Search - Air Gear, Vol. 1 - East Side Showdown (Uncut) on DVD

Good Start, Good Finish, Let's Hope It Stays That Way

Keith A. Jones | Philadelphia PA | 02/09/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"How does a kid live with 4 girls and basically know nothing about them? How does a kid live in a neighborhood filled with the most popular new type of inline skates and not know much about them either? I guess you could say that Air Gears main character Ikki is just about the most clueless guy on earth. Air Gear is based on a world of Inline skates called the AT, which is short for Air Trecks. The AT's technology is far beyond the skates we know. It has a built in motor that allow the skater to go to up to crazy speeds, do crazy tricks, and even fly if at the right speed. All the basics you need to know about the AT's is explained right in the beginning but you still have to watch more to completely figure out the known and unknown. AT riders form groups called Storm Riders that battle each other.

Air Gear was a pleasant little Saturday afternoon watch for me and it brightened a nasty cold day. To start the music is perfect for this stylish and action packed anime and it plays a major part on controlling the mood of the series. The action is cool; you don't get to see too many high flying tricks but more grinds than anything. A lot of the story is focused more on Ikki battling Storm Riders for their logos and to basically disband the teams so there will be one less team and he can make it to the top. Though the conflicts of the series are showed right off the bat the plot still isn't completely visible until you get into volume two. So for those who think the series is just playing around at first trust me the story gets better and more complex. I think that the total outcome of this first volume is descent and I'm definitely ready to see more but there are some flaws.

One problem is the fact that not every detail about the characters is addressed. Like who the heck are the girls that Ikki lives with and who are they to him? There may have been something saying who they were but I don't remember seeing it. Doing some Searching I found out that the girls are the Noyamano sisters and are Ikki's benefactors. Either way it's still a mystery of the history between them and why they took him in. With that said Air Gear is set for a nice looking future. The characters are great fun and very funny, the animation is very colorful and sharply done, and the voice actors sound pretty good also. So get ready for volume 2 because trust me after volume one there is no going back."

First episode free

Stuart Bachner | Alma, Mi USA | 01/14/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I recently found this series via some random web searches and you can watch the first episode at IGN at http://media.tv.ign.com/media/873/873849/vids_1.html . The series definitely has some great promise and I look forward to the release of the first episode. I have also been starting to read some of the Mangas and they also seem pretty good. Judging by those two things I rate this series at a 4 for now only cause I have yet to see much into the series."

FLYING WITH YOUR FEET

Sesho | Pasadena, TX USA | 04/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ikki Minami prides himself on being a tough guy, being the leader of a gang on the east side of his town, but he meets his match in a showdown with the Skull Saders. The Saders do not fight fair. They are "Storm Riders" who use "Air Treks", roller blades equipped with tiny 3 kilowatt motors that let them move at extreme speeds and do superhuman feats. These engines are so powerful that the air treks almost let them fly. After taking a beating and wetting himself, Ikki decides to take revenge but first, he needs to get his hands on some air treks. Fortunately, the family he lives with, the four Noyamano sisters, are secretly a Storm Rider team known as "Sleeping Forest". Their name alone inspires fear and respect in other riders. Ikki steals one of the sister's air treks and sets out on his own to master this new extreme sport and take vengence on the Skull Saders. He also wants to meet an beautiful air trekker named Simca that he's been admiring. Unfortunately for Ikki, he's going to find out that the world of the Storm Riders is a bit more complicated than skating around and picking fights.

The thing that catches your eye when first viewing Air Gear is the great character designs by Oh Great! They are so beautiful and instantly appealing and cool that you are sucked straight in regardless of how ludicrous the storyline is. I mean, battling roller bladers with powerful engines on their skates? Get over it! Once you accept the basic premise, you're really going to enjoy yourself. The pacing and cinematography of this show is great. To me, it looks like they spent a lot of money getting Air Gear right. The soundtrack is good as well, with mixes of trance, techno, and jazz that suits the hip nature of the anime. Fantastic first volume."

"AIR GEAR" definitely rocks!

Dennis A. Amith (kndy) | California | 08/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you enjoy the thrill of racing competition-based anime such as "Initial D" and enjoy the world and characters of the popular Sega Dreamcast and XBOX video game "Jet Grind Radio", you will definitely find "AIR GEAR" to your liking.
"AIR GEAR" takes place in a world where Storm Riders are known for their motor-powered inline skates called Air Treck's (AT).
Many thrillseekers join groups or gangs in order compete and be on top of this dangerous (and illegal) extreme sport.

The storyline revolves around Ikki Minami. A guy who lives with the Noyama sisters who are also part of their own racing group.

Needless to say that because he is more or less a freeloader (who tends to get himself into trouble) at their home, the sisters look down on him. With the exception of Ringo, who is closer to Ikki.

In the first episode, Ikki gets into trouble by taking one of the sister's AT's and starts experimenting with them.

You start to learn that although Ikki is a beginner, he has a talent riding the AT's.

So, talented that he manages to do things that he and others can't comprehend during a race.

Ikki has a talent to fly. A phenomenon to the Storm Riders that very few are gifted with this ability. But for Ikki, he doesn't know much about this talent but with each episode he learns about the world of the Storm Rider.

Because he is naive to the sport and his crush on Shimuka, a beautiful and talented Storm Rider leads him to trouble.

Fortunately, with the support of his friends (aka his own startip Storm Riders team). hopefully Ikki's dream to climb to the top as a Storm Rider may come true.

The first four episodes are fantastic and full of energy and excitement that I just wanted to see more.

You can't help but root for Ikki, the underdog (with unknown talent) as he takes on the various Storm Rider gangs.

The vocal talent for both the English dub and the Japanese version are awesome. But I will say that "AIR GEAR" ala English dub does feature it's share of adult language. So, definitely not an anime to watch with the kids.

Also, with the first episode, it is a bit ecchi, with scenes of the sisters nude as they shower. But nudity is not used on every episode, nor does it detract from the pacing of the series.

I found the animation to be very cool. Because the races take place in so many areas, definitely a lot of work was involved to create settings for this anime series.

As for special features, you get the opening and closing ending. The opening theme "CHAIN" by rock band BACK-ON is awesome.

So, in conclusion, I highly recommend the first volume of this series. I like the competition aspect with the multiple groups/gangs, the use of motorized inline skating and including technical aspects that the Storm Riders nead to complete ala "Parts War" and the characters are numerous but yet very interesting and fun to watch.

"AIR GEAR" definitely rocks!"