Keita Aono is an ordinary high school student who loves to chat with his friends about military technology and the girls in their class. One day, Keita is surprised and delighted by a new transfer student in his class, his childhood friend Hinoki Sai. But when Keita tries to catch up with Hinoki after school, he accidentally wanders into Bottom World—an underground amusement park whose opening was canceled due to an unexplained tragedy.
As Keita explores the area, he eventually finds Hinoki in the cockpit of a strange robot. She is here on behalf of Akamatsu Industries, a company contracted with the secretive international organization Mode Warp to investigate strange cases of violence worldwide. After joining Hinoki in the robot, the pair attempt to defend themselves against the various attractions of Bottom World, which have come to life and become violent. However, they are unable to escape until a man with transforming powers—dubbed "Betterman"—joins their struggle. Faced with an enemy he does not understand and a slew of mysterious new technology, Keita joins Akamatsu Industries in a fight against a force they call "Algernon."
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Hatul
This is one of the weirdest, most screwed up anime I've ever seen. And in a medium such as this (plus, considering the amount I've seen), that's saying a lot. But I mean that in the most positive way and I think this title deserves far more attention than it gets. There's simply nothing else I can think of that's quite like it. This is a spoiler free review. *Story* 9/10 Down to it, It's about a couple of teenagers who join some secret organization to pilot crude looking mechs and fight against weird creatures they know nothing about, alongside a macho pretty boy with rainbow colored hair whotransforms in to a giant monster when he eats fruits...
I'm sure that no drugs were consumed during the making.
Alright, In all seriousness, the first thing you'll notice is that the atmosphere in this show is very weird. It's somewhat lighthearted and cartoony, but very dark and creepy at the same time. I'm gonna guess that this is the primary reason this series isn't popular, but I for one found this atmosphere to be very refreshing and exceptional. I can't think of anything that's quite like it and it made me feel all weird inside... The reason this tone works here is because it rarely becomes particularly dramatic or edgy so the lighthearted silliness that while creepy things are going down doesn't have much to clash with and it also helps humanize the characters in various ways.
Another thing you'll notice is that it's not focused as much on the mecha as you'd expect, it's a lot more about its science fiction which also happens to have horror elements in it, while we follow a group of characters in their journey of encounters with the unknown. It feels like the creator threw all of his childhood nightmares in to it and was able connect all of them in to a pretty massive story with rich lore behind it.
The main theme here revolves around genetics and evolution and as implied by the title, making humanity "better" by stepping in to its next stage of evolution. The story also has a strong scientific foundation where nearly everything from how the mechs function to where the creatures came from can be explained through scientific terminology that gets thrown around and is usually excused with some analogy to a fun fact from real life biology.
Although there is a lot of terminology used here, the exposition delivery of it is fantastic. It's always motivated by the characters delivering it and the context of events, it is used exclusively for explaining the science (as opposed to events, which are always shown, NOT told) never feels forced, or like it overstays its welcome and is accompanied by great visuals and fun character interactions.
In terms of the actual story that unfolds, everything that happens eventually feels significant, since many early events that don't seem that important end up triggering ones that come much later. It is pretty complicated, but it's not that hard to follow since they explain most things pretty well.
Some episodes might confuse the hell out of you, but it won't leave you confused for long. It does an excellent job of consistently raising and answering questions as the scope and scale of the series keeps growing. In the end it also wraps things up in quite an epic and solid manner while leaving no loose ends behind and connecting everything that happened previously.
It isn't without its issues though.. It does get a tad chaotic in terms of pacing at certain points (seriously, sometimes major events happen within minutes of each other). Another thing that could be troubling for some is that there's subtle foreshadowing that is purely visual from time to time, which is cool, but might make things confusing for first time viewers. Lastly, the Betterman character interferes in many battles which also means that the weak main characters seem somewhat safe or plot armored, while very narrowly escape death in some cases (there is an ability as well as a motivation that allows him to do this though).
With that said, I think all this is just a small price to pay for such an outstanding narrative.
*Characters* 8/10
It has a fairly colorful cast consisting of a military geek, some cool old man, a hot scientist chick, some disturbed teenage girl and of course the manliest pretty boy anime has to offer - Better-man himself (and a few others).
The character interactions are quite fun and they generally have very good chemistry together which is what really pulls the characters through in the end.
The cast is a little big and they all play certain roles in the story. All of the major characters have complete arcs and we delve in to them pretty nicely as well as develop their relationships while making them feel more comfortable with one another. Eventually they also have backstories which are revealed that are actually very relevant to the story as well.
With that said, I would still argue that the roles they play do seem to overshadow who they are as characters to an extent because the priority of this show seems to be more on the atmosphere and the events themselves and doesn't bother much to give character drama which normally results in more character defining moments. There is some drama, sure, but it's fairly subdued since a lot of it comes in the form of subtle hints throughout the series about the nature of these characters and their relationships with one another. They usually get along with each other pretty well and the instances in which they don't are resolved fairly quickly because of the urgent situations they're in.
So it may be a little more difficult to connect with some of them in your first viewing.
