Anime: Megaton-kyuu Musashi

Mecha had been a dying genre, and the autumn 2021 season seemed poised to revive it. Announcements sparked hope and joy among fans. Muv-Luv Alternative, a highly anticipated adaptation of the critically acclaimed porn game, rushed and flavoured with an ugly CGI mess, remains considered one of the worst adaptation failures in anime history. Sakugan was an aimless adventure, prioritising a cute girl over the ugly CGI giant robots, so it failed. AMAIM was a more grounded 'real robot' series with politics. While it avoided CGI, it felt like nothing but a xenophobic Gundam knockoff with an obligatory Char clone, a mediocre plot, and forgettable characters.

Enter Megaton Musashi to save the day, ditching waifus and Digimons to focus on classic staples in an attempt to deliver a classic mecha experience with a vengeful protagonist, alien invaders, and humanity’s desperate struggle for survival. Except it has ugly CGI and other issues to be discussed in this review.

The protagonist, Yamato, is introduced with a tragic past—his little sister was killed by aliens, fuelling his thirst for vengeance. He stands out compared to the other bland and cowardly protagonists of this season; he's not a self-insert like Takeru from Muv-Luv and he's a cool badass unlike Amou from AMAIM. He’s literally a typical school delinquent with a strong conviction, hot-headedness, and obliviousness to romance—an archetype that has been recycled in countless anime before.

Humanity, having lost Earth to aliens, now lives in secrecy, using memory manipulation—a technology employed to maintain morale and a peaceful society after the invasion. Yamato’s unapologetic pursuit of genocide against aliens is undermined by the show’s own logic. If vengeance is his sole drive, why did he agree to have his memories erased initially? The series introduces memory-altering technology early on, but this plot point creates more holes than intrigue. If the organisation needs willing fighters, why erase the memories of potential pilots? The inconsistent handling of this concept makes Yamato’s arc feel contrived rather than gripping.

The premise of humanity clinging to a false peace could have been fascinating. Instead, the execution collapses under scrutiny. The story’s central gimmick—selective memory erasure and restoration—raises too many questions. For example:

If memory-transfer technology exists to train pilots instantly, why are recruits tested by fighting humanoid robots barehanded? What does punching metal prove about their ability to pilot mechs?

If pilots already have implanted knowledge, why do they constantly ask basic questions about their robot's features mid-battle?

Most bafflingly: Why would Yamato, whose entire identity revolves around avenging his sister, consent to memory erasure in the first place? If he was forced, why would the organisation sabotage its own recruitment of willing soldiers?

These contradictions render the worldbuilding poor, making it unclear whether the memory erasure serves any real narrative purpose beyond forced action and plot convenience.

The fights are fast-paced but lack weight. Despite the desperate war premise, battles feel sterile—damage is rarely shown, alien deaths occur offscreen, and environmental destruction is minimal. Worse, the action is constantly interrupted by redundant dialogue. If pilots have implanted combat skills, why do characters waste time explaining basic mechanics mid-fight? The lone bright spot is the integration of technobabble during battles, keeping the pacing brisk. Unfortunately, this isn’t enough to salvage the mediocrity.

Megaton Musashi tries to revive mecha nostalgia with flashy designs and a familiar premise but stumbles over its own flaws. The protagonist is a checklist of tropes, the worldbuilding prioritises shock over substance, and the action lacks visceral impact.

If you love robots, go back and watch retro titles. If desperate for new content, then there’s AMAIM, which, despite its flaws, provides a richer experience:
Better dialogue: Natural and purposeful.
Complex conflict: Political intrigue between multiple factions, not just 'humans vs. aliens'.
Deeper characterisation: Protagonists grapple with survival and loyalty to their nation, questioning their cause—not one-dimensional school tropes and 'must kill all aliens' vengeance.
Superior animation: Traditional 2D with character designs that don’t resemble a cheap card game adaptation.
Fitting soundtrack: No jarringly upbeat combat music in a supposedly grim setting.