IT is come, the Ide has Awoken. There is no turning back.

THE IDE HAS BEEN INVOKED. ALL IS LOST.

Man, Tomino is really hit or miss. He’s often nonsensical in his dialogue direction, even in the original japanese, and is legendary for it. He over-emphasizes the importance of body-language as a communication and characterization device in a medium that can barely handle characterization through straight exposition, and the results are often stilted and overdone. He constantly bitches at everyone for not “growing up” and telling stories that aren’t “stupid” yet he has a clear fascination with robots FIGHTAN ROBOTS FOR THE SAKE OF COOL FIGHTS, sometimes at the expense of his own narrative.

There’s even more I could say, but I digress. All that said, why do we pay attention to his works? Because every so often, you can see it shining through his work, the tortured but indomitable spark of divine inspiration, grand ideas aching to be let loose. A true creator’s spirit. It’s impossible to ignore. That he has quite a few really good works also helps.

Ideon isn’t always great; people often describe the series itself as “hit or miss”. But honestly, it’s a classic for damn good reason, and towards the end it’s obvious to see why.

Torrent here. Standard edition on UQ’s Site.