Product Details

• Actors: Artist Not Provided
• Format: Animated, Collector's Edition, Color, DVD, Limited Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English, Japanese
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: Bandai
• DVD Release Date: October 25, 2005
• Run Time: 325 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000AARKF8
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #38,938 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The broadcast series Avenger (2003) is set in the distant future, when the remnants of humanity huddle in domed cities on Mars and inter-city gladiatorial fights determine the distribution of the planet's scant resources. Champion fighter Layla Ashley finds Nei, a robot-child, and embarks on a strange pilgrimage, accompanied by roguish repairman Speedy. As the trio wanders the red planet, the audience learns through flashbacks and Morris-the-explainer speeches that: (1) Layla is seeking revenge for something in her childhood, (2) humans have somehow lost the ability to reproduce, (3) Nei is the long-awaited "Child of Destiny," (4) Earth was somehow destroyed, and (5) the moon is approaching Mars, with dire consequences.Avenger suffers from both too much and too little story. Layla, Nei and Speedy waste so much time wandering that the climax of the tale goes by hastily and fails to make an impact. The filmmakers don't explain what's going on satisfactorily, and the story collapses under the burden of its mythic pretensions. The distaff equivalent of a taciturn warrior-hero, Layla rarely speaks, even when asked a direct question; Nei spends more time looking cute than saying or doing anything. Neither of them is very interesting, which leaves a void at the center of the series. Although Avenger offers some striking visuals of the moon brooding over Martian ruins, it's overly long and boring. (Rated 13 and older: nudity, violence, violence against women) --Charles Solomon

Product Description

Resources on Mars are thin and domes cities have resorted to a gladiator contest to determine who receives the most rations. Layla Ashley is one fighter representing her city. She along with Speedy, a doll breeder run across Nei, a mechanical doll with a peculiar characteristics. Together they wander and fight their way across the planet to take revenge against a man from Layla's past! All 3 DVDs Enclosed in a Limited Collector's Edition Avenger Tin Case! Contains the entire 13 episode series! Receive 4 Bonus Mini Cells included in the DVD! Genre: Action / Sci-Fi / Fantasy.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars DVD of Destiny, November 3, 2005

By	AMP "Al" (Somewhere on Earth) - See all my reviews

13 complete episodes for twenty bucks? Sure, I figure that I'd try it. And hey, it turned out to be a good deal.

The story, though it admittedly has parts that don't make sense, is still interesting; it's about a gladiator named Layla who wanders around Mars with a little robot girl named Nei. Earth has been destroyed, humans can no longer reproduce, the moon somehow threatens to wipe out the planet, and in the middle of it all, the two main characters are being hunted down by a pair of immortals who rule over part of the planet.

It certainly has its slow parts, but the occasional fight scenes and some good-quality animation makes up for it all. The characters are kind of likable, but not entirely engaging. The packaging for this is awesome; it's a metal tin with all three discs securely fastened to either end of it. And it comes with four free film cells.

The whole series is like "Noir" mixed with "Iria," and although it may not be up to par with either one, I would reccomend it if you liked them. I'd also reccomend it if you enjoyed such things as "Madlax," "Dot Hack Sign," "Planetes," and maybe "Outlaw Star."

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A flawed but still decent series, April 22, 2006

By	Dorothea - See all my reviews

This show has a lot of weaknesses, but it's still one of the few action/sci-fi shows that has a decent female lead who a) doesn't have huge [...] get her clothes torn off every fight, b) isn't a ditz and c) isn't obsessed with her own gender. There's no romance, goopy scenes, stupid comedy, or annoying/lame magical-girl elements. Even though a lot of things are left unexplained, Layla is a great character and Avenger was a refreshing change from the usual, sexist action anime out there. It's a very good show at least for female anime-fans who like genuinely strong, independent female leads rather than female leads who are supposedly strong but who are actually totally lame and weak when you think them over carefully. The fight scenes are a bit different from the norm, but they're great--I only wish that there were more of them. Art and music were decent. The story wasn't great, but it kept things moving. The first episode is very representative of the series, so if you don't enjoy that first ep, you should probably just quit.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Forgiving Three, January 1, 2006

By	Antonio D. Paolucci "Collector of Entertainment" (Beaver Falls, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The story Avenger, at least as far as I got, takes place on a future Mars, where the air is breathable, and people live in tightly packed cities with their form of entertainment being the gladiator contests. Layla Ashley, a young woman with exceptional skill, is just such a gladiator. Though quiet and moody, she's obviously driven by a want for revenge. Traveling alongside her is a man named Speedy who works in dolls, mechanical, child-like servants, and a doll named Nei who doesn't seem like a doll at all. Nei is the only thing to be able to get some emotion out of Layla.

The story sounded interesting at the time I purchased it, and after seeing Avenger in a magazine article I figured it at least
had some potential. If a big-named magazine like New-Type USA would spend valuable space on this anime, then it has to be good, right? Right? My rating is a very forgiving three, and I'll explain why.

I gave Avenger one star because I didn't finish watching it, giving it the benefit of the doubt. I couldn't finish it; every time I sat down to watch the series, I always ended up turning it off after one episode. It's a boring anime, with repetitive dialogue, and often cheesy drama. I gave it a second star because, despite the boring episodes, the animation was pretty good, and some of the earlier action scenes were exciting to watch, despite recycled animation (brief moments that are repeated in an anime). You even get four animation cells inside the DVD bundle to look at. I gave it a third star because of the bundle. You get the entire collection for a little more than thirty dollars. It comes in a reflective, tin case, with DVDs that are well protected despite the fact that the case is over-sized. Though it's difficult to sit through, I know I have all the time in the world to eventually watch the rest, with no further obligation or money spending on my part.

I can only recommend this collection for its value, so if you're a collector of all things anime and are looking to expand you collection, then Avenger is a good, cheap choice. Some of you out there with unique interests may find this anime good.