Generator Gawl
[Reviewed by Brinson]

Gawl is medicore in the best sense of the word--flying low on the radar with been-there-done-that plot elements, a smattering of mech action to send the fangirls squealing to parts unknown, and just enough generic techno to guarantee it a spot on the Toonami lineup. So, why then, am I completely and utterly in love with this series?

Story
Whoa, three boys from the future are going to save the world via a little organic mech that could and still have time for wacky misadventures in high school? Mind you, I never said originality was one of its high points. The set-up: our heroes Gawl, Koji, and Ryo return to the past to subvert their post-apocalyptic existence by preventing the scientific discovery which will precipitate it. ...Got that? The fact that they arrived months later than planned and tailed by some heavy future artillery is just the beginning of their worries. Forced to pose as high school students in order to gain access to their target, their unfortunate choice for room and board ends up being home to none other than spunky love interest Masami. Faced with a looming deadline, irritating girlfriends, cryptic scientists doing cryptic things, and *that bloody time paradox*, the boys have quite a challenge ahead of them. Well, that and plenty of wacky misadventures.

THE DILLY-O
Sarcasm aside, this is one solid show. One reason, perhaps, is the fascinating depths to which the characterization goes; the three leads in particular bear certain scrutiny. Gawl is the typical simple mind/simple pleasures sorta fellow who just would be happy to eat, sleep, and poop, but he's got such common sense and an affable nature that the indolence doesn't become a defining factor (ahemMiaka). Ryo, on first glance, rides the Quatre train of peace, love and all that other nonsense, but as the story progresses, you find a conflicted man--one who has done some terribly shitty things to a whole lot of people and wishes to make amends, and one who sees reality and takes off running. Koji's philosophy is means to an end; his motivations unclear. He seems to care deeply about the others' well being, but shares an near-animosity with Gawl. He's the sorta guy who can be smiling at you while he lies, and that's probably what makes him the most dangerous of them all. The other characters are just as complicated--underneath the brashness, Masami's just a smart girl confused with love, and Natsumi's irritating goody-two-shoes act takes an interesting twist in the third DVD.

The animation style is sort of like Evangelion and Utena shacked up and had babies. While there's nothing particularly inovative about the character designs--in fact, that barrette on Masami *has* to go--the animation itself is smooth and nuanced. Still shots make nary an appearance, and while the thing's funny as all hell, there's surprisingly little SD action. Speaking of comedy, it's delightful to have a dub that proves as amusing as the sub every once and awhile. Yeah, so the scripts differ radically, yeah, so the Johnny-Depp-on-bender remark is completely unnecessary, got a problem with it? The dub is one of those rare jobs where every line isn't being yelled, and the elusive Dry Wit is spotted on occasion (Ryo's voice actor get extra special props for having the nerve to actually *whisper* some lines, and sound disconcerted while doing so. Dude!). While most of the music is the aforementioned generic techno, the op theme's addictively teen angst and the end...well, it could just be the best ending tune ever made. Seriously, you haven't seen incongruous until you've seen a Monkees-ish song coordinated to the crudest animation since the closing hour of Eva sandwiched between end of the world episodeyness.

The Bottom Line
Buy it on DVD so you can get the option of switching back and forth, but just buy it for the love of god. It's a horribly underappreciated series with a truckload of charm. ....Plus, ladies, it's got Koji. And he has long hair.