Genocyber

Another OVA that (allegedly) was cut short in production, loosly based on an equally cut short manga by noted mangaka Tony Takezaki; this time directed by the man behind M.D Geist. Of the alleged planned 9 episodes, what is here is another beautifully violent slice of animated fiction. Over the course of the five episodes, Genocyber racks up what could possibly be the highest prospected kill count of any Animated feature, i assure you the title is no exaggeration. I would of course be be-miss to not mention the soundtrack, which leads to probably one of the most jarring disconnects between visual and audio you ... will probably ever see; its really good however, put it on your workout mix. If you're unsure, just watch the first episode, its the longest of the series and works rather substantially as a one-off. The stories after are both Two-Parters and really do not connect outside of Genocyber itself and a theme of mass destruction. Overall i would however recommend it in full, especially if you love high detail violence.

Genocyber was a bit of a surprise. While it’s mostly a generic mecha anime with the added shock factor, it’s messaging is very disjointed. To expect an all out gorefest would be delusional. I had been naive once, but upon completion, the story itself is weirdly cryptic and nonsensical. Genocyber isn’t one linear story; rather, it’s divided into three parts that don’t necessarily feel connected together. The only thing that helps string it together is the creation of the new weapon of mass destruction itself.

Genocyber tells the story about how man’s creations can lead to his own downfall. The story itself is seemingly cryptic because ... there’s a lot packed into a five episode series. As suggested by its title, the main focus of the series is on the Genocyber, a mechanized alien-robot with psychic powers. The researches behind its creation help a girl who behaves like an animal named Elaina pilot the new mechanoid. However, this wouldn’t be possible without her older sister Diana, who is no stranger to the concept of having the body modified by technology. The mad scientist who forced Elaina to undergo extensive experimentation, often inhumane, results into her descent into madness. Consequentially, she loses her control and goes on a destructive rampage that kills dozens. As the story continues, the stakes get higher as more die, which forces humanity to take more drastic measures. To combat the Genocyber, humanity does whatever it can and begins the construction of new technology in order to neutralize the machine. Humanity gets desperate and irrational as the Genocyber continues its rampage on Earth, which causes a lot of infighting as the human race clings onto survival. Essentially, all hell breaks loose.

Though Genocyber’s messaging is cryptic, and at times nonsensical, its purpose can be seen as a revelation to the uglier side to human nature. For one, the amount of blood and guts should be a dead give away. Furthermore, human behavior can be modified in times of crisis in ways that are harmful for everyone, with the exception of a select few. This includes the acts of murder, betrayal, and internal conflict. Much of the fight against the Genocyber and the need to shelter humanity is in the hands of a select few. A closer look at the last arc reveals that humanity took dictatorial measures in order to ensure their survival. Those who challenge authority are killed. In response to this, gangs and cults emerge as a “last bastion” for humanity. Overall, the desperation of all humans are noticeable after the shift in tone.

While it may seem like any other mecha anime because of its super generic setup, there is the psychological component as well. However, Genocyber mostly suffers from a lack of direction. This can be seen by the fact that the writers tend to make stuff up as they go along. For example, random design choices would be made, which would affect Elaina. Her body at the beginning of the story was just that of another girl’s, but the next episode reveals half of her body being cybernetic (including when she isn’t fused with the Genocyber). The psychological component mostly focuses on Elaina and the remorse she faces after going on a rampage. She has a soft spot for children and is reminded of their deaths though images of their hallucinatory ghost-like bodies. It mostly feels as if it was present just to be present, because Elaina’s reflection on her actions only go as far as further deepening the mental scar.

The audiovisuals are pretty good even though they are a bit dated. The best part of it is the overall eerie feel to it. Indeed, the city scapes and the Genocyber are cool, but it’s no match when compared to a few of the shots in space. There’s also a lot of flashing lights, but it doesn’t even compare to the scenery itself. Much like the story’s concepts there’s a lot of flashing lights and explosions that are thrown in for no reason other than to be flashy. The ending music sounds really cool, it fits in with the story well and it practically screams 90’s. It really shouldn’t be anything special, because it’s simply a product of its time.

The series is known for being pretty graphic, so it indeed delivers. Obviously, it’s going to depict more than blood resembling red paint. Especially at the start of the series, it doesn’t hold back and throws in a barrage of gore, even when it doesn’t make any sense for it to be there. The human body and all of its organs are nearly displayed in its entirety, just with the mechanical aspects to it. Occasionally, there would be the a realistic display of some flesh and eyeballs, but its more weird than shocking. It’s quite minimal in the last arc, so don’t expect the entire anime to be a gorefest.

Genocyber mostly delivers when it comes to the main appeal. The only main difference that stood out was the unexpected cryptic and mostly hashed together storyline. Overall, it’s not noticeably disappointing or appealing in any sort of way, but it could be a bit boring sometimes.

Going into this, I expected a hyperviolent gore fest. The kind where you can turn your brain off and enjoy some good ol' '90s edginess. What I got instead was a confusing mess of utter nonsense. There is some of that touted gore and violence (which, if you don't like, you shouldn't be watching a series like this in the first place, getting offended is on you) but honestly, the rest of the show is just... boring. The ending leaves no satisfaction at all either, so you don't even feel like sticking it out for all five episodes is worth it. It fails on just ... about every selling point it was supposed to have (though MAYBE you could argue the first ep or two make some promises, the rest of the show completely fails to deliver). The violence and gore was surprisingly sparse despite the show's reputation though I do admit, its few scenes are somewhat shocking but that doesn't carry the show at all.

Honestly, I'd avoid this and go look for your gore and violence fix from something more competently put together. Supposedly, the OVA was cut short in development but I don't think more episodes would have saved it much, since the existing ones were so damn boring. I do not know why I bothered finishing it and I implore you to find something else that's actually worth watching.