Yeah, you heard me.
The story goes something like this: When the earth gets invaded by a race of space lesbians called the Cthulu (seriously,) the only one who can stand up to their invasion force of grotesque body snatchers and giant robots is the mysterious Iczer-One. However, Iczer-One cannot stand up against them alone, and is searching for a partner to help pilot her robot. That partner is Nagisa Kano, a normal Japanese high school girl (‘natch.) Before Iczer can approach Nagisa, all hell breaks loose as the aliens begin a large scale invasion in the middle of Japan.
Toshiki Hirano isn’t what I’d call a household name, but if you’re a fan of Eighties cartoons like myself, he’s probably worked on something you’ve seen. Hirano was the animation director on the 1984′s legendary Macross: Do You Remember Love, which while not his first project, is the most notable. Throughout the rest of the late Eighties he went on to adapt Haruhiko Mikimoto’s character designs for the first part of Megazone 23 and direct several robot OVAs with similar staff, aesthetics and pacing, Fight! Iczer-One, Dangaioh, and Hades Project Zeorymer. Other staff roll highlights include Mode Warp favorite Masami Obari and Michitaka Kikuchi (aka Kia Asamiya) doing mechanical designs and animation.
The robot designs remind me of low budget sci-fi movies and rubber suit monster shows like Ultraman. There is even an amusing sub plot involving a series of increasingly advanced drill-tipped flying battleships called the “Fuji” (reminiscent of the submarine from the 1963 film Atragon,) which launch against the Cthulu once per episode. Each time there is an elaborate launch sequence where the latest Fuji unit is sent into battle only to be comically obliterated faster and faster. Obari was brought in for episode 2 and 3, which is why we don’t get to see any of his usual more angular and monolithic style until Iczer Sigma appears in episode 2, which I can’t help but assume he is partially responsible for.
What totally makes the show for me however, is the soundtrack, composed by Michiaki Watanabe, whose distinct bombast you may recognize from Great Mazinger or Godannar. Horns and guitars over the top of a funky synthesizer beat is a sure fire way to get my blood boiling. I’m no music expert though, so if that description didn’t pique your interest it’ll probably be best to take a listen yourself to see what I mean.
As you may have already guessed, the plot is nothing to write home about, but that doesn’t stop it from being good dumb fun. The show spends most of it’s time with the titular protagonist dragging Nagisa, kicking and screaming, through plot hoops until she finally decides to team up and save the world… only to get herself almost immediately kidnapped, and then killed. It’s got robots powered up by emotions, cool poses, grotesque alien body snatchers popping out of people’s heads, and children getting stepped on by giant robots, what more could you ask for?
Iczer-One is a little over an hour and a half of good dumb fun, and it makes no attempt to trick you into thinking otherwise. If you are a fan of Eighties animation, or any of the other projects Hirano was involved in, you’re sure to find something to entertain here. It’s pretty easy to pick this up on the cheap, and should you see it around, I suggest you do just that.
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