Train Heartnet, known as the Black Cat, is an efficient, conscienceless assassin. He’s very good at what he does and what he does is kill people.  When he meets Saya Minatsuki he starts to question his destiny, enough to give up the life of a killer to become a bounty hunter, but his old life is not so easy to avoid as he becomes a target for both the Chronos Numbers and the Taoist’s...

Directed by Shin Itaggaki for the Gonzo Studio, Black Cat: Vol 3 contains episodes nine to twelve of this twenty-four episode show. By this point in the show Train is a marked man, though he does appear to have found new comrades in arms in the form of Sven and Eve. Only time will tell how this new alliance will work out.

Episode nine, The Charming Cat, and an old adversary of Sven’s has turned up again. Gyanza, a murdering rapist with a large bounty on his head is too tempting not to go after, but Train and Sven have another problem - the recovery of a vial of spirit water, which trigger the power of Tao if drunk. So the gang split up with Sven, Eve and Train going after Gyanza. All they find is a nearly deserted town, whose only inhabitant seems to be Kyoko, a rather manic, fire breathing, Popsicle eating comrade of Creed. When Train saves her she fall in love with him turning into his own personal stalker.

The introduction of Kyoko adds a whole new level of silliness to the show - silliness that just gets better when Sven decides that the best way to attract Gyanza is for one of them to be bait. Well, the most obvious answer would be Eve, but chivalry and idiocy win the day and Sven dresses up in a rather fetching pink number.

Episode ten, The Cat Unleashed, and Train discovers that Creed is still alive and is to appear in Sangeles City, at the world summit, in three days time. When Creed’s Apostles of the Stars attack the summit Train is in the midst of the action, on course for a confrontation with Creed. Sven runs to his friend’s aid, but will he be in time to save him?

For the most part this episode is slower than you might think, given that it had the potential for an extended fight. The main issue here appears to be the introduction of the Apostles and to demonstrate the growing friendship between Sven and Train - though Train is in denial about this. To keep things chugging along nicely we also get a flashback which explains where Sven got his Vision Eye, which helps round out the character.

Episode eleven, The False Cat, and someone else is pretending to be the Black Cat - a good disguise for a bounty hunter as Black Cat comes with enough reputation to stop most fights before they even begin. Problem is that with the reputation come the enemies. Durham thinks that he has found Train and only Eve’s intervention saves the fake Cat.

This was a nice comedic episode with loads of laughs and just goes to show that Black Cat was never really meant to be taken seriously. In fact, if a thing were possible, the show could be classed as a dystopian comedy.

Episode twelve, The Fighting Cat, and finally things seem to be on the move as Chronos assault Creeds castle. Train also has the same idea as he sneaks into the castle to confront Creed for the killing of Saya. But will his uncontrollable temper be his biggest deficit as Creed taunts him to become a killer just like Creed.

Audio options are either a very nice English 5.1 or a Japanese Stereo mix, with subtitles. Extras are a bit of a let down with only textless opening and closing sequences as well as a trailer section. The show is presented in 16:9 with a pristine print.

8

Charles Packer