Solty Rei Volume 2   Starring (voice): Jouji Nakata, Momoko Saito, Hiro Shimono and Mamiko Noto MVM RRP: £15.99 MVD2256 Certificate: 12 Available 11 May 2009

Following a tragedy known as Blast Fall, the city below is a place of melancholy. Resembles, injured people rebuilt with prosthetic limbs, walk under the all pervading Aurora, a shimmering field which prevents aerial travel. Through this metropolis stalks Roy Revant, bounty hunter, a man with no family and no ties. This all changes when Solty falls from the sky. Outwardly she resembles a small child, but this is a child with great power and a beginning shrouded in mystery...

Solty Rei (2005), directed by Yoshimasa Hiraike, from a script by Noboru Kimura continues in Volume 2, chronicling the story of Solty and Roy a sort of combination of Blade Runner and cuteness.

The disc contains episodes seven through ten of this twenty-four episode show. There is no explanation as to why the episode count has dropped by two with only so-so extras compared to the six episode opening disc, which costs the same money. The show continues to play with its characters, Roy the human who, following the loss of his daughter, reacts like a machine with no feelings whilst Solty, who is a total android, exudes an innocent vulnerability and a need to be loved. Unlike the previous episode the focus for this disc shifts towards Rose, although the makers haven’t forgotten to develop Roy and Solty’s relationship, with him showing real concern for her safety in episode seven: 'A Little Blue Demon comes to Visit', when Rose enlist Solty’s help in a hijack.

Episode eight: 'Revenge' continues with Rose having firmly moved in with Roy and Solty. A thief she may be but she is a thief with a heart and a soft spot for Solty. Her plans to make the child one of her gang are accelerated when Rose's brother give her an ultimatum, make Solty into a thief in three days of else.

Episode nine: 'Girl’s Day Off' is a bit of a filler episode, where little of note happens apart from Rose going on a date, but it is a date which has been noticed.

The disc wraps up with Episode ten: 'Treasure and Rescue' where Rose and Solty get trapped below a collapsed floor, whilst chasing a criminal, can the Resemble Rescue Team (RRT) get them out in time? Well we’re not even half way through, so what do you think? Although character development for the two supposedly leads tails off, Rose gets some proper attention and is likely to become a fan favourite for this show.

The show continues to produce a high level of animation, including some show enhancing CGI effects, although these can be variable in their effectiveness.

The disc comes with few extras, only the Textless Opening Sequence (1 min, 31 sec) and a textless Closing Sequence (1 min, 30 sec), as well as two trailers for other shows. Like the last disc audio options are 5.1 with a good English dub or Japanese 2.0 with or without subtitles.

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Charles Packer