posts tagged “Strictly Old-School”

03 Jul 2008

Buy Avodart Without Prescription

Posted by Martin [Tags: Strictly Old-School]

Casshan OAV cover Buy Avodart Without Prescription, The Casshan franchise is an odd thing for me. Discount Avodart, Apparently it started in the 1970s as a TV series (which I have yet to see) but its cult status earned it the live-action treatment as Casshern (which I'm still in two minds about in terms of quality, but at least Shiro Sagisu's musical score was good) and this, Avodart online cod, Where can i order Avodart without prescription, a four-part OAV, which was also edited by Harmony Gold (stop that booing and hissing in the back row, buy cheap Avodart, Avodart natural, guys!) as a feature film. It seems that Japan can't get enough of its angsty hunter of robots either since there's a new TV series planned for later this year, Avodart long term. Order Avodart from mexican pharmacy, As much as it sounds like cash-in, it'll be produced by Madhouse so I'm not complaining or anything, Avodart forum. Get Avodart, So then, this Casshan fellow seems to be quite an enduring icon that has a deep-rooted domestic following, buy Avodart no prescription, Avodart used for, possibly because those in positions of influence in the industry remember the original 70s TV show from when they were kids. The OAV certainly seems like a fond nostalgia-fest since it has such a retro feel and makes no visible effort in certain areas to distance itself from the 70s aesthetic, Buy Avodart Without Prescription.

Although I haven't actually seen the original TV show I did enjoy the live action Casshern to a certain degree, Avodart interactions. Avodart australia, uk, us, usa, The OAV Casshan the Robot Hunter takes a similar, if less serious and cinematic, Avodart coupon, Avodart treatment, approach but I still felt at quite a disadvantage due to my lack of background knowledge; in the same way that Michael Bay's movie about robots that turn into household objects looks weird unless you grew up in the 80s and therefore are aware of how important an institution Transformers has been. To that end, Avodart wiki, What is Avodart, I watched Casshan the Robot Hunter through a rose tinted lens, with a sense that certain merits would inevitably pass over my head; watching it as a piece of trashy nostalgia with that in mind was a wise move so I wound up enjoying it quite a bit, Avodart duration. Buy Avodart without a prescription,

This robot is PWNED!

Cheese is, when slapped onto a slice of toast and chucked under a medium grill with a dash of Lea & Perrins, kjøpe Avodart på nett, köpa Avodart online, Where can i find Avodart online, a welcome addition to a boring night in; and so is the case with this show. Buy Avodart Without Prescription, Sorry if any hardcore Casshan fans take this the wrong way but it's as cheesy as they come; I do think that pointing out plot holes of aspects that look silly or derivative is missing the point by a mile, however. The premise is simple: he's a guy called Casshan who hunts robots, Avodart images. Buy no prescription Avodart online, Robots are taking over the world, as intelligent AI life forms do, japan, craiglist, ebay, overseas, paypal, Avodart no rx, so the son of the scientist responsible for their development sets out to undo his family's mistake by transforming himself into a half-human, half machanical warrior, fast shipping Avodart. Doses Avodart work, This premise allow for A LOT of battles against robots, a dystopian sci-fi worldview and a hero with a whole truckload of inner conflict and Angst, Avodart brand name. Is Avodart safe, What can go wrong.

The answer is, not much, Buy Avodart Without Prescription. Part of the nostalgia thing is the predictable nature of the story and ideas, Avodart no prescription, Order Avodart from United States pharmacy, so it gives you a warm comfort zone when watching because things play out exactly how you expect them to. In fairness to the show, purchase Avodart online, Avodart class, its OAV origins and 90s vintage mean that while the aesthetic is retro the animation isn't as much so: the fight scenes (especially the finale) are well done without losing the old school vibe. The antagonist is given a suitably bad-ass name of Black King Boss, order Avodart no prescription, Ordering Avodart online, has plenty of diabolical plans and plenty of inept subordinates that make the hero's chances of success a bit higher. He even laughs maniacally, adding to the camp silliness of it all and boosts the fun factor still further; this really is something worth considering if you find it going cheap.

