![]() Originally a teenager living on Solo with his archaeologist father, Cosmo is thrust into the role of mecha pilot when the Buff Clan attacks. StoryOur protagonist Yuuki Cosmo is gazing out at a sunset framed by the Ideon and the Solo Ship, those seemingly invincible relics of the deceased Sixth Civilization.Solo Colonists Cosmo Yuki Ĭosmo Yuki is the male lead of Space Runaway Ideon. He wonders idly why people who created such incredible technology no longer exist. It's a little moment and one that caps off an episode of random robots punching each other, but it's questions like this which drive what basically works in this series.Įven by the standards of mecha anime, the Ideon is a formidable robot. It is huge and has a seemingly limitless energy and capacity for destruction. but what makes the mecha cool as a concept wrecks a lot of the show's early tension. The Ideon typically battles mecha half its size, and the antagonists renewed optimism each episode that their new plan will finally bring victory makes suspending disbelief difficult. What also hinders Ideon, besdes the bland adherence to formula, is a lack of direction. Our heroes spend a lot of time fleeing their opponents without a clear aim beyond escape and our villains have no broader objectives then defeating them. While these are recurring motifs in the 1980s mecha genre, Ideon lacks an overarching narrative - like Gundam's war - to tie together its string of robot battles. To the story's credit, there is a depthless cynicism that undermines what could have been a simple tale of good and evil. The Buff Clan operate on a warrior ethic that rewards credited success with promotion in rank but failure can bring demotion just as swift. ![]() A desire to avoid demotion through failure leads to combat a desire to achieve promotion through victory continues the campaign even after it has been made clear peaceful alternatives exist. In another series these battles could have been the arch plans of a master villain, but here the Buff Clan's underlings and middle men stumble into battle with the higher ups responding only by providing increasing numbers of men, mecha and battleships as grist for the mill. The Earthling authorities hardly prove any more competent or trustworthy than their Buff Clan equivalents.įurther, while the evolution of the initial myth arc is slow and piecemeal, the second half of the series ratchets up the tension inherent in the scenario with a few key, catastrophic events. Ideon may often stall and pad out its plot, but when it finally gets down to the meat of the narrative it proves worth the considerable wait. Ideon was cancelled before its final episodes could be shown, resulting in a very abrupt ending in the middle of the series' climax. which transitions better than one would expect. The mild confusion of Ideon's out of left field ending can be remedied by checking out the feature film The Ideon: Be Invoked, which gives a more thorough finale to the saga.AnimationThe Ideon and Solo Ship are both ancient relics of the Sixth Civilization. The introduction of the Solo ship shows it covered in grime and debris. The Ideon, by contrast, is a shiny red and white robot from the moment it appears. One could rationalise this by saying it had been cleaned off by those who discovered it while the Solo Ship was a more recent discovery, but clearly, being toyetic is the priority here. Ideon has a thoroughly passable design, even if I don’t care for the bulky shoulders and antennae. The animation frequently emphasizes the mecha’s sheer scale - Ideon is often either shown in fragmentary glimpses or looming above the point of view. Most appealing to me was the entire Buff Clan wardrobe. They dress as aliens ought: white spandex and helmets with redundant antennae, and their leaders may wear exotic, alien robes that could have come off the Star Trek back lot. While the designs are frequently nothing too original – Yuuki Cosmo is essentially his Gundam counterpart Amuro Ray with an afro – they’re quite appealing, all the same.SoundAnyone else love those old synthetic noises that were the purview of every other science fiction movie and TV series from a certain age? Those familiar hums and drones were the united soundscape from the future. #List of space runaway ideon episodes movie From Forbidden Planet to Gerry Anderson to Star Trek, we were pretty sure that this was the audio of the space age. The best thing I can say about Ideon aurally is a few of these old friends are in evidence, though one's taste here varies. ![]() #List of space runaway ideon episodes movie.
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