Volume four of Gun X Sword moves immediately into the midst of things, picking up where the previous volume had left off, with the confrontations between Rei and his long-time nemesis the Claw, Van and an old friend (who turned out to be one of the Claw's 'Original Seven'), and a number of problems still hanging in the air. 

Action, emotional reflection and revelations are abundant from the word go, with the quality and drama of the first episode mirroring even that which preceded it. The other episodes of this volume are concerned with slightly less pressing matters, but are nonetheless enjoyable - the series standard notably raised, as I predicted, since the benchmark of the twelfth episode.

The story and characters have finally generated their own equilibrium, affecting their now substantial and increasingly material concerns in the viewer, rather than prescribing to the clichés of other (sometimes better) series. Wendy is still searching for her brother Michael, but now struggles with the question of whether and how to coerce, rather than retrieve, him, Van is forced to deal with his feelings about his late wife and his pursuit for vengeance, whilst Rei is confronted with the Claw himself.

Of course most any series today keeps a reserve of comedy that is used to curtail and provide contrast with the drowning seriousness of the main storyline (Joshua, by comparison, is tied to a bed and forgotten, probably for not deserving the same in-depth treatment yet), and Gun X Sword is no exception. This is not to say that this volume lacks character or story development, relying upon that of the previous volumes, but the series as a whole still tends toward light-hearted antics more than sustained tension.

The first episode is the exception, with its conclusion to the events of the climax of volume three, at which the Claw appeared - disarmingly gentle and thoughtful, but nonetheless threatened by the overhanging presence of Rei, who would do everything in his power to gain revenge. Only the second episode of the volume offers another major contribution to the series, introducing another addition to Van's rabble, a young girl named Priscilla who he fights in a sponsored tournament, but sidesteps when the legitimate contender arrives and demands to take his place.

Even the other two episodes, lacking the same kind of dramatic and storytelling opportunities, manage to produce enough to tide over their audience until the rest of the series arrives in hand. Their storytelling devices may now be transparent to some viewers - with the comedic and light-hearted events of the first half culminating in a battle between Van and another Armour rider who no doubt has some connection with the Claw - but they are no less watchable as a result.

In Summary

It might have began as a clichéd offering, but the series is rising above this and becoming a worthwhile effort in its own right, even if its formulaic delivery might still be a pet hate of one or two viewers.