Time Bokan has celebrated a long, prestigious run in Japan that spans twenty-five years, including seven series and 434 televised episodes. Therefore, it is only natural that the show would receive an OVA to provide much-needed closure. Unfortunately, when such a feature is brought to a country that received none of the first seven shows, confusion and disappointment are sure to arise among viewers.

The feature is split into two, completely different episodes. The first of which bears a striking resemblance to Hanna Barbera's Wacky Races. Instead of Penelope Pitstop and Dick Dastardly, stars from the various Time Bokan series take the center stage. As one could expect, this first episode is brimming with visual humor. On the same note, the first episode is packed to the gills with in-jokes and references that would leave most viewers feeling lost. The second episode proves to be more entertaining, as the action focuses on the Yattaman series' villains. The evil trio of Doronjo, Donzler, and Boyakey are sent to Tatsunoko Kingdom to retrieve a mysterious artifact. As one can guess, "Tatsunoko Kingdom" is the retirement ground for older Tatsunoko characters. Many more identifiable faces including Speed Racer, Casshan, Tekkaman, and the Gatchaman team make cameo appearances. Unlike the previous episode, the jokes in Yattaman seem to be more approachable to those that haven't seen any of the original installments of Time Bokan.

The evil Dorombo Gang is the focus of this OVA.	Mecha... fanservice? Cripes, now I've seen everything.

Since Time Bokan is a throwback to a series from the 1970s, the character designs take on a retro look. Little has changed from Yoshitaka Amano's original designs. The female leads are the biggest draw, and manage to keep fanservice-hungry viewers happy with their curvacious bodies and skimpy costumes. The major male roles are more drawn for comedic effect, with overemphasized features and an overall goofy appearance that would make Hanna Barbera proud. The animation is fairly clean, but not above what one would expect in an older, Saturday-morning cartoon.

Much like the character designs, the music for Time Bokan is an obvious throwback to the original series. The background tunes are whimsical, but far from memorable. Much of the music sounds as if it were pulled straight from 1970, which adds to the series' retro charm. The show's three vocal themes prove to be the musical highlights with their goofy, playful lyrics and bouncy tempo.

As a stand-alone, the Time Bokan OVA falls flat. Many of the jokes and comedic opportunities are wasted on an audience that has, for the most part, never seen the original shows. The potential is there, but it is squandered on an unknowing audience.

Distributor: Central Park Media
Creator: Tatsunoko Production
Released: 2002

Plot: C-
Character Design: B+
Animation: B
Music: B
Overall: B-