Before anything else, I'm still not interested in GONZO animated stuff. In this case, because Satou Jun'ichi directed it, I've made a small exception. Note that it's a small exception, not a big one. If it were a big one, I would have spent a grand on R2 DVDs. This thing was so cheap, I couldn't have bought a single 2-episode R2 DVD with the money I spent on this entire 26-episode DVD box.
There were a number of surprises in this. They were, in the order I perceived them:
I LOVE the packaging! Although it doesn't work as a collector's item (No extras whatsoever and physical material quality of the discs themselves are far inferior to Japanese DVDs), but dang, we're talking 26 episodes (650 minutes) in less shelf space than what three normal DVDs would take up. Certainly, jewel cases may be comparable, but being taller like most other DVD cases gives it a different, more conforming feel. Now, half width jewel case would be unbeatable.
So, how was the show? I think it's pretty entertaining. As far as I'm concerned, there is no director with a better track record than Satou Jun'ichi. We're talking about the master who directed "Mahou Tsukai-Tai!" and "Princess Tutu," among other things. It's too bad he used GONZO for this one, though. Thankfully, his next (current) work, "ARIA," is being animated mainly by HAL Film Maker. I have high expectation from that one despite not knowing much about it. I bought a whole bunch of books for it, but I haven't had the time to start reading them.