Black King Boss: just your regular robotic villain

Buy Avodart Without Prescription, The story is actually one notch above the mediocre though - the first episode builds up a nice mythology around the character of Casshan, throwing up the possibility that he's nothing more than a legend; this makes the appearance of the man himself a little more significant (in the eyes of the other characters) and dramatic (in the eyes of the viewer). There's his family legacy which drives him and casts doubts on his motives adding a bit to his character, plus there's a troubled relationship with his sweetheart Luna, a woman who is coming to terms with the fact that the man she once loved is now part-machine.

Moral ambivalence, albeit that of a simple and tried-and-tested nature, also makes an appearance. Fighting against the robots is effectively siding with the species that's ruining the planet: the third episode (which reminds me a lot of The Bridge over the River Kwai) is centred around Casshan stopping a Neoroid utopia being created, along with inner conflict affecting his actions along the way.

A time for angsting, for romancing...

This idea of humans fighting for survival and the right to live as we please being A Good Thing from our point of view and A Bad Thing from the point of view of the rest of the planet has been used in fiction a lot, of course. The AI in I, Robot for instance tries to enslave humans to save them from themselves and there is of course Agent Smith's view of humanity as a disease of the planet in the first Matrix movie; the same parallel can also be found in Aramaki's first Appleseed movie and Nausicäa's worldview too, Buy Avodart Without Prescription. Hell, what am I saying. Is this supposed to be a Deep and Meaningful piece of philosophy pertaining to humanity's place on the Earth.

Of course not. It's all about the Angsty Hero turning up in the nick of time with his busty would-be love interest (the delightful Luna is keeping the concept of the Gainax Bounce™ alive) and cyborg dog to kick robotic butt and fight for humanity's freedom and survival; when it does this with such a retro, no-nonsense attitude I can't judge it too harshly. His motives of siding with humans may be questionable but sometimes it's refreshing to just enjoy a bit of action without Shirow or Miyazaki making me think to hard - he's humanity's hero so as a human I felt obliged to cheer him on. Who could do it, if not Casshan. ^_^.

[No Comments]

[OAVs, Movies and Full Series]

14 Jan 2008

Buy Reglan Without Prescription

Posted by Martin [Tags: Macross, Strictly Old-School]

It pains me to admit that I still haven't seen the original SDF Macross Buy Reglan Without Prescription, series - put it down to a combination of waiting on an announcement from ADV for a R2 release and lament@backlog. Robotech doesn't really count as an experience of the series itself either since certain names had been changed, what is Reglan, Where can i buy cheapest Reglan online, some concepts altered and others shoehorned into the script to make the transition to the two subsequent arcs smoother. As a result my experience of the Macross universe is limited to that indirect encounter, Reglan cost, Reglan photos, the Plus movie and OAV (masterpiece), Zero (pretty-shiny but lacking in plot and characterisation) and Frontier (a good start but we'll have to wait until Spring to see how it pans out), buy generic Reglan. Reglan pictures, Mindful that the original Macross is ‘teh oldz’, I sat down to watch Do You Remember Love? with the anticipation of seeing a somewhat cheesy old-school but classic anime movie, taking Reglan. Purchase Reglan, I wasn't disappointed.

