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Jan 11, 2014
Whether it's stories about getting drunk, saving kittens, ghosts, bath house brawls, running from giant crocodiles, fighting terrorists in devastatingly powerful robots, or reading porn, it doesn't matter. Patlabor OVA 2 re-affirms what Patlabor TV and the original OVA established, Patlabor can do anything and it will work. And no, I wasn't kidding, you will find all of that and more here despite the short episode count.
As with previous Patlabor works, the strength of this OVA is mainly in how the characters are so enjoyable, the bizarre and often surreal direction of Mamoru Oshii, and the wonderful OST by Kenji Kawai. If you have seen
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and enjoyed anything Patlabor related, it is likely you will enjoy this. However, it should be noted that this OVA is particularly ridiculous even for Patlabor standards. Aside from the first half that deals with more Schaft attacks, this is mostly pure comedy and weirdness. The series has never really sold itself on loads of mecha action, but for better or for worse, there is almost none here. The OVA is still rather enjoyable regardless though, and makes for a solid view after completing the TV series.
Oshii's very deliberate and slow direction is in full effect. The comedy is reminiscent of his 1989 comedy OVA Gosenzosama Banbanzai, but perhaps not quite that level of full blown surrealism and absurdity. As previously mentioned, much of the enjoyment can come from how well developed the cast is. So it isn't a very good idea to watch this unless you are already rather familiar with Patlabor through the previous works. That isn't to say you can't enjoy this if you are not, but you will get more out of it if you already know the characters and have become attached to them. Much of the humor is derived from the awkward situations they are placed in and must deal with, and that will be lost if the viewer is not familiar with their personalities and the tone of the series. I would go as far to say that this was pretty much made to be a direct extension of the TV series, and it does in fact deal with specific events from it that will require prior knowledge to understand.
Production values aren't as high as they are with Early Days and the movies, but they are right up to par with the TV series. Kawai's music is as awesome and fitting as ever. I love how much he utilizes bass and that shines through here left and right. It's not his best work ever, but it's still great. The artwork isn't as impressive as it is in Early Days and the movies, but it's right up there with the TV series. So, sadly there doesn't seem to have been a budget increase despite it being an OVA, but it still looks great for the most part. The mechs always look incredible, but you don't see them much here.
Overall, definitely worth a watch if you are into Patlabor. Not the strongest entry of the series, but it delivers, especially if you are into weird Oshii works. The bulk of the episodes rely on off the wall humor and out there stuff, so if that sounds like your cup of tea you should enjoy it. Once the Schaft episodes are over it is pretty much a free for all of bizarre occurrences the Division 2 team members are forced to deal with, most of them ranging from fantastical to eerie or impossible. I would have liked to see something more in line with the movies and with more Labor action, but I can't say I was really displeased either, and I would watch it again. It gets bonus points for the Red Spectacles reference.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Aug 6, 2013
Baldios is basically a string of tragedies born from human greed and ambition. If you like old school space dramas, the chances are that you will enjoy this. I found it to be on par with the original Yamato, and even better in some ways.
Like many shows of the era, it is heavily influenced by Uchuu Senkan Yamato. So much so that the plot of Baldios and the original Yamato are basically the same thing, with the only real differences being that the alien race isn't blue and there is mecha action involved. Well, there's a bit more to it than that, especially at the
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end, but the set up is almost identical.
The story is told at a mostly gripping pace. The first episodes are great and lock you in right away. Things inevitably slow down a bit, but there are some great two parters in there and overall I never felt like it came to a drag. The story is basically where this series is really going to shine. Trust and betrayal are a commonly occurring theme, as a big part of the show is about the struggle of the main character, Marin. He puts himself between a rock and a hard place as he decides to pilot the Baldios and fight against his own people on behalf of the people of Earth. The people of Earth are not very trusting of him though, including his own comrades, as he is one of the aliens. He goes through a lot of mental anguish over this and even goes back and forth between sides a bit. His motives and morality aren't really black and white, and he often succumbs to the overwhelming amount of stress put on him. He makes for an interesting, if not believable lead character, and is less one dimensional than the lead characters in these shows typically are.
