Summer 2009 Anime Impressions – Needless

Now it’s time to do a couple impression posts of shows that I picked up late. The first is Madhouse’s latest – Needless. I’m always on the look-out for a good shounen type show and I have heard some good things about this show.

Rating: episode 1 – 6/12B-
Rating: episode 2 – 5/12C+
Rating: episode 3 – 5/12C+
Rating: episode 4 – 6/12B-
Rating: episode 5 – 6/12B-
Anticipation Level: 2/5 – Below Average to Low

I remember reading someone else’s thoughts on this show and that person characterized Needless as being the poor man’s Gurren Lagann. The comparison to Gurren Lagann is a good one since this show is obviously trying to be something very similar but the problem is that after 5 episodes I have to say the comparison is overstating the quality of Needless. It’s more like Needless is the what you’d get if you first create a cheap knock-off of Gurren Lagann, stripping away much of what gave the show it’s soul, and then make a cheap knock-off of that lesser show. That’s what Needless is.

On the surface there’s some similarities – post-apoplectic world, evil bad guys, super powered individuals, over-the-top manliness and a young main character that holds a hidden potential – but this is just surface similarities; they’re miles apart in quality. Sure the show can entertain at times but this type of show shouldn’t put the viewer to sleep as more then a couple episodes of Needless have. I’m all for mindless fun but the show has to be fun. So count me disappointed and desperately wanting to know why Madhouse made this show and not a Maid Guy season 2.