Geobreeders (1) Vol. #05

By Mike Dungan     April 28, 2004
Release Date: January 01, 2003



Creative Talent
Writer/Artist:Akihiro Ito
Translated by:Laura Jackson and Yoko Kobayashi
Adapted by:

What They Say
Tokyo Tower is falling down! From snowy wastes to urban sprawl, the Phantom Cats wreak havok and destruction wherever they appear. The next target on their list is the seat of all paranormal activity in Japan... Will Kagura be able to stop the cats' path of destruction or will Tokyo Tower fall?! Wirtten and illustrated by the mega-talented Akihiro Ito. Geobreeders was made for fans of high action, intense thrills and cute chicks with guns!

The Review
Kagura Security heads out into the snowy covered countryside to take out some phantom cats. Maki and Yuu are on the ground, Taba and Yuka are in a cabin, and Takami and Eiko are in a cable car high above the ground. The phantom cats have a large scale operation going on and Kagura are out to stop it. The various fronts of this battle all converge, with Yuu of all people stepping up to save the day. The end of the chapter has everyone spending a little time at the hot springs in the mountains.

The next chapter begins by showing Narusawa, the young Hounds recruit undergoing some intensive training to improve her skills. Meanwhile at Kagura, another case has come up, and as usual, it's Taba who has to deal with it. Maki and Eiko are assisting this time. In another part of town, Irie of the Ministry of Health and Welfare brings along a group of men to help him take out a group of phantom cats who have infiltrated a research laboratory. Other phantom cats have taken over the Tokyo Tower. Both Kagura and the Hounds are there to take them out, though independent of each other. The battle rages on several fronts. Narusawa is forced to fight a phantom cat on her own. Fortunately for her, her increased training is paying off and she mananges to survive until help arrives. Meanwhile, Maki's over-enthusiasm with rocket propelled grenades causes the collapse of Tokyo Tower in an epic display of Kagura's grandest destructive tradition. Once again, the phantom cats are captured or killed, and everyone can go home, even if the skyline is a little different.


Comments
Two self-contained stories make up this fifth volume. The physical comedy is excellent in both stories. Ito excels at finding new and unbelievable ways for characters to complete their objectives. Each volume continues to add to the greater story of the world of Kagura Security, without making anything too obvious. The art reproduction is again much better than in the first three volumes. It isn't perfect, but it's clearly better than it has been. CPM stopped editing nudity out of Geobreeders beginning with volume 4, and this volume is no different. All the nudity is left intact. Like all previous volumes, the book is published with flipped art to read from left to right, and all sound effects are translated and retouched into English. The beginning of the book is a parody magazine called "Babes & Arms" which features the women of Kagura and the weapons they employ. Several design sketches, such as Maki's Broomhandle Mauser, are included. In the back is a 6 page promotional preview by Ito for the first anime OVA series, and a cover gallery of CPM's monthly release of Geobreeers. Unfortunately, it's in black and white instead of color. The cover of this volume is a composite of Taba, Eiko and Maki with Narusawa and another Hounds soldier aiming rifles. Behind them is the Tokyo Tower. The back cover has a picture of Maki, Yuka and Maya striking a pose with text above and below.

CPM stopped publishing Geobreeders in the US with volume 5. As of the time of this review, it is still an ongoing series in Japan with 9 volumes out. It is hoped that CPM's recent announcement of a rerelease of Geobreeders in a new format will mean the series will continue beyond volume 5.