MD Geist is a trademark of US Manga Corps
Possibly the most maligned film in the history of anime, MD Geist is certainly one of the more bloody productions to ever make it to our shores and, frankly, I would not be surprised if the perception of the film is based primarily on the reaction of the 80s viewer to its seemingly senseless violence. As far as creativity goes, one might argue that MD Geist belongs to the genre of anime that was directly inspired by the Road Warrior/Mad Max franchise of films. The film essentially follows a human clone named MD Geist (or Most Dangerous Geist) who has come to the distant planet of Jerra to defeat the Nexrum, who are attempting to free the outlying colonies from the control of the government of Earth. In his attempt to infiltrate and defeat the Nexum, Geist comes across the girlfriend of an evil warlord, whom he kills. The woman immediately attaches herself to Geist with the pronouncement "He's different from other men. He may be strong enough to protect me from death itself." Lots of death and gore ensue. Honestly, this anime is not for everyone. It really lacks a well thought out plot, but the characters have a flair to them which renders them just interesting enough to make the film not only interesting, but memorable and even gratifying. Maybe that makes me a maniac, who knows. I really interpret these types of films as a reaction to the apparent meaningless existence that we all lead and the more over-the-top the anime is the more poignant is the message. Am I grasping for straws? Of course, I am!
