Time Bokan: Royal Revival

Before I begin this review, it's worth noting that I am the first to review this title on MAL. It is my belief that every anime deserves at least one proper review, deserves to have its content engaged and reckoned with. No matter how obscure it is, and no matter how long ago it was made, an anime still represents the creative passion of its creators, the hopes and dreams of the team that made it, and as such, I will give this one a fair and honest accounting here. Time Bokan: Royal Revival is a hilarious 90s self-parody of 70s Tatsunoko anime, looked backon with a wry smile and a raunchy, self-aware twist. I'm not really all that interested in those old Tatsunoko productions, but whenever there's a revisitation of them in the 90s, it always seems to be something worthwhile. Basically, the story starts with a wacky racers setup where all the different bad guy teams from a bunch of the different Tatsunoko shows compete to win a race, specifically following one particular group of villains, the Doronbo Gang from 1977's Time Bokan Series: Yatterman. Then, the story shifts to some harebrained scheme, with this same team ending up in the city where all the good guys live, and hijinks ensue. Even for someone who never got into the Tatsunoko Productions anime, the comedy on display here is still extremely clever and consistently hilarious- the jabs about the bad guys in all the different series looking so extremely similar (lanky guy, gorilla guy, hot lady), the 4th wall breaks, the sex jokes about the villainesses, and even the way the different heroes butt heads when they meet and try to work together. It is self-aware in such a way that is clever and timeless, even for someone outside the cultural milieu they're referencing. Given just how funny the writing is, I'd say the story is this anime's strongest aspect. The art is strong, with the high-grade detail and warmth of 90s hand-drawn production, but with a very clear and present stylistic influence from the 70s. It's quite clear they're emulating the style on purpose, so in some shots you have that classic 90s look, and in others there's that grainy, rough, primary color contrast style, almost like a comic book, that's indicative of the 70s. My absolutely favorite aspect of the art, however, is the inclusion of original cut animations from the referenced shows directly incorporated into this one, with artist names listed on-screen. That is a level of dedication that elevates this from a standard tribute work to something genuinely impressive, and shows just how much love and care Tatsunoko Productions had for their fans when they made this anime. The sound is solid, with voice work and a soundtrack that have the qualities of a 90s anime while stylistically calling back to the styles of the 60s and 70s in a way that's tasteful and blends well with what they're trying to do here. The characters are great, and we are treated to a rich and varied cast that spans nearly all of Tatsunoko's early catalogue. However, the antics of the main trio, the Doronbo gang, are the most endearing and hilarious of them all, and exhibit this kind of scrappy Team Rocket type of vibe that makes you just want to root for them in the face of all odds. Overall, this anime is a hilarious love letter to the goofy, over-the-top children's anime of yore, and it is thoroughly enjoyable. If I had grown up with them, I'm sure it would have hit even harder, but as it is I found the references fun and the anime extremely funny. It's baffling that nobody's reviewed this yet, and I think that anybody who gives this little OVA a shot will be delighted to have found a hidden gem like this one.