The music is fantastic. Being the handiwork of Kentarou Haneda, this is no surprise. Although it's not his best work, it's still very good. His style and signature guitar riffs permeate all throughout the series and truly make up much of the personality of the show. It wouldn't be the same without him. There are great insert songs as well, with the most memorable one being a Isao Taira (Ideon, Bryger, Daiohja) tune. The show was produced in the early 80s, but for the most part it looks (and feels) like it's straight out of the 70s. There isn't much that is remarkable about the art, you can pretty much assume what to expect if you've seen an Ashi/Reed show or any old mecha.
One particularly weird thing about this show is the mecha elements. They are extremely tacked on. This show could easily exist without any mecha stuff, and whenever it comes up it feels forced. It really doesn't come up much to be honest though, and there are entire episodes with no mecha action. The beginning is a bit misleading with this. It feels like they wanted to make the mecha stuff feel important, but ultimately the emphasis put on the Baldios machine is all but completely dropped after the first half dozen episodes. You won't be coming out of this with many memories of the mecha using signature attacks and poses. Baldios certainly looks awesome though.
The production history for Baldios is a bit wonky. According to whatever info I could dig up (there isn't much), this is yet another cancelled series. The show was originally planned to have 39 episodes, or at least storyboards were conceived for 39 episodes. Only 34 episodes were produced, and 31 of those episodes actually aired. When the series was released on video, all 34 episodes were included though. If the movie is the canon ending, then episode 34 is not canon. It is basically a completely different ending, that is simplistic and leaves important questions unanswered. It is probably the result of a rush job/cancellation. The movie does some recap, but essentially picks up at the end of the huge cliffhanger in episode 33.
As for the movie itself, there are already some good reviews on it. It's great, and the best part of the entire experience. The grim atmosphere is at its most oppressive and the harsh reality of what has been going on is finally set in stone, and we watch everything crumble and hope completely fade. It's a powerful ending, and likely one you won't forget. I wouldn't really advise skipping the series if you want the full experience, as the characterization in the movie (recap parts) is weak, and not a very good substitute for the series. The recap parts also feel very janky and random, unfortunately. The new content in the movie though, is all excellent. Lastly, there are several versions of the movie. There is a lot of blood and violence, and it seems that most versions are edited. You'll want to watch the Japanese version if you want to see the original movie.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 4, 2013
One of Go Nagai's lesser known works, Jushin Liger follows the formula that most anime based on his works do, and it does so very well. I had always thought this show looked awesome, but it wound up exceeding my expectations. Being a 43 episode series based on 2 volumes of manga, it is not without its issues, but overall it is thoroughly entertaining and fans of this kind of thing are gonna love it.
Although it's technically a bio armor show, for all intents and purposes this is a monster of the week show. The bio armors are controlled G Gundam style, and are massive
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and much more than a suit of armor. It doesn't excel in the character and plot departments, but it delivers awesome action and great episodes in spades. The story starts kicking right away and in the first episode we see the hero dawning the bio armor and fighting monsters. Characters basically appear out of nowhere and receive little development. It's the same way in the manga. But for me that didn't detract much, this show is all about delicious 80s vibes and monsters tearing each other to pieces. The characters aren't necessarily bad though, and in some cases do get development. There is a renegade-type henchman (fittingly enough he has blonde hair and wears red sunglasses) that by the end is a very different person, and one of the main character's sidekicks winds up being more than just the pointless goofball. Ryu (the renegade henchman) is the only character that stands out much on the antagonists side, and he was the most interesting character. As for the plot, it's pretty barebones stuff but we do see twists and turns here and there.
