And I thought this was a 90s anime… goes to show I need to read the release dates more carefully. Megazone 23 is supposedly not done telling it’s cyberpunk mecha storyline just yet. The original from 1985 is a personal favorite of mine and the 1986 sequel is quite good as well, but I thought the story was over? As much a sequel as well as a reboot, Megazone 23 Part III would bring back the legendary red Garland motorcycle and virtual pop star Eve Tokimatsuri one more time to finish the decade of the 1980s with this third installment in the guise of a two part OVA.
Here is a question… can you have too much of a good thing? In terms of Megazone 23 I sometimes say yes. I was satisfied with the original as a complete stand alone story. I accept the second part as a possible alternate ending to conclude the first, but where do we go from here? Into the even farther future after mankind has resettled onto the Earth and yet similar problems have re-emerged, such is the fate of humanity. The more we change, the more we stay the same? Potential is possible here, but much of Megazone 23 Part III feels like borrowed re-hatching from the initial installment of Megazone 23 from a certain point of view. The dynamic of young man on a motorcycle meeting a girl and a stoic rival and unraveling a mystery of the underpinnings of the structure of society are very, very similar. So how much is truly brand new here?
Welcome to the world of Eden, the new civilization for humanity, and meet a new face Eiji Takanaka. Our new protagonist has been hired by EX, a large tech giant, for his computing skills as well as his exception abilities in the arcade galleries. Eiji’s game of choice is the big hit of the moment, an immersive cockpit shooter that makes the SEGA classic Afterburner look like amateur child’s play. The name of this game he dominates with his friends is none other than… Hard On? (yes you can laugh here) Yet there is another name that seems to follow Eiji’s high scores and that name is Sean, a name that seems to be familiar to the girl Eiji just met, Ryo. Eiji’s later meetup with Sean would become a twist of fate where Sean parlays to Eiji to meet Eve in the heart of Eden. And when I mean meet Eve, I mean the real Eve… wait a minute… I thought she was a virtual idol?
Design consistency is something this series needs to learn. Following the trend from the previous two incarnations of Megazone 23 we get yet another character designer to join the group and new directors to run the show. Hiroyuki Kitazume would lend the his hand to character designs and as a fan of his work (Starlight Angel, ZZ Gundam, Char’s Counterattack as examples) I welcome it, but I miss the originals from Toshihiro Hirano. Directors Kenichi Yatagai and more importantly Shinji Aramaki would run the show behind the cameras. Aramaki had been with Megazone 23 since the beginning, as a mechanical designer (a skill he is quite good at), but now he flexed his directorship muscles which for this OVA came out pretty good… just don’t give this guy CGI films, the are really a snore fest (my opinion).
There was a song and album by the band King Crimson known as Three of a Perfect Pair and how fitting it is for this final installment of Megazone 23 as this was the third part and comprised of a pairing of episodes. But is it perfect? Well… It’s a sharp looking OVA, perhaps one of the most polished looking cyberpunk stories I have ever seen. And by being polished I mean very fashionable. Cyberpunk usually gets a little gritty, or has an air of danger, but Megazone 23 Part III is like a mix of Vogue and GQ stylings circa 1989, gamer and hacker culture, a sterile dystopian fantasy aesthetic, that could pass in Hollywood, and mecha fighting in the even farther future. Megazone 23 Part III parlays a whole lot of style and even adds to the progression of the history of the Megazone 23 universe. So in its own way, Megazone 23 Part III is kind of perfect. …except for Hard On, lol.
“Fun and excitement are abundant today as the Pole Position team get their own entry at The Classic Anime Museum.” … now that’s how to start an episode. 😉 It feels like Saturday morning though it may only be Tuesday Afternoon… I’m looking at myself, reflections of my mind… nice Moody Blues tie in, hehe. Pole Position was for me a staple reason to get up early, grab a bowl of Cheerios, or Rice Chex and cuddle up with my favorite toys for a couple years. Based on the classic arcade game by Namco, Pole Position was and still is one of my favorite shows from my formative years. Time to buckle up again for another ride.
Often when it comes to video game adaptations into animation you have one of two choices: be a literal copycat or completely jump the shark and turn the show into something completely unique. Pole Position easily took the later option. Seriously, how does one turn an arcade quarter muncher driving laps around Fuji Speedway? An episode can turn into a quick game over if you hit any of the objects on the track, or the other cars… instant EXPLOSION! We need to do some heavy modification here work, à la Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors as an example. DiC created both of these shows and knew how to take creative liberties to the extreme to create a cartoon. And in either case, it works… splendidly!
