film with amazing attention having been paid to the details of the cars, right down to using the real engine noises for all the cars.  Due to being animated this gives the scene a huge advantage as it allows for camera angles and stunts that just would not be possible in the American shows Gunsmith Cats is so influenced by.  Only the classic car chases in Hollywood films such as Bullitt and The French Connection are examples I can give that match the thrilling chase in Gunsmith Cats - the scene is that good. 
 

Stereotypes ahoy!

It's not all about the cars though as the characters make for great viewing throughout.  The straight-talking sexy lead Rally providing most of the action in the form of 'only one bullet left' scenes which often involve a good dose of speed-lines and panty shots.  Her sidekick is not unlike the character Murdock from The A-Team has she is slightly insane and enjoys blowing things up a bit too much with her jacket of grenades.  Add into the mix their arch-nemesis in the form of Russian stereotyped assassin Radinov, who as a typical cold asexual air as well as a leather coat and sunglasses.  See the picture on the left - very funny. 
 

Overall there are little bad things to say about Gunsmith Cats.  It is a fun stylish show that is gleefully free of the angsty gun-totting teens that plague most anime nowadays, instead it concentrates on action and does not pretend to be anything more then a fun ride - cybernetic killers, mechs, a futuristic setting or any other gimmicks here.  Some may want to avoid Gunsmith Cats because of the lack of features unique to anime and they got into anime to avoid the American shows on which it is based, but by taking that view you would be missing out on one hell of a show. 

The only gripe that I have with Gunsmith Cats is that it only three episodes long and could be given so much more in which they character's backgrounds could be explored more, given it is based on a much bigger manga series.  A new series, possibly along with a new series of Lupin III, could spark a revival of this sub-genre which could replace the 'young girls with guns' genre that is becoming overloaded with titles. 

For pure entertainment there is little else available in the UK like Gunsmith Cats and is a refreshing breath of fresh air and one of the few titles capable of creating more anime fans.  Cool, stylish, sexy and terrific fun tells you all you need to know about Gunsmith Cats. 

Extras

For a DVD release that is a few years old now, the extras included are not too bad.  The main extra is an interesting 'making of' featurette which contains location scouting, production art as well as insightful interviews with the cast.  It also contains footage of the awesome Shelby GT-500 which was used the artists as a study for the show.  The featurette is partly done from a Western point of view as well, offering explanations into the recording process as well the process of transferring pre-production line art into animation.  Veterans of other 'making of's' may say such explanations are unnecessary but for a newcomer it is essential and the English voiceover suits the style of the documentary. 

Other extras include original trailers for Gunsmith Cats as well as trailers for the Dirty Pair Flash, Slayers and the excellent Samurai X: Trust.  Also included is a text-free version of the awesome pop-art style opening. 

Ratings

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