▪	RELEASED BY:		FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT
		▪	ASPECT RATIO:		4:3 FULL SCREEN
		▪	AUDIO:		ENGLISH DD 5.1 & 2.0 AND JAPNESE DD 2.0
		▪	RUNNING TIME:		125 MIN
		▪	RATING:		TV MA
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		08/14/2007
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		08/22/2007
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		HOLLY ELLINGWOOD

Rock and roll dreams can sure come to life when you’re playing on the stage, but for now, Koyuki has to put up with bullies, girl troubles, and difficult guitar riffs in the latest volume of Beck.

The story of Koyuki’s life strikes a realistic cord throughout this anime. Real life troubles with bullies see Koyuki choosing to stand up to them despite his small stature and lack of fighting skills. It’s about being true to yourself, not whether you get beat down, only that you stood up for yourself. The outcome is one paved with painful reality for Koyuki. The anime even covers some of the humdrum aspects of learning music when Koyuki hits a difficult part to learn on his guitar. You can feel the waves of frustration rolling off him. And it’s a common enough problem when learning music. You hit a plateau and then a wall. But that’s not the only problem Koyuki or Beck has.

The band runs the risk of sounding mediocre and never achieving there dream of turning professional, unless they add something missing, some ineffable quality to their music that will make it stand out. Koyuki even has a rebellious moment at school that any fan of the movie The Shawshank Redemption will recognize. Because of it, he finds a music soul mate in the down to earth transfer student Saku.

There’s also some fun adventures like a swim meet that holds some more interesting moments between Koyuki and Maho. And it grows to a bet that puts fire in Koyuki’s heart to win. But despite that fun, Beck might be losing their drummer. Beck therefore might end before they ever get a chance to start.

Beck’s first official live performance comes. High hopes and mixed results follow. A new song and the right member signing it could turn the tables for the band. This anime continues to be a slice of life in the world of an ordinary guy with some talent and a love for music. The series stays true to the more down to earth storytelling shown in the first volume, and holds more hard rock tracks to tantalize viewers with during the band’s struggle to find their sound and break into the mainstream. They still have a long way to go, and Koyuki still has a lot to learn about life, but then again, that’s what rock and roll is all about.

EXTRAS:
Bonus features include FUNimation trailers of other shows, textless songs, and a Beck Mongolian Chop Squad music video. Volumes, for at least a limited time, will also include an authentic Beck the anime guitar pick.

IN SUMMARY:
Catch the groove of this rockin’ anime! Real life meets rock and anime in Beck.