Some years into the future, the ready availability of firearms has transformed Tokyo into a violent and lawless place, where the controlling organisation of RAPT is little better than the very criminals it claims to oppose. Amidst all this, all Kyohei Tachibana wants is to do is go abroad and become a pastry chef; to that end, he decides to get some money and experience by working as a cook for Jo, Sei, Meg and Amy, four girls who live together in an oversized camper van. Typically, this thrusts him right into the centre of the action when it turns out that these girls are actually mercenaries who regularly take on deadly and dangerous high-stakes missions…

Over the years, Gonzo has produced no shortage of series that are pleasing on the eye but a little light on plot and character development- and judging from these first four episodes, Burst Angel is no exception. As a ‘sci-fi western’ that combines mecha battles with impractically clad, gun wielding girls, the series certainly knows how to deliver on the action front, but so far this has been accompanied by a distinct lack of storyline development. Admittedly, it’s early days yet, but the missions we’ve been treated to in this first volume have revealed nothing in the way of a main plot- we don’t know even know basic details such as why the girls ended up together or who they are working for.

Similarly, characterisation has been a bit thin so far, with all four girls fitting into established anime stereotypes- tough-girl heroine Jo; inexplicably useless damsel-in-distress Meg; chirpy computer whiz Amy and level-headed leader Sei. Aside from some indications that Jo and Meg’s feelings for each other run beyond simple friendship, depth and development is next to nonexistent- a flaw which I optimistically hope to see rectified in future volumes.

As mentioned above, however, where the series really delivers is in the action department. From clashes between oversized ‘cybots’ (Burst Angel’s take on mecha) to Jo’s rapid fire gun combos, there’s no shortage of explosive and over-the-top combat. Given that Gonzo are no slouch in the visual department, it will come as no surprise that these battles are vibrant and well animated; in fact, there is little to complain about when it comes to the animation in general. Both character and mecha designs are well realised, and even the CG elements, which can often feel jarring, seem well integrated here.

In Summary

Despite a strong showing in both the visual and action departments, the first instalment of Burst Angel ends up feeling a little shallow overall. If future volumes spend more time on plot and character development, this could turn into quite a dark and engaging series, but if these four episodes are par for the course, then Burst Angel will go down as yet another ‘style over substance’� offering from Gonzo.