Apocalypse Zero

Original Title: 覚悟のススメ
Romanized: Kakugo no Susume
Literal: Recommendation of Preparation

Plot Synopsis

A series of natural disasters has reduced the world to rubble, with the survivors doing whatever they must to survive in a world gone mad. But one young boy, Kakugo, gifted with amazing martial arts and a superpowered suit of armor by his late father, has been charged with making the world (or at least his school) a safer place. But his sister Harara has a matching set of skills and equipment, and she's also on a mission to bring peace to the world... by wiping out humanity!

Quick Review

Rating: 0.5 / 5
Reviewer: Marc
Review Date: 2004-10-23

Like a cross between Fist of the North Star and the South Park movie, Apocalypse Zero is somewhere between an outrageous send-up of post-apocalyptic gore-fests and a childhood nightmare given a deranged adult twist and made flesh. Though it borders on some sort of sick brilliance for those with a truly bizarre sense of humor, it is so gross, so juvenile, and so outright unpleasant to watch that children, family pets, and most normal people just should not watch it--it can't be healthy.

Cartoony, ultraviolent, perverse, and all-around gross, this is a series to be avoided by all but those with tough stomachs and the most frightening senses of humor. You know who you are.

US DVD Review

The DVD collects both VHS volume into one sick and twisted hybrid-audio digital disc, and throws in an art gallery to go along with it.

Content Guide

None of it is serious, but the gross-factor and graphic violence easily bump it into the mature audiences only category--do not let your children near this, period. The 16-up rating Anime Works gave it is too lenient, in my opinion.

Violence: 5 - Faces removed, spraying innards--you name it.

Nudity: 4 - A vast amount of generally unpleasant nudity; probably a 5, except most of the characters in the buff aren't even close to human.

Sex/Mature Themes: 4 - Hard to call, but definitely some unpleasant stuff and sexual content in the second volume.

Language: 3 - Not all that bad in comparison.

Notes and Trivia

Based on a comic series by Takayuki Yamaguchi. Media Blasters picked up the US rights to it in 2004. The original title, Kakugo no Susume, is likely some sort of pun on the hero's name, which can also mean "prepare yourself."

Availability

Available in the US from Media Blasters on one hybrid DVD or two 45 minute VHS volumes of two episodes each, subtitled or dubbed.

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