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					Review*Speed Grapher by Joe Di Benedetto (Spike Spiegel) Animation by Gonzo Directed: Kunihisa Sugishima
				Gonzo has been very busy this spring. The famed animation studio has three new anime series. Speed Grapher is the first of those three, and in my opinion, the best. This series is filled with plenty of graphic sexual and violent content, so keep it out of the reach of children. It is set in Tokyo in the future, but not some far off ridiculous future with higher technology, merely about ten years down the road. The economy has gone topsy-turvy, resulting in a greater divide between the rich and the poor. Greed and pleasure are what drives people in this not-so-distant time. Tokyo is essentially run by the Tennouzu family, and nobody dares cross them. The story begins following a former war photographer named Saiga. Due to having his passport confiscated, Saiga is not allowed to leave Japan and must work as a photo journalist for a newspaper. One day, Saiga’s boss Togoshi Seijiro gives him the assignment to infiltrate and investigate the Roppongi Club. The Roppongi Club is a secret base located in the red light district area of Tokyo, and its members are made up of Tokyo’s rich and powerful. While in disguise during a club ritual, Saiga is discovered and brought before a girl named Kagura. Saiga’s contact with Kagura awakens a special ability within him. Saiga then gains the ability to cause explosions with his photography. So anything that Saiga takes a picture of will explode. Saiga then makes it his duty to unravel the mystery of the Roppongi Club and Kagura. The scene from the Roppongi Club is pretty much taken directly out of the Stanley Kubrick film, Eyes Wide Shut. The story is very Kubrick-esque with its darkness, mystery and graphic content. The characters and the story are the driving force of this series. I absolutely love all the flaws in the characters. It helps to make them real and life-like. Gonzo does a nice job with the animation and artwork, but there really aren’t any opportunities for them to flex their CG muscles. The series director, Kunihisa Sugishima (Zeta Gundam, Yu-Gi-Oh), has stated in interviews that he wanted Speed Grapher to stand out for its story, and that was the reason for choosing not to use special visual effects. If you are looking for a series that is more mature in content and has an original story that will make you think, start watching Speed Grapher and get hooked just like I did. Over the past week or so, this series has been a hot topic of discussion on the Anime 3000 boards. Funimation licensed the series on June 18th, and many fans are hoping that the DVDs will be released in the US unedited and in its original form. I believe that an unedited DVD release will happen, but don’t expect to see this series on Adult Swim. Anyway, if you can stomach the graphic scenes, this series is a must see and a must own. Well, that about does it for Part I of my Spring Season in Review. I originally planned on making this topic one release, but once I got started I realized that there is too much material for one single release. So expect Part II to be finished and posted sometime next week. My top picks from Part I are Eureka Seven and Speed Grapher, with honorable mentions going to Sousei no Aquarion and Tsubasa Chronicle. Part II will include my thoughts and impressions of MÄR (aka Märchen Awakens Romance), Erementar Gerad, Law of Ueki, Basilisk: Kouga Ninpo Chou (aka Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls), Trinity Blood, and Futakoi Alternative. I will also provide of preview of a few anime series premiering in the next season, notably Blood the TV Series and Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid. So make sure you come back next week and check out Part II. Till then, avoid the heat by staying inside and watching some new anime recommended by yours truly.