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.
