Sound great doesn’t it and that’s just the blurb from the back cover of the DVD of ADV films latest title the Coyote Ragtime Show. However as we all well know the description can sometimes be mis-leading and either present the anime in a light it doesn’t deserve or it can not do it the justice it should. In this case I was surprised to say that it was the later of the two as it forgot to point out that this anime is a mixture of genres, so viewers can expect to see Sci Fi, Comedy, Sex and Blood all mixed into one. It also manages to blend all of the above rather nicely and so the viewer is left with, on this volume anyway, a fun 100minutes of solid entertainment.

The story itself is well crafted and the viewer is presented with the characters in such a way that they are able to form a bond with them almost immediately, without wandering about their back story as this is explained as the episodes progress. The one problem that this anime may suffer from though is that the pace is very swift and therefore could if the story is not maintained as well as in this volume, find itself running out of steam before too long. But that said by the end of the fourth episode on the disc you are certainly left with a clearer idea of the plot and the characters and certainly left wandering what will happen in the next volume.

Story aside the anime is well presented and all of the characters are well drawn and the backgrounds well presented and you are certainly treated to a lovely visual show watching the episodes. Particular attention though must be drawn to the end credit sequence that features what can best be described as action men of the main characters performing little mini scenes. This original idea is so well done that it doesn’t seem like something that was just tacked on and pays homage brilliantly to such things as the Adam & Joe Show and Robot Chicken.

The music of this piece is particularly interesting as well, as whilst it doesn’t always suit the action in the show, it does suit the overall feel of the piece and add that to the presentation of the main title piece. To the point that it reminded me of a seventies/eighties cop show, a sort of Dukes Of Hazard or Starsky and Hutch feel to the opening. The voice work on this piece is also well done and the cast is also very impressive and includes the likes of Chris Patton, Luci Christian and Monica Rial to name just some of the impressive cast.

The disc itself is very basic and includes just a title screen (Which again is presented in a style that made me reminisce of above 70/80’s TV Shows) with the links to the usual things such as Extras and episodes. What was disappointing though was the lack of actual substance in the extras, as all that is on the disc is a Production Gallery and the usual clean opening/closing animations which is especially suprising for two reasons. The first being, that the anime was released in 2006 and so surely the producers (Ufotable) would be aware of the fans love affair of extras. The second reason is that the disc has been released by ADV films who have been in the past known for producing impressive sets of extras (Madlax and Samurai Gun spring to mind) on their titles. Still the viewer is treated to a runtime of 100minutes so really this is a small complaint but some fans may still view this an oversight and hope that is fixed in time for volume two.

Overall though this title is very enjoyable and you may find yourself watching the four episodes back to back in one sitting, as the anime is so easy to watch. The reason behind this is the combination of a well told story, well presented visuals and overall an all round good anime. If you like the sound of treasure hunting pirates in space with a sense of humour then you will love this release.

8/10-A worth while addition to any collection and by far a title that lives up to the hype! An anime equivalent to Joss Wheddons, Firefly.