Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
oceandiscoverer
Gunsmith Cats is a visual treat. The animation and character designs are perfect. A beautifully 90s vibe. The music is just as stellar and adds so much to the scenes. The action easily tops some of the big animes of today. However, the story is rather lackluster.
The story is definitely something you’ve seen before. That’s not to say it isn’t interesting and endearing. Just go into this for everything around the story. The story is a fry and everything else is the ketchup. It does have it’s suspenseful moments though. Probably the best thing it does in a story regard. Most of the characters are extremely lovable and you will be rooting for them almost immediately. So the tense moments and emotional beats work very well.
I highly recommend especially for what is a quick watch. It’s such…
Read at the sourceIcajax
Guns: for days
Smith: well, Rally runs a gunshop? that's like half a gunsmith
Cats: only in the intro. I really thought there would be more cat ears in this show
Fortunately, Rally and Mae are absolutely stacked with appeal, so it actually took until about half-way through the OVA for me to realize there are no cats in this show at all. All of the dude characters are somewhere between lame and obnoxious, but most of the runtime is spent on Rally and Mae bouncing off of each other and pulling each other out of tight spots. The action is well choreographed and paced, meaning that there are a lot of "Hell yeah" moments. Rally's irritable and reliable, and Mae is girly and impulsive.
It's just fun! I can think of much worse ways to spend an hour and a half.
Read at the sourceZin713
An anime with perfect production, but an average script.
Gunsmith Cats is technically sensational, the soundtracks are very good, a very unique atmosphere, very good animation, a simply impeccable artistic direction, a very eye-catching design and an excellent visual representation of Chicago, making it a series that is well worth watching just by its technical terms.
However, narratively speaking it is well mediated, the characters are only supported by charisma, fun situations and an interesting story, but not so well used.
At least it's a really fun anime to Watch.
In portuguese
Um anime com uma produção perfeita, mas um roteiro mediano.
Gunsmith Cats é tecnicamente sensacional, as trilhas sonoras muito boas, uma atmosfera muito única, uma animação muito boa, uma direção artística sim…
Read at the sourceCiaran_Zagami
A boring utterly generic plot, solidly done animation, amazing detail work especially on Rally's G.T 500 and all the guns. And some of the worst voice acting I've ever heard. Honestly there is nothing really unique about Gunsmith Cats that brings me to recommend it. Everything here is rather middling, unless you care a lot about firearms your not going to get much out of this. It feels like a good concept that no one put enough effort into to really sell it.
At the end of the day, Gun Smith Cats feels like filler. You could do a lot better.
But you could also do a lot worse.
I feel the urge to add an extra paragraph, many months after watching this anime. Mostly to address the sudden wave of popularity it has gotten.
Just because it agrees with your politics, does not make an anime g…
Read at the sourcebrandotendie
>badass female characters who kick a hundred kinds of ass
>real guns and cars drawn/animated with painstaking amounts of detail
>brisk pace and engaging intrigue
>insane action choreography, direction, and editing
>magnetic and loveable characters (did i mention the leads kick a hundred kinds of ass?) >absolutely kickass jazz fusion OST by legendary drummer Peter Erskine
>main bad guys are literally the ATF and corrupt establishment liberal politicians
an absolute blast with infinite rewatchability factor. everything is so concise and delivers exactly what you'd expect, with that aforementioned impeccable attention to detail keeping the zany, loud action grounded. Rally and May are just impossible not to love, and their comaraderie carries the entire show and its flawless technical…
Read at the sourceTossAShow
Simple yet lovely. I had the great pleasure to watch Gunsmith Cats OVA in its HD edition from AnimEigo's Explosive Edition. While the story is pretty straightforward, I can't help finding lots of the charm to its cast of characters: Rally Vincent and Minnie May are really a fun duo to watch. On top of this, the story never get boring and the 3 episodes connect pretty well with each other. For a very quick summary of the story, our 2 ladies are basically working with the ATF (and particularly ATF agent Billy) in order to regain their license to buy weapons. They obviously lost it due to the ATF, so it brings up some funny tension between Rally, Minnie and Billy.
I was greatly surprise by the level of details in the background art, the guns, the cars etc, they are all brilliantly working we…
Read at the sourcegrazr
I suppose it only makes sense to use contemporary anime as a benchmark with which to compare this show against, as that is what most people will be able to relate with; and is likely to be the most prominent concern for viewers used to that visual standard when considering picking up an older show like this for an afternoons entertainment. I would say to that, that it's a 3 part OVA and so it's not that big of a commitment, the second and third episodes are also very much the same as the first so you can get a feel for the show quite quickly and decide if it's for you or not. Much of the shows charm is that it stands on its own as a story without the need to rely on (too many) tropes and set pieces. So if you like something more original, or at least as original as an 80's action type show…
Read at the sourceblex_c
With it’s upbeat music, angled action sequences, explosions, and guns, Gunsmith Cats is made to feel like an American 90’s film featuring bounty-hunting action. The main characters find trouble, get blackmailed. Crazy shit will happen first, the cops come after. The twist is that two cute girls are main characters.
