"COBRA THE ANIMATION" Review: A legendary anime brought back to life in modern times

"COBRA THE ANIMATION" - The new adventures of space pirate Cobra

"COBRA THE ANIMATION" is an anime series based on the original manga "Space Cobra" by Buichi Terasawa, and was broadcast in 2010. This work is a long-awaited revival of the 1982 movie and TV broadcast "Space Cobra" 26 years later. It consists of two OVAs and 13 TV episodes, and was also released as a deluxe DVD. Here, we will take a deeper look into the appeal and details of "COBRA THE ANIMATION".

■ Public Media

This work was broadcast as a TV anime series. Specifically, all 13 episodes were broadcast on BS11 every Saturday from 11:30 pm to midnight from January 2nd to March 27th, 2010. In addition, all 13 episodes were streamed online on Bandai Channel from January 15th, 2010.

■ Original Media

The original work is the manga "Space Cobra" by Buichi Terasawa. This manga was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" from 1978 to 1984, and has since been developed in various media. "COBRA THE ANIMATION" depicts a new story and characters based on this original work.

■ Broadcast period

The series will be broadcast from January 2nd to March 27th, 2010, with a total of 13 episodes. The broadcast schedule on BS11 is as follows:

• BS11: January 2, 2010 to March 27, 2010 (Episodes 1 to 13) Every Saturday 23:30 to 24:00

Additionally, online streaming on the Bandai Channel began on January 15, 2010, with a total of 13 episodes being released.

■Broadcasting station

The broadcasting stations are BS11 and Bandai Channel. BS11 is a Japanese satellite broadcasting station, and Bandai Channel is an online anime distribution service.

■Frequencies

Each episode is 30 minutes long, but in that short time, it packs a punch with a rich story and the appeal of its characters.

■ Number of Episodes

It consists of 13 episodes in total. Each episode has a different story and depicts Cobra's adventures.

■Original Story

The original work is "Space Cobra" by Buichi Terasawa. Buichi Terasawa is a manga artist known for his unique style and storytelling, and "Space Cobra" is one of his most famous works.

■ Director

The film was directed by Keizo Shimizu, a veteran director with many years of experience in the anime industry, whose experience and skills have contributed greatly to this work.

■ Production

The anime was produced by Magic Bus and production was handled by Guild Project. Magic Bus is a studio that has worked on a number of popular anime, and Guild Project oversaw the production of this series.

■Works

Copyright belongs to ©2008 BUICHI TERASAWA/A-GIRL RIGHTS/GUILD PROJECT. This represents the rights of the original author, Buichi Terasawa, and the production company.

■ Story

The story of "COBRA THE ANIMATION" depicts the adventures of Cobra, an immortal man with a psycho gun in his left arm. Cobra is a lone pirate who is pursued by the Galactic Patrol and the Pirate Guild as the most wanted man in the universe. Several years after his disappearance, Cobra was rumored to be dead, but he was still alive, with a different face. Saying goodbye to his peaceful daily life, he embarks on an endless journey across the universe in his beloved Turtle with his beautiful companion, the Armored Lady.

■Explanation

"COBRA THE ANIMATION" is a new animation 26 years after "Space Cobra" in 1982. The long-awaited new "COBRA THE SPACE PIRATE" is made up of two OVAs and 13 TV episodes. A high-spec, high-quality work, it was also released on a deluxe DVD. This work retains the charm of the original while depicting new stories and characters.

■Cast

The main cast is as follows:

• Cobra: Naoya Uchida
• Armoroid Lady: Ryoko Sakakibara
• Secret: Maaya Sakamoto
• Black Bone: Mayumi Yamaguchi
• Bonnie: Ryoko Shiraishi
• Midora: Atsuko Tanaka
• Johnny: Kazuhiro Anzai
• Ellis: Marina Inoue
• Sebastian: Kazuaki Ito
• Geronimo: Seiji Sasaki
• Elizabeth: Yumi Kusaka
• Pamela: Takako Honda
• Queen: Junko Minagawa
• Jack: Masuo Amada
• Seven: Jo Aoyama
• Eight: Fumiko Orikasa
• King: Fujima Hide
• Ellis: Ayako Kawasumi

The cast members bring their characters to life, especially Naoya Uchida as Cobra and Yoshiko Sakakibara as Armoroid Lady, who bring out the best in their characters.

■ Main staff

The main staff are as follows:

• Original author: Buichi Terasawa
• Director: Keizo Shimizu
• Series Composition: Kazumi Koide
• Character design: Keizo Shimizu, Keiko Yamamoto, Ippei Masui
• Mechanic design: Yosuke Miura
• Chief animation director: Keiko Yamamoto, Yukari Kobayashi
• Art director: Jiro Kono
• Color design: Kazumi Morishima, Nami Inomata
• Director of photography: Keisuke Nakamura
• Sound Director: Satoshi Kato
• Music: Yoshihiro Ike
• Material cooperation: Terasawa Productions, Eiga Al Rights
• Production producers: Tetsuo Mikami, Kazumi Koide
• Animation Producer: Satoshi Dezaki
• Animation Production: Magic Bus
• Produced by: Guild Project

All of these staff members worked together to complete "COBRA THE ANIMATION." The teamwork between director Keizo Shimizu and character designers Keizo Shimizu, Keiko Yamamoto, and Ippei Masui is particularly outstanding.

