Zaion: I Wish You Were Here Anime Review

Zaion: I Wish You Were HereADV Films
Complete Collection - 1 disc
120 mins. - 4 episodes
$29.98 (2009)
$24.98 (2003) Vol. 1 Epidemic
$29.98 (2003) Vo1. 1 w/artbox
$24.98 (2003) Vol. 2 Devastation
ISBN 702727175022
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Seiji Mizushima
Studio - Gonzo

Synopsis: It's been four years since a mysterious virus carried by a meteorite started infecting humans and transforming them into super-powerful, mindless monsters.  The virus has claimed 3% of the world's population, but remains a well-kept secret by CURE (Committee of the Universal Resolution of Ecocatastrophe). 

In order to battle the virus CURE has developed remote-controlled mecha units (called MOB units) and nanomachine-enhanced super-soldiers (called NOA).  The MOB units are the first line of defense during an outbreak, but the virus has evolved to a point where the infected can easily overcome the robots.  Only the NOA super-soldiers have become truly effective, but they suffer from a high mortality rate and are extremely costly to replace.

NOA soldiers battle an infected human

Yuuji is a talented NOA soldier who becomes disillusioned with CURE after a particularly rough mission.  He dislikes CURE's view of the NOA casualties as acceptable losses after witnessing many comrades killed in action.  He hears about a newly developed weapon which could save lives and becomes angry because it hasn't been deployed yet.

Yuuji stews after losing more comrades on another mission

That weapon is a young psychic girl named Ai.  She is little more than a test subject to the researchers and higher ups at CURE.  Her abilities have a profound counter-effect on those infected by the virus when used with enhancing technology provided by CURE.  Lacking any emotional support Ai has no confidence and cannot function as a reliable counter-weapon.

Troops look on in horror at a massive amalgamated
infected monster

She meets Yuuji and they both share a moment together talking under the moonlight.  Yuuji does not know Ai is the new secret weapon yet and is nice to her.  Things change once he discovers Ai's inaction is costing the lives of his friends.  Another mission gone awry intensifies the dilemma for Ai as the virus mutates once again and poses an even deadlier threat. 

Yuuji and Ai under the moonlight

Now Ai is the last hope for humanity, but her fragile emotional state has rendered her helpless.  Can Yuuji get past his frustration and form a connection to support Ai? 

Ai's astral projection takes on a giant infected monster

Pros: Decent animation, okay soundtrack, budding love story between Yuuji and Ai is touching, some good action scenes, liked the nanotechnology/super-soldier concept, tons of extras - sketches, promotional clip, and half a dozen creators/staff/cast interviews

At first Yuuji is very cold to Ai

Cons: No opening sequence or theme song (had an ending sequence/theme though), MOB units (mecha) CGI was clunky and didn't mesh well with the traditional-looking animation (kinda typical of Gonzo), seems implausible that 3% of the world's population could be infected/killed by an extraterrestrial virus without a major media break (not to mention all the property damage when the things run amok), protagonists are not very endearing

A NOA soldier juggles a MOB unit

Mike Tells It Straight: Zaion's premise sounded interesting and I've enjoyed a lot of Gonzo's other works (Speed Grapher, Desert Punk, Yukikaze), but the show had a lot of negatives and didn't make a great impression.  I didn't initially like Yuuji and thought he was just another annoying anime hot-head main character.  Ai's character was pretty standard as well - she really didn't have much personality, but the pair won me over in the end with their ill-fated love (call me a romantic).

Yuuji and Ai form a strong bond in the face of adversity

My main gripe was the brief, implausible storyline and goofy characters.  The NOA team were color-coded like a group of super-sentai (i.e. Power Rangers, Kamen Rider).  Keeping the virus under wraps with 3% of the world's population wiped out didn't seem possible when infected humans turn into raging monsters.  Entire hospitals are destroyed during an outbreak - try keeping a secret like that after the third or fourth hospital is trashed.  Not gonna happen.  

