Tetsujin 28 – Tetsujin vs. The Mafia (V. 2/Animé TV)

 

Picture: B-     Sound: C+     Extras: C-     Episodes: B-

 

 

It is unfortunate that we are starting with the second volume of the Animé TV series Tetsujin 28, because the combination of Gigantor, Johnny Quest, James Bond and even the Horror genre and Gangster genre pre-Godfather.  Though not totally original, I appreciate the ambition and embracing of all of it in these crazy stories of a pre-teen Spy with a giant robot.  The story picks up with American gangsters (did they take a time machine?) trying to kidnap the title robot.  The episodes on this disc (at about a half-hour each) are as follows:

 

5) Hunt For The Remote Control Box

6) Tetsujin Goes On A Crime Spree

7) The Plan To Recapture Tetsujin No. 28

8) The Space Rocket Murder

9) The Super Human Kelly

 

 

This is entertaining, but I feel I missed something along the way, so I would recommend you begin with the first DVD by default.  Otherwise, I hope we see more ambitious titles like this from the Animé world.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 16 X 9/1.78 X 1 image is pretty good, without the fake whitening we see in too many shows of this genre, while the Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has no surrounds in either language.  However, the Japanese version is better than the English in the actor’s voices.  The English dubbing is lame, allowing it to be taken in by the false dilemma that the young man has to be nice all the time, despite fighting all forms of evil.  It is obnoxious.  Just compare to the better Japanese voice performance and you will see why this show is so good.  The only extras are trailers for three other Geneon DVDs and a non-credit/text closing.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo