Soukihei MD Geist

You've just had your lunch money stolen for the eighth time this week, your Dad's out on a 'business trip', and Rage Against the Machine isn't around for you to pour your angst into today. Welcome to the 90's, jerk face. Sit your ass down on that water-bed, slide this burnt VHS you got from Gerald on into the TV, and experience a journey into the most fantastic slice of storytelling gold since Tolkien, Lucas, and Henson got together to create Lord of The Star Labyrinth. Oh, they didn’t? TOO BAD MD GEIST TIME.

1. THE STORY: I’m not going to ruin anything for you, but ... Geist shrugs narrative structure of yesteryear because, well, it is too bad ass for that. Bam! People are dying! Bam! Welcome to Fist of the North Star minus ATATATATATA. Bam! Geist is naked, and you know he’s the hero, because he’s the hardest dude around.
See, MD Geist achieves something most anime can’t even dream of. Exposition is for the weak. You see Geist, and you know Geist. Appearances are what makes this, and you don’t need some family history to let you know anything, okay? The story is like an eight-course-meal when you only ordered seven. It’s so much, and all you can do is accept it, because, secretly, you wanted it all along. It comes naturally, and isn’t hard to stomach in the least.
Otherwise, Geist presents several glimpses at dystopian post-apocalypse society, questions the superficiality that the movie indoctrinates us to (OH, MIND BLOWN, RIGHT?), and even constructs masculinity in such a way that has us wondering at the end if our drive for power—which is greater than sex—will ultimately destroy us. Amazing. Potent. Far beyond what any moe~moe or typical shonen could hope to ever achieve.

2. THE ART: Not a single frame is wasted in the rich portrayal of Geist’s Most Dangerousocity. You see, back in the nineties/late eighties, there was this idea that people should look, well, like people, and tech should look like tech, and everything should be this detailed, amazing experience. This gave life a meaning, because you could take a break from the dreary ad nauseam of reality and escape into this believable, hyper-realistic, super-awesome world of beauty, blood, and intrigue. The designs for the robots, suits, weapons, and characters are so top-notch, well done, and just fun to see. It’s all like imagination made real, like what anime should aspire to. Nothing is left to imagination—Fire is fire. Blood is blood. Geist is a man. Bishoujos go home. As I mentioned earlier, the art even mirrors an ever present question throughout the plot: Nothing is what it seems. The Charismatic Hero? He’s actually Geist. The Scandalous Babe? She’s actually a weak woman, wishing only to be loved. See, characters are far more complex than what’s exterior, and the way that looks play into the plot mirrors the murkier aspects of society.

3. SOUND: Despite the dub of this being made of gold, I’m going to tell you to watch this subbed. Why? Norio Wakamoto is Geist, the most powerful man in the universe. If you don’t know Norio, well, he’s the most powerful seiyuu in the universe. But, hey, if that isn’t enough, this OVA also features the most inspiration, well-made tune in anything, ever. If you haven’t heard Merciless Soldier, time for infinite Youtube. Because you’ll want to listen to it more than once. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised that Norio got his voice from being inspired by that song.

4. CHARACTER: Geist is the Most Dangerous. I don’t need to say anything else. Honestly, if Char Aznable grew a pair and became the most dynamic wastelander with a purpose, you’d have a weakling version of Geist, who is, essentially, this dual character of Christ and the Antichrist. Reborn in flames, making this journey, purging the sinful… Think about it, man.

5. ENJOYMENT: There is not a single second of this that isn’t amazing. At one point, Geist guns out this robot’s window and stabs the pilot in the face. WITH A GRENADE ATTATCHED TO THE KNIFE! Hardcore doesn’t begin to describe what’s going on here. Every movement is so quick, so amazing, and so unlike the last. Geist’s journey becomes our own, and it’s an amazing adventure, allowing escape from the corrupt politics of the early 90’s and into a world where those same politics are shut up by a jack-knife to the face.

6. OVERALL: MD Geist is one of those rare masterpieces that manages to humbly whirl its fingers, sleep through class, and make a solid three-point-five GPA. Geist is a tearful journey through society itself, following what represents unlimited choices, ending in a way that’s never pandering to fans, never giving up on its true intent. If you’re tired of the tedium that is anime nowadays, or, heck, life nowadays, give MD Geist a go. It’ll flip turn upside down your entire forty minutes of life spent worshipping it with your eyeballs. At the least, it’ll transport you to those days of yore, where everything was simpler, strong men fought stronger men, and life was meant to be enjoyed.

