Kyoushoku Soukou Guyver (1989)

******
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!

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.

The Guyver Volume 1 is the first six of a twelve episode series loosely based on Yoshiki Takaya's manga. The anime has gained a huge cult following over the years. This was mainly due to its graphic violence which can be brutal at times. To the best of my knowledge the manga spawned this particular series, two live action films, and a 26 episode remake that was released in 2005. Some fans actually hail this version as the best. I on the other hand just can't agree with that.

The Guyver is a sci-fi action series which in my view succeeds in two areas. This would ... be in the action scenes and with some of its characters. The battle scenes can be very brutal on some occasions. The action scenes consist of hand to hand combat plus battles with advanced weaponry. The Guyver armor itself has some interesting abilities. The wearer can slice enemies to pieces or completely annihilate them on the spot with different weapons, which adds variety to the battles.

The main character Sho is very believable because his personality seems genuine. Sho doesn't possess the typical shonen mindset consisting of the super bad teen that loves to fight and overcomes all near death odds simply by believing in himself. Sho is forced to battle with combat ready soldiers. However, he doesn't possess the slightest bit of training. He gains all of his experiance in the heat of the moment. Also, luck plays a factor at times. I think the storytelling is well presented in this area, and it gives the series a realistic feel.

There are plenty of characters introduced with only a few that actually serve a purpose. The villains are a mixed bag for the most part. The generic Zoanoids are mainly cannon fodder and lose their appeal very early. The real threat comes in the form of other Guyver units, as well as an advanced group called the Hyper Zoanoid Team 5.

The Guyver is an all out action series for the most part, but it takes other measures to try and be a little more than that. The plot is rarely boring, and the events that take place are mainly to display the Chronos Organizations links throughout the country: such as media manipulation and even mass mind wiping. These overwhelming advantages works in Chrono's favor heavily against Sho.

The series does several things right but has its flaws, and animation and artwork happens to be among them. The animation tends to suffer by the sixth episode. The animation during the opening credits was actually used as a battle scene. I find this approach to be very lazy, and some of the character designs for the Zoanoids are downright atrocious. The artwork only gets worse later in the series. The English dub isn't bad, but translations could have used some serious work. Definitely watch this with subs.

Not exactly one of my lows, but for those whom remember the original VHS releases will definitely be greatly disappointed, because songs are either changed or completely removed altogether. The original Guyver theme song can only be heard when watching the Japanese version with subs. The English version plays a very generic song that even people new to the series may immediately despise.

The series also has a problem with its episode presentation. It isn't the least bit subtle when delivering the episode titles. Here's an example, episode five is titled "Death Of The Guyver"; as if the writers couldn't come up with a bigger spoiler. This is what adds to the predictability and after episode three there is very little in the way of suspense, simply because the episode title already alerted the viewer on what to expect.

I know of several anime fans whom consider this series a classic and even a must see, but this is nostalgia playing a huge role because many cite this series among the first they seen over 20 years ago. I really don't feel the same way at all. I will never shower a title with praise simply because it opened new doors for me. I just find that type of attitude to be strange.

I mainly recommend this version only to serious anime fans whom must see everything anime related. If you don't fall into that category and you're more picky. Then your time is better spent with the remake. The 26 episode series remake which also goes by The Guyver surpasses this version in character development, character usage, story depth, plot, animation, artwork, and soundtrack. After watching this version again I have to say it's just not on the same level. This is also considering that the remake also has its flaws.

Highs: Brutal and very vicious action scenes, believable main character

Lows: Predictable, some crude artwork