Now… let’s start off this alternate version with a brother and sister stunt team who are accompanied by their even younger sister and their pet. Is it a crossbreed between a monkey and a cat, or something else altogether? Who cares, it’s Kuma and I want one and I like him. Or, it is her? Maybe their non-binary? Very forward thinking! Now for the secret… Dan and Tess Darrett are more than just your everyday stunt drivers. Like their parent were, they are secrets agents for the organization Pole Position and solve crime and mysteries. Only their boss, their uncle, knows. And instead of the fancy open wheeled Formula One racer, let’s give Tess a red vintage Ford Mustang and Dan some blue futuristic prototype each with a computer A.I. that communicates with them, Wheels and Roadie. Brilliant, brilliant, I think we have a winning entry here.
Pole Position is a stew where we take the name of a popular arcade racer, mix in elements of Scooby Doo, Knight Rider and James Bond and end up with a 1980s version of Speed Racer. And since the show was only 13 episodes, it doesn’t grow stale. It’s almost perfect for what Saturday morning cartoons used to be. Had it been a longer run for syndication, 65 episodes, then Pole Position may end up running out of steam? Maybe? Can’t say, because like everything, Pole Position is what it is and I love it for what it is. Action and adventure, cars, futuristic technology for the mid 1980s and being animated in Japan… I call that a killer combination. Check the credits at the end and mashed between the American and French staff you discover all the animators were Japanese. Even famed mechanical designer Shinji Aramaki contributed work. Oh yeah almost forgot… this is a DiC show… you have to have a classic Shuky Levi soundtrack and theme song. Yeah… now were ready to race! … um, who has the keys?
If one is a fan of mecha, machinery, or action with the inclusion of a machine of some sort, then Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01 would be considered as close to porn for fans. Watch the opening scene with all the mechanics and electronics… it’s total mecha hentai, second to perhaps the credits of Patlabor 2. Only a mechanical designer would have created something like this OVA and in the case of MADOX-01 that is the truth. The name of Shinji Aramaki is all over the place… director, story creation and mechanical designer. I bet he was the caterer too? … Funny thing about MADOX-01, it reminds me of another OVA, I wonder what it could be? Though it’s not exactly the same it does remind me of… umm? Hmm? Let me think on this one…
The year, 1987. The place, Japan. The man, Shinji Aramaki. The rise of the OVA format gave opportunities for many younger and/or junior rank members of the anime industry to take on the big role of directing a project. Names like Ichiro Itano, Koichi Ohata and Toshihiro Hirano went from special effects artists, mechanical designers, or character designers and moved into the realm of the director’s chair. Aramaki’s portfolio was filled with many mechanical designs ranging from anime including: Genesis Climber Mospeada, Megazone 23 (wait a minute!… oh never mind) and Bubblegum Crisis and western based shows like Pole Position, M.A.S.K. and even the original Transformers. Quite a nice lineup there so yes, he can draw machines very well… very well, but what about directing? I suppose its true to stick with your strengths and that is what Aramaki did with MADOX-01. A mechanical designer directing an anime all about mecha… what a surprise.
The Japanese government has a new fancy weapon, wearable armor in fact. Codenamed the MADOX-01 it showcases quite the firepower and agility. It’s pilot even defeats an old stalwart in more traditional equipment, much to his chagrin. Yeah old man, you lost to a girl! I always thought women were better mecha pilots anyway! 🙂 Later the machine needs to be transported to a new location and somehow becomes lost after an accident (shakes head). Can’t the government afford a decent security transport? Almost like in Black Magic M-66… keep track of your toys kids! Then this fancy device ends up in the hands of some nerdy engineering student who seems to understand how it works (hello Amuro Ray?) and then becomes connected with it literally. Now Mr. Smarty Student has to evade the feds, including that angry guy from before who wants revenge so bad for being beaten before (chuckles). Again a little like Megazone 23 with Shogo with the Garland and being chased by the military and gaining a rival with B.D. …
… Ah ha, it was Megazone 23 after all? Though I am stretching it a little, there are similarities if you take both OVAs from a certain point of view. Both stories want our protagonists to get back to their respective girlfriends at the end, but they have a minor issue of being wanted, as well as chased, from a larger authority. MADOX-01 is a far simpler story and is more based around the action than the unfolding mystery and drama of Megazone 23 (first installment to be specific). MADOX-01 is fun and has some unique character designs as well , but it is really a one and done sort of viewing. If you love mecha and action you will more than likely rewatch, while if you are more into shojo, or romance, I doubt you would consider it in the first place. I would highly recommend Megazone 23 in either case, just because it is a personal favorite and a far more superior production (my opinion). Either way they are both products of action powerhouse studio AIC!
The Classic Anime Museum 
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