Steamboy: When The Hype Machine Fails (ANIME ABANDON)

Steamboy, it took ten years to make!
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#Anime #Steamboy #Review

[@TheWerecatboy]

Steamboy was one of my first introductions to anime and it single-handedly launched me head first into the steampunk aesthetic. For the longest time Steamboy has been up there along side Wolf Children, Paprika, Trigun, Magnetic Rose, and The Cat Returns as what made me into the woman I am today. It's an amazing and formative piece that brings both the visual and story telling quality that Otomo is known for.

[@HorrorChick1498]

Mama Rora same 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@ronaldharris6569]

Take a deep dive into the American version with bee and puppycat and adventure time

[@ronaldharris6569]

I forgot the one of the best anime series besides one punch man, that was the diesel punk epic called last exile ,I ran around the construction site for weeks calling people immehlman.

[@streetman23]

Agree. I remember renting this through Netflix with DVD and fell in love with it. Need to revisit but I still listen to the soundtrack now and again

[@genesisbustamante-durian]

@A waterfall Well said.

[@DirgeOfCerberus111]

Steamboy was unironically one of my FAVORITE movies as a child. As a science and invention obsessed boy, its was mind blowing. Sure it had its faults that anyone could point out but it really didn't matter to me compared to how much I enjoyed and was inspired by it. Not to mention it had one of my still favorite songs of all time, "Collapse and Rescue" by Steve Jablonsky. Hard to explain everything, but just the sheer scale and grandeur amazed me. And the themes, about the cost of progress and how it is used, and who uses it, opened my eyes to a lot of things about our world. Keep in mind, I was like 10 or 11 around this time. Still love the hell out of it!

[@hariman7727]

It's a beautiful movie, with a reasonably solid plot, and likable characters for the protagonists. The less anime and movies you see before you see Steamboy, the better, because it's rather cliche'd, if quite well done.

[@falloutghoul1]

I love how Otomo's passion for technology plays a central role of this film's narrative, helping make a cohesive story.

[@christianfarren1179]

As a kid who’d never heard of steampunk back in the day, this film was a tour de force. Completely blew my mind. Yes, it has flaws in its execution, but it showed the unbridled creativity and scope this genre can offer in the right hands. Thanks for this Bennett!

[@TheTaleForge]

I'm really liking the further shift from plot-point analysis to in depth look at the history and creation of a piece. Can't wait for the next one

[@thinman2714]

As a steam and railway enthusiast Steamboy appeals to me in so many ways. Every credit to Katsuhiro Otomo for doing his research on the Victorians and their engineering wonders, I'm sure good old Fred Dibnah would have loved this film since he too admired the mechanics of the past. I was dead fortunate to meet Robin Atkin Downes (who voiced the character David) at the 2018 MCM Manchester Comic Con.

[@Manawolfman]

I remember the credits actually included a bit of an epilogue. While the serious threat was undone, it didn't stop the fact that the steampunk age had come hard to that world.

[@Malaika924]

Steamboy is one of the movies where I know I've seen it, sat through the entire thing, but can't remember a single thing about it.

[@Sketchy_2]

That perfectly describes like half of all anime ive seen lmfao

[@Dark.Shingo]

Same. I remember seeing it back in the day and totally forgetting about it, and man, I can remember the Art of Fighting OVA and three Urotsukidoji ones... If this movie is so good... then why is it barely mentioned or included in most recommendations not only about Otomo but anime in general? Really asking.

[@hariman7727]

Steamboy follows a very old and cliche'd formula of both a young hero's journey from callow youth to hero of the day, AND the old cliche of "inventor makes new perfect but the WAR MACHINE WILL KILL US ALL!"... And it's tiresome. I've seen that story so many times just in regular movies, and even moreso in anime. It's been done. It's been done as much as the evil single god corrupt church trope of JRPGs.

[@residentgrigo4701]

Well, I do remember it but I watched it twice. For the animation that is. The story is a wet pile of nothing on the other hand.

[@bobbyrice]

Because it wasn't very memorable.

[@torylva]

Bennet, the knowledge of steam and pressure with steam has been known for several thousand years. In addition, many of those were use to power some things. But here's the thing. There was never any use for it on a large scale as other machinery simply didn't require it and it wasn't efficient yet. There were water pumps powered by steam as early as the roman empire, but it simply wasn't convenient

[@TheRezro]

All "punk" genres are based on idea that we take most advanced thing of the time period and turn it in extreme. It is why we have XIX century steampunk and paralel clockpunk (even if electricity was known at the time and used by Jules Verne), Early XX century Dieselpunk (what despite the name is collective name for weird science of that time), post war Atompunk (most known from the Fallout series) and Spacepunk/Space Opera. Beside genres referring specific art styles like art-deco. For the note, core genres like cyberpunk, biopunk, nanopunk are pure SF genres, just focusing on different aspects of developed technology.

