"BREAK-AGE" Review: A new type of action anime that exceeds expectations

Comprehensive evaluation and recommendation of BREAK-AGE

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

August 25, 1999

■Release and sales

Beam Entertainment

■Frequencies

45 min

■Original Story

・Original work: Batou Chiimei

■ Director

・Director: Tsuneo Tominaga

■ Production

Animation Production: Ripple Film Production: Beam Entertainment

■Works

©1992ZEIHMAY BATOW/1992 First Published By ASCII Co.
©1999 Beam Entertainment

■ Story

The protagonist, Kiryu Nimura, is a high school student who is crazy about Danger Planet. One day, he plays against a mysterious giant VP called "Benkei" and is defeated. Kiryu is intrigued by the true identity of the player who pilots "Benkei". However, he is shocked to find out that the true identity is a beautiful high school girl named Sari Takahara, and challenges her to a rematch.

■Explanation

This is an OVA version of the manga of the same name that was serialized in the monthly "ASCII Comics" (ASCII) from 1992 to 1999. The story is set in a world where "Danger Planet" (commonly known as DP), a large-scale immersive game featuring real-time battles on Virtual Puppets (commonly known as VP), has become a huge hit worldwide. The OVA is based on episodes 0 and 1 of the original work.

■Cast

・Kiryu Nimura/Kenichi Suzumura・Sari Takahara/Wakana Yamazaki・Daisuke Kurata/Yuji Ueda・Dieter/Tomoyuki Morikawa・Takashi Kusakabe/Tomohiro Nishimura・Chairman/Takehito Koyasu・Mother/Michie Tomizawa・Shoji/Yumi Takada・Ninya/Nobuo Tobita・Kajitani/Kazuya Ichijo・Navigation voice/Kumo Sakuma

■ Main staff

・Character design / Kano Akira・Mecha design / Ushijima Yuji・Director / Yamaguchi Yorifusa・Chief animation director / Kano Akira・Mecha animation director / Shishido Satoshi・Animation director / Ushijima Yuji・Color setting / Takagi Masato・Art director / Waki ​​Takeshi・Director of photography / Sano Yoshifumi・Editing / Seki Kazuhiko・Music / Yamanaka Noriaki・Music production / TNK, Kato Nagateru・Sound director / Tanaka Kazuya・Animation production / Ripple Film・Director / Tominaga Tsuneo・Screenplay / Tominaga Tsuneo・Producer / Takechi Tsuneo・Animation producer / Kodaira Masao・Production / Beam Entertainment

■ Main Characters

・Kiryu Nimura
The protagonist. He is a member of the video game club at Kokufu College of Technology. He has been passionate about DP since he was in elementary school, and his skills are quite impressive. His dream is to become a robotics engineer, and he has an honest and pure personality. His favorite VP is Kuro.

・Sari Takahara
The heroine. A student at Shinyashiki Girls' Academy. She served as a test pilot during the development of the DP series. Dietrich Takahara, the creator of DP, is her older brother. Her favorite VP is Benkei.

Dietrich Takahara (Dieter)
The creator of DP. He independently developed the DP Master System and most of the early VPs.

■ Main robot items

・CROW
A custom VP developed based on the "Goblin". It is equipped with the anti-tank rifle "Dora". Its lightweight design allows for high mobility.

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

Story and Characters

"BREAK-AGE" was released as an OVA in 1999 and is based on the manga of the same name by Batou Chiimei. The story is set in the large-scale immersive real-time battle game "Danger Planet" (DP). The protagonist, Nimura Kiryu, is a high school student who is passionate about DP, and his growth and challenges are at the center of the story. One day, Kiryu suffers a major defeat in a match against the mysterious giant VP "Benkei" and becomes interested in the true identity of the player. However, he is shocked to discover that the player is actually a beautiful high school girl named Takahara Sari, and challenges her to a rematch, which is a highlight of the story.

The portrayal of the characters is very appealing, and the purity and growth of Kiryu Nimura in particular leaves a strong impression on the viewer. His journey to become a roboticist and his passion for DP add depth to the story. The character of Ayari Takahara is also appealing, and her deep understanding of DP and experience as a test pilot add depth to the story. Dietrich Takahara (Dieter) is also an important character, and his contributions to DP and technical background enrich the worldview of the work.

Animation and visuals

Ripple Film, the animation production company, puts a lot of effort into character and mecha design. Akira Kano, the character designer, provides designs that highlight the individuality of each character, enhancing the visual appeal. Yuji Ushijima, the mecha designer, draws out the detailed designs and movements of the VPs, realistically expressing the world of DP. In particular, the designs of Kuro (CROW) and Benkei are visually very impressive, and their movements in the battle scenes are beautifully drawn.

The color scheme and art direction are excellent, with the teamwork of Masato Takagi and Takeshi Waki ​​bringing the world of DP to life. Cinematographer Yoshishi Sano and editor Kazuhiko Seki's skills also help the story flow smoothly and enhance the visual impact. Overall, the visual quality is very high and has the power to draw the viewer in.

Music and Sound

The music is by Noriaki Yamanaka, and the music production by TNK and Nagateru Kato enhances the atmosphere of the work. The background music, which expresses the emotions of DP's battle scenes and characters, is an important element in evoking the emotions of the viewers. Sound director Kazuya Tanaka brings out the best in the voice actors' performances and emphasizes the individuality of the characters. In particular, the performances of Kenichi Suzumura as Kiryu Nimura and Wakana Yamazaki as Ayari Takahara further enhance the charm of the characters.

Director and scriptwriter

Director and scriptwriter Tsuneo Tominaga has developed an original story for the OVA while skillfully incorporating the essence of the original work. As it is based on episodes 0 and 1 of the original work, it offers a new perspective even for fans of the original work. Tsuneo Tominaga's direction skillfully depicts the growth of the characters and the worldview of DP, leaving a strong impression on viewers. The teamwork between producer Tsuneo Takechi and animation producer Masao Kodaira also enhances the quality of the work.

Recommendations and ratings

Set in the large-scale immersive game world of DP, BREAK-AGE is a beautiful blend of character growth, friendship, and technical elements. In particular, Kiryu Nimura's purity and growth, Sayari Takahara's charm, and Dietrich Takahara's technical contributions enrich the story. The animation and visuals are of high quality, and the music and sound also add to the atmosphere of the work. Director and screenwriter Tsuneo Tominaga's direction is also superb, offering a new perspective for fans of the original work.

I highly recommend this work to anyone interested in DP and robot battles, anyone who likes stories about character growth and friendship, and anyone who wants to enjoy the atmosphere of 1990s anime. I also appreciate how the OVA format brings out the best in the story and characters in a short 45-minute time frame. Please give it a watch.