Anime: Choujikuu Seiki Orguss

This retro series had a really unexpected feeling for me. I’ve seen plenty of those and yet this one differs in a way. It is way more sci-fi and erotic than all other mecha/sci-fi of its time.

ART SECTION: 6/10 [OMG! Tentacles!]
- Not awful but you clearly see all the faults of that era. Body deformities, fake visual effects, crude movements, repeated action clips, and the like. And those bipedal mecka really suck when they fly around with their legs hanging. Plus, they lack variety; there hardly are 5 different types used in the entire show. A cheap way to use the same footage in all the battles.
- On the positive side, it has this really attracting erotism all around it. It almost looks like a harem of the 80’s. There is plenty of nude, kissing, bed scenes, bath scenes, innuendo about really hardcore stuff… Plus, those Emaan tentacles are really funny to look at how they represent emotions. Seriously, I give it more than the average, just because of the naughty things it shows. Nothing extreme is shown but a lot of stuff are implied in a way that make it interesting.

SOUND SECTION: 7/10 [Japanese classic rock tribute???]
- No troubles as far as voice acting is concerned, it was ok. That little girl had that high pinch voice that I hate; but in all nobody sounds or talks stupid all the time.
- The intro and ending songs are Japanese versions of classic rock songs. Way more interesting that some stupid ballad or J-pop. I listened to them without skipping once and their lyrics even have direct link with the story too! Good catch!
- Sound effects are almost passable. Nothing much too look at, as they are part of the unimportant mecha battles.

STORY SECTION: 6/10 [Fourth Dimension goes haywire.]
- Wow! They actually came up with such a crazy story back then? Well, we have the usual rival countries at war and the usual mecha fights. Yet we also have a very weird story of dimensions colliding and creatures of various different parallel Earths coming together. Nothing too bizarre in all, but the main idea was never used before or again like this. This twist is the only thing that makes the otherwise typical mecha war interesting. It is not developed in any deep way but does make you feel it is weird all the time. I mean, people have their doubles from other worlds and different historical periods are seen next to each other. Just imagine barbarians attacking a spaceship and you get the picture. Add some playboy savior that can undo this mess, traveling in a spaceship with a mostly sexy female gypsy crew that digs him and a huge bomb set by a robot army… It gets really awesome … In theory at least.
- They messed in pacing as half the duration is dead time concerning pointless mecha battles and silly talking. The story could easily fit in 18, instead of 35 episodes. The rest of it is really interesting because it is either some bizarre time-space situation going on or the protagonist is having “harem-type” situations. Heck, I skipped most battles, as they offered nothing and went for the non-action parts were something was actually moving the story forward or was making you laugh with subtle erotic humor.
- All secondary characters have at least one episode dedicated to them. None of them affect the main story with this but it is still a half good result.
- Nothing feels convincing. Every girl is hitting on the protagonist, his mecha is indestructible, and there are lots of ridiculous side characters that mess the seriousness of the story.
- I tell you, anime have a really hard time ending a series properly. They either don’t have an ending or do some weird situations that have little to do with the consistency of the show so far. The ending here, although still not entirely clear, does make you feel that it is solid. Plus, it is very sad. I mean, it feels like a happy ending but it is not really that happy for the characters. I liked it.

CHARACTER SECTION: 8/10 [Macross meets Gundam!]
- None makes an impression by the way they act or look. They are archetypes you find in almost all mecha series. To be more specific, they felt like a less interesting blend of Macross and Gundam 0079 casts. Can’t say I liked them. They were acting out of place most of the time, as they easily got over someone’s death or were acting sexual on one moment and shy on the exact other. There are plenty of harem events but that doesn’t give them any credit as characters.
- Their uniforms and hairstyles kept reminding me of SDF Macross but that is all. Plus, having a dragon-like mascot critter and a loli android really makes things look stupid. The thing is, the Emaar people have these two tentacles sprouting from their necks, which react to their emotions. They are so cool! They bend, twist, curl, tie around, depending on how their user feels. Instant fondness!
- They all have a simple background. Those that mix their personal stories with alternative lives and lost loved ones are the best. A great deal of the cast develops as characters and all the rest are colorized. For the time this series was made, this was a feat! I mean, we even have marriages and offspring, a thing I remember fondly only in Macross . Heck, even the loli android gets developed! There is so much romance and hatred in this series that can fill a romance anime on its own.
- The ending leaves most characters in a state of collapse. But, since we are talking about a story where dimensions get scrambled, you get the feeling that there is an alternative dimension where everyone gets what he deserves. I have no complaints here.

VALUE & ENJOYMENT SECTIONS: 3/10 [Boring action, interesting lovey dovey stuff.]
It’s not a bad retro but it sure fools around a lot. The mecha parts could be taken out easily as they were just slowing things down, without providing much entertainment. The story is interesting but it would be much better if it lasted a lot less episodes and the ending was extended to feel more logical. The romance and sexual teasing were very good.

SUGGESTION LIST
SDF Macross
Gundam 0079
The Vision of Escaflowne