Tekkaman Blade (1992– ) User Reviews

War isn't Numbers, it's People

[DarkStar84 · 9/10 · 20 April 2008]

I was only about 12 when I saw this on UPN. But I was frigging glued to my seat every Sunday morning, watching the episode. This was a great show and it was so well handled.

The characters were so engaging and I loved the plots involving them more then the action parts (even though they were some pretty damned cool fights and space battles).

The dub deserves a lot of praise because it allowed the show to have a real air of internationalism about it. The whole world was fighting the venamoid spidercrabs, so when Slade met a group of commandos in the space station (The Space Ring to those who remember). The leader was portrayed as being Irish and it was so moving when he sang at the end.

It was so cool when Technobot sang the song at the end of the episode. It just showed how cool this show was. The fact that the robot had a progressive a.i. and could problem solve was a nice touch as well... I'll have a soft spot for Technobot/Pegasus.

This was a show that could take the audience to breakneck battles one minute and yet in the next ep, have everything slow down so we could stop and think about the effects that the war was having on people at a very personal level. The base grew becoming tearful during Slade's story of what happened to his family was believable and not hammy at all because these were real people trying to cope with a serious problem.

Then the Government comes in and tries to start running the show- only to have the commander basically give the data to their inside man just to get him the hell out. At the height of the conflict, Slade undergoes a traumatic period and refuses to fight- but unlike a lot of emo main characters, I could see that he was really dealing with some heavy sh*t and a lot of guilt.

And of course, it had some of the most vicious bad guys ever. On top of fighting off the mutant spidercrabs, the earth had to deal with the evil technomen. Towards the end, we got some heavy things happening... General Galt's immortal line "so what if a few million people die to end the war?" is pretty chilling when looked at from a modern view point.

So, if you ever thought about buying this or just want to make sure that what you remember from over ten years ago was actually that good... well, my friends, it was! And you new 'kids' might try giving it a chance too.

Good in any format; best in the original

[kaneknight · 9/10 · 15 June 2007]

I first encountered this series through the UPN version of Teknoman. It was a decent telling of a fairly standard story: Aliens invade Earth, and a plucky team of humans, alongside their mysterious ally (Blade, Slade, or D-Boy) fight back against this alien foe (Radam in the original, Venomoids in the English translation).

Unfortunately, the story kind of left us Americans hanging, and it would be years before I had a chance to actually see the ending. In other parts of the world, the show did run to completion.

The problem with detailing the story is that there are multiple versions, with slightly different tellings. As an example, in the Japanese version, D-Boy is lying about not knowing his past. Most of the references to his past in the US and UK version, however, are treated as though he suddenly remembers it. in other words, it's more consistent with amnesia.

Most of the plot points are similar in both versions. The Radam have set up to invade Earth, using the Orbital Ring (A space platform around the planet) as a platform to launch their attacks. Nobody on Earth knows exactly what is happening until D-Boy arrives. He is badly injured after crashing to Earth, and claims he has no memory of his past. He is rescued by Aki and Noal (Starr and Ringo in Teknoman) and taken back to the base of the Space Knights. Nobody believes him when he says that only he can fight the Radam until he transforms into Tekkaman Blade.

Tekkaman Blade (Teknoman) is the product of the Radam. Tekkamen normally serve as the commanding officers of the Radam forces, and while the Radam are dangerous, the Tekkamen are all but unstoppable. Using a special crystal, each can develop armor, weapons, and phenomenal strength. With the exception of Evil and Omega, each Tekkaman is named after a type of weapon (Axe, Rapier, etc.).

Blade's power is phenomenal, but it is soon discovered that he has limits. He can only remain transformed for 30 minutes, or his mind is reverted to that of a beast. Before his time limit is up, he becomes incredibly weak and vulnerable. Later in the series, the Tekset process threatens his health and then legitimately begins to take away his memory.

On Earth, General Colbert (Galt) wants to get his hands on D-Boy to discover the secrets of the Tekkaman process. Commander Freeman (Jamison) protects him from the military, and gives him a home. D-Boy is not interested in friends, and remains taciturn through much of the story, though he grows closer to many of his allies. Noal doesn't trust him at first, as he is potentially incredibly dangerous.

Over the course of the first few episodes, a trap is laid in which D-Boy's crystal ends up shattered. The Space Knights are resourceful, and attempt to create a machine to compensate. The result is Pegas, Blade's battle partner. He acts primarily as Blade's Transformation chamber and a sort of space-age steed, but is capable of fighting or performing other tasks.

