Betterman, Vol. 6: Finality (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 #6
  
• Reversible cover
  
• Large foil art card
  

Dindrane's Anime Warnings:

• Scary visions in the fridge
• Poor Sakura seeing more than she should have to see
• More kidnappings

Released by: Bandai
Region: 1
Rating: 13+
Anamorphic: N/A; appears in its original 1.33:1 format.

My Advice: Get it.

It's Christmas in the Betterman world, and in the grand old tradition of anime, this means trouble. Suicide, contagious diseases, and other problems sweep the globe, as the Mode Warp group attempts to find answers.

The plot has gotten complex again as Kaede recovers from being kidnapped in the last volume. Yanagi and Kaede have an announcement for the group, as well as a simple, surprise wedding. Their incredible powers could have interesting consequences for their unborn child. Hinoki worries about her humanity in comparison to Betterman, and Keita worries about Hinoki's problems with Sakura's telepathy and whether or not he and Hinoki will ever have another date. Keita and Hinoki take a trip to his parents' house, which ends in Hinoki being kidnapped by the Superhuman Federation. But will it matter if they all die anyway? Seeme attempts to stop Lamia from from being destroyed by Kankel as she was, but what is Kankel? And why is Lamia willing to die for "his hope"? And finally, what is Lamia's origin and story anyway?

Meanwhile, there is more character development as Keita and Hinoki develop their friendship and try to have normal lives in the face of Algernon's menace. Akamatsu and Asami try to find answers as scientists, without failing as people at the same time. Keita struggles to find answers: the links between Hinoki, Betterman, and the Animus flowers for starters, and his search teaches us more about him and Sakura, too, as she helps him. Throughout this disc, each character gets their own moment to star, giving them part of the finale. Be sure to stay tuned after the credits roll on the final episode; there is a brief epilogue that continues the story and ties up a loose end you'll want to know about.

This disc has another interesting set of features much like those of the former discs in the series. The final art card depicts Shigeru Akamatsu and is a nice capper to this series of foil cards. Mode Warp file #6 again answers some questions viewers may have after watching the episodes, but not all. The reversible cover on this disc features nice images of Lamia, and the production art gallery is another valuable bonus for fans of the show's art.

The audio and video quality are as good as ever. The show just plain looks great, especially the melded animation and photography of the show's opening and closing. The mecha and naval vessels are as detailed as necessary, but not so complex that the overall visual field is cluttered; the focus of the show is meant to be the characters and their expressive faces, which suits the dramatic nature of the show.

Overall, this is a great show and ends fulfilling most of its potential. It is a complex series that necessitates viewers to pay full attention to each episode or get lost in the shifting plot threads. If complex plot threads, unresolved questions from one episode to the next, and pseudo-science bother you, then show may not be for you. If, on the other hand, you don't mind some mysteries, shows that test your perceptiveness a bit, or you like some horror in your science fiction, then you'll love Betterman.