A magical moment between Ichijyo and Minmay

DYRL? does look dated though, Buy Reglan Without Prescription. The artwork is rough and the music is quintessentially 80s, Reglan dosage, Reglan used for, the outlines and character designs have a shaky hand-drawn appearance and the screenplay has that innocent clumsiness that is found in a lot of older features. Considering its age however, herbal Reglan, Buy cheap Reglan, the animation is actually very impressive. While the art lacks polish the choreography of the mecha battles is remarkably fluid and exhilerating for its time; an early scene featuring Lynn Minmay in concert exhibits some brilliant stage effects including a holographic light show that no doubt inspired the footage of Sharon Apple's live act a decade down the line, Reglan from canada. Reglan coupon, You can scoff at the retro Jpop, but looking at how popular music often ages with the passing years I don't think Minmay's songs have done too badly at all, buy cheap Reglan no rx. Buy Reglan Without Prescription, Besides, Mari Ijima has real musical talent, which invariably helps. Order Reglan from United States pharmacy, There are of course some strident classical-style pieces in the more dramatic moments but orchestral film scores are orchestral film scores after all, be it the 70s, cheap Reglan no rx, Buy Reglan online no prescription, 80s, 90s or 00s - just look at how John Williams' most well-known movie themes can enthrall to this day, Reglan description. Reglan recreational, The original series, as far as I can tell, buy Reglan from mexico, Reglan overnight, dealt with a wide range of issues including the futility of war and racial prejudice that added some more substance to the space opera staples of loves triangles and the loss of loved ones in battle. Here the characterisation is wisely retained at the expense of the politics, buy no prescription Reglan online, Reglan long term, so we're thrown into the story at the point where the Macross is already in space and the war is in full swing - the focus is on the romantic element and how it affects the course of the conflict. The end result is a powerful story told in the space of one feature film; an important factor no doubt in this movie's production values being somewhat higher than the TV version, purchase Reglan online no prescription. There is, perhaps inevitably, some shuffling done to the sequence of events but in all honesty the screenplay unfolds well enough, Buy Reglan Without Prescription. Reglan without prescription, Besides, a scene-for-scene carbon copy of the original story would be a bit pointless anyway, online buying Reglan hcl. Reglan mg,

You have to admit, valkyries still pwn
You have to admit, what is Reglan, Reglan samples, valkyries still pwn...with not a frame of CGI in sight. They don't make 'em like that any more

Hikaru Ichijyo is a great protagonist since he shows that exciting loose cannon side but is at the same time a heroic individual who isn't boorish or arrogant in the same way that jet pilots are often portrayed in film and TV, order Reglan no prescription. Online buying Reglan, His indecision between Minmay and Hayase is understandable really, taking his age and the uncertainty that surrounds him; on the other hand neither of the two ladies in his life can be blamed for receiving mixed signals, fast shipping Reglan. Buy Reglan Without Prescription, Roy Foker on the other hand IS arrogant and boorish, but he's so badass that his inherent gar-ness makes him awesome by default. Reglan no prescription, With Kamina's demise in Gurren Lagann still fresh in my mind, I was half-expecting him to scream "believe in the me who believes in you!" when he blasts away some Zentraedi bad guys for the last time and allows Hikaru to escape, Reglan australia, uk, us, usa.

Make no mistake, there are some pretty clichéd moments that have been re-used by Macross franchise and others since DYRL?'s release, but remember that this and the TV series are the point where much of it began - it's something that can be best described as retro charm. With all of the film's other strengths aside fans of old-school anime, and Macross aficionados in particular, will be in their absolute element here.

Roy Foker tells it like it is: huerrgh!

It comes as no surprise really that I found Minmay to be every bit as irritating as her reputation among fans suggests. There's a scene towards the end where Ichijyo physically slaps her to the ground when she's having a selfish emo diva moment - I can count this as the one occasion when a violent act against a female character in anime is somewhere near justified, Buy Reglan Without Prescription. I'm not using the old age of the story as an excuse here: she thoroughly deserves a sharp wake-up call in regards to the sacrifices made and her own responsibilities (and yes, I think Shinji deserved a similar bitch-slap in EoE, in case you think I'm some sort of ignorant misogynist).

It was a pleasant surprise to see that the Ichijyo/Minmay/Hayase triangle was handled so convincingly actually, with plenty of ‘will they-won't they’ moments and no easy answer right up until the end. With Minmay's irksome nature notwithstanding, I think it was a decent resolution given the experiences the various characters shared; while it may not be the exact outcome some viewers were expecting (I can't of course say how the original series ended at the time of writing) it's not exactly spawned from out-of-the-blue developments either. Suffice to say, those of you unconvinced at an old movie's ability to deliver on the characterisation front may become converts after this one.

ZOMG. Zentraedi!

Summary

If you're after a retelling of the Macross story within the confines of one feature film Do You Remember Love? pretty much fits the bill. The animation isn't as bad as I'd feared and the inevitable omissions are by and large well-chosen, allowing extra emphasis on the character relationships and their significance in the bigger picture. This after all is what any epic drama is all about: the true cost of warfare lacks emotional clout unless the plight of individuals is effectively conveyed. I'm sure purists may balk at some of the changes but as a companion piece to the franchise it's also a winner - I'm now even more inclined to see the original, this time as Shoji Kawamori intended.

