Godannar: Engage & Destroy, Mission 1

From the very bottom of the anime barrel comes this noisy hodgepodge of robots, apocalyptic battles, domestic comedy, and women with very large breasts. The daring pilot Go is preparing to marry the 17-year-old Anna Aoi, but during the wedding ceremony he is summoned to fight off a new attack by the Mimetic Beasts. Anna, however, is not one to take this disruption lightly: also trained in fighting the Beasts, she joins a none-too-pleased Go, piloting his-and-her mecha (giant robots) to kill the invaders and save the world. Godannar is burdened with an icky backstory (the much-older Go saved Anna's life when she was 12 and has been obsessed with her throughout her youth) and an equally unpleasant subplot with Go's kid brother, who likes Anna a bit too much. It is also weighed down with a pair of Go's ex-girlfriends trying to recapture his attention. But with all the bosom heaving and leering innuendo, the mecha fights often take a backseat. Featuring the first five of 26 episodes on a dual-language disc, rated TV-MA, Godannar feels like Gigantor re-imagined by Russ Meyer. DVD extras include interviews with the Japanese staff. Not recommended. [Note: Godannar, Mission 2 and Mission 3 are also available, with Mission 4 slated for release on Mar. 21.] Aud: P. (P. Hall)