Megami Kouhosei

I think Candidate for Goddess didn't get the recognition is deserved in the least bit. The 12 episodes were very enjoyable, but I feel like it got cut too short. And because it's quite short, this review will be as well! Story has some similarities to Evangelion, but not to make it a direct copy or a rip. The characters were fun and enjoyable. The animation was well done-- clean and crisp. Character development could be a bit more, as there was so much room for potential growth. Overall, Candidate for Goddess is enjoyable, light hearted, and fun. I highly recommend watching it if you can find it :) Seeing that if you want you can just watch it in one sitting if you so wish. :)

I was uh what seven episodes in and I thought the show was fairly bad but watching the last five episodes....I felt ripped off. Normally I wouldn't mind but this went from being bad to just being terrible! Pilot Candidate or Candidate for Goddess is the typical show about a young feisty protagonist who wants to fulfill -insert dream here-. Plus or what should be a plus is that we get mechs added into the shounen mix! With a cast with over ten members, and 12 episodes to tell a story how bad does Pilot Candidate fall? Well I will describe what can be the pros of the show. The character art is alright but it looks standard for that time when I compare it with a show from the same time frame as Gate Keepers. Although the difference between the two is that not much of the art is that memorable beisdes the pilot uniforms. Though what makes them stick out is that besides the full dress uniform, the rest of the uniforms are rather girly for guy pilots, not to my taste anyway, The CGI in the show is mediocre. The mechs sorta look cool but move awkwardly and the enemies just look lame as their actual name.(Victims? Damn Saint Something Four Syndrome). The music is probably my favorite part of the show and the only reason I didn't rate it a one. The opening for Pilot Candidate is a orchestral instrumental that sounds great for space battles. I don't hear many instrumental opening themes so I liked it a great deal. The soundtrack music generally fits the what's going Pilot Candidate wise(it doesn't the title story) and silence is used when needed. The only music I didn't like was the ending theme but that's was due to being the normal pop affair that didn't stick out much, The story suck. It could have went somewhere but it didn't and I don't want to go into. Now the story blows blows but if this show wanted to succeed in some fashion it could have done something with the characters and there's an attempt to do something with them they're made from the wrong place. The cast is mostly just bad foils for the main character Zero who himself is all not that great being the normal tenacious dumbass. We have the love interest, the smart guy, the instructor glasses girl, rival, the douche bag....and it goes on. None of the characters are very well defined and there's no emotional growth to be found. There's not much work put into these characters and thus the show is hard to watch. I don't recommend this show to anyone unless they want to see a bad piece of work. It's slow, boring, and just a pain on the eyes.

(Note that this review is based off of the TV show alone, and does not include the OVA) Occasionally, whenever I watch a show, I'll wonder if the show has a function to serve aside from provide entertainment, and if so, what is that function (this isn't exclusive to anime - I've wondered this while watching shows like Numb3rs and Burn Notice)? Even if I'm watching an anime based off of a manga, I still will have this question every now and then. Pilot Candidate was a show that I found myself asking this question. Story: 5/10 The story is somewhat standard for a mecha show - Humanity is under attack from an alien race (called the Victim in this show - insert Tumblr joke here), they've been cornered into one last bastion, and their main defense are giant robots. However, there's a slight twist here - it focuses on the training program for the pilots - a "Pilot Candidate" system. This is actually somewhat unique, as I can't think of another show that does this - most of the time, the main character either "falls into the cockpit", or pretty much starts off piloting the mecha (Gundam SEED is an example of the former, and Gundam 00 would be an example of the latter). This, combined with the cast of characters (who I'll talk about in a second) and some of the plot threads that were introduced (but never resolved, as this show was canceled in Japan before it finished airing) leads me to believe that this show was supposed to act as a somewhat more child-friendly version of NGE. The plot was one that was suited for 24 episodes instead of 12 - it would have worked better if they had planned on having the first season consisting of 12 episodes cover the graduation of the class, and then have the second season (if it came into existance) focus on the struggle against the victim. Art: 3/10 The art on itself is somewhat similar to the style from Martian Successor Nadesico, and while Nadesico's art style was fine for the time it came out, it's out of date in Pilot Candidate's case. Also, I find the fact that Xebec chose to animate the mechas using CGI to be a rather baffling one, considering the fact that I can't think of any other mecha anime they've made where they used CGI to animate the mechas - they drew the mechas by hand in Nadesico (which aired before Pilot Candidate), and Fafner of the Blue Sky (which was also made by Xebec, and aired after Pilot Candidate) featured hand-drawn mechas as well (while the aliens in Fafner were made using CGI, this was done to make the aliens appear more...well, alien in contrast to the surroundings). Heck, I've heard people call the CGI used in Blue Submarine No 6 (which I haven't seen as of writing this) better - and that show was by Gonzo, who are infamous for bad CGI. Sound: 7/10 The music is actually really great - it's basically something that sounds like it's from an epic sci-fi movie in the same vein as Star Wars. The dub, on the other hand...not so much. While this isn't the worst dub I've heard (I've seen the dubs for Garzey's Wing - which is worse than Pilot Candidate in terms of dialogue - and Love Hina - which is worse than Pilot Candidate in terms of the voice acting), it's a really bad one - although it's definitely one that you can make fun of (so if you want to watch this show to have a laugh, I recommend the dub for maximum enjoyment). In fact, the existence of a dub for this show baffles me, mainly because, as previously mentioned, this show was canceled before it finished airing in Japan - while Deadman Wonderland also suffered this fate, that show actually got a good dub (and that's probably part of the reason why it enjoyed so much success in the U.S.). Character: 3/10 Most of the characters are pretty stereotypical - if you've seen most mecha shows, you can probably fill in the blanks regarding most of the characters (the mentor is a grizzled old vet, the love interest is a tsundere, one of the best friends is a know-it-all, the rival is an emo kid, etc). The only one that's really of note is the main character - mainly because he's like a very excitable combination of Ash Ketchum and Kira Yamato, except he has none of the redeemable factors of either character. Enjoyment: 2/10 The only reason I actually watched this was because of the fact that Adult Swim has never aired this series a second time - in fact, they supposedly took out a banner saying that they would never air the series again. And if that doesn't give you an idea of how bad this series is, consider this: the anime was one of the main factors that killed off the manga. Overall: 3/10 I guess if you watched the series as a kid, it's worth watching again just to see how much it aged. But if you didn't grow up watching it, then you're not missing out on anything if you choose to skip this. Alternative recommendations: Gundam SEED, Nadesico, Fafner, Vandread