[5 Comments]

[OAVs, Movies and Full Series]

06 Jan 2008

Ampicillin For Sale

Posted by Martin [Tags: Strictly Old-School]

I don't know whether I'd be speaking too harshly of Golgo 13: The Professional Ampicillin For Sale, in saying how bad it is. Make no mistake, buy Ampicillin online no prescription, Buy Ampicillin without a prescription, it IS bad, but the fact that it's a quarter of a century old now makes me inclined to cut it a little slack, discount Ampicillin. Ampicillin dosage, It's a throwback to the cheesy, ultra-violent straight-to-video efforts that gave anime such a bad reputation in the Bad Old Days so there's a good reason as to why the animation's sometimes ropey, Ampicillin dangers, Ampicillin samples, the plotting's clumsy and the ennui-inducing levels of gratuitous sex and violence are offputting. It's an old movie, buy Ampicillin from mexico. Ampicillin from mexico, In fact, it's almost as old as I am and considerably older than most other anime movies I've seen to date, Ampicillin for sale. The opening animation sequence uses technology that was cutting edge at the time...which sadly was way back in 1983; another infamous scene, using the same techniques, features a group of CG helicopters storming a CG building but is so out-of-place it feels like it belongs to a different production, Ampicillin For Sale. Cheap Ampicillin no rx,

A badass dude with a gun: why does he remind me of Roy Orbison though?

The odd-looking CG is a minor complaint next to the excesses of nudity and meaningless bloodshed, which detract from an action thriller which actually has a decent concept and plot behind it, Ampicillin price. Ampicillin description, The movie was intended to appeal to an audience outside of the stereotypical ‘otaku' market, so owes more to the film noir and Western pulp comics than the typical anime premises, canada, mexico, india. Doses Ampicillin work, To its credit, G13: the Professional does actually feel like a mainstream action flick at times: it has a stony-faced hero, buy generic Ampicillin, Ampicillin treatment, disposable bad guys, car chases, Ampicillin online cod, Ampicillin reviews, gun fights and a plot not without an occasional clever twist, which are all ingredients for an hour and a half of fast paced, Ampicillin images, Buy no prescription Ampicillin online, undemanding entertainment. Having Osamu Dezaki on board as director also brought a bit of artistic talent and sophistication to the table too, buy Ampicillin from canada, Australia, uk, us, usa, which is evident in the more ‘cinematic’ camera angles and those watercolour still shots that he used in the Black Jack feature. Ampicillin For Sale, Enjoyment of this film hinges on whether or not the frequent (and occasionally ludicrous) violence and sexual content is enough to keep your attention in order to notice its better points. Golgo is sent to kill someone, after Ampicillin, Ampicillin duration, which he does with no hint of emotion. He then moves on to the next job, Ampicillin from canada, Kjøpe Ampicillin på nett, köpa Ampicillin online, stopping to seduce some woman or other in between. The movie wins a bonus point here for telling a decent story: the significance of many of the killings and sex acts will be lost on you but there's a definite plot in there somewhere if you have the inclination to find it, Ampicillin no prescription. Real brand Ampicillin online, Films like this are pretty common but this doesn't alter the fact that they're a decent enough way to pass the time; the problem with G13: The Professional is that certain aspects are so laughable or ineffective that they detract from the things that the films gets right. It wants to be serious and full of tension, but every now and then something out-of-place or just downright outageous crops up and ruins the moment; it's good for a laugh in that sense, Ampicillin For Sale.

Car chases FTW

Golgo himself is a stumbling block in enjoying this movie from the outset, low dose Ampicillin. Ampicillin brand name, Even when he's killing or bedding someone his expression never changes; admittedly he's wearing shades half the time anyway (even indoors...hey, I did say this was the 80s), comprar en línea Ampicillin, comprar Ampicillin baratos. Ampicillin australia, uk, us, usa, I couldn't find a reason to like him, beyond the fact that the people after him are even more heartless and detestable: the recurring bad guy gradually turns into an inhuman monster hell-bent on revenge which is interesting enough but given Golgo's complete lack of personality and his implausible ability to cheat death there's not much cause for sympathy for either, Ampicillin recreational. Taking Ampicillin, Making the hero so shrouded in mystery is a tried and tested idea but in this case it led me to ask myself "Why should I care?"