The real meat of the story begins when Tekkaman Evil shows up. Evil is Blade's twin brother, and is considerably powerful. He discovers Blade's Time limit, and uses it to set him loose on the planet. Jamison uses the resemblance between D-Boy's Sister (Myuki or Shara) and Space Knight Milly (Tina) in a desperate attempt to bring him back to his senses. Blade nearly kills her in the process, leaving him afraid to transform and risk losing control.

Blade is fighting his family, save for his father and his little sister. His father was rejected by the Tekset process, and used his last moments of life to save D-Boy and cripple the Radam ship. His sister is also rejected, but attempts to help Blade before she dies.

Two "Sol Tekkamen" are created, but they are weak compared to Blade. Both are capable of firing weapons which resemble Blade's "Voltekker." while they are capable of handling many threats, much of the story relies on Blade as the only one who can stop his own kin.

The Teknoman version of the series is pretty damn good, but the Japense version is better. The English version features some pretty heavy editing (The US one moreso than the UK), and leaves out some things which make the plot a bit more dramatic. Blade begins to risk his health just by transforming, and then later, his memory. With literally nothing left to lose, he takes on Tekkaman Evil, and finally, Tekkaman Omega (His older brother) in a fight that leaves him wheelchair bound and apparently amnesiac.

The series is rather amazing, especially given its roots as a remake (Or a reboot, more appropriately) of Tekkaman: The Space Knight. I'm not normally a fan of Anime, especially of the Armored Hero or Giant Robot genres, but this is a show that has some serious mainstream appeal, with well-paced plots and sufficient action and drama.

Media Blasters has released both the English (International) version and a subtitled Japanese version of the series, though the final discs for both are yet to be released (Amazon lists the final release of the JP version in August). I highly recommend this series, though I must warn that the English Version's release is pretty terrible in terms of sound and picture. While the visuals on the Japenese version suffer from being dated, and the limitations of the original media, they are still really strong, and the soundtrack does not suffer at all. The JP version also features on of the OVAs that were released between TB and TB2 (Though I'm not a fan of Takaya and Shinya as Digimon). Another worthwhile note is that the English intro on the English discs has been replaced with the Japanese intros, even though the "Teknoman" Theme appears in the show a lot.

Awesome anime series that is a real heart jerker

[mike_charger · 20 May 2005]

I saw the version of this show aired on UPN years ago; I was young and into science fiction like that. However years later I purchased the Japanese DVD collection as well as the sequel OVA.

Having watched the entire series subtitled. I can honestly say a lot of emotional impact was lost when brought over to the USA. However this show has a pretty decent plot set up and generally propels you into a drama that has action to spare.

The story takes place at the end of the 22nd century in the Japanese version. And centers around an invasion by an alien race that first takes over an orbital space ring. This ring has solved many of the problems caused by manufacturing on earth (pollution woes being one of them). And enabled mankind to set forth for the stars.

A mystery man appears battling on the space ring one day using weaponry that is not Earth manufactured and eventually becomes key to winning the war against the alien invaders.

This series is worth the time spent getting into it. Though the animation is of the quality one would expect from when it was released over a decade ago. If you like action series with character motivation that is believable, then this show is for you.

Best manga TV series in the Sci-fi genre solely because of story and character.

[honorhorror · 10/10 · 21 July 2009]

"Uchû no kishi Tekkaman Burêdo" was a memorable TV show in my childhood. Nowadays it's rare to hear people talking about it, simply because this genre(Sci-fi hero) in this form(manga TV series) has been saturated by stylish drawings, parody characters and slowly becoming obsolete. However, I was brought back to it after almost 14 years, seeing it in Japanese-dubbed version. I must confess this is simply the best show in the genre to date.

