Assemble Insert

Its simple and fun, with a charming plot and nostalgic anime character archetypes. The enemy robots are funnily reminiscent of Gundam: War in the Pockets 'Hygogg' and 'Kampfer', while the group of goofy officers who hire and support the main character are funny. The first episode is the stronger of the two, with Marons introduction being particularly memorable. Im a fan of this era of japanese idols as well, so the small references to real world people and programs of the time was neat to see.

Its only two episodes, so you cant really complain about wasting time. I think if you enjoy 80s-early 90s anime ... like Ranma 1/2, Kodocha, and Dragon Ball you will at least smirk and enjoy your time with the show.

Assemble Insert is a delightful little OVA from the late 80s, complete with goofy villains, and a definitively endearing protagonist. Beginning with the story, it's a simple setup, with an over-the-top themed gang of bank robbers in power armor, a hapless yet passionate special police unit, and a regular girl with special powers and a heart of gold who comes to save the day. The pacing is snappy, pairing well with the general flavor of the comedy throughout, and its various elements manage to come together to make this anime a real pleasure to watch.

... The art is even more impressive. Not only does it capture that warmth that often characterizes older titles, it pairs it with a fun flare unique to its own style, especially in the way it handles character designs, specifically the design of the main heroine. Good character design tells you everything you need to know just by looking at them, and that definitely applies in this case. Marin's face betrays an innocent simplicity and a general silliness that makes her a main driver of comedy throughout, while not being too simple so as to rob her of her individuality as a character. The whole cast is quite distinctive, though they follow more closely to various pre-established archetypes like the crazed evil scientist and beleaguered salaryman.

The sound is also great, with a soundtrack that is catchy as hell, supporting lighthearted voice work and sounds of life which add some much-needed depth to various scenes.

The characters constitute this anime's strongest aspect, not for any complexity or maverick writing, but instead as perfect incarnations of feelings they were trying to capture, while still allowing them to feel like more than just puppets. Marin is the best character in the show, and the best example of this principle at work, reflecting her design as an eager, sometimes foolish girl that serves as the centerpiece of the anime and makes the comedy which surrounds her that much funnier by contrast. I'd say the main bad guy, who literally has the last name Demon, serves a similar purpose for the Demon Seed gang, though he doesn't get as much screentime. Overall, Assemble Insert is a fun, lighthearted quasi-parody of various genres popular at the time, including mecha, magical girl, and idol culture. This one is an easy to recommend feel-good romp with a nice dash of 80s flare.

Despite its flaws, “Assemble Insert” was more fun than expected, and it left me with a smile on my face.

The story centers on a junior high schooler named Maron who, due to her unbelievable strength, won an idol audition to fight a group of goofy villains called Demon Seed. The audition was set up by a special police force formed to find a solution to the Demon Seed issue; due to the villains’ powerful mobile suits, the police hadn’t been able to fight against them on their own.

Maron is somewhat of a reluctant hero. She spends most of her time training as an idol singer ... rather than as a fighter, and when it comes time for her to make her fighting debut (Demon Seed politely announced when and where their next heist would be), she gets nervous and almost runs away. However, the police group, which consists of 4 caricatured guys led by Chief Hattori, who is a caricature himself, encourages Maron and fully supports her, so she fights the bad guys — to comically disastrous results…

The story this 2-episode OVA presents is silly, but it works for the most part. It ends on an upbeat and semi-conclusive note, with a series of epilogue-type scenes interspersed among the end credits. Some of the story elements are a little too outlandish and don't get enough explanation, however, probably since the show is so short. As for the characters, they’re all distinctive and likable enough, but naturally they don’t get much development. In particular, Maron’s character comes off as rather flat, which is disappointing.

Since this is a parody anime, it’s filled with references to other anime and pop culture. Notably, there are cameos by characters from “Patlabor” and “Kyuukyoku Choujin R,” two of the original creator’s other manga titles. Although I’m not sure if this is a direct parody, Hattori’s character looks like the coach from “Gunbuster,” and even has the same voice actor. There are also a lot of puns (the character Sonoba Kagiri’s name is itself a pun, for example), instances where the fourth wall is broken, and a number of in-jokes. Some of the jokes, due to being outdated, in-jokes or jokes directed towards a Japanese audience, might be difficult for modern non-Japanese viewers to understand.

Technical aspect-wise, this anime is pretty good overall. The opening sequence is fantastic! It blew me away with the great camera shots, and it was timed well with the theme song (which is sung by Maron’s voice actress and is also very good). The rest of the animation is above average; the colors are washed out a bit and some of the drawing looks rushed, but the animation itself is fluid, and the direction is great. The character designs are unique; I haven’t seen designs like this in any other anime, and they’re very pleasing to the eye and memorable.

There’s a live action scene featured twice — a mock commercial of a fake energy drink — which is a running gag throughout both episodes. The commercial stars the two main voice actresses, and it’s pretty funny. You can tell they had a good time making this.

The voice acting cast in this show is solid, and they do a great job at delivering their lines. All of the music, including the background music, is good, and it feels like it was specifically made for this anime.

Regarding objectionable content, there is a slight bit of nudity near the beginning; the cover of an adult video that one of the policemen is renting is shown on screen for a few seconds. Also, some of the humor itself is sexist and outdated. One of the policemen (the same one who rented the adult video) has the rather disturbing tendency to keep notes on every aspect of Maron’s daily activities, for example. Also, the chief has planned out Maron’s life as an idol, down to her getting married and having a child, which is supposed to be funny but feels awkward. And there’s a weird joke with a pun on an accordionist's name that seems to be referring to diapers or menstrual pads.

Overall, while it’s not perfect and somewhat outdated, “Assemble Insert” is a delightfully funny show to watch. Recommended.