Genocyber

This movie pushes the limits as to what anime fans can tolerate violence wise. Mr. Ohata seems to have a fascination with killing kids and teenagers in this movie. Any plot that is presented is immediately forgotten due to scenes of graphic violence. Beyond that, it's hard to grasp what the point of all this destruction is anyway. I have a feeling people could just barely tolerate the 1st episode, but many people have expressed great displeasure at the beginning of the 2nd episode where children are shown being graphically shot to shreds and could not watch beyond it. It's worth a look for fans of violent and gory anime, but be warned about the content!

Genocyber's plot is confusing to say the least. It seems like there's an actual story hiding somewhere, but in an incomplete state (which is exactly the case for the manga this OVA was adapted from). The OVA is divided into three barely-connected parts. The plot, what little there is, is told through vague exposition which just feels like an excuse for the nightmarish imagery we're about to see. This show is full of graphic violence (which is the only reason it's remembered), but said violence is never justified. Bad things happen to innocent people just so the good guys have an excuse to get violent and the bad guys create carnage just for the sake of it. Who works for whom? What was the point of all that carnage? Never answered. There are also moments of jaw-dropping insanity in the form of cyborgs that morph into impossibly large mecha-monsters. I'll give Genocyber props for some detailed animation and cool imagery, but there's just little substance to be found.

Genocyber is a film that trys to do something radical and new. Strangely it fails and succeeds. After watching this movie you'll be able to say you've never seen anything like it before.

The first thing that must be said about Genocyber is the plot doesn't or won't make a lot of sense (on first viewing any). After watching it a few times though I still struggle to make sense of it. This is one of the two bad points of the movie. The second negative side to the film is the overwhelming amount of gore and violence. It really will phase you the first time you see thousands of limbs and internal organs scattered around a hospital or when someone rips open their head to spill all their brains on the floor. Totally disgusting but....

Perhaps this violence is deliberete. It definitely adds to the whole atmosphere of the film and this is Genocybers strong point. The atomosphere. The superb errie soundtrack, the halucagenic camerwork and, of course, the extreme violence all meld together to create a strange but fascinating film.

Genocyber is 'alternative cinema' more than it is 'cyberpunk'. It's well worth seeing if you get the chance but don't rush out because it's not to everyones taste.

Some call Genocyber an underrated OVA. Others call it one of the worst anime ever made. I can't agree with either, although it certainly is something. Dumb and violent anime OVAs and movies were a dime a dozen during the time, but Genocyber sticks out, for better or for worse. It has a big scope, something resembling character, and even less restraint. Some designs and concepts are neat.

But make no mistake - Genocyber is terrible. And I'm not saying that because it shows no mercy. There's barely a point to the madness. Genocyber itself is the only connection between the three settings. Within each, most of the plot focuses on the gore, with little character development. Equally small is our understanding of Genocyber's abilities. The rare times its brought up, its absolute gobbledygook. The dialog is bad, the acting is garbage, the animation is mediocre, and the action only has a few good scenes. Genocyber is a mess.

But I will give it this - its uniquely bad. Its not pure trash, by the numbers, or hilarious. Its terrible, but its kind of intriguing. Although I do have a bias towards retro sci-fi animation. Its not the bad anime that you pull friends in front of, but watch by yourself at 1:00 A.M. If you're not a fan of body horror, robot brutality, 400 year time skips, and anticlimactic endings, you'll hate it. There is nothing to salvage from the plot. But I don't regret seeing this...thing.

This is among my favorite anime of all time, especially the first episode. This series has everything, from mecha to psycho-thriller, to bloodbaths, to awesome tech, This thing is great. The DVD is about to come out, so new fans can have a great chance to see this anime in all its glory, and old fans can finally buy the bloody thing.