... aka: Demon of Steel: Battle of the Great Demon Beasts
... aka: Devil Robot: Horror de Otra Dimensión (Devil Robot: Horror from Another Dimension)
... aka: Les demons d'acier (The Demons of Steel)
... aka: Oni - carne e acciaio (Oni - Flesh and Steel)
... aka: Steel Beast
Directed by:
Toshiki Hirano
In 1999, at a remote island research facility called Sansara, scientists conduct experiments on an unknown, recently-discovered energy particle that they've named the "Quark of Malhuder." From that particle, they've developed a satellite equipped with a powerful space laser. After shooting the laser beam to Earth for the very first time, a strange weather phenomenon occurs, followed by something large and metallic falling into the ocean. Three years later, Takuya Gorozu receives a distressed-sounding letter from his estranged former colleague, Haruka Alford, requesting his help and assistance. Reluctantly, Takuya returns to the island and is taken to the research center by his ex-girlfriend Lyse Molun, who's now working as a warrant officer. Takuya is horrified to discover that the new project director is Galun, who had forced him and Haruka to risk their lives three years earlier (or else face open fire from his men) to retrieve a sample from the mysterious metallic object. Both he and Haruka were injured as a result. Angry, Takuya decided he could no longer work for the same company and abandoned the project altogether (as well as his relationship with Lyse) to return to college.
When Takuya finally gets to see Haruka, who still works at the facility, he immediately notices that his friend isn't quite the same. For starters, he doesn't even remember writing Takuya and asking him to come there in the first place. Or at least he claims he doesn't. And then his handshake has become so powerful it almost crushes his buddies hand, plus Haruka has suddenly started eating huge amounts of food in one sitting. According to Lyse, Haruka has also had a sudden anger management problem and frequently locks himself inside his lab for up to three weeks at a time.
What actually occurred during the 1999 laser experiment was that the shot acted as a transfer system and managed to open up another dimension in the process which then enabled that strange black mass to enter into our world. Haruka has been conducting top secret experiments on it ever since, with Galun (the only other person to have access to the files) allowing him to do so in hopes that he'll eventually be able to take credit for the work. During these experiments, Haruka has been slowly changing for the worse.
The island is struck by occasional earthquake-like tremors, a pair of fighter jets are found destroyed and a radar center is attacked and reduced to rubble, which brings the military in to seize control over the center. After Haruka murders a soldier and his girlfriend Rui (for helping Takuya access top secret files), the military go after him but, by then, it's too late. Thunder erupts, glass shatters and Haruka is sucked into the giant metallic structure (the "demons" of the title are biomechanical robots that have their own powers yet must be fused with a human in order to realize their full destructive potential) and then goes on a rampage. After he wipes out most of the research facility, the laser is activated once again to bring another "demon" to Earth; which Takuya uses to fight the one Haruka is in.
Christ on a cracker, what a fuckin' slog! This 56 minute OVA from the Anime International Company is extremely slow-going, talky, exposition-heavy and filled with glum, dull and depressive characters; issues only exacerbated by styling this with a steely blue and gray color pallet. Likewise, the design of the titular beasts; all ill-defined, sub-Transformers lumps of spikes and scrap metal whose true capabilities are never adequately explored, is forgettable. Even the climactic robot vs. robot battle, what the entire sluggish plot has been leading up to, is unexciting and disappointing. Not nearly as much fun as it should have been. In fact, this isn't much fun at all.
This was dubbed into French, Italian and Spanish for video distribution but does not appear to have ever been officially released in the U. S. or in other English-speaking countries. However, a version with English subtitles is available.
★1/2
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