It seems only fair to have high expectations of anime. No, not all animation is equal, no matter what country's industry is being discussed, but from essential classics like Otomo Katsuhiro's 'Akira' to modern exemplars like Hosoda Mamoru's 'Wolf children,' momentous things have been achieved in anime, in terms of both the visual experience and storytelling, that put the studios of other regions to shame. In the very least we routinely and rightly anticipate gorgeous backgrounds and environments, whether interior or exterior, landscape or cityscape; fluid, exciting action and effects, detailed character designs, imaginative and gnarly creature designs where applicable, and superb effects and other active elements, to say nothing of shrewd consideration for all manner of minutiae like lighting, shading, texture, perspective, and more.
And, well, where this 1989 VA is concerned... Don't get me wrong, it is enjoyable. There is a great deal to appreciate even in a diminutive runtime of a little over forty minutes. Writer Sanjo Riku conjured some terrific ideas with dark fantasy, science fiction, horror, and action all blending together, and though some aspects are most certainly tried and true and maybe even tired, there was outstanding potential in this flick. The violent action sequences are a firestorm waiting to explode; Yamanaka Norimasa's original score is splendid complement, and I even like the vocal themes contributed by the Trash Gang. And though we might nitpick some odds and ends, by and large the artists at AIC really did turn in excellent work with all the visions to greet us, most of them decidedly nasty as the plot kicks up. A tale of a dystopian future, government and corporate corruption, competing interests and philosophies, cults and ancient rites intermingling with advanced technology - and, of course, love - is brought to vivid life, a credit to all involved.
However, whether the responsibility lies with Sanjo, director Ohata Koichi, or someone else involved, the simple fact of the matter is that 'Cybernetics Guardian' is very far from everything it could have been. Far from everything it should have been. The Trash Gang's contributions are deployed with a very heavy hand and frankly feel out of place as they are used here, a stylistic flair that just doesn't fit in. The dialogue is often less than great, and the narrative really seems to have been drastically shortchanged. This piece does not feel overfull, in my opinion, but particularly once the action kicks in we're just taken on a non-stop ride, and all the best ideas that Sanjo summoned are abridged, abbreviated, miniaturized, and otherwise diminished. I don't know if it was specifically a creative choice to make a feature that was this short, or a reflection of limited resources, or something else, but what this needed above all was to have been expanded upon and more heartily fleshed out. A length of at least eighty to ninety minutes would have been a tremendous benefit.
As it stands, the picture bursts with striking, fantastical, horrific, brutal flavor, a panoply of genre visuals - but that's all. There is all too drastically little substance here. If all you want out of this is the violence, then you're in luck, but if you want anything more lastingly fulfilling, not so much. It IS entertaining, and I had a good time; it's more or less worthwhile on its own merits. Being thusly deficient in critical departments, however, I'm not likely to spend any time thinking about it even two hours from now. Provided that nothing I've described has turned you off this earns a soft recommendation as something light on a lazy day, the snack food of anime, but don't go out of your way for it. Recognize that 'Cybernetics Guardian' is at best a small appetizer rather than the entree it could have been, and so long as you can live with that, this is enough fun to check out.