Vincent (Rally) is the one in charge. She does things her way and wants to do it alone. Minnie May is the crazy-explody girl who loves to end every event with a bang. They live together and share a strong bond. There’s also Becky, who isn’t nearly as bold as the main two, thus being often ignored.
The action events can get pretty intense, and are executed well. When Rally is in a pinch, the show will leave you wondering what she’s thinking. She appears to have a set plan, but…
Read at the sourcektulu007
It's January and time to begin girls with guns month. Gunsmith Cats was a manga written by Sonoda Kenichi that ran from '91 to '97. In '95, OLM, Inc. released a three episode OVA. Incidentally, OLM also worked on Steel Angel Kurumi 2, Berserk and the anime that never ends or changes, Pokemon. So, let's take a look at the OVA and see if it's worth the three episodes.
Story:
Rally Vincent & Minnie-May Hopkins are bounty hunters who also work as gunsmiths. After a mission, they're approached by agent too much hair oil of the ATF. He coerces them into working for him, using the gun shop as leverage because Rally, apparently, couldn't be bothered to get a proper license. Someone is sabotaging the ATF's operation to find the mastermind behind the man they just captured and several other illic…
Read at the sourceTrashDax
Hm, how do two girls so young get their hands on so many weapons?
Story:
I'm not sure about the time period this anime is set in, but the feel is that of a 70s cop movie, with all the secret investigations, nice cars and cops in coats. The three episodes all have a conclusive story each, but still tell a story throughout the whole series. There's not much wrong you can do with this plot and it is executed quite well. Being only 3 episodes long, it also prevents it from ever becoming boring.
9/10
Art:
The characters look a little blocky, something not uncommon for 90s anime. It still looks better than many tv anime of its time, though it is not as detailed as some of the beloved classics like GitS or Bebop. Something I noticed was that they drove on the right side of the road, which I fou…
Read at the sourceratchet573
I’ve been to Chicago a couple of times. Hell, I live two and a half hours away from the city. Because of this, Gunsmith Cats–based on a manga of the same name–was refreshing in that it is set in such a familiar place and is actually quite American in the style and themes of the story. It’s the first of the OVA’s I’ve watched so far that I was sad to see end and wonder at how it only managed a three episode run.
Rally Vincent and her partner May run a gunsmith shop in Chi-town but also take the occasional mercenary job. When an ATF agent blackmails the girls into taking on a mission, they wind up embroiled in a battle against gun runners that is somehow tied to the political campaign of a local senator. Complicating things further is a Russian assassin who doesn’t seem to die no matter wha…
Read at the sourceRyntaia
Oh what to say about Gunsmith Cats? One of the earliest anime I ever had the luxury to view, it was quite a fantastic experience as a teenager. Having recently re-watched the show I found that I enjoyed it even more, having noticed the little details that I disregarded when I was younger (such as the welded on 'S' on the Gunsmith Cats store, obviously indicating that the business was opened before Rally made contact with Minnie May) and understanding a bit more of the culture at hand. That is...Chicago. Yep, this anime takes place in the glorious U.S. of A, so if that isn't your thing then maybe you should avoid it. That said, let's proceed with the overall story.
STORY: 9
The story, while not exactly the most in-depth one, is insanely enjoyable. It's not too simple but it's not too comp…
Read at the sourceLuquillo
One of the sub-genres within the anime medium that has grown to irritate me over the years has been the girls with guns genre, because it would usually follow two simple rules: provide as much over the top action as possible, and bombard the viewer with as much fan service as humanly possible. The former I don't have a problem with as long as there's some type of creativity and interesting characters to go with it. The latter on the other hand is something I do have a problem with, because some anime directors will jam pack the screen with constant bouncy moments and panty shots that grows very distracting, and the end result is usually a very stale anime with nothing to offer. I usually find myself going to older titles with intentions on reminding myself that the sub-genre can actually b…
Read at the sourceFlawfinder
Based on a longer-running manga that I’m quite interested in reading now, Gunsmith Cats is a three-episode OVA that follows the lives of a half-Indian/half-English gun shop owner named Rally Vincent and her bomb-specialist friend named May Hopkins. The two sell firearms to people by trade, but when the business is slow, they go bounty-hunting. Because what’s wrong with using your own products to earn a little extra cash on the side? The plot of this anime-original story focuses on the two being hired by Chicago investigators to assist in uncovering an illegal gun-running operation and in doing so they uncover corrupt politicians and incur the wrath of a Russian assassin who takes blows to pride more personally than Montresor from The Cask of Amontillado.
