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Nov 13, 2011
Note: This review of Unicorn is based only on what has aired to date, not on any speculation or information about future plot developments.
As the eagerly-awaited by most fans continuation of the Universal Century plot, Unicorn was going to have a lot to live up to and I would say that from a strong start is has shown signs perhaps of losing its way. As a novel adaptation, I cannot speak of its accuracy although have heard that it deviates significantly, especially in episodes 3 and 4.
The plot is a complex affair of double-crossing, double agents and interlocked schemes as a conspiracy story plays out
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in space. In the fourth episode, one of the characters claims that it's like he is being shown all the stages of man's downfall - and at times the plot does seem like a procession of scenes like that. From the opening, showing the collapse of the Universal Century's ideals to the fourth's episode's battles in and around the base where "Stardust Memory" begins, featuring what another character calls a "war museum" of mechs from the franchise, Unicorn is heavy on spectacle and homage.
It does a fair job of explaining what's going on and why a viewer should know the significance of the Red Comet, Neo Zeon and Puru 12, but ultimately if you haven't seen at least the original series, Zeta and Char's Counterattack it will leave a lot of questions. Knowing the plot of ZZ Gundam as well would be really useful.
So the overall arc of the plot can be described as confused and deep in references to other series, but this was always intended to be for the fans. Much like GaoGaiGar Final, it relies on people's good memories of the things it is derived from and builds on that, rather than as a standalone OVA.
In fact, GGG F is a valid comparison for series' action, too. It is heavy on spectacle, and attempts to have a grittiness that other franchise entries don't. Everything is trying to outdo everything else in having the most gratituous shots of mechs exploding in gouts of liquid metal, of pilots and bystanders vapourised, of weapons that are ever-more over the top from laser chainguns that rip enemies apart to a basic standby rifle of capital-ship power.
That said, it works. The fights have an excellent sense of tension, pacing and choreography for the most part. Whereas I felt GGG F went too far into spectacle and excess, Unicorn is like the Modern Warfare of the Gundam universe - everything is tactical and full of superweapons (right down to the frankly excessive Jesta, a GM variant with a holographic sight, folding stock and suppressor on its ENERGY WEAPON, and Geara Zulu, which takes the Germanic aesthetic of the Zaku and its variants to the logical extreme with a WW2 gasmask and helmet for its head section.)
In terms of art and music, Unicorn excels. The battles are colourful and dynamic and a joy to watch. The soundtrack is excellent, probably one of the best a recent anime has had (particularly recommended are MAD-NUG from episode 4, UNICORN from episode 1 and ZERO GRAVITY, used throughout the series).
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So to sum up Unicorn, if you are at all a fan of Gundam, it is likely to be immensely enjoyable. It is full of recognisable characters and robots coming out with the same lines over the same battlefields, only more so. Where ZZ had the Quin Mantha, Unicorn has the Kshatriya which may as well be two welded together. Where CCA had the Nu Gundam, this has the Unicorn, which is almost childlike in its one-upmanship.
That's not to say it's a bad OVA. Compared to the other Universal Century OVAs, only "War in the Pocket" is better. It is reminiscent of "Stardust Memory" in its style, and visual glitz and focus on action and making Gundam into an all-action experience - but handles its plot better for the most part. It is reminiscent of "08th MS Team" in its desire to show giant robot battles as being violent affairs - but is more exciting and less infuriating.
8/10 is a fair score, I think. It's impossible not to, if you know anything about Gundam, be impressed by it. Not to smile at characters in-universe talking about things you've seen. In creating the Universal Century as a credible setting, it succeeds.
But at the same time, some major plot developments in episode 4 involving the climactic fight show it is perhaps drifting away from what order it had, and changing tone.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 26, 2011
All told this show does nothing particularly noteworthy or exceptional. It is a very standard enemy-of-the-week arc-based super hero show, notable mostly for its superb OP (Makka Na Chikai) and some very amusing characters (Papillon).
However, if you want one of these sorts of shows and don't want a massive time sink, it's worth looking into. It's only 26 episodes and has a standard two-arc plot - a first villain who was NOT THE REAL VILLAIN and a power up etc etc.
