Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Frankenstein... with mecha and aliens..., July 6, 2003
I suppose the older I get the more I appreciate a slower-paced story. I like to discover characters and motivations over time. I enjoy stories that unfold over the full length of a show's run rather than dump the entire plot on me in the first two episodes and then all there is left to do is watch it unfold in the already known and predictable way... Thankfully, ARGENTOSOMA doesn't do that - yet I'm not lost either. There is mystery and confusion and loose ends, but then, there's supposed to be at this point in the story... Of course, I've only viewed the first three disks... so I'm hoping they wrap everything up by series end, but so far I'm hooked. The mecha designs are kind of oddly unfinished-looking for the humans... variations of the alien technology, but modified to assuage civilian fears... The style not stellar, but at least interesting. I actually think the mecha take a back seat in this show. Of far more interest are the alien invaders and their motivations... who are they... and why did they come in the first place if not precisely to conquer? I've heard plenty of sneering comparisons that paint every alien-invasion-mecha-suit show that comes along as a pale copy of Evangelion and frankly I'm tired of it. They're all just modernizations of scientifically-enhanced group stories anyway. (Go watch the 70's Gatchaman again and tell me I'm wrong...) It's a GENRE now people... get over it! That said... I try to take each series on it's own - as long as it brings something interesting to the table. Argentosoma intrigues me because it's a twist on the venerable Frankenstein tale and they've given us a 'hero' who isn't just confused or reluctant... he's actively vengeful - perhaps to the detriment of the world's survival... No, Ryu Soma isn't exactly the most likeable character. He's tempermental, shallow, obsessive, incredibly intelligent and bitter. He throws away a genius career as a metallurgical designer and becomes a fighter pilot in pursuit of his revenge. He chooses to remain horribly scarred for that same reason. The few 'poignant' flashbacks to his relationship with his girlfriend - the one he's seeking revenge for - don't always paint him in the most sympathetic light either. He's been an odd one all along, it seems, perhaps due to his genius, and his tragic loss, so far, hasn't improved him... yet there are signs, later on in the series, that his thirst for revenge isn't as all-consuming as it seems at first... This is just the first disk - five episodes that set-up the situation/world of Argentosoma. There is much more to come... the most intriguing thing to me is what are the aliens are after in their single-minded treks toward Pilgramage Point... and what part will Frank really end up playing... and will Ryu Soma be able to rise above his own need for revenge as it becomes clear that Frank is needed to protect the human race from further destruction?
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Something New, Something Old, February 19, 2003
For just a few minutes in the early stages of this recent release you are going to think that you have wandered into an Evangelion clone. Nor is Evangelion the only series 'Argentosoma' will recall to mind. It is unfair to make these comparisons after seeing only the first five episodes, but there is a derivative feel to this anime that I hope does not persist. A more critical problem is that the dialog is a bit flat and humorless, and the personalities lack some needed magnetism. Part of this is the fault of a lackluster dubbing job. The original Japanese is a bit more animated but still is nothing special.In any case, the story is set in the near future, with the earth under attack by aliens by a series of giant alien humanoids (very reminiscent of EVA's Angels). These all seem to be intent on reaching a point on the Canadian/U.S. border in Montana, for no reason that humanity can discover. Making the reasonable assumption that, if highly destructive aliens are intent on getting somewhere, it might be a good idea to stop them, a special team, FUNERAL, has been assembled to do the job. Led by Commander Lana Inness, they are a fractious crew, zipping about using giant robots called SARG's to take on the aliens. The 'hero' of the series is a college student, Takuto Kaneshiro, who witnesses the death of his girlfriend, Maki Agata, at the hands of a giant robot (Frank as in 'Frankenstein') built out of alien parts by her professor, Dr. Noguchi. Recovering from his own injuries in the hospital, Takuto is approached by 'Mr. X,' a mysterious, classics quoting stranger, and offered an opportunity to get his revenge on Frank (who has been captured by FUNERAL). The next time Takuto wakes up he is Ryu Soma, a new addition to the FUNERAL team. Frank actually has an unexpectedly large part, despite having a vocabulary consisting of a single moan. In typical Franken-monster fashion, he befriends a young (thirteen going on seven) girl named Harriet Bartholemew and saves her from attacks by several villainous government authorities and an alien. Harriet and Frank (who is called EX-1 by FUNERAL) become the best of friends. The FUNERAL team wants to use Frank as a weapon, Harriet wants him to take her to the elf lands (where bad things stop happening), and Ryu Soma wants Frank cut up in little bits. This will no doubt generate some conflict as the series develops. As you can tell from some of my remarks, I am not convinced that this is a series worth the cost of six DVD's. It did enjoy a good deal of success in Japan on it's original release in 2000, so I anticipate that the story will pick up somewhat in later episodes. You may want to wait for the release of further DVD's before making a decision.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An unexpected surprise, November 9, 2004
I remember when this show was coming out there were a large number of high profile shows vying for the attention of anime fans. I was intrigued by the concept (a retelling of Franenstein with giant Mecha aliens?), but he art style didn't really grab me (as some people have noted, the characters are very angular and their noses sometimes disappear altogether). Eventually I decided to rent the first volume just to give it a shot...
Amazing. This show is amazing. While the first episode or two is just setting the stage, one thing quickly becomes apparent. The music, the animation, the presentation, the quality of the voice acting (Japanese, NOT the horrible English) are all top notch. While some shows are content to just give us the same re-hashed characters, the ones found in this show are very unique, and contain a surprising amount of depth. Take the main character for instance. A lot of people have complained that he's not a likable character. He's not supposed to be! From the get-go it should be obvious that this was a guy with big issues. He was borderline verbally abusive to his girlfriend, disliked by most people who knew him, arrogant, prideful, and emotionally unstable...BEFORE HE BECAME A HORRIBLY DISFIGURED FREAK BENT ON REVENGE! Really, the protagonist in this show is probably one of the best examples of an anti-hero I have ever seen. He is consumed by a desire for revenge, yet finds himself protecting his new friends, and even saving the very creature he had sworn to destroy. And as he is pushed harder and harder and starts to lose his cool (and boy does he act cool under his new identity)...you just have to see it. Some of the other characters may not be liked well by some (I personally love the sweet, innocent, fragile Harriet), but you cannot say that they are cheap immitation of other characters. Everyone in this show is unique and fully fleshed out.
This show also features some of the finest dialog that I have ever seen in an anime show. With references from everything from Peter Pan to Shakespeare, from the Legend of King Arthur to the Bible, it truly is a cut above almost every other anime I've ever seen. The flashback sequences and subsequent character development are also extremely well done. As for character designs and artwork, they are much better in motion than in screenshots, so you should definitely watch this show before dismissing the art style as undesirable. I do have to give the show's creators applause for making the art style so unique (definitely not copying any anime I have ever seen). The music is really quite breath-taking on the whole, creating a creepy atmosphere sometimes, and beautiful moments the next (the only mis-step perhaps being the ending theme which seems a bit too different from the rest of the music, though I can understand how the creators may have wanted to end each episode on something a little upbeat to keep the viewer from getting depressed). As far as presentation goes, I knew it was pretty close to perfect the first time I saw the episode name meld into the next episode name (watch an episode to the end and you'll know what I mean).
The action sequences are fairly well done (though not the equivalent of the more famous Mecha by any means). The main premise of the fight against the aliens DOES feel awefully familiar. In this case however, it isn't a matter of an original plot so much as it is a matter of what you do with it. I don't mind seeing the same story told over and over as long as it is told well. This anime is familiar story told EXTREMELY well. Highly recommended.
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