Demon Seed is a criminal gang who pulls off high-profile capers throughout the
city on a regular basis.
The police are helpless against them, and so a task force called the Special
Anti-Demon Seed Group is set up to deal with the problem.
Chief Hattori is the head of this organization, and in a moment of drunken
frenzy, he proposes that they search for a super cute and super powerful girl
to become Japan's ultimate crime-fighting idol star.
Schoolgirl Maron Namikaze fits the bill perfectly -- she's cute as a button
and she possesses enough strength to rival Superman.
Will Maron be able to accomplish the job that the police couldn't handle? And can the general public forgive all the property damage that would be
incurred by Maron's bouts with the Demon Seed on account of her cuteness?
Assemble Insert Anime Review
Assemble Insert is one of those anime titles buried in near obscurity, beneath
a mountain of more popular fare.
Assemble Insert's plot seems rather simple -- with its whole cute girl turned superhero
deal, but that's not all there is to it.
More than anything, Assemble Insert is one big parody of Japanese pop-culture -- poking fun
at Japan's fixation on cute schoolgirls (in sailor uniforms), superheroes
(especially the cute girl variety), idol stars, and more.
Things are taken a step further with original live-action commercial breaks
which plug a fictitious energy drink called "Supovitan C".
Assemble Insert anime doesn't exactly make it to the list of funniest anime I've watched, but
then the fact that I'm not Japanese may very well have something to do with
it.
No matter how much one studies Japanese society and culture, it can't ever be
the same as actually being born and growing up in Japan -- which would provide
the best gauge as to just how humorous or on-the-dot this parody is.
One thing is certain: the humor and in-jokes would be totally lost on those
who are new to anime or are totally unfamiliar with Japanese pop culture.
The visuals are average at best. The artwork looks quite dated and the animation could use more smoothness and
fluidity.
Character designs are different from what we are used to. Maron is cute, but
she also looks somewhat strange with eyes that seem to consist solely of
pupils and lashlines.
Several characters look strikingly nondescript, particularly the members of
the anti-Demon Seed group.
The English dubbing is okay, but the original Japanese version features seiyuu
Hiroko Kasahara (also Fuu Houjou in "Magic Knight Rayearth") as Maron. I should mention that there are some differences in the English and Japanese
dialogues as well.
The songs and music are also... cute, just as Maron is.
Despite being originally released back in 1989, Assemble Insert retains a certain freshness
that sets it apart from the pack.
While it's not phenomenal, it's completely unlike the usual type of anime we
get subjected to -- something more jaded anime fans would appreciate.
Miscellanies: Assemble Insert
Assemble Insert DVD release doesn't show the Japanese credits in English. It's sparsely
loaded to boot -- with only a readily accessible version of the live-action
"Supovitan C" commercial as a real extra.
The rightmost screencap below is from the commercial.
GIF: Assemble Insert
Assemble Insert | |
| Genre | Comedy, Sci-Fi |
|---|---|
| Episodes | 2 |
| Status | Finished Airing |
| Aired | Dec 21, 1989 to Feb 25, 1990 |
| Producers | Tohokushinsha Film Corporation |
| Studio | Studio Core |
| Rating | PG-13 - Teens 13 or older |
| Themes | Detective |
0 comments
Post a Comment