Teknoman Anime Review

Teknoman
Anime Works-Media Blasters
Complete Collection - 6 discs
1075 mins. - 43 episodes
$19.99 (2008)
$16.98 (2009) Thinpak
ISBN 631595082074
English Audio only - No subs
Director - Hiroshi Negishi
Studio - Tatsunoko Production/Satsu Agency

Synopsis: The year is 2087 when the Venomoids invade Earth.  Though human technology has built an orbital ring around the planet, they are no match for the hordes of Spider-Crabs besieging them.  Incredibly powerful Teknomen lead the monstrosities and soon the orbital ring has fallen into enemy hands.  Death rains down upon human cities and the military is hopelessly ineffective.  Only the Space Knights, an autonomous military think-tank, are Earth's final hope with their advanced weaponry and cool heads.

Blade as human and Teknoman

Blade, a renegade Teknoman, appears and battles the Venomoid hordes and their lieutenant, Dagger.  He bears an all-consuming hatred for the Venomoids and their leader Darkon.  After crash landing on Earth he is taken in by the Space Knights.  Blade's single-minded mission of revenge makes him a difficult ally and he regards the Space Knights with cold indifference despite his obvious need for human companionship. 

Now humanity has a chance against the Venomoids with Blade and the Space Knights on their side.  Too bad Blade isn't the only Teknoman and soon a group of them show up to kick him and the other Space Knights around.  Why are the Teknomen human and how did they gain their terrible powers?  We learn all of the chilling secrets of Darkon and the Venomoids as Blade travels his road to vengeance.  Can he save the Earth, but at what cost to himself?

Pros: Uncut version with a few very minor bits of nudity (during transformation sequences), dramatic plot with family-centric theme, cool mecha designs, fantastic low price for the whole series

Cons: Opening/ending theme songs are lackluster (they're the only parts in Japanese) plus they only use one for each (the Japanese version changed opening/ending theme songs halfway through the show), includes two recap episodes (they cut six episodes from the Japanese series and left the two recap episodes? - bah!), no extras - nothing, box set packaging is flimsy, some sets have episode skips on the first disc (fortunately my set did not), voice-acting and dialogue are weak, original Japanese plot is butchered by American producers, Venomoids? - lamest villain name evah!

Mike Tells It Straight: I never saw Teknoman when it originally aired in the US and am missing any nostalgic recollections to offset the overall marginal quality of this show.  The animation looks dated (produced in 1992), soundtrack was weak (I heard the American version had a catchy theme song, but it's abandoned for the original Japanese theme), voice-acting/dialogue was stiff, worst villain name I have ever heard (Venomoids), and zero extras.  


Teknoman Blade in front of the Earth w/orbital ring

This set is strictly quantity over quality for the price.  Despite having a satisfyingly epic finale there are only a few truly good episodes.  It literally felt like Blade was getting the crap kicked out of him every episode up through the ending.  The nostalgia factor and price/quantity ratio are the two biggest positives going for this set.  Beware of box sets with episode skips on the first disc - it's a widespread production flaw.  I don't think the thinpak version (from 2009) has the same issue.  

I've heard the original Japanese version is pretty good and would recommend checking out the Tekkaman Blade series if you don't mind reading subtitles.

"Tekno-Power!"  Kinda says it all.

TO BUY and Recommendations:
   

Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki Anime Review

Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki

Funimation
Complete Collection - 3 discs
295 mins. - 7 episodes
$39.98 (2007)
$29.98 (2009) Viridian Collection
$19.98 (2011)
ISBN 704400076619
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Kenichi Yatani
Studio - AIC

Synopsis: The Masaki household is still wild and crazy after all these years - Tenchi Masaki released a space pirate from a 700-year imprisonment in his family's shrine only to have her (Ryoko) fall in love with him, then a royal princess (Ayeka) from space gets stranded on Earth and falls in love with him, along with her sister (Sasami) who falls in love with him, a klutzy Galaxy Police member (Mihoshi) shows up and falls in love with him, and finally a mad scientist (Washu) appears who falls in love with him.  Buddy, that might be too many girls for your own good.  Along the way we are introduced to Ryo-Ohki the cabbit (cat-rabbit, get it?) who transforms into a space ship (huh?) and also into a young girl...who is in love with Tenchi.  Notice a theme here?  We learn Tenchi is a royal prince of Jurai and has several cosmic powers - he forms a lightsaber blade, has a battlesuit, performs matter-energy conversion (energy projection), teleportation, and manifests 'lighthawk wings' which do other 'stuff'.  He's really just a mild-mannered dork and completely embarrassed with all the attention heaped on him (especially the female kind). 