They generally seem to react accordingly to the bad things surrounding them, but I wouldn't say they're particularly scarred that badly by anything they see. Which may have been warranted at points.
Better-man himself is a cool character that is easy to get behind because of his mannerisms and appearance. But we don't discover what his true motive is until it is revealed late in the series which means we only discover who he is and so he remains fairly static throughout the whole thing.
The series also shows off some disturbing and memorable villains that may not have that much depth but they come off as quite menacing and each of them have motivations that mirror each other and further compliment the central theme of the series.
All in all, this is a great cast of characters. Each one works on their own as well as in a group. They can be campy, they can be serious and each one has a wide range of emotions. They also all get fitting closure by the end of the series.
*Art* 8/10
As one of the last examples of cell animation before everything went digital, The art-style here has a semi cartoonish look to it and with character designs all looking quite colorful and with somewhat silly designs which give you a clear idea of their personalities and allows for them to be very expressive. There's a large variety of creepy and dark locations that contrast a bit with the characters, and yet still fit perfectly due to an excellent use of shading/lighting effects. In terms of animation and the level of detail it's pretty solid but nothing particularly special and there's even a little reused footage a couple of times (that are used purposefully btw) . On the other hand, it has quite a variety of weird looking creatures, character expressions that are always on point, as well as a great deal of action.. The mecha designs are pretty crappy, but when Better-man himself shape shifts in to his different forms, each of his designs look really cool and you get a lot of opportunities to see him duke it out with other monsters/mechs/tanks and whatnot. The creepy imagery in general is stunningly shot with very unique compositions and creative editing techniques to the point where you can easily recognize this anime and distinguish it from others just by watching it for a few seconds.
I should also mention that Betterman is a landmark series since it is the first tv anime to be shown in widescreen or 16/9 aspect ratio, something that was unheard of at the time of its release and didn't become commonplace until the late 2000s. I have a theory for why it had this privilege and it has to do with its horror elements and a possible desire to make the locations look bigger in relation to the characters. But it may just be a simple tech demo with no deeper reason for it.
So overall it really has its own visual identity which is more than I can say about most modern anime and its visual style compliments the bizarre tone of the series perfectly.
*Sound* 8/10
In terms of the (Japanese) voice acting there's an excellent cast here with some famous voices that seasoned anime fans should be familiar with. a wide range of fitting voices, everything from the geeky , to sexy, to incredibly creepy to the badass and the acting is always on point (it's also pretty anime-ish and doesn't attempt to sound too realistic). The only time it might feel a tad dry is in some instances when there's a lot of technobabble, but there's also a great deal of emotion when it needs to be there and that includes pretty much all the characters. The creepy sound effects and the mostly ominous sounding tracks play a significant role in the atmosphere, so it generally sounds very nice, with some outdated effects here and there. Though as effective as it is for the series, I'm honestly not sure how well some of these tracks hold up on their own.
The series also eases you in masterfully with a very quiet and soothing OP song just to make sure you're comfortable before the mind frak kicks in. And the ED song (much like the series as a whole) is weird, intense and simply one of a kind. I can confidently say that it is THE BEST ED song I've ever heard! I can't even describe it, you have to listen to it for yourself.
*Enjoyment* 10/10
Love it to the point of obsession! I've been watching anime for a very long time so coming across something like this made me feel like I was still in my early days because of how unique and strange it is. It was creepy, thought provoking, weird, action packed and it even had some light and tasteful fan-service. The weirdness might not be for everybody.. But seriously, if this turns you off why are you watching anime in the first place? For the cute girls? Well then frak you! I'm watching it for weird stuff that I can't find in western mediums, thank you very much.
*Overall* 9/10
Honestly, this review was quite difficult for me to write since this is a very tough series to review properly and do it justice.. It's just strange to such a degree that makes it hard to talk about it.
All in all, Betterman is one of a kind. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to anybody, but it's really something you have to see to believe.
ankhu
y' know.. this is the best mecha I've ever senn far more better than NGE NGE in my opoinion was pretty booooooring.. but in betterman there was action giong on all the time.. thats why i love this anime.. but there was one thing that reaalyy pissed me off. KEITA AONO that guy is one of the most hated anime characters of mine.. in my opinion he is such a @#$%...but story line is very well made-orirginal plot...
Seigeengine
Betterman is a show that crosses sci-fi tech, supernatural elements, and at times, straight up magic. I'll be reviewing Betterman with my personal rating system consisting of rating five categories out of 100 points, and then multiplying them out by a weighting factor to get a score between 0, and 100. The categories are Acting/Characters, Plot, Enjoyment, Atmosphere/Theme/Setting, and Visuals/Audio/Effects. Acting/Characters The show consists almost entirely of a central cast of characters you'll be seeing a lot of. Most secondary characters that don't become major later in the plot aren't shown in detail. While the characters are not particularly complex, none of them are played upfor a single trait. Each has several traits, and are, within reason, believable. The characters are also used well, and in balance, with some acting as comedic relief, but also being serious as the situation requires. While some of the characters can seem annoying or flat, you learn more and more about them as time goes on, and they become far more likable.
