Makeruna Makendo

Random browsing… Random browsing… Oh, what is this? Makeruna Makendo… Macarena what?! Oh, it has nothing to do with that infectious dance song from 1993. Looks like a funny show… Just only 1 single episode. From 1995. Okay, I’m on it. The plot? A man being turned into a cyborg against his will teaming up with a pair of magical girl sisters to fight monsters and save the world. Uhm… Sounds generic and unexciting but okay. Just check it out and see what it has to offer.

Don’t lose…
Eizan Kamiyouji has been turned into a cyborg known as Makenka by Dr Mad. However with this new body that is better equipped and stronger, Eizan is appalled because this is not what he wants. In his bid to force Dr Mad to undo the changes, he kills him! Oh my. However Dr Mad’s true form is a brain so he is able to survive and escape. He too has other cyborgs made and sends Chukan, Dinosaur and Shou to hunt down the traitor. Meanwhile police officer, Doro tries to convince Mai Tsurugino to do her job to hunt down monsters since she has the powers to destroy them. However she is not interested and refuses. Not her problem. Monsters don’t even bother her. Even when one pops up before her, she doesn’t give the f*ck and the embarrassed monster just makes his way! Mai’s sister, Hikari thought Doro is harassing her so she goes to beat him up. He is impressed by her skills and invites her to become a monster hunter. Hikari is very interested as he gives her this sword but Mai snatches it away and doesn’t want her sister to become like her. Doro and Hikari see a beaten up monster and he claims there is a monster hunter who is looking for somebody and is beating them up.

Doro takes Hikari back to HQ to search the database. An unknown Makenka entry, Doro thinks of making this guy work for him too to lessen his workload. Then he notices a strange pair looking at the database. Definitely not his fellow police. After calling out to them, it turns out they are Chukan and Shou and are trying to get more info on Makenka. They escape. At the same time, Makenka is beating up monsters to find somebody who will restore his original body. One of the monsters say only Dr Mad can do it. But he is dead, right? Nope. They saw him the other day. This leads Makenka to a makeshift camp of Dr Mad. Doro then approaches Makenka to invite him to join his side to fight against monsters. Clearly Makenka is not interested in world justice. Not his problem! Seeing Dr Mad, once again the brain escapes but Makenka hot on his tail. Or cranium.

Hikari continues to bug Mai for the sword. Not going to give it to them. Then the enemy cyborgs crash in as they think one of them is Makenka. Hikari gets violent and goes to fight them so Mai has no choice but to transform and also fight. With Hikari getting owned, this time Mai relents and will give her the sword. Only, she buried it! Just hold on a minute. How to activate it? Doro is here to tell her to recite some tongue twisting words. After a few tries, she gets it right and transforms. Makenka has also come into the scene since he is chasing Dr Mad. The enemy cyborgs then combine and become an invincible unit. Doro suggests the trio combine their powers (how the f*ck he does that with a calculator?!) and so the trio do so and… Nothing happens. Yeah, enemy laughing like mad but he won’t be having the last laugh as the delayed effect then has him explode! Dr Mad escapes with Makenka once again on his trail. As Doro explains Makenka is a future monster hunter like them, Mai refutes because she isn’t going to be one. However Hikari is interested to join. Suddenly Hikari passes out. Because she’s hungry.

Monster Hunter Maken-duh!
Well, it was passable. It was fun while it lasted. No more episodes subsequently and my bet was right because this 1995 OVA was based on the video game of the same name in 1993. Oh, it had a sequel in 1995? So was this some sort of promotion to check out the game? Either way, in a time when internet was at its infant stages, my guess is that some OVAs were released back then just as introduction and exposure. That is why many OVAs like this one only had a single if not only a handful of episodes that do not bring much. The whole point is to go make you buy the game. I mean, what is the point of making cartoons based on toy lines if it does not serve the purpose to have kids buy them, right? Thus I feel this OVA is probably the same along those lines although I could be wrong.

So as you have already seen, nothing much or deep is fleshed out. Everything is just introductory from the plot to the characters. They just let us know that there are monsters in this world and certain people with certain powers are only qualified to handle or defeat them. That is all. The characters are oddballs and seeing this is comedy, they really ramp up some of the comical factors and jokes like Hikari accusing the cyborg enemies to be peeping toms. But Shou is female, how? She is a lesbian peeping tom! Yeah, that kind of dumbness is going to make you at least smirk a little and that is how this OVA rolls. My guess is that the sisters and Makenka from time to time will team up to fight monsters. Mai is reluctant and is forced to only because her eager beaver sister really wants the action and drags her in. While Makenka becomes too enthusiastic to get Dr Mad and force him to return his original body. Doro remains the sneaky cop and he is doing this only to lessen his whatever workload but all I see him is just goofing off. With a name like Dr Mad, he is your typical antagonist that our heroes must defeat to save the world. If they care about it in the first place. The fights look like a joke but I guess that is what you get when you have a mad professor who is the shape of a brain!

Art and animation as you can probably tell, reeks 90’s era style of animation with the character designs really looking so typical from that era. Like Eizan looking like your typical hero like you would see from other series of that era like Cyborg 009 and even, uhm, Mach Go Go Go AKA Speed Racer to all you western people. However the overall feel of the visuals look like as if it was for younger audience because the character designs are somewhat roundish, making them look cute (especially the sisters). Even the monsters too look somewhat cute than anything spooky. Except for Dr Mad in his brain form. That’s just hideous. Oh, I noticed a couple of bare tits but it is only during the sisters’ transformation scene. It’s quite fast so blink and you’ll miss it. On a trivial note, I spotted Nobuyuki Hiyama as Eizan/Makenka and the good ol’ Shigeru Chiba as Dr Mad. Even Hikaru Midorikawa is there as Chukan, Kotono Mitsuishi as Mai and Mika Kanai as Hikari. Yeah, the longer you go back in retro animes and find familiar names in the credits, the more you think these seiyuus are immortals!

Overall, thankfully this single OVA isn’t crap and there were a few dumb funny moments. Perhaps they want to leave some sort of impression because it’s going to be the only ever episode released. Because of that, I’m always left wondering if it could’ve been better had it had more episodes or even fleshed out as a proper TV season. Perhaps in another timeline. Thus this single OVA was just to pass some time and if you’re curious enough to take a look what’s it all about. Unfortunately it won’t be memorable in the long run as I pile on and watch even weirder retro animes and OVAs in the future. Yeah, I got so much time for anime rather than making the world a better place like solving world hunger, curing serious diseases and putting an end to wars and conflicts. Well because simply, I am not interested in those hard stuffs and furthermore that’s not my problem! Hah!