Podcast: Download (Duration: 2:06:41 — 58.0MB)
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In this episode, we technically do but don’t fulfill a Patreon review request as Gerald reviews the greatest OAV of all by Koichi Ohata, the 5-part saga of Genocyber. Yes, there really are five parts and not three. And it’s the greatest because uh, it’s the longest one.
Introduction (0:00 – 31:25)
Since the last episode came out, there have been a fair share of short-run theatrical engagements for a variety of anime films; so many, in fact, that we were only able to see a few! We need to ensure we maintain our foothold within the anime podcast SEO algorithm, and put out the request to listeners to leave us positive reviews on iTunes since we haven’t received any in a few months. In preparation for the review, we also take the opportunity to talk about what Netflix is up to with regards to their anime selections, actual and otherwise.
Promo: Right Stuf Anime (31:25 – 35:52)
We were hoping to have the episode out last week since then we could mention that Beast Fighter: The Apocalypse was on sale for the benefit of all those morbidly curious after our review last episode, but it was not to be. Instead, we note that Vertical, Udon and Dark Horse titles are currently on sale, for everybody interested in deluxe editions of Berserk/Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service or those hardcover Rose of Versailles volumes. And of course the Street Fighter Swimsuit Special in spooge-resistant hardcover. Note: spooge-resistance is relative to digital screen resistances versus glossy paper.
Review: Genocyber or perhaps it’s Gene O’Saibur (35:52 – 2:01:10)
We considered spending more time talking about the long out of print and never license rescued Genocyber than the actual length of the anime, but unlike the rest of “Mecha Master” Koichi Ohata’s Central Park Media glory trifecta this one runs for a few hours. Gerald takes a trip down memory line to remind the world of Central Park Media and the J. Jonah Jameson of anime, John O’Donnell, so that we might better understand Genocyber and its lasting influence on Blockbuster Video anime rental shelves nationwide, right next to Project A-Ko and copies of My Neighbor Totoro with a “must be 17 to rent” sticker on it. Is this another triumphant work of 1990s OAV glory that we once dismissed as trash in our adolescence only to now realize its brilliance? Or does it still suck now even though multiple luminaries in the anime industry both in America and Japan cite Genocyber as a formative piece of their fandom lives? FIND OUT FOR YOURSELVES. Unless perhaps you are one of the Genocyber faithful, having held on to your Viz releases of the manga that were released in flipped floppys, one chapter at a time. Then you already know.
Conclusion (2:01:10 – 2:06:41)
For the rest of this month, Gundam Thunderbolt is free to watch streaming on Gundam.info (December Sky is first, then Bandit Flower). And for the spooky scary weekend of Friday the 13th, Gundam Narrative will be streaming for free on there. Perhaps you should watch that for free and then wonder “what would our review of that movie be like” before trekking over to our Patreon page so that we might eventually reach the goal of reviewing that. Note that this is probably the last episode of AWO before Daryl turns 40, and so he may just suddenly die at any moment. In fact, this may be the very last–
I actually saw Genocyber around 2010 when I had just recently started college and it was because of Justin Sevakis’ article on the title. I discovered his column on ANN around 2009-ish and was watching random stuff from Buried Treasure that I could find on YouTube, which is how I saw things like Dominion Tank Police for the first time. I remember pretty vividly watching Genocyber dubbed on my iPod Touch using the Youtube app and thought it was pretty intense. I don’t known if I would say I thought it was good at the time but the shock value was more than enough for it to stick in my memory. However I never saw the final two episodes. I started episode 4 but it must have been boring enough that I didn’t bother finishing it and moved on to something else (probably the Birdy the Mighty 90s OVA if memory serves me right). Don’t know what I would think of the show if I saw it now a decade later but I still think about it every now and then and even listen to the soundtrack on occasion.
Hm. I saw Genocyber ages ago, and never thought much of it. But since show 157, where Gerald said he hated Metropolis, I realized that I liked almost everything he hated. So, I’ll watch this one again. Chances are I’ll like it ?.
I apologize for not having replied to an episode in a while, but what could be more important in this time of crisis then to point out UHHH UHHHH UHHHTHHHHHHyou forgot that Tony Takezaki, creator of Genocyber, is also the writer and artist of the aptly-named Tony Takezaki’s Neon Genesis Evangelion:
https://www.darkhorse.com/Books/27-811/Tony-Takezakis-Neon-Genesis-Evangelion-TPB
As a editor of the Evangelion manga since 1997, I recommend it. While I imagine that people light their farts in Japan as they do everywhere else, for some reason it is rarely portrayed in manga. However, Takezaki does not demur from depicting this act, although I won’t say which Eva cast member gives the demonstration (it’s Misato Katsuragi). I would also like to state that AWO has been very helpful in allowing me to recognize the copious Gundam references in Kurosagi Book Five, although no doubt I still missed a few.
I think a lot of the credit for Hong Kong as a cyberpunk setting goes to William Gibson’s Bridge series (starting with Virtual Light in 1993) which included the Kowloon Walled City as a setting.