Betterman, Vol. 3: Seeds of Death (2001)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Written by Hiroshi Yamaguchi
Directed by Yoshitomo Yonetani
Starring Kappei Yamaguchi, Colleen Blackmore, Takehito Koyasu

Features:

• Production gallery
  
• Mode Warp File #3
  
• Reversible cover
  
• Large foil art card
  

Dindrane's Anime Warnings:

• Disturbing worm-munching
• Young girl frightened by her abilities and evil things
• Overreaching conspiracies
• Bugs, worms, and more bugs

Released by: Bandai
Region: 1
Rating: 13+
Anamorphic: No; appears in its original 1.33:1 format

My Advice: Get it.

This third volume of Betterman picks up where the last volume left off, but takes an even more surreal turn: the team has found the rare and mysterious Animus flower in the caves of India, and now they need to figure out what it is and what it has to do with Betterman and Algernon. Meanwhile, the city is swamped in a mysterious fog. What they learn is that the flower requires human life to set seeds, and those seeds are what Betterman uses to transform into his Algernon-fighting forms, though his stocks of seeds are quickly diminishing. What does that say about Betterman's spiritual powers? And just what is Algernon? A kind of energy vampire? A virus? An alien invader? In search of answers, Miyako checks out a research facility and finds monsters and mysteries instead of answers. And is that a second Betterman coming to their rescue?

Many good anime titles start out plenty interesting, if simple and just plain entertaining, but then, around episode 10-15, take a turn for the surreal, in the tradition of shows like Nadesico that ramped up the stakes in Volume 4. Betterman is no different. From the first volume, it was interesting enough seeing mecha that can adapt according to the driver's needs, as well as the menace of a mysterious danger. But now, the show is even more complex, blending spirituality with issues of humanity, like the meaning of hope. As Hinoki's spiritual crisis continues, we can only sit back and hope she snaps out of it. We can just watch and see how this blend of fear, menace, and inspiration plays out.

The audio quality of this volume is on par with the previous volumes; the haunting theme song will be with you after the last few moments of the disc proper fade. The look of the show is similarly solid, with the colors quite drenched and bright. The show often looks soft-focus and even shadowed as the danger of the mysterious Algernon grows, which is all to the good for establishing mood. Kudos to the artists.

The features include another cool, large, foiled card, this one depicting Keita Aono. The liner notes thoughtfully include an essay on Akamatsu Industries Co., Ltd. The disc's features include Mode Warp File #3, a Q&A feature providing additional information, and another production art gallery that shows off how the artists managed to set the show's mood. The disc also comes with a reversible cover that has a nice image of Sakura on both sides.

All in all, Volume 3 is a wonderful continuation of an increasingly interesting, if frightening and bizarre, series. If you like science fiction and alternate reality shows, then you'll appreciate this. Fans of shows like The X-Files will also appreciate the high weird factor, squicky enemies, telepathy, and so forth. If you like a touch of horror in your science-fiction, good characters, and interesting spiritual/scientific tales, then this one is definitely for you.