daniel.keaton - 2015-06-08 19:47:32

I am in true shock that MD Geist, an anime with story arcs that rivals The Aoi Bungaku Series and Monster and production values that rival Guilty Crown and Kara no Kyoukai could remain overlooked for so long.  I fail to see why anime fans choose to overlook this in favor of shallow titles such as Hunter x Hunter (2011) and Black Lagoon.  I have discovered enlightenment, and its name is MD Geist.

abdul.ohara - 2013-08-22 05:31:01

[Note: This review is for the directors cut. From what I know, the only difference is that the animation is cleaned up and a few extra minutes were added.]

First off, I'm honored to be the first person on this site to review the infamous MD Geist, it being so well known and all.

The director, Koichi Ohata, is infamous for creating B-Movie like OVAs, non known more than MD Geist. His works are often criticized for being nihilistic because of their extreme depictions of violence, but if you look past that, you can find a guy who really knows what action fans want.

With that said, MD Geist is complete trash and I love it. Here's why:

Story: 3/10

In the distant future, mankind discovered the technology for space travel, and thus colonized other planets, so now they can kill each other for petty reasons all across the universe. The story takes place on the planet Jerra, where the new generation of humanity, Nexrum fight against the Earth Government for control over all planets.

In a last-ditch effort, the Jerran Army created the MDS (Most Dangerous Soldiers), bio-cloned men possessing abilities far greater than what a normal human can achieve. Well, jokes on them because they created motherfucking Geist! The personification of GAR itself. Deemed to dangerous, Geist was placed in suspended animation inside of a stasis satellite and sent into orbit.

Some years later, the satellite crashes on Jerra and Geist is set free. He eventually comes across a group of bandits and after killing their leader in one of the most badass ways possible, starts leading them himself. The OVA is just over 40 minutes so I'm not gonna spoil anything else.

I'm actually being generous on the score. The back story is cool, but the plot doesn't really go anywhere. What's more, is it ends on a cliff hanger! Yes, there is a sequel but it didn't come out until a decade later, after Central Park Media collaborated with Ohata to produce a sequel because of high sales in the states, mostly because Geist was used as the U.S. Manga Corps' logo.

In the end: cool backstory, little plot.

Animation: 8/10

If there's one thing you need to know before going into MD Geist, it's that it is violent. And I mean VIOLENT! You will see people die in some of the most horrific ways imaginable. They will be ripped apart by mechs, their limbs being cut off, someone even gets stabbed in the face with knife that has a grenade attached to to it! If that type of stuff makes you feel sick, look elsewhere.

One thing that's undeniable about MD Geist (and most of Ohatas works) is that the mech designs and that of Geists' armor, are incredible. The attention to detail that went into them really shows, especially in the fight scenes.

The character designs are just what you would expect from an 80's anime: super-buff men. Hell, Geist looks like a cross between Mel Gibson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Duke Nukem.

The animation is far from perfect, you will notice repeated backgrounds and such, but overall the good outweighs the bad, as far as I'm concerned.

Sound: 9/10

Guitar solos, sexy saxophones, synths, AND Hironobu Kageyama? Fuck, yeah! Do I need to say any more?

The English voice acting is nothing short of shit. And by that, I mean amazing, it's pretty much what you expect from an early 90s dub. Everyone is expressionless, over exaggerated and it's hilarious. I suppose it's a bit better then some of the other dubs at the time, but it's bad enough(in a good way), that I recommend watching it dubbed, it WILL add to your enjoyment.

Character: 3/10

Again, i'm generous with the score. In fact, the characters are the weakest part. Nobody has character development, and their all one dimensional, I barely remember anyone's name and there's nobody really worth mentioning, EXCEPT for one--the main character.

He is the most GAR anime character in existence. What, you thought Kenshiro was GAR? Jojo? Kaiji? Archer?

HA!

They are nothing to the manliest of all men: Geist! He re-defines "Badass", he IS the coolest thing in existence, fuck everyone else! HE IS THE MOST MOTHERFUCKING DANGEROUS!

Enjoyment: 10/10

There is not a moment that I did not enjoy. It's GAR as fuck! The plot sucks and so did most of the characters,and the voice acting, but that only added to the fun. The action scenes are great they are well animated, with kick ass designs, and lots of gore.

I can see why it's hated, but to me, it's a classic, it might not be "good", but it deserves it's place in every anime fans collection. Manga Entertainment is currently streaming both OVAs on their youtube channel, so check it out!