Megazone 23

I ALSO wrote this review years ago, and I ALSO never published it. Sorry if it seems different than my other reviews, it was written for another site, so bear with me here.

Megazone 23 stands alongside such classic 80‘s anime as Dominion Tank Police, Venus Wars, and Bubblegum Crisis. They all hold up very well today, yet are still deeply entrenched in all things 80’s. And that’s sort of why I love them all so much. I’ve reviewed this show before, for the year 1985 in the infamous Golden Ani-Versary of Anime (1963-2013). 

Megazone 23 has quite a history in the west. First, Part 1 was chopped up with Southern Cross into the rarely seen and poorly made Robotech: The Movie (which is a mess, or so I hear). In the 90’s Megazone 23 Part 1 was brought over and dubbed by Streamline Pictures. The Streamline Dub isn’t horrible, but it has some overacting here and there. Streamline has never been a favorite studio of mine, as their dubs often feel childish and this is no exception. In the UK, Manga Video licensed and dubbed Part III in the mid-90’s. Yet they never released the first two parts. Their dub is alright, but sort of boring. Then again that entire episode is boring so I don’t think the dub was the problem. The script was extremely good, as is usual for Manga Video. Some of the lines are a little off though (especially for the main male lead which is a shame). The again I haven’t listened to the entire dub. This anime had such a weird story in the west, but thankfully in 2004 ADV released the entire show, with a brand new dub. This is the version I’ll be reviewing, although my DVD is a re-release that came out in 2007. The 2007 release is a three disk amaray. Some of the discs are a little too hard to get out of the case, which is a problem. The DVD cover makes the show seem really cool, as all the characters are a weird blue color. It makes the DVD stand out. This contrasts nicely with the sharp red background. The back artwork is also very nice too look it. It’s the samecolor red, but everything is written in yellow, and the way the plot synopsis is set up makes this all look very futuristic. I just love that. There are a few screenshots on the back too, but they seem really random. I’m not sure they give you a good impression of what this show is like or anything. But then again they rarely do. The DVD menus are nice to look at I guess, but kind of boring.

Megazone 23 Part I is a brilliant show that points out how the world may not be exactly what we all think it is. Shougo Yahagi is a fun loving 20-something, who hangs out with his friends, works at McDonalds, and is just enjoying the prosperity that the 1980’s has brought Japan. Little does he know that the entire world as he knows it, is a lie. Nothing is what it seems. Shougo meets up with one of his friends who says he found a new prototype motorcycle that Shougo just has to see. When Shougo shows up, his friend is brutally murdered right in front of his eyes. But a bit of quick thinking manages to save his life. Shougo jumps on the motorcycle and makes a quick getaway. Now these mysterious people are after him, and Shougo feels trapped with no where to turn. He finally decides to call into a TV show featuring his favorite pop idol Eve, and tell his story, and show off his cool new bike. And although he gets through to Eve, and starts to tell his tale, none of this is aired on TV. No, the government intercepted this and seem to be working with Eve. Again his life is put in danger and he’s forced to go into hiding. He is now unsure of how deep this all goes, if the government and media are in on this who else is? He is forced to place his trust in his new friends, who while a little confused at what is going on, are happy to help. His friends are Yui, a dancer and Shougo’s love interest, Mai the daughter of a rich and powerful man, and Tomomi who’s a little obsessed with directing a film at the moment. Shougo is left with no other options and ends up helping them create the film that Tomomi is so eager to get made. Eventually the plot of the film morphs into that of the anime itself (with the help of Shougo of course). Perhaps this is a subtle way for Shougo to get out the word of what is really happening? It turns out nothing outside the city they live in exists in reality. A computer program is running the city, and they are all being threatened by a distant unknown enemy. The people in the government and media are aware of some of this, and on the one hand trying to fight this enemy, and on the other trying to prevent more people from discovering the truth. How this all plays out is quite brilliant in and of it’s self.

The show really makes you think. Much like the much later Matrix, are we all living in reality, or only what we perceive to be reality? And does it all matter in the end? But more then making us question if the entire world is a lie, it makes us ask more subtle questions. Ok so maybe the world is real, but it still may not be exactly how we picture it. The more we look around us, the more we notice the hypocrisy, the selfishness of mankind, and that the people in charge really have no idea what they’re doing. And while it asks a lot of great questions, it still manages to be a fun and entertaining anime from start to finish. And the characters are all very likable and realistic. In fact they all have relatable flaws. No one is a perfect hero in this series. The first OVA is dripping in 80’s style, that is impossible to ignore. From the Flashdance scene, to the clothing, the girls hair, and just the story being told, this is all very 80’s. But that’s a good thing. The music is chuck-full of

This picture represents Japan in the 1980’s to me

wonderful 80’s pop. Every insert song is a joy to listen to (all being sung by the show’s pop-idol Eve). I just love this soundtrack. The artwork in the first part is beautiful too. It’s extraordinarily well detailed, and again done in a very 80’s style that you can’t help but love. The girls are cute in that oh-so 80’s way, the guys are all distinct looking, and backgrounds are just wonderful. The color pallet is bright and lively too. The animation is breathtaking for an anime from 1985. The motorcycles, mecha, explosions, and characters are incredibly fluid and realistically animated.

