Adventures with Iczer-3

Following an epic battle that resulted in a draw, legendary space warrior Iczer-1 returns to her home planet to recuperate. Unfortunately, planet Earth is still under threat from invasion so her creator Sister Grey sends younger sister Iczer-3 is sent to destroy the aliens who have invaded while Iczer-1 recovers. Teaming up with a group of courageous humans including high school girl Nagisa, Iczer-3 sets about fighting the evil Neos and her female warriors who threaten to destroy the Earth.

There are a number of reasons to really dislike this series. The animation looks dated, the English language dub isn’t up to much and the script is clichéd. Yet somehow, this all adds to its retro charm and makes for surprisingly entertaining viewing. Iczer-3 is only a child, so her fighting skills require some refinement and she sees battle as little more than a game at times. The emphasis is very much on action scenes rather than a complex storyline or extensive character development, so viewers looking for a serious, philosophical show are advised to look elsewhere.

Manga Entertainment has included the entire series in one double disc package that makes for pretty good value for money. The only major problem with this release is that there is no option of the original Japanese language track, which means that the viewer has no choice but to listen to the English language dub that can be set up for either 2.0 stereo or 5.1 surround (perhaps surprisingly, this can be in either DTS or Dolby Digital). At the end of the day, you get what you pay for.

In Summary

Adventures with Iczer-3 is a classic example of straightforward action/adventure science fiction that doesn’t really take itself too seriously. Of course, considering the retail price and the fact that it is part of Manga Entertainment’s budget The Collection line, it would be foolhardy to expect anything else. If you in the mood for corny, 80s-style sci-fi anime, this is right up your street.