The rest of the cast fare no better. Ampicillin For Sale, Almost all of them are devoid of remorse or humanity, which makes for a gritty and pitiless backdrop riddled with bullet holes, explosions and people resorting to anything to get what they want. In a way it reminds me of the classic James Bond films or the Riding Bean OAV but sadly G13 is so intent on taking itself seriously that it lacks the playful fun element of Bean Bandit and others of his ilk; ultimately this film ends up being amusing for all the wrong reasons, generic Ampicillin.

Fight the good fight

In Summary

Golgo 13: The Professional is a superficially fun but undeniably dated feature whose entertainment value is decidedly of the mindless violence variety. If it actually did this consistently I wouldn't say that was a bad thing, but the infamous helicopter scene is one of many ill-chosen concepts that robs the film of tension and credibility. It's worth the rental but not one to stand up to many re-watches.

[1 Comment]

[OAVs, Movies and Full Series]

01 Oct 2007

Bubblegum Crisis OAV

Posted by Martin [Tags: Strictly Old-School]
Being a newish fan to anime I like to hear from the long-standing hardcore fans who can remember when fansubs were on VHS and the genre was even more of a niche and misunderstood interest than it is now; I suppose it's partly because I like to remind myself that we as fans don't have it so bad these days. Another reason why I enjoy conversations such as these is that they also make me aware of old fan favourites that have been forgotten by, or haven't been brought to the attention of, the 'new generation' of fans. The original OAV series of Bubblegum Crisis is case in point.

A shiny mecha on the warpath, yesterday Because I enjoyed the Tokyo 2040 remake, I wasn't sure how the older version would measure up. Time and technical advances aren't always kind to a show (take the Appleseed OAV for instance) so I was a bit worried when the first four or five episodes of this particular series came across as a bit dated. Unlike the remake, which has an over-arcing storyline, the OAV opts for a more episodic structure, with 'monsters of the week' for our female vigilantes to deal with in self-contained instalments. It is not until later in the series that a bigger picture emerges, at which point the series is cut somewhat disappointingly short.

Dig Sonoda's character designs Its age actually works in favour of Bubblegum Crisis at times, especially (but not exclusively) in the eyes of the more nostalgic among us. The character designs (courtesy of the legendary Kenichi Sonoda, whose talent was hot property at the time), the cyberpunk atmosphere and destinct lack of emotional angst that permeates so much of the post-Evangelion anime industry's output are old-school through and through; there are also nods to other iconic bits of pop culture of the day, such as names of characters from the Hollywood movie Top Gun that appear on a display screen at the beginning of one of the episodes. The influence of Ridley Scott's Blade Runner (a personal fave of mine too) is especially obvious: the futuristic setting, themes concerning the place of artificial life forms in human society (the android-like creatures are known as 'boomers' in BGC's case) and even certain characters' names all borrow heavily from that seminal cyberpunk movie. In some ways, Bubblegum Crisis is actually cutting-edge. It hit Japanese screens around the time when Masamune Shirow and Katsuhiro Otomo's manga creations were being given the animated treatment, during a fashion for animated sci-fi that accompanied the 80s boom of urbanisation and whatnot. Girls with guns and robots running amok in a high-rise, gritty vision of a future metropolis were in fashion and truth be told they enthrall us even now, even though the ideas has been done to death in the intervening years. It also makes use of an almost completely female central cast, with only a couple of male characters of any importance: tough-guy cop Leon's advances on Priss are given the brush-off repeatedly and his sidekick Daley is as camp as they come (I'm still convinced he's gay). The heroes of the piece, the Knight Sabers, are an all-girls organisation who buck the trend of manly heroes and the Huerrgh Factor: in that sense, this could possibly be viewed as a pro-feminist show.

