Tekkaman Blade II - Complete Collection (1994)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Features:

• Art Gallery
  
• Japanese and English language tracks, English subtitles
  

Dindrane's Anime Warnings:

• sexual innuendo
• nudity
• mild violence
• suicidal transvestite
• DVD not Playstation 2 compatible
• Recommended for Ages 13+

Anamorphic: N/A

My Advice: Rent it.

This DVD collection includes six episodes, forming another sequel to the 1975 TV series, Tekkaman. It is set ten years after the first sequel, SK Tekkaman Blade. Still at war with the Radam, Earth's only effective weapon is the Space Knights, mecha fighters in the grand old Anime tradition. New fighters and spiffy new super-weapons make this installment an effective entry into the Tekkaman empire.

The characterizations are a bit different than those found in previous Tekkaman installments. Yumi Francois, the typical klutzy main character, is a bit giggly, and the romantic weirdness is more heavy-handed than in earlier versions of the title. There is more negativity between characters in the Space Knights team, as well, such as when Yumi receives the uber-weapon (the Volteker Reactor) and Natasha isn't too happy about this. On the other hand, viewers who enjoy the lighthearted fare of something like Ranma 1/2 or Slayers might appreciate this version of Tekkaman - a less over-dramatized Gundam. Just get a scorecard to keep up with who has a crush on whom.

The plot is also less complex, focusing more on the unrequited love than before, yet the action is also quite satisfying. The war between Earth and the Radam is still in full swing, and nothing the Space Knights do seems to make a dent in the enemy forces. The battles are given an emotional overlay, weaving the problems of such characters as Dead End and David into the heat of battle. Be prepared for gratuitous breast shots during transformation sequences and extreme bitchiness.

Yet romantic conflicts and Yumi's incompetence aside, this Tekkaman isn't a comedy. The few lighter moments are more than balanced by the tragedies and tension of the plot, especially toward the end of the story arc.

The audio of this DVD is solid. The sound engineers made use of the stereo aspects nicely, especially during the space battles. The music is also good, supporting the action or emotional development without being distracting or intrusive. The English version has a kind of "feature" during the space battles--the voices have a slight hollow ring, adding realism to the radio contact/mecha cockpit sort of situation. Cool.

The features were kind of slim--only a fan art gallery. It's nice enough to see these images, and several of them are quite good. But at a street price of $29.95 for just under three hours, you would expect a bit more. It would have been nice to see some character and/or mecha concept art, an interview with the designers, or even some stills from the earlier Tekkaman titles.

The visuals are also good. The colors are crisp and clear, and the characters have good expressiveness. There is a slight bit of artifacting on some of the sky shots, but not very much.

The disk case is ordinary and decent enough, with nifty character graphics on the cover and a sturdy case and disk holder. It should hold up nicely to wear and tear. The version of the disk I got was plain, for reviews only, so I cannot comment upon the disk itself as sold in stores.

While the later episodes seem slightly less "finished" than the earlier set, Tekkaman is still a decent bet for anyone who enjoys Anime space opera or for fans of the original series. If you liked titles like Gundam or Tenchi in Space, or if you like some romantic character interaction with your science fiction, then give Tekkaman Blade II a try.