[@user-ze3tq9hf9i]

@@TheRezro So many punks in a single comment.

[@Larry]

Only thing that irked me was James' voice actress performing one of the worst accents I've ever heard, It was insane they hired all thisother great British talent for the cast, but the main character completely seperates it.

[@patricom05]

But, HELLOOO YOU!

[@dpc4548]

It's like Moana being the only american amongst the New Zealnders! I feel you, brother.

[@Harmony-wj8ji]

I thought it was the same. Voice actor as Dennis the menace

[@alexandertheresurrection2810]

The voice didn’t bug me very much to be honest.

[@GeekCredTrivia]

It's crazy to me how Japanese animation can crank out something that looks this good for $ 20,000,000 while here in the states $65,000,000 gets you food fight

[@RFLCPTR]

I mean...you know the conditions for the animators suck...right?

[@ryanaguilar671]

Yeah, but it’s the same with most things that are popular that are made in that part of the world (shoes, iPhones, clothes, ect......) every one likes sausage but nobody really wants to know how it’s made.

[@Theevil6ify]

Well the Japanese are famous for their value of work and achievement above all else, to the point of their own detriment (high suicide and low birth rates and so on). But I also think it's because animation in general is viewed in a much higher regard than in the States, so Americans are less apt to put as much effort in it (unless it's Disney of course)

[@RippahRooJizah]

Food Fight isn't a good comparison because they would have likely need a very good chunk of that movie getting licenses, as well as having a wider selection of known actors.

[@RFLCPTR]

@@ryanaguilar671 Yes, there is no ethical consumption under capitalism. So...wanna seize the means of production with us?

[@GojiraRising]

I like Steamboy though, but I also vividly remember seeing the trailer in every 30th Anniversary dvd of Godzilla.

[@HereComesPopoBawa]

"Shteem-buoy"

[@bretsheeley4034]

I remember the U.S. marketing blitz. Regardless of what the commercials said, I looked at the poster art and the ad and thought, "So it's an animated kid version of The Rocketeer. Eh, I'll pass." Miscalled that one. :(

[@42vonbyrd]

SteamBoy always reminded me of a steampunk flavored Rocketeer.

[@comixproviderftw_02]

I remember seeing trailers for it on the beginning of every Godzilla DVD

[@WhaleManMan]

ComiXProvider FTW_02 You mean Godzilla in general, or just that 98 one?

[@michaelheffner7684]

ComiXProvider FTW_02 holy shit I forgot about that! Especially Godzilla final wars

[@hanyuu05]

I remember that. Steamboy along with Mirror Mask and Final Fantasy Advent Children would play before Godzilla Final Wars

[@gallibon1319]

Yep, I remember.

[@RileyRivalle2]

@ComiXProvider FTW_02 How many Godzilla DVDs did you have?

[@vlweb3d]

*I still liked SteamBoy.* *Watched it a few years ago - and will certainly watch it again.*

[@diojiwoolf]

The best storytellers can craft an antagonist without needing to resort to flat out villainy.

[@Gadget-Walkmen]

unless you WANT them to be a villain.

[@sirrliv]