The Power Rangers prepare to fight for and protect Ai

The other gripe (with Gonzo overall at this point) is the CGI for the MOB units and how poorly it contrasted with the rest of the visuals.  The rendering was blocky and movements were terrible.  I've seen a lot of other Gonzo shows with CGI figures that just don't move properly (organically) and kind of ruin the show for me (Dragonaut, Blassreiter).  Might just be a preference from this old otaku (me) who grew up with fully rendered mecha and can't wrap his brain around all this newfangled tech-no-lo-gy.

SYou never feed them after midnight!!

Overall Zaion was a somewhat mediocre watch despite some potential.  I got the message the creators were trying to send, but it was too late for me to care.  The animation was good, but the CGI pieces were downright bad.  Too many story flaws killed it for me.    

TO BUY and Recommendations:
 

Mazinkaiser Anime Review

Mazinkaiser
ADV Films
Complete Collection - 2 discs
200 mins. - 7 episodes
$26.98 (2009) w/Shuten Doji
$29.98 (2003) Vol. 1
$29.98 (2003) Vol. 2
ISBN 702727206221
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Masahiko Murata
Studio - Dynamic Planning/Bandai Visual

Synopsis: Dr. Hell sends his army of mechanical monsters led by Baron Ashura to subjugate the world, but they are opposed by Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger, Aphrodite A, and Boss Borot.  The combined onslaught of robot monsters proves too much for our heroes and they are defeated.  Mazinger Z is captured and its pilot Kouji Kabuto goes missing.  Capitalizing on the weakness of the Mazinger team, Dr. Hell retrofits the stolen Mazinger Z into the Ashura Mazinger and sends it to destroy the Photon Power Lab.

Kouji Kabuto stares up at the imposing figure of Mazinkaiser!

All seems lost as the weakened Great Mazinger falls to the Ashura Mazinger's attacks.  Out of nowhere comes an incredibly powerful new robot who stops the attacking monsters with ease, but then begins attacking the lab.  The robot is Mazinkaiser piloted by the missing Kouji Kabuto!  Originally built by Kouji's grandfather as the third in the Mazinger series, Mazinkaiser is the perfect Mazinger, but contains so much power it can overwhelm or even kill its pilot.  Kouji must become even stronger in order to pilot Mazinkaiser or risk losing himself.

Mazinkaiser prepares to charge forward with Boss Borot (left)
and Venus A (right) backing him up

Dr. Hell and Baron Ashura (who is a creepy half man/half woman person) are furious with their defeat and attempt to capture/defeat Mazinkaiser by any means possible.  Ashura sends his three daughters to assassinate Kouji, but things go awry when they mistake Boss for him.  Two new additions are brought to the Photon Lab to assist Dr. Yumi, Lori and Loru are hot American twins.

Baron Ashura's daughters - deadly robot assassins!

The Mazinger team take a day for R&R at the beach (with the two hot twins' skimpy bikinis causing quite a stir between Kouji and his 'girlfriend' Sayaka), but they can never truly escape the perils of being Mazinger pilots as Baron Ashura's forces attack them from the ocean depths.

Dr. Hell unleashes a new wave of mechanical monsters

Its a final, all-out assault by Dr. Hell on the Photon Lab with a new set of even more powerful mechanical monsters.  This time they have been fused together into bigger, stronger forms.  Can even the might of Mazinkaiser prevail against these titans or will Dr. Hell finally win?

Mazinkaiser and Great Mazinger stand ready for the
next battle with Dr. Hell's monsters

Pros: Hardcore super robot action, opening theme song is awesome - reminded me of hair metal bands from the 1980s, Boss Borot is great comedy relief, the beach episode had awesome fan-service

Lori and Loru's ridiculously skimpy swimwear

Cons: Super robot genre is over-the-top and silly, animation is highly stylized (not very realistic although holds close to look of the original manga), Baron Ashura's character is super creepy (especially the shower scene!?), mechanical monsters get slagged pretty easily (unless they're the freaky combined monsters), the original Mazingers (Z and Great) were kind of wussy, predictable - no surprises

Boss (piloting Boss Borot) and Sayaka (piloting Venus A)
gather their thoughts during a battle

Mike Tells It Straight: Mazinkaiser is a pure adrenaline thrill-ride of giant robot-smashing action!  What else would you expect from a show based on Go Nagai's (Getter Robo, Demon Lord Dante, Devilman, and a score of others) Mazinger Z?  The protagonist, Kouji Kobuto, is a hot-head who uses his fists to solve his problems, but it always seems to work out.