Some of the supervillains and superheroes have creative abilities, often underused (like the 3 guys who form a Getter Robo/Macross homage) and some get the
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short end of the stick (the girl whose power is atmosphere manipulation, for example). The fights, the bread-and-butter of the series after all, are exciting (even if the final confrontations are a little anticlimactic) and don't rely too much on sword clashes followed by dramatic shouting. There's some good fight choreography, even if the villains are very much set up to be in a league above the sidekicks.
However, as a straight character comedy/action show it is very enjoyable despite the plot not being anything special. The dub is not bad at all, either. Well worth giving a shot if you want something funny, exciting and formulaic.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Feb 9, 2011
This show, up until the final 3 episodes, was set to be a solid 8 or 9. You had solid mech combat, interesting politics, exciting action and a good bit of humour.
Then it all goes a bit surreal.
In terms of plot, until the bizarre ending arc, you have a strong revenge story with a nice rebellion arc, about a prince trying to slaughter his way through his corrupt dynasty and avenge his mother.
He is able to do this thanks to mind control powers and fanatically loyal allies.
All well and good - there's a nice side-plot with a telepathic kidnapper, and an enemy ace pilot trying
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to stop the hero.
However, the final arc is written to lead into a sequel that wasn't really needed, and goes totally pear-shaped. A minor villain is brought back as the final enemy. The technology accelerates past what you're used to. A ridiculous stand off occurs.
In short, it's a very weak ending.
The art is very much an acquired taste - the characters are very elongated and that may not appeal. The scenery is simple but adequate, and the mech designs are solid throughout. Music and sound are also good for the most part - the OP from FLOW (also known for the first opening of Eureka 7) is a really good choice.
Overall, though, this show is ruined by a completely stupid and rushed ending to hook into a sequel. It could have been ended nicely after 25 episodes (although the last couple would have needed reworking) but instead plummets downhill. I was sitting slack-jawed in confusion as all manner of bizarre developments occurred, and there was very little resolution of what was going on. Much like Gravion, this is a show designed around its second season - unlike Gravion, this decision is badly implemented.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Oct 23, 2010
Up until I watched Iczer 1, I thought the cliche of "tentacle rape" was a fabrication, or the realm solely of Urotsukidoji.
It really isn't. Iczer 1 has phallic tendrils in abundance, and its all-female cast getting drenched with a variety of organic fluids, tied up, and threatened with penetration. To be honest this is actually really creepy.
The plot is pretty much non-existent, with enemies invading and being fought by first human soldiers and then by the heroes with their mystical robot that involves naked girls covered in electrodes. It's got the bizarre pacing of something like Zeorymer, and a real focus on extreme gore and
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sexuality. The fights are not exactly dynamic or interesting, with the main robot having a limited range of attacks which often aren't that flashy or exciting. The on-foot stuff tends towards predictable sequences of people (mostly families) exploding messily into tentacled monsters who then shamble around and menace the female cast.
What it does have going for it is reasonable art. The style is classic 80s OVA, and handled well. However, the mech designs are nothing new if you've seen Zeorymer, Detonator Orgun or any similar OVAs, and the characters aren't massively interestingly designed either. Shiny black outfits predominate, and 80s hair styles.
The soundtrack isn't exceptional (not compared to something awesome like MD Geist's use of Merciless Soldier), either.
All told, Iczer 1 is worth watching only if you really like ecchi, bondage and guro interspersed with mecha action. Not one of Obari's finest hours, especially when compared to something hilarious and fun like Gravion or SRW The Inspectors.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Sep 11, 2010
I wouldn't call myself a huge fan of relationship comedy anime outside of a few exceptional examples (for me, those would be Nodame Cantabile's first season and Maison Ikkoku) but I did thoroughly enjoy this OVA. The jokes hit the mark more often than they don't and the way in which it mixes a mock-serious sci-fi story with a bunch of very silly subplots is what makes it stand out.
