Anime Colony: Saber Marionette R

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  Rating: R
  U.S. Distribution Rights: Bandai Entertainment
  Genres: Comedy, Sci-Fi

Saber Marionette R (OVA)

Description: Late in Earth Century due to overpopulation, efforts to colonization are made. Welcome to Japones, an all male society, where the only females are high performance androids without emotion called "marionettes". Here in this world robots called Marionettes are used for fighting, completing menial labor and the replacement of the female population. It has been 200 years since the drifters landed onto the planet. The story begins in one of the city-states, Romarna as a clone of ruler attempts to take the throne.

Overall Grade: 77.5% (C+)

The Saber Marionette J (TV) Review
The Saber Marionette J Again (OVA) Review
The Saber Marionette J to X (OVA) Review

Reviewer #1: Mariela Ortiz
Episodes reviewed: 1-3, Subtitled

Grade: 80% (B-)

Is it a prequel and sequel or in its own little universe? We may never know. Fans debate what relation this show has to the others in the Saber Marionette franchise and there seems to be no solid answer! What is definite is that this three part OVA series was based on a radio drama of the same name, though it differs radically in style. Those familiar with Saber Marionette J and its sequels, will also notice some startling similarities and differences. Cuter designs belie a much darker and twisted story, with significantly more violence.

Dealing with the attempted takeover of the country of Romana (an Italy analogy perhaps?) the story starts out cute and funny, silly marionette antics, petty jealousies and of course, Lime's general cluelessness. But as soon as Face's plan is put into action, all the light is (almost literally) gone from the series. Face is many, many times a worse villain than any in the J series, who literally treats his Sexadolls like dirt. Every fight seen is very violent, not very cartoonish at all, despite the cute, almost super-deformed appearance the girls have. Its a startling contrast.

However for a short OVA a series, it tells a rather complete story, not leaving the viewer with too many questions (besides the whole how does it relate question). The tale is interesting, and the Japanese voice cast (the same as in the SMJ series) is top-notch as always.

Reviewer #2: Zac Bertschy
Episodes reviewed: 1-3, subtitled

Grade: 75% (C)

I've never really liked the Saber Marionette series. They've always struck me as pure fluff. Sure, there was a hackneyed message about the definition of life and acceptance, but in the end the moral always seemed tacked on and ultimately unnecessary. Although it's a complete departure from the normal Saber Marionette style, Saber Marionette R doesn't have a whole lot of new material to offer and inevitably ends up being just as fluffy as it's sequels.

Saber Marionette R is the OVA on which the following Saber Marionette J and J to X TV series are based. The interesting thing is that the only real connection between the two is the basic storyline — inept boy finds 3 cute robot girls who love him — and the character names are the same. Other than that, Saber Marionette R is very different stylistically from it's sequels. The story is much darker, and the art is very different. Characters are drawn with gigantic, malformed eyes and squishy looking heads. The only characters taller than pint-size are the villains, and they're drawn with very exaggerated curves. The whole thing borders on being hentai, given the amount of sex that goes on. In all, it's a fairly disturbing, uninteresting and unattractive affair that's probably best avoided by fans of anything other than the later Saber Marionette series. Visually, it isn't a complete waste of time. The animation is amazingly smooth and fluid — obviously a lot of money was spent on this OVA series, and apparently it paid off — the legacy of anime created by this OVA has undoubtedly netted millions for Bandai in Japan and the U.S. That's all well and good for Bandai, but unfortunately for anime fans, Saber Marionette R is a serious disappointment.