MD Geist
(Most Dangerous Soldier)
(Nothing But Spoilers)
As it is called in English, MD Geist is a post-apocalyptic anime ala Fist of the North Star. It takes place several centuries after the Christian Era on a colonized earthlike planet known as Jerra. It is a lightly populated planet resulting from the ongoing war between the Regular Army, who calls themselves the “Noah,” and the Nexrum army.
It opens with the man, the myth, the legend Geist destroying an approaching military transport at point-blank range and safely landing back to earth. Having sustained an injury that would kill most men, a bullet wound to the forehead, a younger Geist grins sinisterly in satisfaction, and the foreshadowed scene ends.
We are greeted in the next scene by an object falling out of the sky and crash landing on Jerra. From it, an older Geist steps forward from the thing, a satellite. With longer hair and a goatee, we realize that Geist has been away for a while.
Imprisoned and now free, Geist happens upon a group of bandits who have killed a Regular Army soldier and are about to salvage the deceased soldier’s armor for themselves. Geist, however, procures the Fighttech armor brushing off their protests and objections. Challenged by their boss to join them or die, Geist quickly dispatches him removing both arms and thrusting a knife through his head.
“Vaiya Finds Herself A Man”
The death of the “Boss” startles his subordinates except for Vaiya, our lone female in the movie. Assessing the situation quickly, she is immediately attracted to Geist, first for his blonde hair and chiseled abs and second for his strength and prowess in battle.
She surmises that Geist is not like any man she has seen; he is far superior and capable of protecting her, even from death. Vaiya offers Geist membership into her band of bandits. If Geist accepts, then he receives the Vaiya ``super pack,” which includes information regarding the Nexrum and the Regular Army as well as long-term intimacy and lucrative business ventures as her partner. Geist takes the info, rejects the intimacy, and is eager to sign up with the Regular Army and go back to the killing fields.
“Death Force 2000”
The Regular Army’s Battle Fortress is spotted traveling under duress as it is being assaulted by mecha belonging to the Nexrum Army. Geist and Vaiya seize upon this opportunity mobilizing their forces and assisting the Regular Army in defeating the opposing foes.
Geist recognizes his former superior Colonel Krutes and the two mobilize a strike team to assault the Jerran-made doomsday device known as Death Force, located in the oddly named Brain Palace. One would think that Death Force would be found in the Death Palace or Death Valley or the “Temple of Doom,” but I digress.
Coinciding with the president’s death either by design or by coincidence, the Brain Palace (see Skynet, V.I.K.I) unleashes robotic creatures to kill off all organic life. With only minutes of movie run time left. Krutes, Geist, and some named but unimportant redshirt subordinates storm the palace. The bandits decided they would rather live, so they did not join in the steamy action of bloodshed, death, and judgment, so, nearing the computer room, only Geist and Krutes are left.
As they near the computer room, Krutes activates a robot which at first glance appears to have two eyes near its chest, ala “Kill La Kill” to kill Geist. Well, Geist, in his ultra swag Fighttech defeats the out armor of the robot and the inner robot, which bears some resemblance to a later Gundam Wing Oz suit. Krutes stops the Death Force and believes he has killed his former subordinate, M.D. Geist.
Krutes gets an unfortunate surprise when Geist arrives and Krutes, having a fit of laughter, has his head crushed. Head squeezing was very popular in eighties anime. The movie closes with Vaiya coming to convince her man to run away with her, only for her to shriek in terror as Geist has reactivated the Death Force.
For a movie that is a little over 40 minutes in length, MD Geist is a basic action movie that, despite limited dialogue, does an excellent job of character development. We are quickly made aware of which character arcs to follow and which to dismiss. It requires little effort as minor characters are killed off or remove themselves from the movie, such as the remaining bandits who decide at the end of the third act that they have had enough of fighting.
Vaiya provides exposition as through her; we find that much of the destruction to Jerra is the result of the Jerran army and that she places the blame squarely on the Regular Army and not the Nexram. It is also understood that her actions are one of self-preservation which is why she gravitates to Geist.
This shows the tremendous toll that the war has on the survivors, as seen through her eyes. It is seconded in the bandits’ desire to live and not die. If the Regular Army is the antagonist, then Death Force and the Most Dangerous Soldier program are extensions of the Jerran army’s will to win at all cost.
Geist is simply a part of a larger story expanded in MD Geist II: Death Force and a prequel MD Geist: Ground Zero. The moves can be found online for streaming and on DVD. Both the original and director’s cut were available online at the time of writing. If you can find it give it a watch as the juice is definitely worth the squeeze.
