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				Review*Erementar Gerad by Joe Di Benedetto (Spike Spiegel) Animation by XEBEC Creator/Drawn: Mayumi Azuma
			Adventure, Fantasy, Magical Girl, Romance Erementar Gerad (Gelade) is a fantasy anime series that follows a rookie sky pirate named Coud Van Giruett. This series is animated by the Xebec studio. You might know Xebec from their animation work on “Fafner” and “Love Hina.” Coud is a young, reckless (and also pretty pathetic) member of the Red Lynx band of sky pirates. After botching a mission, Coud happens to find an unusual piece of cargo in his mates’ cargo hold. The unusual cargo is a tomb, and sealed within this tomb is a beautiful girl named Ren (Reverie Metherlence). Ren is an “Edel Reid,” which is a race of magical beings that are prized by humans. Edel Reids “react” with a human partner to grant special combat power to the human partner. They usually transform into some sort of weapon. Coud quickly learns that Ren is more prized than he thought. Suddenly, the pirate ship is visited by three members of the Edel Reid Complete Protection Agency (“Arc Aire”). These three visitors wish to purchase Ren, but Coud refuses to sell her. Just as Coud refuses, the ship is attacked by a mysterious force. Coud’s captain then grants him the job of protecting Ren. The animation is above average especially during the “reacting” sequences. There is a fair share of comedy as well, so it is a decent mix of action, comedy, fantasy, and romance. Unfortunately, the story does become a bit predictable, and it is hard to be caught off guard. Regardless, if you enjoy fantasy anime, then this could be a good choice for your next series to watch. Erementar Gerad was originally licensed by ADV Films about a year ago, but recently the license has changed hands and now belongs to Geneon Entertainment. Expect to see a DVD release for this series in the United States within the next year or so. Links: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=4165