Mouryou Senki Madara

Madara is one of the myriad 90s fantasy OVAs with a crazy imagination and a totally unique identity. Though, in terms of how it compares to the other anime in that crowd, it lands somewhere in the middle of the pack as a solid, entertaining example of the style, while not breaking any new ground as something particularly noteworthy beyond what you see on the face of it. Beginning with the story, the viewer is presented with a creative and utterly unusual fantasy plot, complete with magic, beastmen, a demon king, a chosen one prophecy, and a kind ofmechanical puppet body prosthetic popular among amputees called a "Gimmick". Beyond some really creative, almost psychedelic worldbuilding that fits right in with the adventurous, experimental weirdness of 90s OVAs, the story is actually pretty basic, amounting to your classic hero's journey adventure. One noted exception here is the ending, which throws so many twists and surprises your way it's almost like the show is making up for lost time. So, while it isn't perfect, with convenient plot devices written in at the last moment to make up for apparent plot holes, it's still a fun time. The art is classically 90s, and while not necessarily executed in the most technically skillful manner, it's still embodying a unique art direction which effortlessly captures the story's bizarre world, and that alone makes the art this anime's strongest aspect. It's not a visual masterpiece, but it is brave enough to pursue its creative vision without reservation, which is a noble thing, and results in an end product which is engaging regardless of some production shortfalls. The sound is good, meeting the basic standards of the time, though the voice work falls a little short in certain places. The characters also meet all basic standards of quality, serving their roles well in a story which moves them along through a solid adventure. Of them, Madara and Grandpa Tatara are my favorites. Madara is your classic shonen protagonist, and fills the role well as a cool, multifaceted frontman who interacts in interesting ways with the story that moves him about. Meanwhile, Tatara is an excellent execution of the wise old man archetype, and his connection with mysterious magics, as well as his noble pursuit as a protector of Madara and enemy of the demonic king Miroku, add to his engaging, mysterious persona, ultimately helping him to really stand out from among the cast of characters at play. Overall, Madara is good old fun. If you're looking for a solid example of a creative, action-packed 90s OVA, you could certainly do worse than Madara.

Madara is an anime adaptation of the manga of the same name, from which it borrows the story and part of the cast. This is because the production planned only two OVAs, each just over 50 minutes long, which in my opinion are insufficient to tell the entire story of the manga. Nevertheless, the cuts that were made and the direction chosen do not make the product any less interesting. This version preserves crucial elements that transform Madara from a simple fantasy into an original hybrid, featuring anthropomorphic beasts, battle prosthetics that make people resemble puppets, chakra used for magical attacks, ancient technologies, demons, Buddhism,and much more. The fusion of all these elements immediately achieves the desired effect, successfully capturing the viewer. The direction is handled by Yuuji Moriyama, who has worked in various roles on several notable productions such as Project A-Ko, multiple Urusei Yatsura films as well as the main TV series, Macross Plus, and many others, including later projects related to Madara itself. As a director, however, he does an excellent job, effectively shaping a story that inevitably had to undergo cuts in order to remain fully accessible. The animation is of a good standard, not always outstanding, but consistently enjoyable to watch, with no significant drops in quality. Since came out in 1991, it inevitably competed with other productions such as Burn Up!, Mobile Suit Gundam 0083, Doomed Megalopolis, and Detonator Orgun; nevertheless, it holds up well and remains appreciable even today. A very good adaptation despite its inherent limitations, and one worth revisiting if you enjoy swashbuckling fantasy stories with a few intriguing twists. Story: 1/2 Direction: 1/2 Animation: 1/2 Characters: 1/2 Music: 1/2 Bonus points: 2/2 Final score: 7/10

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