NoaIzumiAnime Review: Burst Angel OVA
May 25th 2009 02:22
Meg and Jo are back in New York to visit their friend Shirley, only to find her in the hospital after a vicious attack by a serial killer. Time to go hunting.
The Burst Angel OVA (Infinity) is a prequel following Jo and Meg soon after the events of episode 14 of the TV series. The plot is fairly standard, with the duo tracking a murderer who attacks the helpless and has powerful friends protecting him from the police. Of course, Meg is kidnapped along the way, and the OVA hints at a darker conspiracy which sheds a little light on the American wing of RAPT mentioned in the series. The episode also explains a few things, such as why Meg and Jo went to Japan, and why Jo always wears that long scarf.
The main problem with Infinity (an ironic title, considering) is that it’s too short. Oh, it tells a decent story in its 25 minutes, but for a series that tended towards multiple episode story arcs, a single episode OVA just seems wrong. And the story could have easily been expanded in a couple of different ways without stretching too much.
That makes it rather an iffy buy. If you’re a Burst Angel fan, it’s worth checking out, but the short run time doesn’t justify the $30 retail price. The producers try to make it up with special features, but they don’t really pull it off (see Extras, below). If you’re in the market for the series, the OVA comes with the box set (which can be had at a very reasonable price, so it’s almost like getting the OVA for free). If the series is already in your collection, watch Infinity first before spending your money on it.
Geeking out: The guy with all the piercings who shows at random points in the series makes an appearance here, in the police station; when Jo throws her bullets into the air, we can see “Gonzo” engraved on them (Gonzo is the name of the company that produced Burst Angel)
Great Moments: Jo tries to get an old lady’s cat out of a tree—by shooting it. (Meg stops her in time)
Extras: The Burst Angel OVA proudly boasts of having close to two hours of extras, but they’re mostly just scenes from the series. The only thing that’s new is a promo for what looks like another season or OVA of Burst Angel. It shows a more confidant Meg as she was at the very end of the series, and slightly older versions of Amy and Sei. Whether such a sequel will actually come to pass is anyone’s guess at this point, but it does show you where the creators are/were thinking of going.
Summary: Worth seeing for Burst Angel fans, but the short length is a disappointment. Grade: B minus
Age Rating: 14 and up. Bloody violence, but no fan service.
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