The characters were solid, and enjoyable, but nothing special, and that's why I gave this category 75 points.
Plot
The plot of Betterman is perhaps one of the best, and one of the worst traits of the series. Betterman will leave you constantly guessing as it does not try to explain the majority of what's going on. While the series does bring everything back to a solid conclusion which ties together all the confusing elements throughout the show, and resolves the central conflict, it can be a deal-breaker if you're not the type of person who is willing to wait 26 episodes to get a firm grip on what's going on. At the same time, the entire show has a multitude of themes running through it, about genetics, evolution, spirituality, and so on, that are enjoyable, and occasionally make you stop and think. Another complaint about the series is that while everything ties in at the end, there's still a huge variety of threats, and elements to the plot that are largely disparate logically, if not thematically. One might, perhaps, see this as someone having a lot of ideas, and just tossing them all in and trying to make them fit together after. Whichever it is, they are linked together competently, and so it's not a major concern. Be advised, however, that some things may not be explained satisfyingly, such as the Animus flowers.
While the plot itself seems like a tangled mess as you go through it, it wraps up and clarifies in a way that makes sense when you look back on it. Still, this leads to a less enjoyable experience, as well as there being other weak points. I gave this category 70 points.
Enjoyment
While this wraps up enjoyably, though, perhaps, to a slightly unsatisfying conclusion, Betterman's seemingly tangled plot lead me to not enjoying a fair amount of the series, especially early on, as much as I would have liked. Characters are solid, and pleasant. Comedy is sufficient to not make the series dry. At the same time, it stays serious when it needs to.
While Betterman had the potential to be far more enjoyable, the plot issues definitely brought down the enjoyment. 65 points.
Atmosphere/Theme/Setting
The setting is... well, it's all over the damn place, and doesn't really result in any cohesion. At the same time, I had nothing bad to say about most of the locations. The theme of the show, however, was a solid and enjoyable look at Humanity's goals, and the role of evolution and, to an extent, spirituality. The atmosphere of the show was very creepy. The show plays a lot on things happening in the mind, and raises creepy concerns that are never really resolved. The way they portray a lot of characters is disturbing, and is used to creepy effect both when it is something, and when it isn't. A lot of the locations are dark and creepy, as are a lot of the events, and plot elements. Perhaps the most creepy part of the series is a flashback that occurs later on in the series that takes the hiding of faces to a whole new level.
The atmosphere and themes were pretty solid, while the setting could have used more work. Overall an 80.
Visuals/Audio/Effects
These are lumped because they're things I don't generally care as much about unless they're extremely good, or extremely bad, and they all run along the same vein. The visuals and effects were enjoyable. The animation was at no point disturbing, and the visuals and audio really played into the creepy atmosphere. At the same time, a lot of the attacks and the like in the show seemed very same-y and could have benefited from a little more variety. The voice acting seemed decent, though at times the analytic monotone of Miyako became somewhat annoying.
Where the visuals fall short, the audio backs it up making this a solid 75 points.
Overall a solid show. It's not great, but it's very good, and unlike pretty much any other series I've seen. Definitely worth a watch if any of the themes running throughout the show interest you. Betterman is a solid 73/100 or 7/10.
therex55213
While I will not spoil all the events of the series, I will state the concluding moral of the narrative, including slight reference to some particular events. So, if you want to hear that from the show rather than from here, I'd say end reading here. I have a beef, and I'm going to vent. Story: Betterman is a Sci-fi/Horror series set in the Gao-Gai-Gar setting taking place a few years after that series conclusion. From its roots in that franchise it retains the same level of varied and well designed but not well developed characters, heavily detailed but not well researched or internally consistent technobabble, andwell engineered but quickly and jarringly switched tones and atmospheres. Where GGG explored physical and technological sci-fi concepts, BM similarly explores biological and transhuman concepts. What BM does not carry over from its preceding story, however, is an attitude that the exploration of these concepts is a good thing.
Where GGG played with the ideas of the awesome things people could do with technologies like AI, space travel and physics bending machines, BM will go at lengths, stumbling at every turn, to show you how only petty people will actively explore biological technologies that veer things off the "natural course". It ends in a moral that trying to use life sciences to do honest good is likely futile, and anyone who tries to explore such venues for any other reason is explicitly doing so for terrible reasons. At only one point, during the final fight, does it even suggest an idea contrary to this narrative, but this was but a one-time gimmick to defeat the final enemy. Whatever ideas that could have been developed with that instance, of working together to ensure that mankind can surpass the limits of its own hubris and slippery slopes of technology misuse while still embracing the technology, were quickly ignored for returning to its narrative of leaving life alone. Instead of showing the hope of what mankind could someday achieve by following through with exploring the sciences depicted as GGG did, it attempts to spin a tale of how altering the organism is inherently wrong, and to interfere with the natural order or improve yourself in any way will only bring catastrophe. It ends with a message that if you just give up trying to improve yourself, and just embrace being an unaltered cog in the natural process, you'll be happy, without very strong exploration into the contrary, despite GGG having a variety of transhumans or otherwise augmented individuals with no detriment to their character or antagonism to their existence. While GGG depicted bad people using technology for evil, they never once really depicted any technology itself as inherently evil, instead playing with the motivations behind the uses for or against good, and I think that's where my beef here lies. GGG had fun with its science, while BM antagonized it, and I don't really think that should ever be cool.
