E's Otherwise: Operation--Gald City, Vol. 1

Viewers coming to this anime offering will have a dreadful sense of been there/done that, as E's Otherwise bears more than a passing resemblance to the X-Men franchise. Set in a near-future world dominated by an elite handful of multinational corporations who determine the sociopolitical destiny of mankind, the series focuses on one of these oversized business entities, which has gathered together a collection of “metahumans” (known to the rest of us as “mutants”) with uncommon psychic and physical abilities. These metahumans (who seem to be in their teens or early twenties) are trained as a law-and-order brigade, but whose law are they enforcing and what kind of order will their powers set up? It's impossible not to do a compare-and-contrast between this series and X-Men, and--not surprisingly--the originals are miles ahead regarding storyline, character development, and visceral energy. Here, the central character is the teenage Kai, a dull protagonist whose slow recognition of the fact that he's being exploited would suggest he's a prime candidate for a dunce cap (where's Wolverine when you really need him?). The artwork is, admittedly, striking and that alone saves the series from being dismissed as a poor facsimile. But even the most eye-catching animation cannot hide the fact that E's Otherwise--presented here on a dual-language disc, and rated 14-up--lacks anything resembling an original idea. Not recommended. [Note: E's Otherwise, Vol. 2 is also available, with Vol. 3 slated for release on June 7.] Aud: P. (P. Hall)