Android Kikaider - The Animation
Synopsis
The genius robotics professor, Dr. Komyoji has created Kikaider—a humanoid robot tasked with the protection of Dr. Komyoji's son and daughter. Gifted with the conscience circuit, Kikaider is given the power to simulate real emotions that helps to distinguish between "right and wrong." Can Kikaider protect Dr. Komyoji's children and battle against the evil Dr. Gill and his army of androids? The fight against world domination lies in the hands of Kikaider. (Source: Bandai Entertainment)
Audience Consensus
Audience reception is mixed, with some appreciating the anime's faithfulness to the original source material and the main character's development. However, others criticize the pacing, simplistic writing, and outdated art style. Overall, the anime seems to appeal more to fans of the original tokusatsu series and those who appreciate a nostalgic aesthetic, but falls short for viewers seeking modern, sophisticated storytelling.
Strengths
- Faithful to the original manga art style.
- Well-developed main character with a compelling journey.
- Music is well-done, especially the opening theme.
- Animation is top-notch with great action scenes (Review 1).
Weaknesses
- Pacing issues, especially with the initial bonding of characters.
- Trite, lazy writing, particularly with the romantic subplot.
- Simplistic and non-challenging handling of philosophical questions.
- Low-effort artwork that resembles anime from the 70s with stiff movements and reused animation.