Evolver Vol-1 (2004)
Production: West Power
Official Website
Episodes: 1-2
By Jeffrey Couto

Introduction

Live action henshin-hero programs and movies have been a long running staple of Japanese entertainment; from Ultraman to Kamen Rider and GoRanger, we’ve seen every conceivable type of hero come and go since the 1960’s.

Nowadays though, the number of tokusatsu hero programs being made by the large companies have dwindled to a few series as production costs have gone up and competition from other entertainment venues have increased exponentially. This has resulted in fans having to chose from a few shows, unlike the 1970’s when the genre saw its biggest boom and many different types of programs were aired on TV to the delight of FX fans.

So with few choices out there for tokusatsu fans with an appetite for new shows that try to go places the bigger players don’t feel like treading, what is one to do? Enter the independent tokusatsu production team; a creative group of individuals who are boldly undertaking the challenge of coming up with new ideas and concepts for the tokusatsu hero market. Among these new independent pioneers you’ll find West Power, the group responsible for the recently released Evolver series.

The Story

"A war supposed to have ended a year ago reignites as Evolver soldiers in battlesuits clash with Efreet aliens, shapeshifting enemies bent on conquering Japan and the world. The heroes must unleash their full power to succeed, but at what cost!?" -- Official Evolver Website

Review

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen an independent tokusatsu production so I was excited when I finally had the chance to sit down and check out the first two episodes of Evolver. I didn’t really know much about it prior to seeing it so I really didn’t know what to expect in terms of overall quality and such. Thankfully as it turned out, this was an awesome hero OVA.

The series starts with a flashback as we take a look back at some events that took place a year earlier when the Efreets attacked Japan with an all out air offensive. To counter this the government launched their elite Evolver soldiers, who are equipped with advance battle armor technology that gives them the power to stand up to the Efreets’ attack. After the battle ends with a final giant final blow we flash forward to the present time, where we are introduced to the Evolver team and are told of their origins and motivation.

The opening is certainly powerful and immediately throws us into the action as we get to see our armored heroes fight off the invaders through a combination of laser cannons and beam swords. This helps set the stage for what is yet to come and gives us a good preview of what to expect from the show as far as the costumes and special effects go.

The effects while not up to par with Toho and Toei’s latest manage to beat all expectations. From the opening with the CGI spaceships and fighters, to the highly detailed costumes and monsters, everything was very lovingly crafted. I can honestly say I was amazed at some of the effects they were able to pull off, especially during fight scenes.

The fight scenes in the two episodes contained in this DVD are also rather noteworthy and while the choreography and overall setup doesn’t quite reach the levels of those in some of the shows being made by the big companies in the genre, they do impress and make for some fun and exciting battles that are sure to please any tokusatsu hero fan.

Overall this one came as quite a surprise. Independent F/X films like this can be a hit or miss affair and more often than not tend to be much better in one specific area like the F/X’s or script, instead of being a balanced affair, which Evolver manages to pull off. Is this to say it’s perfect? No, of course not, but it is damn good for an independent production.

I should also mention that the acting here is for the most part very well done. Riko Komura, who plays the young and hot-headed Rei, and Masashi Nakao, who plays Go Kizaki the Evover who lost his memories, are particularly good in their parts. Tokusatsu fans will also be interested in learning that Takashi Hagino of Kamen Rider Ryuki fame (Takeshi Asakura) and Rieko Adachi of the Heisei Ultraseven series also take part in Evolver.

Now, how about the quality of the DVD and the overall package? Here, the producers beat Toei and Toho’s official Japanese releases easily. First and most important of all they saw fit to include English subtitles as part of this release, which also happens to be all region compatible, thus giving tokusatsu fans worldwide a chance to enjoy the show.

The DVD itself comes with a couple of extras including some insert photos and a special behind the scenes segment in which the actors taking part in the OVA are interviewed, although strangely these segments weren’t subtitled like the episodes were.

The video quality for the episodes is excellent and since the series was shot on digital video it gives everything a very different look from what we are used to seeing in the network TV shows. I rather enjoyed that change as it gave Evolver a unique feel. The audio was good although the voice track in certain scenes seemed muffled by the ambience and music tracks. While noticeable, this didn’t detract from the overall experience. The opening song as sung by Takeshi Kusao is solid and the BGM follows suit for the most part.

Conclusion

Looking for an alternative to the ever popular Super Sentai, Kamen Rider, and Ultraman series? Want a tokusatsu series that you will have a ton of fun watching? Look no further than Evolver. This is one heck of an independent hero production that should be checked out by all fans of the genre and a great sample of what can be done by a group of highly talented people who love what they are doing.

Jeffrey Couto