Burn Up Excess

Publisher
ADV
Director
Shinichiro Kimura
Production
AIC, Magic Bus
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
13 episodes
Year
1997

Burn Up Excess Volume 3: Under the Gun

By John Huxley
27th Apr 04

Episode Summary

Episode 8: Nanvel Kidnapped!

Who let the transvestites out? After being released from prison, they are still searching for enough money for their Moroccan sex change holiday. Which is where Nanvel comes in. Her new invention, the optical diet machine, lets the user forget about all those rigorous diet schemes and just plain cheat. Wanting the machine for their own nefarious needs (don't ask), the transvestites kidnap Nanvel, forcing her to work for them. Too bad they didn't plan on taking Rio along for the ride...

Episode 9: Slam Tank - Part 1

Escorting a new super AI tank across the border should have been a walk in the park for Team Warrior. But a neighbouring warring nation hijacks the plane, wanting the one-of-a-kind tank for itself. Things don't exactly go as planned for the would-be thieves, and the plane ends up grounded, the tank along with it. As the only survivor, Rio must take the tank across the border on foot. She soon discovers that the tank has a personality all of its own...

Episode 10: Slam Tank - Part 2

Now in the middle of the desert with very little food and water, it's up to Rio to escort the tank safely across the border of the hostile nation. Of course, they still want the tank for themselves, so Rio has quite a fight on her hands if she wants to keep possession of the super tank.

Volume Review

By now you should know what to expect from Burn Up Excess. Action, comedy, transvestites and fanservice, plenty of fanservice.

And this is exactly what the first episode serves up. Recently released from prison and on a tight budget, the transvestite bank robbers kidnap Nanvel and (accidentally) Rio. I'm glad that this episode focuses around Nanvel, even if she is one of the less colourful characters. She is forced to build her optical diet machine, nicknamed 'Pin-el', shorthand for Pink Elephant, which is exactly what it looks like. Still, the transvestites don't care how cute or pink it is, just as long as it can change their appearance so they can get back to robbing banks without being recognised. It also marks a welcome return for the transvestites, probably the best villains in this series or any other comparable series, for that matter. Such a pity they aren't the main villains, who are regretfully less comedic.

Which brings me to the next two episodes. Slam Tank is a two part story about Rio escorting a super tank across a hostile country that wants the tank for itself. The country's dictatorial figure is being manipulated by the woman we first met face-to-face in the previous volume. It's obvious that she's just helping the dictator for her own needs, although exactly what she wants and what she'll do with it when she gets it is unclear at this point. Unfortunately these bad guys, although particularly hissable, seem uncharacteristic of Burn Up Excess considering the light hearted tone of the series.

Likewise, the whole deal with Rio's relationship with the super tank is not only ridiculous, it's also quite boring. As the tank cannot talk you're essential left with Rio, on her own, in the middle of a desert. I said less Rio, not more!

Regardless of a few good action scenes the Slam Tank episodes are particularly snore inducing. Which is a real shame, because the first episode on this volume is my favourite of the series so far. It even has a fight scene that will seem eerily familiar to Evangelion fans, only with a transvestite in place of the Eva.

On top of the brilliant first episode, this volume is rescued from the depths of awfulness by the Yuji Omake Theatre. Appearing at the end of the certain episodes, this is introduced with a fake test card (coloured with crayons) and Yuji's makeshift 'beeeeeeeeep' noise for added realism (he runs out of breath a couple of times), after which we are treated to Yuji's misadventures with his handheld camcorder. This usually amounts to his less than subtle efforts to peep at the girls, but is nevertheless highly amusing.

However, even the appearance of the Yuji Omake Theatre isn't enough to prevent this from this volume from being the low point of the series. If you've already got the previous two volumes, you'll probably want to pick this one up no matter how bad it is. Just don't go in expecting the same kind of quality us Burn Up Excess fans are used to.

R2 DVD Notes

Features: English, Japanese and Spanish audio, English subtitles, Scene selection, Clean open/close, Production sketches, Jiggle counter, ADV previews

Notes: I've just noticed that I've failed to mention the Spanish language option in my other two Burn Up Excess reviews. I can't verify the accuracy or quality of this dub, but it's sure to be a bonus for the Spanish speaking viewers out there. However, judging from the quality of the English dub, it's probably best that all viewers regardless of nationality stick with the original Japanese audio. The features are much the same as the last two volumes, including the infamous Jiggle counter. Likewise, the audio and image quality remain the same.

-- John Huxley 27th Apr 04

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