Synopsis

The nerdy Hiroshi has developed a molecular armor capable of withstanding infinite levels of destructive force with the intention of helping mankind and becoming a hero. Unfortunately for him, his high-spirited sister Mirai learns of his secret and decides to try out the suit for herself, modifying its appearance to suit her more feminine tastes. Although she looks the part, Mirai is new to the superhero business and often manages to leave a trail of destruction in her wake.

Review

The story of Moldiver is propelled by the evil Dr. Machinegal?s nefarious plans to steal various items of value using his robotic minions. However, this essentially serves as a platform for the hilarious antics of Mirai and company. Mirai is a novice superhero, and her learning process is both comical and destructive. Because of the tremendous power of the suit, trial and error might mean the destruction of a bridge or an entire building. Despite the amount of carnage Mirai might cause, she always looks pristine, an example of the lighthearted parody typical of the series.

There are several elements at work that help to showcase the show?s less-than-serious tone. The Moldiver?s time limit helps to add a sense of suspense to the otherwise one-sided battles, and the suit?s ability to assume different forms leads to some funny outcomes, such as Hiroshi transforming into Mirai?s alter ego and vice-versa. There is also an ongoing romantic rivalry between Mirai and her best friend over the heart of the oblivious but dashing Mr. Misaki. Dr. Machinegal is a bit inept at being a super-villain as well, it seems. He is often forced to rush to the bathroom in the middle of news interviews in order to enter his secret lair.

The conclusion of the series is a bit rushed and leaves a few minor things unresolved, which is not altogether surprising considering the length of the series. The romantic elements are not given enough time to develop, and feel a bit awkward as a result. I found the final battle sequences to be decently exciting, however, and the show ends in good style.

With this being an older series, it?s hard to know what to expect in terms of animation. Luckily, Moldiver?s animation has held up much better than many of its contemporaries. The character designs are unique and fairly distinctive, with a bit of a retro look. The futuristic look of the city is well thought-out as well, with different parts of the city being consigned to various vertical sections accessible by elevators. The animation during the action sequences is smooth and fast-paced. It holds its own well enough.

Although the story and character development of Moldiver may be a bit simplistic, the show is primarily a comedy, and on that level it succeeds admirably well. The simple-minded nature of the show is a welcome relief from the many heavy-handed dramas out there that typically don?t live up to their own hype.

Conclusion

Moldiver may not bring anything new or groundbreaking to the table, but fans of classic anime will most likely appreciate this series for the way it incorporates various parody components into a comedic tribute that is fun to watch. Despite the show?s light-hearted nature, there are some elements of nudity and harsh violence involving human-like robots near the end of the series, so parental guidance is suggested.

-Review by Reptile (3 Feb, 2007)

Audio:	Classic style. Nothing special.
Video:	Nice crisp colorful animation
Plot:	Fairly simple, but with multiple minor plots
Style:	Nice retro style with cute character designs
Characters:	Somewhat underdeveloped except maybe Mirai
Violence:	Mild (with one episode that warrants a moderate)
Language:	Mild
Nudity:	Moderate
Genre:	Comedy
Episodes:	6
Rating:	3.0 of 5
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