Originally released in Japan back in the mid 90's by Kenichi Sonada, and released at the beginning of last decade (2001, to be exact) by the now defunct ADV Films, Gunsmith Cats is the story of two professional bounty hunters living in Mid 90's Chicago, Rally Vincent, and May "Minnie" Hopkins. Rally is a fan of firearms, and has an impressive collection. May, meanwhile, likes anything that goes boom (overkill is not a word in her vocabulary. Just watch episode 1, and you'll see what I mean). As they're working in their gun shop one day, an agent from the ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms) Bureau walks into their store, and asks them to help out in a sting operation he has going on. At first the girls refuse, but after their house gets shot up, they reluctantly agree. Without revealing anything, their job becomes a fight for their lives. Add a few interesting twists and surprises, and you have a very action-packed show with a bit of humor to lighten things up when necessary.
For an anime from the Mid 90's, the animation holds up surprisingly well. The creator of Gunsmith Cats wanted the audience of Japan to have a "American" experience when watching, without the major stereotypes that many of Japan believe about Americans. The city of Chicago has never looked any better in an animated show. You can make out a variety of landmarks in just the first few minutes of the first episode, and many others in the following episodes. The sound in Gunsmith Cats has also held up well over the years. The sound of subway tracks rattling, steam rising from grates in the road, and the sound of the numerous firearms going off sounds natural, and not artificial by any means. The music that plays in each episodes suits the show as a whole, with streaks of Jazz & Light Rock being the most common themes heard. As for the dubbing, some of the voices sound really good, while a couple of the other voices don't seem to fit the characters for some reason. If you are a stickler for dubs, then I suggest you stick with the Japanese audio & English subtitles. Otherwise, the dubbing isn't that bad.
Rally & May are definitely the focus of Gunsmith Cats. Although there are a bunch of other characters, many of them interacting with the main characters, it's the team of Rally & May that will get you to like the show. Their partnership feels very authentic, as if they were a real-life team working together. They argue, cry, feel fear, and laugh just like you or I would. When you see either of they take out a bad guy, you want to cheer them on, and when they get hurt, you feel concern for them as well. It's not often that animated characters can do that to people, and that's why Gunsmith Cats is a classic show that no one should miss.
One last positive thing about Gunsmith Cats. Like any anime DvD, Gunsmith Cats has it's standard amount of extras. It's got previews for other shows, original trailers, as well as a credit free version of the introduction. These are all well and good, but the most interesting of the extras is the Making of Gunsmith Cats special. The specials shows you the creator of the show drawing scene of the show, as well as a interview with the creator. It's not often that you find something like this on a DvD, new or otherwise.
Despite the good things about this show, it does have a couple problems. First off, this show is old. As I stated earlier, Gunsmith Cats was released in 2001. Going to the ADV website is pointless, as the company has been out of business since 2009. You're only bet is to go to a sight like Amazon or Ebay. I got my copy used off of Amazon for about 35 something dollars. Used DvDs are slightly more common that unopened copies, but not by much.
Secondly, there are only 3 episodes of Gunsmith Cats. There were going to be more, but due to a demand for cops shows with more fantastic elements (Cowboy Bebop, for example), Kenichi Sonada decided to only do the three episodes that are on the DvD.
Finally, there are certain elements within the Gunsmith Cats manga that aren't in the show. The yuri undertones, for example, are all but gone in the show. Not only that, but there are only a handful of characters from the manga that show up, while the rest never make a appearance. This doesn't ruin the experience for new fans such as myself, but for those who are obsessed with authenticity, you might not enjoy the show.
Gunsmith Cats gets a 8 out of 10. It has a lot going for it, but the availability, length, and deviations may turn you off of the show.
See you next month for a couple more reviews. Until then, stay Otaku!
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