The token panoramic cityscape shot Of course, Bubblegum Crisis isn't meant to be viewed as social commentary: it's principally about cute gals kicking the crap out of boomers and looking cool while they're at it, along with the personal strife that accompanies their efforts. After the shaky and formulaic opening episodes the animation quality improves, we get to know the main players a bit better and character development becomes more important. Priss gets the majority of this at first, but Nene also has an episode or two in the spotlight; had the series run longer I suspect we'd have seen more into Sylia's and Linna's minds too (plus finding out if what, if any, there was in the way of romantic stuff between Nene and Mackie). This brings me to the only real criticism of the series, which isn't really its own fault. The cold hard truth is, as much as corporate disputes were responsible, it's an unfinished story. The episodic nature actually works in its favour here since there are not a great deal of loose ends left dangling but after watching the final episode there's a feeling of much going unsaid and there are a few hints and subplots referenced earlier on that weren't followed up.

Hard suit action FTW Despite this, the series stands up well against similar fare on offer around the same time and since. The characters are engaging, the old theme of cute girls with guns kicking shiny metal ass never gets old and it's pretty well written too; no review of the series can go without mentioning the soundtrack of course. The standard by which anime OSTs were measured for years afterwards, it's a fantastic celebration of 80 synth-driven Jpop: it owes as much to the likes of Gary Numan, Depeche Mode and more upbeat pop idoru offerings of the day as the visuals do to Blade Runner and Hollywood. Even more amazingly it's more than a few slabs of 80s cheese repeated ad nauseam - every episode has a different opening and end theme, plus some of the vocal tracks that provide the background music. Even if you're not a fan of the material of that era per se, you can't help but be impressed with the standard and variety of the songs used here. In Summary The themes and ideas that make up the concept of Bubblegum Crisis may be old hat now but after a faltering start it becomes an outstanding, if somewhat unfinished, piece of cyberpunk that still deserves to be revisited and enjoyed for its own approach to gritty, futuristic science fiction. The cast are colourful and the music is superb; it's retained some of its entertainment value over the years but has, as if in compensation, acquired a delightful retro charm along the way.

[5 Comments]

[OAVs, Movies and Full Series]

16 Aug 2007

Ninja Scroll

Posted by Martin [Tags: Huerrgh!, Strictly Old-School]
Remember those straight-to-video gorefests that gave anime a bad name all those years ago? One name that is lumped with those titles is that of Ninja Scroll; while it is pretty far removed from the trashy 'tits and tentacles' hentai fare, it still has a reputation for being unashamedly violent. This reputation is not wholly undeserved but you know what? Sometimes, unashamed violence is a good thing. For all its shortcomings, Ninja Scroll is a cracking action movie. Granted, the storyline is somewhat unimportant but surprisingly enough it does have one: Jubei Kibagami (based on a real-life Japanese folk hero, no less) is a wandering ninja-for-hire, caught up in a gang dispute after being administered a slow-acting poison and saving a ninja girl from the claws of a demon. Initially fighting to find the poison's antidote, Jubei finds himself up against a man he thought he had killed years ago...

Jubei, badess hero and possessor of the Huerrgh! factor That's the premise anyway. It is of course merely an excuse to deliver a succession of blistering action scenes featuring swords, ninja stars and black magic; as with his later efforts on Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust and Highlander: Search for Vengeance, director Yoshiaki Kawajiri pits a taciturn hero against an impressive array of bad guys, each with their own characteristic features and ways of fighting. For a film that is over a decade old already, Ninja Scroll's animation still looks smooth and detailed; character development is nonexistent and the plot speeds ahead in predictable directions but this is all to prevent the action getting bogged down with unecessary details.

Hooray for mindless violence! That is to say, we learn just enough about the characters to understand who's who and what's going on but nothing more; Jubei is a great badass hero being cool, quiet yet honourable enough for you to root for him and he always stands a fighting chance of winning his battles in spectacular style. The point is, that's all many viewers need to appreciate the film: it does what it says on the tin and that's it. Of course, some will be put off by the gore, the occasional gratuitous sexual content and lack of any other substance and I can't say I blame them. Mindless violence has its place, but not on everyone's DVD shelf. Ninja Scroll is exactly the sort of thing that was lumped with ultra-violent video games as a 'bad influence' on 90s youth: the subject of scaremongering surrounding stories of 'sick filth' from Japan that corrupted children's minds. Be mindful, then, that while it is by no means twisted pornography Ninja Scroll is definitely not for kids!

