Ranked #1728

Kyoushoku Soukou Guyver (1989)

All I can say is that if you have seen the newer TV series, the plot of this oav pretty much follows the same story line except some changes and being a 12 episode series, the pacing is more condensed and less material is covered. The beginning of the oav this time will be that the man on the run from Cronos is accidentally ran over by a truck as opposed to being stopped by two officers. But these events still lead up to the same result: Tetsuro and Sho go to a lake to hang out, and the man being chased causes an explosion and in front of them flies a special mechanical device in which Sho becomes the Guyver.

I won't go over the changes due to spoiler reasons, so I got really nothing to really say about the story that I already said about in the TV series. But some of the changes should make the viewing experience a little fresher, and I like how certain things were better kept under ambiguity such as the identity of the 3rd Guyver while I felt the TV series rushed and it came across more as a fan service move for fans of the original manga which I could understand. But I have yet to read the manga, so some ambiguity and unpredictable elements will help me at some aspect.

Well, the general design for the monsters and the uniforms of the Cronos soldiers are still the same from the TV series. Of course for being an older series, the quality will be more dated, and the coloring and resolution will look grainier, and the frame rate will not be as smooth. But moving on, a significant difference in this one is the design of Sho himself. His hair is much thinner, and he has these long side burns. His design came across as very feminine in comparison to his Heero Yuy design in the TV series and the old 1985 movie. I like how in the other anime installments (not sure what his design is in the manga) he looks more generic just so he won't stand out too much and I like how it kind of represented that the Guyver is an ordinary guy. While in this one, Sho just simply looks like a pussy. But that's just me, and I'll admit that his design doesn't overall negate the experience of the anime.

Another design I sort of had a problem with is Agito's and Tetsuro's. He looks way too old and didn't come across convincingly as a teenager. In the TV series, I liked how his wavy hair gave him more of a youthful look, and with the wider eyes and face, he could also still look dignified. The action is still violent and in your face so it should be exciting. But the execution will be stiffer. Another aspect I didn't like was in the later half, they used repetitive frames for emphasis and it was super choppy.

One thing I can say about the Guyver OAV that is better than the TV series is the music and the voice acting in Japanese. Before I go on, I want to say the dub flat out sucks. I tried watching it, but I couldn't bear 5 seconds of it. Fuck the dub, and just watch it in Japanese instead. The opening theme is incredible and feels pretty immersing with the presented imagery. It has pretty catchy beats, the percussion is excellently orchestrated, and the singing gives it a noir kind of feel to the series like the recent Skullman anime though Guyver itself doesn't really come across as Noir in the way Skullman does. I thought it also represented its high-octane action nature at the right moments as well. I could listen to the theme song over and over. The Japanese track also has a few all star names that are more recognizable from the TV series who I thought were also excellent but not in the leagues of who I am about to mention.

Kusao Takashi, the voice of Trunks from Dragon Ball Z plays Sho. I think the portrayal of the future Trunks character, especially in the Trunks special where he's a confused teen with great power and ambition really works well with this role, and I loved it how he screams Guyver to transform. And Wakamoto Norio, the voice of Cell from DBZ plays Risker/Guyver II. And Tanaka Hideyuki, the voice of Woody from the original Gundam series, and Terryman from Kinnikuman plays Guyver III. I thought he brought a great commanding presence to the character.

In the end, I feel Guyver fans who already seen the TV series and have read the manga despite this being older will appreciate this oav more.
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******
First of all,it was the first anime i've ever seen! I remembered was 6 years old, my father took me from a kinder gurden,we went to a videoaudio technics shop,there on screens was the Guyver...wow,it impressed me,i was so excited...My father noticed my interes,so it wasn't a problem,he bought it
******
So many years passed but I still love it.
+Breathtaking plot,the story won't let you get out of a screen!

+great animation (those monsters are so cool,how was I not afraid of them when i was a kid O,o), a lot of blood,meat :D

+Characters' temper and their nature are showed well!

+It is the first anime movie watched by me

-So,I'm reading the Guyver manga at the moment,and the story is continied...
so bad there are only 12series! read more