Common Name: Air Gear
Score: 7/10, 5/5
Length: 25 Episodes
Genre: Shounen, Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Sports
Summary: Air Treck is the hot, new motorized rollerskating sport/crime that can lead to infamy and fortune or a tragic demise. Minami Itsuki (Ikki) had never taken the sport seriously until he became entangled with a group of gangs that use this new power of flight for the wrong reasons, otherwise known as Storm Riders. Now, Ikki can't quit the aerial addiction, and has his sights set for the top of the world.
Review: Air Gear was a show that was hardly riveting by any standard. If you're familiar with the shounen genre already, chances are you'll see everything that happens coming from miles away. It's funny, action-packed, and is incapable of not giving it's full attention to the female cast when they enter the scene, much like your average teenage boy. And that's what it boils down to--a show geared toward the pubescent male audience that's too inappropriate for kids and too moronic for anyone older than that, at least when it comes to the show's plot and characters. I think there is, however small, potential for me to enjoy this even now. I vividly remember being enamored with the art and animation of the show. While it wasn't amazing, the art was steeped in gang/punk culture and reveled in the insanity of it all while kicking literal ass with motorized roller skates. Perhaps it softened the image of hard crime since it certainly made it comical, but it was no less amusing and a tad novel. The animation though is what sticks with me the most, and occasionally tempts me to rewatch it. It was beautifully done for that genre and made an art of the spectacle fights that got the blood flowing, the adrenaline pumping, and the hype notched up to 10. Put simply, the show is just stupid fun that's hardly memorable, but great for a riff track setting.