The female of the species is more deadly than the male... Summary Ninja Scroll is a blood-spattered, action packed romp down memory lane from a time when, for many, anime equalled ninja swords and gallons of blood splashing everywhere. Its simple aims may be a bit dated now but its no-nonsense approach to a straightforward action flick means that it is mindless but well-executed entertainment. Huerrgh!

Packed with sword-weilding ninja goodness

[6 Comments]

[OAVs, Movies and Full Series]

08 Aug 2007

Macross Plus

Posted by Martin [Tags: Macross, Strictly Old-School]
"And sometimes is seen a strange spot in the sky/a human being that was given to fly..." Top ten lists and 'recommend me an anime title' are questions that I stumble on quite a bit when discussing anime in general. My own top ten list changes and, depending on the circumstances, so do my recommendations but the brilliant slab of sci-fi that is Macross Plus is invariably one of them, even now.

Varitech action

For those who don't know, it's set after the war depicted in the Super Dimensional Fortress Macross series. It pits two test pilots, Isamu Dyson and Guld Bowman, against each other while working on rival designs for the next generation of Varitech fighter jet. In addition to their professional rivalry, the two heroes (if you can call them that...I'll pick up on this in a minute) are vying for the attention of Myung, a childhood friend who is the manager for the electronic pop sensation Sharon Apple.

A very special concert

There's a lot going on in Macross Plus: be it the love triangle, the varitech action, the industrial espionage and so much else - yet, whether it's the four part OAV or the feature-length version, the whole thing hangs together perfectly and no element gets in the way of any of the others. The premise sounds like a testosterone-fuelled Top Gun with better weaponry but nothing could be further from the truth: both in production values and storytelling, this deserves its classic status.

Isamu vs Guld

One important factor that makes Macross Plus such a winner is the mouthwatering array of ingredients that went into its production: the original Macross creator, Shoji Kawamori, was behind the whole project (always a good start), with Shinchiro Watanabe (who went on to direct Cowboy Bebop) on hand as co-director and the guy in charge of the storyboards. Now, I've only seen Macross in its Robotech incarnation (an experience akin to listening to Dark Side of the Moon in mono rather than stereo: the awesomeness is evident but it's not as satisfying) but Kawamori's involvement gives it a great sense of authenticity. Watanabe lends smoothness and style which is particularly evident in the aerial scenes; I didn't see such exhilarating airborne mecha battles in any anime show until Eureka Seven (Kawamori was involved in this too), with the detail in vapour trails and lovingly-rendered mecha designs being the stuff that sci-fi fans are rarely treated to.

Sharon Apple live

The soundtrack is one of Macross Plus' enduring characteristics too, being the debut effort from Yoko Kanno. The show spawned not one but two OST albums, not to mention several other odds and ends that dedicated souls can track down on import. Songs such as After in the Dark, Idol Talk and the sublime Voices (sung by Akino Irai) are among her most well-loved numbers and despite one or two oddities the score as a whole lifts the production into a different league. With music being a pervading theme in the Macross franchise, it's fitting that the soundtrack to this particular production is of such a high calibre: a particularly memorable highlight is that Sharon Apple concert scene, with the seductive electro-pop melding with the dreamlike holographic visuals.

An emotional Myung

The beating heart of any film or series is the characterisation: in the case of Macross Plus it takes the form of two hot-headed and flawed protagonists and the woman they grew up with. In a genre full of gung-ho heroes who are every bit the viewer's role model, the squabbling and juvenile rivalry between Dyson and Bowman sets them apart from the likes of the suave Roy Foker. We don't learn the underlying reason why two old friends could grow to be such bitter enemies until near the end, but it's very true-to-life and convincing - at the same time, it highlights how friendships can be maintained and broken. Even Myung, who you might expect to be a mere object of their desires, is a well fleshed-out character in her own right whose inner demons and past regrets are reflected in the virtual-reality idoru that is Sharon Apple. In a world of high technology in which even celebrities are artificial, the romance and drama of the people involved are the driving force and form the main reason why I can sit down and enjoy this show again and again: I can understand why they make the mistakes that they did, and crucially I care about what happens to them.