■ Main Characters

The main characters are as follows:

• Cobra: An immortal man with a Psycho Gun. A space pirate who travels the galaxy in his beloved Turtle. He is pursued as a pirate by the Galactic Patrol and targeted as an enemy by the Pirate Guild. It was rumored that he was dead, but he was alive and had changed his face.
• Armoroid Lady: Cobra's beautiful companion, called "Armoroid" and clad in live metal. A bond that goes beyond the love between a man and a woman always supports the free-spirited Cobra. By the way, her three sizes are slightly different from Marilyn Monroe's.
• Secret: A beautiful female galactic patrolman. She meets Cobra while carrying the "Key of Shiva." She is the spitting image of Cobra's former lover, "Dominique."
• Blackbone: A dark-skinned female warrior of the pirate guild who covers her face with a mask. She is after the "Key of Shiva" and is chasing the secret.
• Zoros: A subordinate of Blackbone, a sheep-headed cyborg. There seems to be a secret behind the bandages wrapped around his large body...
• Bonnie: A girl who lives in the underground city of the planet Garon. She is saved by Cobra when she is harassed by Bogard's minions. She lost her brother in a street fight.
• Midora: A well-known religious leader in the underground city of Planet Garon. He is said to have committed suicide by jumping off a building a while ago...
• Johnny: A treasure hunter and friend of Cobra. He was apparently searching for treasure near Baron Island, but has since disappeared.
• Ellis: A female student majoring in ancient history. She heads to Baron Island with Cobra in search of undiscovered ruins.
• Sebastian: A priest. He is trying to regain his faith in God, which he is losing, by climbing Mount Kagero, a mountain that can only be seen by believers.
• Geronimo: The owner of the ferry that operates the ferry across the snowy sea leading to Mount Kagerou. He climbs Mount Kagerou with Cobra.
• Elizabeth: A beautiful woman who asked Cobra to search for the seeds of Mandorado. It seems that a secret is hidden in her left eye...
• Pamela: The previous year's World Champion of the Meteor Race. After learning of Cobra's power during the race, she sheds tears and tells him to "stop the black bullets."
• Queen: One of the volunteers gathered to retake Shiba Castle. The playing card included in the invitation was the Q of Spades. She is a professional assassin who knows 99 ways to kill someone with her bare hands, and wears Guerlain Parure perfume.
• Jack: One of the volunteers gathered to recapture Shiba Castle. The playing card included in the invitation was the J of Spades. A bomb maker with a special shield that can be used for both offense and defense. He seems to have some kind of connection with Cobra...
• Seven: One of the volunteers gathered to retake Shiba Castle. The playing card included in the invitation was the 7 of spades. In the past, he lost his flesh and blood in an explosion while stealing from a bank in Chicago. His special skill is safecracking.
• Eight: One of the volunteers gathered to recapture Shiba Castle. The card included in the invitation was the 8 of spades. He and his partner Seven lost their bodies in a bank in Chicago.
• King: The 13th volunteer soldier who knows the secret route to Shiba Castle. A big man with a black female tattoo on his body. He is chained in a cell in the town of Gizala as a slave for the arena. It seems that he has lost his memory of the past...
• Eris: A girl born in the Fairy Forest of Sardora. She helps King, who has lost his memory, but is now in a cell with him. It is said that she has a mysterious power...

Each of these characters has their own unique background and abilities, and they color Cobra's adventures. In particular, the relationship between Cobra and the Armored Lady is at the core of the work.

■Subtitle

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• Episode 1: Shiva's Key (2010/01/02)
• Episode 2: The Golden Door (2010/01/09)
• Episode 3: A City Without Stars (2010/01/16)
• Episode 4: Ghost of the Golden Land (2010/01/23)
• Episode 5: The Legend of the Wandering Beauty (2010/01/30)
• Episode 6: Climbing Mayfly Mountain (2010/02/06)
• Episode 7: To the summit (2010/02/13)
• Episode 8: Mandorado (2010/02/20)
• Episode 9: Black Bullet (2010/02/27)
• Episode 10: Galaxy Knights (2010/03/06)
• Episode 11: The 13th Man (2010/03/13)
• Episode 12: The Temple Monster (2010/03/20)
• Episode 13: Distant Memories (2010/03/27)

These subtitles symbolize the content of each episode and show the development of Cobra's adventures.

■ Related works

The following works are related to "COBRA THE ANIMATION".

• SPACE ADVENTURE Cobra
• Space Cobra
• COBRA THE ANIMATION The Psychogun
• COBRA THE ANIMATION Time Drive

These works share the same worldview as "Space Cobra" and are a series that fans cannot miss.