Been eagerly waiting for this one, and Sage did not disappoint. One of my favorite non-Ghibli anime films getting the AA treatment. But there's a couple of points that I wish Sage might have emphasized more. Chief among them is that Steamboy was arguably THE great visual work that catapulted the subculture of Steampunk into the public consciousness. In short, Steamboy is to steampunk as Ghost in the Shell or The Matrix are to cyberpunk, the single work that can be pointed to as the transition from a literary culture to a visual culture, the film that showed the world what steampunk looked like and how it acted. True, there had been steampunk movies before; 1999's Wild Wild West in live action, and much of Hayao Miyazaki's work but particularly 1986's Castle in the Sky. But both of these films were easily dismissed in their time as belonging to other genres; Wild Wild West was a period comedy-action flick, while Castle in the Sky was high flying fantasy with pseudo-Victorian industrial elements. Steamboy was the first to be unmistakably, undeniably steampunk. And the world took notice. Prior to Steamboy's release in 2004 steampunk primarily existed as an underground hipster-esque fad, something that had yet to enter the mainstream and had to be sought out by hardcore fans. After 2004 though, its popularity exploded, reaching the point where it was becoming a central theme in popular media; Castle had a steampunk episode, Warehouse 13 is littered with steampunk-esque elements, The Legend of Korra in many ways is an Avatar-ized take on steampunk, not to mention its influences on video games, music, even anime; check out the series Princess Principal sometime if you want to see the thematic torch-bearer to Steamboy. So yeah, Steamboy was the film to make the steampunk genre explode. And a big part of that is my second point: This film is a Victorian Era historian's wet dream. While I am happy that Sage touched on the possible historical origins for the steam ball, I am sad that he missed the importance of the setting as a whole. The Victorian Age was a golden age for exploration, innovation, and optimism. It was arguably the last great age in human history when humanity felt that technology and science would genuinely make anything possible. Over less than a century the world was changed unrecognizably; railways shortened journeys from days to hours, steamships made once nigh impossible passages routine, factories destroyed centuries-old methods of crafting overnight, food production exploded as farms that might take a week to plow by pony could be done in a day by traction engine, a single ironclad battleship could carry more firepower than all of the men-o-war at Trafalgar combined. All of these changes and more are exemplified in Steamboy, both philosophically and literally. Though his motives may be suspect, Edward Steam is absolutely right in his monologue about the ability of science to change the world, as change it it did; through science, foodstuffs were made safe to eat even weeks after its production, lighting by gas and electricity illuminated the night, simple boiling water propelled locomotives stronger and faster than any team of horses to transport people and goods across the world, and TNT and cordite rendered weapons more effective and destructive than ever before. And then there are all of the literal historical references that make a technological and industrial historian weak in the knees, through either admiration of the film's accuracy or through brain aneurysm at its anachronism. 1. All of the trains seen throughout the film are accurate depictions of the Midland Railway, one of the largest railway companies in the UK throughout the 19th Century. That said, most of the locomotives used in the film were designed and built after 1866 when the film takes place. 2. While not 100% accurate to any particular class, the warships deployed by the Royal Navy against the Steam Castle are accurate pre-dreadnought battleships of the 1890's. 3. The "steam battle wagons" that Stephenson's group puts into battle, though modified with a small-bore naval gun on the front, is based on the Hornsby Steam Crawler, first developed in 1905-1910, one of the first vehicles in the UK to successfully use caterpillar tracks. 4. Speaking of Robert Stephenson, he was an actual historic figure, one of the most important engineers in history alongside men like Isambard Kingdom Brunel, his lifetime friend and rival. Stephenson was responsible for co-engineering the Liverpool & Manchester Railway, Britain's first commercial railway, along with his father George, for creating Robert Stephenson & Co. Locomotive Works, one of the world's most prolific steam locomotive builders, being chief engineer on the London & Birmingham Railway, the first true beginning of Britain's modern rail network, for designing the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Straits in Wales, and the Victoria Bridge across the St. Lawrence River in Canada. And I have to say, he's looking pretty good in this film considering he was supposed to have been dead for 7 years; the real Robert Stephenson died in 1859. 5. The Great Exhibition was a real event, often cited as the world's first World's Fair. Held throughout the summer of 1851, it was indeed centered on The Crystal Palace, at the time the world's largest building to be constructed primarily of iron and glass. After the Exhibition, the Palace was moved from the original site in Hyde Park to a new location in Sydenham, South London. The film's depiction more closely resembles the later Crystal Palace, which was vastly expanded from its original form, though the film artists also took their own liberties. These are to name but a few of the true to life accurate elements found throughout this film. As a bonus note, something that might explain some of the questionable performances; the dub directors were aiming to capture not just generic British accents, but accurate regional dialects as well. For the Steam family, this meant all actors had to speak in a distinct Mancunian dialect, a mixture of neighboring Yorkshire, Lancashire, Scouse (Liverpool), and Brummie (Birmingham). It was noted in interviews that this proved a particularly interesting opportunity for Patrick Stewart, whose family originated from the city of Huddersfield, not too far from Manchester.

[@Luluerin]

I don't remember Steam Boy ever being advertised. Saw it at HMV when it came out though. Probably because Canada was like a no mans land for anime in the early 2000's.

