Back in the Day - Assemble Insert 04/03/2010.

If only we had some way to combat the evil Demon Seed. Oh wait, lets just get a pop idol!

No worries, it works, she has unexplained super human strength and she’s cute to boot. All little Maron Namikaze has to do is fight Demon Seed and be the next big pop idol at the same time. No pressure at all. Assemble Insert came about in December of ‘89 (part 1) and then later Janurary ‘90 (part 2). It was also the OVA of the 1985 manga of the same name, which was created by Masami Yuuki, creator of the “Patlabor” manga. So while it may seem this was a planned article, it wasn’t. This week was the first time I saw Assemble Insert and only learned of the connection while writing this article… neat how that works sometimes. Assemble Insert is a fun romp through the clichés of pop idols & anime and, even though it breaks the 4th wall on more than one occasion, it acts as if everything is within the norm. It will be blatantly obvious to the viewer that everything is more than a bit odd, yet it all flows together and makes for an enjoyable watch.

Once again Tokyo is faced with a menace that it’s normal police can’t handle; this time it’s the mecha gang Demon Seed lead by the evil (quite so) genius (not really) Professor Kyozaburo Demon. In order to try and find a way to defeat Demon Seed, the Demon Seed Task Force has been formed. Unfortunately it’s filled with misfits who are more concerned about watching music videos rented from the video store conveniently located downstairs from their office. That may explain why even though shocked at the idea, they all go along with the Project Idol plan to use a pop idol to fight Demon Seed. This idea, admittedly a foolish plan submitted by Chief Hattori while drunk, was still approved by his superiors. Being the only plan anyone has, they go through with it.

Down at City Hall, the hero audition finals are taking place. After 27 other contestants, Maron Namikaze comes on and is hired on the spot after exhibiting impressive strength. While fidgeting nervously, she manages to turn the mic stand into a twisted wreck and unwittingly proves to be the perfect pick. Maron being the 28th contestant is a small nod to both Testsujin 28 and Akira. She is quickly pushed into pop idol training via a video montage. Before all that though, they better take a commercial break from their sponsor, Supovitan C! A fake live-action energy drink commercial featuring the voice actresses for Maron, Hiroko Kasahara, and her pop idol non-rival Kagiri, Maria Kawamura. This is in place of the usual eye catch found at the middle of an anime episode. Of course everyone acts as if everything is normal, Chief Hattori even breaks the 4th wall by saying “isn’t there a rule about putting in a live action sequence?”

Once Maron has her training out of the way she eventually faces off with Demon Seed & Prof. Demon for the first time after the Task Force learns of the next planned attack by Demon Seed. However, Prof. Demon mistakenly called a ramen shop thinking it was police headquarters to announce his heist - good thing that ramen shop passed the word along. Finally we get to see her and DS in battle, and as usual with such fights, property damage is key. This includes the very exhibit DS was trying to steal and Maron protect.

In the aftermath of Maron’s first outing, the Demon Seed Task Force gets complaints from every group imaginable. It’s tough to run a specialty division such as DSTF for society does not love you. After months of not hearing from Demon Seed, the Task Force has to turn Maron into strictly a pop idol in order to make money and keep the group alive. This does not sit well with Dr. Shimokobe, the creator of Maron’s costume, er… Power Suit. He believes she is a champion of justice, not a pop idol, so he delivers the original Power Suit design to Demon Seed to give them the capability of challenging Maron again. This is horrible timing for the Task Force. Demon Seed’s announced return (cancelled if it rains) falls on the night of the Music Awards where they hope Maron will win debut singer of the year. What to do, what to do? In a gamble on the weather, the Task Force hopes to pull off both events.

All throughout Assemble Insert is sprinkled with parody and comedy. While the characters act as if everything that is happening is inside the norm, the show as a whole knows better. Part of the comedy is that nothing is ever really explained, beginning with everyone’s acceptance of Chief Hattori’s drunken plan to fight Demon Seed with a pop idol. Then there is Maron’s super strength, which she just happens to have. Dr. Shimokobe also explains that he changed the Power Suit design after learning the idol was going to be a girl. That’s it, every one goes along with it. They don’t have time for explanations, honestly; it’s only a two 30-minute episodes long OVA. So the fast pacing is a must and works completely in Assemble Insert’s favor. Another part of the comedy is the spot on satire of pop idols and anime. Secret villain hideout? Sure, a giant mansion in the middle of an otherwise normal Japanese neighborhood. The family address name is even Demon. So it’s totally a secret, except from two young kids and Dr. Shimokobe. Before Assemble Insert itself starts, a quick parody of sentai shows is tossed at us, using the characters of Masami Yuuki’s “Ultimate Superman R” to fill the roles out. The references to other anime and clichés is abundant. I’d go on and on about a few of them if I had the liner notes in RightStuf’s re-release of the US DVD.

The first thing you will notice about Assemble Insert is it’s character designs. Mostly the eyes of the Task Force members. After that, it’s the fact that none of them, beside Chief Hattori, have noses. All of them are actually caricatures of some of the staff from Patlabor. After all that it may look as if the show is from the mid 80s because of it’s lackluster animation. It’s not the worst, but it certainly doesn’t live up to being something made in ’89/’90. The music, on the other hand, is great which makes it a shame the songs weren’t translated on the US DVD. They’re catchy, fun, upbeat and carry the attitude of the show wonderfully.

So where to get said DVD? Great news this time around; while it is out of print, it can be found on Amazon for the cheap. I’m talking under a buck cheap. You’ll pay more on the shipping than the DVD itself. At least while the 3rd party sellers selling it so cheap still have it. Even then it’s going to be a cheap buy. So there’s not much in the way of excuses why you shouldn’t add this to your collection. There’s not much to the DVD itself, the bonus material comprises of the commercial, English credits and DVD credits; that’s it. That’s if you get Right Stuf’s original ‘01 release of the DVD. The 2003 re-release includes snazzier packaging and liner notes, which from my research, are pretty detailed and informational. While Assemble Insert isn’t an unforgettable anime classic, it easily deserves it’s place on your shelves.