Review of Gunsmith Cats
I’ve been to Chicago a couple of times. Hell, I live two and a half hours away from the city. Because of this, Gunsmith Cats–based on a manga of the same name–was refreshing in that it is set in such a familiar place and is actually quite American in the style and themes of the story. It’s the first of the OVA’s I’ve watched so far that I was sad to see end and wonder at how it only managed a three episode run. Rally Vincent and her partner May run a gunsmith shop in Chi-town but also take the occasional mercenary job. When an ATFagent blackmails the girls into taking on a mission, they wind up embroiled in a battle against gun runners that is somehow tied to the political campaign of a local senator. Complicating things further is a Russian assassin who doesn’t seem to die no matter what the girls do.
As a three episode adventure it’s cohesive and entertaining. It has a clear beginning, middle, and end and the story neither overstays its welcome nor bores. We are quickly introduced to a pair of cute girls–Rally being the badass while May is more a childish explosives lover–as well as the gun-centric action that is the biggest selling point of the anime. From there the action is constant, there’s enough fan service to keep eyes glued to the screen, and the pacing is good enough to have you watch the entire OVA in one sitting.
Our main heroines aren’t as three-dimensional as I usually like but given the limitations of the show, they’re entertaining enough and work well together. Other characters are one-dimensional, including the assassin the girls battle and the ATF agent they work with.
The action is fast and exciting though nothing of real note aside from a pretty good car chase sequence in the second episode. The final battle against the assassin is especially anti-climactic and leaves you wanting just a little more.
The animation is noticeably dated though it does a good job of recreating the kind of car, gun, and regular porn (did I mention these girls are half naked a lot) that keeps the guys glued to their seats. The music is pretty good as well, a cheesy jazz soundtrack that hearkens to buddy cop movies of the 80’s.
What truly sets this show apart is the fact it is set in Chicago and it’s noticeable. From the Cubs shirt that May wears to the use of the Art Institute of Chicago as a final set piece (despite the fact it is nowhere near an accurate representation) to the fact Illinois politicians are all corrupt sacks of shit, Gunsmith Cats does a pretty good job of representing a non-Japan setting.
While not a memorable romp, Gunsmith Cats is entertaining while it lasts and certainly worth a watch for those who wish their anime came with a little more gunplay. It’s a pulpy show that failed to generate a lot of interest in Japan because of it (very rarely does it seem that more realistic action shows do well), but should still be regarded as a good adaptation of the manga (which I will review at some point). It’s too bad this never made the cut to be a full series.