To begin with, the plot. It's a somewhat standard "hopeless boy surrounded by diverse girls embodying different fantasies" comedy on the surface, although the girls are a more interesting bunch than "cute one, tsundere, sister figure
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etc" by virtue of also being parodies of sci-fi anime archetypes; alien princess, super-strong killing machine, child genius, futuristic special forces. On top of that there are a series of events that make up a sci-fi plotline of their own which is reminiscent of other light-hearted adventure shows like Outlaw Star.
As a whole, it's enjoyable and offers a nice twist on the usual harem comedy.
The art design is very 90s. The characters are drawn in a style that screams Outlaw Star, which is quite fitting for the sci-fi styling. While it could be considered functional and unremarkable, it is nevertheless fun and, to my mind, distinctive. You wouldn't want the curvy and emotive characters of a Takahashi comedy show, or a hard-line Dynamic Pro style full of facial hair and giant melons, for a show which at its heart is a love letter to 90s sci-fi anime.
Sound is unremarkable but impossible to complain about - the dub voice acting ranges from quite bad to very funny, and the "Ayeka laugh" is pretty iconic as THE female villain laugh. It's a show of caricatures, and so exaggerated voices are ideal.
The characters are all funny and well-developed for what could easily have been one-note jokes, setting the show apart from the competition. Mihoshi manages to quite nicely be a comic homage to characters from Bubblegum Crisis, Outlaw Star and other shows, as an example.
In terms of pure fun factor, you can't beat this OVA. It's a far above average example of a genre that is crowded with unremarkable entries.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Aug 7, 2010
Having never seen the original Tetsujin 28/Gigantor, I came into this series not really knowing what to expect. The result was one of the best mecha anime I've ever seen, and I don't consider that an exaggeration.
The story is a complex and emotionally-charged one, set immediately after the Second World War and focussing on the American occupation of Japan and its reconstruction. This is handled tastefully and without pulling punches - and although the show is heavily supernatural (drawing on Yokoyama's original ideas and elements of Imagawa's earlier Giant Robo), episodes such as "The Melancholy of Dr Black" and "The Glowing Entity" have both alternate
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history elements and science fiction elements, resulting in some powerful scenes.
To mention too much of the overarching plot would ruin the impact of the final arc, but one of the strengths of Tetsujin 28 is the way in which short plot arcs, one-off enemies and a series-long intrigue are all resolved in due time. Similarly, the robot itself is rarely the sole focus of an episode - for a portion of the show, it is not present and does not fight. This allows the series to focus on its characters, a varied and well-developed group from the constantly conflicted protagonists Shotaro and Dr Shikishima to even the more comic figures of Ohtsuka and Ms. Takamizawa. The enemies all have their own tragedies and intrigues, and as a result the show rarely feels like a simplistic rogues' gallery pitted against an elite heroic group.
The art style is a matter of taste - it has the big-eyed, expressive style that evokes early cartoons and animation, a far cry from Giant Robo's gritty and dynamic style or G Gundam's colourful and madcap designs. This is a strength of the series to my mind, since it really shows what it is - a child's eye view of terrifying and moving events. However, it will not appeal to people who prefer the heavy-lined and detailed style of 80s OVA animation.
In terms of music and sound, Tetsujin also excels. The opening theme is an upbeat march that puts many super robot theme tunes to shame in its cheerfulness and heroism, and this contrasts starkly with the world the series creates. The incidental music is period-appropriate and provides a good sense of drama without being overbearing.
To summarise, Tetsujin 28 is pretty much required viewing to any mecha fan. It draws on the very roots of the genre, and the mind of the great Yokoyama - mixing it with Imagawa's own genius. As a simple super robot remake it outdoes Shin Mazinger, but Tetsujin can be considered more than that. It's a show which challenges the idea of the super robot genre by setting it against a backdrop of conflicts and tragedies that no robot can easily fix.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jul 21, 2010
After the really excellent GaoGaiGar TV series, I was very excited for the follow-up OVA, which promised bigger and better fights, more robots, more enemies and more characters.
