Gungrave: The Complete Series Box Set

“The closest of friends when we first started/ But grew apart as the money grew and soon grew black-hearted,” – Jay-Z More than anything else, friendships comprise the most essential trait in any gang. Once you join one, your fellow comrades aren’t simply shoehorned into people you co-exist with; in a gang, your peers become your friends, your most trustworthy companions, the bonds strengthened through trials of fire. Loyalty is absolute, orders are unquestioned, and the unabashed togetherness a gang exudes is what attracts normally unassuming people to them. It is also because gangs, for some reason, have radiated a sense of devilish charm. Why do you think Al Capone was such a nationally renowned celebrity in the 1920s? Why do you think the life of a gun-toting hoodlum in a wife beater is so vehemently glorified in rap music? Why do you think The Godfather and its sequel are regarded as among the greatest works in cinema history? It is because people have a warped, Kafkaesque outlook on gangsters as a whole. They think poisoning millions with various drugs is “cool”; that reducing a woman, depriving her of self-respect and dignity, to a mindless cow is “sexy”; that knocking the daylights out of a man because he’s wearing a different shirt than you is a must; and that pulling a trigger on another human being is an everyday occurrence. Even when gangster films attempt displaying the dangers of this “live fast die young” lifestyle, it rarely dissipates the viewers’ delusions of grandeur. However, Gungrave is one of the few stories, film or otherwise, animated or not, that fully delves into the most brutal aspects of the gang culture. In the span of 26 episodes, it presents a heartbreakingly realistic tale of how two lifelong amigos are drawn to this lifestyle, how it mentally and emotionally scars them, of how it eventually reduces their friendship to smithereens, and how it ends in the death of one of the amigos. Their names? Harry MacDowell and… Brandon Heat. Brandon Heat. The name itself evokes the susurrus of the sweeping squadron of tumbleweeds drifting gently in the breeze of God’s own breath, with the sun – ripe and red – settling on another gorgeous Midwestern day. “Brandon Heat,” whispers the fragile droplets of rain, rhythmically pelting the cold concrete below. All the hours here in this town of no name, from dawn to the deepening dim, are marked by a couplet of sounds that, hand in hand, beat out the metronomic and immortal pulse of the land.Click. Bang. Click. Bang. Click. Bang. Click. Bang.It is Brandon Heat, and Brandon Heat is the land.Men, strong men, who established themselves as household names in the seedy realm of gangsterdom, whose pride in what they do is as undilutable as the atom, grow silent when Brandon Heat passes by.Women, strong women, who stood sentinel at every resting place from crib to coffin, gaze dreamily into the distance, content that they were graced with the presence of this man, this legend, this Brandon Heat.For Brandon Heat is nothing less than anime’s Jesus in the flesh, our Lord and Savior himself. He does what he can to aid his fellow man. He performs the feats that are inconceivable to lesser beings. He is fatally betrayed by a friend whom he predicted would do so. He is later resurrected from the dead. Brandon Heat, he whose tranquility is of mythical proportions, he of nonchalantly long black hair, is Jesus with revolvers. If Brandon Heat is Gungrave’s Jesus, then Harry MacDowell is most certainly Satan (you can also compare him to Judas). Driven by a raging desire to escape his poverty-stricken conditions, Harry shrewdly capitalizes on the sleek charm of a veteran salesman, his iconic white jacket, his crooked connections, and his deceptively simple demeanor to bulldoze a path to the upper echelon of the mafia. Whoever serves as an obstacle in Harry’s ascension to glory, whoever is regarded as a mere inconvenience to Harry’s cause, is quickly and mercilessly dealt with; eventually, that includes Brandon Heat. Although Harry’s actions prevent him from registering as likable or sympathetic, his willingness to reflect on his mistakes in the last two episodes of the series helps solidify him as Gungrave’s most dynamic character. For most production companies, The Anime Jesus and Harry MacDowell would’ve been enough to constitute a cast (the rest would be likable yet underdeveloped nobodies) but Gungrave decides to elevate the other characters into unforgettable figures (Before the series finale, names like “Bear Walken”, “Bunji Kubashira”, and “Blood War” will be etched into your skull). Not only is Gungrave’s collection of characters a work of art but the transformations they undergo is mesmerizing as well. Bunji, a hitman of great prestige, evolving from an ice-cold killer to a kitten lover is a truly beautiful subplot to witness. Balladbird Lee, who is among Harry’s closest friends, morphs in a more subtle fashion throughout the series, as his voice actor Steve Blum slowly shifts away from using the easygoing playfulness of Gurren Lagann’s Leeron to the suspicious, low-toned seriousness of Cowboy Bebop’s Spike Spiegel.