[@RIlianP]

Actually the Romans burned down the library them selves largely by accident. Every captain or merchant if he/she wanted to enter the city was pretty much required to have log in which new knowledge from whenever they traveled to was written after that it was given to the librarians to copy and the copy was returned to the trader otherwise, no trade was allowed. When the library was burned down it set humanity's scientific progress back by at least 1000 years, truly the greatest tragedy to ever had occurred.

[@theproplady]

It shows why you shouldn't put all of your eggs into one basket though.

[@RobinTheBot]

@@theproplady multiple such libraries could not exist, as it largely functioned as a city feature.

[@robbert-janmerk6783]

While Alexandria had the largest library, it was by no means the only one. And by the time it was burned down in the 4th century AD, it probably didn't house books anymore. Anyway, the loss of the Great Library by no means have set humanity back to any significant degree, let alone a 1000 years.

[@nuclearwarhead9338]

@@robbert-janmerk6783 elaborate the second point

[@DioBrando-mr5xs]

@@nuclearwarhead9338 While a loss for architecture, and probably some literature, most information was already removed at that point. One library wasn't advanced by 1000 years.

[@Megatron_95]

So, Otomo is kind of like the Quentin Tarantino of the anime/manga universe? Meaning he'll do the work his way

[@wackpool1491]

I guess, except his fetishes are gears and machinery and not feetXD

[@cthulhupthagn5771]

@@wackpool1491 ...and tentacles (wiring or organic)

[@theblocksays]

@@cthulhupthagn5771 The non-sexy kind of tentacles....oh who am I kidding?

[@TheRezro]

@@theblocksays Do I need explain the reason for that, in from of strict pornographic censorship in Japan?

[@moozooh]

Tarantino is a rather poor comparison. There are dozens more auteurs working in the movie industry. If anything, Otomo is closer to Christopher Nolan. They are very similar in terms of the mainstream appeal, the fascination with a particular theme (steampunk in Otomo's case, questioning reality in Nolan's), the often gloomy tone or premise, the scale and the lush production values of their works.

[@neonnwave1]

With how Funi is doing, HIDIVE seems more approachable. Also, you convinced me to watch Steam Boy. Thanks, Sage.

[@hitandruncommentor]

Neon Wave hidive has more classics, they’re catalogues are about equal in quality.

[@MrDmoney156]

I used to love this movie back in grade school all the time when i watched it in Comcast's On-Demand

[@MandieNRG]

"Y'know, like our parents" 😂 Oh wow I died... true words man, true words

[@kongfeet81]

Plot twist: the chihuahua was the true villain all along

[@PancakemonsterFO4]

na na nana na CHIWAWA...

[@dillwad88]

And he did get away with it! I heard in a deleted scene the chi is seen making an escape a little steam powered biplane.

[@johnquiett1085]

Wow, great essay. I don't remember ever seeing any advertising for Steamboy when it was released in the US. I found it on a Best Buy end cap.

[@psychomammoth9640]

God, I grew up watching this movie on an old PSP disk, ah, memories

[@Sonicfalcon16]

Same. Also metropolis

[@falloutghoul1]

This was on PSP?

[@gabrielperrella]

I didn't know that the PSP could play movies.

[@ShadowWolfRising]

@@gabrielperrella Yeah, a bunch of movies were released on the UMD the PSPs used. some seasons of the Boondocks and Clerks being among them.

[@aruss1]

That’s where I first saw it, also. That CG Appleseed movie, too.

[@pyscobrand]

Everything about this movies was great, aside from the most integral part: pacing. Watching it now, I can really appreciate all the intricate nuances in the animation that contributes to the world and characters but damn if my shoulder didn't get dislocated while being dragged through the scenes.

[@fds7476]

I don't know, I like long, never-ending, exhausting climaxes as long as _they keep building._ ... Get your mind out if the gutter.

[@BaristaWithADog]

Whoa, dude - you skinnied up. *High Five*

[@EternalNation765]

I remember seeing a book about 100 anime films and seeing a blurb about this movie in what I think was a Borders shop back when my interest in anime was really starting to ramp up (it might’ve actually been a Barnes and Noble, I can’t quite remember), but I didn’t buy it. I was really desperate for any anime resources I could get my hands on, so I kept looking for this book. Alas, I never got my hands on it. This episode brought back a flood of memories for me! This really looks and sounds like a film I would enjoy; I’ll have to keep a look out for a place to watch this. Also, wow, Utena! And the Adolescence movie, no less. That’s gonna be one heck of an episode! I’m really looking forward to your take on it, Sage.

