Gad Guard Volume 2

After a distressingly mediocre start, I was cautiously optimistic that Gad Guard would pick up a little in its second volume, but sadly, these next four episodes are more of the same- and by now it’s beginning to wear a little thin.

Having acquired their Techodes in the first volume, the four operators each have their own ideas about what they want to do with them. Hajiki continues to hunt down Gad stones for Catherine, whilst Takumi and Aiko both set their sights on Katana; Takumi wants to pick a fight with him, whereas Aiko is convinced that all the Techode operators should team up and become friends. As the typical anti-hero, Katana wants nothing more than to be left to his own devices and as you might expect, he does his best to ignore everyone’s overtures. It’s all pretty standard stuff, and so far the story hasn’t gone really gone anywhere- nor is it clear exactly where it can proceed from here.

The real star of this volume, however, is Arashi- from the opening sequence we know that she’s due her own Techode, but by the end of the last disc she had yet to acquire one. As you might expect, therefore, this time around Arashi gets a little more of the spotlight, as we see her continuing efforts to adapt to life in Night Town, as well as her desire to receive a Techode of her own (a wish which is quite predictably fulfilled later on). Certainly, some of the best moments in these episodes are centred on Arashi, and so far she stands out as the most likeable character in an otherwise unremarkable cast.

One of the few interesting developments plot wise is the revelation that the Gads are not necessarily benign, nor do they always evolve into Techodes- if touched by the wrong person they create metallic monstrosities instead. Apart from being a thinly veiled excuse for a “chosen few’ vs. monster-of-the week format, this idea does show some potential in the final episode on the disc, which showcases Seikai and Isa, a pair of Heavy Metal operators committed to destroying all “Gadrians”, be they monster or Techode. For a brief moment I found myself intrigued by Seikai’s claim that the Techodes may actually be exerting some control over their operators, but in the end even this turned out to be yet another average and stereotypical episode.

The one thing Gad Guard continues to have going for it is its sense of style, something Gonzo always seem to deliver on even when the storyline is a little flat. The distinctive character and mecha designs are certainly growing on me, and the jazzy soundtrack isn’t too bad either, although admittedly it does sound a little derivative.

In Summary

Unable to rise above its disappointing beginnings, Gad Guard #2 continues to tread the mediocre path laid out by the first volume. The majority of the cast remains too stereotypical to be really interesting and the storyline, despite showing a few brief moments of promise, has yet to really go anywhere. There’s really very little to recommend Gad Guard at this stage, and if not for a certain amount of curiosity as to how the series can possibly continue for 18 more episodes, I’d be more than ready to give up on it.