Space Runaway Ideon
| Space Runaway Ideon | |
|---|---|
| Director/Artist | Yoshiyuki Tomino |
| Format | Anime (TV), Anime (Movie) |
| Made By | Sunrise |
| Episode Length | 25 Minutes (TV Series) 84 Minutes (A Contact) 98 Minutes (Be Invoked) |
| # of Episodes | 39 (TV Series) 1 Compilation Film (A Contact) 1 Finale Film (Be Invoked) |
Contents
Genre
Sum it up in a Sentence
The legendary giant's power will rip apart the galaxy!
Main Description
Hundreds of years into the future, space archaeologists uncover the remains of an ancient civilization on the colony planet of Solo. They discover three giant tank-like vehicles and massive space ship which they dub the Solo Ship. Soon after, an alien race known as the Buff Clan comes across the colony and through a misunderstanding, begins attacking the colonists. In order to protect themselves and their colony, a young man and his friends board the three massive tanks, which activate on their own and combine to form the legendary giant god Ideon.
After fending off the initial attack with the Ideon, the surviving colonists evacuate the planet on the restored Solo Ship. On the run, pursued by the Buff Clan, the crew of the Solo Ship must unlock the secrets of the Ideon and the Solo Ship in order to survive.
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Personal Opinions
Mecha Gojira
Space Runaway Ideon is pure distilled Tomino. A young crew on the run finds themselves up against the entire universe. Adults, the older generation in charge are locked in their ways and ultimately escalate a conflict begun by simple misunderstanding. Tomino does not paint a pleasant picture of humanity in this series, but despite this leaves the viewer on the note that there is hope.
That final hopeful note, unfortunately, is not in the main series. Much like its predecessor Mobile Suit Gundam, Space Runaway Ideon was cut short due to low ratings. And like Gundam, it gained popularity after its death. The TV series eventually got the ending it deserved in Be Invoked, a brilliantly made film that must be watched upon completion of the main series. The movie alone elevates the series to classic status.
Ideon, though, is not for everyone. It can be slow in parts, ridiculous in others, but towards the end of the series and especially by Be Invoked, it definitely transcends its early criticisms. You will be left in awe of the power of the Ideon. An under appreciated but highly influential series, Ideon is a must-see for any mecha fan.
AnonSubHuman
A great space opera. Robot of the week formula doesn't really tire out in this show either, because it emphasizes the enormous military might of the Buff Clan, and it also shows what lengths they go to in order to try to defeat Ideon and the Solo Ship. Sounds kind of like Mobile Suit Gundam when you describe it that way, but I have no problems with this.
IShallRiseAgain
There was too many annoying and or stupid characters for me to enjoy this show. The fact that said stupid characters are used to convey a preachy message means that I quickly grew tired of the show and never bothered finishing it.
