Burakku Majikku M-66

Ok, so it opens with the obligatory nekkid chick shot, the plot is basically The Terminator, the characterisation, dialogue and voice talent (in the English dubbed version) are just what you'd expect from a 12th grade media project, and the facial expressions are exaggerated Japanese home market stuff (this appears to be a series pilot).

However, this is a pacy little action flick, cleanly animated at an acceptable frame rate, with plenty of scene changes and none of the tedious long pauses or pans across static backgrounds typical of more artsy anime. It just gets on with telling an exciting story without delving into muddled metaphysical ramblings or over-stylised posturing. There are a few moments of genuine tension (spoiled only by the monotonous dubbed wails of Wimpy Female Victim) and in fact some of the English dub dialogue lines are delivered with something approaching real passion, an unusual treat.

Not a film to obsess over or watch 400 times, maybe not even worth a rent, but definitely worth catching on cable.

Black Magic M-66 is an anime based on Masamune Shirows manga of the same name, or to be more precise on the chapter Booby Trap. It was also Shirows first and last time he took a seat in the director's chair, there being so many problems behind the scenes that he refused to have anything to do with the future of the franchise. Luckily he met Mamoru Oshi and the rest is history.

The anime is clearly influenced by James Camerons the Terminator and Aliens. The story is about an seemingly indestructible cyborg on the hunt for some hapless victim. It is a fast paced, short and action packed anime that manages to hold your breath for its complete run of 50 minutes.

The animation is similar to that of Appleseed the ova which was released the following year and which was also based on a Shirow manga. The animation clearly makes it a product of its time, the late eighties early nineties, and are perhaps a notch or two better than that of Appleseed. Nevertheless if you like cyberpunk anime like Appleseed or the first Terminator movie you should give this one a try.

Notice that there are many first in the crew, like Hiroki Hayashi (Bubble Gum Crisis 2040) and Hiroyuki Okiura (Jin-Roh).

An entertaining OVA with a lot of science fiction essence and a cyberpunk style, offering an interesting premise and a predominant social critique.

"Black Magic M-66" is a pleasant experience within the world of anime that, in just 48 minutes, immerses us in a story of action, chase, survival, and a lot of technology. The short film focuses on demonstrating the characterization and importance of technological advancement, as well as its impact on society. The directors Shirow Masamune and Hiroyuki Kitakubo had their idea more than clear, having the opportunity to adapt this story and revolutionize anime, since one of them gifted us the universe of "Ghost in the Shell."

The musicalization is interesting, it has that 80s and classic signature of many works from those years. The sound is very efficient and the animation in general is well done, with a polished level of detail even better than current animes, of course, considering the resources used. The character design, the movement sequences, the line work, and the color tones, from my perspective, meet expectations.

Now then, "Black Magic M-66" could undoubtedly have been much better, whether in its script or more impactful scenes, by adding plot twists or any unforgettable event. However, it does have its great merit and for many anime fans, it can be a gem.

In his reflective messages, we have topics such as survival, love for work, skill, the importance of covering information from a journalistic perspective, problem situation analysis, the effect and/or consequences of technological developments, trust, teamwork, among others.

"Black Magic M-66" is an OVA with which you can easily make a direct connection to other products related to robots, androids, and action moments. For example, "The Terminator," "Ghost in the Shell," "Alita: Battle Angel," and many more.

The animation of this 45 minute film is typical for Japanese anime of that era, but done really well. The attention to detail is very nice and the action scenes (humanoid military robots fighting in tandem) put to shame most of the modern animes and big budget films alike.

The plot is that of Terminator 2, basically, with the role of Arnie being taken by a feisty female reporter who needs to save a hapless girl from a killer robot. For some reason that is never revealed, the termination target is the creator's granddaughter.

I found the world in which all of this happens very chic, with very sci-fi concepts like machines routinely flying inside cities and killer robots combined with old fashioned ones like buttons to switch off robots and crappy looking vehicles. I think any anime fan would like this, even if it is not a masterpiece. The roots of a lot of the greatness of Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell is apparent in this OVA.

A cyberpunk story written by Masamune Shirow while in college. The comic was published in February 25, 1983, a year and some change before Terminator 1 was released in theaters. It's clear that Masamune's fascination with futuristic technology and bad chicks has been there since the beginning of his career. Black Magic M66 is his freshman project and it shows. The manga is only one volume long and is paced extremely fast, certain things happen in the story that isn't the most logical; but works well to move it along quickly. In its defense, it was most likely never thought to be published while it was being made. The late 70s and 80s had an absurd amount of cyberpunk anime, but Shirow's body of work is the Magnum Opus of the genre. It's worth watching just for its historical place in story telling, if nothing else.