Giant robot shows have always been a staple of anime as a whole. However, many fail to generate a "hook" that keeps the viewer interested. GONZO's Gad Guard manages to bypass this roadblock by starting strongly enough to pull the viewer into the show's mechanically infused world.

Hajiki Sonoda is a normal boy that is trying to make a living in the poverty-stricken Night Town. Living without a father, he has an obligation to help support the family. To do so, he works a part-time job as a courier. One day, Hajiki is sent on an assignment to deliver a strange, black box known as a Gad. Not knowing what it exactly is, he delivers it and presumes the device to be gone forever. However, the next night, fate intervenes when Hajiki runs into the mysterious Gad again after witnessing a heated Heavy Metal (the show's term for mechs) battle. However, this encounter with the object is different, as the cube transforms into a giant robot. Unlike the Heavy Metals, this metallic being is both powerful and unusual, as it requires no rider. However, the metallic monstrosity responds to Hajiki's commands, which leaves the boy with a choice... will he use the robot to do what is morally right, or will he let it fall into the hands of the criminals who have sought it?

Hajiki prepares to set out on what will become the most important delivery of his life.	The show recreates the feeling of New Orleans, right down to the cheap hookers.

From the very beginning, Gad Guard draws the viewer into the show's steampunk world. Instantly likeable characters and a world inspired by New Orleans (circa 1925) power the show's initial appeal. While the story itself begins as many giant robot shows do, the world itself has barely been touched by the writers. Viewers are shown select areas of the three major areas of the show, but this only seems to be a tease of things to come. The series itself manages to keep a fun, somewhat light tone about itself, and does not hesitate to use humor to keep the viewer interested. However, the show is not without its own oddities. For instance, the majority of the (adult) female cast seems to drip with sex appeal. While this is far from unusual, the disc contains a single situation, in which one of the female characters administers fellatio to a carrot. This scene seems quite out of place, especially considering the subject matter of the series, as well as the targeted age group.

Being a 2003 release, Gad Guard suffers very little in its transition to DVD. Cross coloration, aliasing, and artifacts are nonexistent. The animation is of the same high level that many have come to expect from GONZO. Smooth, slickly crafted animation for both the characters and the mechanical players helps to immerse the characters into the series.

Aurally, Gad Guard holds up well on either track. Neither the Japanese nor the English audio suffered from dropouts or distortion. Musically, the show has a definite jazz influence about it. Many tracks have a big band feel about them, which help to enrich the series' Big Easy atmosphere. Both the English and Japanese actors perform a stellar act that breathes even more life into an already animated cast.

For this release, Geneon opted for a reversible cover on the packaging. The first cover features an image of Hajiki and Shinozuka on a motor scooter, with a television in the background. The second cover contains an image of Katana and a young blonde girl in front of a piece from the art gallery. The back of the packaging features a series of images from the disc accompanied by a brief description of the disc's contents, a short summary, and a staff list. The menu features some animation in front of a cityscape background. The menus access quickly with no visible errors. As with many of their releases, Geneon has opted to use the "less is more" philosophy in regard to Gad Guard's extras. The disc contains a small image gallery, a creditless opening for the, series, and a promo trailer. The image gallery and creditless are the staple features that fans have become accustomed to over the years. "Promo Trailer" just happens to be a fancy name for the Japanese DVD trailer. Sadly, the minimalist approach to this DVD release is a potential turn-off for the more frugal fans.

Gad Guard looks like it could be another fine addition to GONZO's lineup. While the characters still need some time to develop, the story itself is set to really take flight. Hopefully, the second volume will see the series truly come into its own rather than have it languish in mediocrity.

Distributor: Geneon
Creator: Yoshitsune Izuna / GONZO
Released: 2003-2004

Video Quality: A
Audio Quality: A-
Presentation: B+
Content: B+
Overall: A-