Black Cat Vol. #3 (of 6)

By: Bryan Morton
Review Date: Friday, January 11, 2008
Release Date: Monday, February 04, 2008



What They Say
As all attempt to hide and heal, Train's conscience grows deep... Deep enough to make the decision to leave Chronos for good. Unfortunately for him, the life he has left proves unwilling to let him go. Sought by both the Chronos Numbers and the new Taoist rebels working against them, the former assassin loses faith when he loses a friend. But his newfound companions, Sven and the young bio-weapon Eve, teach the stray cat a new way of life...

Episodes Comprise
9 – The Charming Cat
10 – The Cat Unleashed
11 – The False Cat
10 – The Fighting Cat

The Review!
Two former Chronos members, each with an obsession – Train's need to avenge Saya's death, and Creed's need to somehow prove himself to Train. Put them together, and the results are going to be explosive. From a safe distance, let's see what happens…

Audio:
Audio comes in Japanese 2.0 and English 5.1 versions – I listened to the Japanese track for this review. There’s a decent amount of direction used, particularly noticeable during the action scenes, while dialogue and effects are nice & clear. There were no obvious problems.

Video:
Video is presented in its original 1.78:1 aspect, enhanced for anamorphic playback. Presentation has always been one of GONZO’s strong points, and this series is no exception, with fluid animation and detailed background combining to produce a show which really does look good. Even the night-time scene – of which there are plenty – manage to look good, with some nice use of low-level lighting that highlights the scenes nicely. There were no obvious problems with the transfer.


Packaging:
No packaging was provided with our review copy.

Menu:
The main menu is a simple white screen, with an image Jenos on the left-hand-side and the various options listed down the right-hand side – Play All, Select Episode, Setup and Extras. There are no transition animations, so it’s all quick and easy to use.

Extras:
You get creditless versions of the opening and closing sequences. That’s all, folks.

Content: (please note that content portions of a review will contain spoilers)
Sven's got a killer on his trail - a beast of a man by the name of Gyanza Ryujikke, a man who has no qualms about killing anyone and who Sven brought down when he was a detective. Now Gyanza's on the loose, and he wants Sven's scalp. Unfortunately, according to Rinslet, Gyanza is next on the Taoists recruitment list - and if he takes the Shinkitou potion that will unleash the power of Tao within him, then Sven's going to be in real trouble. Will Sven catch Gyanza before it's too late, or will Taosists Kyoko and Charden get there first?

Later, Train learns that Creed is still alive, and that he's set up his own revolutionary group, the Apostles of the Stars. After being told that Creed is planning something that's going to happen Sangeles City in the next few days, Train's certain that he has to go there and find out what his former ally is up to. Which is just what Creed expected him to do - and he and his new allies are waiting for him...

Every volume I watch of Black Cat is an interesting experience. Each time, I think I've got a handle on what the show is going to serve up, and each time it goes and delivers something different – but always in a way that pleases. It's a good way of keeping me on my toes, and as a way of keeping the whole experience enjoyable, it's hard to beat. I hope the remaining volumes keep up the habit. This time out, the main focus is on Train and Creed – two men obsessed, one with the need for vengeance, and one with some twisted version of wanting to be loved or accepted. No prizes for guessing which one is which. In the short time he knew her, it seems Saya's had a powerful influence on young Train, although I'm not sure she'd appreciate the way he's responded to her death. That's something that Sven also seems to recognise, and through his continuous efforts to keep the Train and Creed apart he's also doing his best to keep Train out of trouble.

Not that he succeeds. The result is a decent string of action sequences, and I have to say I like the way that Black Cat does its battles – the posturing that's so common in anime is kept to a reasonable minimum, and the fights are nicely choreographed and don't stray too far into "yeah, right" territory. The visual style of the series also changes a little during the fights, becoming a bit more abstract and hard-edged – it's a subtle change, but one that does tweak the feel of the show nicely and helps add to the atmosphere and the sense of threat when Train and Creed really go at each other.

This focus does mean that the rest of the cast get left on the sidelines for most of the disc, though. Rinslet is off doing her own thing for most of the disc & providing information for the gang from a safe distance, but for poor Sven and Eve it's a trip to Bit Part City, as they just intervene when the plot requires and otherwise stay out of the way. The exception is episode 9, where Sven has a killer on his tail – this is probably the funniest episode on the disc, and is also used to introduce the first of Creed's revolutionaries. The first meeting between Train and fire-breathing schoolgirl Kyoko is the comedy highlight of the series so far, and she's quickly become one of my favourite characters, despite her bad girl status. Eve also gets a bit of an outing in episode 11, but I would have liked to have seen her and Sven have more of a role in the story.

I suppose in some ways Black Cat doesn't seem to know what it wants to be – it's almost equal parts comedy & action with a little bit of drama thrown in for good measure – but the way it's been put together makes it work a lot better than I had expected. It's nothing hugely unique or original, but it is great fun to watch when you're in the mood for something light and unchallenging.

In summary:
This volume of Black Cat covers all the bases, with humour and action dotted around a story that does seem to be going somewhere, along with a few new characters introduced to join the mayhem. While the show doesn't do anything special, it does it with style & in a way that's very easy and enjoyable to watch – especially if your brain is in neutral at the time. If that's the sort of entertainment you're in the mood for, then this release will be right up your alley.

Features
Japanese Language 2.0,English Language 5.1,English Subtitles,Creditless Opening & Closing Sequences

Review Equipment
Toshiba 37X3030DB 37" widescreen HDTV; Sony PS3 Blu-ray player (via HDMI, upscaled to 1080p); Acoustic Solutions DS-222 5.1 speaker system.