ADV Films presents

Burn Up Excess #2: Crimes and Missed Demeanors (1997)

"Rio has a talent for making small incidents big."- Nanvel (Yuri Amano)

Stars: Yuka Imai, Maya Okamoto, Sakura Tange, Mami Kingetsu, Ryutaro Okiaya, Yuri Amano, Amanda Win Lee, Lani Minella, Jason Lee, Beth Wernick, Allison Kieth, Kimberly Yates
Other Stars: Toshihiko Seki, Paula Tiso, Jim Gallant, Mike Ross
Director: Shinichiro Kimura

MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (15+ for mature content)
Run Time: 01h:15m:19s
Release Date: 2002-10-22
Genre: anime

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
B+	B+	B+	A-	C

 

DVD Review

Team Warrior returns for the second installment of Burn Up Excess, featuring three more fanservice-laden episodes. Like the first disc, each installment is fairly self-contained, but also has an underlying story arc developing, with the mysterious mastermind who first appeared in the debut. While the ditzy Rio is still the center of attention, more of Team Warrior's history is fleshed out.

Rio's mounting debts are forcing her to take on assignments she'd rather forget. First up is playing bodyguard to a snotty pop idol, who is receiving threats from a stalker. To complicate matters, the star accidentaly comes into possession of a highly sophisticated pen containing covert information—and its owner wants it back over anyone's dead body.

Next, Rio's on a rampage to bring in some extra cash, but with things being pretty quiet, the rewards for Warrior work are meagre. Offered a choice of three lame assignments, Rio decides to take them all on the condition that if she can solve them in 24 hours, she qualifies for a bonus, leaving Maki to reflect on how Rio first became part of the team.

Finally, there is a mystery in Policetown when incriminating evidence turns up in the women's washroom, and with Maki on vacation, Rio takes charge to solve the crime. When more unexplained events occur, the only conclusion is that someone on the inside is behind everything. This follows a fairly classic whodunit style, with multiple hypotheses being put forth, and the conclusion is predictably bizarre.

Fanservice and ecchi humor aside, Burn Up Excess contains plenty of action and some wacky storylines, energized by the exuberant personalities on the Warrior team. The design work and Japanese voice acting continue to be enjoyable, though I'm not that keen on the dub and its unnecessary profanity. While not completely mindless, this isn't the kind of show that will have you taking notes to follow the plot line. There is more revelation of the underlying story taking place, setting up our master villain, and the central episode does a good job of showcasing Rio's back story—I'm hoping this approach continues with the rest of the team. So far, Burn Up Excess has been a lot of fun, and is certifiably "jigglicious."

Rating for Style: B+
Rating for Substance: B+

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.33:1 - Full Frame
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	no

Image Transfer Review: Image quality is very good with only minor aliasing and some cross-coloration present in fine detail. Black levels are solid, and the somewhat muted colors are well rendered. There is no sign of edge enhancement and fine grain or filter effects look natural.

Image Transfer Grade: B+
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
DS 2.0	Japanese, English, Spanish	yes

Audio Transfer Review: Stereo audio is presented well with a decent soundstage and appropriate directionality for a show of this type. The tone is even, without any excess sibilance. The opening and closing themes both sound very good, and dialogue during the show is easy to discern. English and Spanish dubs are available along with the original Japanese. No technical deficiencies were noted.

Audio Transfer Grade: A- 

Disc Extras

Animated menu with music
Scene Access with 18 cues and remote access
Subtitles/Captions in English with remote access
1 Original Trailer(s)
6 Other Trailer(s) featuring Plastic Little, A.D. Police, Nadia of Blue Water, Soul Hunter, Robotech, Princess Nine
Packaging: Scanavo
Picture Disc
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: dual

Extra Extras:

1. Jiggle counter?
2. Production sketches
3. Clean opening and closing animation

Extras Review: For extras, there is an 18-image production sketch gallery that translates the Japanese notes, a trend I enjoy. Just to prove that this isn't strictly for a heterosexual male audience, this section also includes Yuji in a thong.

Clean opening and closing credits and the show's trailer are also included.

For a series with as much breast jiggling as this one, ADV has given their famed Jiggle Counter™ a much needed upgrade, with separate counters for each of the Team Warrior girls to keep you from being confused.

Previews for Plastic Little, A.D. Police, Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water, Soul Hunter, Robotech, and Princess Nine round out the extras.

Extras Grade: C
 

Final Comments

The second installment of Burn Up Excess picks up where the first left off, with more fanservice-driven crime comedy. If you are offended by an abundance of bouncing anime bosoms, you'll want to steer clear; otherwise, the show offers lots of laughs, a memorable cast, some decent escapades, and what appears to be an overall point somewhere in there. Showtime!

Jeff Ulmer 2002-10-20