[@arnold20139]

I know this video is old. My first experience of Steamboy was getting a DVD from my local Suncoast store, that had 2 trailers and a behind the making of Steamboy. I never got to actually see the movie until 2010 on TV one night and I absolutely enjoyed it.

[@nanoff815]

I remember the add for this on Tristar Godzilla DVD's. The same add you showed actually. I never saw the movie but I still remember the song years later.

[@rodrickwells2746]

Can't wait to see your thoughts on revolutionary girl

[@casperchristiansen2458]

I actually have that exact case. Also, it's about damn time he talked about one of the six most artistically gifted anime directors of the past 20 years after talking about the others before. Correction: nine most gifted; I nearly forgot about Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Rintaro and Takeshi Koike.

[@ForDBssake]

"All completely uncensored" *All completely censored

[@KhayJayArt]

Holy shit, this anime movie has LIP SYNCING. ACTUAL LIP SYNCING.

[@EternalDahaka]

Otomo's works are some of the few that bother and it's a huge breath of fresh air over the normal 3 frame flaps that normally don't even sync with the Japanese voices. That's the main thing Western animation consistently does vastly better even in the lowest budget productions. It'd be nice if other anime could up their game on that.

[@credinzel6996]

This was my exact reaction when I've watched Akira for the first time. I was like, "WHAT THE FUCK!? LIP SYNCING!?"

[@yamikazenokiba5377]

Haaa! Utena! XD In German, there was an extra on the DVD, a fandub of the first episode! Hillarious! Props to those Fanclub Geeks of my time! XDD

[@OTheDetective]

Today's fandubbers are tomorrows voiceactors

[@KevinKess]

@@OTheDetective Well, you're not wrong... when you consider the generation of voice actors that are making moves, nowadays.

[@171QA]

Oh, you’re gonna do Utena next? Good luck figuring out the symbolism in that.

[@karlmueller1980]

I love steamboy I actually wish the Blu-ray came out here in the US too

[@ashleightompkins3200]

When you brought up the library of Alexandria, I swear my heart broke. Just thinking about how far we could have come if it had remained and if it had been put to better use just... There are no words

[@Adorni]

I remember watching Steamboy and really enjoying it. It wasn't necessarily perfect, but the steampunk aesthetic, the Victorian era setting, and the excellent voicework and animation really got me hooked on it. That was the kind of stuff I ate up as a kid, and still enjoy today.

[@DragonAceSg7]

This is why I love your vids. The historical research and knowledge you share are awesome. You are so well read and vids like these are honestly fascinating on top of being a joy to watch. Having been picking through your archives to find things I missed (because of crap in my own life and forgetfulness) I have found this immense appreciation for when you share these thoughts and facts.

[@philiphockenbury6563]

I remember getting this movie as a kid. It was truly special while it didn't wow me off my socks as a kid, this has made me really love it. Thanks mom.

[@SweetestSweden]

AAAAAAAAA!!!! You're doing RGU, one of the most influential anime of my youth! That movie's a fucking wild ride, so pack your bags sage because you're going on a gorgeously animated, head-spinning trip! I'm so excited, holy shit-

[@MaximumMadnessStixon]

Great video! I've always really enjoyed _Steamboy,_ and feel it's one of the more underrated anime features in recent memory. The ingredients are all there. A fun adventurous tone. Absolutely spellbinding visuals. A likable lead character. Some big, prestigious names attached to the English dub. Et cetera. But it's one of those movies where most of the anime fans I know either haven't heard of it, or if they have, they haven't seen it. And it's a real shame. It may not be for everyone, and it has some problems, but it's just so damn imaginative, and so much fun to watch. It really is worth checking out. Also, it's just criminal that a film that looks this good doesn't have an official region-1 release on Blu-Ray. The DVD looks fine, but I'd love to see this given the HD treatment. I've heard there's a region-free Blu-Ray edition floating around. Might have to look into picking that up one of these days.

[@RabbitHole20]

This was an enjoyable anime that I saw. I think it was good.

[@brandondavis8005]

I was still wading in the anime pool when Steamboy released but I remember that it was everywhere in advertising. Anime Insider, Sony previews on the dvds; you damn well knew about it and I picked up my copy. The only reason it's not as high on my list today is because I find stuff that gives me a taste and I want MORE. Current top ten favs? Nah, unfortunately. Honorable mention? Highly recommended. Along with Metropolis, Paprika, Patlabor and the "lesser" Ghibli films. Good job man, new to the channel, definitely piquing my interest.