■ Theme songs and music

The theme songs and music are as follows:

• OP1: COBRA THE SPACE PIRATE
  • Lyricist: Sasja Antheunis
  • Composer: Yoshihiro Ike
  • Arrangement: Yoshihiro Ike
  • Sung by: Sasja Antheunis
• ED1: Your Song
  • Lyricist: Miyu Yuzuki
  • Composer: Okuda Motoi
  • Arrangement: Masu Ueda
  • Vocals: Shigeru Matsuzaki

These songs are important elements in enhancing the atmosphere of the work. In particular, the opening theme "COBRA THE SPACE PIRATE" is memorable as a song that symbolizes Cobra's adventure.

The appeal and evaluation of "COBRA THE ANIMATION"

"COBRA THE ANIMATION" is a work that depicts new stories and characters while inheriting the charm of the original "Space Cobra". Below, we will take a closer look at the appeal and evaluation of this work.

■ The appeal of the story

The story of "COBRA THE ANIMATION" revolves around the adventures of Cobra. Cobra is an immortal man with a psycho gun in his left arm, and a lone pirate pursued by the Galactic Patrol and the Pirate Guild. Several years after his disappearance, Cobra was rumored to be dead, but he was still alive, with a different face. Saying goodbye to his peaceful daily life, he and his beautiful companion, Armored Lady, embark on an endless journey across the universe in his beloved Turtle.

This story follows the worldview of the original "Space Cobra" while depicting new episodes. Each episode features a different adventure, and the relationships between the character of Cobra and the characters around him are deeply depicted. In particular, the bond between Cobra and Armored Lady is the core of the work and leaves a strong impression on viewers.

■Charm of the characters

The characters in "COBRA THE ANIMATION" each have their own unique background and abilities, and they color Cobra's adventures. In particular, the relationship between Cobra and Armored Lady is an important element that enhances the appeal of the work. Cobra is an immortal man with a Psycho Gun and a space pirate who travels the galaxy. Meanwhile, Armored Lady is Cobra's beautiful partner, clad in live metal, and supports Cobra with a bond that goes beyond the love between a man and a woman.

In addition, characters such as Secret, Blackbone, and Zorros each have their own background and abilities, adding depth to Cobra's adventures. Secret is a beautiful female galactic patrol officer who is the spitting image of Cobra's former lover, "Dominique," and Blackbone is a dark-skinned female warrior of the pirate guild. Zorros is a sheep-headed cyborg who is a subordinate of Blackbone, and it seems that there is a secret in the bandages wrapped around his large body.

■ The appeal of video and music

The visuals in "COBRA THE ANIMATION" are of high spec and high quality. The teamwork between director Shimizu Keizo and character designers Shimizu Keizo, Yamamoto Keiko, and Masui Ippei shines through, with each scene beautifully drawn. In particular, the scenes depicting Cobra's adventures are dynamic and powerful. Additionally, the skills of mechanical designer Miura Yosuke shine through, with the Turtle and other mechas depicted realistically.

The music is also an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the work. The opening theme, "COBRA THE SPACE PIRATE," is memorable as a song that symbolizes Cobra's adventure, and the ending theme, "Your Song," also enhances the worldview of the work. Composer Yoshihiro Ike's skills shine through, and the music that matches each scene enhances the emotions of the viewer.

■ Evaluation and recommendation

"COBRA THE ANIMATION" is a must-watch for fans of the original "Space Cobra," and is also appealing to new viewers. It has been highly praised for its story development, the appeal of its characters, and the quality of its visuals and music, and is supported by many viewers.

In particular, the relationship between Cobra and the Armored Lady is the core of the work and leaves a strong impression on viewers. Also, a different adventure unfolds in each episode, and the relationships between Cobra's character and the characters around him are deeply depicted. These elements make "COBRA THE ANIMATION" an appealing work.

Recommended audiences include fans of the original "Space Cobra," viewers looking for a new sci-fi action anime, and viewers interested in the relationships between characters. For these viewers, "COBRA THE ANIMATION" will be an enjoyable work.

Conclusion

"COBRA THE ANIMATION" is an anime series based on the original manga "Space Cobra" by Buichi Terasawa, and was broadcast in 2010. This work is a long-awaited revival of the 1982 "Space Cobra" 26 years later. It consists of two OVAs and 13 TV episodes, and was also released as a deluxe DVD.

The story revolves around Cobra's adventures, with each episode depicting a different episode. Each character has their own unique background and abilities, which add color to Cobra's adventures. The visuals and music are of high spec and high quality, evoking the emotions of the viewer.

"COBRA THE ANIMATION" is a must-watch for fans of the original "Space Cobra," and is also appealing to new viewers. It has been highly praised in all aspects, including the development of the story, the appeal of the characters, and the quality of the visuals and music, and is supported by many viewers. Recommended audiences include fans of the original "Space Cobra," viewers looking for a new sci-fi action anime, and viewers interested in the relationships between the characters. For these viewers, "COBRA THE ANIMATION" will be an enjoyable work.