In reference to an earlier statement, the series completely ignores or omits things like the Evolders or cyborgs to promote its anti-transhuman narrative, despite the former being well known figures in the world at this time, and the latter being something not uncommon at this point in time, supposedly. These are not the only things BM seems to forget, and in fact references the preceding franchise so rarely that it almost appears as though the references they do make are there solely to remind you that they are supposedly related. If I am to be honest, it almost feels forced, like with the Cloverfield films that weren't originally supposed to be Cloverfield films, and I have to wonder if the references are there for the same reasons.
Beyond the less than savory moral about augmentive technology, the story is your standard "mosnter of the week with overarching mystery and light romantic subplot" story, with little if anything new to add. If you like those kinds of stories, you'll like this, but if you don't like those, you're going to get nothing out of this besides horror. Horror, I would like to comment, that it does well. While the motives and morals behind why some of the things depicted in the show are "horrific" do not sit well with me, the spookiness, tension and grotesque designs are often quite on point, so I guess that's fine.
Art:
Really solid art. Looks older than it is, but this does not actually detriment for its art quality. I've complained a lot, but I can't complain at the way it looks. That, and them monster fights where hella rad, despite the sour narrative context. Only negative is the use of still frames was sometimes a little too noticeable, but honestly everything looks pretty swell.
Sound:
Some audio was fine, some sound effects were cheesy, and some of the music was better than average. Very little to comment here.
Characters:
The characters were quite diverse, and very few really fit into any specific stereotypes, but beyond that damn near none of them got any development, and the main character was of almost as little use to the plot as Indie was for Raiders of the Lost Ark. The cast functions better as a showcase for interesting and rarely used character concepts to be applied elsewhere than it does as the driving force behind this show. The only really distracting thing in the characters was the implication that Betterman's fucking pangolin hair was something inherited, but by that point the character could in no way be taken seriously, so it only added to the humor value.
Enjoyment:
Was down for the horror, and the humor of each episode having a goddamn dinosaur come out of nearly nowhere to save everyone, but as soon as it tried to articulate a message, and struggle to explain why its anti-science angle was totally right, my enjoyment started to dip, and after the very end it had me sitting there with a very sour taste in my mouth, especially after having watched GGG immediately before it.
But hey, if you share its moral opinion I'm sure you'll have a blast. In that case, I'd also recommend Earth Girl Arjuna, for a similar story, despite a dramatically different selection of genres.
ThatAnimeSnobRE
A brainchild of the late 90s, Betterman is a dark sci-fi about a very bleak future engulfed by twisted technology. Like most b-grade anime of that time, the budgets were not the best and the animators were often resorting to simple tricks such as using live action footage instead of bothering to animate something. It’s why the opening looks so weird, combining the actual ocean with generic anime designs. And yes, they are generic despite having weird multi-colored hair like Yugioh characters. It was a trend at the time. Following the path brought forth by Neon Genesis a few years back, whenever you don’t have themoney to show something, go for minimalism and keep things vague or unfocused. The lead monster definitely looks and usually moves around amazingly, but everyone else is very cartoony with very choppy animation. The addition of low brow fan service and slapstick humor don’t help either, since they are used to chew time and excuse the lack of fluent animation by making it seem it is some sort of gag comedy. When it isn’t; it’s psychological horror.
It excels at maintaining a thriller atmosphere for as long as it’s keeping the monsters hidden from the viewer. Remember how creepy the fog effect was in the first Silent Hill games? Well, think of something similar but with darkness. You never see something as it really is because it is either hiding in the dark, behind a wall, or looks intentionally blurry. It makes it ten times scarier, and adds to the dementia. Unfortunately this trick is ruined when eventually they show the monsters, and they are not that scary in broad daylight.
The characters are as I mentioned already overall plain. So are their designs. The protagonist is your generic beta male dork with glasses, paired with a tom boy girl, whose only distinctive feature is a multi-colored lock of hair, that is somehow an inherited trait, since her brother has it too. The same plainness extends to how all other characters and monsters look. They are also so colorful compared to the mostly dark sceneries and stick out like a sore thumb. They also do typical anime ero-crap that feel very out of place with the eerie tone of the story.
The plot is all over the place. The set up is quite generic; teenagers with sexual awkwardness and a dramatic past, become part of a secret organization that fights genetic freaks with a mecha. On one side it is usually semi-episodic, meaning that elements from one event cross over immediately to the next one, like a slowly developing detective mystery. On the other hand, the majority of the duration is spent on silly school comedy and battles with monsters of the week, which almost always have a very predictable outcome; this macho dude always pops up and saves the good guys when they are in trouble. Also most of the cool ideas don’t last more than a single episode. Here you are with a great bio-ultra-killing worm that can annihilate all life on Earth and you hardly see it for more than two episodes. There are a hundred awesome concepts for recurring villains and world threats that last less than 30 minutes each. Meaning that the mystery part is done quite well but there is very little of it as a whole.
