Mars of Destruction
Synopsis — from MyAnimeList
Several months after a probe returning from Mars burns up during reentry, strange creatures dubbed "Ancients" begin to appear throughout Tokyo. Aggressive and dangerous, they cannot be killed with ordinary weapons. As scientists struggle to find the cause of their sudden appearance, the monsters wreak havoc across the world. Humanity finds hope in the form of the MARS suit—a new weapon developed to take down these enemies. The suit, however, can only be worn by those with specific DNA. Enter Takeru Hinata, an ordinary teen with a troubled past and one of the few capable of piloting the only weapon against the Ancients. With the help of the AAST, a special police force established to defeat the dangerous creatures, the young man battles against demons both personal and global whilst trying to discover the true nature of Earth's new aggressors.
Audience Consensus
Audience reception for Hametsu no Mars is overwhelmingly negative, with nearly universal agreement that it is a 'terrible' or 'worst anime ever.' However, a significant portion of viewers find its extreme incompetence to be hilariously entertaining, creating a polarized divide between those who see it as an abject failure and those who consider its badness to be its greatest asset. This dichotomy positions it as a legendary 'so bad it's good' experience.
Strengths
- The explicit gore and massacres are highlighted as a visual positive by some.
- The show's sheer incompetence leads to unintentional comedy, which some viewers found highly entertaining.
- The plot twist regarding Earthlings and Martians is noted as surprising, albeit poorly executed.
- The potential for a deeper philosophical message or parody is recognized by some viewers.
Weaknesses
- Animation and art quality are consistently panned as stiff, uninspired, bland, and amateurish, even for its time.
- Character designs are described as identical, lacking distinctiveness, and uninspired.
- Plot is universally criticized as nonsensical, nonexistent, disjointed, full of unanswered questions, and illogical.
- Voice acting is frequently described as horrible, monotonous, subpar, and uninspired.
- Sound design and music usage are heavily criticized for being out of place, poorly integrated, and amateurish.
- Character development is non-existent, with characters being bland, lacking personality, and having low intelligence.
- The use of shaky camera effects and character vibration during movement is seen as a production flaw.