Now for what makes this show a joy to watch: the action and the music. The incredibly awesome OPs and EDs are among the best, and the soundtrack itself is pretty much just as good. 80s guitar riffs galore, and seemingly always present. The amazing soundtrack is one of the defining parts of this series. Watching Jushin Liger rip and tear through the opposition never once gets old, and being a late 80s show the budget seems to be fairly high. There is minimal use of stock footage (aside from combination sequences) and in general everything looks very high quality. Another thing that helps maintain a high level of episodic quality and helps to hold your attention is that things are always changing. Jushin Liger gets several upgrades and and multiple forms, and as the show progresses we get pilots that use actual mecha to support Jushin Liger, and previously useless comic relief characters become pilots. It goes from just following the titular robot to eventually having a competent military force around with new characters. The Jushin Liger continues to evolve until it attains its final form in the very last episode, a nice touch. Another interesting note about the art would be how it looks much more akin to typical 80s anime (the main character almost looks identical to Saint Seiya), and it drops the defining Nagai character design. As much as I like Go Nagai character design, I can't help but feel like the characters look better, more fitting, in the anime than they did in the manga.
The sheer brutality is another thing that really stood out. The show was quite violent, and in the first episode the main character watches his girlfriend get vaporized before his eyes. Human deaths are typically brutal, and when Jushin Liger destroys monsters it is extremely brutal and we see goo and body parts flying everywhere. The monster blood is green so I'm assuming that's why it is spilled so liberally. Although I'd label it as monster of the week, it was more like warzone of the week. Especially in the second half of the series, it felt like Japan was in constant warfare and under attack by demons 24/7. In stark contrast, the show is also big on sexual humor. If the main character isn't in combat, he's peeping on girls taking showers. So basically, lots of brutality and boobs. Pretty typical of Nagai stuff.
All in all it was a great watch that I would sit through again. Maybe not as good as the greats of the genre but damn close. If you like Go Nagai manga/anime, you will at least be entertained by this. Really solid action series with top notch animation and a phenomenal soundtrack.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Feb 28, 2013
Great Mazinger is a fun follow up watch after Mazinger Z, but it is not quite up to par with it. That's not to say it isn't worth while though, it was still a good series. I'll do my best not to make the entire review a Mazinger Z/Great Mazinger comparison, but it was hard for me not to constantly compare the two since I marathoned them back to back. Plus, I don't really see why anyone would watch this without having seen Mazinger Z first.
When the show first starts it's almost like you never stopped watching Mazinger Z. Mazinger Z directly transitions into this
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series and even introduces the new robot and some characters. Things pick right up and mankind's battle against the Mikene Empire continues, now with more of a focus on the Mikene Empire rulers themselves. Gorgon returns as a recurring henchmen, and Boss and his crew stick around with Boss Borot. Kouji, Sayaka, and Professor Yumi are absent for most of the series. Tetsuya Tsurugi is the new protagonist and pilot of Great Mazinger. He's a very manly character and one of the highlights of the show. You'll see him doing plenty of hand to hand combat, as well as driving around a motorcycle that can use rocket punch. Jun Hono replaces Sayaka as the female sidekick. Watching these two characters interact is quite a bit different than watching Kouji and Sayaka, Tetsuya and Jun are far more responsible and mature. There is little comedy that goes on between them, something constantly around in Mazinger Z. Boss is goofier than ever though, so the comedy still makes it's way into the show. The new professor character is Kenzo Kabuto, who is actually Kouji and Shiro's biological father. Supposedly he is a much grizzlier character in the manga, like he is in Shin Mazinger, but here he's mostly a collected leader and acts very similar to Yumi. The new cast is good and gets the job done, but the chemistry that Kouji, Sayaka, and Boss had is irreplaceable.
One area I thought Great Mazinger was particularly lacking in was the henchman department. You gotta have good henchmen to make a good episodic robot show. The Ankoku Daishogun (also introduced at the very end of Mazinger Z) was probably the most memorable one, but even then he paled in comparison to the legendary cast of henchman in Mazinger Z. Gorgon returns, but he is ultimately under-utilized. The character design of the henchmen is whacky, creepy, and sufficiently Go Nagai, but there are too many of them and none of them really stick out. There were like a dozen of them and most of them look and act the same. Eventually I had a hard time keeping track of who was who, and then eventually just stopped caring. Aside from Gorgon and the Ankoku Daishogun, there was a surprise henchman that was kind of cool to see, but you'll have to see that for yourself.
