Air Gear Vol 1
Air Gear Vol 1: East Side Showdown By Andromeda This is roller blading to the extreme! Goodbye to the boring ole’ roller blades, hello to motorized two wheeled roller blades called Air Treck (AT). They are the latest hottest thing out and Minami Itsuki a.k.a Ikki finds his way into the underground society of Storm Riders. He had no clue that these people, gangs, existed until one day by accident he stumbles across someone’s gear and badge. Falling into this world of blading that seems to give one wings, Ikki’s natural ability comes out, amazing those that see what unfolds. They find it unbelievable and few come to realize that he will be the one to reach the top if he can harness and use this hidden gift. Along the way to making his own gang with two of his closest friends, he finds himself in battles to keep the badge he’s borrowed from another friend and battle for his friend’s honor. Air Gear is a light hearted comedy with a subtle plot. The story focuses around Ikki and those involved in his life. He’s a light hearted boy, but when you make him mad, be prepared for the serious fighter hidden beneath. And like all boys his age, hot babes make his blood boil. This of course leads to a love triangle between another Air Trecker and a friend of his who happens to be an Air Trecker herself, along with her two sisters. Within the first four episodes there is a lot of character build up. Not only do you have the main character but there are a lot of others that come into Ikki’s life and little by little you learn more and more about them. Having only seen the first volume, it’s hard to say how well the plot goes, whether it bombs out or you can grasp onto it and enjoy the whole series. After seeing the first volume, I’d recommend seeing more. This series is definitely fun. The opening and ending themes are quite catchy and the soundtrack would be a plus for anyone’s music collection. The animation flows very well with the tone of the moment, dark where it needs to be and colorful during those playful comical moments. The extras on the DVD are nothing to rave about though, just the typical ADV previews and clean opening and closing ending. I do give small warning that the first episode has a bit of ecchi-ness to it. Having done some research on it. There is currently a manga out that looks to be a darker version of the animated series. Also the manga was made into a musical and debuted January 7th of this year and ran until January 21st. Licenser: ADV Studio: Toei Animation Length: 100mins Retail (U.S.): $29.98 Availability: 02.06.07
Air Gear Vol 1: East Side Showdown By Andromeda This is roller blading to the extreme! Goodbye to the boring ole’ roller blades, hello to motorized two wheeled roller blades called Air Treck (AT). They are the latest hottest thing out and Minami Itsuki a.k.a Ikki finds his way into the underground society of Storm Riders. He had no clue that these people, gangs, existed until one day by accident he stumbles across someone’s gear and badge. Falling into this world of blading that seems to give one wings, Ikki’s natural ability comes out, amazing those that see what unfolds. They find it unbelievable and few come to realize that he will be the one to reach the top if he can harness and use this hidden gift. Along the way to making his own gang with two of his closest friends, he finds himself in battles to keep the badge he’s borrowed from another friend and battle for his friend’s honor. Air Gear is a light hearted comedy with a subtle plot. The story focuses around Ikki and those involved in his life. He’s a light hearted boy, but when you make him mad, be prepared for the serious fighter hidden beneath. And like all boys his age, hot babes make his blood boil. This of course leads to a love triangle between another Air Trecker and a friend of his who happens to be an Air Trecker herself, along with her two sisters. Within the first four episodes there is a lot of character build up. Not only do you have the main character but there are a lot of others that come into Ikki’s life and little by little you learn more and more about them. Having only seen the first volume, it’s hard to say how well the plot goes, whether it bombs out or you can grasp onto it and enjoy the whole series. After seeing the first volume, I’d recommend seeing more. This series is definitely fun. The opening and ending themes are quite catchy and the soundtrack would be a plus for anyone’s music collection. The animation flows very well with the tone of the moment, dark where it needs to be and colorful during those playful comical moments. The extras on the DVD are nothing to rave about though, just the typical ADV previews and clean opening and closing ending. I do give small warning that the first episode has a bit of ecchi-ness to it. Having done some research on it. There is currently a manga out that looks to be a darker version of the animated series. Also the manga was made into a musical and debuted January 7th of this year and ran until January 21st. Licenser: ADV Studio: Toei Animation Length: 100mins Retail (U.S.): $29.98 Availability: 02.06.07