[@FloRence-gl8fx]

I picked this up for $5 at HMV when I was a young teen, and boy is it one of my favourite impulse buys EVER. My entire family have fallen for its gorgeous animation and intriguing story. It's just so comfortably adventurous in its atmosphere and dialogue, and I heartily recommend it as a first step into anime.

[@psychomammoth9640]

I think this is one of the very few Anime’s I’ve seen in my early childhood, Ninja Scroll being my very first....well that and Pokémon

[@geoffreyblakeley5601]

Utena! You mad man! This was really cool to see and I love learning more about what happened behind the scenes in the production for animes like this. As I've gotten older, less animes have grabbed my interest and looking back of animes have old has given me a greater appreciation for them.

[@timusforlife]

I like this movie and it's very underappreciated. I think Akira makes a stronger impact on people, and Steamboy drags in the second act a bit, but Steamboy is well worth the watch.

[@GiubileiFernando]

imagine an alternate history where steam engines were created in Alexandria!

[@sparkster7744]

Alongside ghibli movies, this one was one of earliest anime movies I watched as a kid, however, back then I could barely grasp what the hell the story was trying to tell and I mostly liked the aesthetic of Steampunk.

[@Mulletmanalive]

Steamboy is hugely important to me: it’s one of relatively few movies I’ve ever cared about to learn trivia. There’s evidence that Molina was requested by Otomo, not least because the character seems to be modelled on him in appearance. The stellar acting cast is ruined for me as a Brit mostly because the recording and direction was done by Americans and Japanese, who don’t even seem to understand that there are different accents every 20 miles in the UK and didn’t see feet to clearly explain that the Steam family are from Manchester. Stewart sounds like he’s from somewhere further East, Molina like he’s from Sussex somewhere and I’m getting a clumsy Cockney by way of Dick van Dyke’s PR infused mess from Mary Poppins from Paquin. At least for about 8 seconds when the first fight starts. The partially controllable physics simulations have become industry standard in anime, so it’s possible that this was just as influential as Akira, though it made far less of a splash. Also, this was the first steampunk movie I ever saw that actually understood that open casings have consequences

[@KireiC]

I do remember the ad hype being pretty over-the-top for what we ended up getting in the end. I never got into this film - it was beautiful, but the story didn't grab me, and rehashed more of the "war is bad, mmkay" vibes that I found more compelling in other works. Since it came out when I was in my mid-20s as well, I probably was itching for something (cringe) edgier than an adventure film with a 13-year-old protagonist, even one that was well executed. Can definitely agree it feels like timing made this one miss the mark it could've hit. But Adolescence of Utena? *That* one is near and dear to my heart. Godspeed, sir.

[@mykal.7424]

Steamboy was released not through the Sony label , it was released through probably Sony's lowest end film division Triumph Films. I remember seeing a lot of pop up ads on yahoo, but i don't remember a big push for the movie . It was in very limited release and not released in a lot of cities resulting in a low U.S. box office

[@Nerdgasm9001]

You may or may not be aware of them but there are (or were) flameless locomotives for use in volatile environments that functioned similarly to how the steamball does. instead of boilers they had pressurized tanks, into which superheated steam were pumped and harness for short periods of use. They are really interesting because they look a little comic, almost like if you were to draw a steam engine with little detail.

[@mechredd]

This is the first Anime Abandon that I've seen in the new format. It's a good format, but please bring back the old intro and outro music.

[@SeekerLancer]

It's not Akira but it's still a pretty good movie if not a very memorable one.

[@dpc4548]

So, a friend of mine was an animator on this movie (he even gave me some production notes, but keep that a secret). He had some great stories, but he said that ootomo was the best director that he ever worked with and he models his directing on that experience. Of course, he said it was the most fun he ever had animating since it had soooo much money. However, the animators kept getting upset every time they swapped out their hard work animating tech stuff for cg animation. I still love this movie.

[@vustvaleo8068]

the Steam Ball is basically a steampunk Arc Reactor.

[@sypoth]

It's a bottle of water.

[@maux7767]

Tbqh, I had no idea this got a theatrical release...at all. I don't remember it coming out at all, I don't remember any marketing or anything. And I was super into Anime in 2005. I didn't discover this movie until I randomly saw the DVD next to a bunch of Miyazaki movies and for the longest time I literally thought it was a Miyazaki film, like literally Ghibli. I loved it when I saw it though, it's too bad it wasn't properly marketed and released to me, because I would've been all over it. Though I was too young for Akira to be my introduction to Anime anyway. Toonami was my introduction to Anime. But I still feel like this could have been a hit with me and my friends, it's not like it's that far removed theme and tone wise from Gundam Wing.

