Get Backers Episode 02
"Get Back the Rusted Bonds!"
Despite the fact that Ban and Ginji are apparently very good at what they do, in classic selfless hero form, they're unable to ever manage to get paid for their deeds. In this episode, they're sent off to retrieve a person (and go up an entire yakuza group in the process).
I'd love to see the explanation as to how Ban and Ginji came up with the idea to do the recovery service. I mean, what's the leap of logic from, "Hey, we have crazy powers," to, "Yeah, we should use them to make money by finding lost and stolen items for random people."
I'm a big fan of Get Backers's opening theme (and to a lesser extent, its closing theme). It's one of those songs that is sung with a voice that positively grates on me, but somehow works with the song that I don't mind it at all and, in fact, love it.
We're in first episode serial mode in Get Backers, as with almost every show, where we get the same basic story over and over with different situations, until the audience is suitably comfortable with the premise before the real story starts. Given that, this episode is entertaining, but with no metastory hook, it's also inconsequential. Let's see how long it takes for the story to poke its head in.
Rating: B+
Get Backers Episode 03
"Operation: Recover the Platinum!"
So far, the best part of Get Backers (with the exception of the opening theme, which I seem to like disproportionately to the timbre of the vocals) has to be the various Ginji and Ban superdeformed interactions. They're so shameless, energetic, frenetic and crazy it's almost impossible not to.
The Get Backers are off on another recovery mission, with nothing really out of the ordinary, other than the first hints of character backstory. I'd try to write more about this episode and the show in general, but right now we're in formula-establishment-mode, so it's just a lot of the same.
This is a fun show. It doesn't take itself very seriously, and it's very colorful and energetic. It ain't Shakespeare, but it's enjoyable.
Rating: B
Get Backers Episode 1
"The Initials are 'G' (Ginji) and 'B' (Ban)"
I didn't really know what to expect going in to Get Backers, and my expectations weren't high for it, so I was pleasantly surprised by what I got. That's not to say that it was merely "not bad", it was actually pretty entertaining.
Ginji and Ban are two guys who work together to retrieve things for people. Get things back, get it? They've obviously got a history with each other, as they play off each other's characters constantly through this first episode, from when they're battling to when they're both superdeformed and fighting over the last slice of pizza.
The animation was good, and I liked the opening and ending themes. It was pretty light, and the banter between the characters was definitely enough to keep things moving along.
I'll be interested to see where it's heading.
Rating: B+