Detailed review and evaluation of Soukihei MD Geist <Complete Edition>

A comprehensive review and recommendation of Soukihei MD Geist <Perfect Edition> - Soukihei MD Geist Perfect Edition

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

March 1, 1996

■Release and sales

・Nippon Columbia

■Frequencies

50 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

・Original story/Koichi Ohata

■ Director

・Director: Koichi Ohata

■ Production

・Animation Production/Zero G Room

■ Story

On the devastated planet Jura, a quagmire of fighting continues between the Negusrom, a new generation human guerrilla group that opposes the rule of the Earth government, and the Jura regular army. Geist, an MD (Most Dangerous Soldier), was feared for his ferocious fighting style and was imprisoned in an artificial satellite. However, when the satellite he was on accidentally falls to the surface, Geist is able to set foot on the planet Jura once again.

■Explanation

This is a director's cut version with additional scenes added to the OVA "Sokihei MD Geist" released in 1986. The cast was also changed to match "Sokihei MD Geist 2: Death Force", which was released around the same time. It was also released overseas in countries such as Brazil and the United States, and became an unusual hit for a Japanese anime work at the time.

■Cast

・Geist/Kazuhiro Nakata ・Pyre/Rika Matsumoto ・Kurtz/Unsho Ishizuka ・Golem/Hisao Egawa ・Mash/Tomokazu Seki

■ Main staff

・Director / Koichi Ohata・Animation Production / Zero G Room・Direction / Hiroshima Hideki・Executive Producer / Masaharu Takayama・Producers / Masao Nakamura, Masato Takami・Original Concept / Koichi Ohata・Screenplay / Riku Sanjo・Storyboard / Koichi Ohata・Character Design / Tsuneo Ninomiya・Mecha Design / Koichi Ohata・Art Director / Yoshinori Takao・Editing / Seiji Morita・Sound Director / Masafumi Mima・Music / Yoichi Takahashi・Design Cooperation / Kazumi Fujita, Yasuyasu Moriki, Mamoru Ito, Junichi Akutsu・Production Cooperation / Masahiro Murakami, Kazuo Ebisawa, Hisao Shirai

■ Main Characters

The protagonist of Geist. He was once a member of the regular army special forces of the planet Jura and has supernatural fighting abilities.

・Sub-leader of the Pyre biker gang. A woman who plans to make a quick buck by using Geists.

・Golem Boasting of his superhuman strength, he is the leader of a biker gang.

■ Related works

・"Soukihei MD Geist" (OVA)
・"Soukihei MD Geist 2: Death Force" (OVA)

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Heartless Soldier ・Lyrics by Ryu Machiko ・Music by Kishi Masayuki ・Singer by Kageyama Hironobu

・ED1
・Flame of Violence ・Lyrics by Machiko Ryu ・Music by Masayuki Kishi ・Singer by Hironobu Kageyama

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

"Soukihei MD Geist <Perfect Edition>" is a director's cut version of the OVA "Soukihei MD Geist" that first appeared in 1986, and was released in 1996. This perfect edition adds new scenes to the original version, deepening the story and increasing its visual appeal. In addition, some of the cast has been changed, bringing even more realism and impact.

The story is set on the devastated planet Jura and depicts the battle between the Negusrom, a guerrilla group opposed to the rule of the Earth government, and the regular Jura army. The main character, Geist, is a ferocious soldier known as the Most Dangerous Soldier (MD), who was imprisoned on a satellite, but an accident leads him back to Jura. This setting leaves a strong impression on viewers and highlights the dark appeal of Geist's character.

The Geist character is a very appealing character, a former special forces member with supernatural fighting abilities. His battle scenes are visually very impactful, and the attention to detail of director Ohata Koichi can be seen especially in the mecha design and the depiction of the battle scenes. Sub-characters such as Pyre and Golem are also unique, adding depth to the story. Pyre's schemes to use Geist and the battle scenes featuring Golem's superhuman strength are elements that draw the viewer in.

The success of this work can also be seen in its overseas expansion. It was released in Brazil and the United States, and recorded an unprecedented hit for a Japanese anime work at the time. This can be said to be the result of the universal appeal of the Geist characters and the intensity of the battle scenes being accepted by audiences around the world. In addition, the theme song "Ruthless Soldier" and the ending theme "Honoo no Violence" feature Hironobu Kageyama's powerful voice and the grandiose melodies composed by Masayuki Kishi, livening up the atmosphere of the work.

The main staff is also a splendid lineup, with professionals from various fields coming together under the direction of Director Ohata Koichi, including animation by Zero G Room, character design by Ninomiya Tsuneo, and music by Takahashi Yoichi. Thanks to the cooperation of these staff, the work maintains a high level of quality and satisfies viewers both visually and aurally.

Related works include "Soukihei MD Geist" and "Soukihei MD Geist 2: Death Force". These works also deepen the story of Geist, and you can enjoy the whole series. In particular, "Soukihei MD Geist 2: Death Force" depicts a new battle of Geist, so you will get even more satisfaction by watching it together with the complete version.

The recommended audience is those who are interested in battle scenes and mecha design, those who like works with a dark atmosphere, and overseas anime fans. Also, since it is a compact OVA format, it can be enjoyed easily even by those who don't have much time. Furthermore, those who like Hironobu Kageyama's singing voice will enjoy the opening and ending themes.

Overall, "Soukihei MD Geist <Perfect Edition>" is a work that draws viewers in with its fascinating Geist characters, powerful battle scenes, and deep storyline. Although it is an OVA, it has the scale and quality of a movie, making it a work that is definitely worth watching at least once.