Side by side comparison on Mazinger Z, Great
Mazinger and Mazinkaiser

I think fans of the original Mazinger Z will enjoy seeing all of the old heroes and villains brought back for another adventure.   No real character development and the ending is predictable.  The super robot genre is pretty much played out in its original form.  Great for folks seeking the nostalgia factor (along with a killer/cheesy opening theme song) and early anime fans, but nothing new or unique for seasoned viewers (unlike Neon Genesis Evangelion which turned the super robot genre on its ear).  

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Ellcia Anime Review

Ellcia
ADV Films
Complete Collection - 1 disc
100 mins. - 4 episodes
$29.98 (2006)
ISBN 702727156526
Japanese/English/Spanish Audio
English Subtitles
Director - Noriyasu Kogawa
Studio - J.C. Staff

Synopsis: King Nabosu of Megaronia discovered an ancient technology from a long-dead civilization and used it to conquer the continent of Hulk.  In a time of swords and sorcery he annihilated all opposition with guns and battleships.  

Not content to rule just Hulk, the king subjugated the four island nations to the south including Eija.  He killed the king and queen, but took their son, Elluri, as a hostage.  The sacred book of Eija prophesies the downfall of the King by a ship of god which was used to rule Hulk a millennia ago.

The book of Eija begins bleeding as a precursor
to the prophecies fulfillment!

The King's daughter, Crystel, is obsessed with finding the ship of god called the Ellcia.  She journeys to Eija to find it.  A group of young pirates led by a girl named Eira is almost capsized by Crystel's fleet.  They follow her to the island and witness a massacre of Selties (native elf-like creatures).

Eira the jailbait pirate - worst hairdo ever!

The Selties help find the Chosen One who can captain the Ellcia against Megaronia.  It won't be an easy fight as the powerful soldier Phelkis has built an incredibly destructive ship and begins hunting the Ellcia.  Can the Ellcia prevail, will Elluri be freed from captivity to wreak revenge, and what link does Eira have with Eijia?

"If you don't give me the legendary ship of god I will
shoot you right in the face!" - Crystel

Pros: Couple plot twists (nothing too shocking), Ellcia's and Phelkis' ship designs were pretty interesting

"If you don't give me the legendary ship of god I will
cut your face off!" - Phelkis

Cons: Dated animation, horrendous character designs, weak plot - kinda generic by today's standards, Ellcia gets blasted on for most of the show, lame music

The Ellcia gets shot up by Phelkis and his Megaronian buddies

Mike Tells It Straight: Based on the cover image I thought Ellcia was a girl with punk rock hair who kicked butt with a sword and was kinda sad.  Little did I know Ellcia was actually a mystical ship the girl would pilot as the Chosen One.  The story was straightforward without too many surprises, decent animation for an older show, and I dug the look of the Ellcia.

All sorts of badness is happening to Elluri while
Eira watches helplessly

Absolutely hated the character designs and dub.  The misfit pirates were terrible and Eira's hair worst of all.  The Ellcia spent a lot of time getting hammered on by Phelkis and those poor Selties kept getting gunned down.  Ending was pretty good as far as a suspenseful conclusion.  Overall a very low recommendation - perfect dollar bin fodder.  Reminded me of Record of Lodoss War, but without any of the good bits.




TO BUY and Recommendations:

Heroic Age Anime Review

Heroic Age
Funimation
Complete Collection - 4 discs
630 mins. - 26 episodes
$59.98 (2010)
$59.98 (2010) Blu-Ray
$29.98 (2011) S.A.V.E.
$34.98 (2011) S.A.V.E. Blu-Ray
$59.98 (2009) Part 1
$59.98 (2009) Part 2
ISBN 704400086830
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Toshimasa Suzuki
Studio - Xebec

Synopsis: In the universe there once existed an omniscient, all-powerful and benevolent race of beings called the Golden Tribe.  Their abilities included the creation of new stars and planets.  They called out to all the tribes of the universe with three tribes answering their call:

