The DJ asked everyone at the bar to give a big round of applause. Nobody did. Nobody ever does. One after another the girls trudge down the spiral staircase, take off their clothes, pretend to dance, and when the song is over the girls go around the bar to collect tips. I don’t feel like clapping either.

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GunxSword ends well. I knew it would, because through and through it was a well plotted road trip adventure. In the beginning, it might not have felt that way, seeming like it was going to do the standard anime thing and waste the first eight episodes on throwaway plots that are just lame vehicles for character introductions before getting on with the real show. That happens a bit here, only, almost all of that throwaway stuff comes back. That loop around really delivers an efficient pay-off.

DVD Back Cover Blurb: At the bottom of the universe, on the planet named Endless Illusion, a man adorned in a tuxedo has scoured the wild lands…to finally accost the clawed man responsible for the murder of his bride. Outnumbered and outgunned, Ray, Pricilla, Carmen99, Joshua, and the Eldora Four make their last stand at the Claw’s stronghold; however, Van is still missing in action, while the Prison Planel Destroyer system has already initiated. As Wendy confronts her brother Michael for the last time, will everyones’ sacrifices and suffering have been in vain?

I’m trying to make the storytelling in this anime sound a little smart, but really I’m just trying to come up with a different way of saying, man that was cool. When the last little cameo loop around appeared I was clapping. I had a lot of fun with how this road trip played out. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil GunxSword’s ending for you. It is the uncommon anime that ends well, which is all you need to know.

The last three episodes are all about getting to the claw before he can finish the last step and complete his dream. Everyone digs deep to find that last bit of energy, strength, and courage. For everyone that means something different and each character is given time on screen to find it, which is cool for fans of each character. It always sucks when your favorite character gets short-changed or left on the cutting room floor. No. All the guys going against the claw contribute.

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My sister, who also collects figures, complains about the lack of testosterone in the lineups of the better figure companies. Sure there are a ton of action figures, but action figures are ugly. A while ago, it looked like MaxFactory would answer her call with the “Spirit of Guys” line, but after several months the line consists of only one figure, a highly stylized Van from GunxSword.

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• Character: Wendy Garret
• Series: GunxSword
• Sculpted by Bubba in 1/8 scale
• Figure manufactured by Max Factory
• Slide Show (16 pictures)

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Wendy Garret is one of the main characters in the GunxSword anime. As far as I can tell from watching the first volume of the anime, she’s a naive, but headstrong girl that has gotten herself way over her head. This Bubba sculpted, Max Factory produced, Wendy looks good both in terms of quality and overall cute factor. Read the rest of this entry »