Super Dimension Century Orguss
Super Dimension Century Orguss is the sequel to Super Dimension Fortress Marcoss, and the second chapter in the Super Dimension Trilogy. The third in this trilogy is called Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross, which you can read my thoughts on as well! These are all small series, they’re quite unrelated too however they carry the same names just to probably get that franchise fan following audience to come back for a new addition in the somewhat same anthology world. Is Orguss any good though? Well, not particularly but it’s not bad either!
The series centers on air-force starship pilot, Kei Katsuragi who is given a very specific mission of setting off a Space and Time Oscillation Bomb. It’s showcased in the year 2062, which is essentially the near future for us in 2021. Two factions are fighting relentlessly for the total control of the galaxy’s orbital elevator.
Now, the series doesn’t expand much on this conflict between the two factions, however that doesn’t really matter as the Kei is successful in his mission to set off the bomb and as soon as it explodes, everything changes. He is transported into a different version of Earth, where multiple timelines keep phasing in and out as a sort of greenhouse effect completely polarizes the Earth’s atmosphere. In a situation way aove his pay-grade, what will Kei do?
To start off though, Orguss is by far the most obscure chapter in the series. It was released right after Fortress Macross (which was the best part in the trilogy) and the quality only went down from there as Southern Cross was honestly very mediocre to below average for me. The political aspects of this series are somewhat complicated but just enough to wet your beak and not quench your thirst. In my opinion, Macross did it much better,, but, we still got some complex enough politics that help in moving the story somewhat like a 60s sci-fi novel series such as Dune, rather than a Japanese mecha anime that most people would have expected coming into this series.
I’ll say this though, the characters in this series are SUPER fun! Kei Katsuragi is a fantastic protagonist. The one thing that the Super Dimensional trilogy manages always to do is have a fun protagonist. Kei’s character wouldn’t be much if it weren’t for Mimsy,, though, one of the most exciting female leads in a mecha anime that I’ve seen from the 80s,, in all honesty. The chemistry between these two drives the series’ main motivations forward and helps them grow throughout the series.
In terms of the overall art direction here, I think that Studio Artland did a fantastic job. From the overall colors of the series to the inter-dimensional hazards that they constantly face, they’re all designed and colored to perfection. The general character designs and the artwork reminds me of some fantastic works by Haruhiko Mikimoto, whose work has influenced an enormous amount of anime overall.
The animation, on the other hand, does feel a bit dusty, yet it is not as barebones as the sequel Southern Cross. The animation does fluctuate between GREAT and just okay, though, which is part of the reason why it feels so dated when you watch it in 2021. Despite that, though, it still features some outstanding animation quality. At least it’s consistent with the overall art design, to be honest.
The soundtrack, on the other hand, is an absolute banger. Like in the sequel Southern Cross, Super Dimensional Century Orguss DOESN’T disappoint with its amazing instrumentation and brilliant sound design. The opening theme is by far some of the catchiest music you will hear and will continuously listen on repeat. The ending theme isn’t that great.
However the background music is also consistently good and manages to retain some amazing sound design. Even one particular theme heavily reminded me of the fantastic Ennio Morricone’s classic western soundtracks from the Sergio Leone era of western films!
So, on the overall spectrum, where do I think Super Dimensional Century Orguss ranks against its predecessors and successors? Relatively high, I guess! It’s not quite as good as Genesis Climber Mospedia, nor is it as good as Super Dimensional Fortress Macross; however it’s leaps and bounds ahead of its sequel Super Dimensional Cavalry Southern Cross.
This series features some stellar art and animation from the classic 80s era, a fantastic soundtrack, a unique story, and some fantastic characters whose development manages to be unique and fun to watch throughout its entirety. If only it managed to incorporate more political themes into its design and had more of a focus on the overall flaws of the main characters; it could’ve been perfect!
