Brain Powered is a 26-episode anime series created by Yoshiyuki Tomino. It aired on Japanese television from April to November 1998. The show features mecha designs by Mamoru Nagano, character designs by Mutsumi Inomata, and music by Yoko Kanno. A scene from Cowboy Bebop (1998) Anime (アニメ) is Japanese animation, sometimes referred to by the portmanteau Japanimation. ... Yoshiyuki Tomino (富野 由悠季 Tomino Yoshiyuki) (b. ... 1998(MCMXCVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... The title mecha RX-78-2 Gundam from the popular anime Mobile Suit Gundam In some works of science fiction, mecha (singular or plural, less frequently meka) or mechs (singular: mech) (sometimes referred to as giant robots) are piloted or remote-controlled limbed vehicles. ... Mutsumi Inomata is a Japanese artist. ... Yoko Kanno (菅野 よう子 Kanno Yōko, born March 19, 1964) Miyagi Prefecture, Japan is a famous composer and keyboardist known for her performances and musical scores in anime titles. ...

Brain Powered breaks many conventions of traditional mecha anime, an approach that permeates the series from organic mechanical designs to dialogue-driven episodes. The title mecha RX-78-2 Gundam from the popular anime Mobile Suit Gundam In some works of science fiction, mecha (singular or plural, less frequently meka) or mechs (singular: mech) (sometimes referred to as giant robots) are piloted or remote-controlled limbed vehicles. ... A scene from Cowboy Bebop (1998) Anime (アニメ) is Japanese animation, sometimes referred to by the portmanteau Japanimation. ...

A manga version was later created; it was published in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten and in the United States in English by TOKYOPOP. Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... TOKYOPOP, formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor of many very popular manga in the United States, headquartered in Los Angeles, California. ...

Plot

The world has been ravaged by flooding caused by the ascension of a giant organic alien vessel, "Orphan," from deep beneath the sea. In the aftermath, two sides emerge in a battle for the future of humanity. There are those who wish for Orphan's success in leaving the planet, and those who opposed them. If Orphan takes off, it will steal away all of the organic energy from Earth, annilihating all life except for those on the ship itself.

Orphan's supporters, the Reclaimers, use the living mecha called antibodies. Those who fight against the Reclaimers operate the battleship known as Novis Noah, and pilot the antibodies known as the Brain Powered. The anime follows the story of an ex-Reclaimer called Yuu Isami and a girl named Hime Utsumiya as they fight with their Brain Powered's to prevent the extinction of mankind and discover what the true purpose of Orphan is. The title mecha RX-78-2 Gundam from the popular anime Mobile Suit Gundam In some works of science fiction, mecha (singular or plural, less frequently meka) or mechs (singular: mech) (sometimes referred to as giant robots) are piloted or remote-controlled limbed vehicles. ...

Production Values

Brain Powered is an unusual blend of cell animation borrowed from twenty years earlier and some occasional computer graphics. With the exception of the CG, everything about Brain Powered's animation (colors, designs, even animation quality) suggest a series closer to the late 1980s. // Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 1960s and 1970s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ...

Voice acting is above average; the expressions and nuances of each character are well articulated. Repeated use of the second person creates some unintentionally humorous moments.

Yoko Kanno's music is exceptional, though at times it feels like the animation and music function independently. Kanno had “no idea” what the show was when she was composing, and Tomino had a difficult time fitting the music into the episodes.