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ファイト／ステイナイト 
Since Mentar is quite busy at the moment, I'm going to try to review this episode in his place. I'll just start by saying that I really like this series. So much so that lately I've been trying to find some promotional materials about this series everytime I go to an anime shop here in Japan. It's unfortunate that I don't have access to a scanner so the best that I can do to show these images is to take a snapshot of it with my camera. So if you're interested, here are: a small poster for the DVD release, the back side of the poster, and Gonzo Press brochure. I also managed to buy Gao Magazine where this series is serialized as manga. I only have one issue, but from what I've seen so far, the story seems to follow the anime quite closely. Here's the snapshot of the: magazine front cover, 2 page spread, sample pages.
This is probably the episode receiving only a (o) rating from me which left me with the best feeling so far. Why? Because it's becoming more and more evident that Speed Grapher is about telling a story first and foremost, and not just a show counting on cheap shock thrills. Yes, those also have a prominent role, but I'm increasingly convinced by now that the series has some real meat and bones.
The episode tells the background story of the descending "goddess" from the first episode, Kagura Tennouzo, who is also the sole daughter of the current zaibatsu leader Shinsen Tennouzo. It's a tale devoid of any traces of warmth, happiness or comedic relief, therefore don't expect receive any enjoyment from episode 2 (hence the low rating) - other than the insight that any anime who is willing to take this risk so early in the series must be confident in its own values.
Episode Rating: o
Tokyo in a dark future with a film-noirish setup? Struggles between powerful corporations? Conspiracies and crime? Grown-up main character? Sign me up!
That was my first reaction. The background somehow reminded me of one of my favorite series: Bubblegum Crisis and all its spinoffs. However, it didn't take long to realize that Speed Grapher is very different to BGC. Darker, much more serious, much more violent and extreme in what it depicts. One of the first scenes was so disturbing to watch that I wondered if I'd drop the series very early. I still reserve the right to do so, but I hope that the show will deliver on its promise of a good plot without exceeding my personal threshold for cruelty. It certainly has potential.
Episode Rating: +?
