The title was not really catchy at first, but the entire show told a different story. Upon seeing a preview of Get Backers in a new cartoon channel, Animax, I first thought they were just people accepting jobs to avenge for their clients, as in "getting back at enemies." I watched the first episode, and it turns out they are actually retrievers, taking back lost or stolen things. The Get Backers duo is basically composed of a mind (Mido Ban) and a heart (Ginji Amano).
Ban is technically the leader, who is smart and initially has two powers, the 200-kilogram grip called "Snake Bite," and the Evil Eye, which is some sort of hypnosis making victims imagine different sorts of things for one minute while something else is actually being done around them without their knowing. More of his abilities can be known as the series goes on.
Ginji, on the other hand, is a compassionate airhead who generates electricity. It may sound rather uninviting, since there have been many other super heroes who can conduct electricity as well, like Static Shock. But don't let this discourage you; Ginji is a very interesting and lovable character. He may seem like a pushover to Ban, but the latter looks after him most of the time, and both are even more powerful if they sense their partner to be in trouble.
There are many more powerful characters in the series, each with their own distinct abilities. The one I liked most is Akabane, aside from Ban. He may have a lusty thirst for fighting, but he is bloodily funny for some reason. Shido is the one I dislike. He takes pride in settling fights without help from anyone, but around half of his work is done by his animal followers. He sort of contradicts his own beliefs this way. However, with his great love and utmost protection for Madoka, the blind violinist, it still makes sense for him to be in the show. I was also annoyed by Fudou, who wants nothing but dead enemies. He only wants to kill people, a total demon. Besides, villains have to be a pain in the neck, so all the more the audience wants him to be defeated.
The sound is very good and story is smooth flowing as well - a perfect blend of action, comedy and drama. We shall see many flashbacks on the characters as we watch on, which are equally interesting and can even make some of us sentimental to our own past. Not only do we get to laugh a lot; we can also learn many principles in life, even without any of those superhuman powers.
If there was a downside to this show, it's because it has to end. Well, the series wasn't actually concluded yet. There are many questions left unanswered, stones still unturned. There have been rumors of a second set of episodes, but it's been around three years since this series was created. We can do nothing but hope for more.
