LABEL: Manga Entertainment
RUNNING TIME: 120 minutes approx
RATING: 18
VIDEO FORMAT: 16:9
AUDIO FORMAT: English 2.0, Japanese 2.0
SUBTITLES: English
DVD REGION: 2
When receiving this DVD I took a look at the premise and saw it: right, they say it’s similar to GHOST IN THE SHELL. That is a difficult comparison. Of course, then it’s also a mech show. Hardcore scrapping alongside hardcore philosophy? Hmmm…okay, let’s be impartial. Baldr Force EXE is set in the near future, where humanity jack themselves into the wire for virtual kicks. However, there are two problems; a virus is going round killing innocents and, at the same time, a hacker called Toru is vengeful against the FLAK agents who killed his best friend. As he joins FLAK to find the truth, the other problem soon quickly becomes his biggest.
Where to start? Watching Episode 1 I was excited. The last thing I watched, and frankly loved, was the western adaptation of Transformers. So I then start watching Baldr Force and I seem to be watching the Final Fantasy VII cutscenes, or to that standard. The CG just seemed flat, and this is for an OVA with little time budget – Baldr Force is an old game.
Then for the shock tactics. My attention was kept by some well-needed gore. So I keep watching. I realise that while it doesn’t seem immediately deep there’s some fun to be had… I even ignore the blatant exposition.
Yet, gradually, this show grew on me. The CG and anime seemed to meld, and character was surely planted and rounded. It had lots of the same stereotypes I’d experienced in other anime; the kid, the brooding/flirtatious females, etc etc. However the brilliance of this anime is that you’re constantly changing viewpoints. No-one ever stays the good guy. You’re constantly switching. In one place then the next. It’s never a jarring transition though, as the story supports keeps the audience following. Exposition doesn’t grind and furthers a nicely woven, twisting tale.
In fact, there’s moments where I’ve been gripped, where I’ve really stepped back and gone ‘whoa’. It’s a powerful anime, and while its philosophy isn’t amazing, while it doesn’t have hundreds of explosions, it’s great. The characters are there and it doesn’t skim the surface even though it is just a 4-episode OVA. Actually, one or two characters don’t get enough depth and it can’t, say, spend a few episodes on the Fei Dao. Due focus on particular characters, and that little bit of freedom for the audience to interpret, I’ll say on the content here, well done. This is a very good OVA and worth watching. This tale may shock and surprise you, but will surely be a worthy evenings entertainment.
Video: Mostly high quality throughout. Mid-range CGI – looks best on the simulacrums. Buildings and vehicles don’t always look too good as I learnt on Episode 1, but otherwise the animation is great. It’s a very atmospheric show.
Audio: Traditional music, lots of techno and such. However it does usually fit the mood well. The actual voiceovers are very good, for English and Japanese – there are some really well-delivered emotional moments. It really is just personal preference here, there’s nothing shockingly bad.
Extras: Sadly, only trailers.
Baldr Force EXE is out now and available from major retailers including Amazon
Review: Lee Millington