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Orguss 02
Super Dimension Century Orguss 02

Genre: Science Fiction / Action

It started with Orguss the TV series......

Orguss the T.V. series was released in 1983, after Super Dimension Fortress Macross finished its T.V. run. The story of Orguss is in the year 2062, Earth was divided into two superpowers, both battling over a space elevator. This Elevator is able to lift materials into space much more easily that any other method.

The story focuses on Lt. Kei Katsuragi, a fighter pilot. His mission is to protect a new bomb while it is being planted. The bomb, the Space/Time oscillation bomb. The plans go wrong, Kei has to try and stop the bomb, messes up the settings and the bomb goes off, scrambling time, space and the dimensions. The series follows Kei adventures in this new dimension after he is picked up by the Chiram, a group of techno-gypsies, and his attempt to set the time/dimensions straight. His love affair with the Cute Chiram, Mimsy, produces a child.

At the end of the T.V. series the new oscillation bomb is set off again to set the mess straight... right?... wrong...

Comments:

I watched this 6  episode OAV in English over the weekend of October 3rd, 1998. The first episode started a little slow, and I questioned the quality of the English dub & dialog, but the plot quickly shaped up. The artwork and cinematography is excellent, and the music is very cool. This is one of those great anime series that keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. There is plenty of action, and the story line is rich & completely unpredictable. You never know which way things are going to go, or what characters are going to be eliminated next. Another great anime series that I very highly recommend. It gets better each time you watch it.

Warning! The following synopsis and comments are definitely spoilers!

While the Orguss story includes allot of Mecha, it is about the human struggle. I was especially attracted to the relationship developed between Lean and Nataruma. In the last episode where the Lebo has been defeated, Nataruma and Lean realize that as the dimensional shifts correct themselves, Nataruma will disappear forever back into the world from which she originated. As they hold each other, Nataruma tells Lean that she loves him, as she knows he loves her, Lean yells 'Don't leave....', and then she is gone never to return. In that moment, I believe that she wanted to stay with Lean as much as she wanted to return to the world on which she knew she had always belonged. In the final seen which takes place two years later, Lean is shown wearing the bracelet that Nataruma left behind. It's difficult to explain how deeply this OAV affected me.

Episode Synopsis:

Episode #1 'Fool's Choice'

As the story begins, Lean and Zante are work on a government ship salvaging Decimators from the bottom of the ocean. Decimators are what the current inhabitants call the mecha. It has been 200 years since the second time/space bomb exploded. The new world is divided into many countries, the two most powerful are Revilia and Zafram. After pulling the decimator to the surface, Lean and Zante are to accompany the Palace Guard Lt. Manning back to the capital with the valuable decimator, repairing it in route. It seems that Revilia and Zafram are about to go to war and Revilia needs all the decimators it can get. Suddenly the transport plane is jumped by a Zafram decimator and Lt. Manning sends Lean out in the decimator they are carrying to draw the enemy away so they can escape, the plane crash lands and Lean manages to destroy the enemy machine. Bad news, the plane has landed in a zone, the area around the remains of the space elevator, with its hundreds of automated attack sentry robots still functioning! The trio escape the zone but Zante is killed. After returning home Lean learns that Zante has left a sizable debt on the repair shop. Lean, feeling as if he is responsible, takes it upon himself to pay off this debt and save the repair shop. He goes and joins the Palace Guards Unit taking four years pay in advance. Torria confronts Lean as he prepares to leave for the military. She is upset that Lean has joined the military, knowing that the two countries will soon be at war. The rain is very heavy that day as the military band marches by, the course to war is set... 

Episode #2 'Where Angles Fear to Tread'

Lean arrives at the Royal Guard Barracks and meets Lt. Manning. Lean learns that Manning pulled in some favors to get Lean into the Guards. Apparently, the guards are separate from the regular military, and usually are not subject to their rules. Meanwhile, political intrigue abounds as the king is ill. Soon Revilia will have a new ruler.  Lt. Manning makes plans to go to Zafram to spy on there main Decimator mining operation. He chooses Lean to be his partner on this mission which he tells Lean is to steal decimators for Revilia's war effort. They travel through neighboring countries posing as lingerie salesman making there way towards Zafram. After showing there wares at a local brothel, Lt. Manning steals a miners uniform and infiltrates the Zafram Decimator mining operation. Soon he is discovered and steals a decimator to escape. He sees the decimator that he really came to Zafram to see. The largest decimator ever discovered. Meanwhile, Lean is left in the hotel room alone. A knock on the door and a mysterious girl enters. She is obviously running but from where? Lean offers her a way to escape with him back to Revilia. The firepower of the giant decimator proves to much for Manning and the attempted escape together falls through, Lean and the mysterious Nataruma are on their own to get out of hostile Zafram. 

