Kain Blueriver, the hero of this sci-fi comedy, is a Trouble Contractor: he handles cases too difficult and/or dangerous for the Universal Guardians. He always wears a blue cape--even with Gundam-type robot armor--and fights with a psi blade, a weapon similar to the light-sabres in "Star Wars," powered by psychic energy. His partner in adventure is the energetic, green-haired Canal, the holographic embodiment of the control system of his ship, the Swordbreaker. In their first adventures, Kain and Canal acquire a third companion: Millie, a Jill-of-all-trades, mistress of none, who is determined to be the best in the universe... at something. Although she's a crack shot, Millie is a typical, fussy anime heroine who complains and blames everyone and everything for her repeated failures. The Swordbreaker is a "Lost Ship," a relic of the superior technology of a vanished civilization that can defy the laws of physics, motion, inertia, etc. Kain inherited it from his grandmother, whose wisdom he constantly invokes. This quarrelsome trio retrieves stolen property, rescues runaway ships, and protects sensitive witnesses, squabbling and bickering all the way. The result is not so much a comedy-adventure as a farce-adventure.
Unrated; suitable for ages 10 and up; minor sexual innuendos and some rather tame violence. --Charles Solomon
