Black Cat: Volume 5 (UK) (DVD)

Introduction

"I've started so I'll finish", famous last words albeit of a quiz show, but they apply here. The problem with reviewing anime is that it comes in drips and drabs, an instalment once every two months or so, and once you've reviewed a couple of volumes you've practically committed to reviewing the whole season. It can be delicious when the series is good, the anticipation can have you salivating at each subsequent release, and that enthusiasm invariably comes through in the reviews. But those series which are less than spectacular have the reverse effect, anticipation turns to dread, and by the time the next volume shows up, the reluctance to review it turns into active prejudice. So, prior to watching this penultimate volume of Black Cat, I have been meditating to restore my objectivity, contemplating a state of tranquil equanimity, on the odd chance that these four episodes may buck the shows downward trend. See, I'm prejudging it already… Om…

What happens when the world of the sweeper and the world of the eraser collide? It's not as you would expect, a sanitation accident in a stationery shop. In this case, a Sweeper is slang for a Bounty Hunter, while Eraser is a euphemism for an assassin. When one is paid to kill, and the other paid to bring back alive, then it isn't a profitable venture to go after the same target, but this is exactly what happens in Black Cat. The sweeper in question is Sven Vollfied, a hard on his luck bounty hunter who despite going after all the big cases has a hard time keeping his stomach filled, partly due to a strong chivalrous streak that keeps him on the lookout for any damsel in distress. But he has a curious ace in the hole, a vision eye that he normally keeps hidden, but allows him to see five minutes into the future, albeit at great physical cost. The eraser is Train Heartnet, a ruthless assassin who worked for the mysterious Chronos Foundation. He survived the murder of his family to take bloody revenge, something that caught the eye of his employers, and until recently he has been a cold-blooded killer on their payroll. Now he's quit Chronos and joined forces with Sven as well as Eve, the bioweapon he was initially ordered to destroy, to go into business together as a sweeper team. Meanwhile another escapee from Chronos, Creed Diskenth, is plotting global domination with his Apostles of the Stars, Taoist group.

With these four episodes presented on Volume 5 of Black Cat - The Cataclysm, we begin edging our way towards something resembling a conclusion. Expect epic plot developments and big explosions then…



17. The Napping Cat
The mention of Creed Diskenth had Train off on his own once more, looking for another showdown. Once again his friends pursue him, although poor weather leads them to spend the night in the shadow of a rumbling mountain. Train tries crossing the mountain on his way to a port city, and winds up lost in the fog. He wakes up in a strangely deserted mountain village, rescued by an odd woman who reminds him strongly of Saya. She takes care of him while he recuperates, and tells him of an odd refugee community that lives up in the mountains. But there is someone looking to persecute them.

18. The Cat Deploys
The Chronos Numbers are back up to strength and ready to fight once more in order to preserve world peace. Sven's alliance of sweepers is on its way to the Apostles' hideout on Kraken Island in order to collect that awesome bounty, but when it becomes clear that they are being hired by Chronos to act as cannon fodder to distract Creed's forces, it puts a damper on all their plans. The tension between the Sweepers and Chronos increases, with Train the most vehement opponent of his former employers. It's only when Creed's forces pre-emptively attack that they realise the need for cooperation. But even still, the Apostles have traps in store for them.

19. The Sprinting Cat
It's an all out attack on the Apostles hideout, and even with the Sweepers Alliance downed by the Apostles' insidious trickery, they're certainly not out for the count, and they wind up separated but all ashore at different parts of the island. Mayhem ensues as the Sweepers and the Chronos Numbers take on the minions of the Apostles. Eve comes face to face with Leon, while Creed Diskenth plays a grand piano in dramatic fashion while waiting for his destined confrontation with Train.

20. The Cat's Showdown
Creed has achieved his ultimate goal of immortality, and when the Captain of the Chronos Numbers, Sephiria, faces him in combat, she finds she is totally outclassed. Creed needs Train to show up, as he's the only man capable of understanding his need to control events, and the only man he can countenance by his side ruling the world. But when Train shows up, Creed's going to be disappointed.

