Cyber City Oedo 808 (1990) [OVA Review]

Cyber City Oedo 808; or, Never Enough of Cyberpunk

     I’d rather blow this thing off. But first, I’ll get rid of this city’s parasites and scum.

This an unplanned anime review which came about due to my dissatisfaction related with the latest Rental Reviews video from Cinemassacre. I know that in their talk about Akira (1988), they reference Cyber City Oedo 808 humorously as an inferior instance of anime; however, some of the unaware viewers might get the wrong picture about old OVAs because of that. My intention is to stand in defence of Cyber City Oedo 808 and explain the controversy behind the infamous goddamn vampire line.

Release Info

Directed by: Yoshiaki Kawajiri Voice actors: Hiroya Ishimaru, Tessho Genda, Kaneto Shiozawa

Language: Japanese Original Title: サイバーシティ OEDO 808 No. of eps: 3

 

Synopsis

It’s the year 2808. With the advancement of technology and lifestyle, the crime rate also skyrocketed in the dystopian city of Oedo. In order to combat this trend, Cyber Police began recruiting criminals with a history of hi-tech offences and other crimes. Among them are three: Shunsuke Sengoku, Gabimaru “Goggles” Rikiya, and Merill “Benten” Yanagawa. For catching criminals, each of them shall receive a reduction in their prison time. Tired with the monotony of orbital penitentiary, they agree and, as a result, start cleaning up the town from the bad guys. However, Cyber Police have limited trust towards them. They wear a special collar which can explode if they go AWOL or fail to complete their missions.

 

"Most Starlight is Never Seen"

Firstly, we should start with defining what OVA is. It means Original Video Animation and serves as a category for animated films intended for direct-to-video releases. One could think that these are low-budget productions of questionable quality in comparison to television anime. However, the situation is actually the opposite. OVAs have better financing and more creative freedom than standard TV anime series. Aside from promotional purposes (attachments to manga, for example), their purpose is to tell a story that is not suited for television. Such OVAs have higher-quality animation, more violence, and darker tone than TV episodes. The perfect example is Cyber City Oedo 808.

 

The show focuses on the adventures of three main protagonists when battling crime in Oedo. It is a city very similar in style to Blade Runner’s Los Angeles of 2019, but on a much larger scale. Apart from robots, flying vehicles, and rainy streets, we get to see skyscrapers reaching space (the ones which Arthur C. Clarke wrote about), top-of-the-line medical facilities, and military cyborgs. The world of Cyber City Oedo 808 feels very fresh, yet familiar at the same time. That is the case because the creators borrowed from many sci-fi motives of the 1980s, which can be reflected in the characters’ glam rock design, sound clips (taken directly from Alien or Back to the Future), and retro computer technology (the intro at the end of this review says it all).

 

Now, it’s high time to go over the horrendous clip featured in Rental Reviews. The English dialogue line taken from OVA’s third episode says the following (censored): “Get lost. You wouldn’t recognise a goddamn vampire if one jumped up and f**king bit you on the end of your f**king d**k!” This line was “creatively invented” by US Manga Corp., a dub company hell-bent on adding as much swearing into anime as possible. The most saddening part of this “translation” process is that there is little to none swearing in the original version of Cyber City Oedo 808. For instance, in the Japanese audio of the same scene in episode 3, Benten says: “Actually, the vampires of legend were tragic creatures. Eternally young, but forever craving human blood.” So… an exposition scene was turned into a pointless swearing scene. That’s why I avoid English dubbing.

 

With regard to Cyber City Oedo 808 in general, it’s a fairly well made cyberpunk story. Evidently, it does not have the level of polish which Akira has, but it delivers in terms of sci-fi feel and futuristic style. The premise of the story is great and the characters are very much likeable. I enjoyed the trials and tribulations of Sengoku and Goggles, but Benten is my personal favourite due to his cold voice and bishōnen appearance. Synth music score combined with J-Pop songs by Hidemi Miura also add further merit to the show.

 

Recommendations

Highly recommended to anyone who is into science fiction/cyberpunk. Cyber City Oedo 808 offers a memorable story with lots of action and artistic design. My concluding point is that sometimes it’s unfair to compare an OVA to a theatrical feature. That being said, this classic anime deserves a wider recognition in the modern age. It’s a real fun to watch. Will the real world in 2808 look just like the anime predicts? Only time will tell.

Overall score: 8/10

Outlaw Star (1998) [Anime Review]

Outlaw Star: or, Run Through the Night

     A boy has the right to dream. There are endless possibilities stretched out before him. What awaits him down the path, he will then have to choose. The boy doesn't always know. At some point, the boy then becomes an adult and learns what he was able to become. Joy and sadness forever will accompany this. He is confronted with the choice. When this happens, does he bid his past farewell in his heart? Once a boy becomes an adult, he can no longer go back to being a boy. The boy is now a man. Only one thing can be said: A boy has the right to dream, for those endless possibilities are stretched out before him. We must remember… All men were once boys.

