Tylor, The Irresponsible Captain #2 (DVD)
APPROX. 175 MINS. - PROD. YEAR: 1993 - MPA RATING: MA13
" The Right Stuf once again delivers enough bang for your buck to make this a pretty much irresistible disc to pick up.
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The second DVD in the "Irresponsible Captain Tylor" series continues to hold my interest. Containing another seven episodes ("Life is Short, So Girls Should Kill", "When You Wish Upon a Flower", "Mind´s Eye, Half Blind, Headed for a Rough Ride", "In Demotion Does a Woman Bloom", "The Day the Soyokaze Vanished", "Be Prepared, Be Smart, or Be Lucky", and "Equation of Kindness"), The Right Stuf once again delivers enough bang for your buck to make this a pretty much irresistible disc to pick up.
Near the start of the disc, the Soyokaze is set to be demoted. At the urging of his crew, Tylor goes back to headquarters to protest the order. In a plot move that managed to surprised me, he fails, and the Soyokaze really is reassigned to the frontier, far away from the war. I was curious as to how the central plot, that of Tylor vs. the Raalgan Empire, was going to keep progressing with Tylor out of commission, but never fear—the plot is well written enough to keep that thread moving.
The first episode had some of the best moments with the Soyokaze´s marines, as the try to get a Miss Soyokaze contest together. Jason, whom you may recall from the first review was my favorite marine, actually tries to use his chainsaw to help out. I can´t believe the Japanese company that made this show didn´t get sued. The episode quickly becomes so involved, that by the end I had forgotten all about the beauty contest.
My only real complaint is that episodes 10 and 11 ("Mind´s Eye, Half Blind, Headed for a Rough Ride" and "In Demotion Does a Woman Bloom") are your average mid-season filler episodes. 10 deal with letting the twins, Emi and Yumi, start their fighter pilot training. Episode 11 features a spat between the two women on the bridge, Yuriko Star and Communications Officer Kim. By the end, they´ve settled their differences and found mutual respect for each other. It´s possible that the minor character development put into them will pay off later, but only time will tell.
The DVD ends on a rather enormous cliffhanger, with the Raalgan spy, Harumi, being ordered to kidnap Tylor. Since I hadn´t been keeping track of the episode count, I actually cursed at the TV when the episode finished and my DVD player loaded up the main menu again.
Whether Tylor is a genius or a lucky fool, I still can´t say. That question continues to be the greatest hook in the series. Just when you think Tylor will slip and give you a clue, he goes back to being laid back and carefree.
Video:
The video aspect ratio is 1.33:1 (full-screen on 4:3 monitors). The quality came out well on the disc, and I had nothing to complain about in terms of color or animation quality. Every so often, the animation appears to be slightly uneven in speed. However, you won´t be able to notice it unless you are watching for it closely at just the right moment.