Ah, MD Geist! Let’s dive into this classic mecha OVA:

The Story: In the distant future, humanity has colonized other planets. One of these planets, Jerra, has been ravaged by decades of war. Enter MD Geist, a badass lead who defies the typical wussy-boy anime mold. The story is straightforward, dark, and nihilistic. No need for overcomplexity when you’ve got a powerful protagonist like Geist. 🌌

Animation and Style: MD Geist is a product of its time (the mid-80s), and it wears its retro badge proudly. The animation quality might not blow your mind, but it has a certain charm. Plus, it’s not afraid to get gritty ... and violent. 💥

So Bad It’s Good?: Some call it “so bad it’s good,” but opinions vary. If you’re into dystopian settings, over-the-top action, and unapologetic manliness, MD Geist might scratch that itch. Just don’t expect a masterpiece. 😅

In summary, MD Geist is like that old, worn VHS tape you found in the back of your closet—it’s flawed, but it has character.

Wow, I'm honestly surprised that this is the first review for M.D. Geist on MAL.

Particularly surprised considering how old, "well-known" and (in)famous this particular one-episode OVA is. M.D. Geist is really not any better or worse than most of the subpar anime series that was released to the U.S. from the early 80's to the early 90's. In some circles, it's particularly infamous but not so much for what it actually is or how bad the story is, but more on that later.

Story: 5 (Medicore)

The story begins in the far future, where humanity has colonized space. One of the planets, Jerra, lost contact with Earth ... and civil war broke out between a grassroots rebellion and the ruling planetary government. To counteract the rebels, the government created the M.D.S., or Most Dangerous Soldier (yeah, seriously) program, which would create bio-engineered soldiers capable of taking on any mission. The first fully capable soldier from the program, M.D. Geist, was so unstable he was locked away on an orbiting satellite until it crashed into the planet's surface, unleashing Geist upon a divided and war-torn world.

Of course it's easy to make any work sound cliche through a basic, boiled-down premise, but with M.D. Geist, that's all you get. A "twist" thrown in is that Geist is more interested in chaos than actually helping either side establish order, but as any M. Night Shaymalan fan can tell you simple twists wear thin real quick. A legitimate twist does come at the very end, way too late to salvage anything. The story is certainly not going to carry this OVA at best and at worst, is just downright bizarre and disturbing.

Art: 5 (Medicore

And neither is the art style, which as far as I can tell is completely unremarkable compared to contemporary works. There's not much to say about this category, so we're moving on.

Sound: 2 (Dreadful)

The sound or music quality isn't really all that spectacular, but neither is it really all that bad. What really brings it down, however, is the voice acting, which is a nice segue into....

Character: 3 (poor)

Actually, the characterization of Geist isn't all that bad. His voice actor (who is otherwise most notable for providing the voice for background or minor support characters, and sadly passed away a number of years ago) remarkably carries off a tone not unlike Vin Diesel's performance in Pitch Black, perhaps all the more appropriate given just who Geist is. Geist is a very one-dimensional character, but when all you crave is wanton chaos and destruction, it's easy to let that one slip by. However, this all at best makes him a rather average if not interesting character, and the rest of the cast and voice acting is simply dreadful. At the top of the list is Freya, whose character model is actually pretty damn sexy for what we're dealing with, but is a completely flat, unmotivated character whose actions are performed solely to remind the audience that she's not a zombie, and worst of all, her voice actor is just atrocious. Seriously - I had to listen to someone drag their fingernails across a chalkboard as therapy after listening to her grating work. Though at least she probably still had a lot of employment in the past eight years or so - going to places like Abu Grahib and Guantanamo Bay where her voice no doubt provided valuable interrogation work. Geist and Freya are the only two characters the OVA wants you to care about (but not the audience) which probably is the reason why all the other characters to appear are either mind numbingly bland or have bizarre character designs whose only purpose is to remind us of how stupid 80's fashion accessories were. Oh yeah, they also have another purpose - to die horribly.

Enjoyment: 5 (Medicore)

Really, the massive amounts of gore being splattered against everything is probably actually the most enjoyable aspect, and perhaps the only reason why this OVA is worth watching. Otherwise, this work just comes off as bland as everything else in it.

Which gives M.D. Geist an overall score of:

4: Decent

Yup, it's...decent. Just...decent. Come for the blood and guts (you'll probably find it so over the top you just can't help but enjoy it) and admittedly pretty good action scenes, stay for the...well there's nothing to stay for.

Fun facts: This was, bizarrely enough, the favorite anime of John O'Donnell, who happened to be none other than the CEO of Central Park Media, one of the largest distributors of anime in the English speaking world during the 80s and into the early 90s. So enthralled was he with M.D. Geist that he made Geist a part of the logo of CPM at the beginning of every anime intro that was licensed by them and even bought a rare vinyl record of the OST. And in the ultimate show of love for a particular anime, he and CPM funded and commissioned entirely on their own a sequel, M.D. Geist II: Death Force, of which you can read about in my review of that work. More information on both the sequel and John O'Donnell's bizarre love affair can be found at Justin Sakis' "Buried Garbage" column at Anime News Network.