Space Runaway Ideon
Studio: Sunrise
Director: Yoshiyuki Tomino
Writer: Arata Koga, Hiroyasu Ken'ichi Matsuzaki, Sukehiro Tomita & Yuuji Watanabe
Producer: Hoboyuki Okuma & Yasuo Shibue
Composer: Koichi Sugiyama
Design: Tomonori Kogawa (characters) & Submarine (mecha)
Released: May 8th, 1980
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Mecha, Sci-Fi
Format: Continuing TV series
Runtime: 39 episodes, 25 minutes each (975 minutes)
US License: NoneHot off the heels of the ratings failure of
Mobile Suit Gundam[/i], which would later become a financial titan and effectively making him a god amongst anime directors, Yoshiyuki Tomino began working on his next big project,
Densetsu Kyojin Ideon[/i]. While
Ideon[/i], as a "Super Robot" show, was fundamentally different from
Gundam[/i], Tomino maintained the same ideology of having a realistic and personal story amidst all the typical mecha action. Much like
Gundam[/i] before it, however, Tomino's work would fail to amass a large audience, and the show was primarily held aloft by a very devoted fan following. Also like
Gundam[/i], the show was cancelled before it could complete its intended run, and Tomino had to fight to keep the last few episodes on the air. Perhaps this is because the world just was not ready for shows like
Gundam[/i] and
Ideon[/i]. Where the airwaves were stuck on more lighthearted shows like
Shin Lupin III[/i] and formulaic super robot shows like
Gordian Warrior[/i], Tomino's brand of grim, gritty, hard-hitting mecha drama could find no purchase.
Space Runaway Ideon[/i] takes place in the very distant future, where human beings have developed technology allowing them to travel vast distances. One group of humans have come to a planet called Solo in the Andromeda Galaxy, where their research has uncovered the inklings of a lost civilization. What they had left behind was a strange machine controlled by a mysterious and ominous system called the "Ide". But the meddling of this group of researchers and pioneers has caught the attention of the Buff Clan, the alien race which calls that part of the galaxy home. The differences (and similarities) between these two races quickly lead them to war, and entire civilizations of people, both innocent and corrupt, are caught up in a tragic confrontation.
Much like
Mobile Suit Gundam[/i],
Ideon[/i] is about war. But rather than focusing on individual characters as in
Gundam[/i],
Ideon[/i] focuses on the bigger picture, and how the atrocities of war affect humanity as a whole. It is a very angst-ridden tale that paints a very bleak portrait of humans and their inability to deal with one another, overcome differences, and understand each other. There is a resounding sense of hopelessness and unavoidability to the whole situation, and as the show presses on, the inevitability of what will happen becomes more and more apparent. I will not spell it out for you, but know that this is the show which gave Yoshiyuki Tomino his "Kill'em All" moniker. This show is not for the faint of heart, nor those who are unable to associate anger with anything else but "emoism".
However, as poignant and shockingly brutal as
Ideon[/i] is, its differences with
Gundam[/i] are where its flaws come in. As mature a story it is, it is still very much stuck to its Super Robot roots. The show never really gains an overall flow because it is broken up too much by episodic escapades involving "enemy mecha of the week" plots. Each new villain attempts another overly elaborate and ultimately futile method to capture the Ideon or destroy the Solo Ship, and a whole lot of dull battles with stock animation ensue. The show does not really get spectacular until the last third or so, when the Ideon's more ridiculous weapons, like the armada-melting Wave Leader Gun and the planet-splitting Sword of Light come into play, and the fights assume a more epic scale.
Another problem is the lack of character development. As noted earlier,
Ideon[/i] differs with
Gundam[/i] in that it focuses more on the bigger picture rather than on the individuals involved. As a result, key characters like Cosmo and Kasha hardly make any progress as individuals throughout the series, and while characters like Bes and Gije are certainly enjoyable, they are little more than archetypes from
Ideon[/i]'s cousins. The only character whom truly undergoes some dynamic development is Sheryl, who gradually transforms from a soulless, calculating researcher into a borderline insane, hallucinating emotional wreck by series end. Make no mistake, the show has some incredible moments (the resolution of the Kitten sub-plot about 2/3rds in is absolutely beautiful), but overall, it really could have used some tightening up, and I cannot blame this entirely on the show's cancellation.
Visually,
Ideon[/i] is not quite up to par with
Gundam[/i], but it still looks quite good. It is very colorful and some of the stock animations used are quite impressive. The show's biggest visual problem is the character design. The humans look pretty good, but the Buff Clan is just too silly to take seriously. They all look like Elvis impersonators, especially their leader, Doba. And then there is the highly publicized afro worn by the protagonist, Cosmo. I really do not have a problem with it. If anything, it is merely a sign of the show's vintage, just as with the disco music and bellbottoms in
Gundam[/i].
The music in
Ideon[/i] is absolutely incredible. Composed by Koichi Sugiyama (yes, the
Dragon Quest guy),
Ideon[/i]'s soundtrack is a mixture of very catchy rock with incredible percussion work and some of the finest, most beautifully melodic orchestrations out of any anime from that era. If you grew up playing
Dragon Quest games or loved the music in
Dragon Quest VIII especially, you will no doubt recognize the classical style used here. Particularly amazing is the ending theme, "As I Run Through the Cosmos", which provides a very fitting, somber tone to the end of every episode.
Ideon[/i] is certainly not
Gundam[/i], but it never aspired to be. It is an entirely different experience. While its quality can be fairly inconsistent, it is still quite paramount amongst its Super Robot contemporaries in the late 70s and early 80s. If for nothing else, watch it just to see how horribly things spiral out of control for the Solo Ship and her crew, and how the mysterious power of the Ide manipulates the destinies of all those caught in the struggle between the humans and the Buff Clan. Also, bear in mind that
Ideon[/i] was cancelled abruptly, and therefore, the ending is completely incoherent. The true ending is seen in the theatrical film,
Be Invoked[/i], which shall be reviewed in the near future.
- Shalashashka
Story: C
Animation: A
Design: B
Music: S
Direction: A
Overall: B+
Sub or Dub: N/A