Betterman - Anime Legends Complete Collection
from Bandai
A deadly virus has attacked humanity with vicious intent! At the forefront of the battle is the enigmatic Akamatsu Industries- Disguised as a heavy machine factory in Tokyo, this clandestine organization uses neural enhanced weapons known as Awakeners to battle the virus. But will the combined efforts of this secret organization and the mysterious warrior Betterman be enough to save Tokyo? Character design by Takahiro Kimura, mecha designs by Kunio Okawara. Genre: Action/Mecha/Horror/Sci-Fi.
Betterman - Inhuman Nature (Vol. 4)
from Bandai
Apparently aware that the plot of this 1999 broadcast series has degenerated into a hopeless muddle, the filmmakers devote most of "Shadow" to flashbacks and long explanations of what's been going on. But at the end of the episode, they shoot themselves in the foot by adding more characters and further complications. Lamia/Betterman fights Bodaiju, a monklike character who recalls Ancient in Ronin Warriors. Bodaiju insists Algernon and the chaotic goings-on in Japan must be due to Kankei and urges Lamia to obey Pakila; Lamia replies he's acting "to protect our hope." Presumably the significance of the argument will be revealed in later episodes. "Revelation" and "Dream" consist largely of nightmares within dreams within other dreams, until no one can tell what's actually going on and the cast has to be rescued by the mysterious Yakusugi. Unfortunately, he doesn't make house calls. (Rated 13 and older: violence, grotesque imagery, alcohol use) --Charles Solomon
Betterman - Seeds of Death (Vol. 3)
from Bandai
The threat from the monster Algernon fades, as Keito, Hinoki, and the gang battle the sinister Dr. Umezaki. Instead of researching food sources for the burgeoning human population, Umezaki has created vast swarms of insects he can control. He's also bred giant bug-slaves and used humans to feed crops of the "Animus flower" (whose seeds enable Lamia to transform into Betterman). Keito and Hinoki are rescued once again by Chandy, who slays Umezaki, even though he's apparently her father. Betterman is also on duty, fighting dragonlike clouds of bugs, as is his unexplained female counterpart. The visuals make no more sense than the dialogue, which includes such howlers as Umezaki's declaration, "The holy water of the Salamander shall transmit my brain impulses to a belladonna lily." The new settings weaken the claustrophobic tone, the only thing that distinguished this muddled Evangelion clone. (Rated 13 and older: violence, nudity, grotesque imagery) --Charles Solomon
The mystery surround Algernon continues to thicken as the fight against this growing menace escalates. Having discovered the mysterious Animus Flower in the Ajanta caves in India, the team has a new lead in their quest against Algernon, but Keita and the group are faced with more questions than answers! When the rest of the team arrives at the BPL facility, they soon face a new breed of genetically engineered creatures - Among them is...Chandy? As the defeat of Betterman by the hands of these evil creations continues to linger, just when all looks lost, a new hope shines in the darkness. Could it be...another Betterman? Betterman - Seeds of Death features interactive animation menus, scene selection, a collector's DVD cover, Limited Edition foil collector's card, English and Japanese language tracks, English subtitles option, textless openings, the third installment of Mode Warp File, and Bandai Entertainment Previews.