[@TheAlison1456]

3:00-3:35 remembered this bit from this video out of nowhere. I guess this was my favorite part.

[@TheNukaColaMan10]

First anime movie I ever watched, so this has a soft spot in my heart

[@animedude8712]

I got this movie when I was young, I had never even heard of Akira.

[@SuperWHIIITE]

This is one of my favorite history channel specials so far

[@Himiko_Void]

I remember seeing a recommendation for this anime, but the recommendation was rather poorly written so I had no desire to see it. Now that I've come upon this review, I think I might give it a spin, however. Also: big kudos for the DMC difficulty joke! Made my little DMC heart happy lol.

[@shinigami9851]

I remember getting this on my PSP as a birthday present from my aunt and I loved at as a kid. God I loved it.

[@0Letten0]

Wow WTF. I havent seen your videos in 4 years. Boy you look good. Like really good. I am amazed. Good for you.

[@asdrubalvect6328]

I have it on DVD and watching clips online it's surprising how much stuff the version sold on the shelves cut out.

[@ZanraiKid]

This is just like Spider-Man 2 in thesis of “science in service of capital margins and blind pursuit will always lead to destruction”, and Alfred Molina somehow plays both of the battle-scarred scientists.

[@PlutoniumBoss]

Sage holds aloft Utena: The Movie, and somewhere from across the sea we can hear the faint scream: "SYMBOLISM!!!!!"

[@shouta1255]

Me: "Sage Must Die" mode, huh? what could be that deep of a dive? *Utena Movie* Me: Oh.........

[@42Mrgreenman]

My thoughts exactly...The series used to be on constantly back when the funimation channel was a thing....

[@coredumperror]

Hahaha, at 16:20 Sage really channels Mr. Torgue wonderfully!

[@Inlelendri]

Proof that word of mouth isn't always a boon; I was curious but in 2005 I was 17 and, hate to admit it, influenced a bit too much by what my friends thought. And they were so harsh to this movie. I shall now go buy it, if I can. Thank you for the review, Sage, and for quality that just keeps getting better.

[@rhett8819]

I always love me a good history lesson, so thanks for that, Bennett! I remember being right there when Steamboy was (supposed to be) the "IN" thing, and yeah, and I also remember falling victim to the "it's by the Akira guy, so it must be a pretty heavy not-for-kid feature" marketing. So when I watched it, I was surprised by how tame (relatively speaking) it was; like you mentioned, the only PG-13 part I remember was that unfortunate knight dude bleeding out. I liked it alright, though I should probably rewatch it, as I'm sure there was something I missed during my initial viewings. I do remember the final soundtrack piece and how the steam crystalized the ocean, causing that temp glacier in the city.

[@brianoconnell6459]

Also, Metropolis. A movie that completely missed the Tezuka story (himself having pieced it together from a mere glimpse of the Fritz Lang movie poster at the time). Beautifully illustrated, but also dragged on and on and on, all the way to the ending.

[@ghostofkrows]

OMG! You are finally going to do Utena! I have been waiting for this since the beginning.

[@treizTUBE]

I adore steamboy, saw it in theaters several times, dragged my friends to see it, bought the DVD day 1, I tell anyone who will listen how awesome it is. I was sad to see it do so poorly, and still no HD release. This movie is so beautiful and detailed they should jump blu-ray and go straight to a 4k remaster.

[@TheCreepypro]

nice to hear someone talk about this in a flattering manner every time I bring it up and how good it is people are like what are you talking about?

[@bobpiecheese]

I'm pretty sure the reason why the Australian Blu-ray was rated PG is because we don't *have* a PG-13 rating. The next one up from PG here is M (recommended for 15 and up...which is what the entire MCU was rated besides the Ant-Man films). Also, "Aussie" is a homophone with "Ozzy", not a rhyme with "posse".

[@thelinedrive]

Speaking of anime films, Redline is officially 10 years old this year. Can’t wait for the anime abandon on that.

[@EndThusIAm]

I remember falling asleep during this film

[@juanortiz9123]

Utena the.movie?!? Holy crap!! It's gonna be worth it!