Now Gunsmith Cats isn’t exactly re…
Read at the sourcePrede
Gunsmith Cats is about the exploits of the owner of a Gun shop in Chicago, Illinois who moonlights as a bounty hunter with her friend and assistant. The owner of the shop is a gun maniac named Rally Vincent. Rally is incredibly skilled with a gun, but she’s not a superwomen. She’s vulnerable at times, isn’t very lady-like to her dismay, and sort of clumsy and awkward. Her partner is the cute as a button, explosives export “Minnie” May Hopkins. Minnie May is more feminine then Rally and also more experienced with men. While no one doubts her abilities with explosives (grenades and smoke bombs being her favorite), she is a bit dangerous and way to quick to resort to using them. Sure she’ll blow up the bad guys, but also half the house with them! Together they are the Gunsmith Cats! They rely…
Read at the sourceanthraxinsoup
The series is very good. The 3 episodes are very well researched by the team that made the series. There is stuff such as Amoco signs, which for those that don't know, it was a gas company based in Chicago which started in Whiting Indiana(right over the border). The guns in the show are amazingly accurate which is great for a gun nut like myself. I've watched the show multiple times, the plot, the characters, and the research and realism behind it make me come back. The Japanese versions is very great and I prefer it, while I also recommend the team behind the dub if you would like to. The team behind the dub was also a local Chicago team, meaning that when Rally messes with May by stealing her "Soda"(for all you non-Midwesterners) May responds by saying "Give me back my Pop" which is what…
Read at the sourcedarkcommanderq
Overview: Gunsmith cats is a good anime cop show. With bounty hunters, ATF, local cops and gunrunners, its hard to go wrong with this anime if your looking for a good action fix that is grounded in reality.
Story: the story is great, at least as far as cop stories go. gun runners, a Russian assassin, and a dedicated ATF agent back up the two main characters in making this show both fun and intriguing to watch. Im not going to lie though, the story is simple and you will probably figure it before the end, but thats really not why your watching is it?
Art: When you watch old anime you have to judge the art by its day and not overall. If you were to judge gunsmith cats art to modern shows like macross frontier your just being unfair. I give art a 9 because for its day, and compared to other…
Read at the sourcekekekeKaj
"Gunsmith Cats" is one of those anime that tries to emulate the style of those retro 70's/80's american day time TV shows. It's set in Chicago, and tells the adventures of a pair of girls who, on the surface, are just the owners of a firearm store... except they actually earn a secret living as bounty hunters.
It features all the things that are common for the genre: flamboyant gunfights, high speed car chases, and even the villain, an ex-KGB Russian woman (why is it that all the Russian villains that appear in these things are ex-KGB??), is ripped straight from some Hollywood list of cliches. Everything is done well enough for the OVA to be fairly entertaining, which is the whole point of it. The story, like the anime itself, is nothing special, but is good enough to keep me vaguely int…
Read at the sourceBeatnik
Gunsmith Cats. The original Cowboy Bebop. Almost. There's a jazzy OP with simple 70's style split-screen graphics madness, bounty hunters, western sensibilities. The prototype for Shinichiro Watanabe's version which maxed out everything this franchise has. Unfortunately it does not have Watanabe.
What it has is Rally Vincent and Minnie-May causing havoc in Chicago in their Mustang GT500 via their trusty guns and bombs.
Watching this OVA after reading the manga is preferable as if you dig the manga then watching it animated after 9 volumes of guncrazy magic, is nice. Another reason is that 9 volumes doesn't translate into 3 episodes, so you're only getting a small percentage of the glorious fun that is Gunsmith Cats.
The OVA feels like its set either during or after the manga and doesn’t…
Read at the sourceBigKwell
Girls and guns - a combination that can't go wrong! In the mean streets of Chicago, Illinois, Rally Vincent, a beautiful young woman with a mean aim, and "Minnie" May Hopkins, her streetwise explosives expert partner, do their best trying to keep the city clean by rounding-up bail jumpers.
This anime, a good vision of Kenich Sonoda's manga, is unique because of the production team's eye for detail, making many trips from Japan to get accurate locale scenes - even going as far a visiting the Illinois Police Academy and an actual gunshop, a rarety in gun-controled Japan.
The only sad thing about this that it's not a FAITHFUL version of the manga - no Misty Brown or Goldie Muso. But hopefully, with the release of the manga series 'Gunsmith Cats BURST', that might change.
Read at the source