Category: Comedy

Metal Fighter Miku: Looking For Love, Looking for Stuff

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It is rather pleasant to not be crying tears of blood as we watch a series for Secret Santa. I can’t say that Metal Fighter Miku was a greatest show ever but thankfully it was not the torture that was Texhnolyze or Dead Leaves. There are a few reasons that people might remember this show. It is the directorial debut of Akiyuki Shinbo. If you are a fan of his work it is an interesting artifact. It is also a cute girls in robot suits anime that only has little accents of fan service. It is not the cyberpunk world of Bubblegum Crisis (although one episode might make you think otherwise) but it is thankfully also not the boobtacular harem world of Infinite Stratos as well. It is a strange little show that mostly seems forgotten by time and fandom. The real question is if Metal Fighter Miku is a hidden gem or a curious footnote.

First, I want to thank our Secret Santa because this is the first year I haven’t wanted to do bodily harm to myself and others having to sit through a show. That being said, Metal Fighter Miku is a pretty average 90’s action/comedy that at times was entertaining, at times perplexing, but overall won’t stand out in the future when I look back at the anime I have watched.

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Bonus Round – An Encore Performance

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We return to the Kaleido stage in this episode of the Bonus Round on Anime3000 in which we talk about the second season of Kaleido Star and the accompanying OVAs. In season 1, Sora is able to perform the Legendary Great Maneuver with Layla and save the Kaleido Stage. In season 2, dubbed “New Wings” we find that due to her injury Layla has retired from the circus and become a full-time actress. Now Sora must find her own way on the stage but she is unsure of what direction to head in. A rival by the name of May Wong and the icy perfectionist Leon Oswald join the troop and bring further complications. Does Sora have what it takes to be a true Kaleido Star? Then it’s Extra Stage and Legend of Phoenix, OVAs about Rosetta Passel and Layla Hamilton respectively. As a special bonus we have a shocking in-depth expose about May Wong at the beginning of the review.

Anime3000 – Bonus Round – Kaleido Star Season 2 + OVAs

Manga of the Month: Saint Young Men

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Saint Young Men (聖☆おにいさん) by Hikaru Nakamura

Sometimes comedy that has gone completely off the map is the best comedy of all. Saint Young Men follows the misadventures of Jesus and Buddha who have come to Japan and have taken an apartment to get away from their boring lives. If that doesn’t sound like a bizarre one-shot webcomic the internet would make up, then you aren’t well versed enough.

Saint Young Men is absurdist at full-throtle though when looking at manga-ka Hikaru Nakamura’s work on Arakawa Under the Bridge, one knows she’s had a lot of practice. Jesus and Buddha are experiencing the modern world in a new way and they are both kind of spazes for obvious reasons. They also have an odd couple relationship that gets them angry with each other and living together. Exploring the outside world is just as entertaining like when Buddha melodramatically laments that everyone is obsessed with his “fat period” when seeing all the statues about or the fact that when Jesus gets upset his stigmata acts up. This story pushes the limits of comedy combined with religion and the insignificance that worship can play in modern society.

So now I’ve got two wishes, 1) for this to be licensed of course and 2) for it to be turned into a delightful anime.