Waking Dead

Ooh, shiny. As with most modern Gonzo shows, there’s a lot of very shiny CG in this. For some reason I kept being reminded of BeastMasters whilst watching this episode, and that’s not a good comparison. If you can get past the appaling computer animation (and design, for that matter) there’s actually not a bad little show underneath.

We follow the story of Gerd Frentzen, number one German superbike rider and Die Toten Hosen reject. Gerd and his hair get involved in a bit of a fracas at a local race meet involving a bunch of bikers and a rather angry robotic alien called a Demoniac. The XAT special forces show up to put an end to the killing, but another robot thingy spoils their fun by pummeling the Demoniac before they get the chance.

We then cut to a hospital ward; unfortunately, poor old Gerd has lost the use of his legs in the previous fight. Visited by XAT member and former superbike protegé Hermann, we get a touching scene of male bonding as the young upstart tells his former mentor not to give up the fight. Gerd muses on this for a while, cries manly tears, and before you can say “convenient plot device” some mysterious doctor type offers him a special “get better” pill – with some interesting side effects.

On the plus side, the episode moves briskly and feels tight, focused, and well-structured. Yes, its your standard shounen mecha fare, but Gonzo’s preferred approach of having adult protagonists instead of children always sits well with me. I realise that they’ve made a whole bunch of shows just like this, but they know what they’re doing, and there’s something reasuring in its construction. I appreciate that sounds more like I’m admiring a well-built cabinet, but that’s probably a pretty good analogy.

But there are obviously some bad points – I’ve already mentioned the terrible CG. Also, there’s been more development in Gerd’s hair than in the characters so far – aside, of course, from the brief flashback in the hospital. And you’ll see the plot twist coming a country mile away, but it made me smile all the same. Basically, if all you’re after is a German man with lovely hair wearing an exo-suit and riding a motorcycle while fucking shit up with a laser sword, you can do far worse than Blassreiter.

I’ll be following this at least until Gerd shaves his head.