Vandread Anime Review

Reader Review

• Reviewer: Patrick McRodjito
• Review Date: 2001-05-29 (updated 2010-04-08)
• 4.5 stars out of 5 (?)

Vandread starts off with a humorous men propaganda video initially showing evil women lashing at hapless men, then followed by the showing off their overrated, laser-bursting 'Van' mechas, ready for action. Later on we see how the mechas are completely licked by the pirates' Dread fighters. Indeed, the whole 13 episodes are filled with dry humour, witty banter, and sexual innuendoes which are always good and never sound forced or corny. They did a good job to lighten the mood at times when the plot gets really heavy-handed. After the transformation of the Van and the Dreads by the reactor, the two male and female fighter craft respectively are able to 'unite' to form a Vandread. Although there is little romance between the hero, Hibiki, with any of the girl-pilots, there are plenty of comic scenes where the girls will quarrel to decide who should "unite" with Hibiki during battle, saying that she should be the one to do it with him, really cute.

A Vandread can take lots of punishment. Being much more formidable than a separate Van or Dread, its transformation is usually crucial in most fights. There are only 3 Dreads and 1 Van which are transformed by the reactor. The different Van-Dread combinations will transform into different types of Vandreads, each with its own specialties and weaknesses. In light of this, the opposite sexes swallow their enmity towards each other and work together instead. To overcome the hordes of harvesters (very much like the Borg collective of Star Trek) who want to assimilate them and the rest of the galaxy, the female pirates and the men combine their strengths and wit in order to survive. The 13 episodes saw numerous battles between the pirates and the harvesters where the pirates are always close to annihilation. Finally, they decided that they have to return to Mujuru, the females home planet, to raise the alarm of the hostile encounter. The pirates call on many planets along the way which are, surprisingly, inhabited by humans. On many occasions, the pirates have to assist these humans to fight the harvesters. Well that's basically plot: lots of action, sexual innuendoes, more action. Despite the veneer of light-heartedness with which Vandread presents itself, there is a large share of thought-provoking themes of friendship, courage/self-confidence, and of course, the truth that men and women should complement each other as neither is dispensable.

The best part however is undoubtedly the visuals which are both innovative and surpassingly beautiful. The creator of Vandread, Gonzo studios, did not spare a single tool at their disposal in the making of the incredible, climactic CG space battles in every episode. The skirmishes with the harvesters are engaging and memorable--each and every one of them. The final battle in the 13th episode is especially gorgeous and protracted. The lush graphics, which extend to the mecha, dreads, and of course the vandread fighters, are cool, colourful, and convincing. The action sequences are fluid with a creative flair. The action music is fast-paced and makes your heart beat to its rhythm. Coupled, they present a graceful war dance which will burn into your heart indelibly. Despite all of its ground-breaking CG, the sequences can be a little confusing. More often than not, you will find yourself wondering which side is buckling under the tide of the battle, until one of the characters comments on the situation for your enlightenment. Gonzo studios have produced their best CG-oriented anime series ever with the dawn of Vandread. Gonzo is also responsible for other renowned series such as Blue Submarine No. 6 which is also worth checking out.

The main characters in the series are rather generic, which is not really a bad thing. The hero, Hibiki, is a self-effacing teenager who develops into a pilot of heroic proportions as a charismatic leader, a brilliant tactician, and a guy with a Don Juan complex. The exploration of the characters is not too in depth in episodes 1-13 (episodes 14-26 are currently in development) but it does delve into the more intriguing characters, such as the blue hair ace pilot Meia with a heart-wrenching past. Meia's blue hair and something else reminds me of Rei Ayanami of the all time classic NGE. The characters in Vandread are 2D which is a plus since they are very well drawn and blend superbly with the 3D surroundings. And of course all the shoujos are cute. The voice acting in Vandread is convincing but it is the excellent script which makes each character come to life.

The music for the action sequences is good, but not really as grand as the graphics. However, both the intro music, Trust, and the ending, Himegoto deserve top places in your winamp playlist. The music in Vandread is composed by the same person who composed the pieces for Shin Getter Robo, Iwasaki Fuminori.

All in all, Vandread is a massive piece of CG embroidered with beautiful plot and music, well-written scripts, and cute anime girls. It manifests the culmination of CG technology of the past century, and in the future, it will be the benchmark for all CG-oriented sci-fi animes just as Kungfu Boy and Dragon Ball defined martial art series. Don't miss it, dude!!!

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