[Copyrighted by Curtis H. Hoffmann, Oct. 25, 1995. May not be reprinted without permission from the author. You know the gig.]
[Copyrighted by Curtis H. Hoffmann, Oct. 25, 1995. May not be reprinted without
permission from the author. You know the gig.]
Once upon a time, in a faraway land named "Chicago", there was a
girl with west Indies skin. This girl was known throughout the land as one of the baddest
bounty hunters who ever lived. Rally Vincent, as she was called, owned a gunshop in
Chicago -- Gun Smith Cat. After some time, Rally was joined by the equally famous girls
Minnie May, Beckie Farrah, and Misty Brown.
This is the story of Rally Vincent, and her friends...
Sonoda, the creator of Gunsmith Cats, is better known as the director and
creator of the racing action movie -- Riding Bean. He was also the character designer for
the Bubble Gum Crisis, and Gal Force anime OAV series, and for a couple of mah jongg video
arcade games.
As is very common in manga, when an artist creates a character, he'll probably recycle the
designs from an earlier series. So it is with Gun Smith Cats. Designs from Gal Force and
Bubble Gum Crisis reappear in GSC.
After 76 chapters of the manga, Sonoda announced that he would be taking a vacation in the June issue of Afternoon magazine. He wrapped up a few loose ends in chapter 76, and reaffirmed that Rally will remain a bounty hunter for some time to come. In two different places, Sonoda has also announced that chapter 76 marks the end of the first GSC "story". There's no actual indication that he will pick up where he left off, but he plans on returning to the manga scene in October, 1997, with a new science fiction-based title that he's wanted to work on for a while.
(I.e. - Exxaxion.)No, there are no cats in this manga. There is, however, a trend among manga artists to refer to their female characters as a "cat" in some way. Just think of it as the Japanese version of the American slang -- bird, chick, or fox.
Riding Bean is a true classic. However, because of financial and
political reasons, Sonoda was never able to make a sequel to it. Instead, he kept the name
for Rally, turned Riding Bean into Bean Bandit, changed Rally's design a bit, and printed
the resulting manga through the monthly magazine Afternoon. Since then, Gunsmith
Cats has been collected into a total of 8 volumes. The series ended
"So, is Riding Bean really Bean Bandit, and are the two Rally's really the same
person?"
Answer: Of course not. It should be obvious to any one reading the manga that Rally
Vincent will NEVER lower herself by becoming Bean's assistant. However, many western fans
prefer the idea that Riding Bean and Gun Smith Cats are somehow placed in
the same universe, and that the differences can be explained by "continuity
errors".
"What does Sonoda say about this?"
Funny thing, that...
People had raised the above question years ago, back when GSC first started. Ken'ichi
Sonoda has finally given us something of an answer in
Studio Proteus obtained the rights to translate the Gunsmith Cats manga into English. Dark Horse is the American publisher. Unfortunately, only the first volume has been translated so far, meaning that volume 8 may never get translated at the current rate. Further, the English translations tend to be "cutesy" and trite. The stilted dialog detracts from the fun and energy of the original stories.
The first two books have been fan translated, and the rest have been summarized. My scripts and summaries can be found in my
Ken'ichi Sonoda Section.
There are several web sites for Gun Smith Cats. This is a good thing, because you have more places to choose from to get your fix of information, images, and sound samples.
Return to TOCThere is a tradition in Japan to release drama CDs to complement popular manga, in
addition to the soundtrack and image CDs that accompany the anime. And occasionally, a
manga becomes the focus of a radio series, which is then released on CD later on. Below is
a list of CDs that I am aware of. There are undoubtedly more that should be added to the
list. If you own one of these CDs, please let me know.
GSC File Volume One
Title: GUN SMITH CATS: Another Story of Rally, May & Becky
Released on: 12/21/95, by VAP. 2800 yen. VPCG-84275
Description: This is a drama CD, with lots of sound effects, dialog, and some mood music.
When I can listen to it more closely, I will let you know if this CD covers any of the
stories from the manga.
Title: Gun Smith Cats: Vocal Best Collection
Released on: ??/??/??, by VAP. 3000 yen. VPCG-84620
Description: This is a music CD, which includes 12 songs with character vocals. I don't
know any more about this CD at the moment.
Track Titles:
Title: Gun Smith Cats: Volume 1: Trigger Happy
Released on: ??/??/??, by VAP. 2800 yen. VPCG-84277
Description: This is a recording from the Gun Smith Cats radio show. I have not heard this
yet, and I don't have any immediate info on the radio show itself.
Track Titles:
Title: Gun Smith Cats: Volume 2: Growing Up
Released on: ??/??/??, by VAP. 2800 yen. VPCG-84278
Description: This is a recording from the Gun Smith Cats radio show. I have not heard this
yet, and I don't have any immediate info on the radio show itself.
Track Titles:
Title: Gun Smith Cats: Volume 3: Zack the Ghost
Released on: ??/??/??, by VAP. 2800 yen. VPCG-84279
Description: This is a recording from the Gun Smith Cats radio show. I have not heard this
yet, and I don't have any immediate info on the radio show itself.
Track Titles:
Title: Gun Smith Cats: Volume 4: Cross Counter
Released on: ??/??/??, by VAP. 2800 yen. VPCG-84247
Description: This is a recording from the Gun Smith Cats radio show. I have not heard this
yet, and I don't have any immediate info on the radio show itself.
Track Titles:
Title: Gun Smith Cats: Volume 5: ???
Released on: ??/??/??, by VAP. 2800 yen. VPCG-84???
Description: This is a recording from the Gun Smith Cats radio show. I have not heard this
yet, and I don't have any immediate info on the radio show itself.
Track Titles:
Title: Gun Smith Cats: Volume 6: The Showdown
Released on: ??/??/??, by VAP. 2800 yen. VPCG-84299
Description: This is a recording from the Gun Smith Cats radio show. I have not heard this
yet, and I don't have any immediate info on the radio show itself.
Track Titles:
Title: Gun Smith Cats: Original Soundtracks From the Radio Show
Released on: ??/??/??, by VAP. 2800 yen. VPCG-84616
Description: As the name says. Includes the songs listed in the above radio show CDs.
Luckily, Gunsmith Cats has finally been animated. The storyline has nothing to do with any of the plots or villians from the manga. The OAV's have been released in the U.S. by
A.D. Visions:![[Volume 1 Jacket]](gsc_v1.jpg)
Chapter 1
![[Volume 2 Jacket]](gsc_v2.jpg)
Chapter 2
Title: Swing High
Released: Before June 1, 1996
Description:
The storyline continues from volume 1. Apparently, the people Washington worked for want
all of the loose ends tied up, and they hire an ex-KGB agent to execute Washington and
Rally. Further, the leak in the ATF is shaping up to be William Collins: ATF guy that got
Rally involved in the sting operation in the first place. But, before Washington gets
killed (in an ATF "safe house"), Minnie May is given clues that lead to an
Internet web site containing all of the dates and places for the ATF's attempted raids on
the gang. Finally, the action boils down to a showdown between Rally and the ex-KGB
assassin, with Minnie May's life in the balance.
Comments: Another good episode. A bit over the edge, so you have to be willing to
suspend your sense of disbelief. Pretty bloody, with bodies popping up everywhere, but
still lots of good wholesome fun.
Comments: The version that I watched was dubbed into English. The voice acting was
acceptable, but far from perfect. A lot of the dialog sounds corny when spoken by
actresses inexperienced with voice-over work.
![[Temporary Volume 3 Jacket]](gsc316.jpg)
Chapter
3
Title: High Speed Edge
Released on: 1996
Description:
The story wraps up in this OAV. The plots-within-plots unravel to reveal that the
true mastermind behind the attacks on the gun runners, and on Rally and May, is none other
than an "anti-gun activist" running for mayor. The mayoral candidate had
been working with the head of the ATF to bring down the gun runners in order to improve
the candidate's chances in the upcoming election. However, the candidate is
ruthless, and sacrifices the ATF head to the Russian assassin. the assassin wants
revenge on Rally for injuring her ear. The final showdown pits the Russian against
Rally and May in a building undergoing renovations. The Russian is a real pro, both
with guns and boobytraps, but she still is no match for the two wounded Cats. And,
naturally, Becky gets into the act by masquerading as the Russian, and getting the
candidate to confess everything on live TV.
Comments: Actually, this was a much weaker episode than the first two.
The character designs are rounder, making Rally and May look more childish and less
competent. The action is still good, although Collins gets too much screen time and
ends up upstaging our heroes. In act, i preferred the opening credits over the rest
of the chapter.
According to a couple of sources, Sonoda intended to name Rally after Larry Hagman, the main actor in the American sit-com "I Dream of Jeanie". However, because the name appears in katakana, it has been rendered as Rally by most manga fans. Through common usage, it remains "Rally."
Even though there are a number of sex scenes in GSC, very few of the
characters are "experienced." Rally is still a virgin, as is probably Misty
Brown (Misty may be a latent lesbian.) Beckie may have dated a little bit, but there's no
proof that she's gotten laid yet. Bean Bandit LOOKS like the kind of guy to hit the
brothels on the weekends, but he seems to be more of a car nut than a sex fiend.
The exceptions of course are -- Ken and Minnie May, who are lovers (at the end of the
series, Ken gives May an engagement ring.) And Detective Roy, who is happily married.
The below list of Japanese voice actors from the Gun Smith Cats OAVs comes from
the list maintained by Hitoshi Doi.
Return to TOC
Rally (originally named "Irene") Vincent
![[Rally Vincent]](rally.jpg)
Age 19. 5' 6",
112 pounds. Rally's father may have come from India. What little we know about her parents
is revealed in volumes 6 and 7. Her father owned the gun shop, and he taught Rally most of
what she now knows. Her mother was killed 5 years earlier, during an armed robbery at the
shop. She was going to serve her husband with divorce papers at the time. 2 years
afterwards, Rally's father claimed that he was going to find the killer, and he then
disappeared from sight. Rally took over the shop, and became a bounty hunter in part to
find her mother's killer, but to also locate her father. Rally finally meets her father
again in Chapter 58.
Rally currently bounty hunts for the fun of it. She is a top marksman with most firearms,
although her favorite is a czech-made CZ-75 pistol. Her trademark shot is to blow off a
target's thumb, or hammer, from 25 yards. Her bounty license lists her as either age 21 or
22. (In Birthday we learn that Rally was born on Jan. 10, the date that Linda Scott
was killed. In that chapter, May whispers that Rally has just turned 21. This indicates
that Rally birthday was Jan. 10, 1974.)
![[May Hopkins]](minimay.jpg)
AKA: May Hopkins. Age
17. 4' 9", 83.6 pounds. May is a very short girl, for a reason. As revealed in volume
4, May was 13 when she was found sleeping in the car owned by Ken Takizawa. Takizawa
thought that she was a boy, and he decided to take care of "Mel Hopkins". May
learned how to handle explosives from Ken, and she now carries a variety of primers and
plastique hidden in her shoes and clothes. When May discovered that Ken had a Lolita
Complex, she revealed her true sex, and they became lovers. May has contacts with a master
herbalist in China Town, and has been taking drugs to stunt her growth, to maintain Ken's
fascination towards her. 4 years ago, Ken had to disappear from sight, and May became a
hooker at a China Town brothel to raise money. Eventually, May helped Rally out of a few
tight situations, and became Rally's partner in the gun shop.![[Beckie Farrah]](beckie.jpg)
Age 23. 5' 6",
123 pounds. Beckie is a "Tracer", otherwise known as an information broker.
Originally, Beckie would take risks, or perform even the most simple tasks only if she
were paid for it. Later on, she mellows a little, and begins behaving more like a member
of Rally's team. Very little is known about Beckie's family, or her past. She seems to
live alone, and has more contact with her computers, than with any man that we have seen.![[Misty Brown]](misty.jpg)
Age 16. 5' 4", 95
pounds. Misty is a sneak thief, and can usually pick any lock that she wants opened. An
apparent orphan, she gets framed in a drug deal, and runs away from the police. Rally
decides to get the bounty on Misty, and captures her. But, Rally also clears Misty's name
in the process. Misty spends time in jail on burglary charges, and gets involved in
another mess with the mafia while in prision. Rally again saves Misty's life, and
ultimately, Misty becomes the lock cracking expert in Rally's bounty hunting team. Misty
is good with throwing knives, and has kind of a lesbian bent.![[The Bean]](beanband.jpg)
AKA: The Bean. Age 28. 6' 5", 230 pounds. Sonoda has called Bean "One mean
brother." This is all the reasoning we need to justify Bean's ability to take a slug
point blank to his kevlar armored headband. Bean is a professional driver who will carry
any goods for a fee, no questions asked. The Bean lives in an old apartment building,
where he has at least 6 corvettes in the basement. His apartment door is protected by
laser sensors, and the 4 locks on his door are all self-locking. He has a filing cabinet
drawer filled with license plates from across the country, and a huge number of knives,
including a samurai's sword stashed in his apartment. He smokes cigarettes, likes beer,
and eats plenty of red meat.![[Ken Tarkey]](ken.jpg)
AKA: Ken Takizawa. Age 35.
Height and weight not given. Ken is a Japanese-American demolitions expert who used to
work for the mob in New York. He developed tendonitis, and for various reasons, decided to
defect from the mob. He had met "Mel" in Chicago, and taught the "boy"
a variety of lessons concerning bombs because he felt like it. When "Mel" turned
out to be May Hopkins, she and Ken became lovers. (May had discovered the stack of
child-porn tapes in Ken's cabinet, which had made her very happy.) Later, to protect May
from the mafia goons sent out to kill him, Ken changed his name and disappeard to
Hollywood, where he became a special effects man for a movie studio. Finally, Rally and
May help save him, and Ken joins in with the bounty hunting team.![[Roy Colman]](roy.jpg)
Age 42. 5' 6.5", 154
pounds. Roy is a detective on the Chicago police force, and he occasionally works with
Rally on fairly friendly terms. He is married, and his wife's younger sister is a State
Trooper in Minnesota. Roy is a good cop, and a successful detective. Even though Rally
shoots him in volume 4, Roy still trusts her.![[Jeff]](jeff.jpg)
Age, height, and weight not
given. Jeff is a detective that works with Roy on a constant basis. Very little is known
about him, except that he has a blond goatee. Jeff appears occasionally throughout the
series.
Riff Raff
![[Riff Raff]](riffraff.jpg)
Age 22. 5' 8", 119
lbs. A young woman with spikey blond hair, and a colored splotch on part of her bangs, she
has a star drawn on her right cheek, just below her eye. Riff is also a master driver, and
she makes her first appearance in volume 5, when she accepts the chance to race Bean to
make a name for herself as a professional courier. She is not really a good guy, but she's
not actually a villian yet, either. Riff reappears in volume 6, again as a driver for
hire.
![[Mr. V]](mr_v_1.jpg)
First name, age, height, and
weight not given. Rally's father.
Minor villians come and go all the time. Some are killed, others are
arrested. The big headliners usually last for several chapters before being blown away in
some dramatic fashion. The exception to this trend is Goldy.
Below is a list of notable villians.
![[Bonny]](bonnie.jpg)
![[Clyde]](clyde.jpg)
A brother/sister team of violent thugs introduced in
chapter 1. Minnie May blew up Bonny's car, taking off Bonny's right leg and left thumb. In
response, Bonny had an assault rifle fitted in her prosthetic leg. Bonny and Clyde are
both killed in chapter 5.![[Grey]](grey.jpg)
A black terrorist, extortionist,
and mafia drug dealer. He worked with Ken Tarkey on the bombing incidents 4 years earlier,
and is the one trying to have Ken found and punished (for trying to defect from the mob.)
Rally shot off Grey's left hand, and he uses the stump to hold a variety of
bashing/slashing weapons. Introduced in chapter 7, killed in chapter 21.![[Goldy]](goldy.jpg)
Age 34. 6' 3/4", 145 lbs.
AKA: Iron Goldy. A BIG lesbian sadist drug maker, Goldy has had some kind of martial arts
training and is good with guns. She created a "blend" called Kerosene. Kerosene
has the hallucination characteristics of LSD, can make someone insanely powerful like PCP
does, can turn a victim into an addict with one dose, and makes the user susceptible to
hypnotic suggestion. Goldy gets shot in the hand by Rally, and is recalled to Italy at the
end of chapter 34. Introduced in chapter 22, Goldy reappears in a new storyline in chapter
55 (Volume 7.) In the new storyline, she is promoting "Power Ball", which
essentially turns a drug user into a robot that will kill on her command. She appears in
the final chapter of book 8, but ends up as nothing more than a mental vegetable.![[Jones]](jones.jpg)
A two-bit punk bodyguard with
a scar on his right cheek, and always wearing coke bottle sunglasses, Jones first appears
as a member of the mafia, and as a foe of Goldy's. Later, he tries to steal cocaine from
Bean so that he can make the sale for himself -- this trick fails. Still later, he returns
as one of Goldy's henchmen. Jones originally was not really a threat to anyone, but he is
now under the influence of Power Ball/Kerosene 2, and will kill when Goldy tells him to.
He is the longest-lived minor baddy in the series, although there's no proof that he
survived the carnage that Goldy left behind her during the war against Rally.![[Nick]](nick.jpg)
(Note that her name is not
confirmed. Nick is spelled "Nike".) Nick is a polished woman with short black
hair, and uses a dark lipstick. She likes wearing a business jacket over her blouse and
skirt. Looks rather masculine in a feminine way and is the head of a counterfeiting ring.
She seems to be very thorough. Nick and her family appear in the second half of book 8.
Although Rally and Bean ruin her plans for making money, Nick does make it out of the book
alive.![[Marks]](marks.jpg)
Jim is the artist employed by
Nick. He has long, slicked-back black hair pulled into a thin ponytail. Wears a thin
moustache, and a sweater and jeans. Jim might be a member of some mafia family, but that
is only implied, not stated outright. He knows how to operate a money printing press. He
is also desperate to get laid, and enjoys fondling Misty's body. Jim was originally one of
Bean's customers, and Rally's next bounty. But, because he paid Rally in fake bills, Bean
bashed Jim in the face before allowing Rally to turn him in for the bounty at the end of
book 8.
This FAQ was compiled by
Curtis Hoffmann
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