The themes of forced evolution of life and its dehumanizing effect are also looked into to a satisfying degree, I remember my pretentious overthinking younger self having a blast with the way they kept bringing up mythology, science, religion, and philosophy into the mix, making it feel far bigger than how it actually plays out. What can make a man better than he already is? The initial approach is genetics; enter gruesome biological experiments. Then there is the state of mind. You can’t have a great body without an appropriate mind to come along. Revelations and master plans come up. And then we have the perfection of the soul, so here comes enlightment, shedding of the physical boundaries, and disgust for inferior beings by ascended beings. Really, the story gives a lot of food for thought, and it’s almost sad to see how they are treated as an afterthought for comedy and battles.
At least they bother to explain and explore all that, plus the ending is solid. Ok, it’s also vague since you are not exactly sure what happened to most of the characters, but it definitely wraps up all major plot threads. But I can’t defend the writing as crafty either; Betterman is a walking plot devise that exists to save the heroes in almost every episode with hax powers. There will always be a way to beat a super monster in 5 minutes, the villains appear and disappear at will, stunts get killed in a flash, but the main characters survive more effectively than cockroaches.
Not a great show by any means, it’s worthwhile for its atmosphere and philosophical concepts and passable for everything else.
RealYRC
This is hands-down one of the strangest, most twisted anime I’ve ever watched—and in a medium like this, with the sheer volume of shows I’ve seen, that’s saying something. But I mean that in the best way possible. This title deserves way more love than it gets. There’s nothing else out there quite like it. This is a spoiler-free review. Story At its core, it follows a couple of teens who join a mysterious organization to pilot clunky, barebones mechs and battle bizarre creatures they know zilch about. Oh, and there’s a macho pretty boy with rainbow hair who turns into a giant monster when he eats fruit.No, I’m not making this up—pretty sure no one was high during production either.
Joking aside, the first thing that hits you is the vibe. It’s this wild mix of lighthearted cartooniness and dark, creepy undertones. That oddball atmosphere is probably why it’s not more popular, but for me, it’s a breath of fresh air. I can’t name another show that nails this exact tone—it’s unsettling in a way that sticks with you. The reason it works is simple: it never gets overly dramatic or tries too hard to be edgy. The goofy, playful bits coexist with the eerie stuff without clashing, and it makes the characters feel more human in the process.
Don’t expect a mech-heavy focus either. This is more sci-fi with horror vibes, tracking a group of kids as they stumble through encounters with the unknown. It’s like the creator dumped all his childhood nightmares into a blender and spun them into a sprawling story with some seriously rich lore. The big theme here is genetics and evolution—hinted at by the title—pushing humanity toward its “next stage.” The science isn’t just window dressing either; everything from the mechs’ mechanics to the creatures’ origins gets explained with legit-sounding terminology, often tied to real-world biology via clever analogies.
The exposition is a standout. It’s always character-driven, tied to what’s happening, and sticks to explaining the science (not the plot, which unfolds visually). It never feels forced or drags on, thanks to slick visuals and lively character banter. The story itself is intricate—early moments that seem minor end up sparking huge payoffs later. It’s complex but not impenetrable; they explain enough to keep you on track. Some episodes might throw you for a loop, but the confusion doesn’t linger. The show constantly raises questions, answers them, and ramps up the stakes, wrapping up in an epic, airtight finale that ties every thread together.
It’s not flawless, though. The pacing can get hectic—major events sometimes pile up too fast. There’s subtle visual foreshadowing that’s neat but might trip up first-timers. And the rainbow-haired Betterman swoops in to save the day a bit too often, giving the weaker mains a whiff of plot armor (though there’s a solid in-story reason for it). Still, these are minor gripes for a narrative this bold.
Characters
The cast is a vibrant bunch: a military nerd, a grizzled old dude, a sexy scientist, a troubled teen girl, and the manliest pretty boy in anime history—Betterman himself—plus a few others. Their interactions are a blast, with chemistry that carries them far.
It’s a big group, each with a role to play. The major players get full arcs, and we dig into their relationships and backstories—stuff that actually ties into the plot. That said, the show’s focus on atmosphere and events sometimes overshadows their personal depth. There’s drama, but it’s low-key, sprinkled through subtle hints about who they are and how they connect. They get along well for the most part, and any friction resolves fast due to the constant crises. That can make it tricky to bond with them on a first watch.
They react to the chaos around them believably enough, though they’re not exactly traumatized by it—which might’ve fit at times. Betterman’s a crowd-pleaser with his flair and swagger, but his true motives stay under wraps until late, keeping him static for most of the ride. The villains, meanwhile, are chilling and memorable. They’re not deep, but their mirrored motivations reinforce the show’s themes.
Overall, it’s a solid crew—fun solo and as a team, swinging from campy to serious with fitting closure for all.
