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Iczer One

Entry updated 15 November 2021. Tagged: TV.

Japanese Original Video Animation (OVA) (1985-1987). AIC. Based on the Manga by Aran Rei. Directed and written by Toshiki Hirano. Voice cast includes Arisa Andō, Kaneto Shiozawa, Mayumi Shō, Keiko Toda, Naoko Watanabe and Yuriko Yamamoto. Three 30-48 minute episodes. Colour.

Having lost their homeworld, the Alien Cthulhu desire a new place to live, travelling the universe in their Spaceship, most of their population held in Suspended Animation. They begin to despair, but then a glowing ball appears, containing a child-like creature called Big Gold (Shiozawa), who promises to grant their wish. Reaching Earth, Big Gold creates an android, Iczer One (Yamamoto), to conquer it – but she chooses to defend our planet instead, fighting the Shapeshifting Monsters Big Gold sends down. Iczer One has a Mecha, Iczer Robo, but needs a co-pilot to fully control it: she chooses schoolgirl Nagisa Kanou (Shō).

Big Gold responds by trying to murder Nagisa. Iczer One saves her, but Nagisa is scared and traumatized – not unsurprisingly, as she sees her parents turned into nightmarish creatures who are then killed by Iczer One. It is not until Nagisa finds a child, Sayoko (Watanabe), to protect that she fully commits to helping Iczer One. Big Gold now creates Iczer Two (Toda), complete with evil laugh, who pilots another giant mecha, Iczer Sigma. Her co-pilot, Sepia (Andō), wants revenge on Iczer One for murdering her lover – but when Iczer Two spitefully has Iczer Sigma stomp on Sayoko, Sepia is shocked – this weakens the mecha, whilst Nagisa's horror powers up Iczer Robo, enabling it to destroy its opponent, killing Sepia. Iczer Two escapes, kidnapping Sayoko – who had survived being stepped on – to use as leverage. Iczer Two gains control of Nagisa's body, but the girl Telepathically instructs Iczer One to shoot her – which she does – as otherwise Earth will be conquered. Fortunately Nagisa's spirit merges with Iczer One (indicated by the latter's bra glowing) whereupon she becomes superpowered, quickly disposing of Iczer Two and then absorbing Big Gold. She decides to depart with the Cthulhu, to become their guardian, so regretfully returns a revived Nagisa – whom she loves – to Earth: Nagisa has no memory of recent events, but her parents – and the devastated planet – are restored by the now superpowered Iczer One.

Most characters are female, including all the Cthulhu (though their leader has a male voice actor when under Big Gold's influence); the only prominent males are Earth's military forces, who advance on the Cthulhu with increasingly advanced Technology, only to be casually disposed of each time. The Cthulhu are sympathetically portrayed, despite their name (see Cthulhu Mythos; H P Lovecraft): Big Gold is the main Villain, a Machine who cryptically says, "Long ago I lived, and died, alongside with humans; but wandering the vastness of space my essence gained new life." The source manga was a hentai work (see Sex); however, its pornographic elements were removed for the OVAs, though there is still much Fan Service. There is much body Horror and gore, infused with a dark surrealism. The animation is variable: the budget has been clearly scrimped in some scenes to allow it to be spent on the often impressive set pieces. Though dated, this is a good, enjoyable example of the sf horror Anime of its era.

The OVA's three episodes were edited (with some new material) into the film Fight!! Iczer-1 Special Compilation (1987; original title Tatakae!! Ikusā 1 Tokubetsu-hen). There were two subsequent OVAs: the 6-episode Iczer Reborn (1990-1991; original title Bōken! Ikusā 3; vt Iczer 3; vt Adventure! Iczer-3) has Iczer One fighting Big Gold's offspring, Neos Gold, until both are spent – so when Earth comes under attack the Cthulhu send young Iczer Three to help; she teams up with Nagisa's granddaughter, who lives on a Moon colony. Neos Gold then creates an evil copy of Iczer Three, but when that fails she resurrects Iczer Two, who ends up battling Iczer One: the latter defeats then befriends her. Iczer Girl Iczelion (1995; vt Iczelion; vt Iczer gal: Iczelion) in 2 episodes was next: connections to its predecessors are fairly cosmetic: schoolgirl and aspiring wrestler Nagisa Kai is approached by Iczel, here portrayed as AI Powered Armour, who tells her they must combine to form Iczelion, to battle conquering aliens who have now reached Earth. Both sequels are unexceptional, lacking the drive and horror elements of the original. [SP]

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