The first thing dwelled in my childhood memory is the ultra-sad undertone of the story. I remember being so reluctant to see the characters being killed and all the suffering involved, yet still being caught by the characters. Now I am 22, but I can still feel the hearts given to the main characters. Tekkman Blade(in Japanese version D-Boy) was my all-time favorite sci-fi hero. Contrast to many hero shows, he is not a stereotypical "savior" role. Actually, he is the most broken, messed-up person in the whole story. His introduction into the story is simply anti-hero,namely,ignoring every warning, kicking everyone in his way, becoming even more arrogant after acknowledged by the earth defense superiors. He's like a little jerk who's given a super gift. But episode after episode, the reasons behind his personality issues became clear. And a broken, crying soul started to emerge from his incredible physical abilities. In most cartoons, the protagonist will eventually become a respected leader or something like that. But D-boy stayed an anti-hero. He's not fighting for love for all the human. Instead he's fighting because he had been put into a cursed liability to eliminate all his family, that would end up the same way despite his choice. This brought the show to a conclusion as controversial as classic among audiences. To reflect again on it, I had to admit this show is not simply for children, no wonder the Americans edited it so heavily. But the supporting characters were never so fresh and significant in a cartoon. Aki(Japanese version,Blade's girlfriend) has all the good qualities of an Eastern girl, yet she's not a cheap chick screaming all around. She's the mental support to Blade(D-boy), so fragile yet so persistent that even awed the enemies. Their connection, relationship is also developed very naturally and positively. Other characters, like the captain's wife who was only on screen for 10 minutes and ironically gave D-boy an important lesson that he remembered only for hours, definitely gave audiences a punch in the stomach. During the viewing, you would ask yourself how insignificant each person's life is, especially in a holocaust. The final battles were absolutely epic and had a deep touch of Eastern cultures, and the entire show's climax was also the strongest in all mangas.

Visually, it is dated. But underneath the simple colors and special effects is a good story, most fortunately the story is not shadowed by any visual elements. Despite the inconsistent art direction that had a negative effect on the production value, Tekkman Blade told a story that contains maybe the best implemented sci-fi concepts in a cartoon form. The strategies of both human and aliens are clearly developed. The orbital circle had a deep irony in it that humans reach hands to the space so desperately only to give the enemies a better invading base. The way the aliens conquer another species is also memorably detailed and well developed. Come to terms of artistic value, you have to give it to Tekkman that simple animation CAN tell a great story.

Finally, this 48-episode TV show is gonna stay in my memory for very long, and I am willing to tell this story to my child in the future. It's still inspiring after all these years.If you like good character-driven story and detailed, subtle writing in Sci-fi genre, Tekkman Blade is for you.

Armored Powered Warrior with a Powered Human Heart

[hellraiser7 · 10/10 · 21 July 2012]

What always appeals to me about superhero sagas are the humanity of the superhero, who the person behind the mask and powers are. This was another on the animes I've seen as a kid and it's still one of my personal favorites and one of my favorite TV shows in general.

It's true on the surface it's a typical alien invasion plot, however what makes this show unique is that it's not entirely concerned or driven by it's plot, even though it does intriguingly develop. It's really more concerned about the characters and what they do and how they feel.

The show has a lot of great things from animation which is very smooth and beautiful personally I think it still holds up (in my opinion anyway). Everything from the detail of the movement, the Radam creatures that look similar to the Arachnids in "Starship Troopers",the people that look more human their not odd looking or anything, down to their facial expressions were fluid, and most impressive was the detail on the Tekkamen really showed how far it was advancing to the anime we have today. The action is great and violent, you will see bits of gore, innocent people get killed sometimes, good guys can get seriously hurt which can affect their physical performance, but I really loved how well choreographed the Tekkaman Battle were the weapons they wielded and how they use them is beautiful and fluid. And the music in the show is great is great I really love the theme song from the First Season to me that's one of my favorite anime themes ever.

One of the things I love about the show is how it solved that fundamental problem some anime programs at the time had in there story structure, where even though they had a set plot they tend to drift away from it for a while which does cause a little slowdown in advancing; not that it was completely bad it's a common thing that can create some creative freedom and good stand alone episodes if possible but no denying it goes on more than necessary. This show though hardly has much of that because it's focus it tight it's always keeping it's eye on the ball which makes most episodes important there is always a significant development going on within an episode you can't afford to miss; it's that principle with a novel each chapter and page is always important. This is a structure that's in current TV shows like "Battlestar Galactica" (revival version), "Lost", "The Walking Dead", and the criminally underrated "Falling Skies".

Part of what made the show unique was that it dealt with subjects not touched on much which are dealing with loss, the problems with physical ailment, and the beauty and difficulty of loving another person.