(Before I write of what else stands out about Gungrave, I have to dedicate a few words to Mika Asagi (voiced by Kari Wahlgren). Among those who have seen this series in its entirety, she has received quite the disappointing reputation. Often referred to as the worst thing about Gungrave, Mika has been alternately dubbed annoying, unessential, and unnecessary. I’d like to say that although her character arc pales in comparison to The Anime Jesus and even Big Daddy, the mafia head, Mika brings a youthful enthusiasm that this series needs; she also provides a unique perspective to the story as a whole and, in the end, guides Brandon to what’s ultimately the right choice to make. If nothing else helps to change your opinion, at least Mika has a bigger impact on Gungrave than her mother Maria Asagi, who only existed as Brandon’s love interest). As you most likely know, Gungrave began life as the brainchild of mangaka Yasuhiro Nightow, who also created the great Trigun. To summarize that show, it’s a lighthearted series with occasionally over-the-top humor. As Trigun enters its second half, it edges further and further into the depths of darkness. With the classic episode “Sin”, the normally happy-go-lucky Trigun was consumed in the very essence of joylessness but that is simply Gungrave on a normal day. Unlike the anime Gangsta, which treats the gangster culture as something of a cliché, Gungrave spares no sentiments as it painstakingly portrays the ruthlessness that it’s all about. Much like real life is, this series is a Shakespearian tragedy in that virtually everyone dies at some point. Characters crucial to the plot and those not so are murdered gruesomely, dramatically, and consistently (You’d be hard-pressed to find a Gungrave episode where someone doesn’t die). In what’s already an overwhelmingly somber series (even the episode previews are bleak beyond belief), the soundtrack helps strengthen the mood of the atmosphere with its melancholic jazz, folk blues, and classical (Violins are a particular favorite in Gungrave’s OST for obvious reasons). There’s also a sprinkle of some grimy underground rap beats and a bit of techno in here as well, causing this soundtrack to be one that appeals to a variety of people (Even “BG”, the song featured in the DVD menu, is a must-listen). Like Trigun, Gungrave is a series for whom one half is different from the other. Excluding the pilot episode (do not watch!), the first fourteen episodes focuses on Brandon’s backstory, what the mafia (called “Millenion” in Gungrave) is all about, and what Harry did to cause Brandon to desire killing him. Then, the last nine episodes (excluding episodes 15 and 16) return the story to the present as The Anime Jesus re-visits those he knew before, including Harry (they don’t exactly welcome him back with open arms). Although Gungrave’s latter half is where it peaks in practically every respect, it feels more like an endless shootout between gunmen with superpowers instead of a real story (After all, Gungrave was originated from a videogame franchise). In the end, whatever flaws I found throughout the series were greatly redeemed by the last episode. It is precisely when you assume that Gungrave is heading in one direction that it abruptly shifts to another, and its series finale is without question the greatest example of this. As a matter of fact, it exemplifies everything that the series has been defined by up to that point and is in my opinion among the greatest of its kind. What actually happens in that last episode? I won’t spoil anything but there’s a reason why I keep hailing Brandon Heat as The Anime Jesus. One last note (SPOILER ALERT!!!): whenever I ask myself what’s the overall lesson Gungrave is trying to teach me, my mind rewinds to that scene in the last episode where Harry and The Anime Jesus are lying down in the dirt, their bodies bruised, bloodied, battered, and about to collapse, sharing a few final words to each other before they die, both regretting the decisions that led them to where they are now. It is right here that I discover what the lesson is: “Don’t join gangs”.

