Gasaraki 1 - The Summoning

Gasaraki, the latest in a long line of anime series to feature giant-mechas, is the newest offering from Sunrise Productions and anime director Ryosuke Takahashi; best known for his previous mecha epic Armoured Trooper Votoms. Now, right off the bat I’m going to admit that mech-anime isn’t really my thing, and although I watched and enjoyed Neon Genesis Evangelion (with many a ‘what the...?’ and ‘huh?’ thrown in) the thought of sitting through yet another such series really didn’t excite me. It’s basically a case of ‘been there done that’. Still, what attracted me to Gasaraki is the promise of action mixed with political intrigue and Shinto spirituality. Let me explain...

Like Evangelion, Gasaraki is a synthesis of mecha-fuelled action and spiritual/occult phenomena. However it differs from Evangelion in that its occult ingredients are supplied via links to Shinto and one of Japan’s oldest and most traditional forms of dramatic theatre - noh. Primarily the performance of a central masked performer, or shite, noh is a rigidly controlled and highly stylised form of dance that is characterised by deliberateness, brevity, suppression and abstraction. Reaching its peak during the Tokugawa period, it became a significant part of the Shinto way of life before its loss of government patronage and near extinction during the Meiji restoration. It has survived to this day only through private sponsorship, which is where we take up our story.

It’s early in the 21st century, and the Gowa Instruments Corporation – a giant multinational weapons manufacturer, one of the world’s most powerful industrial and political entities and flagship of the Gowa family - is completing development of the world’s first biped weapons platform. Their ‘Tactical Armour’ (TA) is a mecha that is faster and more versatile than a tank and able to carry a vast array of armaments. In short it will fundamentally change the face of warfare. Luckily for Gowa, it just so happens that the world is on the brink of yet another armed conflict, and given how quickly the Gulf War turned from a UN security action into an appalling and immoral arms market, the climate looks perfect for them to promote their new product line...

And the noh? Well, not only is Gowa Instruments occupied with the TA development program, it is also pursuing another, far more secretive, agenda. An internal research project has begun aiming to study a mystic energy source - a gravitational singularity that is brought on by the performance of a noh dance; the Gasara-mai. The secrets of the Gasara-mai's trance-like state has been passed down through the Gowa family; taught by their resident noh-master for generations. Eight years ago, the first experiments into the power of the dance ended with disastrous results, but the time is drawing near when the experiment can be repeated. The results may well be the most powerful weapon mankind has ever known...

Episode 1:Stone Stage
Development of the TA program is drawing to a close, and final tests are underway. With his older brothers heavily involved in R&D, it falls to Yoshiro - the youngest and most sensitive of the Gowa brothers - to be the TAs key test pilot. With every test, Yoshiro’s abilities with the TA seem to be improving out of sight, exceeding his brother’s wildest expectations. That they ceaselessly monitor their brother is paramount; for young Yoshiro has the gift as the kai or performer of the Gasara-mai to enter its trance-like state. With the completion of last TA test, Yoshiro mounts the stone stage to replicate the ill-fated noh experiment. However, as the dance begins to call forth the mysterious force, an unknown girl appears before Yoshiro and attacks him, pleading with for him to stop the performance. Who is the mysterious girl and what does she fear?

Episode 2: Opening Movements
The UN Security Council begins its action against a small belligerent nation - Belgistan. As the conflict intensifies, US spy satellites pick up a large energy emission within Belgistan’s borders. Could this indicate the development of weapons of mass destruction? When the UN security force suffers heavy losses in an invasion attempt on the Belgistan capital, it is clear that its tin-pot dictator has access to technology that even the Americans don’t possess. With Yoshiro and the other TA pilots continuing to improve under combat simulation, Gowa Instruments lobbies hard for the TAs to be deployed to the Belgistan theatre.

Episode 3: Tantric Circle
With overseas deployment of the TAs being debated by the Japanese cabinet, a few carefully planned political assassinations are all that are needed to gain their unquestioning support. But with a sales opportunity beckoning, Gowa cannot wait for the support of the UN Security Council and the TAs are sent off to Belgistan. At the request of his ruthless family, Yoshiro himself has little choice but to accompany them into battle. When an American tank battalion is obliterated in a surprise attack by TA-like assailants, the stage is set for Yoshiro and his fellow TA pilots to strut their stuff for the world’s military heavyweights. Without the money or the capability to develop such weapons, it is becoming exceedingly clear that Belgistan’s Saddam-esque dictator is merely a puppet for a much more sinister multinational organisation.

Episode 4: Mirage
The Gowa TAs arrive in Belgistan, and having bribed the commander of the multinational force the company is immediately assigned a mission – to recon the suspected site of the Belgistan weapons test. It is clear that Gowa Industries is very interested in the site, and as soon as the area is cleared by the TAs, Yoshiro’s brothers appear on the scene to study it. However, Yoshiro suddenly senses some other power at work, and is inexplicably compelled to leave his TA and begin the Gasara-mai. But, just as he begins he’s interrupted by a sniper (much to his brother’s annoyance!). To make matters worse, a squad of Belgistan TAs appear on the scene, and a fierce battle seems unavoidable.

