DENSETSU KYOJIN IDEON

DESCRIPTION

CAST

MOVIE DramaTHE IDEON: Hatsudou-hen
MOVIE DramaTHE IDEON: Sesshoku-hen

REVIEWS

• 

  Oleyver

  90/100
  this is the greatest, unconfutable, depressing and beautiful proof Tomino's high af

  Gundam 79 was pretty chill and zeta was surely strange at some point but was among the lines. This anime is so fucked up that left me fucked up. From the higher message and the most powerful words to the fucking and disturbing scene of the baby drinking goat milk straight from the animal I don't know what the fuck is wrong with Tomino. Watching this anime was like seeing that bald skinny man enjoying some quality joint and blowing the smoke into the hardware or whatever is the place in PCs that makes anime. The thing is, I loved it but to the extent it touched me and not in a generic drama way where you cry because a character you're supposed to love dies or shit like that. No. He kills a character and then you're stuck till the end of the show with no copying no acceptance no overcoming I mean I saw a woman that was calm and collected for 38 episodes screaming in the last 5 minutes of the 39th and last "we can all die for all I care" with a bottle in hand this thing is gonna haunt me forever because makes me realize this shit happen even without the magical three trucks or the samurai code following aliens. This anime is torture, the kind of torture a person needs to grow up, kinda like vegetables.
  Densetsu Kyojin Ideon is not a space odyssey but an exodus, one in which the protagonists come to question their mission, their role and their trust in the "god", it all starts with a mistake made by three parties and end with everyone crushing to the bottom line. Every character during the series has to abandon everything he/she has and in the end they cannot even count on themselves. I feel the ending was meant to be a positive note but it's nothing more than reborn, nothing of what is lost returns. Personally, I can't bring myself to forget all the pain characters have experience in 39 episodes and the funny thing is that death is such a relief for most of them, being free from relations, duties and responsibilities. On a final note, seriously Tomino, what the hell is the deal with all those slaps, there are some of them looped for a total of 6 slaps in barely 10 seconds, they make this show so funny at times and I understand that they're supposed to portray anger, but thinking of it thoroughly, one would be more than enough.
  (Edited by Zedlin)

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• 

  SpiritChaser

  100/100
  The terrifying yet beautiful story of the Ideon: The hands that helped mold Neon Genesis Evangelion.

  Back in 1980, Mobile Suit Gundam had already been released. Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam was on it's way. The history of anime demands that the viewers acknowledge that a fearsome roar cried out from far away in the distance of space between their releases. Space Runaway Ideon is one of the most terrifying pieces of fiction I've come to know, and another work of Tomino. The opening, as iconic and upbeat as it is, was already warning the viewers about it. There was no way for me to understand until "Be Invoked" grabbed me by my emotions and scarred me with it's brutality. I couldn't help but constantly cry, gasp out of shock, and hold my face out of terror. Still, There is a beauty to this story just as much as there is horror to it. In the 90s, and as an influential and important work, Ideon were the hands that helped mold what became Neon Genesis Evangelion.

  Based on the way this story folds out, it wouldn't surprise if this was a prequel to Mobile Suit Gundam. Many of the characters here mirror others. There are the very similar relations between Cosmo and Amurou, and Bright and Bes, for example.

  The story involves a group of humans who find a red giant robot and ship underground and take refuge in them. They were made by an intelligent ancient civilization that died out after its creation. Suddenly they get attacked by aliens in a misunderstanding, and the struggle begins. it was the struggle to control the mysterious power of the Ide, and yet they were all playing into it's own hands instead. As the crew of the Solo Ship and Ideon try and figure out how it's mysterious powers function, they are forced to flee from the Buff Clan in a never-ending game of cat and mouse where time and supplies are running out. As they battle, the Ideon begins awakening its true powers, and it's a sight to see how it can cause multi universal destruction. But for the crew on board, they begin to feel frightened of it. It's a power that they cannot only not control, but is appearing to look more and more frightening and undesirable to have.

  This series does not slow down. Past the half way mark, it only accelerates and doesn't slow down in quality. It did rush at the end because it got canceled, but more than made up for it in the end with the movie sequel. The ending here is abrupt and weird enough, but doesn't spoil anything for the horrific but beautiful experience that is The Ideon: Be Invoked.

  The entire cast features great and memorable characters. Many viewers did get annoyed with Lou at first and the constant crying, though later one can't help but feel bad and sympathize for the baby and what he has to see.

  The Ideon is a frightening giant robot. Sentient and all powerful, it posses infinite power but is difficult to understand and control. Ultimately, it's an apocalyptic peacemaker that sometimes acts like a mother, mirroring the Evas from Evangelion, and demands that resolve takes place for conflicts between intelligent life. It feels for the life around it, as it can be angered and roars from the killing of innocent animals and people. It is a protector of the pure and just. If upset, it can unleash enough power to slice a planet in half or shift reality itself. As the humans and the Buff Clan continue to fight, the Ideon puts them on a test.