This is by far my favorite Anime television series and will remain so for quite some time. The emotion and story telling in this series so deep that I can't help but hope that it influences my own writing someday for a television series/comic book/etc. Brandon Heat's narrative insight, Harry's ambitious rise to power, a romance doomed to never happen, and the great mixture of science-fiction with mafia noir similar to the "The Godfather" or a Scorcese film is just excellent.Fans of Anime will be a fan of how Madhouse Studios created yet another masterpiece. The animation of the show is solid for its time, having been made in the early 2000s decade. The progression of Gungrave's tale is well-paced and leaves you on the edge of your seat until the end. Characters are smoothly introduced, there's enough focus on each person involved to help with making personal connections, and soon your heart is fully involved in the drama, action, and intrigue.I hardly have any criticisms to make. Saying Gungrave is perfect would be blatant bias, but I have a hard time arguing any flaws in order to be fully objective. To anyone who reads, please take the time to view it wherever it is available, be it on Netflix or through the DVD boxset. Either way, this show is worth every penny.

Gungrave opens thirteen years after Brandon Heat is betrayed and killed by his best friend Harry MacDowell. He is reborn through the use of necro-rise as Beyond The Grave, and begins a quest of revenge against the crime syndicate. The series then backtracks to Brandon's youth, and follows him and Harry as they rise through the criminal underworld, detailing the circumstances that led to their eventual falling-out.In terms of the discs, the supernatural stuff doesn't start til about half-way through Disc 2. At first, when the story backtracked, I got annoyed that b/c was eager for more of the crazy stuff, but it all makes sense to see the rise to how it all started. I can see why it all works out this way b/c there is so much you need to know, so you can know the characters deeply and understand the story more clearly, otherwise you wouldn't be able to put yourself in Brandon Heats shoes to know exactly how he feels and what he went through. Definitely recommend this anime for those who enjoys such movies as The Godfather, Scarface and The Crow, and the Top Cow video games/comic series to "The Darkness".

This is one of the best animes I've seen in a while, and it's rare that I go to the trouble to write a review for anything. This seems to pull you in, and as just about if not all the other reviews have said this was done by the people that worked on trigun. Frankly I think I like it more than trigun, it's darker. The way they did the plot is a nice change too. It's defintally worth getting the complete box set. Some say it's boring but as I said it does end up pulling you in. I'm not sure why they called it boring but to each their own.The premise as it were of this series is how a group of friends start out and where they end up and how they go about getting into the mafia and then rising in rank and what they do to get to the top. They also toss some love, romance, revenge and other stuff into the pot here and come out with a 5 star anime. If you liked trigun and hellsing you should enjoy this as well.

Condition excellent ,price great,fast delivery.

Es de las pocas series que he visto que me sacan las lágrimas, hago notar que el audio viene en japonés para los amantes del audio original como yo, eso si, los subs disponibles solo son en Inglés. Para mi no hay problema pero lo hago notar por si tienes algun inconveniente con ello.

Jap and Eng audio plus image and sound are pretty decent. If you already enjoyed the anime and want to add it for your collection look no further.

TV本放送　当時からの　大ファンでいつかは　手に入れたいと思っていましたが　国内版の　DVDだと　全部で　５万以上になるので・・・。内容に　ついては他の方々がもう　書く事がない位　書いていただいているので割愛で　それ以外の事項を書かせて頂きますまず　注文してからの納期ですが　どうも国内にストックがあったらしく　注文から３日で　届きました　あと　うちの　パナソニック製BD　HDDレコーダーで　再生に関しては全く　問題はありませんでしたし　２６話が　３枚の　ディスクに纏ってるので　ディスク交換や収納面でも　とても良かったですね、　　音声字幕等は　【　日本語音声　字幕なし　】【　日本語音声　英語字幕　】【　英語音声　英語字幕　】　の三つが　選べまして　内容的に　英語で見ると　超　カッコいい感ｗｗｗ最後に　画質の件ですが　最近の　新品のBDの作品に　見慣れているせいかも　って　思いますが　自分には　まったく気にならない　てかガンブレイブ本放送当時は　TVは　アナログ放送だったし　それに比べても　数段　画質はイイって　個人的には　思いますし少なくとも　レンタル屋さんが　VHS時代のころの　レンタルビデオよりは　格段にイイ画質（年バレｗ）　あと　最後に　2クール全話で　上記内容での　プライスだからこそ　買うことが出来たってことが　一番かもかもｗｗ

I'm not up to date on my anime, but Gungrave still lingers with me. You have mafia, you have sci-fi and fantastic soundtrack that I've listened to for over a decade. Picking up the series has brought up old memories and while even at the release, the animation wasn't the highest quality, the story is an incredible journey without any much filler and if you want something that's a fairly quick watch but can leave you emotionally devastated and conflicted about what friendship really means, I'd highly recommend this series.