Now available on DVD is the Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Marvel Animation Iron Man Anime. This series originally aired on G4, but it is now available to own with bonus materials. We recently held a contest to give away two copies of Iron Man as well as the X-Men Anime, and the winners Richard and Andrew have been notified. Thanks to everyone who entered!
I actually don’t watch a lot of anime unless you count Sailor Moon, but I do love animation, period. And the Iron Man series is very well done, in my opinion. Tony Stark is wonderfully portrayed as a confident and wealthy American in Japan who also happens to be a superhero. There is an ease and grace in the way that he moves that I find a bit more elegant than the portrayal by Robert Downey Jr. in the live-action feature films, but both are equally intriguing.
I also liked the use of occasional soft lighting in scenes. I think it’s most often used when hinting at a romantic interest, but it was really done beautifully, and I have never really seen an animated comic adaptation just look so pretty.
If you choose to listen to the English dub, Adrian Pasdar (Heroes, The Lying Game) is Stark and Iron Man. However, when given an option, I always prefer the original language and therefore read the subtitles and try to listen out for the little Japanese I know. It’s easy to switch between the two, though, and I think both voice casts are great.
The plot centers on Stark as he arrives in Japan to build the Arc Reactor, which is a power plant that will provide free energy to the world. He also plans to retire the Iron Man persona, but his plan is thwarted by the Zodiac group. He must battle cultural differences, Mech monsters, and handle the press. The latter isn’t too much of an issue, though, since sparks (forgive the pun) fly between him and a local newspaper reporter.
There are 12 episodes and the bonus features are:
· Re-Imagining Iron Man explores the plot and themes of the anime series.
· 21st Century Hero: The Technology of Iron Man introduces fans to Tony Stark’s high-tech suits and gadgets.
· Special Cross Talk round table discussion with the creators of the Iron Man and Wolverine anime series.
· Voicing Tony Stark, an interview with Japanese actor, Keiji Fujiwara.
I really enjoyed this series and would recommend it.