I certainly got all of that, but I wouldn't say it had the charm of the original. The TV series is approximately 25 episodes of classic super robot plot updated for modern audiences with plucky kids, brave heroes, talking robots and masses of explosions and shouting, followed by another 24 episodes of a more arc-based plot with its own exciting story and charm. It's a good solid show for anyone who loves or loved the classic super robots
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of the 70s and 80s.
The OVA tries to be more edgy and adult, with the stakes raised to massive levels and the villains more "mature" in design. As a case in point - GGG TV had for its villains a train conductor, a masked pilot, a ballerina and a sailor. Then it had a clown and a team of mutant enemies themed on body parts.
GGG Final has a dominatrix, the Grim Reaper, a doctor who injects himself to become more powerful and a plethora of creepy kids and other misfits. When you've got a PVC and spikes clad villain chaining up the female heroes and "disciplining" them, or an oversized doctor using his "Doping" powers, it's not quite as charmingly pulp as what you've come to expect. There's also a lot more nudity and fanservice, and to be honest it doesn't really work.
The battles tend to be inconclusive as the show saves itself for the final hour-long episode, something that mecha OVAs and movies sometimes fall prey to (Char's Counterattack seems to come to mind) and even then the fight relies on fakeout deaths and stalemates until its climax, at which point it's all over. The real problem is how it's set up in terms of power-ups. The intial fights, which pit GaoGaiGar against itself, are great. However, then the villains need to be shown as more powerful than the planet-sized Z Master who capped off the TV series - and this means the heroes need another couple of power-ups which only serve to make GGG more ridiculously tough and (in my opinion) a lot uglier than its original form.
The ending of the OVA also bears discussion - it attempts at the same time to be hopeless ala Zambot 3, and have a noble sacrifice, while also leaving it open for a sequel. As a result, it doesn't really work at all. When you've raised the stakes as you have, the ending either needs to be full-on heroic or actually tragic, rather than inconclusive.
All in all, GGG Final is a beautifully animated follow-up to the TV series which unfortunately misses what made the series so good. Overpowered robots and massive stakes do not instantly equal quality - as any Russell T Davies Dr Who finale, Godmars and Gundam SEED Destiny all prove. Similarly, the villains are dull for all their "extreme"-ness - I'd rather have plainer designs like the Zonderians, but at least they had personality from Penchinon's creepy laughing to the actually quite sinister behaviour of Primada.
It's worth a watch if you're a completist or a fan of the show, since the fights are well-choreographed, but in this case bigger doesn't equal better - and GGG could happily have been left at the ending of the series.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jul 21, 2010
I'll begin this by saying that the Baldios movie is arguably the "true ending" of the series ala Be Invoked for Ideon. The TV series was cut short and so while its ending is a uniquely depressing one, the movie develops it far more in a horribly inevitable twist which is no less powerful for its predictability.
It's very rare for a super robot show to have its heroes fail completely by the end - even Ideon and Zambot 3 have some measure of a victory in them - but Baldios certainly has that.
The essential plot is that an evil army called Aldebaran invade Earth to
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capture it as a new homeworld after some massive disaster has destroyed their homeworld, S1. The hero, a S1 man called Marin, fights alongside human experts in the robot Baldios, and along the way many revelations become apparent until the shocking ending plays out with the heroes powerless against it.
The story is bleak and hopeless, setting up plot events that the audience know cannot hope but play out no matter what the heroes do, and it is this which makes Baldios such a good movie. Much like Zambot 3, themes of distrust and paranoia play into the plot, and Marin's relationship with his fellow S1 and humanity provide a key conflict.
In terms of animation, Baldios is superb throughout. There is surprisingly little combat for a super robot movie, but this doesn't feel like a bad thing since the focus is really on Marin's conflict with the S1 refugees on a personal level. Admittedly, the flaws of the plot show through at times - a subplot about two S1 soldiers is given two scenes but could have been developed on in interesting ways, as is a plotline about the ruthlessness of S1 command, while on the human side, the governments of Earth aren't given the time that perhaps they could have been.
The soundtrack is also excellent, the ending and insert songs being incredibly powerful and moving, while the TV OP is used in an instrumental form throughout although often abbreviated.
Since Baldios in movie form attempts to retell the plot of the series while also expanding upon it, some of the character development suffers in the same way as in Do You Remember Love. Much focus is given to Marin and Aphrodia, arguably the two leads, while the other villains, Gattler and Negros, don't get as much focus. Similarly, the rest of the Blue Fixer's crew aren't given enough focus, which makes their response to the climax of the film a little less effective.
If, however, you are prepared to accept Space Warrior Baldios as a retelling of a series which unfortunately was cut short, and understand that while it is named for a super robot, the robot isn't really the main focus, you'll find a very good movie that's up with Be Invoked, Macross: Do You Remember Love, Soldiers of Sorrow and Macross Plus as one of the best mecha movies of all time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 11, 2010
Despite thoroughly enjoying the somewhat saucy Kotetsushin Jeeg and both seasons of Gravion, Godannar left me totally cold. It felt like it had gone far too far into the realm of an ecchi comedy show with its enormous cleavage, absurd outfits and sexually themed super robots (I'm looking at the combination between the male and female robots, or the dominatrix robot.)
Add to that very uninteresting enemies and a strangely convoluted plot which never engaged me, and it's a show which I can't recommend at all unless you really like breasts and super robots. And for me, the robots weren't interesting enough and the breasts were
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too prominent. Many of the female characters are grossly endowed in a hentai-esque manner, and the "gimmick" of a husband-and-wife robot team was curiously misogynistic. Anna was portrayed as a transgressive wife who wasn't sufficiently domesticated and Goh's sweetheart was the more passive figure.
This didn't sit well with me.
There was always the potential within the show for it to be good fun, but when you're cringing at the absurd proportions of the characters (And even some of the robots) it's just not that good in the end. Similarly, had the fights been more interesting and the enemies better than simply bug aliens, I may have enjoyed it more.
So, to conclude (for this is only a short review), Godannar has awkwardly portrayed relationships which didn't sit well with me, mostly uninspired super robot action which wasn't as engaging as something like GaoGaiGar, and comedy which falls flat a lot of the time. That said, I'm sure it has an audience and I simply don't fall into it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Jul 11, 2010
Gravion is a very fun show which has a particularly retro feel, and that's why it's so enjoyable. It completely embraces every cliche of the super robot genre and does so so openly that you can't help but enjoy it in the same way as a show like GaoGaiGar.
The plot of the first season is mostly simplistic - enemies invade from space, conventional weapons don't work and the super robot is all that can fight them effectively. There's a slight plot about the main character's search for a missing sister but really nothing is done with this until the second season. Instead, you get lots
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of explosions, shouting, nicely animated fights and interesting enemies. Some people might think this too simple, but at 13 episodes it's a lot more manageable than say the 50 of a show like Voltes V or the nearly 100 episodes of Mazinger Z.
The music is consistently great, with JAM Project doing a sterling job with the incredibly catchy opening and action themes. Similarly, the little details both in sound and visual design give Gravion a sense of weight and power that some robots don't have - the way it takes a steady stance and clamps itself down before using a rocket punch is a great detail.
However, the action is only half the appeal of Gravion. The other half is the comedy, which is at least on a par with Full Metal Panic, and to my mind better. It's mostly simple harem stuff like cross-dressing, voyeurism and so on, but it's done well and generally raises a good few laughs each episode. The cast of characters is amusing, from the mostly female robot team to the two male pilots and Sandman, the dramatic operator.
This brings this review quite nicely into the strongest point of Gravion - its English dub. The voice actor for Sandman is excellent, getting the right tone while sounding like he's really enjoying himself.
All that said, it definitely warrants saying that Gravion has elements of the ecchi genre in it as well as the mecha action. The girls are carefully chosen to fit all the core fetishes of a harem show, and most of the humour is sexual. However, it reminded me more of Kotetsushin Jeeg's laddish humour than Godannar's more awkward sexual jokes.
If you don't mind a good amount of risque humour and bouncing boobies in your mecha show, and love JAM Project and oldschool super robot action, then Gravion is well worth watching. The main complaint, though, has to be the reduced significance of the main arc plot in season 1 - it sets itself mostly up for season 2.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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