Technoroid: Overmind

Due to rising sea levels and a rapidly declining human population, androids have been engineered to perform most menial tasks, allowing humans to focus on other things. Aside from providing manual labor and customer service, androids also entertain humans through Babel—a tower where participants captivate audiences with song and dance to clear Climb Stages. The higher the climb, the more prize money is awarded.

Androids Cobalt, Chrom, Neon, and Kei are down on their luck and about to have their electricity cut off from unpaid bills. Desperate to make a quick buck, the group decide to become Babel climbers. However, winning the audience's favor is a great challenge. Dejected but unwilling to give up, Cobalt resolves to somehow improve their chances after watching an impressive performance by STAND-ALONE—the top climber unit.

When the group stumbles across a mysterious choreographer willing to give away his routine, Cobalt sees this as their only way up. With the help of their human companion, Esora Shibaura, the androids form the unit KNoCC to tackle the daunting climb to the top of Babel, but they must also overcome android-based discrimination along the way.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Cobalt Main

Ura, Kazuki Japanese

Neon Main

kayto Japanese

Kei Main

Mineta, Hiromu Japanese

Shibaura, Esora Main

Tamura, Mutsumi Japanese

Chrom Main

Shibuya, Satoi Japanese

Hitotsubashi, Kite Supporting

Furukawa, Makoto Japanese

Kitanomaru, Night Supporting

Kajiwara, Gakuto Japanese

Nobel Supporting

Nojima, Kenji Japanese

Bora Supporting

Hamano, Daiki Japanese

Kitanomaru, Light Supporting

Hagiya, Keigo Japanese

Kamata, Hajime Producer

Tanaka, Hiroyuki Producer

Ogo, Hirotsugu Producer

Kudou, Masayo Producer

Reviews

Mar 29, 2023

Gini-Gini

Recommended

This was a very pleasant surprise.

Normally, idol shows have an idol plot and that's it. But this one has a plot by it's own, outside of the idol thing. It is a mystery sorrounding a crime in which a robot killed a human. And with that premise, they did a veeeeery good story involving everything they show us in every episode (so, in the end, there are no filler episodes, even if you might think that way ).

The songs are amazing (and obviously they had to be, because Elements Garden is behind them xD) so not just the main plot is good, the music is ... also good. And if you like the anime, there is a game that apparently starts just when the anime ends so... great!!

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Mar 29, 2023

KANLen09

Mixed Feelings

You know what I always say about idol shows: it's nothing more than just a cash grab at a growing franchise...that no one bothers about it. Only the ones that do, make a splash, and for others like Technoroid, created by RUCCA, CyberAgent, Avex Pictures, and Elements Garden under its creator Noriyasu Agematsu, the brainchild of Fall 2021's mediocre showing of Visual Prison under A-1 Pictures, it's the umpteenth time that people in the West are saying: we DO NOT NEED more bullcrap shows like this. But Technoroid: Overmind, is a wee bit different, and is something that's more than what the average idol show ... has to offer.

The Technoroid franchise consisting of the Japan-only Unison Hearts mobage, a manga version, and Doga Kobo's Overmind anime, it's obscenely clear that whatever Noriyasu Agematsu was trying to conceive, it had a lukewarm reception, just like Visual Prison 2 years before. And I'm just going to assume this, but more idol shows in this day and age are getting harder to stand out, and this is no differnt for Technoroid: Overmind, which is nothing more than just the imitation of the game adaptation of Detroit: Become Human. And you need not look too far from the similarities of this being just like said game, as quoted by Super Jump Magazine on the game's motive: "Although it has its intended message (and it really likes to moralize it), Detroit is a game that functions best when it focuses on character interactions and the relationships that develop from them. It wants to tell a story with wide-reaching implications on class, discrimination, and what it means to be human. And if you play the "machine" way, on the futility of change, success, and...authoritarianism, I guess?"

I thought that the narrative for Overmind is quite the intrigueness, being all different from supposedly tried-and-true tropes that were becoming all but stale, but finding out that it's a copy-paste, self-adjusted rhetoric of said game, the originality of the show's focus is really kinda lost, especially when it tries to force its idol themes forward, because this is an idol show at its heart and core. But still, you have to give credit where credit is due, and the show's plot is not boring at all (albeit at times) and keeps you on your toes on this somewhat dystopian future of humans and robots being at war, declaring that Androids are inferior to humans, and like their machine counterparts, they have no heart at all. This is amplified through the show's central idol group KNoCC, consisting of Cobalt, Chrome, Kei and Neon, and also the child of their creator Esola Shibaura. Being made Androids, there is discrimination against them as a whole, that's especially amplified by the rival group STAND-ALONE, consisting of its leader Kite and brothers Light and Night.

