First seen on Japanese TV between October 1982 and May 1983, the anime series titled Space Cobra was directed by Osamu Dezaki. The original manga series created by Buichi Terasawa, (who also created the anime Goku: Midnight Eye) probably modelled the show on aspects of his interest in sci-fi movies/shows of the 1960’s and 70’s as an formula for Space Cobra – you can see similarities to James Bond as the cool and confident Cobra, travels space womanising and pursuing villains … but even the charismatic James Bond didn’t have a lovely partner like Armoriod Lady.
The following is an excerpt from an excellent review article from Animeworld.com and gives us a great introduction to this anime classic that was enjoyed decades ago by countless Japanese children, and can still be enjoyed today by lovers of classic action/adventure anime.
A hundred years ago, a planet that wandered through the galaxy with no star to call its home entered an unpleasant area of space and was purged of life. The only survivors of the civilization that called the strange world home were the identical triplets born to be its three future queens: Jane, Dominique, and Catherine. To revive the planet, the three queens must unite with the man they love (if one falls in love, they all do) and return home together. Jane, now a bounty hunter, is searching for the most nefarious space pirate in the known universe, Cobra; you see, Cobra happens to be the only guy who’s ever escaped the wrath of the Mafia Guild, headed by the mysterious and very powerful being known as Crystal Boy.
She immediately falls for the rather sleazy Cobra (who’s been laying low with his shapely robotic co-pilot Lady for the past few years) and proceeds to enlist his help in rescuing her sister Dominique, who’s been captured by Crystal Boy. But does she want to be rescued? And then there’s the third sister, who’s been hanging out with a bunch of Snow Guerrillas. On top of all this, Crystal Boy is searching for that rogue planet, intending to use its power for his own nefarious purposes. Cobra isn’t exactly sure what to make of this whole mess, but he’s never been one to turn a pretty girl (or three) down (even if they are being followed around by a weird guy in a floating bubble called Dr. Topolov), and he’s got a bone to pick with old Crystal Boy anyway.
Based on the Buichi Terasawa manga series, Space Adventure Cobra is classic, cheesed-up, chauvinistic, camp-laden ’70s sci-fi at its finest.
Make no mistake: This movie is loaded with bad science, bizarre (and random) plot twists, lots of action, and even more “action” (that is, shall we say, loose behavior). Don’t come looking for intellectual science fiction (not that you would with a title like Space Adventure Cobra), and don’t even expect typical anime characters. Think a sillier, dumber James Bond in space, with some Barbarella mixed in.
In fact, the hero would have loved the shag-carpeted space ship from Barbarella. Cobra himself embodies the whole retro/sleaze theme: He wears red spandex, has funny hair, a fast spaceship, a robotic partner, lots of women, and never goes into a fight without his stogie. Plus, he knows how to tear up the dance floor at the local space-disco.
You could have pretty much figured all that out just by looking at the box, but what’s surprising is that Space Adventure Cobra is actually not that unoriginal. For one thing, though the plot is by and large nonsensical and involves hefty amounts of truly awful science and quasi-philosophy, there are a fair number of twists and turns, and enough story to keep you (or at least me) interested… read the full article at: Animeworld.com
Article Source: Animeworld.com
… the following video is a clip from Space Adventure Cobra – the 2012 bilingual DVD of the movie, which is available in the USA from Eastern Star.
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