Vandread: The Second Stage Part 1 Episodes 1-4

Hibiki, Dita, Meia and Jura all share the same nightmare of a red energy that destroys them and the Nirvana.  But this is just the beginning of the new troubles that lie ahead for them.  One crew member is set to have a baby; another faces a life altering crisis and an unkeepable promise; and the Nirvana is about to get a whole new face aboard, one who might have the answers as to the true identity of the Alien enemy still aiming to destroy them and their homeworlds.  Against new and rising odds, does HIbiki have the strength to rise to the challenge?  Or will this new red light mark the end for the Nirvana and her crew?

And we’re back and ummmm…so where the heck was all of this a few months ago?  Yep, Vandread returns to the Gundam Anime Corner with it’s Second Season, subtitled The Second Stage.  If it wasn’t indicated by the first sentence, Vandread has kind of soft rebooted itself during its continuation.  The tone of the show has changed and its starting to take itself a bit more seriously.  At the very least, it has considerably eased up on the half assed Man vs. Woman humor that wore out its welcome by the end of the second episode of Season One.  Id even go so far as to say these first four episode dwarfed the whole of Season One in terms of quality and enjoyment.  Let’s see if I can back up that claim with examples.

Well nothing says game changer like opening your season with a horrific nightmare shared by your four lead characters.  While the comedy hasn’t always stuck the landing on Vandread, I do like this cast and it was a gut punch to see them all powerless to stop their demise at the hands of a red light sporting enemy.  Even though it was a nightmare, that was just the beginning and the whole show seemed set to follow that same, serious change of pace…without the whole everybody dies bit.  No one benefited more from this tonal shift than poor Bart.  The guys been more the comic relief on the Mens side of the Nirvana more than Hibiki but he got a harsh life lesson when the Nirvana arrived at a planet that was basically a big science experiment courtesy of the Harvest (more on them in a second).  The little girl Bart befriended opened up a new, more determined, more protector like side than we’d ever seen before and I think that change will hopefully stick…especially since sadly the poor girl didn’t survive her ordeal.  Barts and Duelo’s reactions were heartbreaking but it’s Barts breakdown at Mango’s words of comfort that really sell this excellent episode all the way.  And if The Second Stage can change even a character like Bart, it could do wonders for Jura, Parfait and any other character I’ve had problems with in the past.  Crap this is like a whole new Vandread.

The Nirvana also picked up a fresh new face for the new season: Misty and her holographic blob thing that resembles Gleep or Gloop from the Herculoids…wow no ones gonna get that reference.  Misty is sort of a mixed bag.  On the one hand, she’s the new audience insert.  She’s the one who comes aboard the Nirvana and calls out all the absurdity: the poor education of the two sexes, no one knowing what a boyfriend and girlfriend are, basically that normal society is a pure mystery to Hibiki and the gang.  Misty also brings with her a vital puzzle piece to the identity of the Harvest.  I guess I have to stop using that name now cause…well they are machines from Earth but they were built by the planets remnants who went insane after they hit an evolutionary dead end staying on the dying world.  You know what, I’ll still stick with Harvest since these machines still don’t have a true name.  But we do know why theyre doing just that, Harvesting.  Apparently since the maniacs left on Earth can no longer reproduce, they’ve sent these Borg Harvest out to bring back the proper/healthy organs from other Human colonies in hopes they’ll live a bit longer.  That’s pretty freaking twisted and I’m hoping we’ll see or hear from someone who speaks on behalf of Earth to hammer this crazy in. 

So yeah why is Misty a mixed bag?  Yes she brings some much needed answers and perspective to the Nirvana.  But do we really need yet another girl trying to get into Hibiki’s pants?  Between Dita’s continuous but now kind of endearing pestering and Jura desperate to have a baby, I think HIbiki’s love life is plenty fine.  Plus, beyond the intel she brought, is there any other reason for Misty to be here?  She doesn’t really stand out in any other capacity, especially when the rest of the Mejere Pirates get to show their stuff in an action heavy episode featuring a gun totting Barnette and a whip sporting BC.  Basically, Vandread has had it’s quota of supremely beautiful bad asses covered for a long time now.  And while the laughs are in fewer numbers in this premiere, theyre still around.  Hibiki freaking out over helping Dita to deliver Ezra’s baby was fun and Barnette love of old fashioned Schwarzenegger level weaponry was awesome, especially when she pulled out a chain gun.

Vandread: The Second Stage changed the board up almost completely.  The endgame of the show is still the same but there’s a brand new, fresh energy to it that immediately makes it stand apart from where the show began back in Season One.  Hopefully the time of forced sex based confusion comedy and poorly conceived riots is far behind us.  We’re back to our old posting schedule again so I’ll see you Next Monday for more Vandread: The Second Stage right here at the Gundam Anime Corner.