Gunsmith Cats Burst has been picked up by Dark Horse Comics, but as I’ve been reading the Japanese editions, I thought this series would make a pleasant ending to no schoolgirls week, ahead of the English edition coming out in March.

I also note I never reviewed the original Gunsmith Cats manga, or the OAV anime. This will be remedied in the future.

In the meantime, having never reviewed the old versions, let me talk about the new!

Gunsmith Cats is the name of a series that is primarily devoted to three things: guns; cars; and women in various states of (un)dress. All three of these things are wrapped in whimsical, yet in incredibly violent and grim surroundings. The story follows the adventures of Irene “Rally” Vincent, bounty hunter and gunsmith, and her munitions expert partner and friend, Minnie May Hopkins. Rally and May are joined in their world by a variety of colorful characters, on both sides of the law.

While the series is primarily set in Chicago, which is explored in some detail, what really stands out in this series is the amazing (and slightly tedious) level of detail with which the specs of both cars and guns are discussed. If you know what I mean then, you know what I mean. ;-)

So, GSC Burst is more of the usual shenanigans with Rally, May, Becky and Misty and the usual gang of criminals, runaways, scofflaws and crazies. Rally tracks down wanted criminals, gets into car chases and shootouts, Becky gets information and complains Rally doesn’t pay her, and Misty sort of likes Rally. Bean Bandit stands around looking large and can’t be killed. You know – the usual. ^_^

Yuri-wise, there’s Misty. Her character description points out that she’s got strong feelings for Rally, sort of. (And in the past and in a later volume, there’s something else, but I’ll get there when I get there.) And there’s Rally. I don’t care if there is not a single iota of proof, Rally’s gay. I have it from a childhood friend of Sonoda’s that he described Rally as being gay, but more in love with her car and her gun than anything else. Even if this childhood friend was lying through his teeth, I think that sums Rally up perfectly.

BTW, did you know Becky drove a BWM 200 Turbo? Neither did I, but that piece of information is SO crucial, it’s in her character description. ^_^

The first story starts off with a half-dressed blonde conning Rally into doing something for which she gets shot at. That’s all, I think, you need to know about Rally. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8 I like Sonoda’s art. It’s neat and clean and easy to follow, with good action.
Characters – 8
Story – 7 If you like guns and cars and half-dressed women, 10.
Yuri – 1 Implications, wishful thinking and Yuridar.
Service – 4 Yes, underwear, yes. But in almost all cases, except for that of the improbably youthful-looking May, it’s also all adult women’s bodies and only a little irritating.

Overall – 7

1. Note I never mention Rally and May as a potential couple. That is because they aren’t. It’s a stupid pairing.

2. If you would like to see Rally paired with a much better match, someone who can match her shot for shot, please feel free to visit my GSC fanfic, Back in the Saddle (adult content warning), for which I am, even as you read this, writing a sequel. ‘Cause I want to see Rally with a cool girlfriend, too. ^_^