WizarDru
Adventurer
My first anime is back, and all "Giant Robo"-ified...and I couldn't be happier. On Monday, Cartoon Network began showing the 2001 Cyborg 009, a remake of the original from the late 70s. It's classic old-sk00l anime, and if that isn't your bag, then you probably won't dig this, but I love it.
The basic premise is fairly simple: 9 people who have been kidnapped at various times, and then subjected to experiments turning them into super-powered cyborgs. They escape, fight the evil 'Black Ghost' (one of the best bad guy names since 'Big FIRE!'), and discover each other's pasts and identies in the process. Big battles ensue.
Now, here's the rub: I've always viewed Cyborg 009 as basically an anime version of...the X-men. Every character has a super-power at which they excel (009 is super-fast), they are all different ethnicities, have abilities they didn't ask for, at feared and hunted, and have somtimes complicated interpersonal relationships.
Now, as I mentioned, this is an old school anime. By that I mean the plot appears to be echoing the original, which has more in common with Yamato than Nadeisco, if you take my meaning. There are 'silly' character designs abound, such as many of the bad guys, and several of the cyborgs, such as 001, 006 and 007. If you didn't like the characterizations of the original Mach Go Go Go! or some characters in Lupin III, you're not going to dig this, either.
I expect some changes to the plot, of course. In the original, 004's circumstance is that he and his wife are attempting to escape from East Berlin. The east Berlin guards discover them while they're trying to sneak past the border (hidden in a car), and they make a break for it. The guards open fire, the car explodes, his wife is killed and 004 has all of his limbs blown off. Black Ghost gets a hold of him and viola! - living weapon. Given that there hasn't been a Berlin Wall or East Berlin for 15 years now, I'm sure that'll change.
Each character has a story, and eventually each one is revealed. There's plenty of super powers, super villains and a classic story. All of which is a long way to say that I think you ought to check out the series. It's a lot of fun.
The basic premise is fairly simple: 9 people who have been kidnapped at various times, and then subjected to experiments turning them into super-powered cyborgs. They escape, fight the evil 'Black Ghost' (one of the best bad guy names since 'Big FIRE!'), and discover each other's pasts and identies in the process. Big battles ensue.
Now, here's the rub: I've always viewed Cyborg 009 as basically an anime version of...the X-men. Every character has a super-power at which they excel (009 is super-fast), they are all different ethnicities, have abilities they didn't ask for, at feared and hunted, and have somtimes complicated interpersonal relationships.
Now, as I mentioned, this is an old school anime. By that I mean the plot appears to be echoing the original, which has more in common with Yamato than Nadeisco, if you take my meaning. There are 'silly' character designs abound, such as many of the bad guys, and several of the cyborgs, such as 001, 006 and 007. If you didn't like the characterizations of the original Mach Go Go Go! or some characters in Lupin III, you're not going to dig this, either.
I expect some changes to the plot, of course. In the original, 004's circumstance is that he and his wife are attempting to escape from East Berlin. The east Berlin guards discover them while they're trying to sneak past the border (hidden in a car), and they make a break for it. The guards open fire, the car explodes, his wife is killed and 004 has all of his limbs blown off. Black Ghost gets a hold of him and viola! - living weapon. Given that there hasn't been a Berlin Wall or East Berlin for 15 years now, I'm sure that'll change.
Each character has a story, and eventually each one is revealed. There's plenty of super powers, super villains and a classic story. All of which is a long way to say that I think you ought to check out the series. It's a lot of fun.
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