Review of Casshan

Introduction

This is a confusing `double-nostalgia` blast. `Casshan` first aired in Japan (and the US amongst other territories) in the early 1970`s. It was a thinly veiled cash-in on the success of Gatchaman/G-Force (or `Battle of the Planets` to a generation of Westerners who got it ten years later in sanitised form). There`s no mistaking the similarities; `Casshan` sounding more than a little bit like `Gatchaman`, and Casshan`s costume with its triangular logo looking suspiciously familiar too.

This 1993 remake of that series is possibly a little grittier, and the animation a little more fluid, but most of what gets nostalgia freaks hot under the collar is still intact. It really feels like a period piece (Speed Racer, Marine Boy, Battle of the Planets et al) and, frankly, in my books that`s no bad thing.

The pompous narration (on both the US version (lady) and the original Japanese (man)), the nature of the robot-fighting, the costumes and the giant sparkly eyes are pure retro. But you do get a little more than you might expect in terms of characterisation and narrative - with Casshan proving to be an unpredictable maverick with a difficult past.

So what`s it all about? Well, if you saw the original series, this is both a sequel and a remake rolled into one. Tetsuya (that`s `Casshan` to you and me) is the son of a now deceased scientist who, whilst attempting to do the right thing for the environment, created an android BK-01 (short for `Black King`) to sort things out. With a demented (but understandable) logic, the `Black King` decides that the only way to save earth is to kill off the human race. So he pulls together a giant, ruthless, nazi style killing force. Casshan, the Robot Hunter, is mankind`s only hope.

But all isn`t as it seems. Realising his mistake, before his death Tetsuya`s father decided to create a half-man/half-robot to tackle this deadly robotic army. In true manga style, he chooses his own son.

The movie on disc one is an American-dubbed version of the four Japanese episodes contained on Disc 2 which made up the original 1993 OVA. The episodes have been cut together into a supposed seamless movie though the joins are fairly apparent.

Cashhan, and his faithful canine side-kick, Friender, rescue his old girlfriend Luna from the Black King. There`s a little romance and soul searching before the big battles begin, including a `Bridge on the River Kwai` sequence that shows Casshan in a new and unpredictable light.

One element of the anime worthy of mention is the orchestral score - very unusual for anime of this type. It provides a grandiose soundscape entirely in keeping with this epic animation.

Video

This is in original 4:3 but despite its early 70`s retro look is in pristine condition. This is a good transfer of a traditionally produced (i.e. cell-based) early 90`s anime.

Audio

It`s all here. Original stereo 2.1, a 5.1 option as well as DTS. I watched the entire `movie` nearly three times in total and the 5.1, whilst generally offering up all dialogue to the centre, made much of the orchestral wash in the rears, as well as quite a number of robo-crushing spot fx. The audio commentary version is (predictably) much more straightforward, and the Japanese 5.1 was fine though a little thinner overall.

Features

AUDIO COMMENTARY
Jonathan Clements, co-author of the Anime Encyclopaedia, offers us a very informative commentary on the movie version. It reminded me somewhat of the excellent critic commentaries on the Universal Horror movie sets, which are packed with relevant information. It made me realise that some of the better commentaries that I`ve heard are by experts not directly involved in the film`s production. There`s no false modesty, irreverance or sycophantism - just relevant analysis and facts.

TRAILERS
There are a couple of Trailer Reels here. The first is entitled `The Art of Anime`, and is a series of classic extracts set to music. The extracts include Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Perfect Blue, Blood: the Last Vampire, Virus etc.

The second is set to the same piece of U2-ish guitar music and features more recent or forthcoming releases like the new Ghost in the Shell movie (Innocence), Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfather and so on.

DISC 2
Disc 2 contains all four episodes of the original OVA that make up the movie on Disc 1 though all are only available here in Japanes with an English subs option.

Conclusion

There`s a glut of great anime out there and I`m not sure whether this reissue will cause any great waves amongst fans of the genre.

One things a cert though. If you`re fan of retro anime (Battle of the Planets/Gatchaman/G-Force et al) then you may well enjoy this. It has all the ingredients. From costumes that wouldn`t look out of place in a mid-70`s roller-disco, to robot-fighting mayhem set against an epic orchestral score.

Curiously though, this early 90`s release is of itself a retro tribute - and yet has become matured enough in it`s own right to warrant a retro look too. So it`s double-retro, or two retros for the price of one.

In terms of value for money, this 2 disc set certainly tries to deliver with the US version on Disc 1, the Japanese episode versions on Disc 2, as well as fantastic audio options and even a well-informed audio commentary for good measure.

I enjoyed it tremendously, though it`s relatively humourless and unsophisticated fare when compared to some of the highly inventive anime being released today.