Twin Signal: Family Game

Recommendation: Skip it. This is a show that's difficult to review because there is just so little substance to it. The plot is as barebones as it gets, the central conflict of Pulse and Signal fighting is simply because a bad guy programmed Pulse to do some villainy. No one has compelling motivations for anything they do and the characters are basic and unmemorable. As far as redeeming qualities go, there are a few funny gags, mostly involving Elara the ditzy housekeeping robot, and it's got a comfortable and decently animated 90's vibe going. But mostly this just felt like a waste of time.It's not really bad or anything, but it was a very forgettable 90 minutes overall.

Twin Signal is an absolutely beautiful, lighthearted 90s OVA. It's great for a short, fun watch, since it's got a creative concept, and above all, fun characters with good chemistry. Put simply, it's almost like Ranma 1/2, but with robots, and instead of switching sexes when touching water, the robot Signal switches between a proud warrior and an actual toddler whenever his owner sneezes. The transformation uses the pokeball sound effect, for some reason. Anyway, this is good, simple fun with a high polish on it. I find it interesting how it feels more like the robots are magic automatons and the scientists are almostwizards- not sure exactly why it has that flavor, but it does nonetheless. This show approaches the robots like how DBZ approaches androids- almost indistinguishable from people. Perhaps that's part of what plays into the magical feeling. Anyway, its big strength story-wise is how the various characters interact with each other, feeling genuine and believable as a kind of big family. Even the bad guys feel like a goofy troupe of friends, which adds to the overall comedy. Even if the main conflict is a little basic, it's executed well, and is entertaining throughout. This is all bolstered by the greatest strength this anime has to offer- the art. Everything is awash in bright yet well-apportioned color, with delightful backgrounds that feel simultaneously tactile and dreamlike, like a memory half-remembered from childhood. The animation is also smooth, and it strikes a good balance between serious and chibi moments. The sound is good, with strong voice work and an energetic soundtrack. The characters are great, largely because of their aforementioned chemistry. Nobuhiko and Signal feel like a realistic pair of brothers, with the quarrels and loyalty that go along with that, Elara is a well-meaning and endearing airhead who tries her best, Chris is an ambitious young woman with big ideas who feels like a big sister, and Doctor Shinosuke Otoi feels like a kindly yet disciplined grandfather, to whom everybody can go to for advice or for moral correction. They just nailed the interpersonal angle, which is extremely important for an anime like this one. Overall, Twin Signal is a fun little watch, and given the time investment to quality ratio, it is easy for me to recommend as a fun hidden gem of the 90s.

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