Grenadier - DVD Vol 1 of 3

I've been waiting on the final volume of Twelve Kingdoms to arrive from Houston and in the meantime I got the first disk of Grenadier "Service With a Smile". This is quite a departure from the seriousness of the anime I've been watching lately. This volume introduces us to Rushuna and her travelling companion Yajiro. Rushuna is a gun expert and Yajiro is a ninja. She has been asked by her sensei Tenshi to travel around and teach that people don't always need to fight. She believes that the best way to win a battle is to take away the other person's desire to fight - mainly with a smile... When this doesn't work, she is very proficient with her weapons as well - to an unimaginable degree of accuracy. Her reloading technique is unique as well - one you would have to see to believe.

So far the stories have been building on the world the characters live in with little character development. We have seen a little of Rushuna's past learning from Tenshi and we also discover why it is that Yajiro fights with a sword and not with guns. The second and third episodes are a two-parter that introduces Clown. He has an agenda which has yet to be revealed. In episode four we learn a little bit more about Tenshi and the fact that Yajiro doesn't like her. It is questionable at this point if there is a connection with Clown and Tenshi but it looks likely that there is.

All in all this was is an enjoyable anime so far if for no other reason than it's a departure from other types of series I've been watching recently. So far I give it a 3 out of 5. Due to the fan service I wouldn't recommend this to younger audiences.

Extras on this DVD include a pre-production show aired in Japan before the series was released. Also included is a textless opening song and alternate versions of the opening and ending theme.