This is the first time when I try to review an anime series. "Why?" you might ask. Evidently, I don’t want to flow this blog with numerous reviews of animations, but simply, I decided to write something different this time. For this occasion, I would like to discuss my favourite anime of all time: Outlaw Star.

Release Info

Directed by: Mitsuru Hongo Voice actors: Shigeru Shibuya, Ayako Kawasumi, Rica Matsumoto,
Sayuri, Yuko Miyamura, Takayaka Hashi

Language: Japanese Original title: 星方武侠アウトロースター No. of eps: 26

 

Synopsis

Universe in the distant future. Gene Starwind is a young bounty hunter who lives on a planet called Sentinel III and runs a business together with an 11-year-old computer expert, Jim Hawking. One day, a mysterious woman asks them for protection. It turns out that she is Hilda, an outlaw who is on the run from the Kei pirates. Due to an unexpected chain of events, Gene and Jim suddenly leave their home planet and end up in the possession of a top-of-the-line Grappler-class ship which Gene calls Outlaw Star. With the help of Melfina, the ship’s navigator; Twilight Suzuka, the assassin-for-hire; Aisha Clan-Clan, the Ctarl-Ctarl Empire emissary; and Gilliam, the ship’s computer, the newly-formed crew sets out on a quest full of adventures in order to find the mythical Galactic Leyline.

 

You Better Get Ready!

I decided to review Outlaw Star, because I recently got my hands on the beautiful Blu-ray/DVD release from Funmation. Having revisited the series, I am astonished how entertaining it is after all these years when I saw it for the first time. All the more reason I can’t stand modern criticism of Outlaw Star which aims at picturing the series as an inferior cousin of Cowboy Bebop…

 

Okay, where should I start? First of all, it should be noted that Outlaw Star began, in fact, as a manga series created by Takehiko Ito in 1996 and was turned into anime two years later by the famous Sunrise production company. The series consists of 26 episodes which originally ran from January 8 to June 25, 1998. To date, the series has not received any sequel, apart from a spin-off known as Angel Links.

 

As with every other science-fiction piece, the viewers are transported into a completely unfamiliar world. We get to discover the wondrous universe together with the main protagonist, Gene Starwind, a hot-headed, but well-meaning, adventurer who learns in the first episodes about the three major powers in the cosmos: the Space Forces, the Pirates, and the Outlaws. Naturally, Gene chooses to become an outlaw, a drifter (not a criminal) unaffiliated with any group or authority (either good or bad).

 

The series begins on a dynamic note and does not slow down, not even for one moment throughout all the episodes. There is always something happening and our heroes are faced with overcoming increasingly difficult challenges. The universe itself is incredibly rich, because apart from the aforementioned three forces, there is also a mixture of a whole slew of various races, robots, and baddies, as if Star Trek, Blade Runner, and Indiana Jones collided together only to create the wild west in space. Oh, did I mention that there is also room for magic in this show? Yes, we have crazy Kei Pirates fighting their way through with spells and Gene shooting at the bad guys from the ancient Caster gun.

 

This leads me to another aspect which is the characters and their progress through the story. Believe it or not, but each member of the crew has a clear story-arc and undergoes a personal change towards the end. Even though maybe some of the heroes are touched upon rather than fleshed out, each and every one of them has their own 5 minutes. Gene has to overcome his fears and doubts, Jim learns the hard way about love, Melfina seeks the true meaning of her identity, Suzuka desires to avenge her past, and Aisha wants to prove her worth. Although these heroes are out of this world, they are so relatable because of their realistic attitudes which can be found in each of us.

One more thing which I should mention is the animation. Some critics claim that the show is literally too dark, without any scenes happening in daylight. Nothing could be further from the truth. Outlaw Star is full of colours and the picture is crystal clear with balanced contrast. In addition, the crew does not fly all the time against the background of black space, but the universe itself is actually lively and colourful with nebulae, orbital waves, and stars. With regard to the animation itself, the characters and ships are drawn just beautifully. Their details are especially visible during the thrilling fight sequences. I can’t take my eyes off them. This is classic cell animation for you.

 

Oh! The music score by Kow Otani is a whole another thing. Not only does it provide the series with appropriate upbeat, sci-fi mood, but it also has a life of its own. Even today, I can recall my high school days when I was listening to this awesome music and reminiscing all of the climatic scenes from the anime. In other words, the auditory part of Outlaw Star is amazing. Just head over youtube if you need any proof. Additionally, there were three songs made for the show. The glorious opening theme “Through the Night” written and performed by Masahiko Arimachi (that intro!) and two ending compositions: “Hiru no Tsuki” and “Tsuki no le”, written and performed by Akino Arai.

