"The Earth's polar ice caps start melting at an alarming rate and the United Nations sends an expeditionary force to investigate a strange black cylindrical object lurking in the stratosphere above the North Pole. The team is destroyed by a mysterious force leaving scientists and experts baffled - the United Nations is really starting to panic! Under pressure to take some serious action, the UN decides to launch its own "Special Peace Keeping Force" - an armada of mighty battleships - to confront the unknown power. The whole world watches in horror as the UN's battleships are obliterated by the invaders' giant gravitonic rings! The Earth's nations are helpless as the enemy prepares a full-scale attack. However, as the World waits in anticipation of its fate, a secret organisation of men and women begin to mobilise a last ditch defence; a secret weapon built for World War II but never used. After fifty dormant years, the ultimate attack sub is about to take its' virgin voyage and attempt to rescue the World..."
Based on a novel by: Shunno Oshikawa Director: Kazuyoshi Katayama Screenplay: Nobuaki Kishima Character design: Yoshikazu Yasuhiko Mecha design: Makoto Kobayashi Music Composer: Masamichi Amano Music performed by: The Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra Copyright: Kaitei Gunkan Seisaku Iinkai VHS version: Language: English Label: ADV Films Volume: 1 2 Running time: 60 mins 50 mins Certificate: PG PG Catalogue no: VHSSA/001 VHSSA/002D Price: £12.99 £12.99 Release Date: 31st Oct 1996 13th Oct 1997
Mike Breen: I picked up part 1 a couple of weeks ago and was _very_ impressed (as my roommate said, "A WWII super-battleship, imminent destruction of the Earth, and 'alien' chicks, It's right up your alley"). It is very much an "old-style" anime, and as you said no half-naked 14-year-olds with superpowers. It reminded me a _lot_ of Yamato, actually, but not in the way of being a re-tread. I'm glad that the second part lives up to the first part. Nothing p*sses me off more than an OAV that blows it in the last episode (MacII, anyone?).