Golgo 13 (TV)

As I finally came across the entire subtitled series, it is time to update the review I posted quite some time ago.

To start with, this is an anime that gives off an oldschool-ish feeling and that is to be expected, since the manga started publishing about 40 years ago. The drawing style clearly shows it: all characters have very serious and rough faces, showing each and every wrinkle. The scenery is quite good. Even though it might lack detail, it clearly isn't the type you would shove off as a picture-based-and-streched-over-the-horizon background.

There are no major problems with the sound either. At first it might ... feel as if there is a lack of music, but as the series goes on, you will probably start to notice the recurring tones. Some might find them a tad repetitive, but considering the retro feeling this anime gives off, some repetitiveness could actually be considered as a tool to emphasize that special kind of feel. I have no complaints about the opening themes or the ending themes either.

When it comes to the characters, it is quite difficult to provide an evaluation. As this show is centered on Duke Tougou (a.k.a. Golgo 13) going on solo assignments, you will not be seeing any other major characters. There is not much to say about character development either. I mean, we have a cold-blooded sniper with nearly inhumane skills, unwavering principles and, most of the time, a perfect example of a poker face. He is certainly the most silent protagonist I have ever seen and we can't "hear" his thoughts either, so what is there to develop (not to mention how)? Still, it feels like Golgo becomes a tad more talkative and expressive towards the end of the series, so it is possible to interpret it as a slight emotional shift, though the reason for it is anyone's guess. Despite this, though, all the characters feel quite real and alive; they all have individual personalities and different attitudes towards Golgo, so the anime does not lose ground on this aspect either.

Where it does, though, is the story. Or, more precisely, the lack thereof. The series is episodic and there is no relation between the assignments whatsoever. In fact, if your younger sibling wanted to make a prank and rearranged the playlist while you were making a sandwich, you would not even notice it. I am guessing the studio picked the missions from the manga randomly, hence the lack of cohesion. Yet, despite the anime not having a coherent plot as a whole, every episode has a different and unique story, various circumstances and characters that continue to pique the viewers interest and provide tons of entertainment.

To conclude, anime series with no plot tend to lose their appeal very quickly. However, Golgo 13 is quite enjoyable. It just has something in it that makes you look forward to Tougou's next assignment and keeps you wondering, just how he is going to demonstrate his prowess. When his enemies underestimate him or make wrong deductions, you just get the proud feeling "That's my Golgo! Those bastards don't have a chance! Show them who's boss!", or something along those lines.
If you are a fan of super-manliness, protagonists having nearly inhumane skills and an oldschool feel wrapping it all up, this is one show you should definitely watch.

An action show that takes itself too seriously. It’s so bad it’s good.

★★☆☆

Golgo 13 is a rare show I will stop thinking for. To take it seriously would be a mistake. It’s not how you watch it. It’s a show that’s so bad that it’s good. There’s a campiness I don’t see in other shows. To describe Golgo 13: it’s a Japanese person’s interpretation of American action movies. The plots all involve fresh, exciting ideas like the mafia, the CIA, the military, assassins, politicians, beautiful women, exotic places. It’s the James Bond of anime.

The main character is Golgo 13. His real name is Duke Togo. ... He’s so goddamn cool it hurts. He talks so little I swear he makes up 2% of the dialogue. He has very little back story. Even his code name, “Golgo 13”, is only rumored to be based off Golgotha from the bible. He has literally the same expression on his face every episode. I don’t think he ever smiled in the show. Even when he’s having sex his face never changes.

He’s a legendary sniper and hitman, costing 3 million per assignment. He never fails and he never misses. Since he never loses, there’s very little tension from if he’ll be able to accomplish the mission. The actual fun of the show comes from what the assignment is, how he’ll do it, and how he gets himself out of complicated situations. His assignment could be shooting the string off a violin; how is he gonna kill someone who never shows himself in public; or how is he going to break out of an Alcatraz prison? It’s just clever enough to be satisfying.

First, to really squeeze any entertainment from this show, you have to watch the dub. I swear they must be using the same three voice actors every episode. It’s the same gruff, tough guy voice for every mafia boss and henchmen. The dialogue isn’t anything to write home about it. There’s a lot of fascination with guns and how cool they are.

The animation is very bland and flat. Color doesn’t exist other gray and extra gray. There’s a lot of still frames. Poor guys must’ve been working with a budget of a high school play.

I never watch opening songs. I skip them even in shows I love, but for Golgo 13 I always do. It gets me pumped for the episode.

Golgo 13 is not a show you take seriously. It’s cheesy. It’s campy. The dialogue is stiff. The settings and stories are cliché. There’s plot holes everywhere. It tries very hard to be cool and takes itself very seriously. But even through all this it manages to be fun (and clever) enough to watch.

There’s 50 episodes. There’s no continuity so literally pick any at random and hope you’ll get a fun episode. Sit with your friends, get drunk, and poke fun at it. That’s how you watch Golgo 13.

Golgo 13 is THE PROFESSIONAL at seinen-flavored, satirical camp; much like Kazuo Koike’s Wounded Man and Crying Freeman. An extreme portrayal of masculinity that is meant to revel in as it unveils its strange sincerity. Whether he’s in the bedroom with a woman or sniping an enemy, Golgo’s mask of an expression is stuck in a frozen ennui of eternal botox. This series probably wouldn’t have received any sort of cult following if it hadn’t been for Golgo’s face!

• Golgo is similar to Daisuke Jigen from Lupin III, in the way that he’s the best hitman who ever lived and whatnot―while Jigen is praised as the ... best shot, Golgo is an uncomplaining “gary stu,” in the way that he’s good at everything that he touches, whether that be weapons or women! There’s not much to say about this iconic, stone-faced MANLY MAN other than JESUS, HE’S MANLY. Golgo’s characterization is some of the worst writing that I’ve seen for a protagonist, I truly believe that Kirito (from Sword Art Online fame) has more memorable character traits.

• The Golgo 13 (TV) is an unneeded sequel to the multi-part OVA series; the series practically recapitulated the same story over and over again with a hilarious English dub, if you don’t know what I’m referring to, see the: “you’ll shoot your blind eyes out” scene on YouTube! Don’t watch Golgo if you’re not going to make fun of it! This series is not quite on the level of MD Geist, but it’s close!

• The Queen Bee OVA is, hands down, the best and actually characterizes a female lead without making the main memorable asset to her personality being that she bangs the eternally stoic Golgo! The original OVA is fun in its own right: there’s a B-movie assassin duo, one of them screeches like a banshee, and the cheapest CG helicopter scene that you will ever seen―an old Windows screensaver is more technologically advanced than the computer graphics in this “memorable/highly iconic” scene! The original OVA was my induction to the weird iconicism of the emotionless-manly-man trope; thereafter, I evolved into my spirited Hokuto no Ken/Fist of the North Star/“at-ta-ta-ta-ta” phase.

Overall, Golgo is an atypical rough-around-the-edges alpha male with the lingering, beleaguered implication that he might be a (somewhat) good person when he occasionally does the right thing… especially if he’s sleeping with the person who needs help, otherwise, fuck you, he’s a hitman. Life lessons be damned, I suppose. If you do watch Golgo 13, I would stick to the OVAs; I found the TV series to be a yawn-inducing addition to the franchise, with a few good episodes. I give the TV series a 4/10, the first OVA a 3/10, and Killer Bee a 5/10.

SN: I bought the BD collection for the TV series from Sentai Filmworks and the set isn’t worth purchasing, it’s not a good series and there’s no special features included in the set.