• Silver Tribe - a humanoid race with great psychic powers allowing them to traverse the cosmos and communicate instantaneously across vast distances.  They suppressed all emotions and tapped into a group mind to gain logical consensus on political issues.  The Golden Tribe became mentors for the Silver Tribe and helped them achieve greater potential
• Bronze Tribe - an insectoid race with vast numbers and the ability to create massive space-faring colonies
• Heroic Tribe - the most powerful race in the universe in terms of raw power.  Incredibly destructive when pushed into the state of 'frenzy'.  The Golden Tribe had to restrain the Heroic Tribe after their powers left unchecked caused massive devastation to the universe.  The five remaining members of the Heroic Tribe were bonded to members of the other tribes as penance

The Golden Tribe observe events in the universe

Eventually the Golden Tribe left the universe after passing on their knowledge to the Silver Tribe and entrusting them with supervision over the Bronze Tribe.  The Heroic Tribe no longer existed as separate beings, but were bound to mortals of other tribes and called Nodos.  Five Nodos exist with four bound to the Silver Tribe through a contract calling for specific 'labors' to be performed before the contract is fulfilled.
The fifth Nodos is prophesied to be granted to the Iron Tribe also known as humanity.  The Silver Tribe has targeted the Iron Tribe for annihilation due to their penchant for chaotic warfare.  Earth has been conquered by the Bronze Tribe and humanity scattered across the universe.  Their last chance at survival is to find the fifth Nodos.

The four Nodos contracted to the Silver Tribe - Yuty,
Karkinos, Lekty, and Mehitak

The Argonaut is the most advanced ship in the Iron Tribe's fleet and led by Captain Mobeedo.  He protects and follows Princess Dhianeila who possesses psychic powers including astral projection, telepathy, and pathfinding.  She locates Age, the fifth Nodos, on a desolate planet where he grew up alone and he joins the Argonaut's crew in order to complete the twelve labors of his contract.  Age is child-like, pure of heart, and well-meaning.

Dhianeila encounters Age for the first time on his
home planet of Oron where he was raised in isolation

Each Nodos possesses enhanced capabilities including strength, endurance, resistance to harm, and can endure the vacuum of space.  They can transform into a powerful member of the Heroic Tribe:

• Age/Bellcross - capable of incredible power and possibly the strongest of the remaining Heroic Tribe members.  Generates massive shockwaves of power and primary uses physical assaults.  Main power is existence (i.e. resistance to reality or probability altering attacks).  Age is the only Nodos not under contract to the Silver Tribe and the greatest danger to them in the universe
• Karkinos/Lernaea - main offensive weapon is a corrosive gas cloud emitted from the body.  Can transform into a hydra form on land.  Main power is life as Lernaea can resurrect Karkinos upon death.  Karkinos takes his duty seriously, but is rational and wishes to protect those he cares for above all else
• Mehitak/Artemia - highly destructive with vast energy projection capabilities, but a pacifist at heart and reluctant to hurt others.  Views his contract as a torturous bargain to keep his people alive while inflicting pain on others tribes.  Main power is light/energy
• Lekty/Erymanthos - teleportation and the ability to manipulate time by travelling to each splinter of probability in the timestream in order to gain the desired outcome.  Shows compassion and does not march into battle lightly.  Main power is time
• Yuty/Kervius - only Nodos actually of the Silver Tribe and leader of the group of Nodos.  Can deflect energy weapons and summon vast massive vortexes of reality swallowing power with unlimited destructive potential.  Main power is nothingness/annihilation

Bellcross confers with Dhianeila's astral projection
after a brutal space battle

The Iron Tribe with Age at their vanguard must launch a final war to win humanity's survival.  They face impossible odds as well as internal political conflict.  Can they discover the final secrets of the Golden Tribe? The Silver Tribe hates them for being the apparently chosen successors of the Golden Tribe (major abandonment issues).  The four Nodos feel caught in the middle and confined by their contracted labors.  Dhianeila's older brothers, Meleagros and Atalantes, attempt a power grab for control over human society and rush headlong into battle without proper strategy.  Will all be lost or can the brave crew of the Argonaut led by Princess Dhianeila persevere?

