NoaIzumiAnime Review: eX-Driver
April 29th 2009 02:32
In the future, all cars are automated, and the skill of driving has become rare. But it hasn’t disappeared, and whenever an AI car goes rogue, the eX-Drivers leap into action to make the streets safe again!
As many of you probably know by now, I deem two things more important than anything else in judging an anime: plot and characters. And on both counts, eX-Driver is not so hot. Yet, I’m still giving it a good review; why? Simple. Because I liked it.
We’ll start with the bad news. The plots are pretty predictable, being pretty much all storylines we’ve seen before. There’s the “new team member proves himself” episode, the “TV crew does a show on the team” episode, the “eX-Driver on a motorcycle” episode, and the finale, the “renegade eX-Driver challenges the team” episode. Each one is fun enough, even though we’ve mostly seen them before.
Lorna and Lisa
The characters are a little better. Lisa and Lorna are the original team, with Lorna being the more straight-laced one (and granddaughter of the eX-Drivers’ boss) and Lisa being the more wild one. Think younger versions of Miyuki and Natsumi from You’re Under Arrest. That’s no coincidence; both mangas were drawn by the same artist. The third member, Suichi, is younger and a better driver, prompting Lisa’s jealousy. All are young characters, and fairly two-dimensional, although they do grow as a team during the course of the series. Minor characters include the former eX-Drivers Nina and Rei, the mechanics, and Lisa and Lorna’s classmates, all of whom get a fair amount of screentime, considering the length of the series.
Many reviewers have already commented on how unrealistic the situation is. You’d think the automated cars would have some kind of manual cut-off switch, or an emergency brake. And I was under the impression that being an eX-Driver is a dangerous profession, but apparently not so much, since Lorna and Lisa are both 16, and Suichi is just 12 (!).
I can’t help but wonder if there’s a bit of wish fulfillment at work here. The original author, Kosuke Fujishima, is a car otaku, and eX-Driver portrays a world where not only are drivers of gasoline cars rare, they’re revered, heroic, and the well-being of the world depends on them.
So, eX-Driver has some faults. But it still works, because it achieves just what it sets out to: just plain fun. The cars, the chases, the dialogue, and the music all sum up to a seriously enjoyable and exciting six episodes, even if they are punctuated by the occasional “Ya’ gotta be kidding me!”
Lorna and Lisa (school uniforms)
Extras: Some fairly good ones. Clean opening and closings, on location featurettes, interview with the voice actresses.
Summary: Not the most thought-provoking anime ever made, but it’s a very entertaining two and a half hours, especially if you like cars. Grade: B plus.
Age rating: 13 and up. Fan service, esp. in episode 4, and the anime never passes up a chance to show off Lisa’s mid-riff.
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