Argentosoma - No Tears (Vol. 3)

Rating:
Summary: Third Time is the Charm
Review: My current theory about the structure of an anime series is that the first 8 episodes are often intentionally fragmentary and confusing. The purpose being to arouse interest while giving away nothing until the audience is so enmeshed that they will persist out of sheer determination if nothing else. Argentosoma fists this pattern perfectly. Each of the episodes previous to this DVD was good on its own, but the whole stubbornly refused to gel. Now, suddenly, we start catching glimpses of the forest as well as the trees.

Ryu Soma is the new persona of Takuta Keneshiro - rescued from the brink of death at the hands of the monster that destroyed his girlfriend. And set on the road to revenge by the mysterious Mr. X. Now Ryu is one of the pilots working for Funeral, a military/research installation intended to defend the earth from the encroachment of a series of alien creatures. One of the weapons in the hands of the Funeral team is a creature concocted out of the parts of the invaders, called Frank (Frankenstein) or the EX-1. This is the very monster that destroyed Ryu's own hope for happiness.

Now a plot against Funeral, playing on Frank's relationship with little Hattie Batholemew, offers Ryu the opportunity to see the end of the makeshift creature. But things don't work out quite as planned, and the despairing pilot must confront unexpected inner conflict. Then Funeral headquarters is menaces by a 500-foot tall alien and everyone begins to question their roles in the ensuing disaster. Who these creatures are and why they are marching to a single point on the earth becomes an overwhelming question. Finally, we realize that it is military and political self-interest that are driving this conflict with the aliens, not any particular desire to save the world. Thus, the answers are ambivalent at best.

As I've already remarked, the series has strengthened in thes for episodes. Not just the story itself, the acting in the dubbed version is much more intense. The dubbing itself is humdrum, mostly due to translation quirks. I can't give the anime an unqualified recommendation yet, but the elements are now in place for it to develop into something worth watching.

Rating:
Summary: Third Time is the Charm
Review: My current theory about the structure of an anime series is that the first 8 episodes are often intentionally fragmentary and confusing. The purpose being to arouse interest while giving away nothing until the audience is so enmeshed that they will persist out of sheer determination if nothing else. Argentosoma fists this pattern perfectly. Each of the episodes previous to this DVD was good on its own, but the whole stubbornly refused to gel. Now, suddenly, we start catching glimpses of the forest as well as the trees.

Ryu Soma is the new persona of Takuta Keneshiro - rescued from the brink of death at the hands of the monster that destroyed his girlfriend. And set on the road to revenge by the mysterious Mr. X. Now Ryu is one of the pilots working for Funeral, a military/research installation intended to defend the earth from the encroachment of a series of alien creatures. One of the weapons in the hands of the Funeral team is a creature concocted out of the parts of the invaders, called Frank (Frankenstein) or the EX-1. This is the very monster that destroyed Ryu's own hope for happiness.

Now a plot against Funeral, playing on Frank's relationship with little Hattie Batholemew, offers Ryu the opportunity to see the end of the makeshift creature. But things don't work out quite as planned, and the despairing pilot must confront unexpected inner conflict. Then Funeral headquarters is menaces by a 500-foot tall alien and everyone begins to question their roles in the ensuing disaster. Who these creatures are and why they are marching to a single point on the earth becomes an overwhelming question. Finally, we realize that it is military and political self-interest that are driving this conflict with the aliens, not any particular desire to save the world. Thus, the answers are ambivalent at best.

As I've already remarked, the series has strengthened in thes for episodes. Not just the story itself, the acting in the dubbed version is much more intense. The dubbing itself is humdrum, mostly due to translation quirks. I can't give the anime an unqualified recommendation yet, but the elements are now in place for it to develop into something worth watching.