Chou Kousoku Gran Doll

By the time you've given this OVA the three episode test, you've already finished it, so why not try it? This one's fun for what it is -- a brief, style-over-substance genre-blender that doesn't overstay its welcome. Chou Kousoku Gran Doll's charm is in its presentation; it exudes 90s charm on multiple levels from its catchy ED "Sotto chikau shunkan -toki-" to its character designs (both the mecha and the everyday stylings) to its noteworthy leading seiyuu known for their work in 90s standouts like Evangelion and Cardcaptor Sakura. In which vein, its fusion of mecha tropes with magical girl tropes is enjoyable, though not unique to this show. Interestingly, the show goes deeper than just the 3-episode OVA -- there was also a Japan-only PS1 game with Mega Man-style gameplay released based on the show with extensive FMV animations, voice acting, and expansions on the show's universe. The story is nothing to write home about, but it's about what you'd expect for a show with only three episodes to establish and conclude a plot. It has its share of goofy moments that keep it consistently entertaining, and the character of Sigil especially suggests a greater depth than the show has time to explore. Overall, this OVA was a fascinating time capsule of a different era in anime production, a one-entry "franchise" that received more investment than might have been expected, but not enough to gain much of a following or follow-up. I'd imagine there are dozens of OVAs like it out there from the same era, but I'm glad I found this one. If you give it a try, maybe you will be too.