Through AnimeEigo, I had the opportunity to review the Megazone 23 trilogy via their brand new Blu-Ray release. Unlike Riding Bean, which I reviewed via AnimeEigo a few months ago, this is a work I've seen before and know a little about, and I thought it would be interesting to review it.
Part I (1985)
Megazone 23 Part I is the work of the director Noboru Ishiguro and his studio, Artland, in collaboration with animation design studio ArtMIC, scripted by Hiroyuki Hoshiyama and design by Toshihiro Hirano (Toshiki Hirano). In retrospect, the themes and devices feel somewhat similar to Macross Super Dimension Fortress (1982), Ishiguro's previous work as director. While Macross follows Hikaru Ichijou, a civilian pilot turned SDF fighter and transforming mecha pilot, Megazone 23 follows teenage cyclist Shogo Yahagi as he becomes involved with a super mecha transformers and bicycles are being hunted by the government. Given the context they are both core figures involved in music as idols, but that is enough for a general comparison to a completely different work.
I think Part I's strongest point is its artistry. Art director Mitsuki Nakamura and his team from Mecaman Design Office (as well as those from Studio Tao) have painted some stunning backdrops of vibrant interiors, cityscapes, and sci-fi buildings. thought. Of course, the animation—supervised by Hirano, Ichirou Itano, Narumi Kakinouchi and Haruhiko Mikimoto—is equally lacking in composition and power, especially in scenes involving motorbikes and machinery. and action (regardless of the beautifully drawn characters). Don't get me wrong).
Without getting too deep into the content, Shogo is rude and blunt, but he is consistent in his motives and beliefs. When Yui, the beloved dancer, is about to sleep with a producer willing to give her the lead role, he steals her away. She criticizes him because he grabs her as if he “owns” her, which is a discussion about her autonomy in a way. Even though Shogo is “saving” her, despite her agreement with the producer, from being exploited for sexual gain, he eventually falls into the trap of rejecting her choice . This also ties into the theme of the rest of the work: the revelation that societies are not “free” and have no autonomy, that they live within a false reality given to them by those in power. Surname. When exploited or deceived, freedom of choice supersedes other logic, even if it must be “forced” into truth.
I think that's where Megazone 23 becomes its strongest point: Shogo's personality and his motivations. It's not the most nuanced, but it's easy to root for him and generally 'fit' him. The first person he revealed this information to was none other than his lover, and when he did so, it could be said that the images on the screen were their most intimate moments. It's little things like that that made me appreciate the OVA and I liked Part I quite a bit.
Part II (1986)
Megazone 23 Part II is strangely stylish. Hoshiyama returned as scriptwriter, but Ishiguro only acted as supervisor, with Ichirou Itano instead serving as director in his debut (he was the action director, storyboard artist , unit director and animation director for Part I). Artland and ArtMIC are both present along with studio AIC, represented by Tooru Miura, producer of these two parts; and Hirano did not return as character designer. Instead, Yasuomi Umetsu was given the job, his first as a designer, in which he also acted as general animation director with various people helping out as assistants.
The switch to Umetsu design was the strangest decision. Characters from Part I are carried over to Part II, but Umetsu's style is much more “realistic” than Hirano or other staff members like Mikimoto. Umetsu worked on Part I as a storyboard artist and main animator and was initially only asked to design bicycles, but later redesigned the main characters for fun and for Miura and Itano see, they chose to use his design instead. Itano also chose a different color palette, in which the garish green hair of Yui and other characters is replaced with a more “realistic” color. The change seems difficult to interpret because it means redefining the characters with a new look.
I can see the reason for the change being that the world or the audience is now aware of the “truth” of the script or some kind of realism associated with that idea and therefore the designs are changed to reflect that idea, but it's such a drastic change that it's hard to appreciate as a creative decision, especially since this work just came out. one year after the first part. Humorously, Umetsu said that after changing the design, he apologized to Hirano.
The work is a bit messy artistically. The backgrounds are drawn wonderfully (this time under the art direction of Kazuhiro Arai), and the character art is good, but the animation is more inconsistent and disjointed with some notable errors, especially in terms of animations. dynamic. Umetsu himself has expressed dissatisfaction with his work on the OVA, but I don't think that takes away from the overall enjoyment or artistry.
This time, Shogo and a group of bikers act as rebels against a totalitarian military government and the search for internet idol Eve, who at the end runs away. It's a direct sequel that picks up more or less where Part I left off, which is just a little confusing due to the change in art style and the sudden difference in where it started. Personally, I don't think it's as interesting as a script, but it's still something I think is worth experiencing, both on its own terms and as Itano and Umetsu's debut as directors and designers. character design, respectively.
Part III (1989)
Megazone 23 Part III is a leap into the future. This OVA loosely follows the events of the previous two seasons. Director Shinji Aramaki is credited as the author of the original work and he co-directed it with Kenichi Yatagai. Emu Arii wrote the script, Hiroyuki Kitazume designed the characters, and AIC served as the production studio (with ArtMIC remaining affiliated).
This time, we follow a hacker centuries after Part II ended, but it's pretty clear from the start that it's somehow related to the previous two parts due to Eve's appearance early on (and it does not just use the same concept or name). Despite all this, it's still very loose in its connections and I don't think the final story or script is as interesting. It's a simpler story, but I don't think it makes any more subtle attempts at depth in the themes, and it feels bland compared to other stories in a purer style (considering all the elements together, not the art style on them). own).
Artistically, it's still strong. Aramaki was one of the mechanical designers for parts I and II. I haven't really looked into what he designed specifically, but with my knowledge of Aramaki, I'm guessing that it was some of his more sci-fi elements and some of his sensibilities. He still appears even when he is not responsible for the designs. this period of time; and there are some great artists coming in to do some great work, namely Nobuyuki Kitajima, Naoyuki Onda, Morifumi Naka and Masami Obari, so there's that to look forward too.
Part III is interesting, but I actually think it ends up being the weakest part of the series considering both its very loose connections to the previous parts and its weak ending.
AdditionalS
This AnimeEigo release features a number of extras, namely Japanese and American commercials and trailers, an art gallery, and several additional dubs (such as the MangaUK dub) .
Personally, the most interesting addition is a special commentary track featuring mangaka Gaku Miyao, one of the mechanical designers for Part I, who was primarily responsible for designing the “current” vehicles. modern”, and GAINAX Kyoto producer Hiroki Satou (at one time CEO of GAINAX). Needless to say, I had a good time with it.
All in all, I had a lot of fun revisiting this series many years after I first watched it. If you are interested, please check it out.
Side note: AIC (or rather AIC Rights) is said to still be trying to plan the reboot (Megazone 23 SIN and Megazone 23 IX). I'm quite wary about that because AIC's production studio has been defunct since 2015 and their recent productions have been signed to other studios. The animation (or storyboard?) released by AIC for SIN shows the logo of Masahiko Komino's Lunch Box studio, so this appears to be another similar case; but doing another entry in this series with the same energy seems quite difficult given the state of the industry, so I wish them luck in this endeavor.