Harmagedon: Genma taisen

Harmagedon is arguably the worst anime I have ever seen. For all its supposed classic status, it has bad pacing, terrible characterization, ethnic stereotypes, and a laughable villain. The only reason it is remembered is that it was one of the first anime to reach the United States.

The plot follows Azuma Jo, a Japanese high school student who is suddenly teamed up with psionic warrior Princess Luna and the warrior robot Vega in order to save the world from the demonic Genma. Azuma has to learn how to control his powers while simultaneously protect his sister from Genma's shape shifting minions.

There are so many issues with this film it is hard to know where to begin. As a villain, Lord Genma is simply not threatening. For starters, his dialogue consists of continually repeating "Destroy!" Princess Luna describes him as being insane, but he comes across more like a mentally challenged Dalek.

Furthermore, other than Azuma, none of the characters are well developed enough to care about. For instance, the African-American boy who joins the psionic band is a walking stereotype, as is the Indian guru. Even Princess Luna doesn't get fleshed out much. She is briefly suggested to be racist, but this aspect of her character is never explored or resolved.

The film takes far too long to get going. Much of the first hour is spent following Azuma, contributing to the other characters' lack of development. Furthermore, Genma doesn't do much of anything until over an hour into this over two hour film, rending the proceedings decidedly boring.

In the end, this film is only worth watching for hardcore otaku who want to see everything.