Speed Grapher: Vol. 6 (Review)
Tuesday, 17th November 2009, 18:03

Page 1 Page 2

Introduction
Tatsumi Saiga was an acclaimed war photographer back in the Economic Bubble War. It was a war that further deepened the divide between the haves and have nots, the rich got richer, and the poor became doormats. Tokyo is the city where the rich walk over the poor with impunity, and it’s Tokyo where Saiga now practices his trade, no longer able to leave the country. But he’s suited to this decadent capital, a man who can only be aroused when he has his camera in hand. He works as a freelance photographer, when he isn’t being the plaything of Detective Ginza, a woman who needs a gun in her hand to get sexual pleasure. You’d think that they would be perfectly suited to each other, but Saiga wants more, and his pursuit of a killer story leads him into the depraved underworld, a secret club under Roppongi. It’s here where he encounters a teenaged goddess named Kagura; it’s here where he obtains an amazing new power. Now when he looks through the lens of his camera and clicks the shutter, whatever he snaps explodes.

The final four perverted episodes are here on this MVM disc.

21. All Hail The Glutton
Kagura and Ryogoku are being held at the Prime Minister’s residence, although Kagura doesn’t care about her privileged surroundings, she just wants out. Ryogoku advises patience, especially as he’s found Nishiya’s notebook, and there are some promising ideas written within. The Prime Minister Kamiya wants the Goddess as his personal guest. He’s about to nationalise the Roppongi Club, and before he returns Kagura to her rightful place, he’s going to give her the time of her life, with a rather special meal. His plans are about to fall apart though, as Suitengu’s not the easy target that Kamiya thinks he is. Meanwhile, Ginza has a lascivious Commissioner to deal with, while Saiga’s vision is going, even as his makes his way back to his friends.

22. Money, Money, Money
There’s not enough time for Saiga to heal, he heads straight for the PM’s residence to rescue Kagura, only he gets there in time for Suitengu’s coup to take place. With all of the Cabinet trapped in the Club, and the Prime Minister distracted by Kagura. Suitengu takes advantage to remove the toad-in-chief. Saiga gets there in time to see Suitengu make off with Kagura.

23. Tender Grave
With Japan effectively a leaderless state, the US takes it upon itself to intervene, and as usual that means cruise missiles. They’re targeted on the Tennozu building and its environs, which means the evacuation order goes out. Except Saiga and Ginza are heading straight into the target area, determined to rescue Kagura. Ginza has her own plans though, and Saiga’s been warned that if he uses his ability any more, he will go blind. As for Suitengu, he’s decided that his final, ultimate, grand statement will be made with his and Kagura’s deaths.

24. The Roppongi Crisis
The conclusion.


Picture
Speed Grapher gets a 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer, and it’s par for the course for anime on DVD. You have your NTSC-PAL conversion issues, although not too many of them, the image is clear and sharp throughout, and the animation is smooth and detailed. It’s a Gonzo product, so expect smart looking characters, a blending of traditional 2D and 3D CGI, and plenty of bang for your buck. In fact the characters in Speed Grapher are a little more edgy than usual for Gonzo, certainly suiting the decadent nature of the story, and it seems the animators went to dominatrix school for some of the get ups.

Sound
Audio-wise, you have the option of DD 5.1 English, and DD 2.0 Japanese, along with translated subtitles and a signs only track. I sampled the English, and it’s pretty much like every other Funimation dub, and yes, Monica Rial is in it. You can expect a little added profanity if you want to partake of that surround sound option, but as usual I opted for the Japanese audio, and had no complaints, apart from a couple of dubious English accents, and the clichéd effeminate guy. The biggest annoyance is the absence of the original Duran Duran theme tune.

Next Page