If mech-anime is your thing, then Gasaraki will undoubtedly appeal to you. As is typical of the sub-genre, it contains some wonderfully designed and nicely animated machinery, all taking part in some great action scenes. There's certainly all the pounding explosions, billowing smoke, and streaming missiles that you’ve come to know and love. For the rest of us, whilst Gasaraki certainly contains many recurring ingredients from the likes of Evangelion and others – complex characterisations, family enmity, self discovery, and more - its main plot threads involving political intrigue and world domination are more straightforward and accessible than its more esoteric stable-mates. And with its references to noh and Japanese Shinto culture providing a new slant to proceedings, (though this may sound a little silly) the production is refreshingly Japanese; too much anime these days seems to be set in America or generic societies of the future where culture has been completely sublimated. For me, it is this innate Japanese quality that sets Gasaraki apart from a raft of all-too similar offerings.

With only the first four episodes presented here, this initial volume The Summoning certainly poses more questions than it answers. Indeed, with a plot that is doled out as carefully as it is here, and with only hints and suggestions as to what is to come, Gasaraki certainly exhibits the noh characteristics of deliberateness, brevity, suppression and abstraction. Nevertheless, it's worked - I'm hooked.

Although produced for Japanese television, Gasaraki exhibits none of the cost-cutting techniques typically employed for the small screen. Displaying high quality animation throughout, it is only slightly below cinema standard with both character and machine designs remarkably well realised, and the level of detail surprisingly high. CGI is used sparingly but to great effect in generating effects such as the conical gravitational singularity. Other visual effects such as static in video signals and faux moiré and interlacing effects on video monitors also add to production's overall feeling of authenticity. Certainly in Gasaraki we see further evidence of the continuing increase in quality of Japanese animation for television; a field in which they have no real competitors.

In terms of the DVD transfer, this is another wonderful job from Madman, who continue to churn out fantastic anime transfers. Presented in its original full-frame aspect ratio on a single-sided single-layer disc, there's little fault to find with the MPEG encoding. With a rather muted palette adding to the series’ sombre tone, (predominantly cold, metallic blues and military greens), the image is not as bright as your average anime, but the colours are nicely rendered nonetheless. There are no problems with the source material, and the sharp, clean image displays only a minor amount of aliasing.

Produced at a reduced frame rate, Gasaraki does suffer from interlacing, and several compression-related artefacts are also evident - specifically, a small amount of pixelation appears in some backgrounds and there's the odd instance of slight posterisation. Overall, however, these problems aren't particularly noticeable, and Gasaraki looks wonderful - yet another exceptional job by Madman who continue to look after region 4’s many anime fans.

As with the other recent English language adaptations by American anime distributor ADV, the obligatory English dub of Gasakari is accompanied by the original Japanese soundtrack and both these two channel Dolby Digital mixes sound fantastic through a Prologic decoder. Whilst the dialogue emanates clearly and distinctly from the centre channel, the surround channel is utilised extensively to carry the dramatic score and to fill out the sounds of the vehicles and their many weapons. The result is a wide and immersive soundstage that really drags you into the story. Like the surround channel, the subwoofer is also used extensively, adding tension to the score and really opening up during the battle scenes.

However, it is when the musical aspects of noh impact the soundtrack that things really start to get interesting. During the scene in which Yoshiro performs the Gasara-mai, the room is filled with the rising and falling of noh chanting, the haunting voice of the Japanese flute, and the sharp cracks and dull thuds of percussion. A very nice piece of audio indeed. Noh also makes its presence felt in the title tune, with the signature J-pop tunes that are the staple of television anime replaced with a appropriately haunting theme. The song, perfectly suiting the tone of the series, is somewhat reminiscent of Björk’s work; fusing electronic beats, and noh chants and instruments, with eerie English lyrics.

Thankfully, the English language aspects of the disc are also well handled. The English dub is very good, with some reasonably capable voice actors having been found by ADV. For those that prefer the original Japanese dialogue, the subtitles are clear and easy to read. All in all, Gasaraki provides a great audio experience; certainly one that makes the most of the limits imposed by a two-channel signal.

Sporting subtly animated red-on-red menus, disc one in the Gasaraki series provides a number of extras that, whilst not comprehensive, provide some interesting and useful information for the viewer.

• Episode Production Sheets: 17 pages of information on the mechas and other machines that appear in the episodes, as well as aspects of noh theatre, and simple introductions to many of the supporting characters.

• Gowa Family Profiles: Nine pages of text giving an introduction to the genealogy of the Gowa family, and the part that each of the family members plays in Gowa Instruments.

• Glossary: Three pages defining special terminology that is peculiar to the series.

• ADV Trailers: Trailers for Gasaraki and three other anime series currently released in our region - Neon Genesis Evangelion, Martian Successor Nadesico and Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040. Non-anamorphic widescreen with crisp clean transfers.

As I said from the outset, mecha-anime certainly isn't my favourite anime sub-genre. However, with an absorbing plot and the sparing supply of facts from these first four episodes, I find myself totally intrigued and eagerly await the rest in the Gasaraki series. With high production values and an original spin on a tried and trusted formula, this is one series you mecha-fans won't want to miss.