Some really nice 3D work helps add to the experience of the rollerblading in Air Gear. There's a 2D digital cel feel, but 3D environments are creatively introduced and give the impression of flying.

Characters are introduced quickly, but simply. As each of the main characters is introduced, they each appear in a hero pose with their stats listed on the side similar manner to a baseball card. Well I guess you could call them stats, it's more like the notes next to a model in a men's magazine. Each characters name, height, bust, waist, hips, family relation and odd personal fact is listed. I guess this is intended as a bit of joke but it was hard for me to tell either way. Our hero of sorts is Itsuki (Ikki) Minami, a 13-year-old eighth grader who is called the "baby face" of Shinonome Higashi Middle School and leader of his crew the East Side Guns.

He is living the Tenchi Muyo fantasy as he lives with the four Noyamano sisters. There is Rika who is 22 and has not served a purpose yet other than becoming very scary when she snaps. The second daughter is Mikan, a 17-year-old 11th grader with an affinity for ramen. Ringo, the third daughter, is 14 and she is a classmate of Ikki's and spends her time looking after him, and poorly hides her feelings for Ikki. Finally there is Shiraume, a 10-year-old fourth grader who really likes gorgon puppets. Character designs are really beautiful. In fact every one of the ladies is fan boy crush worthy. Well with the exception of the owner of the Glum Slum, but I try not to remember her.

There is interesting mix of characters and styles but all of these characters work together and are believable. Some of the character designs are more reminiscent of older classic anime styles like that of the original Super Dimensional Fortress Macross. While some of the other people we meet are much more modern in appearance. And there is even a mix of blue oyster bar leather clad effeminate people with hyper muscular macho types. Pretty much if someone is into a particular style or fetish of a character archetype they are sure to find what they are looking for in Air Gear.

Air Gear takes place in the near future where science has enable manufactures to create a small four-kilowatt motor that can fit into a roller blade. To put that into perspective, GM uses a 4.8-kilowatt motor to power their hybrid automobiles! So in other words the power of an electric car motor has been shrunk and installed into a pair of blades. I remember when roller blades were first really taking off in popularity. My friends and I would mow lawns and do odd jobs to save money to buy better bearings and wheels. I could only imagine if we could have had the opportunity to install small micro motors that would have allowed us to travel fast enough to make vertical climbs up walls. I probably would not be alive today to write this review, but I digress.

This powered style of rollerblading is called Air Trek and the moves and races look a lot like the game Jet Grind Radio for the Sega Dream Cast. Jet Grind Radio was outstanding and watching the races in Air Gear gave me the same open end flying feeling as playing the game did. This is where some really nice 3D work really shines and helps add to the experience. Most everything you see in Air Gear has a 2D digital cel feel to it, but when it comes time for the really dynamic skating 3D environments are creatively introduced and really give the impression of flying. On a big screen it actually gives a bit of vertigo, but that only helps draw the viewer into the intensity of the race. There is a scene where Ikki grinds down a fence rail and the camera is a POV shot from the skate. The shot is barely a few seconds long but when it was over all I could think was, whoa, that was cool.

Skaters' organize themselves into teams such as Rez Boa Dogs and Skull Sabers. Every person who skates Air Trek or AT is organized into a pyramidal class ranking starting with the lowest rank of F and the highest rank of A. These teams and class ranking supply the great majority of the meat of the story. Battles between teams are often violent and the defeated team could lose parts for their skates or even worse, be forced to disband. The competition to raise a skater's rank is fierce and Ikki finds himself caught right up in all the craziness. There also appears to be a special police force assigned to deal with these extreme skates called the Countermeasures Against Reckless Use of Aviation Footwear Department lead by Kaito Wanijima. Kaito appears to have a sinister partner named Agito, both of whom we only see very briefly in these first few episodes, but thanks to foreshadowing, I think we can expect them to become a big part of Ikkis' life.

Overall, Air Gear has a lot to offer. A good balance of humor and action throughout each episode really helps keep the pace moving and interest high.

Overall, Air Gear has a lot to offer. A good balance of humor and action throughout each episode really helps keep the pace moving and interest high. Personally, I liked the fact that the hero, while talented at using his Air Treks, is not a pro right from the beginning and he gets better as he continues to battle and practice. The story is simple but does have a certain degree of depth to make it entertaining to a wider age range audiences. The uncut version does carry a MA rating but after watching the show I am not totally convinced that is warranted. Violence is limited to marital arts and there is very little bloodshed. There is some sexual content, but most of that exists as parts of the shows humor, but it is really more akin to fan service as opposed to mature content. Some harsh language is used from time to time, but nothing that wouldn't be heard in an R rated film. Most of the harsher language used is only in the English language track.

As far as the English dub goes the voice acting is actually really well done. Luci Chistian handles the character of Ringo very well and getting that voice right was crucial to keeping the viewer in the story. If not handled correctly the English Ringo could have been out right irritating. I do have some complaints about the English script. It really drives me nuts when lines are changed to make the characters sound more hip or random bits of dialogue are added. It always, always sounds forced and to be perfectly honest it really is irking to someone watching the English version with those dialogue changes. Like a parent trying to sound cool talking to his kids and sounding like a fool instead. Honestly, it's really insulting to anyone watching and all it succeeds in doing is continuing the stigma about English dubs of anime.

It is also a little disappointing to find that the Japanese soundtrack is in only encoded in 2.0 stereo, while the English track is in 5.1 surround. The English subtitles are well paced with the on screen dialogue and it is a nice touch that they are in yellow. Special features are kind of sparse with only clean versions of the opening and ending credits. Hopefully next volume there will be some character modelsheets at least.

All in all, I really enjoyed Air Gear and thought that it was a great deal of fun. When it was done I wanted to go for a ride but it is winter in Chicago and therefore there aren't many options for outdoor activities. So if the chance to pick it up comes by I suggest it. I have to go dig out my Dreamcast and my copy of Jet Grind Radio out of the basement.

Chris Feldman is a freelance 3D modeler and animator whose work has been featured in television, games, and manufacturing. He is an active member in the pop art community as well as a long time staff member/promoter of anime and comic conventions. In his very finite spare time he volunteers teaching animation to kids.