Episode #3 'Fugitives'

Nataruma and Lean make there way to the Zafam border on foot. Suddenly Nataruma tells Lean that there are enemy aircraft approaching, even though there are no aircraft to be seen. As she shoves him under cover the Zafram patrol passes by. Nataruma seems to have psychic powers. Meanwhile, Lt. Manning has returned to base and is reporting on the giant Decimator. Although not believed, Manning receives a promotion for the recovery of a decimator.  Manning also shows him a photo of the fugitive that the Zafram government desperately wants. Nataruma and Lean get a ride on cart, they learn that the enemy is not that much different from them. Back in the capitals of the two countries, both are making formal declarations of war. Lean and Nataruma attempt to take the train, but Nataruma's photo is everywhere. While walking they come across a broken down military truck. Lean gets Nataruma to distract the driver with her body while he knocks him out. Using the truck, they drive towards the border passing check points successfully. They see the ruins of the town where the man who gave them a ride on his cart lives. The town is totally destroyed. Before they can dwell on that too long, enemy forces spot them and they must make a run for the border. All seems lost as the Zafam Decimators capture them, suddenly a stranger decimator intervenes and destroys both enemy machines. But, the new machine seems interested in Nataruma as it tries to make off with her. The arrival of Rivilian Decimators chase off the new machine. Lying on the ground, Lean comes to only to see strange antenna on Nataruma! Elsewhere, the giant decimator attacks Rivilian target, the unstoppable machine begins its advance. 

Episode #4 'Searcher'

Manning explains Lean's apparent loss to Torria. Torria does not take the news to well. Elsewhere, Lean and Nataruma are on a train traveling back to the city. Nataruma  confronts Lean about the antenna he saw, but Lean surprises her by taking a matter of fact attitude and concerning himself with how she will survive in Revilia. Upon arrival back at the repair shop Lean asks if Nataruma can stay with the family. All goes badly for the Revillian troops fighting against the giant decimator. Nothing seems to be able to even dent it. Lean reports back to headquarters where Manning pulls a fast one and cons Lean into believing that abandoning him was unavoidable. Acting on Manning's report on the mysterious girl Nataruma, the Revillian government decides they want her too, to learn whatever the Zafram government knew. So wanted posters are distributed around the country.  Nataruma is betrayed. Leans must now go to the prison and try to rescue Nataruma before it is too late. After all she did help save his life behind enemy lines and there is something about the girl.. After arriving at the prison, Lean recovers Nataruma and makes good on there escape, but before they can make all the way out the alarm sounds. Lean pushes her out of the last gate before it closes and gets shot for his trouble by the guard. Nataruma displays her powers again, ripping the gate down and crushing the guard. A mysterious man appears and grabs Lean and Nataruma and leaps with both of them in arm over the castle wall. The mysterious decimator takes off and easily outruns the other machines! 

Episode #5 'Destroyer'

In the winter snow Prince Pirian reclaims his throne and eliminates all the rivals and traitors. At the tower, Lean receives treatment for his wounds. There, Nataruma and Lean learn the truth about their world and the tragedy of 200 years ago and the plan to use another space / time osolation bomb to return the worlds to normal.  Manning sends Torria and her mother to Belz to get them out of harms way. The Revillian army plans an attack against the giant decimator. A final attack that will stop the invader.  Prince now King Pirian shows Manning a giant decimator he has found, one he plans to use to save his country and protect the flowers. But the giant decimator he has found is the ultimate weapon ever developed named "Lebo". Nataruma learns more about her family history and the role she has to play in restoring the world to normal. 

Episode #6 'Those Who Wish for Tomorrow'

As King Pirian leaves a path of destruction and death across the country, Lean and Nataruma must battle desperately  to stop him before he can unleash the firepower of Lebo and annihilate the entire world. The broken worlds cannot be restored until the last greatest decimator is destroyed. 

 
-Complete Story Synopsis borrowed from John Wilson's site - Anime Today

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