  The music of Ideon is by the composer of the Dragon Quest series. It's a legendary soundtrack with many militaristic and guitar solo infused tracks that remind me of original Star Fox's soundtrack. As the Buff Clan and the Solo ship move out and Ideon begins to dock, the drums start rolling, the trumpets yell out for the battle to start again and help uplift with perfect execution. As the viewers move on to The Ideon: Be Invoked, the music takes an abstract and surreal turn into sounding like something out of the most intense songs from End Of Evangelion. The battles stay fresh, and not a single episode disappointed me.

  The animation of Ideon takes the brutal depictions of war to a whole different level from Mobile Suit Gundam. I can't help but have the highest respect for the attention to detail. It is tragic that older animation in anime always seems to get dismissed because it's "too old." The animation of Ideon is beautiful, and something worthy of respect that can no longer be done with today's technology and must be appreciated. It is wonderful and unique to its time. I'll always cherish my memory of watching this and the movie for the first time. I finally felt something that could threaten my favorites.

  The main cast are a colorful set of characters with an unshackle will to survive. Bes is the courageous captain of the Solo Ship that led a comfortable upbringing until forced to lead this desperate struggle. Cosmo is the brave and cunning lead pilot of the Ideon who leads an emotionally painful journey. Kasha is the rational and logical second pilot who is hot headed and too honest for her own good. Sheryl is a researcher who summed her character up well enough in one word: Petty. Deck is among the child soldiers and carries a pet animal on his shoulder. Lotta is one of the non-combatants who helps raise the children and raise the animals for food. They also farm and do all they can to help the crew survive with their limited supplies.

  On the Buff Clan's side, Karala sees this is all a misunderstanding, and that instead of going to war, the different civilizations should try to understand each other. Gije is another who as wicked as he is, becomes better and better of a character further into the series. They want the red giant, and go one to advance in all sorts of military technological advancement to try and seize it.

  After the Ideon resurrects, and goes on to observe and cast judgement, as if it was on a side of its own, the two races take the viewers on a journey filled with death, destruction, bittersweet romance, amazing tales of redemption, and more. For who does the Ideon decide is worthy?

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• 

  MC45436G

  90/100
  That time Tomino made Evangelion before Eva

  Right after the game changing Gundam 0079, Yoshiyuki Tomino would create another genre reinventing work that would go on to be one of the most underrated yet greatest and most influential mecha in history. Ideon is essentially Evangelion before Evangelion. Taking aspects of Zambot 3 and the original, it is one of the best anime anime has ever directed. Tomino is known for making shows that push audience expectations of what they think the shows will be, creating a truly unique piece of art. He is also known for sometimes making that extremely dark filled with an extreme amount of character deaths, and Ideon might be his best work using that kind of storytelling.

  Rather than playing into the growing trend of more realistic mecha spawned from his previous work, Gundam 0079, Ideon instead explores the idea of super robots in a more innovative manner. The show starts off like a typical super robot with humans discovering an almost supernaturally powered mech and using it to fight against an invading alien race. However, as the story progresses, the darker, existential and almost cosmic horror nature of the series unravels. Actions that would have not have mattered much in a regular super robot instead have greater impacts and long lasting consequences. The war between the humans and the Buff clan is given much more nuance and is taken very seriously. People on both sides commit horrible acts against each other blurring the lines of who exactly is in the right. Both the conflict and the characters that take part in it have an incredible amount of depth which only enhances the themes of the show.

  Like Gundam before it, Ideon is ultimately a story of the horrors of war and the endless cycle of hatred. Compared to aliens in other super robots, the Buff clan is much more human in nature. This makes their actions much more tangible and goes in hand with themes of understanding one another. Since the two factions share many similarities with each other, this makes the atrocities they commit to one another feel much more tragic and senseless. Such is the nature of war that the show explores with great effect. There is always possibility for understanding and peace, but the dark side of humanity and our vices prevent that from happening which only leads to a grand calamity. It is a sorrowful piece of work but one that has profound value in it.

  Another way that Tomino subverts the super robot tropes is with the Ideon itself. The way the mech is handled in the show makes for one of the most fascinating depictions in the whole genre. From the very start, it is hinted that there is a great mystery behind the Ideon mecha. This plays into the unique cosmic horror themes of the show. As the Ideon grows stronger overtime, it starts to feel less like a superhero machine, but instead a being possessing eldritch motives. It started the concept of mechs that have much more otherworldly traits to them that go beyond the understanding and control of those who pilot them.

  Lastly, Ideon’s most remarkable element is undoubtedly the ending. Tomino doesn’t make tragic and dark endings for no reason other than shock value, they serve a purpose in conveying the themes he wanted to explore. While it may feel bleak and devoid of any hope and optimism, I think it is one of the best endings in not only his body of works but in the whole mecha genre. This is an ending that will have you thinking about the themes and messages long after you finished watching. The climax is both epic in scale, stakes and in how horrifically beautiful it is (in the movie). However, what makes it work so well is what it was trying to convey. Amidst all the darkness and despair the ending seems to have on a surface level, there is a small hint of optimism. It may not seem apparent or matter much for how tragic the end feels, but that small shimmer of light and hope for a better future in a series full of depravity is what makes Ideon one of the greatest mecha of all time.

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