Reviews

While Ziggy isn't exactly good, it deserves attention from those who have a taste for the kind of wild, anything goes type of anime that was easily available in the 80s/early 90s OVA scene. The plot's absurd, the characters are barely developed, and the animation is mediocre, but who cares? You get to watch a Japanese hair metal band run around London, play bad songs, and clear themselves of murder charges! The film contains some unintentional comedy at its finest and deserves a viewing (preferably after a few drinks).

There are a lot of great moments in Ziggy just waiting for well-deserved mockery, like the band playing an impromptu concert while on the run from the police, and a hilariously sexist and clueless scene where the members of an all-female punk-ish band giggle around in the kitchen, happily cooking a big meal for the all-male members of Ziggy and some assorted British punk dudes. You will also learn, again and again and again, about how important it is to never stop rockin'.

To be fair, the people in charge of this production weren't completely deluded into thinking an audience would hail this fiasco as being great art. Once you learn why Ziggy's been framed for murder, it's pretty clear that the whole movie's just meant to be a joke. The big reveal is genuinely hilarious and in the best tradition of campy films featuring rock bands. There's an aerial battle that takes absurdity to new levels, and plenty of other deliberately ludicrous moments leading to the grand finale.

I had a lot of fun watching this little gem and definitely recommend it for a certain kind of anime fan. Ziggy is never dull. You'll be laughing (or at least cringing) all the way through. Just don't expect it to be anything more than what it is: an obscure bit of anime that manages to entertain despite itself.