Tekuno porisu 21C

Before I begin I must stress it has been a while since I've seen this film - It somehow snuck into the video collection of my childhood, providing me regularly with 90 odd minutes (really, really approximately) of anime entertainment.

To sum up the plot: Some time in the 21st century A man with weird floppy hair (probably called Ken) is transferred from his usual job as a cop to the 'TechnoPolice' and given a Robot (a nimble blue one). There are 5 other members of the techno-police squad: A fat guy (1 of 5) with a thick yet strong green robotic companion (2 of 5) the obligatory female role {who is number 3 of 5 and, I'm sorry to say, gets captured), her slender pinkish red droid (4 of 5) as well as the shouting and bald chief of department who seemed obsessed with coffee as I recollect. After a Brief induction the crew is called out to attend a bank robbery only for the female member of the crew to get captured by a Robotically Operated Tank. It's got a self destruct. Time is running out. And it's up to the 'TechnoPolice' to save her from a fate exactly the same as death.

Realistically this film is aimed at kids and doesn't compare to the anime greats - it doesn't ponder any deep moral quagmires, nor really dig beneath its shiny metallic Action/Robot genre surface at all. Equally, I do not remember the animation as particularly advanced even for its time (although it did introduce me to animated lens flare so it's not all bad).

However, while this may just be a side-affect of age 'rose-tinting' the memories of youth, despite the above, an absence of blood, real violence and/or gratuitous sex, I still found it fun enough as a child to seriously consider watching it again now - if I could just find a copy of it.

I bought a VHS copy just the other day on the internet. It's a brilliant retro anime classic. I always loved it ever since i first saw it when i was a kid. It seems to be largely forgotten and the chances of it being released on DVD are very poor. Fans of classic anime will love it. It gives a picture of a happier more interesting future than that shown in other darker sci-fi movies. The English dub wad made by the same actors who did all those old kung-fu movies(If you've seen Lama vs Shaolin,then you'll notice that the voice of the leading actor is that of Ken's). Brilliant music too by Joe Hisaishi(yes,the same guy who wrote the music for most of Hayao Miyazaki's movies). I think it's very cool and entertaining movie even if you haven't seen it before. It's not too long either(about 80 mins)and the plot is simple(Bad guys steal a tank and the good guys have to get it back). Lucky for me the copy i bought was still sealed and very cheap. Get a copy if you can. Highly entertaining. 10/10