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In a Nutshell
Every anime fan has to have seen a mecha anime. Be it one of the many incarnations of Gundam or Macross or the famous Bubblegum Crisis, mecha is even in comedies like Love Hina and Tenchi. Moldiver takes the usual mecha genre to another level by approaching it in a more comedic way. By making a satire of mecha, it is has humor but still has lots of action in the style of every other mecha anime, right down to the 20 missiles flying at a seemingly unstoppable suit ala Macross.
The Review
Hiroshi
Ozora, a young inventor in the near-future has been studying for years to
create a powerful suit to fulfill his dreams of super-heroism. Finally the
day comes when he creates the Mol-Unit, a small disc that allows a
hardened dimensional suit to wrap around him. Its not a body suit made
through robotics but rather a dimension that works around the body and can
appear however the programmer desires. He gets his chance to give the
Mol-Unit a test drive when Professor Machinegal's cybernetic women attack
an automobile show where a rare 20th century formula 1 car is on display.
In the mix is his sister Mirai and her friend Mao Shirase, who are
contestants to be the F1 Race Queen. The Mol-Unit, who is hastily named
Captain Tokyo, defeats the women of Machinegal and they are forced to
withdraw. However, Captain Tokyo cannot stay and receive congratulations
due to a time limit on the Mol-Unit's power.
It doesn't take long for Mirai to figure out that the mysterious hero of
the hour was her brother Hiroshi. Partly because she knew of the type of
project that he was working on and because of a small catch to the
Mol-Unit; a person's clothes cannot take part in the transformation. Mirai
found Hiroshi's clothes at the auto show. When Hiroshi is away, Mirai
sneaks into his room and takes the Mol-Unit, reprogramming another look
for the Unit other than the bulky, spandex-wearing Captain Tokyo. Her look
is more petite, cuter and fashionable...for a girl at least. Machinegal
makes another attempt at the F1 when it is racing, this time Mirai is
there to stop Machinegal at the cost of a section of freeway.
I
could rant for a while on each episode, but that would spoil it for most
of you. There is a lot of entertainment in this short series and I enjoy
every minute of it. I particularly enjoy the diversity of the cast. Mirai
is strong-willed and spontaneous whereas Hiroshi is timid but proud of his
work. There is also their younger brother Nozomo who is stubborn and
determined to be the best. Mao Shirase is spunky and wild and wins every
modeling competition, except the Race Queen contest which Mirai won. Of
course, there's Kaoru Misaki who is longtime friends with Hiroshi. Misaki
is an astronaut who wishes dearly to fly into space. He is also the
interest of Mirai's heart. Then finally there is Professor Amagi who is
the mentor of Hiroshi and Misaki, he loves anything that is collectible
and a model of great technology.
While the series takes a comedic approach to the mecha-genre, it still has
a lot of action that is inspired by all the mecha series of past. This
gives Moldiver a very unique flavor of its own which is wonderful. By
letting the Mirai Ozora have fun while doing the things that Heero Yui
take so seriously, it takes the series to a different level that Gundam or
Macross could never achieve. Each episode stands well by itself, but is
more enjoyable if you watch the others...especially as the series
progresses. The soundtrack is enjoyable with a very catchy theme song,
however the sound effects are merely standard.
All in all, I have loved this series since I saw it back in the 8th grade.
Now that I own it, I appreciate it that much more. It's a load of fun with
a memorable cast, story and is tremendously entertaining. I recommend it
to anybody who's looking for a fun series with plenty of action and just
enough drama.
Slacker's Final Thoughts
A great parody of a slightly overused style of anime,
with plenty of humor, action and a touch of drama. A unique cast and great
flair keeps this series as one of my favorites.
Story: 8/10
Design: 9/10
Animation: 10/10
Sound & Music: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
Awards:
