Betterman, Vol. 1: The Awakening (2001)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Written by Hiroshi Yamaguchi
Directed by Yoshitomo Yonetani

Features:

• Art gallery
  
• Reversible case cover
  
• Information files
  
• Textless opening
  

Dindrane's Anime Warnings:

• Children seeing more than they should
• Scary clowns
• The cunning of full-grown boys

Released by: Bandai
Region: 1
Rating: 13+
Anamorphic:

My Advice: Get it.

Betterman tells the story of young Keita Aono, your typical anime goofy hero. His life is that of a normal slacker teenager until a new student transfers into his class, Hinoki Sai, who had been Keita's childhood friend. But now she's acting like she doesn't know him. Soon Keita discovers that something strange, known only as "Algernon" has invaded the closed amusement park underground. Hinoki is something called a "duo-type" that allows her to use bio-mecha, and she therefore works for Akamatsu Industries fighting Algernon.

In the episodes on this first disc, we learn that Keita is also a duo-type, and he becomes Hinoki's new partner when her former partner is killed in the first episode. We also learn that there are other pairs at work in other places in the world, such as Paris. We also get to see the titular character, the Better Man, at work--a quasi-legendary being who can swallow special seeds and thereby assume a different monstrous form. The Better Man who seems to be watching over Keita and Hinoki is known only as Lamia, but bears something of a resemblance to Hinoki.

This show isn't quite as creepy as it wants to be, but it's still fairly creepy; there's just something disturbing about amusement parks. The overall weirdest, most disturbing element has less to do with Algernon's possession of giant clowns than the inclusion of a little psychic girl who spends her life wired into a chair.

The audio and video quality are top notch. The animation blends normal animation with real photography very effectively; this is trendy now in anime, but not all shows do it as well as Betterman does. The letterbox presentation truly allows the animation to shine and helps drive the point home that anime is not your usual Saturday morning cartoon. Both the Japanese and the English voice casts do a good job here; I'm so glad to see that the English dubs of the last few years have been light years ahead of the first, poor acting jobs done years ago. If you haven't given an English cast a try in a while, then give this cast a shot--you'll be pleasantly surprised.

The extras list is nicely balanced. The disc comes with a reversible cover; the main side is highlighted with metallic ink and looks fantastic. The pose of Hinoki might be a wee bit too much fan service, but what can you do? We also get a textless opening that shows off the series' fine art, as well as a nifty production art gallery. The real star of the features list, however, is the "Mode Warp File #1," which presents text about various aspects of the show in case you get confused or just want to know more about things, like the bio-mecha. Every anime title should provide this kind of visual glossary.

Overall, this is a good, solidly written show. It's not without its flaws, but what is? If you like mecha adventure with a twist, horror anime that isn't too scary, shows about corporate espionage and maneuverings, or mysteries and suspense, then this title is for you. Great animation and an engrossing storyline bode well for the volumes to come.