I wouldn’t call myself an obsessive collector. I don’t usually need the entire series of whatever toys. But gosh, I’m happy I have all three of Mashimo’s and Bee Train’s “Girls With Guns on the Run” series on my shelves now. There’s just something so satisfying about watching cute girls kill unnamed, faceless mooks by the bushelful. Ahhhh. ;-)
And here we are, able to relax at last, as the final installment of the trilogy is laid to rest near its older sister series, Madlax and Noir. Where Noir is serious and business-like, as many older sisters are, and Madlax is creative, but a little weird, as are so many middle sisters, El Cazador is flightly, breezy and a little bit spoiled. :-)
In Volume 1, we are introduced to this series’ pair of girls on the run; bounty hunter Nadie and bounty Ellis, both of whom have a somewhat shady past. We are also introduced to the conspiracy du jour, Project Leviathan, and it’s loathsome leader. And we meet the ambiguous, intriguing and expository Jody “Blue Eyes” Hayward.
In my original review of the series, I stated that I liked the series bunches and that has not changed at all. I’m enjoying the journey South and paying attention to little details I missed the first time around.
So when Ellis took Nadie’s hand in episode 7, I was pleased. Yes, she’s a flakeball and I’m still not sure how much of it is general loopiness from not being human and how much she puts on to be cute, but I really don’t care.
Funimation did a fine job with the subtitles. (I haven’t tried the dubs yet.) If I was required to bitch about something it’s that Funi makes us sit through their ads at the beginning. But why would I complain? Now I can take some time during the week between Christmas and New Year and have the three-series marathon I’ve always wanted. Noir, Madlax and finally, happily, El Cazador. Yay!
Ratings:
Art – 7
Story – 7
Characters – 9
Yuri – For Volume 1, let’s call it a 2
Service – 2
Overall – 8
My sincere gratitude today to Okazu Superhero Amanda M. for sponsoring today’s review. Amanda, thank you truly for all your kindness and generosity, thank you from the bottom of my heart. ^_^
Thanks for the review, Erica! I’m still trying to get used to half-season sets myself. I just hope a lot more people can enjoy this series as much as I have.
I think Ellis is naturally flaky. The fact that she’s so clueless about it makes her cute. However, when she purposefully tries to be cute (remember her practicing to smile?), it’s awkward at best and down right creepy at worst.
::HUGS::
Arca Jeth
And for those in penury, the subtitled series can be seen at Funimation.com and wherever else your fine Funimation streams are legally provided. Downloaders are catered to as well, at $1.99 an episode (click on select a show and scroll down).
I was planning on just starting to watch this series tonight, good timing there.
Also, if you want to skip Funimation’s ads at the beginning, just hit the ‘top menu’ button if your DVD remote has it. It works for me, anyway.
@Eric P – Doesn’t work on Funi DVDs for me – it’s disabled. I can do that for most of the other companies, but not theirs.
On my player, I have two menu options – menu and title menu. AFAIR, in Funimation DVD’s, menu is blocked, title menu goes to the main menu.
As to whether this works in another player and what the function is called and how it is accessed, etc., YMWV, of course.
@Erica- If I was required to bitch about something it’s that Funi makes us sit through their ads at the beginning. But why would I complain?
Because you can. I therefore complain to you for your lack of complaining to Funi on this matter which I do complain about. Very whiningly too.
This is the only one of he Trilogy I’ve watched in Japanese actually. The others I discovered when the English was already available, and I generally don’t like dealing with reading subtitles if I don’t have to. Anime is a visual medium, I want my eyes to focus just on the Visuals.
But once this became available I couldn’t wait a years for the Dub.
Now I’m afraid to watch the Dub because I’m afraid to become the kind of person always unfairly comparing something to the original. I never have with anything else, but the weird effect of speaking Japanese in Mexico I just find to damn hilarious, I mostly fear what would happen to the Amigo Taco song.