Picture

The 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer is typical for Gonzo productions, clear and sharp enough once you get used to the bright and hazy look that mixes 2D and CG elements. The animation itself is up to Gonzo's usual dynamic standards, but I found the character designs a little too basic and unmemorable. Even five volumes in, I'm having trouble placing the main characters, let alone the supporting cast. The more sedate moments in the animation also fell short of the usual impressive action sequences.

Sound

You have a choice of DD 2.0 Japanese and DD 5.1 English with optional translated subtitles or signs. There is a nice bit of separation in the stereo track, indeed there is little to separate it from the 5.1 track, which is very front-focused. The dialogue is clear in both versions, and the English dub is one of the good ones. The theme tune has grown on me, and is well worth a (legal) download.

Extras

The basic textless credit sequences, and trailers for Witchblade and FLCL are all that are on this disc.

Conclusion

My mind's a total void, which is the ideal state to watch Black Cat in. It's not useful when you have to write about it though. I'm felt my will to live slowly ebb away as I watched four more episodes of mindless anime action, with big fights and bigger explosions, and about as much substance as air. And once again, infuriating as it is to a reviewer, despite the utter vapidity of the intellectual experience, Black Cat manages to provide just enough fun to keep the life support systems ticking over, an automated jolt of defibrillation whenever my appreciative sensibilities threatened to succumb to arrhythmia.



Five volumes in, and I still haven't warmed to any of the characters, indeed I haven't had a chance to with the sheer deluge of new characters being introduced with each new episode, the pace of the story such that I don't have time to take anything in. Character development is pretty much non-existent in an anime where it seems imperative to squeeze as much in as possible, yet the irony is that the more narrative there is, less of it actually matters. At this point, I'm still having difficulty in putting names to faces for the main characters, let alone the supporting cast, so you can guess how hard it is to actually care about what is happening in the story.

If you're taking notes though, volume 5 is where the Creed Diskenth, and Apostles of the Stars arcs appear to come to a close. We begin with what looks like a promising episode, a side story that sees Train rescued by a mountain dwelling girl who reminds him strongly of Saya. You remember Saya don't you? She was the sweeper that opened Train's eyes to the wider world, and made him re-evaluate his career as an eraser, but then tragically got in the way of Train and Creed's blood feud. So there is a little poignancy to the first episode on the disc, although it really is a trivial diversion of a story. But then we get to the meat of the plot, which is the big showdown between Train and Creed. Of course one episode is spent with the Sweepers dithering on whether they should work with the Chronos Numbers or not, before they actually do get to Kraken Island.

It's at this point where I began to wonder if I wasn't feeling my age. We're into the big action sequences and character showdowns, but I was having a hard time actually figuring out what was going on. Hero A would encounter Villain B, or some permutation thereof, there would be a little bit of dialogue to set the scene, then animated chaos would ensue, broken up with brief pauses for more dialogue, until the fight was concluded and the victor left standing. I found it to be all flashy animation, ridiculous flying combat moves, strange genetic mutations and random chaos set to a punchy soundtrack. It's anime does Hollywood, and all that was missing was the vomit inducing, patented Michael Bay shaky-cam. I knew who the antagonists were, and I knew who the protagonists were, and once the fights were over I could count who was left standing, but I'll be buggered if I can figure out what actually happened in the fights. Too much flash and not enough substance left me hovering on the edge of slumber, and it was disappointing, even for masters of eye candy Gonzo. I do think this disc should be prefaced with the standard epileptic disclaimer, "Warning, contains flashing images."



But this is the penultimate volume, with four episodes left to go. How can they end the Creed Diskenth story this early? Well, it turns out to be something of a false dawn, as not only do they end with the clichéd forgiveness of villains that happens all too often in anime (they never go to jail, the heroes always let them off so they can lick their wounds and meditate on the error of their ways), but there is an ominous development/plot twist with Chronos. What will happen next? What perils lie in head for our heroes? Do I actually care? Find out in the thrilling conclusion of Black Cat.

I've started so I'll finish… Sigh