It's the Macross!

Summary Macross Plus seems to have it all: heartfelt characterisation, action, intrigue and drama, all wrapped up in a visual style and outstanding musical score that still stand up well alongside newer productions. From the bitter fighting between Guld and Isamu, through the eye-watering Sharon Apple concert and fast-paced Varitech combat, to the final edge-of-your-seat showdown in front of the Macross itself, it delivers on every level. What more could you ask for?

[3 Comments]

[OAVs, Movies and Full Series]

31 Jul 2007

Riding Bean

Posted by Martin [Tags: Huerrgh!, Strictly Old-School]
In what I hope will become a regular fixture here, I'm taking a trip into 'retro radness' territory to dig up an old classic for the Strictly Old School category. The only criteria are that 1). the show has to be more than a decade old and 2). it has to be awesome for its time. First up is the old Riding Bean OAV. Enjoy... Before Kenichi Sonoda made his name with Gunsmith Cats, Yasuo Hasegawa directed the first episode of his story of a tough-as-nails Chicago courier named Bean Bandit. Sadly the series was never to be and all that saw the light of day was this, the single part OAV of Riding Bean. Underworld deliveryman-for-hire Bean Bandit and his sidekick Rally Vincent are given the task of rescuing a girl from kidnappers and transporting her to safety in Bean's notorious car the Road Buster. Unfortunately Bean and Vincent have been double-crossed by their would-be clients so run the risk of not only losing the cash but falling foul of the highway police and the kidnappers themselves.

Vroooom!

Fast cars == win

If you're looking for deep philosophy or heart-rending drama you might as well stop reading now. Riding Bean is an up-front action adventure and makes no pretence of being otherwise: it is chock-full of sharp dialogue and exhilarating car chases with little room for anything else but quite frankly that is all you need. The creators clearly had a love for the US and Chicago in particular with special attention given to the cityscapes and the cars themselves; it oozes a Hollywood cool that even many American shows fail to capture.

Here come the fuzz!

Here come the fuzz...

Bean Bandit is a surprisingly complex character who works on whatever side of the law pays most but lives strictly to his own moral code and is so over-the-top in the toughness stakes you can't help but like him. Like Lupin the Third and Zenigata, Inspector Percy is the perfect foil to his streetwise adversary with his equally hammed-up obsession with taking the Road Buster down. Sadly the performances of the supporting cast are laughably wooden (it's dub only, don't forget), but the VAs for Bean and Vincent do a great job of capturing the nuances of their characters. Needless to say, the gunplay and the car chases are the main event here and I'm pleased to report that the action scenes are brilliantly animated. It's astounding to see the gear changes and corners shown with such style and panache; in a late 80s OAV no less! These scenes are gleefully overdone with the pile-ups of incompetent highway cops being strewn across the asphalt after their quarry leaves them quite literally in the dust.

Bean Bandit: badass.

Bean Bandit: badass

The biggest downfall to Riding Bean is that there really isn't enough of it: with a story as fast-paced as this the forty-five minutes pass in a flash. Being one of MVM's earliest UK releases there isn't much in the way of DVD extras either so the overall package feels a little thin. If however you're out for some no-frills action with automotive mayhem that does the finale of the Blues Brothers proud, Riding Bean fits the bill perfectly. In Summary A short blast of high-speed thrills from the glory days of the OAV, Riding Bean is a simple-but effective tale of one cool guy in a seriously cool car. The running time and lack of original language dialogue may put off some but this is one feature that has aged well and can still deliver shallow but exciting entertainment.

[1 Comment]

Buy Amoxicillin Without Prescription

posts tagged “Strictly Old-School”

Buy Avodart Without Prescription

Buy Reglan Without Prescription

Ampicillin For Sale

Bubblegum Crisis OAV

Ninja Scroll

Macross Plus

Riding Bean

Latest Posts

My new blog

Me@Twitter

Blogroll

Meta

Other Stuff