Synopsis:
Spunky Iria had always admired her older brother. He was the best bounty hunter there was. He was her mentor and her only family. As an apprentice bounty hunter, Iria accompanies her brother and his boss on a mission to rescue a VIP and retrieve a mysterious cargo. Trouble starts when it is discovered that the cargo is Zeiram -- a seemingly invincible creature for use as a bio-weapon. Things take a turn for the worse when Zeiram breaks loose and starts destroying everything on sight. Iria finds herself caught between Zeiram and a major conspiracy. Now it's up to Iria to untangle everything and stop Zeiram.

Review:
First off, the nearly indestructible Zeiram reminded me of Arnold Schwarzenegger's nemesis in "The Predator." Upon watching the initial episode, I was already wondering how Iria could possibly stop him. But aside from their impending showdown, the plot has enough twists and turns that make it deeper and much more unique than "The Predator". It's not the usual heroes chase monster and win storyline. A lot of complications abound, and Iria gets her share of emotionally charged moments as well.

I have only positive things to say about The art and animation. Superbly drawn characters and smoothly animated scenes comprise Iria's stunning visuals. The English dubbing is fine, but the Japanese version showcases seiyuu Aya Hisakawa's (probably best known for her role as Sailormercury in the hit series "Sailormoon") versatility. Ms. Hisakawa plays the headstrong Iria, and she turns in a stellar performance. This is one of the best action OAVs I've watched. What keeps me from giving this a perfect rating is probably my lack of empathy with the characters. I felt indifferent towards everyone, I didn't like nor dislike anybody. But if you're looking for a great action anime, look no further.

Miscellanies:
There is a live action version of Zeiram.

Screenshots:

Shopping - click on title to purchase:

AnimeNation Iria: Zeiram the Animation (DVD Collection)
Rightstuf Iria: Zeiram the Animation (DVD Collection)

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