What is most memorable though to me are the characters just the humanity in them and the depth and development of some of them it's easy to forget their animated. Mainly it's the main characters D-Boy/Tekkaman Blade and significant other Aki. Both of them are another of my favorite anime couples because of their believability and are emotionally involving. D-Boy to me is a superhero you feel heavy pathos for because he's the most emotionally hurt as well as physically making him all the more tragic and painfully human. Like most superheroes their usually driven most of the time by something robbed or lost form them, Spider Man his uncle, Batman his parents, Punisher his wife and two children. D-Boy/Tekkaman it's his family and a few friends with them, they've all been taken over by the Radam turned much like with the aliens from the sci-fi horror movie "Body Snatchers", which makes the emotional weight all the more heavier and makes you feel all the more bad for this guy because things to get sadder and darker for him like the fact that we discover further along the line his own superpower is also his weakness. If he's Tekkaman too long he'll lose his humanity becoming a slave to the Radam or when he's in Blaster Mode it caused tissue and brain damage to his cells which makes him lose his memory, sort of like Alsimers disease. Thsi makes us all the more concerned for him in most superhero stories all superheroes always have a physical Achillies heel but there's always a safety catch which makes us not worry so much but for him we're given no guarantees, we're worried these weaknesses could destroy him if he continues, and I found myself concerned about his life hoping to god those things don't happen.

Aki is a great significant other she is a strong willed fierce but warm hearted person. The emotion we see form her when both D-Boy and her interact is believably sweet and sometimes painful. One of my favorite touching moments was when Aki tells D-Boy to give those minutes he has to be Tekkaman to her, let alone the physical position and how they looked at one another, at that point it was obviously they love each other. These things made me care and put me in constant suspense hoping they will make progress, let alone kiss and have sex which they do.

There are a lot of memorable moments and episode arcs like one which is one of my favorite anime episode arcs on D-Boy's young sister Milki/Tekkaman Saber the ending of it I'll admit mad me tear up.

Tekkaman Blade is powered with action but cuts deep with emotion because it's armor is driven by a powered human heart.

Rating: 4 stars

Great series.

[The_Dinosaur · 10/10 · 23 September 2006]

When I was a kid I used to love this series and I Got some old tapes of it and watched them and I realised how good it actually was.

This is a excellent series and is worth a watch for all anime fans. The story is more deep than most people who have seen it will give it credit. It is about earth in the year 2084 and how it is being invaded by aliens.

The only person who can stop them is Blade who was given the ability to change into a teknoman by the same aliens who are invading earth. He was going to be a part of their army but his father saved him before he was brainwashed by them and now he is the only person who can stop the aliens.

This is a truly emotional series, because the main character Blade is put through so many trials in his life like having to kill his own brothers and watching his father and sisters die and losing his memory, and his body deteriorating. A must watch for anime fans.

Awesome on TV,Ultra Cool on DVD

[TimothyMcKann · 10/10 · 17 December 2006]

When I watch this:

When I first started watching this series on television,I have to say that this show was awesome. I got to see some of the episodes,and they were great. I was disappointed when they took the show off the air.I had to watch it again. But when I learned that Media Blasters was going to release it on DVD.I had to get my hands on it,and I did. But when I bought this series on DVD,it had the same episodes that were seen on television.

Characters:

The characters that I liked in the show are:Blade,Shara,Balzac,and Teknobot aka Pegus,and Ringo.Another thing I want to mention that in the TV Version of Teknoman,the main character who becomes Teknoman was named Slade. But it was cool to have the main character being named Blade,instead of Slade. Another character that had a different name in the show was Dagger.In the TV Version,he was known as Gunner. But Dagger is a better name in the DVD version. Another thing about the series,is the character in the TV version of Teknoman have the same lines as the DVD version.

