Betterman (TV series)
| Betterman | |
Cover art for the DVD release of the Betterman series by Bandai Entertainment
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ベターマン (Betāman) |
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| Genre | Action, Horror, Mecha |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Yoshitomo Yonetani |
| Produced by | Hiroyuki Orukawa Shinichiro Kobayashi |
| Written by | Hiroshi Yamaguchi |
| Music by | Kouhei Tanaka |
| Studio | Sunrise (Studio 7) |
| Licensed by | |
| Original network | TV Tokyo |
| English network | |
| Original run | 1 April 1999 – 30 September 1999 |
| Episodes | 26 |
Betterman (Japanese: ベターマン Hepburn: Betāman?) is a Japanese anime television series which began airing in 1999. It was created by Sunrise's internal "Studio 7" under the direction of Yoshitomo Yonetani. Betterman uses heavily Jungian symbolism and themes, such as Animus.
The series' plot focuses on the threat of "Algernon," a mutation in the brain which causes an accelerated alteration in the sensory, neural and nervous faculties. Those subjected to the phenomenon become violently hostile, suicidal, and share a hive mind collective with those who share the disease. Akamatsu Industries, a group designated to research and counteract Algernon, head a covert squadron of Neuronoids, robots piloted by Dual Kinds to inspect areas exposed to contamination and neutralize any threats brought thereabout. Keita Aono, a high school student, is brought into the fold after a chance encounter with a childhood friend, Hinoki Sai.
The titular hero of the series, Betterman, is a life form of superior physical and mental capabilities via adaptation of "seeds." Through the resulting consumption of these plants, Betterman can metamorphose into situational combat forms. His most common form is the humanoid "Betterman Lamia." Each transformation allows Betterman to attain distinct physical, psionic, and mobility-related abilities.
Algernon, the name of which itself derives from the book "Flowers for Algernon", is never completely understood until the final moments of the series. Even then, it is left to the viewer to deduce what Algernon exactly is. Algernon seems to be, as mentioned, either a virus, or a sort of mutation. However, it is in fact a natural method of preventing human perfection which is understood to be the root of evil. The battle between Algernon and Betterman is actually the process of human evolution. It is not entirely impossible that Algernon is everything that it is theorized to be.
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