 

Having said all this, I believe that the following conclusion should finally be stated: Outlaw Star does not suffer from any shortcomings. Some anime connoisseurs would like to think otherwise, but their claims about unevenly paced story, weak animation, and underdeveloped characters are bogus. In the same way, it’s easy for me to say that Cowboy Bebop is not paced well, animation could have been better, and some characters could have been more elaborated upon. Here’s a newsflash: I re-watched Cowboy Bebop and this show aged greatly in my eyes, but I am not attacking it just because it is a competing space-western for Outlaw Star. Both of these are classic anime stories in their own unique ways.

 

Recommendations

All things considered, Outlaw Star is an underrated masterpiece. It has everything which a good and escapist story needs plus more. Wonderful universe, unforgettable characters, excellent voice acting, and the story full of classic motifs and archetypes that would make Jordan Peterson envious. Even if you’re not an anime fan, but you like space westerns, such as (indistinct hiss) Firefly or Guardians of the Galaxy, this is a must see. To me, Outlaw Star’s crew will always be number one in my heart. All systems green!

Overall score: 10/10!

Everest: The Summit of the Gods (2016) [Film Review]

Everest: The Summit of the Gods; or, When the Mountains Calls

     If the feet don't respond, walk with the hands. If the hands don't move keep going with the fingers. If the fingers don't work use your teeth biting snow and ice forward. If not even the teeth react advance with your eyes. Stare a way forward. If even the eyes are useless and there's really nothing you can do, imagine. Imagine with all your might. Imagine…
With the beginning of each new year, I am always in the mood for mountain movies. Unfortunately, this is one of these small subgenres which does not receive a frequent dosage of new productions every year and has to be aided with Discovery Channel documentaries. Thankfully, I recently came across the movie Everest: The Summit of the Gods. I was shocked to discover that it is not only a Japanese movie about climbing Mount Everest, but that it also has Hiroshi Abe (one of the best J-actors alive) in it…

Release Info

Directed by: Hideyuki Hirayama Starring: Junichi Okada, Hiroshi Abe, Machiko Ono

Language: Japanese Original Title: エヴェレスト 神々の山嶺 Runtime: 122 min

Synopsis

Makoto Fukamachi (Junichi Okada) is a cameraman who assists a mountaineering expedition in Nepal. After a tragic accident, the expedition returns home, but Fukamachi stays a bit longer and, in one of the city alleys, he finds an old camera that might have belonged to George Mallory. In his pursuit after the camera and the possible key it may convey to the mystery of Mallory’s 1924 ascent, Fukamachi meets a legendary climber Joji Habu (Hiroshi Abe). Living in seclusion, Habu plans to conquer Everest by spectacularly climbing its southwest wall.

The Peak of Regrets

Everest: The Summit of the Gods is a well made motion picture. The premise may fool you into thinking that this is yet another movie about generic reaching-the-top motive, but Everest actually hits the undertones of psychological drama. It deals with mountain ethics, overcoming personal trauma, and finding inner strength to keep on living. It may seem a bit too much for one movie, but all the themes are coherently fleshed out as the story progresses.

 

The first part of Everest focuses retrospectively on Joji Habu’s life. We get to know how he started off and how he became a legend among the climbing community through the recollections of his colleagues: Inoue (Masahiro Komoto) and Wataru Hase (Kuranosuke Sasaki) respectively. Then, comes along another person, Ryoko (Machiko Ono), who has a special bond with Joji and is determined to find him. As a result, the second part of the film outlines Fukamachi’s quest to track down Habu and the mysterious camera.

 

The atmosphere of the film greatly reminded of such classics as K2: The Ultimate High (1991) and Scream of Stone (1991). Haunting music score together with great locations (shot in Nepal and Japan for sure) provide a mesmerising combination, though CGI was definitely used in certain shots. Nevertheless, these do not stand out drastically. In addition, I should probably mention that the film is based on a manga series Kamigami no Itadaki, but you don’t miss anything out if you have not read this 5-volume serial.

With regard to performances, Hiroshi Abe is the strongest pillar of the picture, as he gives a painstakingly authentic portrayal of a classic climber with an individualistic attitude. What matters the most for Joji Habu is the mountain, simply because it’s there. Abe’s performance is enforced by that of Junichi Okada as a disillusioned cameraman who is after a larger-than-life story. Machiko Ono is also great as Ryoko, a woman who tries to get over her past. Supporting appearances from Masahiro Komoto and Kuranosuke Sasaki are a great addition as well.

 

Recommendations

All things considered, Everest: The Summit of the Gods is a decent motion picture for a winter afternoon. It’s part a psychological drama, part a survival story about pushing the limits and fulfilling one’s dreams. However: At what cost? The movie poses this significant question at the very end. In reality, we all have our own mountains to overcome.

Overall score: 8/10