EAT-MAN '98 DVD

—by Mark L. Johnson

I have to admit that had Bandai not released EAT-MAN '98 as an economy-pack, with all 12 episodes on DVDs, I probably would have not checked this series out. Looking at the review back in EX 4.7, describing the reviewer's opinion as simply negative would be an understatement. However, after witnessing the Bandai reform from the earlier AnimeVillage.com days of two episodes per tape, I felt it was worth the risk for 12 episodes in a single two DVD set. The result was pleasantly surprising.
Based partly on the manga by Yoshitomi Akihito, EAT-MAN is about the adventures and jobs of Bolt Crank, a mercenary in a futuristic fantastical setting with a peculiar ability. Often seen chomping on a bolt or other larger pieces of equipment, Bolt can reconstruct and recall what he eats at any time.
The only consistent element throughout these 12 episodes is Bolt Crank. Note that EAT-MAN '98 does not assume the viewer has watched the original TV series. Most of the stories are 30 minute episodic entries, or multi-part arcs that conclude within two or four installments. Each of these arcs normally centers around a job that Bolt has accepted, and places the viewer at the start or middle of the plot at a new location without any background.
For instance, the first two episodes ("Bye Bye Aimie") bring Bolt to a BLADE RUNNER-like city where he has become the prime suspect in a series of murders. Over the episode, we learn a bit about Bolt's relation to the detective Aimie, and the people that are being murdered. But, not until the end do we learn why Bolt is really there or interested in these murders, and even then there is some question to what really happened. These episodes were some of the weaker ones in my opinion, but they also contained a few of the elements that made the rest of the series more unique than most.
Over the course of the series, Bolt Crank reveals that he is not perfect and unstoppable, while hinting at a deep knowledge and a strange view on ethics. My favorite episode of the bunch was titled "Bodyguard," where Bolt misses a ship and is told the next one comes in an hour. Without spoiling it, this episode turns out to be an interesting twist on fulfilling a contract versus doing what is right. The other episodes, like "The World's Greatest Mercenary" did a good job in surprising me from my original expectations. EAT-MAN '98 does fall to many cliché plots and characters, but I found enough new and refreshing points mixed in.
Video quality wise, this is a very nice print. The image from the DVD is one of the crispest I have seen on my player. The menus are simple, clean and very practical. The video production for a TV series is good, though occasionally it suffers from a few too many long and drawn out scenes of panning and face shots.
There is an English dub, but it only exists as a choice for the first two episodes (and it is not very good either). The rest are only in Japanese, which I have to admit I did not mind at all. The Japanese voice acting was good, and I found I enjoyed the strange mix of musical styles for the music.
Overall, I can see why EAT-MAN '98 may not be for everyone. Bolt Crank really does not develop (although we learn more about who he is over time), the viewer is often thrown into the middle of the plot and left to piece it together, and the action can be quite slow at times. On the other hand, I found many of the situations, characters and twists to be refreshing. Your own mileage may vary, but for myself, I found EAT-MAN '98 on DVD to be a great value and worth the gamble.

Released in North America by Bandai Entertainment
DVD, 300 minutes
English dubbed (1st 2 episodes only) / subbed
0780, $39.98
Available now in the USA
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