Before I begin, I am just gonna say... AVOID THIS SHOW LIKE THE PLAGUE. That is all. I'm gonna rant how bad it is, if you'll excuse me. Story: 0/10 Art: 7/10 Sound: 1/10 Character: 0/10 Enjoyment: 0/10 Overall: 0/10 This is one of the most appalling anime I've watched, next to Voices of a Distant Star and Orange Road. Even with industry elites like Michelle Ruff (Rukia), Joshua Seth (Tai) and Richard Cansino (Kenshin), whom played the roles of Kizuna, Zero and Azuma respectively, they still couldn't save the damn show. Not to mention that the directing was atrocious as well. Even the most acclaimed voice talent can't rescue a shipwreck like this, and it's not hard to figure out why. Plot execution was poor, voice acting was flat and dull, most of the characters' names look like fucking typos, and the characters themselves are extremely forgettable as well. The OST isn't exactly memorable, either. Oh god, just... no. The only redeeming quality is the art. I gave it 7/10 cuz I like the artwork. But just having well drawn charas alone isn't enough. There needs to be sizable plot to push it forward, ya know? I'm ok with fanservice shit, as that in itself is entertainment, but this sorry excuse of an anime called Candidate for Goddess? Fuck no. I'm out.

Candidate for Goddess can be more aptly described as being one big, juicy bait. It presents potential viewers with its premiere episode ‘00’, bountiful amounts of eye-candy, a seemingly interesting plot filled with mystery and lots of space battles to satisfy even the most hard-core action fans. However, what this anime doesn’t want you to know is one dark, little secret: There is no ending. It piles on with every episode more drama, more symbolism, more of everything and just when you expect something epic to happen, you’re just left with thin air. I won’t say I didn’t fall in its trap; it’d be as big as a lie as the anime itself to say that, and a lot of arrogance on my part. This anime gathered all the potential it had for it, and brought it crashing down in just one minute flat. After the credits rolled, the whole plot suddenly turned into one big fiasco, the characters were mere puppets, and I felt betrayed. Candidate for Goddess was really a trap after all, and it laughed in my face cruelly after I finished watching it. Story: (2/10) The plot started out well enough: humans lost their home planet thanks to the alien invasion called ‘Victim’, and they had to live in colonies in outer space, while still trying to protect their last planet (Zion) with the help of five mecha goddesses. Though many plot points were confusing and muddled, each episode tried to explain part of what happened in the past and you sort of began to understand some of it. But soon new mysteries began to appear, and the whole focus of the show grew more and more dramatic as it drew to a close. And what an ending that was. …If it had an ending, that is. The characters have all cliché personalities you’ve seen before countless times, ranging from the determined Zero, to the know-it all Clay, and the cold, emotionless rival Hiead. You’ve seen their counterparts in many anime before, but they’re overused archetypes for a reason: they’re actually likeable. Seeing the interactions between the cat-eared Kizna and Zero always made me smile every time, not to mention other entertaining characters like Wrecka, Roose, Gareas, and the rude instructor Azuma Hijikata. That’s not to say that all the characters are appealing or worth remembering in the least; there’s a large cast for a series that’s only 12 episodes long, and thanks to that there are more than a handful of boring, unremarkable characters. Like the yawn-inducing, shy Tune, the uninteresting brother and sister Kazuhi and Yu, those nameless fanservice nurses, and Ernest, whose only purpose is to fill up the melodrama quota of the show. But the worst character goes to Ikhny, who seems to have no will of her own other than to make Hiead happy and then pathetically whimpers in a corner if he’s angry with her. Though there are still even more people that I couldn’t bother to remember their names, the characters are one of the best parts of the anime...which is not saying much. The OP is overly cheery and composed solely on instrumentals. ED was forgettable. The BGM is also purely orchestral and it fit the lighthearted mood of the anime on some occasions, but it completely ruined the dramatic moments on some others by it. Voice acting is average. The animation, hands down, the best part of Candidate for Goddess. The characters are crisp and well-animated, and everything is pleasing to look at. Except for some bad CGI animation (mostly the Goddesses) that made me cringe at some parts, there is a lot of nice eye-candy. Sadly, Candidate for Goddess failed on many levels and it will surely leave you disappointed. It's also a mixed bag: there are some interesting episodes that'll make you want to watch more, and there are other episodes that'll leave you snoozing. It's all a waste of time in the end, so don't even bother watching.