The first sequel, Megazone 23 Part II picks about about 6 months after where the first one ended. Shougo  is on the run, wanted for a murder he did not commit. He’s taken refuge among a motorcycle gang. The gang, filled with kids who smoke and drink way too much, are not really all sure exactly what they’re fighting for. Hell Shougo doesn’t even understand everything. I don’t even think I do. But they do believe in Eve, and completely distrust the government and military. Oh and of course in due time Shougo does get to meet back up with Yui. The rest of this OVA follows the bikers trying to undermine the government, and “set Eve free”. And while it never really manages to

The character designs are horrendous for Part II

capture the true essence that made the first Megazone so amazing, it is still a great sequel. It’s much more serious, and darker in tone then the first, although there’s still plenty of jokes, involving the bikers teasing each other and such. The animation is still great in this episode, but not the artwork. The art style is completely different in the sequel. Yasuomi Umetsu did the character designs for this episode, and his blocky and rough designs do not fit this style of show at all. Characters look entirely different in this episode, the only reason we know who anyone is, is because of the voice actors. I much preferred the very 80’s and smooth designs of the first episode, as it just fit the tone of the show better. The music is still amazing though, so that’s a plus. 

The last entry of the trilogy, Megasone 23 Part III is a real let down. It takes place years after all the major characters have died. While not outright terrible, it’s just not as good as it should have been. The characters are rather boring, and although the story has real potential, it’s too slow for it’s own good. This episode involves net-hackers and the government fighting each other, and yet it still involves the same bikes we’ve seen before. I guess they never go out of style. The story here is overly complicated and hard to follow, although it does have it’s moments. This episode’s best feature is the soundtrack, which still manages to pump out song after song that blows me away. The artwork here is much better then the in Part II.  It has nicer looking character designs, and much better backgrounds. The animation was still really fluid.

The Megazone 23 Dance, possibly inspired by “Flashdance” and Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical”

This series is over 26 years old and still manages to look pretty good. The colors look as lively as ever, and there’s no other major issues to be found. There is some dust but I really don’t care about these things. The dub was recorded at Industrial Smoke & Mirrors and is excellent. Industrial Smoke & Mirrors was/is one of the best ADR recording studios on planet earth, and this anime dub shows what they can do. Industrial Smoke & Mirrors has had many names over the years, ADV Studios, Amusement Park Media, and now Seraphim Digital. When ADV released this show they gave this series the treatment it truly deserved, unlike the other companies. Vic Mignogna is a great fit for Shougo. This is one of my favorite roles of his. He has the right kind of voice for this kid, and he’s entirely believable. Sometimes I find Vic’s voice to be annoying, or I find him miscast, but in this role he bring out a “Marty McFly/Michael J. Fox” feeling of Shougo, which is entirely appropriate. Shougo feels young, cool, brash, and inexperienced, all due to Vic. Eve is played beautifully by Monica Rial. She is the star of this dub, and was just wonderful. Her acting is great, and she has the right type of voice for a pop idol such as Eve. Allison Shipp plays Yui, and she’s also at the top of her game. She has just the right amount of sass and spunk in her voice to make that character work. Hilary Haag as Tomomi was just perfect casting. She is so bubbly and adorable in this role. And Sasha Paysinger plays up the cute Mai very well. These two

Truly the fashion of the future

make the girls seem both believable and charming, which couldn’t have been easy. And I must mention the slang used in the dub. Matt Greenfield, the ADR director, wisely choose to use proper time period slang in the show, that really helps ground the audience. The show is clearly set in the 80’s and loving it, so why not embrace it? It would feel wrong otherwise. I noticed no real problems with the audio, except in the last episode the background music sort of drowns out the voice acting in some scenes (in both tracks). But maybe that’s intentional.

The extras here include some interesting production sketches for all the episodes. But the real thing you want is the captivating audio commentary on the first episode with Matt Greenfield, David Williams, and Janice Williams. Not only do they go over the history of the show in detail, but they explain the history of anime and why this show was a milestone. In my opinion Greenfield gives the most interesting, entertaining, and trivia filled commentaries out there. I think from now on he should just do a commentary on everything they release. Even if the show isn’t very good, I’m sure I’d enjoy listening to him talking about it anyway. He really knows what he’s talking about, and goes over the show from so many different angles, including his involvement in anime pre-ADV Films.

 

Being the second OVA ever made, this series had a budget and it shows.Yet with huge staff changes between episodes, the show is very uneven. The first episode is the best the show ever gets, but the other two are worth watching as well. It’s a smart show that makes us ask questions about the small world around us, and reality itself. But it never forgets to be entertaining as well. The characters are very likable and lively, and the concept is just exceptional and ahead of its time. This is a classic for good reason. Do check it out.

 

Prede’s Rating

4.5/5

Positives: Part I is a smart, fun, and cool show that never manages to be boring. A real anime classic that everyone and their mother should watch. Part II has some solid scenes. This has a top notch ADV dub, excellent extra features, and a cool look and style. Just dripping in 80’s atmosphere, pop, art, and music. Great animation quality. I absolutely love it!

Negatives: If you don’t like the 1980’s don’t bother. Very uneven quality between episodes. Part II looks ugly and even though Yasuomi Umetsu is a living legend, his character designs here are terrible as they don’t match the tone of the show. Part III is a tad boring and confusing but at least it’s nice to look at.