Generator
Gawl
Review
by : Matt
McConnel 
Break
out the crackers boys and girls, this is some good cheese!
Time traveling teens from the future, one with the ability
to ‘Generate’ (read: change into a big bad assed monster),
have come back to prevent some sort of global disaster. They
are up against not only a lack of knowledge but also other
Generators that have been sent back as well, apparently with
the express purpose of stopping them. Throw in the frenetic
j-pop opening, and you have what appears to be a stock piece
of anime. Perhaps it is, but it raises that smidgeon above
the rest. Not a classic, but eminently watchable and quite
enjoyable.
The strong
points are in the writing and translation. The script has
been translated more towards the benefit of the American audience.
There is, for example, a reference to “…Marilyn Manson, Johnny
Depp, and Motley Crue on a bender.” As usual, ADV does not
disappoint with their voice staff, all are well chosen and
some even manage to bring that extra touch to the character
that so few voice actors seems to hit. The pacing is good,
especially because the reasons for the time travel are not
revealed until very late in the series. Little crumbs along
the way hint and lead in, but when it does come, even though
it’s shameless exposition, it becomes actually halfway watchable
because they only have to go through about 2/3 of it, as opposed
to the entirety because they’ve already dealt with other aspects
in part. Basically this is everything that could have been
bad turned better. The normative villain, despite looking
like a fugitive from hantai, is actually fairly intelligent
and engages some of the characters in a philosophical discussion
within the context of a school lecture. Again, here is where
Gawl stands out. It could have been a long drawn out
absolutely terrible discussion, but it’s not.
Some warnings.
Fear the Japanese schoolgirl, possibly the most powerful creature
on the planet if we are to believe this and other animes.
The color is WONKY! Here is where they creators went over
the top; the neon pastels for some of the shots were just
too much. Don’t think that the whole of the dialogue is going
to be snappy and wit-ridden. Like most anime directed at the
teen-age audience, you have to cut through quite a lot of
drab angst to get to the meat. And finally, there is no end
currently available Stateside. You will watch this, get to
the end of tape/disc 3, and reach for a fourth that isn’t
there yet. Quite maddening.
Generator
Gawl is fun, it is amusing, and it is very much worth
the watch. Pit falls aside, it is easily among the best of
this particular genre of anime that I have seen.
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