Art:
One of the last cel-animated shows before the digital shift, this has a semi-cartoonish style with colorful, slightly goofy character designs that scream personality and pop with expression. The dark, creepy settings contrast nicely, balanced by sharp shading and lighting. Animation and detail are decent—not groundbreaking—with some reused shots (done intentionally, though). But the freaky creatures, spot-on expressions, and action sequences shine. The mechs look janky, but Betterman’s monster forms are a visual treat, especially when he’s brawling with beasts, mechs, or tanks. The eerie imagery stands out, with bold framing and creative editing that make it instantly recognizable.
Fun fact: Betterman was the first TV anime in widescreen (16:9), rare for its time. Maybe it’s to amp up the horror and scale—or maybe just a tech flex. Either way, it’s got a distinct visual identity that outshines most modern anime and matches its weird tone perfectly.
Sound
The Japanese voice cast is stacked with recognizable talent, delivering everything from geeky to sultry to downright creepy. It’s peak anime-style acting—exaggerated but fitting—and shines with emotion when it counts. It only dips during heavy technobabble, but that’s rare. The ominous sound effects and tracks amplify the mood, though some feel dated and might not hold up solo. The OP is a soft, soothing lure before the weirdness hits, and the ED? Intense, bizarre, and the best I’ve ever heard. You’ve got to experience it.
Enjoyment
I’m obsessed. After years of anime, this felt like a throwback to my newbie days—unique, creepy, thought-provoking, action-packed, with a dash of tasteful fanservice. The weirdness won’t click for everyone, but if that’s a dealbreaker, why bother with anime? I’m here for the wild stuff you can’t get elsewhere.
Overall
Writing this was tough—this show’s so bizarre it’s hard to pin down. Betterman is one of a kind. I wouldn’t blanket-recommend it, but you’ve got to see it to believe it.
BuRizzle
Keita Aono is your average teenager. He’s 17, he likes playing video games, he’s a military nut and he’s just crashed his scooter into an abandoned subway terminal. After regaining his composure, he discovers he’s at Bottom World, a brand new underground amusement park that is set to open that very same day. But something is… strange. The lights are off, the place is seemingly abandoned and something is very very wrong with the animatronics. After being chased down by the park’s mascot, Keita comes face to face with a giant bipedal robot called a Neuronoid. As it turns out, the pilot is his childhoodfriend Hinoki Sai. Scrambling into the second cockpit to escape the danger outside, the pair find themselves cornered before being saved by a mysterious transforming being that Hinoki seems to recognise. His name is Lamia - Betterman! Now employed as a pilot for the manufacturing company Akamatsu Industries and their backers Mode Warp, Keita finds himself in the midst of a battle against a mysterious disease known as Algernon, one that is seemingly the cause of a recent outbreak of mass murders and suicides across the world. But how does this illness relate to Betterman? And more importantly, how does Betterman relate to Hinoki? From there on out, things get weird. Very weird.
Betterman as a show is primarily known for two things. 1. Its connection to the Brave Series anime King of Braves GaoGaiGar, sharing the same world and many of the same production staff. 2. For being labelled as an Evangelion clone by the wider community. In reality, it’s barely connected to GaoGaiGar and it’s barely got anything in common with Evangelion outside of both of them being really fucking weird. No, Betterman is so much more than that. In fact it’s so different that it’s almost indescribable (it’s a hell of a lot goofier too). A surrealistic fever dream that mixes aspects of mecha, horror, superhero, psychodrama, dark fantasy, comedy, sci-fi and mystery into a truly one-of-a-kind concoction. Now, whether or not it succeeds in mixing those separate genres together is really in the eye of the beholder, but Betterman deserves props for at least trying something different. There really isn’t anything quite like it, for better or for worse.
Now on the surface, Betterman has a relatively simple premise. The manufacturing company Akamatsu Industries and the shady research organisation Mode Warp are working together to uncover the mysteries of Algernon, a type of virus (Mutation? Natural development in the body? Physical being? Who knows.) that causes those infected by it to descend into homicidal insanity. As such, reports of mass murders and suicides have become common place with large scale terror attacks by those infected now an increasing threat to humanity. So, in order to combat whatever is thrown their way, the two groups have developed the Neuronoids: giant mecha that are controlled by a pair of pilots known as Dual Kinds. With me so far? By using a strange luminescent liquid known as Linker Gel, the Dual Kinds are able to move the robots as if they were their own bodies, albeit with a strict time limit. At the same time, there’s Lamia - a being known as Betterman to those in Mode Warp. By consuming a variety of strange seeds, Lamia is able to transform himself into a series of different gigantic monsters in order to fight off the numerous threats brought about by Algernon. For some reason though, he seems to be shadowing Hinoki and Keita and protecting them at all costs. Oh and there’s also Sakura, a strange young girl who lives at Akamatsu Industries and has the power of telepathy through the use of the Limpid Channel, a flow of consciousness represented by a glowing dot on the user’s forehead. To manage the extreme influx of thoughts that endlessly bombard her, Sakura spends most of her days strapped up to a large chair known as the Manage Machine that doses her with Ritalin and other sedatives (she has “extreme ADHD” according to the show) and which allows her to streamline and focus her abilities. You got all that? Now most of this is brought up in the first couple of episodes and it isn’t even covering the numerous other bits of technobabble that get thrown at the viewers (Dual Impulses, Break Synthesise, G-Set, I could go on).
If you haven’t figured it out yet, Betterman is one of THOSE shows. Ones that smother you under piles of esoteric gibberish, cryptic remarks that may or may not mean anything and vague background elements that are actually vital to the plot. As such, your enjoyment of Betterman entirely hinges on your ability to put up with such things. If you’re adverse to that kind of writing, then this is probably the single worst show I can think of for you. If you DO like that sort of stuff, then… I still don’t know how to recommend it considering how tonally strange it can be. It’s a show that’s bound to put you off in one way or the other, be it the body horror, the comedy, the mecha or the psychological drama. But, for the enlightened few that enjoy all of those disparate styles and genres, you’re in luck. Betterman definitely feels like a show that was made to appeal only to an extremely niche group of people (in this case I’m assuming the director) and that in turn is one of its biggest selling points. But it is also one of its main detractions. As said prior, your enjoyment of this show hinges on your tolerance for esoteric bullshit, of which Betterman has plenty. Though beneath the chaos and confusion of its overall plot and setting, there is a fairly simple thematic core about overcoming trauma and fear, something basically everyone can connect with in some way.
Interestingly, for a psychological anime, the characters are sort of all over the place when it comes to development and getting to know them. The star of the show is more or less Hinoki as she’s the one who gets the lion’s share of attention and development. A moody young woman with a ridiculous multicoloured hairdo and a dark past that switches from cold indifference to haughty angst at the drop of a hat. While she’s mostly pretty reserved, the show does a good job in detailing her growth as she gradually comes out of her shell and opens up to those around her, while also exploring the trauma she’s carrying around with her. For the rest of the cast we’ve got Shigeru Akamatsu, CEO of Akamatsu Industries, team dad and owner of an impressive mustache. There’s Sakura who usually speaks in cryptic riddles and ominous forewarnings and spends most of her days hooked up to the Manage Machine (and occasionally piloting one of the two mecha). Miyako Asami, the go-between for Mode Warp and Akamatsu Industries. Team technicians Yamajii and Ri-chan and finally there’s Shou Yanagi and Kaede Kurenai, an esper couple who pilot the Tyran mecha and who have their own assorted neurosis and emotional damage to sort out. It’s a varied and interesting cast, particularly Shou who is probably the most emotionally fucked up next to Hinoki. Most of them get their mini-arcs that explore their past and have them grow as people, but even the characters who lack much in the way of progression can still be enjoyable to watch. Asami for example is pretty much the show’s designated exposition dumper, always ready to technically and scientifically explain the strange happenings that the cast are put through. While she does receive some character development, it’s fairly minor compared to the rest of the cast. Despite that, she winded up being my favorite character next to Akamatsu. A smart, forward-thinking and practical woman who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. In simpler terms, even its lesser developed characters are fun to watch which is always a good sign for a show like this.
But then there’s Keita. As our main character and audience surrogate, Keita has a lot of work to do in order to fit in with the other characters. Unfortunately the show doesn’t really commit to that. Keita is the comedy relief of the cast, which is a problem as he’s also the lead character. He’s nerdy, easily scared, a bit of a lech and completey out of his element, frequently failing to impress Hinoki and frequently the victim of slapstick gags. As such it feels like he was transported in from a completely different show, one where things are far less grim and considerably more goofy (dare I say, GaoGaiGar). It’s understandably a bit of a mood killer when something shocking or dramatic happens and Keita reacts like a gag manga character, full of exaggerated facial expressions and prone to over the top freak outs. While this DOES help elevate the tension in some cases, it often ends up killing the mood in various others. He also doesn’t really get much development or have much of a character arc, outside of a completely insane side plot about his piloting abilities that I won’t get into here. That’s not to say Keita is a bad character. He can be fun to watch and his genuine love for Hinoki is quite touching. Plus it helps to have some lighter elements in the show to keep it from being completely and utterly depressing, but that also comes at the cost of an uneven tone that frequently bounces from comedic and silly to bleak and morose, often in the same scene. He’s definitely the weak link of the cast which is a shame as most of the rest of the characters are fairly on point.
Animation wise, the show looks solid for the era. While there are some instances of reused footage (mainly when it comes to the Neuronoids transforming), the art is consistent and visually pleasing with a memorable and unique style. Some episodes are visually worse than others but the animation never totally collapses on itself like some other shows of the era (cough Lost Universe cough). While the budget is clearly much lower than GaoGaiGar’s, the staff make good with what they have and manage to use the show’s lack of expenses to pleasing effect. Slow panning shots and live action footage are occasionally used in place of more traditional animation which adds to the creepy and surreal atmosphere the anime gives off. Interestingly, Betterman was animated in widescreen, a rarity for the time period. In fact, I think it might actually BE the first widely seen TV anime to be done like this, though the original broadcast and DVD release were letterboxed. Like GaoGaiGar, the show also uses elements of CGI and digital coloring in some scenes. This can be a mixed bag however as while some scenes have stood the test of time, others have aged terribly and look downright garish on modern setups.
Betterman’s biggest issue though is that it’s dark. Too dark. As in, I can’t see what’s going on half the time. While the lighting in certain scenes improves over time, the first half of the show can be outright hard to watch in some cases because of how visually dark everything is. This is especially noticeable in the first 8 episodes which mainly take place in dimly lit locations. Cranking the brightness up on your monitor isn’t going to help either as this shit is baked into the animation cells. The question is, how much more black could this possibly be? None, none more black.
On the audio side of things, we’ve got an excellent OST by Kohei Tanaka returning from GaoGaiGar. In sharp contrast to the triumphant soundtrack of that work, Betterman’s music is far more moody and atmospheric. Dramatic string parts, clashing drums, blaring horn sections. In many ways it’s instrumentally similar to GGG’s music though flipped on its head. Darker and more intense, which I suppose is fitting of the show and its strange relationship with GGG. Opening theme is ‘Yume no Kakera’ (Fragments of a Dream) by Wuyuntana, an accomplished Mongolian throat singer who had previously starred as Sharon Apple in Macross Plus. It’s a gentle and rather haunting little piano ballad, ill fitting of an opening theme. Even weirder is the animation that goes along with it, consisting of scuba diver footage with images of the show’s cast superimposed on top. It feels fittingly low budget and cheap, though I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t intriguing and strangely hypnotic. Ending theme is ‘Chin ~ Requiem’ by ※-mai-, which is actually the stage name of the show’s director and series planner Yoshitemo Yonetani. That’s right, the director sings the closing theme. And he does a pretty damn good job to be honest, providing a fittingly demented vocal over a pulsing techno-industrial track.
Voice acting in the sub is mostly on point. Takehito Koyasu plays Lamia and gives a cool and mysterious performance fitting of the character. Kyōko Hikami does a nice job as Hinoki as does Shinichiro Miki as Shou. Elsewhere Houko Kuwashima plays Asami, one of her first major roles after Martian Successor Nadesico (and also pulls triple duty voicing the Super Soldier Chandi and Hei-chan, one of Akamatsu Industries’ technicians). Junko Iwao gives Sakura the typical ‘creepy mysterious girl’ voice that’s common with these kind of characters, though there are moments she gets to drop the act and do something different. The strongest performance outside of Koyasu comes from Chafurin who gives a gruff but warm portrayal of Akamatsu himself. The weakest performances come from Yuko Minaguchi as Kaeda, who gives her character a rather air-headed and ditzy sounding voice that makes the character come off like an idiot at times (though that may have been intentional) and, unfortunately, Kappei Yamaguchi as Keita. While he certainly brings a lot of energy to the role and his voice definitely fits the character, his shrillness and constant screaming becomes grating after a while. Considering Keita spends most of his time shrieking like a banshee, this naturally becomes a pretty big issue. Yamaguchi’s performance isn’t actually poor from an acting standpoint, he’s a very talented seiyuu after all. It’s just that Keita’s endless yelling means he’s forced to make the most annoying sounds possible, episode after episode. You can see why this is a problem.
The English track was taped at Ocean’s Blue Water studios with their b-team and is serviceable for an early 2000s anime dub. Matttew Erickson voices Keita and while his voice fits the character, he also tends to strangely enunciate some of his lines to the point of making Keita sound like he’s never spoken to another human being before. Everyone else does a mostly decent job, though of note is Jonathan Love as Lamia whose performance of the character notably contrasts with Koyasu’s. While the original Japanese was deep and mysterious, Love’s rendition is higher pitched and more twee sounding which ends up slightly changing the tone and vibe of some scenes, though not to the point of distraction. In comparison his performance as Shou is more in line with the original Japanese so it evens out at the very least. Overall the dub isn’t bad though it’s hardly mindblowing either. It gets the job done and for a show as batshit insane as this, that’s kind of a necessity.
Betterman isn’t a show that you can just sit down and casually watch. It’s a dense, cryptic and unrepentantly strange anime that demands your full attention to crack whatever the hell it’s trying to say. Combine that with its strange mix of genres, messy tone and incredibly loaded plot and you’re left with an anime that appeals only to a niche subset of people. However if all those things DO actually appeal to you, then this is a truly distinctive experience with a lot of heart and soul buried beneath the haze of strangeness. It might not be perfect, but there’s nothing else like Betterman.
Pros:
- Unique, one of a kind premise
- (Mostly) likeable and varied cast
- High quality action scenes
- Interesting blend of horror, sci-fi and action
- Strong OST
Cons:
- Enjoyment of show hinges on tolerance for complex and oblique storytelling
- Second half is noticeably more cluttered with erratic pacing
- Very slow pace and lack of a centralised antagonist for most of the run can turn off some viewers
- Show is visually way too dark
Betterman is currently licensed by Sentai Filmworks who rescued it from Bandai Entertainment when they went under. They haven’t done anything with the license though and it is still currently OOP and expensive.