Can you spot the cock-blocker in this picture?

None of the above happens in this series - it's a sequel to two previous series about Tenchi where we learn and meet the cast of characters.  What happens here is a continuation of the abnormal adventures of Tenchi's household along with some startling new developments.  These include:





Noike - Tenchi's fiancee!?

• We learn what Tenchi's mother was like and the truth about her death
• Tenchi has an older sister
• Cosmic confrontation with Z - he was experimentally modified by Lady Tokimi with incredible powers to rival or surpass even Tenchi's.  He is a tormented soul and lashes out with blind rage
• Another love interest - meet Tenchi's arranged bride Noike who turns out to be Ayeka and Sasami's aunt and a really nice person 
• Fight off a band of mercenaries trying to kidnap Ryoko, Ayeka, and Washu
• Meet Mihoshi's bungling twin brother Misao and his involvement in a dastardly plot to destroy Tenchi (by destroying the Earth)
• Find out what the heck all this royal family, lighthawk wings, arranged marriages, experimental beings, goddesses, and cabbits business is about!

Pros: The Tenchi gang are back in all-new adventures, new characters add some fresh air to the cast, some good comedy, better CG, action and explanations - an ending after all these years!

Cons: Voice actress for Ryoko is different from the previous series and doesn't sound the same, new characters added to an already excessive character count, royal family and hierarchy between character lineage is horribly confusing, explanations just leave more questions, Tenchi remains a bland character

Z - this guy is pissed off

Mike Tells It Straight: Tenchi Muyo! was a great anime and one of the first shows to go mainstream on Cartoon Network's Toonami programming back in the '90s.  The first OVA is a classic and I was completely excited to hear about this new series.  You absolutely must have watched the previous OVA episodes in order to even remotely have a chance at understanding this series.  The character relationships are oppressively complex in this show and I felt totally lost without a major scorecard (thank goodness for the internet).  Apparently Tenchi Muyo: GXP will also help prepare you for the convoluted mess of this finale series. 

This is a cabbit.  Kawai!

The production timing of this finale detracts from the impact of the show - the first OVA (seven episodes) was released in 1992 (in Japan), the second OVA (six episodes) in 1994, and this final OVA (seven episodes) didn't show up until 2003.  That's a long time and the GXP television series (26 episodes) helps to make things even more confusing by adding more layers of complexity to the intergalactic/political relationships of all the characters.  I forgot most of it and since it's so damn complicated it took awhile (and a fair amount of time on the internet) to get back up to speed. 

Overall an amusing show with a decent finale.  Although it fights an uphill battle I think the series will satisfy most Tenchi fans (who are more interested in just having more Tenchi after all), but will warn it's a love/hate scenario.  You will either love that more information is given about the major powers playing behind the scenes (and the Tenchi cast hijinks) or hate all the additional crap thrown into an already convoluted storyline.  Your therapist would recommend watching this show just to get closure. 

Seriously, this will help

TO BUY and Recommendations:
   

Queen's Blade: The Exiled Virgin Anime Review

Queen's Blade: The Exiled Virgin
Anime Works/Media Blasters
Complete Collection - 3 discs
300 mins. - 12 episodes
$49.99 (2011)
$59.99 (2010) Blu-Ray
$29.99 (2010) Vol. 1-3/ea.
ISBN 631595104974
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Kinji Yoshimoto
Studio - ARMS

Synopsis: Every four years a tournament is held to determine the next Queen.  Beautiful, female warriors from across the Continent migrate to Gynos, the Queen's capital and participate in brutal, one-on-one battles.  Our tale begins in the fourth year as the tournament is just beginning and follows the events leading up to the participants arrival at the capital city.  The combatants include:

• Leina - known as the Wandering Warrior, she's the daughter and heir of Count Vance, renouncing her heritage she enters the tournament as an inexperienced fighter, but through training and perseverance gains formidable fighting skills, Echidna has a crush on her
• Risty - known as the Benevolent Bandit of the Wild earning the title by robbing from the rich and helping the poor, she possesses an Amazonian physique and is a tenacious fighter

