8 MAN AFTER

DESCRIPTION

CAST

ANIME Action8 Man

REVIEWS

• 

  devsparxx

  30/100
  A Lackluster and Disappointing OVA

  Spoilers Ahead
  For context, I watched this OVA Dubbed.

  Oh boy. Where do I begin with this anime? I didn't hate it, but I didn't find a lot to love about it either. I spent a good portion of my watching time trying to remind myself that this OVA was produced the same year that I was born, and that what was 'good' in 1993 is definitely not what is good by 2022 standards.

  This OVA is a sequel to the original 1965 8 Man series. But, you don't really need to know a lot about the original series to enjoy this. Every one of the four parts starts with a 'flash back' or explanation of what happened to the previous 8 Man. It also introduces the main female protagonist Sachiko. While this is really nice to have at the beginning for anyone who isn't familiar with the original 8 Man, the same opening is shown at the beginning of every part, and it gets annoying after the first or second time. Mostly because Sachiko is explaining that 'Asuma-San' just disappeared, but does not give us any context of who Asuma actually is.

  One of the biggest issues that I have with this OVA is that none of the characters feel real. They are all introduced, and are given very little back story. It is hard to feel sympathetic toward any of the characters the way that the writers want us to when there is nothing except a few lines about how rough and tragic a person's backstory is. Hazuma, the current 8 Man, is trying to keep control of the cyborg's body because his own emotions and trauma are causing the circuits to interact. It isn't until the end of the third episode (out of a four episode run) that we even know why Hazuma is a detective and why he is so angry at cyborgs.

  If you are looking for a strong female protagonist, find a different OVA. Sachiko is the typical damsel in destress that the male protagonist is supposed to woo over. At first it seemed like she may have her own voice and her own ability to stand up for herself, as she turns down Hazuma's flirting, and even demands that she helps with the investigation that involves the company she works for. However, the moment that the 8 Man appears, she spends most of the time crying, begging 8 Man not to kill the criminals trying to kill her, and being held captive by the antagonist.

  Many of the plot points that were introduced were wrapped up incredibly quickly. The reveal of the bad guy Mr. Halloween is introduced in episode 2, only to be completely done and wrapped up by half-way through episode 3. While this may have been a nod toward the original series, anyone watching this by itself would be completely lost. Even then, the writing and the plot was sub-par and lackluster as was. Anyone who had watched a mystery show or movie in their lives could have seen some of the "twists" coming.

  The only interesting thing about this OVA was the take on how cybernetics was depicted. In many sci-fi shows and movies, cybernetics is shown as a great thing with only a few minor consequences. This OVA actually looked at it on how changing major parts of your body would hurt and what it could do to someone mentally. It was an interesting way to look at the science, but once again, it was lacking other than basic introductory information.

  The sound mixing in English was very weird, especially for Sam. It is difficult to hear stuff sometimes, so I would suggest using subtitles or turning the volume up.

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