That being said, the quote of "The best stories it tells are the ones between its characters." is true, in the sense that they are fighting for a just world, that's the mission of KNoCC and Esola as a whole in trying to figure out who they are, what their purpose on Earth is for, and be the one thing that humanity hates it best: be like humans with a heart for people. And you need not look far than Episode 1's sudden "plot twist" to know that this show is unlike any other idol show out there, with the whole "Blast Furnace incident" and the police (in the form of Android Inspector Bora) in search of this illusive truth. And the cost of that truth wlll break its government to its foundation, pure eradication and purposes all wounded up for the right or wrong reasons. For this alone, I can say that while Overmind as a whole is kinda rough with the ascertained quote "Look, it's a bit clumsy with the execution.", it at least got its points across that both humans and Androids can live together, even in an unjust world. And for that, it's a plus point that I rarely give, especially in idol shows.

With Doga Kobo taking a break because of the studio's most recent COVID-related breakout, it's a given where shows like Kubo-san and this wil get delayed having their releases pushed back a bit, and it's honestly better late than never, albeit with degrade visuals that are just lazy with subpar work done. Korean director Im Ga-Hee is a relative unknown, so it's shows like these at get the least amount of reception that is a safe zone that will not affect the reputation of the staff under her name, so that's A-OK, I guess.

Obviously, idol shows are all about the music, and both producers of Elements Garden and Avex Pictures have a lot of experience under their belt. As expected, the usual OST of the idol theme is not something that I would be of particular interest, and to be fair, is only appreciated by the niche. I will have to admit though that while KNOCC's OP "Love No Hate" is kinda average, it's the collab of KNoCC and STAND-ALONE's "Invisible -one heart-" (there is an "-all hearts-" version for the mobage) that is low-key one of my favourite ED songs this season. But still, it's really on the average side as far as idol OSTs go.

But still, while Technoroid: Overmind is really forgettable, it's watchable, that out of all the idols shows of the past few years, this one is no slouch, and is a touch above average. I still wouldn't count on anyone having a keen interest to watch this show, so just take a peek at it, then forget that it ever existed.

Detroit: Become Idols. Over and out.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Jan 25, 2023

i-like-this

Not Recommended

Funny

Preliminary (4/12 eps)

Detroit: Become Idols.

Technoroid: Overmind is err… not good to say the least. A story about a four android roommates trying to become idols so they can pay the rent and the electricity bills could make for a fun comedy, but with it’s lacklustre animation and generically annoying characters, I found sitting through the first four episodes very difficult.

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t watch the first episode, in fact you should. The 180 it does at the end might be one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a while. I’m not going to spoil that particular moment, but I does set ... up the B plot of anti-robot discrimination, and you’d only need to have played or watched a play-through of David Cages Detroit: Become Human to know why discrimination against robots just does not work as a stand in for real discrimination.

It also doesn’t help that the four androids in question aren’t particularly likeable. Kei, Neon and Chrom all speak in the same monotone way making it difficult to actually separate the three from each other as characters because their other traits aren’t particularly forefront. The only one who has any personality is Cobalt, but honestly I wish he didn’t because he is very obnoxious.
The only normal character in the cast is the soft boy Esora, an engineering prodigy who starts to take care of four bucket of bolts when they find him dying from sunstroke. He’s fine.

Actually, I do like the world building. The city is mostly underwater presumingly because of global warming, so people have to get around by boats, yet it still has the feel of a dystopian, sci-fi future metropolis. The way Esora performs maintenance on the androids via a musical keyboard instead of a computer one is pretty creative too.

There’s a mystery around the four of them as to why they were created and why they’re unregistered machines, but if you’ve seen literally ANY sci-fi anime about androids learning human emotions you can probably piece together the story yourself.
In fact, I’m going to make a prediction and say that the reason the four of them were built was so they can experience human emotions and learn from them, so that a new line of androids can be built from the data they’ve collected… or something. Then theres going to be a robot uprising that can only be stopped through the power of singing and dancing…

If you want to watch a much, much, MUCH better anime about androids, music, dystopian futures and a robot uprising, then may I recommend one of best anime of 2021, Vivy: Fluorite Eyes Song. Not only does if have a much better plot and characters, but all the songs amazing (I still listen to them from time to time) and the music numbers are fully 2D animated with 3D tracking so it looks gorgeous, unlike this show which makes me feel like I’m watching a Just Dance play-through whenever they sing a musical number.

In conclusion, watch Vivy, don’t watch Technoroid: Overmind… unless you have some alcohol and friends to laugh at the first episode with. I do recommend that.

2/10 Bad.

Reviewer’s Rating: 2

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	Poll: Technoroid: Overmind Episode 12 Discussion KANLen09 - Mar 29, 2023	14 replies	by ArcFloof »» Feb 10, 6:37 AM
	Poll: Technoroid: Overmind Episode 9 Discussion KANLen09 - Mar 8, 2023	8 replies	by Thrive2Mix »» Jan 3, 4:51 AM
	Poll: Technoroid: Overmind Episode 5 Discussion Serafos - Feb 1, 2023	14 replies	by Thaliel »» Apr 11, 2023 8:58 PM
	Poll: Technoroid: Overmind Episode 10 Discussion KANLen09 - Mar 15, 2023	8 replies	by gyanburubii »» Apr 9, 2023 4:21 PM
	Poll: Technoroid: Overmind Episode 11 Discussion KANLen09 - Mar 22, 2023	2 replies	by AnimeFan500 »» Mar 22, 2023 2:11 PM