Betterman - Despair (Vol. 5)
from Bandai
As this 1999 broadcast series nears its climax, Algernon, the monster Keichan, Hinoki, and their friends initially fought, has been eclipsed. New characters multiply like coat hangers in a closet. The foe du jour is Dr. Mamon, the leader of the Super Human Federation, who kidnaps Kaede. Her psychic powers enable him to metamorphose into Brahman, which he believes is the next stage in human evolution. Brahman looks like an origami figure wrapped in tendril-like bandages, but its looks belie its power: it apparently destroys both the Tantric priest Yakusugi and the mysterious Lord Pakila. Lamia/Betterman remains at the edge of the battle, accompanied by Seeme, who sometimes appears as a stylized bird, sometimes as a woman with flowing hair. Tying all these characters and plot points into a coherent conclusion should pose an interesting challenge for the filmmakers. (Rated 13 and older: violence, grotesque imagery) --Charles Solomon
Betterman - Awakening (Vol. 1)
from Bandai
The first five episodes of this 1999 TV series play like a cross between Evangelion and Generator Gawl, but without the metaphysical overtones of the former or the rambunctious high spirits of the latter. In 2006 nerdy Keita Aono discovers he and his childhood friend Hinoki have the natural abilities to pilot Akamatsu Industries' giant "neuronoid" robots. Their foe is a mysterious monster (incongruously named Algernon), whom they battle in a subterranean amusement park and their high school basement. Despite the aid of the oracular Sakura, the mecha meet with only limited success. Keita and Hinoki have to be saved by the rainbow-haired title character, a.k.a. "Lamia," who transforms into an 18-foot monster that shatters foes with sonic waves. The story takes some improbable turns--such as when an army of robots appears on a previously empty airplane--that the Lain-style editing tricks can't disguise. Rated 13 Up: Violence. --Charles Solomon
A deadly virus has attacked humanity with vicious intent! At the forefront of the battle is the enigmatic Akamatsu Industries - Disguised as a heavy machine factory in Tokyo, this clandestine organization uses neural enhanced weapons known as Awakeners to battle the virus. But will the combined efforts of this secret organization and the mysterious warrior Betterman be enough to save Tokyo? Contains 5 complete episodes!
Betterman - Metamorphosis (Vol. 2)
from Bandai
This 1999 supernatural mecha series plays like an addled mixture of Evangelion, Generator Gawl, and an early Gundam adventure. Keita, Hinoki, Sakura, and the gang continue fighting the creature known as Algernon--sort of. Characters and monsters arrive and depart arbitrarily: near the end of "Aqua," a giant polyp causes a large chunk of the sea floor to rise to the surface; nurses with lengthy talons attack Keita in "Poison," and there's a weird subplot involving living humans in fluid-filled capsules that appear and disappear. Fortunately, the title character shows up just in time to metamorphose into various bizarre forms and fight off the monsters. When he can't make it, Chandy, a mysterious girl with a lizard-familiar that turns into a suit of armor, picks up the slack. It must make sense to somebody. Rated 13 Up: Violence, risqué humor, brief nudity, ethnic stereotypes. --Charles Solomon
Bandai Entertainment continues the frightening journey of Better Man with the release of "Metamorphosis". Directed by Yoshitomo Yonetani, a secret task force has been formed to combat an unknown entity known only as "Algernon". But can they stop the killings in time or will they face Earth's inevitable destruction at the hands of the enemy? Who is Better Man?
Reunited with his childhood friend Hinoki, Keita has joined the battle against Algernon as a Head Diver in the Kakuseijin No. 1, a multi-purpose state-of-the-art attack mecha. Danger abounds as the Akamatsu team travels around the world in search of Algernon! Meanwhile, Betterman continues to monitor the Akamatsu team's progress and comes to the rescue on more than one occasion. But even he has secrets that no one has even guessed. Will discovering them cost the Akamatsu team their lives?
Betterman - Finality (Vol. 6)
from Bandai
After falling by the wayside for several episodes, Algernon, the mysterious monster Keita, Hinoki, Sakura, and the rest of the cast who set out to fight, returns. Revelations pile up as the filmmakers attempt to explain what's going on: Keita had a partial brain transplant as a child, which enables him to synchronize with the "neuronoid" robots so well; Hinoki is Lamia's sister (which explains the matching rainbow hair); etc. The visuals range from CG images of brains to the Aztec Calendar Stone (erroneously described as Peruvian), while the dialogue runs to pseudo-biological jargon, quasi-mystical references, and shameless borrowings from Evangelion. The ultimate monster that Lamia battles (without help from the main characters, Keita and Hinoki) is a rubbery-limbed, two-dimensional golliwog that commands neither power nor menace. The story simply falls apart, and the characters aren't interesting enough to put it together again. (Rated 13 and older: violence, grotesque imagery) --Charles Solomon
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