The Ambassador Magma OVA

[Fauna]

Yesterday, I went to a collector's store in town and found they were selling a video cassette of of Ambassador Magma, you know, the one from 1993 where the only Tezuka character was Magma. The tape has episodes 1-3, I'm not sure if it's in subtitles or dubbed, and the whole tape is $11.99 Canadian.
I was wondering...should I buy this or not?

[Rocku]

I'd buy it, but this would be after I threw up and peed myself from the excitment. You're lucky! I've only been able to find it on cdjapan, and it's too expensive. Also, Saphire and Skunk are in it.

[Fauna]

They are?! Well that's damn cool at least! Would you know of which of the 13 episodes they were in?
But anyhoo, I guess I should buy the tape Only problem is that I've just found a lot of negative reviews, so that's kind of putting me off.

[Rocku]

[Fauna]

I just found the OVA opening on Youtube, and sure enough...

[Jeffbert]

I bought the entire 6 tape set from Amazon Sellers. It is uncensored, has all the explicit language & the same content as the DVD, which, BTW, had English Audio.

Skunk is at his most grotesque in this series.

This crosses Superman's Daily Planet with Spiderman's Daily Bugle.
Sapphire plays Lois Lane, except as a photographer, & there is a Jimmy Olsen too. Instead of Peary White, there is a JJJ-type editor.



As I write this there are 2 volumes (tapes) of which only 1 copy is available of each!

Laser Disc:

2 vols, each only 1 copy available!

This has a Terminator-like robot, gooey tentacled creatures, Skunk is one, action, brief nudity, all the good stuff.

I watched the entire thing on both DVD (not my own, though) & VHS. I recommend it.

[Fauna]

Okay...the day I went back to the shop, they had a massive sale on tapes, so I got it for half price. Now that I've watched the whole thing through, I'll give my word on the OVA.

It's unpleasant.

Sure, it would be if there were a few more Tezuka characters around regularly, maybe if the characters looked a bit more like Tezuka's style, but the first three episodes aren't that enjoyable. In fact, a few bits are a depressing or disturbing. And within three episodes we cover what could have been done in half the time. It probably gets better on, but it sure ain't fun right now. And the dubbing...oh, the dubbing...it's certainly no "Magic User's Club". The dub is TERRIBLE. The only characters whose voices didn't make me want to maim someone were Mamoru and his father. Sometimes Miki was okay.
In one episode where all Goa does is send a mean-ass dog after Mamoru & his mom, somebody had to voice the dog. There was a part where the dog was locked in a train car and gnawing at a door handle and going "AAUFBAGGABAWWFF" and it cracked me up.
On a bright note, the opening song is great, and the ending credits have pictures of Tezuka's original manga. And the tape was half price.

PICTURES!
Goa's the kind of villain who sits in his spaceship while sending out random villains...

...Like when an alien disguised as Miki's dad comes to Mamoru's house, then the alien turns into a mutant octopus and carries her off like the start of some wacko tentacle rape anime.



Olga from "Space Firebird 2772" showed up, and that was awesome.


I think Pinoco ran through a crowd scene, but she was really tiny.


I guess Sapphire doesn't come along until later, but I saw this newswoman that looked like an older version of her. That was my thrill.


One character I liked (for some ungraspable reason) was Goa's assistant. I don't remember its name or gender, but I call it "Turd Jellyfish".

My score on this OVA: ***/*****
Had the fuel, knew the way, but broke down shortly after

And sorry Rocku, no Skunk

[Jeffbert]

Actually that is not Olga, but


Mol. She is Magma's wife, and could be considered Gam's mother.

[Fauna]

Oh. Sorry about that, I know now that she and just look similar.

Wait, Magma's wife is about 1/8th his size.

[Jeffbert]

All 3, Magma, Mol, & Gam, appear in Astroboy 2003, in a Superman/Moses-type story. However, Gam is female in this story.

[Fauna]

Cool, which episode number was that?

BTW, since you have the rest of the Magma series, were there any other Tezuka characters cameoing besides Sapphire & Skunk?

[Jeffbert]

38, Battle Bot.

[Fauna]

Oh, I remember that one. The idea of Emily actually being Gum, a boy, is disturbing.

[Jeffbert]

I would not say that Emily was a boy, but rather the child of Magma & Mol. Pipi (yes, it is pronounced "pee-pee") also had both male & female roles.

&
Pipiko (female) & Pippy (male) are both portrayed by




Pipi also portays a robotic merboy in the 80s Astroboy.

[Fauna]