Quotes: Another thing that I liked about this show are the lines that the characters say,and here are some that will make you laugh,(Friend or Foe episode)STAR:I THINK ID RATHER MARRY A SPIDERCRAB! RINGO:YA..WELL THE NEXT TIME I RUN INTO ONE OF THEM,ALL ASK IT TO SEND OVER SOME CANDY AND FLOWERS.OH WELL...SO MUCH FOR THE GARDEN OF EDEN IDEA.YOUR LOSS!(Bold Soldier boy episode) BLADE: Pegas, attack mode. I'm glad you're named after a flying horse. PEGAS: Why? BLADE: You talk as well as you fly. They could have named you Mr. Ed. (Axe Trap Episode) Maggie: Hey, great hunter. It's obvious we should have been on foot from the very beginning. Ringo: Why didn't you suggest it, then? Balzac: Now, now children. Stop arguing and I'll buy you some ice cream. Maggie: Oh, goody goody goody. (Sword Strike Episode) Ringo: Eighth floor, notions and lingerie. Star: Ringo, put a cork in it. (Beginning of the End Episode)Balzac: Did you pack us a lunch? Mac: Silly me, I forgot. Tina: Your Teknosuits and counter-flux polarizer are on board. Ringo: Right. Balzac: A grilled cheese sandwich and crackers would have been nice, you know, some little thing we could nibble on. I'm starving. Jamison: I'll have a big juicy steak waiting for you when you get back. Meanwhile, the fate of the world is a bit more important that your stomach, so get to work. Sad part: I think the most saddest parts in the series was the death of Blade's Sister,Shara. It was a shame that we only get to see her in some of the episodes,and it was sad to see her die after being killed by Saber. And I also feel sad to see Balzac taking his own life to kill Teknoman Sword. The voice cast: The series features the great voice talents of Barbara Goodson,Bob Bergen,Kerrigan Mahan,Tom Wyner,Julie Maddalena,Michael Forest, Michael McConnohie (famous for Transformers,and Vampire Hunter D), Michael Reynolds,Richard Epcar (famous for Fushigi Yugi),Simon Prescott,Wendee Lee ,and others.

So in closing ,if you like the series,and plan to collect it.Then this is the one. You will see what I mean,and then see Tekkaman Blade II.

I really got addicted.

[StuJM · 27 March 2003]

When this was 1st (and as i can recall only) time on Sky in England, I was fortunate to watch it on an old sky channel, and was blown away. really it was the 1st of few anime series ive seen and possibly remains my fav cos few people know of it, and if it came out on dvd, i'd seriously consider buying it.

Story is basic, earth invaded by aliens and mysterious figure 'teknoman' takes up the fight for earth, and gradually the war swings in earths favour (thanks to some technology & tactics)

4.999/5

Looking beyond the surface...

[emmaoneill750 · 24 July 2005]

I found this series/movie by accident, and delightfully, remembered back to childhood-early mornings spent watching this. Being prepared to be heartily disillusioned, I sat down for a half hour to watch the first parts...great Lord what an eye opener it was!

The quality of the animation isn't the greatest or the sharpest, with exception given to the amazing detail done on the Tekkaman suits of armour, and the English dubbed versions (both the UK one and the American one) are a little poor, compared to the Japanese version...But all of that gets blown away in a hurry as the story unfolds into a beautifully saddening tale, so completely unexpected. For an animation, the dramatic element is a genuine surprise.

The general plot is: Earth was invaded my a horde of aliens, being commanded by a group of evil Tekkaman, or Teknomen, in the Westernised versions, whose aim is to turn Earth into a breeding ground for their kind, and have already succeeded in covering the surface of the planet with 'spore trees'.

With much of the human race decsimated from the attacks, both from the 'spider crab aliens' and from Earth's now lost Space Ring (think the rings of Saturn, only man made), it is up to the 'Space Knights' and a renegade tekkaman called 'Blade' to defend the Earth, and win back the planet.

I recommend taking the time to checking this out. It's well worth the effort, believe me!

The Most influential anime i've ever seen...

[turnjet · 10 May 2001]

This beats all the mecha Oav's on the planet, hands down. From Gundam, Guyver and even the childhood favourites Tranformers, this rocks! The actual plot isn't really original, you know epic war, protagonist warrior to rid the Earth from destruction. But if you take away all the cliche attachments, you get a thoroughly enjoyable series of pure anime action. A must see for all manga/anime fans!

I think the second and concluding series was only aired in Japan and America and was titled Tekkman Blade, however i dont think it used the Teknoman continuum as all the characters were designed in a more child-like orientation, quite sad really...

This was a sequel

[wang_jim_best · 26 January 2006]

OK, this was a sequel, a really bad sequel, if you have the chance to see the first one, go see it, it's 10 times better .

Please do not watch the first one if you are into anime that has good graphics, because the first one does not. What makes it a classic is that it shows human nature like no other anime has.

The first one shows an 18 years old, who is put into the unfortunate fate of having to hurt everything he wanted to protect, father, older brother, and the younger brother and sister whom he deeply loves.

Personally, this anime has touched me more than any other shows that has been on TV in the past 20 years.