One normally wouldn't expect an anime title to be concerned with the protocol of international trade (or, in the case of this title, intergalactic commerce), yet that is precisely the role of GOTT—the Galactic Organization of Trade and Tariffs—and enforcement of GOTT regulations is handled by agents Eclair and Lumiere. Ah, but this being anime, the agents are jailbait cuties with a sidekick robot and superhero powers (albeit of a “Class C” variety, given their extreme youth). The initial episodes in this 24-part series are clearly played for laughs, particularly when Eclair busts up a criminal ring by dressing as a pizza delivery girl (in outer space?) and using magic lipstick that can transform line drawings into whips, while Lumiere's powers are even more dramatic, particularly when she hacks into computer networks just by extending her fingertips. Midway through the series, however, the focus and tone change dramatically when the girls discover GOTT is interested in something far more sinister than monitoring mutually beneficial trade agreements—a plot wrinkle that sends Kiddy Grade off in a very different and, ultimately, unsatisfactory direction. Eclair and Lumiere are supposedly forced to grow up quickly after they discover GOTT's true intentions, but really become completely different characters from the daffy and exuberant kids who ran amok with law enforcement powers earlier. Still, even with its storyline flaws, this is a visually compelling and often entertaining romp. Rated TV-PG, and presented in a dual-language eight-disc boxed set, DVD extras include an image gallery, character profiles, and promo videos. A strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (P. Hall)
Kiddy Grade: The Complete Series
(2007) 8 discs. 600 min. DVD: $49.98. Funimation (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 1-4210-0373-2. Volume 23, Issue 4
Kiddy Grade: The Complete Series
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