The appeal and evaluation of Kikaider 01 THE ANIMATION/RE-EDITION: A classic anime re-evaluated

Kikaider 01 THE ANIMATION/RE-EDITION

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

September 18, 2003

■Release and sales

・Publisher: Aniplex Inc. ・Distributor: Sony Music Distribution Inc.

■Frequencies

100 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Shotaro Ishinomori

■ Director

・Director: Keitaro Motonaga ・Re-edition version supervisor and animation director: Naoyuki Konno

■ Production

Studio OX, RADIX

■Works

©2003 Ishimori Productions/Aniplex

■ Story

After destroying Dark, Jiro wanders away, separated from the Komyoji family, and encounters Rieko and Akira, who are being pursued by a mysterious organization. During the battle with the strange robot army that is after the two of them, a mysterious "memory" programmed into Jiro awakens. It is the will of Dr. Komyoji that leads him to meet his brother, Kikaider 01...!
The terrifying ultimate weapon "Armageddon God". Gil Hakaider has obtained Akira, the last key to its existence. As Dark's revival is loudly proclaimed, the giant Armageddon God machine activates. Facing them are the brothers created by Professor Komyoji: Jiro (Kikaider), Ichiro (Kikaider 01), Zero (Kikaider 00), and the newly joined Mieko (Bijinder). Can they protect the world and Akira?

■Explanation

A re-edited version of the OVA "Kikaider 01 THE ANIMATION" with significant new cuts added to all four volumes.
This action series features all the characters, including the three Kikaiders - Jiro, Ichiro, and Zero - as well as the four Hakaiders, Visinder, Shadow Knight, and more, in a new look!

■ Main staff

・Original story: Shotaro Ishinomori ・Director: Keitaro Motonaga ・Screenplay: Toshizo Nemoto, Shinsuke Onishi ・Supervisor: Masato Hayase (Ishimori Productions)
・Executive Producer: Akira Onodera ・RE-EDITION Supervisor and Animation Director: Naoyuki Konno

Kikaider 01 THE ANIMATION/RE-EDITION review

Kikaider 01 THE ANIMATION/RE-EDITION is an OVA based on the original work by Shotaro Ishinomori, released in 2003. It is a re-edit of all four volumes of the OVA "Kikaider 01 THE ANIMATION" and adds new scenes, allowing for a deeper story and visuals to be enjoyed. This work depicts the exploits of characters such as Jiro (Kikaider), Ichiro (Kikaider 01), Zero (Kikaider 00), and the newly added Mieko (Bijinder), making it a must-see for fans.

The story begins when Jiro, who has destroyed Dark, wanders away after parting ways with the Komyoji family and meets Rieko and Akira, who are being pursued by a mysterious organization. During a battle with a strange robot army that is after the two of them, a mysterious "memory" programmed into Jiro is awakened. This memory reflects the will of Dr. Komyoji, which leads Jiro to meet his brother, Kikaider 01. Then, as Gil Hakaider, who has obtained Akira, the last key to the terrifying ultimate weapon "Armageddon God," sings of the revival of Dark, the giant Armageddon God machine activates. Opposing them are the brothers created by Dr. Komyoji, and the story revolves around whether they can protect the world and Akira.

The appeal of this work lies in the deep humanity of the characters and their fighting spirit in the face of the difficulties they face. Characters such as Jiro, Kikaider 01, Kikaider 00, and Bijinder each have different backgrounds and personalities, but they are portrayed as united for a common purpose. In addition, enemy characters such as the Hakaider Four and Shadow Knight are also unique and have the power to draw viewers in.

In terms of visuals, the new scenes added to the RE-EDITION version have raised the quality of the work as a whole. The depiction of the battle scenes in particular is extremely realistic and has a strong visual impact. This is where the technical skills of director Motonaga Keitaro and RE-EDITION version supervisor and animation director Konno Naoyuki shine, and fans will surely find something new to discover. Another point not to be missed is the skillful storytelling of screenwriters Nemoto Toshizo and Onishi Shinsuke. Their hands have brought out the essence of the original work and developed a story that will move the viewer.

Music is also an important element in enhancing the appeal of this work. The background music and theme songs enhance the atmosphere of the story and stir the emotions of the viewer. Music in battle scenes in particular has the power to heighten tension and draw the viewer into the world of the story.

Kikaider 01 THE ANIMATION/RE-EDITION is a must-see for fans of Shotaro Ishinomori's original work, allowing viewers to enjoy the Kikaider series from a new perspective. Despite being an OVA, it is packed with a movie-like scale and depth of story. In its 100-minute length, it depicts the characters' growth and conflicts, as well as their friendship and love, and is sure to move viewers in many ways.

Recommendation

Kikaider 01 THE ANIMATION/RE-EDITION is a work based on the original work by Shotaro Ishinomori and released in the form of an OVA. The story begins in a world after Jiro has destroyed Dark, where he meets Rieko and Akira, who are being pursued by a mysterious organization. During a battle with an army of robots targeting the two, a mysterious "memory" programmed into Jiro awakens. This memory reflects the will of Dr. Komyoji, which leads him to meet his brother, Kikaider 01. Then, as Gil Hakaider, who has obtained Akira, the last key to the terrifying ultimate weapon "Armageddon God," sings of the revival of Dark, the giant Armageddon God machine activates. Opposing them are the brothers created by Dr. Komyoji, and the story centers on whether they can protect the world and Akira.

This work touches the viewers with its depiction of the characters' deep humanity and their fighting spirit in the face of the difficulties they face. Characters such as Jiro, Kikaider 01, Kikaider 00, and Vizinder each have different backgrounds and personalities, but they are united for a common purpose. In addition, enemy characters such as the Hakaider Four and Shadow Knight are also unique and have the power to draw viewers in.

In terms of visuals, the new scenes added to the RE-EDITION version have raised the quality of the work as a whole. The depiction of the battle scenes in particular is extremely realistic and has a strong visual impact. This is where the technical skills of director Motonaga Keitaro and RE-EDITION version supervisor and animation director Konno Naoyuki shine, and fans will surely find something new to discover. Another point not to be missed is the skillful storytelling of screenwriters Nemoto Toshizo and Onishi Shinsuke. Their hands have brought out the essence of the original work and developed a story that will move the viewer.

Music is also an important element in enhancing the appeal of this work. The background music and theme songs enhance the atmosphere of the story and stir the emotions of the viewer. Music in battle scenes in particular has the power to heighten tension and draw the viewer into the world of the story.

Kikaider 01 THE ANIMATION/RE-EDITION is a must-see for fans of Shotaro Ishinomori's original work, allowing viewers to enjoy the Kikaider series from a new perspective. Despite being an OVA, it is packed with a movie-like scale and depth of story. In its 100-minute length, it depicts the characters' growth and conflicts, as well as their friendship and love, and is sure to move viewers in many ways.

The reasons why I recommend this work are as follows:

• The characters' deep humanity and fighting spirit are depicted.
• The new scenes added to the RE-EDITION version improve the visual quality.
• Skillful storytelling brings out the essence of the original work
• Music enhances the atmosphere of the story and stirs the emotions of the audience.
• Although it is an OVA, it is packed with a movie-like scale and a deep story.

For these reasons, Kikaider 01 THE ANIMATION/RE-EDITION is a work that can be recommended not only to fans of Shotaro Ishinomori's original work, but to all viewers who enjoy action and drama.