Maybe its the Nostalgia talking or maybe Im just stupid. But Candidate for Goddess is one of those series that I have always seemed to just enjoy. Overtime I finish watching it I always find myself hoping to find more. Are some of the characters boring, uninteresting, or a waste? Sure. But I think that is less to do with the actual story than it is the pacing of this story. I mean I believe that this world is too big for a 12 episode series. Heck, even when I went to the manga for a conclusion I didn't get one! I genuinely want to know more about this world. Where did Victim come from? What about the Goddess'? Humans can live on different planets? What happened in Zero and Hieads past? Why does Kizuna have cat ears? If you think about it in what this could have been terms I think the series is definitely something to give a watch.

I'm in the saga of seeing a Mecha anime of each year starting in 1975, even without following the order, I just choose a random year and see. Megami Kouhosei was the second of this saga, and was the first bad Mecha of the saga. The first one I completed from this saga was Densetsu Kyojin Ideon, which is the best Mecha anime I've seen so far. Megami Kouhosei is a strange case in that it's bad, but I don't hate it. This anime is extremely slow, and things happen not only slowly, but erratically as well. It's poorly written, doesn't know where it wants to go and the relationship between some characters is too vague, like the relationship between Ikhny and Hiead (she likes him for no reason). Basically nothing in this anime is explained, and they happen because yes. There are some aliens attacking the only planet there is, Zyon. Are there people on this planet? Who are the aliens attacking Zyon and why? Like, the idea of ​​the anime is good, the characters are cool, the design and aesthetics are pretty (typical of the 2000s), but it doesn't offer much. Plus a lot of things just happen and end very quickly, which makes things confusing. Some people might be bothered by the CGI, but it's not too bad. The robot designs are also good, especially the Goddesses. And speaking of robots, another problem comes into this anime: The robot fights themselves. There are almost no struggles, and when there are they are bad, vague and confusing. In the end it's a poorly written anime, but with nice characters and designs. It could be a good anime, because it has a good idea (even though it's cliche) that was wasted in a really bad script that doesn't lead anywhere. It also doesn't have an ending, and from what I've read, not even the manga has an ending, because the author simply has no interest in making an ending to the story. It's a shame, because if everything was better worked, it would be a good anime.

I watched Candidate for Goddess and read the manga when I was in middle school. And even at the height of my fanaticism with anime, I knew this show was pure garbage. Anime is known for having bad CG, right? Along the lines of Blue Submarine No. 6, this has some of the most migraine inducing computer graphics ever! Of any anime that I have EVER seen! And I have seen thousands! • This show is a perennial eyesore, through and through. I would rather forget that I ever saw it or consumed any of its content to begin with. I suppose it’s a folly of youth. The characters are the blandest of the bland. There’s typical enthusiastic-about-everything protagonist, cat girl, gay guys, and I don’t really remember much about anyone else. • The production quality in this is so bad that it is among a list of titles that should have been Chinese bootlegs, like Dragon Drive. I associate these two closely, because I watched them around the same time. If I want to indulge in shoddy quality like warm, rotten Haagen Daaz, I would like to have there to have been weird/retconned American pop-culture jokes in it, like with Digimon. • Boring, slow paced, bad story, and with an addition of uninspired, so uninspired in fact that it was seemingly pumped out from whichever lackadaisical company wanted to churn out the most doujin stereotypes and thus sell to the To Heart hungry circles (though the source material is mostly to blame; Xebec is an alright company). Insert cat-eared girl with pink hair and ten more DVDs will get sold, that was probably the mind-set behind this monstrosity. • I could see this as somewhat of a Vandread rip-off with the FANSERVICE IN SPACE demarcation, but it is entirely nonsense, whereas Vandread had somewhat of a cohesive plot. PLOT! LOUD NOISES! • Overall, this show is really bad and not worth your time. I’m disappointed in Xebec, since they later went on to work on Space Battleship Yamato 2199 and that show was gorgeous. The ending of the series leaves on a gigantic cliffhanger and encourages you to read the incorrigible manga! I give the wannabe grim-dark space adventure a 1/10 for both the anime and manga.

