Video Backlog: Retro 50's Sci-Fi and Guitar Playing Androids

Long time no post, huh? I have been watching stuff, but not much anime. First I had a bunch of stuff on my DVB recorder. Lots of bad 1970’s cinema like “The Omega Man” as well as a lot of documentaries (So these new digital channels aren’t all crap after all. Er, well very occasionally they aren’t). I’ve also been watching a couple of longer series. I have finished one as you can see below, “Kikaider”. There are also a lot of ongoing issues with Blogger (editing after posting still an issue for me). One more problem and I’m off to Wordpress.

“Project Blue Earth SOS”Publisher: ADV Films (USA)
Format: Region 1 DVD, NTSC, Japanese Dialogue with optional English dub and English Subtitles
Length: 6 episodes x 45 minutes
Production Date: 2006
Currently in Print (as of writing): Yes (Funimation re-release)

Originally aired on AT-X in 2006, this six part series consisted of 45 minute episodes. Oddly enough each episode could easily be divided into two as there is a climax mid-way through each episode as well as the end of the episode. I can only assume that somewhere along the line a 12 episode series was bundled up as a six part miniseries, or it was purposely done this way so the option to turn the show into a 12 part half hour series was possible.

Anyway, the show, it’s important to discuss that, huh? So the show is a bit of a throwback to 1950’s sci-fi, mostly western stuff, though it does also seem to be influenced somewhat by Toho sci-fi films of the period. It’s a typical alien invasion style plot which we’ve seen a million times before. To a point it is handled in a slightly different way, however this twist to the old tested and tried formula comes at the very end of the show. And it’s really implausible until it’s finally explained at the last minute. Adding to the problems in the show are the stereotypical characters taken from the genre, plus the rather silly names (Dr Brest and a young boy named Penny for starters). I think the show could have been a lot more fun, but it seems really dull for some reason. I mean if you were a writer, you could let your mind go anywhere with a show like this. But for whatever reason the show is quite dull. This extends to the animation which for some reason seems exceptionally flat and bit cheap, and the colour scheme, which is inexplicably awash with shades of green. Compare this show with the similar retro futuristic “Tetsujin 28” TV remake, made some two years before this show. Despite the fact “Tetsujin 28” got practically no love in the west, it was a far superior and much more fun show than this one.

There were a lot of good elements to the series. In particular I enjoyed the mecha and much of the unfolding story. But it just seemed to be flat over all. Not a terrible show, but rather mediocre. 6 out of 10.

“Kikaider (Jinzo Ningen Kikaida)” and “Flying At 'Ya, Android Kikaider”
Publisher: JN Productions (USA)
Format: Region 1 DVD, NTSC, Japanese Dialogue with optional English Subtitles
Length: 43 episodes x 25 minutes (TV series), 33 minutes (movie)
Production Date: 1972 - 1973 (TV series), 1973 (movie)
Currently in Print (as of writing): Yes

I originally bought this around a year ago. It had a reasonably wide release in the US (the show was broadcast on Hawaiian TV in the mid 1970’s and was very popular there), but I suspected that its deletion was imminent and snapped it up. Created by Shotaro Ishinomori, it’s probably his third most popular creation after “Kamen Rider” and “Cyborg 009”. To a fair degree the show feels like a more light hearted copy of “Kamen Rider”. There’s a transforming hero cyborg with a bike, and evil organisation that sends out a cyborg to wreak havoc on the world each week etc.

For the first 13 episodes, it’s really formulaic. Evil organisation, Dark, devise some terrible plan using one of their evil androids. This evil plot comes to the attention of brother and sister Mitsuko and Masuru and/or overacting comic relief character Hatori Hanpei (an incompetent private detective). Jiro fights the evil android and his minions. However before transforming into the titular character, Dark leader Professor Gill plays his flute which causes Jiro to writhe around in pain. But something covers up the noise (usually related to the evil android), and Jiro transforms into Kikaider then dispatches with the evil android using the same four or five moves. Naturally the android explodes after falling from the nearest disused quarry and random mechanical parts fall to the ground symbolising the remains of the android. We also have the subplot of Mitsuko and Masuru’s father, Dr Komyoji, who originally escaped Dark with Mitsuko after being forced to create the many evil androids (also creating the hero Kikaider in secret to beat Dark). Komyoji has amnesia and Mitsuko and Masuru are always two steps behind in trying to find him.

After watching a small number of tokusatsu shows, I found this series to be rather dull and repetitive. I was also surprised at how few miniature work sequences there was in the show. This is probably has more to do with the fact most of the action involves hand to hand combat. Luckily things change for the better, with a bit of a shift in plot and structure of the show. Also the budget must have been upped slightly as the android suits look a lot better from about half way through the show. The last third of the show is just brilliant. A major shift in the story line brings in the anti-hero, Saburo, another android creation by Dr Komyoji. Saburo transforms into the evil looking Hakaider, Kikaider’s nemesis. While his mission is to destroy Kikaider, he feels protective of Masuru and those around him, which eventually invokes the wrath of Professor Gill. This also changes the relationship between the young Masuru and Jiro. Masuru had always seen Jiro as a big brother figure. Saburo is probably the coolest and best character of the series. He’s always dressed in black, rides a cool bike (and no dorky sidecar like Jiro’s bike), and did I mention he’s damn cool as ice? If Jiro is meant to represent a heroic big brother figure to its prepubescent male audience, then Saburo is the big brother that’s a bad ass but loves you and protects you just as much as Jiro. Except he’s a million times cooler than Jiro.

I know this show is meant to be for children (whom are probably in their 50s now), but the first half or so is really weak when compared to similar tokusatsu shows of the period. But god, that last third makes up for all the problems. The DVDs from JN Productions are good enough. The subtitles seem a bit minimal. But they do include a good helping of extras including a five part interview with the late Ban Daisuke. The short 1973 movie is included which is obviously much higher budgeted than the TV series. It includes four short 3D sequences which look quite crappy compared with modern day 3D. 7 out of 10.

Remaining Backlog: 24 months (it's much easier this way than listing the number of discs).