Risty captures a runaway Leina in the first episode

• Echidna - known as the Veteran Mercenary, she's the former leader of the Assassins of the Fang, is a wild jungle elf with no inhibitions and an eye for fine maidens, has lived for more than 500 years, wears her pet snake Keltan as a thong
• Menace - ancient princess from Amara (similar to Egyptians) resurrected by the Swamp Witch, wishes to restore her long-dead kingdom and specializes in mind-control, her talking sceptre Setora is a complete lecher
• Nanael - known as the Angel of Hope, she's an angel from heaven sent to earth in order to officiate the Queen's Blade tournament, a complete dumbass she gets exiled for being incompetent, one wing is smaller than the other and she feels inferior to the other angels - so she acts out, possesses formidable powers, but forced to carry a vial of "holy milk" which diminishes her powers if spilled
• Tomoe - Warrior Priestess from Hinomoto, pure of mind and spirit, many of her fellow priestesses were killed in a battle with the Kouma ninja clan, she must win the tournament and save her people, possesses incredible sword techniques

Tomoe finds it quite rude to disturb bathtime

• Airi - known as the Infernal Temptress, she's a ghost maid in service to the Swamp Witch, wields a scythe in battle, and feeds on vitality in order to stay corporeal
• Claudette - known as the Thundercloud General, she's the oldest daughter of the Vance Family, an illegitimate child she is not counted in the line of succession and charged with protecting Leina the true heir, wields a powerful sword called Thunderclap which controls lightning
• Shizuka - former leader of the Kouma ninja clan, battled Tomoe in the past and lost, aids Tomoe after the Kouma against her wishes clash with the Hinomoto priestesses, despite her ninja training she is easygoing and likes to try on hot bikinis
• Cattleya - known as the Giant Slayer, has a son named Lana, her missing husband is also a monster hunter, wields a massive greatsword which is only dwarfed in size by her massive breasts

Cattleya wields her giant...sword

• Elina - younger sister to Leina and Captain of the Vance Guard, a ruthless fighter with love only for her family, she uses spears and a tiger-claw gauntlet, has an unhealthy fascination with her older sister naked full-body rubdowns
• Nowa - half-elf/half-human and mistrusted by her elven brethren due to humans' prejudice against them, known as the Forest Keeper, has a pet monkey named Ruh, she doesn't wear underwear
• Melpha - holy priestess with incredible divine powers and enormous breasts 



Melona

• Melona - known as the Protean Assassin, she's a minion of the Swamp Witch with the ability to shapeshift into a pink liquid form, has a sadistic personality and shoots acid from her breasts
• Ymir - known as the Steel Princess, she's the daughter of the Dwarven King, despite her diminutive stature and childlike appearance she's actually quite older, hates snakes, wields an enormous axe and fights in the tournament to prove the strength of Dwarven steel
• Irma - leader of the Assassins of the Fang, former apprentice to Echidna, master of stealth and treachery, she wields twin daggers
• Alleyne - known as the Combat Master, she's Nowa's instructor and one thousand years old, sets out to help Nowa in the tournament
• Aldra - known as the Bewitched Queen, she's the reigning queen, a cursed half-demon who can encase foes in amber with her "evil eye", has won the Queen's Blade tournament two times in a row

Pros: More fan-service than you can shake a "stick" at, tons of nudity - every battle has the combatants losing their tops and bottoms, decent story, Nanael adds some humor to the show, excellent animation and backgrounds, decent opening/ending theme songs, collection includes first six OVA episodes comprising Queen's Blade: Beautiful Fighters side series, oil wrestling

Cons: It ends :), only the first half of the Queen's Gate saga - finishes in the second season (next 12 episodes), so much fan-service and nudity it distracts from the story

Echidna (standing) and Irma (seated)

Mike Tells It Straight: This show is all about fan-service - the story is entertaining and adequately explains the motivations of the characters, but it's all about showing off their sexy bodies at every opportunity.  A trend in recent anime with a heavy fan-service theme (like Sekirei and Girls Bravo) is to show a lot more nudity.  I certainly don't mind and find it a logical progression to the genre.  Some may call it excessive, but Queen's Blade has been focused on scantily-clad warrior women in half-naked poses since the beginning (originally based on a series of visual combat gamebooks). 

It's not for kids due to the nudity and sexual themes, but perfect for the otaku man-cub.  If you like excessive fan-service with a proliferation of nudity and a story barely held together by a g-string, then pick up this show.  The DVD and BD sets are great, especially with the bonus OVA episodes which you won't see on Netflix.

TO BUY and Recommendations: