Search - Gasaraki - To Be a Kai (Vol. 8) on DVD

Brilliant? Definitely. Overlooked? Absolutely

Bert Rinderle | L.A., CA United States | 01/31/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"So many people have written off Gasaraki as a clone of Eva, but imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Gasaraki takes the mecha formula in a new direction with realistic portrayal - the Tactical Armors are believable, unlike the Evas - and mixes it with a gripping story of global turmoil, personal journeys, and supernatural weirdness. It also contains probably the best animation I've ever seen, made more incredible by the fact that very little of it is fantasy-based. The world of Gasaraki is presented in a manner that makes you consider that it could really happen, unlike the majority of fantastic anime. Sadly, the very realism of Gasaraki probably cost it many fans, which is too bad - they missed out on a great achievement. I will not include any final plot developments here, but I will say that unlike Eva, the ending is definitely satisfying and straightforward, while still allowing room for interpretation. Expect the unexpected, which should be easy if you've watched the series from the beginning. The final confrontations are anything but cliched - I was not close to disappointed, which is more than I could say for Eva. The only regrettable thing was that the series has now reached closure.Putting together the superb animation and plot, the extras on the DVD, the better-than-average dub, and most of all, the relentless atmosphere gives you the best anime series since Cowboy Bebop, in my opinion. The only downfall of Gasaraki is the somewhat stunted character development, but that's easily forgivable given the complex storyline. It's surprising that Gasaraki didn't reach the exposure level of more popular series, but that's certainly not because it's anything less than brilliant. Fans of mature, convoluted storylines a la Serial Experiments Lain will find a new home with Gasaraki."

A thinking otaku's anime

Hal | St Joseph, MO United States | 05/02/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hey, there's something for everybody. Reviews are useless, because everybody likes something different. The only way to know if something is good or not is to watch it. Having said that, Gasaraki is a series for educated, intelligent people. There are a lot of complex parts to the plots, and it all goes on at once. It's not all about action, action, action like a lot of people want. There's much more of a plot than "ooh, there's an evil organization.... let's take it down". If you've got the patience, and the ability to walk and chew gum at the same time, go for it. You won't be disappointed in the least."

Hmmm...

M. Karapcik | Temple Terrace, FL | 02/02/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Ok, I did enjoy the series. However, there are a few issues.
First, the plot goes on long, meandering tangents. DVD 5 is a flashback. After the flashback, the story significantly changes. By the end of DVD 7, it's back on track.
Second, the ending was good, but seems a bit unfocused. I remmeber thinking, "OK, where did that come from," a few times.
Third, the animators get a bit "experimental" with the art. I could almost hear in the back of my head, "Cool! Joe got Kai Power Tools! We'll have to use them for the next episode!"
Fourth, the opening and closing songs ("Message #9" and "Love Song") are great. When they changed the opening song in DVD 5, my first reaction was "Wha the #*|| were they thinking?!?" The remix is pretty bad, but don't worry, they change it back in DVD 6. (Don't mess with what isn't broken.)"