From the same people who brought you the Ghost in the Shell franchise comes another great scifi anime series. Real Drive a SciFi series set not to far in the distant future on an artificial island that is developing many of the new technologies for the new world from the "metal" to artificial weather particles that can control the Earth's weather. The "metal" is like a cyber gate waythat allows people to escape the real world for a artificially created net world like what you would find watching GitS. In fact, I think Real Drive can be considered the beginning of the GitS world.
In that artificial world things can happen that lead to problems in the real world and those problems are investigated by the main group of characters who belong to the Electronic Investigation Services (or something like that). You can read up on the characters on the wiki link but I will say that Holon is the best cyborg ever and for the most part my favorite character of the show. Although I have to mention that while many people on picture boards and else where complained about the girl's figures (full figured girls were prominate) I think it added just a touch bit more reality to the series after all not every person in the world can be a stick figure with DD breasts.
As for the story line it does keep you engaged and interested with a well developed plot that is more talking and thinking than crazy action scenes it still pulls you from one episode to the next. To me it felt a lot like Moribito in that manner. Not to say RD doesn't have it's share of action to liven things up a bit but it just doesn't rely on that action to keep you watching and none of the action is in your face bloody violence either. There is always a purpose and reason to the action. As far as fanservice goes (I mean the girls do run around in very short skirts after all) there isn't all that much even the pool scenes are tame compared to other series.
With all that in mind Real Drive is a great series for those who like a little bit more meat on the bone and who like to enjoy something that isn't just brain dead action, fanservice and empty plots. It would be a great starter anime for those people who are not interested in a lot of action. I used to think GitS was the best way to introduce people to anime but Real Drive takes it's place hands down. Even though I haven't heard anything about it being licensed yet because it is a Production IG product I believe that it will be licensed soon for the North American market but I don't see [Adult Swim] picking this one up as it's way to smart for them or honestly some of their audience it seems sometimes. I would like it if we found it on the SciFi channel as I think it's a great fit for their market and audience.
In that artificial world things can happen that lead to problems in the real world and those problems are investigated by the main group of characters who belong to the Electronic Investigation Services (or something like that). You can read up on the characters on the wiki link but I will say that Holon is the best cyborg ever and for the most part my favorite character of the show. Although I have to mention that while many people on picture boards and else where complained about the girl's figures (full figured girls were prominate) I think it added just a touch bit more reality to the series after all not every person in the world can be a stick figure with DD breasts.
As for the story line it does keep you engaged and interested with a well developed plot that is more talking and thinking than crazy action scenes it still pulls you from one episode to the next. To me it felt a lot like Moribito in that manner. Not to say RD doesn't have it's share of action to liven things up a bit but it just doesn't rely on that action to keep you watching and none of the action is in your face bloody violence either. There is always a purpose and reason to the action. As far as fanservice goes (I mean the girls do run around in very short skirts after all) there isn't all that much even the pool scenes are tame compared to other series.
With all that in mind Real Drive is a great series for those who like a little bit more meat on the bone and who like to enjoy something that isn't just brain dead action, fanservice and empty plots. It would be a great starter anime for those people who are not interested in a lot of action. I used to think GitS was the best way to introduce people to anime but Real Drive takes it's place hands down. Even though I haven't heard anything about it being licensed yet because it is a Production IG product I believe that it will be licensed soon for the North American market but I don't see [Adult Swim] picking this one up as it's way to smart for them or honestly some of their audience it seems sometimes. I would like it if we found it on the SciFi channel as I think it's a great fit for their market and audience.
