Super Atragon Anime Review

Quick Review

• Reviewer: Marc
• Review Date: 2006-07-29 (updated 2011-01-18)
• 3.5 stars out of 5 (?)

Super Atragon is an interesting and reasonably engaging modern-day science fiction action adventure tale with spiffy visuals and a lot of creative (if occasionally questionable) tie-ins to the past. If you don't try to read too much into the way Japan's position in WWII is cast in an ambiguous light (a side effect of the much older story this is based on), it's really a lot more like Evangelion with more submarines and less crazy--a number of the themes, at least, are similar. The story is decent heroic sci-fi stuff: Plenty of twists and historical tie-ins, and the colorful characters have enough interconnections for a soap opera. The best part, though, is the visual treat: Spiffy mechanical designs, creative alien technology, and very pretty action. The classic film-themed soundtrack is also quality stuff performed by the Warsaw Philharmonic.

Overall, Super Atragon is attractively animated heroic sci-fi on an grand scale featuring a solid mix of story, characters, and action. If you don't read too much into the history or science and take it for what it is, it's interesting and entertaining.

Read the full-length review...

Full Review

• Reviewer: Marc
• Review Date: 2006-07-29 (updated 2011-01-18)
• 3.5 stars out of 5 (?)

Super Atragon is an interesting and reasonably engaging modern-day sci-fi action adventure tale with spiffy visuals and a lot of creative tie-ins to the past.

I'll mention that viewers with some connection to WWII might be bothered by the way Japan's position in the war is cast in an ambiguous light. This comes from the series' heritage as a classic action film about the power and pitfalls of nationalistic pride, itself based on an even older allegorical novel written half a century prior to WWII. With the story adjusted to fit a setting 30 years after the original, it comes across somewhat differently, and with more muddled intent. Personally, I just kept in mind that it's a piece of science fiction written two generations on and didn't bother trying to read too much into it.

On the same note, the U.S. has almost no part in the movie--the military power of the "rest of the world" is, as usual in anime, represented by the UN. Making a movie where a WWII-era Japanese ship saves the world is perhaps somewhat awkward, but a mildly amusing turnabout in the face of the large number of "America Saves The World" action movies (ID4, Armageddon, etc.).

Unlike its war-allegory film predecessor, Super Atragon is rather more like a modern-day Evangelion without the crazy. Submarines and historical tie-ins replace the giant robots and Biblical references, of course, but it features a strikingly similar combination of mysterious, very alien foes, secret projects with ill-understood technology, analysis of the human condition, plus a boy and his absentee dad. Even more interesting, Super Atragon was released just after Evangelion started airing, so the similarities more or less have to be a coincidence.

On the whole, Super Atragon is much more straightforward sci-fi action, but the similarities are interesting and Eva fans may well find something to enjoy here.

As for the series' own merits, the sci-fi end of the story is well done--there are creative twists and turns, and the connections to the past are interesting, if somewhat biased. The science isn't totally solid, but is believable enough to get the job done. You'll have to watch with a healthy dose of "if you say so," but if you don't go overboard with the analysis it's an enjoyable yarn.

On the down side, the story is a little heavy on heroics, and sacrifices realism to that end. For example, the UN (not the US, somewhat ironically) is portrayed as an incompetent group of military nuts, leaving (of course) the fate of the world in the hands of a single ship--the Ra--and her crew.

The characters have plenty of good stuff going on. There are a number of interesting personalities and a fair supply of depth, along with enough convoluted interconnections for a soap opera. And, of course, there is one of those insufferably cool anime captains that we all love. You know the type--cool hat and a nifty scar.

The one big problem Super Atragon has is that it ends very abruptly. One presumes the series (like nearly all good OVAs) was cut short after two episodes. On the plus side, it definitely ends at a stopping point. On the minus, it seems to be set up for a Journey to the Center of the Earth before it just stops, with no real conclusion or answer to many of the questions raised, and a slightly more satisfying conclusion wouldn't have been difficult to manage.

If you overlook that, though, the story holds up, at least by heroic sci-fi standards: Not too deep, but not entirely devoid of plot and characterization, either.

The visuals are Super Atragon's strongest point--it isn't a movie, but it could sure pass for one. The mechanical designs are very well done, with lots of realistic ships and the stylized and attractive Ra. Even more impressive is some simple but cool alien technology that is... well, alien. For example, they use nifty gravity lens rings as weapons. The character designs aren't bad either (although I couldn't get it out of my head that Ann looked like Cutey Honey, and it doesn't help that the hero's name is Go). The action is almost perfect; it's fast, realistic, and fluidly animated, but suffers from that ancient foe of animated action, animation reuse. On the bright side, it isn't too blatant, and the stuff that gets reused still fits well and looks great.

Masamichi Amano's musical score is exceptional; performed by the Warsaw Philharmonic orchestra, it has a classic movie music feel that fits the story perfectly.

Overall, Super Atragon is attractively animated heroic sci-fi on an grand scale featuring a solid mix of story, characters, and action. If you don't read too much into the history or science and take it for what it is, it's interesting and entertaining.

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