Daicon IV Opening Animation (1983) User Reviews

More than interesting

[Rectangular_businessman · 8/10 · 19 July 2012]

"DAICON 4 Opening animation " was one of the first works done by DAICON film (which some years later will became the Gainax studio, the same company who produced many popular anime series such as "Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water", "Evangelion", "FLCL" and "Gurren Lagann, among others) Despite being an amateur production, the animation quality is actually pretty decent, making a very interesting use of many cultural references (Not only to anime, but also to several famous science fiction works, such as "Star Wars", "Star Trek" and even to superheroes like Superman and Batman) resulting in something unique, bizarre and fascinating.

The use of the "Twilight" zone by Electric Light orchestra gives this animated short a complete eighties feeling.

I felt nostalgic watching this.

It's a PRETTY fever dream of pop-art!

[Johnny-the-Film-Sentinel-2187 · 8/10 · 13 May 2023]

DAICON IV is an animator's dream come true and a lawyer's copyright-infringing nightmare brought to cinematic life. Sure there's no actual story here, but the bunny girl's visual trip of hopping from iconic IP to iconic IP all to the jingles of ELO music is a perfect mix for high-octane energy playing out on-screen. And considering this was a film shot on 8mm instead of 16mm like most budgeted-anime titles, it's got Herculean production values for a film whose budget probably cost several dozens of buffet meals for thirty-plus people alone (or something equally absurd).

DAICON IV may be something of an underground gemstone for those of us outside Japan, but this film's footprint is significant enough in that it kickstarted Gainax Studios and their industry-changing works like Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL and Gurren Lagann leaving equally impressive impacts in their own right. It's a shame this film will most likely NEVER receive an official release because the music alone would make releasing it (even for streaming) impossible. Not to mention the cameos of Batman, Spider-Man, Captain America and so on.

DAICON IV may not be the world's most revolutionary animated short film nor the fanciest, but it's one of the most lively low-budget things committed to celluloid. It's a shame that legal bullsh!t's most likely gonna bar it from seeing ANY official releases in the West. Well, thank you for the option to see it remastered, YouTube.