[@johnoneil9188]

I am a fan of all things steampunk and I love anime so I am baffled that I have never heard of this. It really looks like an awesome movie that had the bad fortune of being measured against a titan of anime history. I´m gonna give this a look when I get the chance.

[@42Mrgreenman]

Check out Last Exile if you haven't...Victorian and colonial steampunk airship battles....it's about as steampunk as you can get...

[@TheKeyser94]

I actually liked Steam Boy when it come in HBO when I still had Cable TV, I watched like two and three times, this was the beginning of the perpetual war began by the U. S., so the themes of technology used for the good of mankind VS used as weapons of destruction really resonate with me.

[@barrybend7189]

Hey Sage will you please review Five Star Stories OVA. Its a little known thing that deserves a look.

[@NexusVerbal]

And the manga deserves a reprint. :(

[@SMAXZO]

Should he do L-Gaim first?

[@barrybend7189]

@@SMAXZO no he could do FFS first.

[@workethicrecords5901]

I recieved this as a christmas gift around age 13 or 14? Maybe younger. I was just getting into anime, and I loved this movie. I haven't watched it in a long time, But i'm glad it holds up as well as it does.

[@ostsan8598]

I watched it a few years ago. It was alright. And there is a lot of attention to detail. Like those steam launches seem like they're improved versions of the Turbinia, the first turbine powered watercraft. But there were other things that got to me. Like the valves operating in the wrong direction from what's standard. It's a small thing, yeah. But the big thing is the high pressure, low temperature steam. It's just not thermodynamically possible. But I could mostly get over that to enjoy the film for what it was.

[@SnowFiresinger]

I agree, Sage. Steamboy is an unsung wall of awesome. Wait... Utena is next? Yay! I shall await it with a grin on my face. You got me to grin and clap with anticipation.

[@DrVonBoogie]

I have to say, I'm really digging these deep dives into the series you're looking at but I do miss how you used to summarize the stories. That alone made me check out more than a few of the series you covered.

[@TN1000th]

I was hoping you would do this movie for a long time. Thank you, this is one of my favorite movies.

[@warthunderdude1347]

I remember watching this movie on my PSP. I never took in the movie as a whole. Maybe I should watch this again.

[@RileyZilla1001]

20:41 being an avid Godzilla movie collector in the mid 2000's i have seen this trailer on all of sonys dvd releases at least a 1000 times.

[@oliversmith9200]

Would Alexandria have been a center of learning without the state's interest in war machines? An answer: Also studied in Alexandria were medicine, architecture, history, the animal world, etc. We should be able to conclude then that even without a patron state's interest in the science of war a center of knowledge like Alexandria could come into existence, and in a less warlike world remain today. Carl Sagan speculates on that alternate time line in his original "Cosmos", where science developed directly from Ancient Greece in Europe, without the fall of Rome (possibly without Rome) and Medieval decline into a demon haunted world.

[@iniudan]

The lack of major anime, at the time of Akira, was only in the English speaking countries. Rest of the world had ton of anime during the late 70s and 80s. Before Disney started to take over kid TV at the start of the 90s, most of the stuff I remember to have been on TV were anime, as the late 70s and 80s was an era of European-Japanese animation cooperation.

[@Dragnfly_mynamewastaken]

Looking forward to the "You've turned into a car? Well I'm a car now too!"

[@Azazreal]

Hehehehe he had an.....Explosiongasm, he Michael Bayed all over the place xD

[@4-kathryn]

My first exposure to Steam Boy was when it was on DVD, my friend bought it and we watched it together. I'd like to revisit it.. after your review I have realized I forgot most of the narrative

[@TheJboy88]

I'm always surprised whenever I hear people talking about the anime industry having struggled in the 90's. Admittedly my own memory of that decade isn't as good as it could be given how young I was, but I always remembered the anime of the period being incredibly popular, at least over here in the UK. Though maybe things were a bit more dire for it in Japan at the time.

[@1cioda]

Sage, as a long time fan, i must say, i am happy to see how your channel has grown since i subscribed after the Eiken video. But looking back, i have to say i deeply miss many things that have fallen by the wayside, such as your website, which has since lost most of its videos, your colabs with the spoony one, where you force him to watch many a shitty chop job, and your running jokes, like the spoony ones guide to dungeonering for assholes. (Still waiting on Vol 3) Or many of the shows you did as a bonus, such as Sage Vs, Nuts and bolts, and your top tens, most of which are no longer on your channel. I dont know how much you actually read comments from your fans, but seeing as you have rebooted the show, it would be nice if some of these things could come back.