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Iria is really good, great art direction and character design.

I finished this last night...



It's an old 4 part OVA from 1990-1992, based on a manga of course. Mad Bull 34 has got to be one of the most chauvinistic anime series I've ever seen, only beat by the likes of say Urotsukidoji. (Pretty much every female character in the show eventually has their breasts shown, like it or not.) If you can get past that aspect of it, the story is fairly entertaining focusing on an insane cop and his straight laced partner. Mad Bull himself makes Dirty Harry look reserved seriously. I enjoyed the first two OVAs quite a bit, but the second two felt like the budget got neutered and the writing became too serious... losing the high comedic edge the prior episodes had. While I enjoyed going back in time and watching something I'd forgotten about, I can't recommend this series to anyone unless they truly enjoy raunchy lowbrow overly violent cinema. I mean, at one point Mad Bull pulls his pants down and has grenades tied to his pubes. Depending on how you feel about that, will tell you everything you need to know about this show.

Exhuminator wrote:Iria is really good, great art direction and character design.

I finished this last night...



It's an old 4 part OVA from 1990-1992, based on a manga of course. Mad Bull 34 has got to be one of the most chauvinistic anime series I've ever seen, only beat by the likes of say Urotsukidoji. (Pretty much every female character in the show eventually has their breasts shown, like it or not.) If you can get past that aspect of it, the story is fairly entertaining focusing on an insane cop and his straight laced partner. Mad Bull himself makes Dirty Harry look reserved seriously. I enjoyed the first two OVAs quite a bit, but the second two felt like the budget got neutered and the writing became too serious... losing the high comedic edge the prior episodes had. While I enjoyed going back in time and watching something I'd forgotten about, I can't recommend this series to anyone unless they truly enjoy raunchy lowbrow overly violent cinema. I mean, at one point Mad Bull pulls his pants down and has grenades tied to his pubes. Depending on how you feel about that, will tell you everything you need to know about this show.

This is the stuff that made conservative parents shit their pants.

I've owned a volume of this in years past. Honestly its not that great. The violence and sex are part of its in your face attitude and art style.

I watched it once and it went to the back part of my old Anime VHS collection. Never to be played again.

But I'm with you, I cant recommend this series to anyone. There are much better old anime that you can fully enjoy rather than this.

flojocabron wrote:But I'm with you, I cant recommend this series to anyone. There are much better old anime that you can fully enjoy rather than this.

Absolutely. It was okay as a curiosity piece at best.



Watched this OVA from 1989 last night. Riding Bean focuses on a day in the life of a driver for hire and his ridiculously badass car. The best thing about this OVA is its meticulous animation concerning the two hot rods that feature prominently in the plot. If you want to see well animated engines revving or detailed mechanical standard shifting, Riding Bean is required viewing. However, the 45 minute plot felt like it was cut from a 120 minute one, haphazard story telling abounds with practically zero character development. There is a central story about framing and kidnapping and such, but you'll have so little invested in the characters you'll hardly care. Perhaps if you'd read the manga before seeing Riding Bean, you'd get more out of it. As a passing observer Riding Bean is well animated car porn, and not much else.

Exhuminator wrote:As a passing observer Riding Bean is well animated car porn, and not much else.

eX-Driver is pretty good for that too, though it's got a serviceable plot arc as well (or at least not that disjointed, most aren't directly related). Probably just a downside to OVAs in general. Like, Dragon Half is pretty entertaining, but it's got hardly any time to tell a story in its two episodes, versus like the six year manga run.


I've started watching the Patlabor TV series, which is slightly on the annoying/expensive side I guess (apparently, episodes are on the discs twice, because the sub and dub versions don't line up). Kind of taking over my lunchtime/etc anime watching from Parasyte, which didn't hold my interest at all. Perhaps I'll get back to it sometime.

Do you have the Patlabor BluRays? The series looks amazing. I'd compare the series to something like Planetes. It's really... low key, casual, minimal energy at times haha, but there is some charm into that and its simplicity. It could grow on you with some cool moments and the characters are awesome. Getting through the series and OVA's made me like the movies ever more, since then I knew the characters so much better. That was my experience with GITS as well, I liked the movies way more after getting through Stand Alone Complex.

Mad Bull has always sounded like a masterpiece. Can't wait to check it out.

I would never expect any worthwhile plot in a one shot OVA, lol. Riding Bean is just a sub thing from Gunsmith Cats though.

Xeogred wrote:I would never expect any worthwhile plot in a one shot OVA, lol.

I don't know man, for example Plastic Little did an excellent job of building its characters and world in a short one shot OVA. It can be done.

Right now I'm watching Angel Cop and Early Reins. I'm freaking loving Angel Cop so far. This show is way more than I thought it would be.

Xeogred wrote:I'll have to think... but Iria always comes to mind. It looks so good. And probably my first crush too.

Yes, she is quite sexy! I tried finding this series but had no luck. Do you know of a place I might be able to find it?

Used to love the Iria anime, had it back in the 90s on DVD if I remember right. I think it was in manga format too, not sure if it was translated but I'll go look once I post this as I remember it being solid.

edit -- Appears early March last month they re-issued the series on a 2 DVD set for around $20US -- http://www.rightstufanime.com/Iria-Zeir ... ection-DVD

Iria is a popular one that has been licensed forever multiple times, so I'm not sure if I can be watched online if that's what you meant Sano? Maybe BakaBT has it, that's where I get my stuff. But it's certainly a worthy purchase.

Exhuminator wrote:

Xeogred wrote:I would never expect any worthwhile plot in a one shot OVA, lol.

I don't know man, for example Plastic Little did an excellent job of building its characters and world in a short one shot OVA. It can be done.

Right now I'm watching Angel Cop and Early Reins. I'm freaking loving Angel Cop so far. This show is way more than I thought it would be.

Angel Cop gets real good towards the end with some epic military action and such. I love strategic and detailed shakedowns like the end of this one.

Sano wrote:Yes, she is quite sexy! I tried finding this series but had no luck. Do you know of a place I might be able to find it?

You can buy it off Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Iria-Zeiram-Anima ... NQ8TT17VNM

Or watch it online at KissAnime:

https://kissanime.to/Anime/Iria-Zeiram- ... mation-Dub