Music and art is basically on the same level of quality. Like Mazinger Z, there is really classic old school insert songs galore that you find stuck in your head and anticipating. Somehow these songs never get old and always bump your attention level up. Most episodic robot shows have a song or two that always plays during the pilot docking/combination sequence, but having a vocal theme (other than the OP) that always plays is something pretty unique to the 70s Mazinger shows. As I said before, art is pretty much more of the same thing, which is a good thing. The apocalyptic red skies that are always in these old monster of the week shows are present and the cool 70s art is pleasing to watch. Great Mazinger has it's own repertoire of attacks, most of which are based on Mazinger Z's. Great Mazinger has a sword though, so that changes things up a bit sometimes. One of the best and most memorable episodes was a brutal sword fight with the main henchman.
Plot wise, there really isn't all that much to talk about or criticize. Little happens in the way of plot aside from the beginning and the last stretch of episodes, but I will say that the last stretch of episodes were very good, it was a satisfying ending for sure. Something that made Mazinger Z so unique was how Kouji had to start from scratch and learn how the use the machine. I remember thinking that the show was more in-depth in training the pilot, showing his development, and explaining the cockpit more than any Gundam show I've watched. With Great Mazinger though, Tetsuya is already a trained expert so there is no development with him really. The other major difference, which I kind of alluded to a little bit while talking about the characters, would be the tone. Everything is more "serious", mainly due to the leading characters being more stoic and professional. Sexual jokes are toned way down, and the only humor we really get is through Boss' crew and this bizarre supporting character that is an annoying talking Crow. I should note that having Boss around is really one of the show's greatest strengths. It was probably my favorite part of the entire thing if I'm being honest.
So if you enjoyed Mazinger Z it only makes sense to give this a shot. You may not like it as much, but it's a solid sequel to one of the most successful mecha franchises of all time, and perhaps worth watching for that reason alone.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 8, 2012
Note that this is a review of the original series and is not a reflection of "Macron 1" or any of the other overseas Goshogun adaptations.
Sengoku Majin Goshogun is a very strange and unique case. What we have here is both a clever parody of the mecha craze that thrived in the 70s and the 80s, and a rather entertaining show that is able to stand up on it's own merits despite it's large focus on often subtle humor. At first I didn't realize the series was going to parody the classic mecha genre. Like many, my first exposure to the franchise was through the
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Super Robot Taisen games. Eventually it becomes pretty clear though, as the jokes become more and more self aware and the laughs keep coming.
The series follows the "Good Thunder" team's adventures around the world and their efforts to thwart the worldwide crime syndicate known as "Docougar". The organization is led by a mysterious entity usually shrouded in darkness known as Neo Neros, and his three mostly ineffective subordinates. Their goals are simple; the acquisition of Goshogun and it's mysterious power known as "Beamler", money, world domination, stuff like that. The plot thickens a bit towards the end, but for the most part, it's episodic and that's all that's going on. Goshogun has many strengths though, and although it's doesn't quite excel in any area, it's odd charm carries it along very well, making it a stab at the genre that stands away from the rest in it's own way.
The characters aren't extensively fleshed out, but each member of the Good Thunder crew has an episode dedicated to them, and we see why each of them is part of the team and how they were recruited. The pacing is handled well from back-story episode to action focused episode, avoiding the stale nature monster of the week mecha can have. The cast of protagonists is small, but has good chemistry going on. Nothing groundbreaking going on with the characters really, but they get the job done and make for an entertaining bunch, and no one is grating in the least, not even the kid. The villains aren't as fleshed out as the protagonists, but each of them holds their own presence and for me they wound up being one of the most entertaining aspects and added a lot to the humor. The stuck up pretty boy, the angry drug addict, and the brainless fast food entrepreneur made for an interesting trio of henchmen.
From slapstick gags, obvious nods to other anime and mecha shows of the era, references to real life fast food chains and American celebrities, and several downright bizarre moments that make you want to go back to make you saw that right, the comedy of Goshogun ranges quite a bit. From the very first episode there are several whacky moments and that pretty much continues happening. As I mentioned before, a lot of the value in the humor is in it's subtlety. I'm sure there are various things that went over my head too. Then there were things that were funny just for how ludicrous the situation was, as well as not so subtle blatantly humorous moments delivered through visuals or gags alone.
Another thing I went into this show not expecting, great music and incredibly unique battle sequences. The music varies quite a bit, you've got the very catchy OP, funky jazz tracks, a J-pop insert song or two, experimental tracks, eerie ambiance, classical, some standard fare tracks of the era, and of course, "The Blue Danube" is featured as BGM during one of the series' most memorable sequences (SRW fans know what I mean). I liked the OST enough to hunt it down. The battle sequences are both a sign of the era and a step away from it. Battles always begin with the gattai sequence and theme, and feature the titular mecha smashing the opposition to pieces. But occasionally, you just get a really satisfying and unique battle sequence. This is largely due to how diverse and unique the music is, and how badass the Goshogun itself looks in motion with it's massive battle axes and bazookas. Great choreography too. It's strange that battle sequences would be one of the main strengths of a comedy show, but they certainly were for me. The antagonists sometimes team up with the Good Thunder team to oppose a mutual threat as well, something I found pretty cool. But as far as original battle sequences go, it doesn't get much more original for an 80s mecha series to have a large scale space war with "The Blue Danube" echoing throughout the galaxy on an enemy flagship, which happens to be equipped with gigantic speakers, to set the tone.
All in all this was a breath of fresh air and I can easily recommend it to fans of classic mecha anime. I can also say this is one of those shows that could have stood to be a little longer, if not only due to the fact it really never overstayed it's welcome and was constantly entertaining. Although this not so well known series will probably remain in obscurity for the most part, hopefully it gains a few more fans here and there as the years go by. It's a very unique piece of supa robo history that deserves whatever attention it can get.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 8, 2012
Daitarn 3 has a lot of things going for it, being a 70s episodic super robot show. It is very humorous and will often make you laugh out loud, Watanabe's music is great and some of the tracks are quite memorable, watching the central cast interact is very entertaining, and the typical monster of the week format most of these shows employ has a spin on it making this series more dynamic than most in this sub-genre. Although it does follow the monster of the week model, each "monster" (Meganoid) that Daitarn 3, Banjou, and his group of allies must defeat each episode is given
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a unique personality and a human form, and each episode is tailored to reflect upon that episode's villain. The first half of each episode is about Banjou and his allies trying to defeat a Meganoid Commander and his or her henchmen, making it not feel much like a mecha show at all. These segments make the show feel like a Lupin III-esque action show, and portray gun fights, car chases, fist fights, women fawning over Banjou, and various gags. As I mentioned before, much of the show's appeal is in the comedy. The second half of each episode however, is where the super robot battles and attack name announcements come into play. Which are just as fun to watch.
As for the plot, there is some semblance of an over-arching plot going on through the series that is realized at the end. It's not incredibly deep, but over the course of 40 episodes, you're occasionally given bits of information regarding the antagonists and why the main character has so much animosity towards them. Once things begin to wrap up in the final episodes, the outcome is actually somewhat tragic. Not nearly as tragic or intense as Tomino's previous super robot work, Zambot 3, but the series still ends on relatively grim note, which is interesting given the mostly light hearted nature of the series. The characters themselves get little to no development, but they are good, funny characters and that's all that really matters in this case. Garrison (Banjou's butler) is personally my favorite character from the show, but Banjou himself is a great lead character as well. Little can be said about the main antagonists without spoiling the story, but they are pretty solid for a super robot series, albeit being a little under-developed.
The music and animation hold up well for how dated it is, the music in particular. The music is very fitting and just feels classic all around, I personally loved it and even searched out the OST. 70s groovy-ness at it's finest. The animation isn't too much to write home about, but it's very comical which is why I give it praise. Even for late 70s it's a little weak at times, but the strength of the animation comes in the hilarious character expressions and situations they're put in. To it's credit from a critical standpoint though, there are several still-shots throughout the show that look great.
Overall the average anime fan probably won't love Daitarn 3, but any anime fans interested in mecha, or even just comedy, may want to add this one to the list someday. It's a super robot show that people outside the realm of mecha fandom can enjoy despite it's dated elements, episodic nature, and lack of proper plot development.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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