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Harmagedon: Genma taisen (1983)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
12 March 1983 (Japan) morePlot:
A Transylvanian princess, a Japanese high school student and a 2000 year old warrior are selected to... more | add synopsisUser Comments:
Almost a classic anime moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Tôru Furuya | ... | Jô Azuma (voice) |
| Mami Koyama | ... | Luna (voice) |
| Masako Ikeda | ... | Michiko Azuma (voice) |
| Keiko Han | ... | Junko Sawakawa (voice) |
| Kaneto Shiozawa | ... | Shirô Eda (voice) |
| Kenji Utsumi | ... | Salamander (voice) |
| Yasufumi Hayashi | ... | Sonny Lynx (voice) |
| Hideyuki Tanaka | ... | Asanshi (voice) |
| Ryûji Saikachi | ... | Yogin (voice) |
| Tomoyo Harada | ... | Tao (voice) |
| Kôhei Miyauchi | ... | Man on Plane (voice) |
| Kôji Yada | ... | Announcer (voice) |
| Mugihito | ... | Chief O'Reilly (voice) |
| Masako Ebisu | ... | Young Jô (voice) |
| Yoku Shioya | ... | Gang Member (voice) |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
Japan:135 min | Netherlands:131 minCountry:
JapanLanguage:
JapaneseColor:
ColorSound Mix:
DolbyFun Stuff
Trivia:
Genma literally means "phantom demon" in kanji. moreGoofs:
Continuity: Halfway through the film, when the action shifts to New York, Luna undergoes an unexplained wardrobe and hairstyle change. moreQuotes:
Dr. Kafû: I see you're going all-out. I do enjoy the pathetic struggles as I consume an intelligent race. The stronger the spirit, the more beautiful the final moments. The people of Earth have reached their end. Show me your perfect beauty, as you struggle against death. moreFAQ
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A lot of anime fans don't like this movie but I suspect most of them base that opinion on the lifeless dubbed version rather than the version with the original Japanese voice actors. While it doesn't improve the actual plot, the original voice overs were so much better. As is not uncommon in dubbed anime, the American voices all sound like they're reading from cue cards. The Japanese voice actors, on the other hand, give the film a greater sense of depth: The villains sound much more evil and the good guys have voices that match their appearance. Especially the strange woman with the blue skin. The characters themselves, a politically correct, ethnically diverse bunch, aren't all developed. Little surprise since most of them don't show up until halfway through the film. Vega, Joe, and Luna are the leads while everyone else is pretty two-dimensional.
I think some of the plot is silly in concept but it's all played out in a completely serious way and, for this reason, it works more often than not. Some of it did seem rushed, as if trying to cram a larger story into a movie length format. It would have come off much better as a TV series.
The animation was great for it's time. The imagery is well done and dramatic. The visuals can't be criticized.
Some people feel that Keith Emerson's score is a major problem. I disagree completely. In fact, Emerson's score for this film (like his music for the Dario Argento film, Inferno) is the best thing in the entire movie. Not only that, it's one of the best soundtracks for any film I've ever heard. There's the sinister synth bass that opens the anime, the fantastic orchestra + pipe organ version of Toccata & Fugue In D Minor, the dissonant, angular keyboard riffs peppered here and there, the majestic Oberheim theme that plays when they battle that giant fireball in NYC & that the fire dragon from the volcano, the atonal orchestra bits, and the neat 80's synth pop tune which closes the film. Much of the synth work sounds unlike anything I've heard anywhere else (with the possible exception of Wendy Carlos' work on the Tron soundtrack). It's great stuff. I imagine the music doesn't go over well with many anime fans because its original.
Harmagedon doesn't look like it was made in 1982 and the score is fantastically unique. But the characters could be more developed and the plot can't quite work itself out in the time given. Overall, it's a good production and not as bad as many people think.