One of the reasons that fall 2010 has been looking so good so far is the beginning of the numerous series and Iron Man is one of them. So without much further ado ladies and gentlemen, I ask you to fasten your seat belts as Iron Man has finally launched. Growing up Iron Man was one of the few comics that I actually used to enjoy reading from the Marvel Comics industry, being a DC comics fan all my life. After the attention and reception received from the first Iron Man movie it should have not come as a surprise that they have made an anime out of it as well as we already have seen the cartoons series from 1994 – 1996. But still with a fan following which spans for approximately forty-seven years, there is a huge risk involved and the die hard fans are going to be a little more than just being a bit skeptical.
Plot Outline:
The story begins with Tony Stark, the handsome playboy and industrial mogul conducting a business trip to Japan in order to promote the Arc Reactor Technology, which will provide the nation with unlimited supply of energy and as an added bonus be free. Tony no longer interested in the lone gunslinger act as Iron Man, is more concerned with promoting global peace and the Arc Technology as his next mission. As Tony is going to sit back and be more involved with his company, he also introduced the Iron Man ‘Dio’ (which is the Italian word for God) to be piloted by the finest pilots his company has to offer. But all is not easy for the billionaire, as his venture into the Eastern Pacific is not met with as much enthusiasm as he hoped. Many fear that the Arc Technology could be used for military purpose or that Stark Industries has an even more sinister hidden agenda. Add in the failure of the promotional and last flight of the ‘Dio’ model by Tony due to a system fault, something definitely smells fishy. Plus getting slapped in front of all the media personal for making a lewd comment things aren’t going so well for Tony in his first day to Japan. But then you have a mysterious organization steal the sabotaged Dio model and their warrior named Scorpio having a rumble with Tony in the original Iron Man suit, you know that our favorite red and gold tin man isn’t going to be retiring anytime soon.
Rating Score: A+/A+
The Good:
Well what can one say without sounding a bit biased. Heck this is one sharp looking anime, the animation quality one has come to expect from the Madhouse animation studio. The lighting and colouring of the show is just right to capture the tone of the series, a light hearted but at times grim. The introduction of the witty and beautiful Dr. Tanaka in contrast to the adorable and klutz news reporter Nanami Oto was another highlight of the show and I hope to see them more often. The voice acting is superb as well, with the voice actors matching the roles they are meant to be playing out. Personally, I found Keiji Fujiwara to be an excellent choice for Tony (most of you might remember him as Maes Hughes from the Fullmetal Alchemist series and Aizawa from Death Note). Soundtrack is a bit similar to the Iron Man movies and has a hint of the classic rock (thumbs up again).
The Ugly:
Well one thing that was a major killjoy was the fight sequences or the lack of them, the original suit vs. Dio and Scorpio being vaporised in a matter of seconds. The action in this episode was extremely minor but hey it is the premier so the animators have done a good job of leaving us with a sneak peak of what’s to come and you just can’t help it but want for more.
Bottom-line:
So far I am sold for this anime and this is going to be the one I believe everyone is going to be hooked onto whether you have previously been a fan of Iron Man or not. The opening title gives you a few glimpses from the origin story of Iron Man which is a nice touch and right now I can only wait anxiously for the next episode to come out.
Preview:
Up next week, Mr. Stark faces the scrutiny with Japanese public despite receiving approval from the government to bring in nuclear resources into the country.
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