Anime Overman King Gainer

[Dagger]

[url=http://overman.bandai-ent.com/][u]Official Site[/u][/url]

Overman King Gainer doesn't seem to have gotten much attention... which is really a pity, given that it's shaping up to be one of the better mecha series I've seen lately. Directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino (the man behind all things Gundam), it's fun, fast-paced and manages not to take itself too seriously. As proof of this, the opening animation shows most of the characters (and the titular robot!) doing the monkey. Moreover, said robot has glowing dreadlocks. In my humble opinion, that is [i]the[/i] recipe for a truly kick-*** anime.

Seriously, Gainer is a pretty cool show. It's quite funny in a low-key sort of way--that is to say, it doesn't over-play its comedy or exaggerate things too much, which makes for a nice change of pace. The main character (who is, coincidentally, called Gainer), is basically a video game nerd who ends up using his virtual skills to excel at piloting a real mecha. There's more to the story, of course--it's actually pretty rich, and the whole set-up is pleasantly exotic. It has to do with the inhabitants of a futuristic city trying to take their entire town (buildings and all) on some kind of mass exodus to the east.

I've only seen the first disc (the second comes out on 4/12, I believe), but I think this anime looks like a winner, at least for me. The battles are fantastic, the characters are quirky and entertaining, and I get to have my Tomino fix while I wait to see the rest of Turn A Gundam. Is anyone else planning to check out the series?

~Dagger~

[Qukey]

It is the series I have been waiting for in the last 2 years, even since the licensing announcement. I had watched up to episode 12 before the fansub was stopped. Finally, we can own the DVD. Overman King Gainer was very popular at the time it was released in Japan. Like most of Tomino's story, it has its followers. It is another of Tomino's great piece packed with his witty ideas. For anyone who like a mecha story focusing on the characters, I recommand Overman King Gainer. Similar to his later works such as Brain Powerd and Turn A, Gainer does not allow a big toy market, which many result for less financial success for the producing company. Maybe someone think it is not worth to invest more advertising on the show. How sad! Comparing to Gundam Seed, which, as far as I can see, is nothing more than a 51 episode long toy commercial, Gainer has a lot more value in character and the storyline.

For anyone who enjoys Tomino's work, go watch Aura Battler Dunbine, Garzey's Wing and Brain Powerd if you haven't. These are all available in region 1 DVD.