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Gunsmith Cats: A Danger/u/ Review
| Do you like guns? Do you like girls? Do you like cool cars and high speed chases? If your answer to any of these are yes, then do I have the anime for you! Gunsmith Cats is an action/comedy OVA released from 1995 to 1996, and it shows. Everything from the character designs to the music reeks of '80s/'90s style, and I love it. It's important to note that this OVA is based off of a manga series, which I did not read, so this is a review of the standalone animation.
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| The plot centers around three bounty hunters as they run around Chicago shooting things. That is, until one day funky-hair government-worker McGee shows up, and asks them to help fend off the illegal gun running operation plaguing the city. After McGee shows up, the plot still centers around three bounty hunters as they run around Chicago shooting things. It's honestly not much to gawk at, and the plot itself isn't too complex. But can you really blame them?
| For the screen time limitations they had, I'd say they did a lot to keep things spicy and interesting. This anime has it's fair share of cliches (especially when it comes to the characters), but the creators use the cliches to make the anime stronger. This OVA only has three half hour segments. By using these cliches, you already know the characters, even if you've never heard of them before. Despite often following the cliches, the characters are still fun and full of personality.
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| Let's talk about art and sound. I briefly mentioned this before. You'll either hate it or love it. The great thing about this animation is that they know their identity. They know exactly who they are, and don't try to hide it. What are they you ask? '90s. The character design and art, the music. It's all so #retro, and it's beautiful. Let's talk about some of the most beautiful aspects of this art, the first being the cars. Specifically the main character's '67 Mustang.
| The animation and art style for this car is beautiful. I'm not even into cars, and this anime gave me an instant car crush. The guns are also done fairly well, and the city actually resembles Chicago pretty closely. This is partially due to the fact that a few members of the staff took several trips to Chicago during production. While there, they took the opportunity to shoot and record some guns, and check out a few key locations.
| Almost all the sound effects in the OVA are actual recordings of the IRL thing. Due to this, the anime sounds different from any other, but not in a bad way. It's unique, fun, and beautiful for your ears. As for the music, it's hard to say whether or not you'll like it. I thought the placement of the music was smart, and that the music in the OVA was an absolute bop. I'd chill to it unironically.
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| Even if you don't like the art style, or the music, or the story, you still may end up loving this anime. Why? Because the entertainment value is through the roof. This is a fun-loving and exciting OVA. The hi-jinks these girls find themselves in, and their solutions to these problems are fun to watch.
| It makes you wish you were in Chicago, cruising along in a '67 Mustang, taking in the chaos of a city constantly on the move, never knowing what may be lurking inside a seemingly innocent warehouse, or what may be behind a friendly looking face.
| This animation is full of personality. From the style itself, to the IRL recorded sounds, to the weirdly accurate portrayal of Chicago. This animation knows what it is. They understand their identity, and don't do anything to hide it. You may think the story is boring, or the characters are one dimensional, and while that may be true, I can almost guarantee you'll leave this anime entertained. It's just fun to watch, despite it's flaws and downfalls.
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| TL;DR: The Gunsmith Cats OVA is by no means the perfect anime, but it has at least one thing going for it, and that's personality. The story is a bit eh, and the art style and sound design may not fit your tastes. But the entertainment value is just too high to pass up. This anime is highly saturated in it's '90s vibes, yet still manages to match it's pace, or surpass today's anime when it comes to entertainmen
| ...entertainment value. Most of the jokes land, and when our characters aren't goofing off, there's high speed, high stakes action to keep them busy. Would I recommend? There's only three episodes, each only half an hour long. For how little time you need to dedicate to the show, it's definitely worth a watch in my books. See you next review, g/u/rls!
| Of all the animu reviews I did not expect one about Gunsmith Cats to pop up on danger/u/. You have good taste OP, looking forward to seeing more reviews!
| >>609560 thanks g/u/rl! Watching Gunsmith Cats has left me with a craving for old school anime. Any recommendations that give off a similar feel to Gunsmith Cats?
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