Search - Oban Star-Racers, Vol. 2: The Oban Cycle on DVD

Beautifully drawn, well-written, excellent series - comparab

L. Gildart | Somerville, MA USA | 08/28/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My seven-year-old son and I faithfully watched this series when it aired on Jetix, and I waited a long time for the series to be released on DVD. Here's what makes it so good:

The animation is first-rate, as is the voice-acting. The characterizations are believable, consistent, and complex. The good guys face choices that aren't clear-cut or necessarily heroic, and the antagonists, with the exception of one or two 100% evil characters, have their own issues that can make them more sympathetic, if not exactly rootable.

This plot arc, more than that of the Alwas cycle, is suspenseful and almost never cliched. The surprises are thought-provoking and emotional. Even my son, who is not usually big on female protagonists, was moved. I bought this series on dvd, because my son and I like to rewatch it regularly, because the plot is deep and complex enough to offer new information to him as he gets old enough to catch it, and because the story is poignant and on-message for how I want my son to see the world someday."

A great conclusion to the series (another solid 4-1/2 stars)

Keonyn | Minnesota, USA | 06/01/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The series maintains its consistency for the second half in pretty much every way. The field is smaller this time as we change venues to Oban itself, and the nature of the races change along with it. This works pretty well as it gives the series some diversity. Each race in this volume also takes place in a different region, so the courses change quite a bit. Pitting all the racers against one another in each race made it quite interesting, and the venues introduced in this volume is really quite unique.

A number of story elements from the last volume become more significant in this one, including the reasoning behind the sabotage and the dark forces Rick discovered near the end of the last volume. The story certainly certainly takes some more dramatic and darker turns in this volume as well, but it still stays in the family friendly territory. The series doesn't try to mask pain and loss, but it does present it in a way that isn't going to heavily impact younger viewers.

This volume presented a few twists that I didn't see coming, and I particularly liked that. Generally shows of this nature have a certain predictability to them, and while this is still sometimes the case, this series still is able to avoid that trap pretty well. Heck, the ending itself didn't follow any of the paths I thought it would take, and that's the kind of surprise I like.

The artwork retains the style and feel presented in the first volume, and keeps the quality up as well. This is particularly impressive due to the large number of changes in scenery in this volume, which was undoubtedly a lot more demanding of the animation team. Since the finalists consist of a smaller field of only a handful of racers, there's also a bit more emphasis put towards developing them as well.

This was a great conclusion to a fun title that is definitely worth a watch, if this sort of show is your thing. Certain mature elements are still lacking, and there's nothing in the way of blood and gore or fan service; so steer clear if those are important to you. The story gets a bit darker this time around, but not to a large degree, and not to the point it will negatively effect younger viewers. Like the last volume, this one is also presented in dub only, but it is a strong dub, and international production was the goal of the creative team."

A masterpiece in animation

Beau Breems | Minneapolis, MN | 04/08/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Oban Star Racers is one of those TV shows that once you catch an episode you're immediately drawn into the story and have to see more. After seeing almost all of the series in syndication, I knew this is one of the few shows I had to own. It's more than just an action-packed racing story, it's also a sweeping drama about the pain and struggle of a broken family and the longing for redemption and love. Oh, and the fate of the universe too, if that's important to you.

But you came for the review of volume 2, didn't you? The first volume of Oban Star Racers was a great start to the story, setting up the characters, problems, stakes, and mysteries of the series. The preliminaries are finished on the planet Alwas, and in volume 2 of Oban Star Racers, the race finally moves onto the series' namesake - The planet Oban, where the true races begin. Not only do the races heat up with the Earth team facing the greatest racers in the galaxy, but the drama does as well, as Don Wei starts to suspect that Molly is not truly who she says she is.

The animation is top notch as always in the second volume. The japanese style of character animation is visually pleasing and does it's job well, and is expertly combined with the 3D cell shaded animation of the racers and environments during the races. I don't think there has been a series or movie that has combined these two elements as seamlessly as Oban has, and the diversity of locales in this volume is even greater than the first. The races will engross you, dragging you down when the Earth team takes their losses, and making you want to cheer when they experience their victories! And as the mysterious threat only hinted at earlier in the series looms it's dark head, the drama only increases as you devour every episode.

The DVD menus are pleasing and easy to navigate, and the special features are good as well, giving you in-depth insight into how the series was made, continuing from the first volume.

If you're a fan of animation, drama, racing, or just animé in general, Oban Star Racers is a must-see. And if you like it, Oban Star Racers Volume 2 is a must own. (Especially if you own the first volume!) So go and get it people!
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