Captain Mobeedo discusses strategy with the lovely Captain Nilval

Pros: Excellent animation combining state-of-the-art CG with hand drawn characters, great opening theme song, solid character types, nice homage to Greek mythology and Twelve Labors of Heracles, cool character/mecha/Heroic Tribe designs, little bit of fan-service thrown in

Age encounters the first of the other Nodos in Karkinos - they
transform and Bellcross faces off against Lernaea

Cons: Slow pacing makes it somewhat boring, unsatisfying conflict resolution/ending - far too positive, Dhianeila's brothers are really annoying, had some battle scene recycles throughout the series, Bee no Bee was a little AI drone hanging around Captain Mobeedo - totally lame ripoff of Haro from Mobile Suit Gundam, whole main cannon firing thing on the Argonaut was goofy with Bee no Bee and Mobeedo

The Iron Tribe's space fleet engages the enemy around
Jupiter in an attempt to regain control of Earth

Mike Tells It Straight: Loosely based on the Twelve Labors of Heracles and the time of the Heroic Age in Greek mythology, this show was a solid sci-fi space opera with epic space battles and romances.  I really enjoyed the complexity of the story elements, idea of the tribes/labors, and the animation was slick as hell.  Great character designs and backgrounds with cool mecha/ships/monsters.  Something was missing however and I felt the story just didn't hit its full potential.

Dhianeila projects her astral form in front of the Argonaut
and pathfinds a course to follow Age

The element missing was tragedy which is one of the biggest themes in Greek mythology.  Despite all the complex personal relationships set up in the plot none of them were resolved in (what I consider) a realistic manner.  I wish Yoshiyuki Tomino (creator/director of the original Mobile Suit Gundam) could have gotten his hands on this show and set it straight.

Rom Ror, commander of the Silver Tribe's Nodos, gets
his hands dirty in the final conflict

I felt like the plot crawled along at a DBZ pace for most of the show and then we get a milktoast ending.  It seemed like the only deaths were the random space vessels getting ripped up by the Nodos or Bronze Tribe hive drones.  Maybe I'm being harsh, but this show just felt immature and targeted for a younger audience.

Age and Bellcross in frenzied condition

Not enough blood and pain for the subject matter - the pending annihilation of the human race.  Just a bunch of pretty people flying around in space and ugly monsters bashing each other for episode after episode.  Don't get me wrong - it's a high-gloss show and worth a watch, but I just didn't feel satisfied at the end.  Maybe I'm conditioned to expect more cast members to die in a war story.


TO BUY and Recommendations:
 

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket Anime Review

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket
Bandai Entertainment
Complete Collection - 2 discs
180 mins. - 6 episodes
$24.98 (2009)
$29.98 (2005)
$14.98 (2004) Vol. 1 & 2 ea.
$29.98 (2002) Vol. 1 & 2 ea.
ISBN 669198804663
Japanese/English Audio/English Subtitles
Director - Fumihiko Takayama
Studio - Sunrise

Synopsis: Universal Century 0079 sees an all-out war between the Earth Federation and the seceding Duchy of Zeon from the outer space colonies.  The war has been raging for months and both sides have suffered catastrophic defeats.  Mobile suit technology has changed the landscape of war and the Zeons have been particularly effective in developing powerful war machines.  The Federation has built suits of their own and one particular suit called the Gundam is single-handedly turning the tide of war.

A member of the Zeon Cyclops Team pilots a Hy-Gogg

On the neutral colony Side Six the war has not touched the lives of the colonists yet, but that is about to change.  The Zeon learn of a new Gundam being developed and dispatch a covert special forces unit called the Cyclops Team to find it.  New to the team is Bernie Wiseman, a rookie pilot shot down in the first skirmish within the colony.

Al daydreams at school about mobile suits and war

He befriends a young boy named Al who is interested in war and wants to have adventures to escape from his miserable home life where his father is constantly away.  Al's next door neighbor is a pretty girl named Christina (aka Chris) who happens to be a Federation test pilot for the new Gundam.  Al tags along with Bernie to help him spy on the Federation base, but things take a serious turn when the Cyclops Team must launch their mission to destroy the Gundam.  If they fail the Zeons will nuke the colony and kill everyone on it!

