Anime reviews: Guyver, The Bioboosted Armor

“Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor” is a twenty-six episode Japanese anime series that has been directed by Katsuhito Akiyama and produced by OLM with its original run starting from 2005 to 2006. This is an anime series that is based on the long-running and ongoing manga authored by Yoshiki Takaya. In a sense, this is like a remake of the twelve part OVA that was released back in 1989. However, the OVA is loosely based on the manga.

In the case of Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor, that series keeps true to the manga.

A company known as the Chronos Corporation has been genetically modifying humans to become creatures known as Zoanoids. Zoanoids are superhuman and monstrous soldiers. However, they are considered to be cannon-fodder throughout the series. Chronos has found the technology to transform humans into Zoanoids along with a way of covering things up.

A prototype Zoanoid ends up escaping with a bag with three Guyver units. The Guyvers are mysterious symbiotic bio-mechanisms that bond with a host and can enhance the host’s own capabilities. These units are very powerful when bond with a human life. The Guyver units play an important role in the series.

Chronos soldiers try to capture him and fail. The Zoanoid uses a grenade and kills himself while scattering the Guyver Units. A 17-year-old high school student named Sho Fukamachi discovers the first unit. It bonds with him just in time before getting attacked by Chonos soldiers that can also transform into Zoanoids. Then, it revolves around Chronos trying to take the unit back from him. Eventually, he gets drawn into the fight against Chronos which wishes to rule the world.

The Guyver Unit is an armor made of a living metal. This acts as an all-purpose battle suit which comes in handy for Sho. He has the following weapons on hand when in Guyver mode such as:

The Vibration Globe which are the two orbs at the Guyver’s mouth that can create highly dangerous and destructive sound waves known as the “Sonic Buster.”

The Mega-Smasher which is two high-powered particle beam cannons beneath the Guyver’s chest armor in which it can take out several Zoanoids at once. This is deemed to be the most powerful beam weapon in Earth’s existence.

There is a Head Beam that can be fired above the control metal on the Guyver’s head.

The Guyver’s forearms have high frequency blades that can cut through just about anything with relative ease.

A Gravity Control Orb that allows the Guyver to fly and unleash destructive gravity waves known as the “Pressure Cannon.”

The Guyver is nearly invincible and can regenerate itself. There is only one weak spot that is very fatal, the control metal. The control metal is the orb at the Guyver’s forehead, as it connects with the host’s brain. Removal of the control metal results in the armor dissolving and eating at the host alive.

Throughout the series, Sho makes friends and “allies.” Notable allies include Agito Makishima who is Guyver III, Aptom who is known as a “lost unit” who can replicate forms and powers of various Zoanoids he absorbs, and Masaki Murakami.

Throughout the series, Sho learns the truth about the human race, the Zoanoids, the Guyvers, and Chronos. In short, the truth is not pretty at all. I happened to enjoy watching this version than the OVA that was released back in 1989. This version is still as violent as the 1989 OVA. This version has many new things featured that have not been shown in the earlier OVA.

Still, Guyver remains one of my favorite anime series of all times. I have to say that the designs of the Guyvers look very sleek. Guyver really does live up to the title which means “out of control.”