Super Robot Wars OG The Inspector

First I will repeat, this is not a review. Just, after much confusion, I have discovered that this anime, although great on its own has a LOOOOONNNNG backhistory involving several games and another anime(I think). Since its too long and complex to state here, Ill just give a rundown on what happened before this show:

Humans develop cool technology and form two special teams, SRT &ATX
Humans launch into space and discover aliens(aerogators)
Aliens attack humans
Humans win
Aliens sue
We talk
Rogue federation (DC) attacks aliens on the way to talks.
DC clams it is the only ones who can defend earth and begin series of surprise attacks on Earth Federation
EF unites and counters attacks
Aliens are still attacking
EF unites and defeats DC
EF begins attacking aliens
WAIT!! SPIES WITHING EF!!!!!
AND THEIR FROM THE ALIENS!!!!!
battle
Battle
Battle
Earth wins...or did they....


Thats the summary...I think....someone correct me if I'm wrong, but this is just cliffnotes from another site....linked below...

Enjoy...!

Site: http://www.mania.com/guide-to-super-robot-wars-original-generation_article_125709.html

If you have never played a Super Robot Wars game, or if you have and for some reason or another hate the Banpresto Originals, this anime may not be for you. However, if you are a fan of super robot anime or more conventional real robot mecha, SRWOG has got you covered. You don't need to be familiar with SRW at all to enjoy the show, but the games are themselves extremely fun - check them out if you get a chance!

The animation in this series, particularly the mecha animation, is far better than previous SRW anime, in my opinion. Kyosuke and Excellen look great, as do Alt and the Weissritter. The music has been enjoyable so far, with an opening by JAM Project, as is the norm for both SRW games and many revivals of super robot properties these days (see the 2001 Mazinkaiser OP and CL as examples). They channel the craziness of older 70s anime themes with a rock sound, which may require a little time to appreciate. If you decide you like it, they have a ton of material.

The story is enjoyable so far, with some crazy magic robot technology and parallel worlds making sure to keep things on the super side of the real robot slider. We can expect a lot of action, since Kyosuke is not one for talking through problems; the SRX team's appearance should be a lot of fun to watch, since we will definitely see their combining R formation soon!

The characters are a lot of fun - many of them have been around for years in various roles in the SRW series, and have histories and relationships which this series is likely to build on and explore. Doubtless there will be in-jokes, but so far the series has not seemed too exclusionary in that regard. Also, as a Kyosuke/Excellen fan, this series does not disappoint! I'm looking forward to the rest of the show, and some more of their hilarious relationship!

If you're new to the series of SRW, try out a game. They're great fun, and playing will only enhance your enjoyment of the show.

Ok first off this is a sequel to a previous series....actually a couple of previous series. The original series which was another "Super Robot Wars: Something" Title featured kind of how all the robots and characters came together. What made that series neat was that they took from so many differing genres of Giant Robots....they had a Crazy Professor made one a Robotech one that was run by the military one from another dimension that ran off psychic energy....list is a bit big. Anywise with out all of that this sequel might be difficult to get into.
The background is some aliens came to destroy the earth so some groups on earth after being unsuccessful in stopping them...decided to enlist the help of the of the Giant Robot heroes on their world. It was ok the group worked but got better when more giant robot origin characters and teams showed up.
What made this interesting....was that the characters and teams actually decided to get a clue and share technology and techniques. Well not all the way...as some was still more advanced then what others have....but eventually through fighting aliens and a splinter group who thought they should take over the world we come to this series.
So its a good sequel...might be confusing to some who have not seen the other animes. There are also some Manga and Games that the series is based on....that are basically what the Anime series is based on.

So its got great giant robot action with a lot of interesting interaction of the differing pilots and groups who made the robots.

The Super Robot genre has been around for a long time. Originally introduced via Tetsujin-28-go, or as some people may know as Gigantor, in the 1950s and later refined by Go Nagai's Mazinger in 1972. Mazinger Z would later go on to redefine the mecha genre by introducing a piloted machine; piloted in the same manner as one would drive a car.

Over the years, various series have been created using the standards established by both Tesujin and Mazinger. Many of these put their own spin on the genre from combining robots, to god machines and to sentient robots.

