Kiddy Grade Volume 3

Kiddy Grade #3 finally gives this faltering series a much needed kick up the back side, crucially giving the story injections of both interesting plot development and conspiracy intrigue that thankfully lend some much needed credibility to an anime series that has so far been distinctly average, episodic fare.

I found the previous two (reviews #1 & #2) volumes of Kiddy Grade increasingly frustrating, showing brief glimpses of its potential as an intriguing sci-fi adventure before comfortably settling back down into the same throw-away formula which has maimed many of the previous episodes. Eclair is an especially interesting lead character, who besides looking pretty damn sharp, also has something of an unpredictable (and likable) personality. It pissed me off seeing her on-screen moments wasted time and time again.

Thankfully, Kiddy Grade #3 provides us with the awaited breakthrough for this series – showing us the ability to weave a coherent and interesting plotline, while also managing to maintain many of the other little quirks we have come to enjoy from ‘KG’ so far, from the goofy humour to the rather colourful action scenes.
All three episodes on this volume give us something new to think about; faces you previously trusted are now shown in a different light and the G.O.T.T. organization no longer seems as squeaky clean as we had come to expect. It’s a welcome relief to have to really think about an episode of Kiddy Grade, and I’ll admit it kind of caught me on the blind side.
I’m still trying to analyze the story now, an obviously futile action given we are still in the early stages of this series, but at least I’m interested.

During a seemingly routine mission to settle a volatile family dispute, Eclair is attacked by a group people who are assumed to be using equipment from the G.O.T.T.. More surprised than anything else, Eclair learns that there is probably a double agent in the organization, but without so much time to even catch her breath, she is sent off again on another mission.

We leave these three episodes with a host of questions. What happened in Eclair’s past? Have the G.O.T.T. been memory tampering? To what extent are the other ES members aware of their past — and then there are shady operations of this so called intergalactic-government agency, who do they think they are?! Suffice to say I’ll be approaching the next few volumes with a real sense of excitement.

The cinematic soundtrack deserves a quick work too. With the drama quote being upped, I started to appreciate the epic feeling invoked by a very high-budget sounding soundtrack; the word ‘space opera’ comes to mind!

In Summary

It would be foolish to say that the previous two volumes of Kiddy Grade were bad, but they weren’t especially good either – often treating us to episodic hints at a larger story without ever being convincing enough to merit further attention.
Kiddy Grade #3 destroys this trend with a really strong trio of episodes, giving us something to consider beyond minuscule moments of fan service.

If you gave up on Kiddy Grade after the second volume, I recommend you reconsider that opinion, the series has really taken a notable leap in quality here and I can only hope GONZO manage to maintain this pace through out the rest of Kiddy Grade.