Burst Angel Volume 3

With my expectations for Burst Angel having been firmly toned down by the first eight episodes, I settled down to watch this third instalment with the determination not to take it too seriously. And on that note, it proved to be more entertaining than I had anticipated.

Marking a change from the run of two-part stories seen in previous volumes, this disc opens with a pair of standalone tales featuring Sei and Amy respectively. Admittedly, neither episode does much to advance the characters greatly, but it certainly makes for a refreshing change to have Sei and Amy take centre stage instead of being consigned to their usual supporting positions.

The second half of the disc kicks off a longer arc that sees Jo heading to Osaka to take on a solo mission as a bodyguard. In short order, Jo gets caught up in a series of terrorist attacks that seem connected to the monsters she faced back in Tokyo; and it isn’t long before she finds herself butting heads with the police officers assigned to the case.

Having fully expected the series to remain episodic up to and even beyond this, the halfway point, it was something of a surprise to end up with a story that not only connects with what we’ve seen already, but seems set to continue into the next volume. As you might expect, however, it isn’t the deepest or most original of plotlines, involving an evil corporation orchestrating matters in the background, whilst our leads find themselves at odds with the police as both groups try to solve the case in their own way.

Similarly, character development is hardly a huge priority for the series, but nonetheless the cast continues to feel that little bit more fleshed out with each passing volume; for example, scenes as simple as Jo watching a film or talking to Amy on the phone help to expand her personality beyond that of a bland automaton powered by her feelings for Meg. Even Meg demonstrates that she isn’t completely useless, managing to go for several episodes without getting kidnapped, and proving to be quite a competent fighter when her insatiable appetite is channelled into combat ability.

There aren’t quite as many chances for Jo to wave her guns around this volume, but the action side is still well represented, including a fair sprinkling of mecha-based combat, and even a few rounds of D.D.D. (a futuristic take on wrestling). Apart from a few simplistic looking “bullet time” shots, the animation is as good as ever, although not all viewers will find the protagonists’ increasingly impractical and fabric-conserving outfits to be aesthetically pleasing.

In Summary

With some screen time devoted to supporting characters, and hints of a main plot beginning to emerge, Burst Angel #3 manages to maintain the level set by the previous volume- that of an entertaining, if none too deep, “girls with guns’ series. Provided you don’t take it too seriously, it should prove to be an interesting diversion.