Rockman: Hoshi ni Negai wo - Reviews

Verdict:

Watch it, it's short and an interesting take on the Megaman-franchise.

Story:

The story is entertaining and well done in its simplicity and execution. Rockman gets an authentic treatment as part of the video game world and him switching to the real world, a world he always recognized as something real but not knowing much about it, is presented in an interesting fashion. The kids who own the game and who become friends with Rockman are explaining Japanese traditions in a simple way for him and in a way that's at least a bit interesting (That's clearly not the strong point of the show. It kinda feels out of place).

Dr. Wily's ploys are cartoonish, but that makes them more interesting. Which is necessary, because it's painfully obvious that Rockman will of course win. There are no stakes, even though it's made very clear that the planet will be devastated and humanity will be extinct if Wily wins. It's made for a younger audience, so there is a constant indirect assurance that no one will die and everything will be okay.

There's this weird new interpretation of its own story in the third episode where they don't know each other and Dr. Wily escapes for the first time again and that's jarring.

Animation/Design:

For its time it was good. Fluid movements, *some* interesting camera movements and angles. The design is faithful to the video games and the switch/differences between the real world and the video game worlds are made interesting.

Sound/Voices/Music:

Everything fits together, but they really missed the chance to incorporate some iconic music from the games. Such a shame.

Characters:

It's Rockman. He acts like a responsible hero. That's all. He's honestly interested in the culture of his new friends, which makes him kinda sympathic. 

The kids are mostly just a plot point and anchor point for Rockman in the real world. They could be replaced by any other pair of siblings and you wouldn't know the difference.

Overall:

It's perfectly innocent, campy fun. It's rooted in the culture of 90s Japan and some things haven't aged well, but it's enjoyable as contemporary Megaman-anime and for its length.