Super Robot Wars premiered in the early 1990s as a simple Game Boy game that pitted the likes of Gundam, Mazinger and Getter together. The series would later go onto spawn numerous titles and incarnations on a variety of systems.

After years of repeating the formula of using preexisting mecha anime, the series had finally made up it's repertoire of original player characters.

Enter Original Generation. Released for the GBA in 2002, Original Generation was the first game to be comprised entirely of original cast members not derived from existing works. It would later go onto spawn a sequel called Original Generation 2, also for the GBA and also a Playstation 2 remake called Original Generations . OGs, as it's referred to, combined both OG1 and OG2 into a single game, with redone scenarios, new characters included and new plot elements. OGs would later lead into OG Gaiden.

Super Robot Wars OG: The Inspector takes place half a year after the events of OG1 (Which was adapted into SRW OG: Divine Wars) and features the return of the teams of the Hiryu Kai and Hagane. In this anime adaption of the second game, the heroes of the L5 campaign take on the demonic forces of the Einst, the scheming Neo DC and the diabolic Inspectors.

The Opening themes, MAXON and Ryusei Lovers, are once again provided by JAM Project, as per SRW tradition. The Ending themes were provided by Aki Misato.

The show, while it appears to stand on it's own, is quite difficult to get into, assuming one has no prior experience with the series.

It pretty much comes down to being a show BY fans FOR fans. Either that or just turn off your enjoy the delicious Obari mecha animation.

Much better than Divine Wars either way.

I have no knowledge of this series in any form prior to watching this. This is for those who know what is going on.

Find myself bored with a story that I can't seem to follow. Who is that? What side are they on? Why are they fighting? Where are they trying to get go (the goal of the groups and individuals)?

Usually I will watch all episodes but this is just not working for me.

Again I am sure it is good for those who know the backstory.

I love Super Robot Wars. With a passion. It was with regret however when I watched Divine Wars. Coming into The Inspector, I had high hopes, OG2 is one of my favorite of the series, second only to Alpha Gaiden. I came expecting to find an anime finally worthy of the SRW title, and instead got my regrets with Divine Wars all over again.

My main complaint lays inside of the story for this, so it'll be the one I address last. The music is largely just a remix of the games, which isn't an issue. The SRW series is known for badass music, this is undebatable. There are a few tunes here and there I dislike, but everyone has those, I'm not going to hit the show for that.

The characters are pretty much correct. Ryuusei's a Robophile, Excellen is just as silly and perverted as remembered, Bullet is....Bullet, Kyosuke is just as serious as he should be...they're all just as they should be. I'm looking forward to Sanger and Wodan playing a major part in the show, as they are pretty much everyones favorite characters. Always.

The animation is amazing, as I expected. It's great coming from Divine Wars messy mix up with CGI to a fully drawn anime instead. Everything flows beautifully, and looks amazing. There are a few complaints I have, but those are more to do with the character design than anything else....speaking of which...

Character Designs range from at best what we remembered, to at worst complete overhauls. I'm looking largely at Vindel Mauser and Lemon Browning for that, who look nothing at all like they did from OG2, especially Vindel who was unfortunately turned into a gigantic Bishounen.

Now to my chief complaint, the story. The story feels like a gigantic mess to me. I can accept screwing around with the chronological order in the order of how things happen, but most of it just doesn't work. For example, why is there any need for the Tokyo Manifest to be RIGHT in the middle of the war with Neo DC in the anime, when in the game it was set around six months before the Neo DC emerged? The only reason I can come up with is that they wanted there to be action right off the bat. And then Ryukooh and Koryuoh's reveal sent me frothing.

Then there are certain plotholes which just annoy me, such as Lamia's speech issues. In the game there was a good reason for it. At the start of OG2, her Angelg was chased and wounded by Neo-DC forces and her communicator was broken in the attack. In the anime...no reason is given. Her mech isn't hit, she doesn't fall and break it somehow...it's just a random speech problem that isn't explained, just acknowledged for laughs.

I want to enjoy this show, but for me the strong point of Super Robot Wars was always the story, which is largely why I disliked OG1, but loved OG2. Banpresto has almost always done SRW's story justice whether it was their original characters, or with the mash up every other game is. And it seem's like I'll be waiting awhile for an SRW anime that isn't just a quick cash in on the SRW name.