Shin kaitei gunkan

In 1963, most of the folks behind Godzilla set out to adapt a Jules Verne–inspired junior novel into a major motion picture, the result was known in the U.S. as "Atragon." Over three decades later in 1995, it was given a new adaptation as a two part OVA: "Super Atragon."

I'll try to give the basic plot as spoiler-free as I can. Go, a young UN worker, and Annette, his girlfriend, are pitted against a sadistic villainess who is bent on the destruction of earth. The only weapon to prove effective against her is a top secret super- sub.

The voice acting is, for the most part, spot-on and sounds natural. There are a few moments of corniness but, that's more of a matter of getting the voices to match the lips than anything else. The animation is excellent, considering its age, (DVD limitations aside) with good attention to detail. Animation quality is not quite up there with Hayao Miyazaki's films but, infinitely better than "Space Thunder Kids." The music by Masamichi Amano and performed by the Poland National Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra remains powerful and rousing throughout the feature. I will sometimes play the DVD just to hear the score. One has to wonder if the project started as a feature film like its '63 predecessor.

Super Atragon is hands down one of my favorite animes. With good animation and superb sound, I recommend any fan of sci-fi to locate a copy of this. It's got good action with elements of mech, steampunk and cyberpunk. What's not to like! Did I mention this film was produced by Toho, the producers of the original film? Ten out of ten stars!

I loved Shin Kaitei Gunkan (or "Super Atragon" as it is here in the states). How much cooler can you get than a submersible super-battleship with a big drill on the front, except maybe an 80-foot tall steam-powered tarantula?

The animation was superb, the plot was great, and the action was truly spectacular. I've seen it in both Japanese and English, and as much as I hate dubbing, the dubbed version was actually pretty watchable; plus, how about the musical score, huh? I guess we Poles have something else to contribute after all...

I give Super Atragon an 8 of 10 - a must-see for any fans of Star Blazers/Space Battleship Yamato.

Incidentally, does anybody besides me remember seeing a live-action version of Kaitei Gunkan? It just seems so familiar...

1963's Toho movie Atragon was a messy scifi that I struggled to get through, so how did the animated OVA fare over 30yrs later?

Based on the Kaitei Gunkan novels I can't say whether this or the Toho movie was more loyal to the source material as I haven't read it. The fact that the two are so drastically different however makes me think that fans will likely not have been happy with at least one.

It tells the story of a civilization that lives within the earth, they have risen up with advanced technology to take the fight to the "Surface dwellers" and this 2 part OVA is an all out war between the two factions.

It looks like an early Manga, it sounds just plain awful and though the action is flashy and frantic the whole thing comes across very un-engaging and somehow quite boring.

I see the appeal, I just didn't appreciate it for myself.

The Good:

Some great concepts Looks the part

The Bad:

Some dreadful dialogue The English dub is awful

963's Toho movie Atragon was a messy scifi that I struggled to get through, so how did the animated OVA fare over 30yrs later?

Based on the Kaitei Gunkan novels I can't say whether this or the Toho movie was more loyal to the source material as I haven't read it. The fact that the two are so drastically different however makes me think that fans will likely not have been happy with at least one.

It tells the story of a civilization that lives within the earth, they have risen up with advanced technology to take the fight to the "Surface dwellers" and this 2 part OVA is an all out war between the two factions.

It looks like an early Manga, it sounds just plain awful and though the action is flashy and frantic the whole thing comes across very un-engaging and somehow quite boring.

I see the appeal, I just didn't appreciate it for myself.

The Good:

Some great concepts Looks the part

The Bad:

Some dreadful dialogue The English dub is awful