Mongolian Chop Squad - Box Set S.A.V.E.

One of my favorite genres in film, television, and even books is the coming of age story; the main reason I fell in love with Mongolian Chop Squad is how elegantly it handles this classic story. Most anime you watch has some angsty teenager develop some crazy power that they use to fight some bad guy on a regular basis, and maybe they have some wacky sidekicks team up with them every now and then. But this show has nothing to do with the supernatural; it's a grounded story of a young man who comes to befriend some aspiring rock and rollers, even becoming one himself. This is a story in which a down on his luck kid finds friends and fame as a musician; it may be a cartoon but when you get down to it, this story feels unmistakably real. Our main protagonist is one Yukio Tanaka, known to his friends as "Koyuki." He's 14 at the start of the series, and he deals with the issues many of us dealt with at that age; bullies, academic pressure, not quite fitting in, etc. However, his life changes for the better when he meets Ryusuke Minami, an aspiring rock musician who has returned to Japan after spending most of his childhood in New York City. Koyuki also develops a crush on Ryusuke's younger sister Maho; the two share a chemistry and rapport that feels genuine, something you can't say for too many anime couples. Koyuki comes to discover he is a talented singer and guitarist, so Ryusuke recruits him for his fledgling rock band "Beck". (In case you're wondering, they change the name to Mongolian Chop Squad when they come to the States because of a well known recording artist of the same name.) The show focuses largely on music (they are in a band) and I must say, much of it is pretty damn awesome. From the opening track to the closing song and everything in between, the many songs performed in the show suck you in and keep you entertained. I was pleasantly surprised that many of the dub voice actors are quite pleasant to hear sing; the first thing I heard Greg Ayres in was Deadman Wonderland, and I had no idea he could pull off some of these vocals. The soul of this show lies in its music, and it most definitely doesn't disappoint. But while the music is good, I think most people can agree with me that an anime's true strength lies in its story and characters, and I'm happy to report that Mongolian Chop Squad delivers on both fronts. Koyuki is sympathetic and easy to relate to, especially for those of us that weren't at the top of the social hierarchy in high school; he's an anxious yet determined young man who does his best not to sweat the small stuff, and his friends are there to back him up when he can't handle something alone. The band members also have a unique charm in each of their personalities, and I couldn't help but smile at how genuine their friendships seem; they laugh together, they argue, they back each other up in a fight, it just feels real. You want to keep watching because you hope this all turns out okay for them in the end; becoming a popular band is pretty hard work (especially if you're not in America), but you root for these guys because you feel like they truly deserve it. In terms of visuals, everything looks great, if simple. Remember that this a realistic portrayal of a band trying their hardest to make it big; there are no Super Saiyans or Soul Reapers running around in this one. I got to say it; this show is not to be missed. If you want to watch an anime that does a great job of depicting the teenage outcast turned hero, look no further. Koyuki's story is one that I feel doesn't receive much attention in the wider anime audience, but it should. It really should.

This anime is rare. It’s rare because there aren’t too many anime series about a kid and his friends aspiring to be rock stars who want to tour America. This is a DVD set which contains 4 discs and has the entire animated series. You get every single episode of Beck Mongolian Chop Squad for an excellent price. You can watch as the main character transforms from a shy kid into an amazing rhythm guitarist and vocalist. You’ll also get to enjoy the awesome songs from the series. If you love rock music, playing guitar and anime then this is perfect for you.

Very interesting. Showed the hard work dedicated to making big in the music industry.

Great price for a classic anime. Interesting characters and even better music. It is a shame that there wasn't a second season since you'll always wonder what happened to the band on the next stage of their journey...

I have watched a copious amount of anime in the past but not so many of shows in the past decade. I watched this one all the way though streaming and thought it was good enough to get a physical copy. Great story about a kid finding his place in life, doing something he loves. Not the best writing. And I could have done without some characters dropping the F-bomb in English because apparently that's what the shows' creators think cool Americans would do. The ENGRISH is laughable. But the show has charm and If you are a guitar geek or student you will empathize with the main character.

I found this on Netflix years ago when you could rent DVD's. It's a must have if you love anime and music. Great price too!

I ordered this DVD set after hearing great things about the show from some fellow anime fans. I was really excited to be able to get the entire series for such a bargain price. I wasn't disappointed one bit. There are not a lot of frills to this release, but I wasn't expecting a ton of extras. All 26 episodes of the show are here, on four discs. The packaging is pretty decent, with each DVD having its own spot in the case. I would have paid much more for this anime if I had to, but I am thankful that I didn't. This series is one I am glad to have in my collection and will re-watch many times I am sure. It's worth it.

My #1 favorite Anime! It's better in English (included). The essence of being one who truly rocks is refined when the language barriers are graciously removed by the dubbing team. (IMH [American] O). So this is the story of a 14 yr old boy who is introverted breaking out of his shell with the help of fateful human encounters, which become lasting connections, throughout the journey of expressing himself using music. It's the story of what true music means! This anime truly rocks! Sometimes you buy an anime cause you saw it on tv and it thrilled you and good times deserve a token of nastalgia. This anime could be that, but more importantly, it can change your life as surely as Koyuki's in this story! You may not see life or the world or music in the same way again. On top of everything else, the animation is beautiful! It demonstartes the directors understanding of subtle human expression and psychology! And this isn't just a sequence of events and interactions, the animation takes time for the art! Something that people hardly take the time for these days.

It was such a relief to see realistic struggles in music industry and friendships. Great movie great music recommended for all music lovers

以前、視聴した作品だが新たに新鮮を感じた。 自分も音楽をやってきてるので60を過ぎてもう一度挑戦したいと感じた作品である。

Hubo un problema en el envío y la carátula llegó partida en la esquina. Me puse en contacto con el vendedor y sin problemas me lo solucionaron, me dieron la posibilidad de que devolviera el producto y me devolvían el importe o quedármlo y me devolvían un 30 por ciento de la compra para poder comprar una carátula y sustituirla. Busqué la carátula que me servía en amazon, les pasé el link con el precio y al día siguiente me ingresaron en el banco lo que costaba para comprarla, sin problema ninguno. No elegí la devolución porque la serie merece mucho la pena, y quería tenerla en perfecto estado. Cambié la carátula y como si no hubiera pasado nada! =) Muy contenta con la compra

In many ways I shouldn't give 'Beck' more than four stars. Objectively that's what it's earned, and yet...? So, yeah, Beck five stars, what the hell? Why five stars? I guess there's two answers to that, the first is the answer based on potential to move the viewer emotionally, by that criteria it's pretty simple, Beck is great. By the second notion I'm judging by a complex mixing up of that potential, with style, shere enjoyment and a desire for more shows of this type. With that sort of evaluation it's far more difficult to be accurate and fair, even on sober reflection I have to give it 5 stars, because it moves me and I can appreciate its style and the pleasure it brings in equal measure. Here then is the question, if I do I love Beck? And hell yes I do, then... Why? In terms of basic plot, Beck is not particularly special: a seemingly ordinary kid, through a chance encounter, discovers that he has an extraordinary gift for music. He practises and practises and practises playing the guitar until he becomes good enough that he's invited to join his new friend's band. From there we're treated to all the elements of the hero's journey, humble beginnings, slow rise, troubles encountered and overcome, humiliations, potential break up, until the ultimate triumph. Indeed in Beck this journey is never fully finished, and yet, I still hold it in the highest esteem. I revere Beck this highly because in the ground it does cover it manages it as well if not better than anything else on the market of this type, and because the show functions as a love letter to rock music from the 1960s through to the current times. The Beatles, The Stones, The Chilli Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, they and another dozen like them are all here, if you have the wit to look. And I loved every second of it. The music itself is gorgeous. Gorgeous, extravagant, baroque and utterly entrancing. I honestly can't think of another series where I have adored the stages through which the protagonists go on their journey to the same degree as I do in this production. In this show there are little character moments, which are so grounded in real human behaviour that they feel totally natural. It gives the twelve or so hours of Beck the feeling of a high quality indie film, rather than your standard, slice of life anime. I could go on extolling Beck's virtues, but honesty compels me to have a look at the flip side. First, the animation is spotty at best and downright poor at worst. Secondly, both sub and dub have certain problems, in the sub the singing voice of Koyuki is subpar, where as in the dub, Maho, the female lead, has a great singing voice but her acting is not up to scratch. (While Brina Palencia manages the character's sassiness, she's poor at the more tender, romantic elements) There are several other places where this happens. Over all though, I vastly prefer the dub, which is not a usual occurrence. Finally and worst of all, the series just isn't finished. The extended epilogue of a final episode atempts to hide the huge swathes of material that the studio either didn't have the budget to cover and or felt were unnecessary. God's this is so disappointing. I wish all of it was here, I'd have adored seeing the details of their American tour, their Japanese tour, their cutting of a full scale album and their rise to global stardom. Yes it would have doubled the length of the series, but given how good it already is, you can only imagine the triumph that would have made it. However, that didn't happen. With all these flaws I still give Beck a five star rating, not because it's perfect and not because it is a unique product, but, rather, because it takes an old formulae and presents it to us in a manner which grips me, in my mind, heart and soul and squeezes till I had not one single drop of emotion left to spare. I love this series in a manner I can barely think of the words describe and definitely more than than almost any other anime, so I'll leave off writing this review with one of Beck's own song titles: watching the series is the absolute' finest and enjoyable 'Brainstorm' you could possibly imagine.

Remember watching back in the 90's and still love this series. To me it is such a powerful story and coming of age story with great music that just speaks to me so much as well as seeing some similarities to my life with this. I am not a musician but experiences of coming to terms with certain things through my teens. Great series, and recommend it to all.