Casshan Robot Hunter

1993

published in Empire No.69, Sydney

2007

Even more 'old school' than its early 90s production date, Casshan - Robot Hunter is actually a retro remake of a 70s TV series. Bearing this in mind, Casshan exhibits a peculiar charm in its tale of the heroic Casshan - a fusion of young Tetsuya and a mystical transforming machine - who has been resurrected to fight an overlord intent on erasing humans from earth. Where most anime idealizes an integration between robots and humans, Casshan is built on the impossibility of such co-existence. A somewhat brooding figure, Casshan appears then disappears after fighting the Black King robots. Part gaudy pantomime, part existential plight, all anime.