Bernie and Al spend time looking for the secret Federation base

Pros: Very nice animation (especially for a 1989 OVA), excellent mecha designs by Yutaka Izubuchi (updating the original Mobile Suit Gundam mecha designs like the GM, Guncannon, Zaku along with adding new entries like the RX-78NT1 "Alex" and MS-18E Kampfer), good story with a deep underlying anti-war message, writer Hiroyuki Yamaga crafts a heartwrenching tale with realistic characters, loved the character designs by Haruhiko Mikimoto (famous for SDF Macross aka Robotech in the US), decent music too

Bernie meets Al's next door neighbor the lovely Chris

Cons: An older show without the fancy CG assistance we have today, some plot holes (like how does that Zaku remain undiscovered on the space colony for so long?, how did Al get a spacesuit in his exact size?)

Bernie crash lands his Zaku after being shot down and Al finds him

Mike Tells It Straight: This is a classic mecha show and a worthwhile entry into the Gundam saga.  Instead of dealing with Newtypes (psychically gifted humans) like the first Mobile Suit Gundam this show focuses on regular people dealing with the tragedy of war.  It's a gut-wrenching story with an incredibly bitter ending.  Possessing mature subject matter and message despite half the show being spent following an immature kid running around.

Bernie does his best Char impression at the spaceport

The contrast of Al's naivete and desire to have childish adventures against a backdrop of deadly consequences was perfect.  Awesome story buildup with a genuinely good ending (tragic, yes, but also good).  The mecha battles were awesome and top notch robot designs.  I particularly liked the Cyclops Team's underwater mobile suits - the Z'Gok E and Hy-Gogg; the Kampfer was pretty killer too.

The cockpit seat of a Zeon pilot after a failed mission

Characterization in this show was the strongest point.  Al's father is away working (or his parents are separated) and Al acts out at school then behaves miserably at home.  You can tell he's suffering without both of his parents and his relationship with Bernie fills that big brother/father figure role.  Each of the Cyclops Team members has something unique about their personalities.  Chris and her doting parents are genuine.  You get to see the human side of these soldiers and then have it all ripped away by war.

A Zaku takes on the Gundam RX-78NT1 with a heat hawk

I really liked this short Gundam story based on human relationships, honor, frailty, and trying to do the right thing even when it means hurting someone.  It's an older show and was a great example to prove to people (parents, disbelieving friends, older family members, whoever thought cartoons were kid stuff) that these goofy robot cartoons from Japan could deliver a serious message.  I heartily recommend it if you're looking for something a bit more grown up (but with all the cool robot fights you really love).  You'll truly enjoy it if you can suspend enough disbelief in the science fiction story and focus on the people.


TO BUY and Recommendations:
 

Golden Boy Anime Review

Golden Boy
ADV Films
Complete Collection - 2 discs
180 mins. - 6 episodes
$19.95 (2007)
$19.98 (2004) Essential Anime
$29.98 (2002) Vol. 1
$29.98 (2002) Vol. 2
ISBN 631595074970
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Hiroyuki Kitakubo
Studio - Production I.G

Synopsis: Kintaro Oe is a wandering student of life and a freeter (those who lack full-time employment and have deliberately avoided becoming salary-men).  He even completed all of the courses necessary to finish a  law degree, but never officially picked up his diploma.  Instead he takes odd jobs around the country in order to gain life experience and help various people.  His happy-go-lucky attitude follows him everywhere (on his bicycle) and he's a very hard worker.  All of his experiences and life insights are recorded in a notebook he carries at all times.

Kintaro nearly gets run down by this bodacious lady

Along the way he meets many beautiful and talented women.  He falls in love with each instantly, but his awkward and lecherous manner always fouls things up.  Kintaro must work especially hard at whatever job he has set before himself in order to win back favor in the eyes of these lovely ladies.

The beautiful women at the computer software company
laugh at Kintaro's pathetic computer skills

Whether it's scrubbing toilets, being beaten to a pulp, or getting caught fondling a toilet seat - no job is too tough (or degrading) for Kintaro!

