This is a different kind of spy series, in more that they are secret agents, but certainly act like spies. Also, it is set in an alternative universe, but you are not certain what the year should be. I mean, they have zeppelins and wide screen HDTVs. Also, they speak with an English accent, drive what appears to be an MG, have tea at 4 pm, but we are not in England. We are in Ishtar (no, not that horrid movie with Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty), but it might as well be Jolly Olde England.

Our two heroes up there, Rowe Rickenbacker and Jack Hofner are L/R. The running joke is “Which one of you is ‘L’ and which one is ‘R’?” (Personal opinion, most of the time we see them left to right with Jack as the left and Rowe as the right, so I feel that is the real designation. Not that it REALLY matters).

Some of their tasks include the protection of royal artifacts and treasures from greedy individuals and stopping crimes against the Crown, although the main thrust of the story is to find the 15-Year Princess. It seems that the previous rulers of Ishtar came to a bad end, and the very young princess went missing in the ensuing scandal. The Crown wishes to find her and let her be the true ruler of England Ishtar. I will also not draw any conclusions that with Ishtar representing England, then the land of Ivory is to be Ireland, but that is open for you to determine. Personally, I am not a fan of symbolism or political commentary in my shows; I prefer to let them tell a good story.

These guys operate under the agency of Cloud 7, run by Holden Pennylane, but you’ll know him better as Mister. Also with the group is Claire Pennylane, Mister’s daughter and she acts as logistics and backup. And what show like this wouldn’t be complete without your Boffin? The mad scientist, Q-type is Dez, who comes up with these inventions. Sometimes, they work well; other times, they are a dismal failure.

What makes this show so intriguing is that there are three tales that we did not know were all intertwined until we get deeper into the show. And it’s not always the bang-bang approach that we sometimes see with spy shows (although there is a goodly shootout near the end). Sometimes, it is as simple as having a father acknowledge his son who has done well. In that sense, they are kind of like the Good Job Club (but far more interesting to watch).

Now, I’ll be selfish on this one: I waited until there was an eye-gouging sale on this to nab the whole thing, as I was always drawn to it. I really like the give and take not only between Jack and Rowe, but the criminal types they come in contact with, always asking “Which of you is ‘L’ and which of you is ‘R’?” (Don’t worry, they NEVER answer that question).

The only drawback to the show is a pair of big business types, as they flopped into a caliber of stereotype with them, both in attitude and design. One is the blustery father who wants to control it all; the other is the nebbish son who is not certain what he wants to do and when they get drunk, they get the rosy nose. This is not something which was called for nor necessary, since the rest of the character design was rather cautious. The show also has a ‘you guess it’ ending, as we have to surmise what the conclusion is going to be. And since this show is more than five years old, you can best your Secret Decoder Ring and Truth Serum that there will not be a second season to clear that up.

There is a relaxed, unhurried feeling to this show, as the two of them are unflappable and never lose their cool, whether they are chasing down an assassin, avoiding laser blasts from an orbiting satellite or engaging in a car chase. You could think of this like James Bond, but without the pretty girls (there is almost no fan service in this show).

Now, keep in mind that I own this and I rarely purchase anime, so that gets high marks indeed. If you would like to try a different approach to the usual spy/secret agency tales, this is worth looking at.

On a scale of 1 to 10:

Artwork           8 (A nice clean-line approach)
Plot                  9 (Surprising in how it all ties together)
Pacing              8 (Solid in its goals)
Effectiveness   8 (Even with some filler shows)
Conclusion      4 (Did not like the open-end point)
Fan Service     1 (A similar show would be “Ouran High School”)

Overall            8 (Even with the hanging end)

And remember, it’s first run until you’ve seen it. So which one of you IS ‘L’?