Catblue Dynamite Anime Review

Quick Review

• Reviewer: Marc
• Review Date: 2011-03-22 (updated 2011-03-22)
• 3.5 stars out of 5 (?)

This action-heavy one-shot by Romanov Higa uses every action-scene trick you can think of, from John Woo to Michael Bay, to produce a simple but solidly entertaining and slick-looking ride fit for a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster. The plot is framed as an excerpt of a longer series that doesn't exist, but it's pulled off well--the characters are clearly established, and it feels coherent and whole. The period-appropriate English-only dialogue is above average, in particular Anna Kunnecke, who gives Blue plenty of playful personality. Most memorable, though, is the funky '70s setting, which is pulled off impressively well, from the period-appropriate English dialogue to the lived-in urban decay of the backgrounds to a disco-with-guns shootout. The action, of course, is the reason for watching, and while the emphasis is on style over logical choreography, it looks gorgeous--punchy, flashy, and exciting.

Catblue Dynamite looks great, feels spot-on '70s funky, and has just enough characterization to hold it together and make you care. It's style over substance in the extreme, but if you're in the mood for a light-hearted '70s action flick with some decidedly modern flair, it's an easy call. It's free to watch, too, so there's no excuse if it sounds interesting.

Read the full-length review...

Full Review

• Reviewer: Marc
• Review Date: 2011-03-22 (updated 2011-03-22)
• 3.5 stars out of 5 (?)

CGI action anime auteur Romanov Higa has a style more influenced by Hollywood action movies, John Woo, and the Wachowskis than traditional anime, and in this short little web-original series he pulls every action-scene trick you can think of together into one shallow but slick-looking and solidly entertaining ride.

As with Higa's other anime outings, the story is framed as if it were an excerpt of something larger, in this case going so far as to label it "Episode 05." Unlike those other attempts, however, this "episode of a TV series that doesn't exist" really works--a bit of narration at the beginning clearly establishes the setting and characters, and it feels coherent and whole. It wisely sticks to a simple, succinct plot, which leaves sufficient time to cover it.

It was originally done as a series of 5-minute shorts, but flows quite smoothly watched straight through. The end is the closest thing to a weakness--it seems to sort of fumble the tension at the climax--but it's otherwise impressively well-paced for what is essentially one long string of action scenes with plot tucked between them.

And what action scenes they are; Catblue Dynamite may not have a big animation studio attached to it, but the gun-ballet (or, rather, gun-disco) fight sequences, acrobatic swordplay, and brief-but-brutal car chase would be entirely comfortable in a big-budget summer blockbuster. Also unlike his other works--and an improvement over them--is less reliance on ultra-slow-motion; there are plenty of stylish Woo-esque bits, but the majority of the shootouts and melee fights are at full speed. The all-3D visuals are motion-capture based, so the character animation has a very realistic feel to it, but it's still crisp, punchy, and loaded with extreme acrobatics. The faces are reasonably expressive as well, dodging a frequent problem with CGI anime.

Of course, while the physics and motion are realistic, the choreography is decidedly not--as spectacular as the gunfights look, they make no sense in terms of spatial logic. "Can't hit the broad side of a barn with an automatic weapon" is an understatement with these faceless minions, and a funked-up shootout on the dance floor has as much to do with posing as shooting. Oh, and two-pistol style isn't enough for Blue--on account of a prehensile tail, she can shoot three people at once. And does, repeatedly. Not that any of that is a bad thing, so long as your taste runs toward all style, no substance.

The cel shader used for the production is quite good, and although the art does have a bit of the "shiny" look of things like the recent Appleseed films and Vexile, which I'm not particularly fond of, it still feels like anime. That said, it's also loaded with funky '70s cinematic style, including some great split-screen bits. The backgrounds are a step up from Higa's other works--gorgeously detailed, run-down city locales that feel dense and lived-in. It basically looks like a Dirty Harry movie directed by John Woo with a bit of an anime twist.

The '70s motif isn't limited to the visuals--the whole thing is a kind of action-homage to classic gangster films, and in almost every way it feels just right. From the white suits to the oversized shades, the two drug mule protagonists could have walked right out of Donnie Brasco or Saturday Night Fever. The dialogue isn't quite as dead-on--there are slightly awkward lines here and there--but it's easily good enough to maintain the retro feel without the sense that the writer was trying too hard at it, or trying to show off its '70s-ness.

Speaking of which, interestingly the whole thing was in English from the start (there's even decent lip-flap match), which helps quite a bit with the believability and avoids any tough choices about acting quality versus appropriate language for sub fans like myself.

There are really only five characters, and of those the three living leads do most of the talking. Despite not having any other anime credits to their names, the acting is surprisingly good, and deserves a lot of the credit for how entertaining the whole thing is. Matt Lagan is relatively convincing as likable wiseguy Robert, and Herbert Kendrick is fun as the smarmier, panickier, jive-flavored Bill.

The high point, however, is Anna Kunnecke as Blue--playful and sounding very comfortable in the role, she gives life to the cheerful banter. Combined with the expressive facial animation, her spot-on performance makes an archetypal character more entertaining than she has a right to be. Blue holds the whole thing together, and I wouldn't at all mind watching more of her (or her co-stars) were the series to continue some day.

The remaining two aren't so hot. Dominic Allen is flat but passable as the less-talkative John Doe. The only real problem is Ruthann Morizumi as the villain--I think she's supposed to sound Russian, but mostly she seems to be fighting to hide an accent, and is very stiff regardless. Fortunately, she doesn't say much.

The soundtrack completes the retro picture--fittingly funky, with story-specific and period-appropriate disco songs woven in. The sound effects and foley are mostly quite good, although a little quiet in comparison to the action onscreen--in particular, the cars conspicuously lack the roar that a boss muscle car would emit.

Put all that together and you've got a stylized-action-heavy one-shot that looks great, feels spot-on '70s funky, and has just enough characterization to hold it together and make you care. It's style over substance in the extreme, but if you're in the mood for a light-hearted '70s action flick with some decidedly more modern action flair, you're not going to go wrong with Catblue Dynamite. It's free to watch, too, so there's no excuse if it sounds interesting.

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Related Recommendations

Romanov Higa's earlier action-heavy mini-series, URDA, is quite similar, if more serious in story and not as smoothly assembled, plus set during WWII. His other short, Tank S.W.A.T. 01, is the same general thing in a Dominion-inspired cyberpunk setting, but also not as successful in terms of execution. If you like the retro setting, Riding Bean might be worth a look, and for gun action with more logic and less '70s in a US setting there's Gunsmith Cats (although it has no actual cats in it). If you do want not-so-cute catgirls and far more extreme action, there's Geobreeders, although the style is wildly different.