OBSCURE O.V.A.S, *Birth

Trying to explain what the bizarre anime titled Birth really was, is one of the biggest mysteries in the history of animation. Released in 1984, it was one of the first OVAs ever made. Based on the manga by later key animator Yoshinori Kanada that came out the prior year, Idol and Kaname Production performed a joint studio creation directed by Shinya Sadamitsu who previously worked on the Mobile Suit Gundam. The anime first got a limited English release from the groundbreaking Streamline Pictures titled The World Of The Talisman and later on Planet Busters, then it was briefly released on DVD through ADV Films under the original title. The main plot is a series of chase sequences on an alien world with potent but still rudimentary animation.

Opening up on the planet Aqualoid, the surface of the world has been ravaged by a race of mechanical lifeforms called the Inorganics. Whether these robots operate under a hive mind or a all working on their own accord is never explained, only that most of the giant mecha operate with a specific task to fulfill. Nam is a young scrapper who looks like Vegeta fused with Megaman, and he comes across a long-lost sword called SHADE which is the only thing that has the power to defeat the Inorganics in combat. Native girl Rasa with a remarkable behind is constantly being pursued by horny Inorganics who want to grab her "jigglybutt", but that honor is for the gruff space pirate Bao who lusts after her so much that he has a doll of her hanging in his spaceship. All of these stragglers meet up in due course, however only after each of them had their own Road Runner-styled mini-adventure with something or someone chasing them. Nam and his men head for a deserted underground city to find a secret weapon in an abandoned military base, all while being dogged by a pair of metal titans that have an endless arsenal. The ultimate weapon ends up in the hands of one Rasa's past chasers who sets off the device which destroys the entire planet! It's hinted that Nam and his friends managed to find some kind of Exodus inside the pocket universe that lies within the space sword, but everyone else, organic or Inorganic, get blipped out of existence because of a disgruntled robot kid with blue balls!

Birth is extremely innovative in both style and execution, even though the end result is an abnormal mystifying mess. Notwithstanding that is achieved the unprecedented task of being one of the first feature-length OVAs, it is very forgettable as the plot has so loose that a Tom And Jerry cartoon has better story structure. There is a plentiful chain of sweeping racing and battle segments that is the only thing keeping this swollen space farce from achieving anything momentous. The trippy animation would make for a good session of just getting slarmied and watching with a cluster of other drunken mates, but the single thing making Birth worth seeing would be a heaping mound of regret!