• Computer Studies - Kintaro is nearly killed on his bicycle by a ravishing blond driving a Lamborghini.  She casually hands him 10,000 yen, a slap in the face, and speeds away.  He starts a temp job at a computer software company staffed only by beautiful women.  He's in heaven until he meets the boss - the dragon lady herself from earlier that day!  Now he must prove his skills at computing despite having no experience (he thinks C*Base is like reaching third base and starts chasing all of the women around the office).  Will Kintaro's ignorance with computers kill his chances among the heavenly bodies working at the company?
• Temptation of the Maiden - Kintaro is working as a staffer at a corrupt politician's reelection campaign.  He meets the boss's gorgeous daughter and she manages to get him to be her tutor.  She's not interested in learning though - she just wants to see Kintaro squirm as she flaunts her young nubile body at him.  Her scheme works very well, but the last guy to look at her was beaten half to death!  Can Kintaro avoid the same fate?
• Danger! The Virgin's First Love - Kintaro is helping out at a handmade noodle shop and learning it's not easy to make your own noodles.  The owner was run down in a mysterious accident and needs time to recover before assuming making noodles again.  The owner has a lovely daughter with a rich suitor, but Kintaro suspects the suitor's intentions are less than noble.  Will Kintaro get the suitor to show his true colors to save the owner's daughter's honor?
• Swimming in the Sea of Love - A chance encounter with a beautiful swimmer sets Kintaro on a course to help at a swim school.  He can't swim and gets himself in trouble immediately by challenging the head swimmer (the beautiful girl) to a race.  Now Kintaro has thirty days to learn how to swim better than an Olympic champion!  
• B@!!$ to the Wall - Biking into the mountains Kintaro meets a knockout motorcycle racing girl at a rest stop.  He begins working at a traditional mansion for a wealthy family where he meets the proper daughter of the owners.  She is the pinnacle of a traditional, proper Japanese lady.  What is her strange connection with the she-devil on a motorcycle Kintaro witnessed and what death-defying feats will he chance for a repeat meeting?
• Animation is Fun! -  Kintaro works for an animation studio, but things go awry with the deadline of their movie fast approaching.  With the director in the hospital all seems lost until Kintaro calls in favors from the beautiful girls he has met along the way.  Can Kintaro save the day once more and will the girls finally get a piece of him?

Kintaro summons his determination to surmount an obstacle

Pros: Tons of fan-service and a bit of nudity, Kintaro is an endearing idiot with a heart of gold (also an uncontrollable pervert lusting after beautiful women), Kintaro's exaggerated facial expressions (fully rendered) are great, it's hilarious when he gets caught doing something naughty, dub script is funny with some good jokes and hilarious dub-acting (over-the-top is appropriate)

The corrupt politician's daughter tortures Kintaro
by not wearing panties!

Cons: Terrible ending credits although decent ending theme song - literally a credit roll on black background (one of the extras is clean opening/ending credits - well clean ending is just black screen with song playing!), some issues with 2007 version's case allowing for loose discs (which can get scratched up), highly juvenile with lecherous humor, episodes get a bit repetitive, no one could survive that jump on a bike

What usually happens to Kintaro when he gets caught
doing something lecherous

Mike Tells It Straight: Golden Boy is a true anime classic - if you love fan-service and perverted comedy.  I laughed out loud during practically every episode (especially the first one) and this series is really funny.  The lecherous humor runs high in this series (definitely not for the kiddies) and it was absolutely hilarious.

Kintaro fantasizes about winning the favor of the
dragon lady at the computer software company

The plot of each episode gets repetitive - Kintaro meets a hot girl, gets a new job, fouls up in front of the girl, and spends the rest of the episode trying to master the job to win her heart.  Regardless, each situation is different and provides new situations for Kintaro to fondle a toilet.  Yeah, that happens a lot.

Kintaro worshiping a toilet used by a beautiful woman

I loved this short six-episode OVA and it's perfect when you need something goofy to take your mind off things.  It's based on a manga which is far more racy than the anime (that's saying a lot).  Don't expect a serious story and get ready to laugh at Kintaro's expense.

TO BUY and Recommendations: