Muteking the Dancing Hero

Muteking the Dancing Hero is a reboot of a classic Tatsunoko Super Hero series from 1980 about a dancing superhero named Muteking... Yeah that's the premise really and it's great to have a show with such a classic and fun feel!

The main story follows Muteki, a street dancer who just moved to "Neo San Francisco," with his Aunt and is caught up with the local Corporation Supergiant, OctinQ, a basic parody on Apple and Tesla, who plans to use their own product and advertising such as a Virtual Idol, named Aurora, to turn the citizens into an energy source for evil aliens. Muteki meets DJ, ... who entrusts him with the power of Muteking! A Tokusatsu-esque hero who defeats aliens with the power of dancing to the classic 80s theme song every episode, as cheesy as it is, it's pretty awesome. I personally never get tired of this kinda stuff and this show has so much heart and love for a generation of hero that's pretty bygone. It's a basic anti-corporation/monopoly message and supporting smaller businesses, but it works well and feels like something from the 1980s while also feeling pretty sleek.

MUTEKING THE Dancing HERO is, in my eyes, a masterpiece of lightweight anime. Really the only bit of the show I don't feel is top-tier is the story, which tends to be on the cheesy and shallow side a lot of the time. The cheese is definitely intentional; it's a Tatsunoko remake, and the plot isn't nearly as important as the world it takes place in and the people Muteki meets. Neo San Francisco is filled to the brim with characters who, even without ever being introduced, are memorable and you come to care about as Muteki familiarizes himself with the city he protects. It's ... incredibly clear that the team working on it is overwhelmingly passionate about the show, even if they're tight on money/time/resources/etc. They've pumped so much genuine care into the series that even when it gets nearly incomprehensibly weird I still can't help but love every minute. It almost reminds me of an Ikuni series. The finale, while mostly satisfying, stumbles over itself in a way that just breaks my heart. Overall, I'd definitely recommend that people give this show a watch.

Also, Vivi-nee is the best character and anyone who disagrees can catch these hands.

Banking on the modern revival of 1980s pop culture, we have a remake of a 1980 Tokusatsu inspired children's anime... by Ryosuke Takahashi of Armored Trooper VOTOMS fame? Well, I just had to check this one out and I am glad I did.

Story: 5,5/10
Muteking the Dancing Hero is an anime based on a simple concept, seen in anime and western animation alike hundreds of times before. An evil plot threatens the regular lives of people in Neo-San Francisco. Mixed in there is a subtle critique of modern day large scale capitalism, gentrification and consumerism from a most likely social democratic perspective. As for the main ... plot itself, it was decent, but I thought like the final few episodes needed a bit more time than they actually got to develop some of the plotlines, so it felt kinda rushed. For a goofy and light hearted show though, it was perfectly fine.

Art: 8/10
Muteking is primarily an anime that aims to capture the feeling of a decade past, and it does so in the most hyperbolic way possible. The city of Neo-San Francisco is colorful and vibrant, the CGI scenes don't feel jarring and you will find yourself cheering each time a certain sequence is shown on the screen in a large part of the anime. Is the artstyle purposely exaggerated? Yes, and I liked it a lot.

Sound: 10/10
The soundtrack to Muteking is full of bangers, starting from the opening to the original 1980 anime to the insert songs of one of the characters in the show and even an instrumental to one of the most famous city pop songs of all time, it manages to mix in the 80s nostalgia with modernity really well.

Characters: 7/10
Muteking has quite a large cast of characters, and both of the main characters and several of the secondary characters receive a surprising amount of attention. While remembering that this show is a remake of a kids' show, it's no surprise that these are still simple and not complex ones. The best character in my opinion is a certain suave mystery man, who really shone in parts of the anime.

Enjoyment: 7,5/10
Muteking is a very fun show that doesn't take itself seriously and it knows well what it's aiming for. I found myself excited for every new episode, and despite the enthusiasm being lessened by the final few episodes, it was a very enjoyable anime to watch and a good surprise return of an old school director to making new shows.

Overall: 7,5/10
Despite its current score being on the low side, you will likely enjoy Muteking if you don't mind it being cheesy like a 70s super robo mecha show.