Steam Detectives 6 (Animé TV)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C     Extras: C     Episodes: B-

 

 

When I first saw the previews for Steam Detective, I thought it would be a dark surprise.  Instead, it was a still viable enough as a story that takes place in a future where old styles and (relatively) new technology that is not from the period mix.  It is an interesting combination here, as Steam City itself is one giant industrial center prettied up to be as pleasant as a village.

 

Ling Line is our heroine and the evil Dr. Guilty (who has to be the bad guy with an obvious name like that) who gets nabbed by the no good baddie early on.  This is somewhat silly, but the producers take it seriously and it moves along well enough as a result.  I kept watching just to see where they would go with this, and the results are mixed, though somewhat entertaining.  It does not try to aspire to Film Noir.  This DVD has four shows in all.

 

The full frame color image is soft and looks older, down to the color which seems dull.  It still like the look of the show, which fits with the world and ideas presented.  The Dolby Digital 5.1 AC-3 English mix has some sound advantages over the Japanese 2.0 Stereo with Pro Logic surrounds, but the latter sounds like the original.  Extras include a nice fold out of the city inside the DVD case, opening and closing credits without text, previews for other ADV Animé DVDs, production sketches and text of the creative staff telling about past and even future shows beyond this DVD volume.  This is one of ADV’s better Animé shows and would be worth starting at the beginning on.  Not bad.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo