ALARIS' REVIEWS

23rd January 2010
Get Backers: Episodes 1-2 (2002)

Since I caught up on my Bleach (2004) backlog, I've been looking around for some more anime to watch.

In Get Backers (Gettobakkazu Dakkanya), Ginji Amano and Ban Midou are partners in a freelance recovery service. Lost something, or had it stolen from you? They get it back. Both Ginji and Ban have unique special powers which assist in their missions, but they're still struggling to make ends meet.

There's nothing seriously wrong with Get Backers, but also nothing that makes it stand out. My gripes are pretty idiosyncratic, but here I go.

The story starts getting repetitive by episode 2, which didn't bode well for me. If you give a lengthy explanation of your special powers in episode 1, you don't need to give it again in episode 2.

While Ginji and Ban aren't annoying, they're also not terribly compelling. Unlike the warm, plucky, and self aware Hitomi from Vision of Escaflowne (1996), or the funny and courageous Rukia from Bleach, Ginji and Ban don't immediately engage the audience. There are some interesting female characters in the opening credits, but they hadn't appeared by episode 2.

The plotting is fairly simple, with good guys and bad guys and showdowns in warehouses, which is okay if it's done in a cool and dramatic way (bring on the doves!). Unfortunately, it isn't.

And Ban's hair is really distracting (not in a good way).

Verdict: A mediocre action series with a neat initial premise, but somewhat bland delivery.