Every so often, a series arises that is not outstanding in any regard, but still manages to be entertaining somehow. The ideal example of this strange phenomenon is Hyper Speed GranDoll. In concept, the series is a jumbled mess of ideas that never truly comes into itself. However, despite this giant shortcoming, GranDoll manages to be fun while it lasts.

Hyper Speed GranDoll is a series that fits snugly into the "comfortably average" description. The series doesn't break any new ground, nor does it attempt to. The story itself is fairly generic, following the "normal girl discovers she has super powers" template. The lack of originality seems to be intentional, however, as GranDoll makes several attempts to parody the magical girl genre. This stance would have worked well if the series could actually make up its mind as to what it were trying to be. The show itself is on a manic-depressive pace as it jumps from humorous moments straight into bouts of melodrama. This mixed pace proves to be quite jarring, as viewers can never truly know whether to expect a humorous moment, or a drawn-out angst parade. The humorous moments are quite entertaining and feel like they should have been more prominent. The more "dramatic" scenes, in contrast, feel more like the creators are shoving story down the viewers' throats in order to finish in the alotted three episodes. The third episode helps to confuse viewers even more with a total change in pace, accompanied by a slapdash ending that leaves the audience wanting a better resolution. The result of this is an overcompressed story with many loose ends.

Since it is an OVA, Hyper Speed GranDoll gains the benefit of a larger animation budget. The results are apparent with fluid animation through the entire series. This is especially the fight scenes, which are carried out with no hiccups or jerks in the action. However, as is to be expected from a series of this calibur, GranDoll's characters fail to stand out above the stereotypes. Hikaru is the typical ditzy main character; Sigil is the turncoat pursuer with a past; Friedshalf is the flambuoyantly dressed villain that wants to destroy the universe. Through the series, the cast never travels outside of its vacuum to expand on or even break the stereotypes. On a superficial level, the characters do not fare too much better, with overly generic designs that look like they are ripped out of a sixth-grader's notebook. The only character that seem to have gotten more than five minutes of attention is Hikaru, or rather her armor. Hikaru's battle armor is slick, with several different designs that seem to give a shred of personality to Hikaru's otherwise generic character design.

Hikaru is the typical anime fangirl: cute with an order of ditzy on the side.	The GranDoll armor designs are among the most inspired in the feature.

Musically, GranDoll manages to fare much better than expected. While not overly memorable, the series' musical score helps to convey the mood of the scene while remaining unobtrusive. The only vocal song in the OVA is a slow, forgettable piece that plays as the credits roll. On a similar note, GranDoll seems to struggle in its performance of the script. The Japanese actors play their parts well, with plenty of enthusiasm and great chemistry between the characters. On the flip side, the English acting is simply horrible. The acting is flat, and the characters sound too old for their parts.

For the film's migration to DVD, U.S. Manga Corps opted for a bare bones, budget release. The package features an image of Hikaru in her armor accompanied by a naked, embracing Sigil and Friedshalf. The back of the package features a brief description of the series, as well as a list of the disc's features. As with all Central Park releases, the cast and chapter information is featuresd on the inside of the packaging. The only extras included on the disc are a short art gallery and the trailer for the series. The video transfer went fairly well, despite the slight grain that pops up from time to time. The sound transferred flawlessly, with no dropouts or distortion on either track.

Average to the end, Hyper Speed GranDoll raises few expectations from the very beginning. However, for those that just want a fun way to kill ninety minutes, GranDoll could prove to be a pleasant surprise.

Distributor: U.S. Manga Corps
Creator: Bandai Visual
Released: 1999

Plot: D+
Character Design: C-
Animation Quality: A-
Music: B-
Overall: C-