Hell Target

Crazy 80s anime about people going nuts in space and getting massacred? Sign me up! Except this kind of sucked. The story was flat, the characters were all just fodder for getting killed, and by the end I had actually already started forgetting all about it. I may have liked this better if the copy I had wasn't super dark, which led to a lot of confusion in darker scenes where I couldn't see what was going on. Sadly, I don't think anyone will ever bother to remaster this, so as it stands, I'll likely never give this a second thought.

We expect great things from the animation houses of Japan, and very reasonably so given many essential classics and modern exemplars. With tremendous detail and texture in the visuals, and brilliance and impact in the storytelling, it often seems to me that anime boasts strength that studios elsewhere around the world can only dream of achieving. Not all anime is equal, however, and it's glaring and a little jarring when we stumble onto an example that fails to meet the anticipated high standards. Frankly I'm just unimpressed with 'Hell target.' I don't mind that the OVA draws obvious influence from Ridley Scott's 'Alien,' or more so 1981's 'Galaxy of terror'; I do mind that far more than not the writing feels simplistic and crude. The dialogue is bad, characters are set pieces, and the scene writing and narrative exist only to cheaply and gawkily move us from one scene of action and death to another. Which, okay, that's the area of storytelling that this plays in - but that's no excuse, as plenty of titles have done the same while telling thoughtful, complicated stories. It's pretty easy to check out of this as the minutes tick by, truth be told.

Matsuzaki Ken'ichi's writing fails to impress, and Nakamura Keito's interpretation as director - characterized by a somewhat flat tone despite the violence, and poor, speedy pacing that pulverizes the possible potency of the proceedings at all points. What about the animation? Character designs feel unimaginative to me, and there generally seems to be a lot less detail and texture in backgrounds and environments than we would assume. Other active elements like creature designs perhaps benefited from more care, but these alone only get us so far when the picture so commonly pushes past any given moment all too quickly. There are exceptions, certainly, and some moments come off extra nicely; action is fluid, and effects dazzling. But in and of itself the flick doesn't make much of a mark, and whatever frame of reference one may have for comparisons, 'Hell target' doesn't particularly hold up. It's not specifically bad by any means; the last stretch makes for a fine finish, and from the voice acting to the music, everyone involved ably played their parts. Yet by and large the sum total passes by unremarkably, and with so many other things to watch, why would we spend time here?

It's passably enjoyable enough to check out if you come across it, I suppose. Just be aware that this isn't so much a gripping viewing experience as it is a way to pass time on a quiet night. Provided that's all you're seeking, 'Hell target' is decent enough to earn a look.