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Getter Robo Arc is Jun Kawagoe's latest directorial entry in the Getter Robo series. Unlike the previous three adaptations namely, Armageddon, Shin vs Neo, and New, this one is actually following the plot of the manga that was written and drawn by Ken Ishikawa from 1974 all the way to 2003 before his untimely death in 2006 leaving Arc forever unfinished.

One would wonder why not adapt the first previous 4 arcs for new viewers instead of the final entry? Even though the previous OVAs were in separate continuities from the manga, I think the staff felt that it would be redundant to retread similar grounds.

After ... all, New Getter Robo was a reimagining of the original manga albeit, with massive changes, Shin vs Neo was an alternate sequel, and Armageddon kinda was as well and it covered both the Go and Shin portions of the manga. Besides, if one truly wants to understand the story up till now, they can easily read the manga if they choose to. We're in the internet age, not the 1970s.

So the only reason I can see Arc existing is they want this anime to finish what Ken Ishikawa started. What is the Getter? Is it the benevolent life force that drove humanity forward or is it the malevolent force that has to be wiped out at all costs for the sake of the universe? Or are we somewhere in between? This after all is the ultimate question put forward by Ken Ishikawa that this anime will hopefully provide closure to.

After all, this is why we're here. We're not here just for a silly robot show. Getter Robo is a manga that started as a silly super robot series but ended trying to answer some of life's biggest questions. I can't say for sure that Ken Ishikawa was a Buddhist, but he sure loved adding Buddhist themes to his works so I'm hoping this adaptation can capture some of that philosophy. (If it wasn't already obvious to new viewers, The arc character in the OP is in Sanskrit)

Obviously, this anime is not a home run. The sound design is questionable, and the animation is not quite there yet probably due to a lack of money. It is disappointing to see that the industry just isn't geared towards celebratory works like those. On the other hand, the art is actually very respectful of Ken Ishikawa's 2000s art style.

As far as where they plan to take the story, so far I'm invested. Director Jun Kawagoe has added many scenes that weren't in the original manga to flesh things out. The initial manga ended after 14 chapters with no end, and this one is 13 episodes long. How they wrap this up will determine my final thoughts on this anime.

Cyborg 009 vs Devilman is the latest offering in both the Cyborg 009 and Devilman franchise.

Some background first: A young Go Nagai (Devilman) initially worked with the creator of Cyborg 009, Shotaro Ishinomori as an assistant for about 2 years before his own professional debut. As such, Nagai had high respect for the legendary artist. This collaboration is born out of genuine love for both series.

On the surface, this might seem to be just a simple crossover between Cyborg 009 vs Devilman, but it's more than that. It actually involves a plot involving high teens cyborgs (Cyborgs that were made after 0013) that ... are unleashed upon our heroes by Dr. Adams. Add Devilman and co to the mix, and you have a completely original story with completely original characters, and yet the OVA still manages to insert itself into both manga's canon, without hurting each other.

The art and animation is crisp and clear as day. It has a few QUALITY moments, but overall, the production value was good.

Sound was good too. The opening by JAM Project is particularly a joy to watch and listen to, , but the marvel-like ending was amazingly done. It was essentially a montage of scenes taken directly from the source material (The manga of both Cyborg 009 and Devilman).

This was one of my highly anticipated anime of the year, and I wasn't disappointed.

However the only negative thing I could think of is that this series was made for the fans of the original comics, and its appeal might be lost on newcomers to both franchises. That said, if you've never read Cyborg 009 or Devilman, I still suggest you do give it a try if you can find a subbed copy. (Unfortunately, the anime still is not subbed as of 2015)