I would very much like to know the whole story of "Megami Kouhosei" before I dove into the adaptation. I sense it was very necessary to enjoy this anime. But, my interest in this rather obscure title was not from the manga, but the fact my VHS copies of "Mobile Suit Gundam" were preceded by ads for this. I was curious, it certainly knew the audience it was addressing- a space opera with mechs and teenage protagonists, bright colors, and what was- at the time- decent CG art depicting the battles. Here in the US it advertised as "Pilot Candidate". Probably because "Candidate for Goddess" seems more like a show about a contest for ladies to be elevated to a deity... hey, that's not a bad idea! But, I digress... In the far future, livable worlds have been almost eradicated by an alien threat simply known as "Victim". That makes them sound like we should sympathize, but they're not portrayed in that fashion. They're monstrous threats of various monstrous shapes and sizes that devour whole planets. Now, the last habitable planet is Zion. And seeing as the manga debuted before "The Matrix", maybe this is where the Wachowskis got their namesake for humanity's last home. The Victim even remind me a bit of the "Squids" in "The Matrix" at times. But, here, they're generic threats that must be fought by five "Goddesses". Super weapons piloted by talented young men and women who are uniquely gifted in physical and mental abilities, as well as some gifts that border the line between science fiction and science fantasy. These pilots, however, cannot work the job forever. They could be reduced to casualties as happens in war, but eventually the pilots themselves get used up. This brings us to our candidates. The group that arrives are mostly plucky, spiky-haired, teens. The main character of Rei "Zero" Enna is the epitome of an aspiring space pilot in anime. He's optimistic to a fault, loads of raw talent, motivated by almost all aspects of his backstory from almost being killed as a child by the alien menace to an ailing mother at home. Were it not for his imperfections and occasional failures, he'd be insufferable. Speaking of insufferable, his rival is Hiead Gner. An edge lord supreme, who broods in the corner with his arms crossed, head low, and eyes closed much of the time when he isn't boasting about his abilities or tripping out from his own past trauma living in the streets. I could be here all day describing the characters we're given, we have an intellectual, a hard-ass instructor, and many more candidates. This is even before I get to the pilots' operators- all women, btw. Yes, the leading lady Kizna is a classic tsundere, but with cat ears. Why does she have cat ears? No idea. I'm sure it's explained in the manga. She pairs with Zero and the duo form a good team with notes of a budding romance. This is opposite to Hiead, who literally abuses his operator to the point where she's driven almost mad in order to appease him and just be accepted by the brooding jerk she's connected at the hip with. To try to understand any of the characters completely is a fools' errand and this is made more frustrating when the show constantly dips into the Goddess' pilots and their complicated stories for a minute, at most, at a time! This thing is 12 episodes long! We don't have time for all of this! *sigh* So, is it even worth it? Somewhat. I can't deny when "Candidate for Goddess" gets something right, they do it well. There are a ton of nice visuals, despite dated effects, especially when Zero's past is dived into. They can make you care about some characters you've known for mere minutes here and there. A character is killed. I don't really know them. But, I feel sad. That takes *some* gift in story telling. But, there are always more questions and fewer answers. Did they plan on 24 episodes but get cut to 12? There's even an OVA that sums up the season- for what? There's not follow-up and after 20 years, a re-boot is more likely than a second season. This does spare me from the uneven score from Tomoyuki Asakawa, where I feel like we're about to see the nominees for Best Picture than charge into battle in the opening theme, but are treated to strong chords when the show is actually on. And this doesn't excuse the mailed in English-dub which is so poor, you would think it was done in a day and without care. The Japanese dub is perfectly competent and miles about the English version that gave me late 90s video game vibes, think "House of the Dead 2" levels of cringe at times. I can give this a charitable 4/10 because it's not awful. And you might like it if mech space operas are your thing. Or you just loved the source material. But, I was more lost than anything else. I'm gonna look into the manga, maybe I'll find some answers there. But, I can't recommend this to anyone with enthusiasm. Your time is valuable, don't spend it here. For those with wings, fly to something better.