Android Kikaider (anime)

Android Kikaider

Dr. Kohmyoji creates Jiro (Kikaider) but an explosion occurs. When Dr Kohmyoji's kids, Mitsuko and Masaru, their father was nowhere to be found, Jiro wandering aimlessly in a remote area eventually meets Mitsuko. Mitsuko teaches Jiro to go into his robot form and about the GEMINI system inside him. The two grow closer together but the relationship development halts when a mysterious flute playing causes Jiro to attack Mitsuko, which causes her to believing he is a mad machine. Jiro inevitably leaves Mitsuko and Masaru in fear of being destroyed. Mitsuko then hires Hanpei Hattori and his apprentice Etsuko Sarutobi to find Jiro and bring him home. Throughout the story, Jiro encounters robots and learns more about Professor Gill and the evil organization DARK. A reoccurring android named Hakaider causes Jiro out of control by whistling (similar to Gill's flute). The more Mitsuko encounters Jiro the more she falls in love with him. When Mitsuko and Jiro reunite, they search for Mistuko's mother who is revealed to be in love with Professor Gill but could not bare the pain of being away from her children and gives them the location to Professor Gill's headquarters right before she killed herself. After they discover the location, Jiro attempts to fight Hakaider alone and also discovers the brain inside Hakaider's head is that of Dr. Kohmyoji's. Dr. Kohmyoji overtakes Hakaider's body before Hakaider could destroy it and infiltrates the headquarters. Once Professor Gill discovers Dr. Kohmyoji is in control he sends his robots to attack them. Jiro was able to give the brain to Hanpei in order to put it back into Dr. Kohmyoji's body. Professor Gill attempts to control Jiro with his flute, but Jiro to is able to overcome it. Hakaider then attempts to kill Professor Gill for betraying him and destroys the place along with Gill. Hanpei, Mitsuko and Etsuko able to escape, but didn't see Jiro escape with them. In the end, Mitsuko has hope that Jiro will return to them.

Kikaider 01

These 4 OVAs directly follow the conclusion of the 13 episode TV series. Jiro has now met new people and battling to save a boy that is professor Gill's son. Gill is now attacking a boy (named Akira) because he is the key of Gill's new project,the Armageddon Lord. During Jiro's new journey he met his two new brothers named Ichiro (Kikaider 01) and Rei (Kikaider 00) but unlike Jiro they do not have conscience circuits. In the end Gill successfully captures Akira,uses the Armageddon Lord to devastate the city from the previous series, and puts a Submission chip inside Jiro,but instead of becoming a slave to Gill it conflicts with his GEMINI circuit and gives him the ability to lie and destroy his brothers who also had Submission chips. Jiro manages to kill Gill just as the Armageddon Lord's generator blows up,goes unstable,and is destroyed leaving only Jiro and Gill's body the only thing left. Jiro leaves Akira in the hands of a monk scientist that raised Ichiro and reactivated Rei. Afterwards,Jiro then proclaims that having now committed such horrible acts that he is now human and that his heart will forever be in "eternal conflict" as he walks alone into the sunset.

The Boy Who Carried a Guitar: Kikaider vs. Inazuman

Jiro is still fighting the Submission Chip within him inserted by Professor Gill. Jiro, filled with guilt for destroying his siblings, fears that if he encounters both Mitsuko and Masaru, he will go inflict harm to both of them. Hanpei Hattori is sent to search for Jiro, in order to convince him to return to Mitsuko and Masaru. He mistakes high school student Saburo Kazeda (Sabu) for Jiro while Jiro is talking with Sabu's girlfriend Miyoppe. When Hanpei is finally reunited with Jiro, he goes berserk at the presence of Sabu, who then transforms into Inazuman, and the two fight. During the fight, Jiro manages to break free from the Submission chip. However, a mysterious creature suddenly attacks Inazuman. Jiro transforms into his android form and saves Inazuman from the creature. Jiro shakes hands with Sabu, and tells him to Hanpei that he will be alright soon while Sabu and Miyoppe continue their bickering, and it ends with Jiro sitting in a location unknown looking at the stars believing that he may one day return to Mitsuko and Masaru.

Android Kikaider: The Animation

Airdates are from broadcast on Adult Swim in the US.

Soundtrack

A soundtrack for the first animated series of Kikaider called Android Kikaider: The Animation Original Soundtrack (人造人間キカイダー ― THE ANIMATION オリジナル・サウンドトラック, Jinzō ningen kikaidā― THE ANIMATION orijinaru saundotorakku) was released on December 6, 2000. It was composed by Akira Mitake and distributed by SME Visual Works.

Another Soundtrack called Kikaider 01: The Animation Original Soundtrack (キカイダー01 THE ANIMATION ― オリジナル・サウンドトラック, Jinzō ningen kikaidā― THE ANIMATION orijinaru saundotorakku) was released on March 6, 2003. Music was composed by Kaworu Wada and distributed by SME Visual Works.

Reception

On Anime News Network, Zac Bertschy gave the first DVD an overall grade of B.