Anime Review: Locke the Superman (1984) by Noboru Ishiguro

Initially released in an extensively edited version of 92 minutes, “Chojin Locke”, as it was its initial title, was rereleased in its original, 119 minutes form in 2020 by Sentai Filmworks, reminding us of a rather cult movie that has been largely forgotten. 

The story revolves around colonel Yamaki, who is looking for Locke, as ESPer with extreme powers, in order to ask him to help the Earth forces in their investigation of Lady Kahn, a mysterious millionaire who is training an army of ESPers in her school for unknown, but definitely not benevolent reasons. Locke has withdrawn to the country where he is raising sheep, but Yamaki's pleas and kind nature eventually convince him. In the meantime, Lady Kahn is pushing the director of her school, Ramses, to prepare a truly strong ESPer, Amelia, to fight Locke, by brainwashing her, making her believe that Locke killed her parents. Their elaborate plan also involves her getting attached to Yamaki, something they achieve eventually, although no one expected for the two to fall in love. Meanwhile, Locke discovers that Lady Kahn has moved hundreds of ESPers to a huge spaceship, while the evil organization has dispatched one of their strongest psychics, Cornelia, along with a group of equally strong soldiers, to kill him.  

Basing the script on Yuki Hijiri's manga, Noboru Ishiguro presents an action-based, quite violent title, which essentially pits a “Superman” type of being against a cult, with the ways the ESPers are trained from childhood and exploited for Lady Kahn's plans being particularly despicable, essentially establishing her as a truly appalling villain. These aspects, of the unwilling hero going against a power that seems undefeatable are quite common in the anime industry, but at the same time, “Locke” features a number of elements that make it stand out. For starters, the concept of love and the way it clashes with the brain washing Amelia has undergone is excellently portrayed, with the scene when she meets Locke for the first time being one of the most dramatic, and most memorable in the film. At the same time, that the sentiment eventually applies to the protagonist and that its result is of the unrequited tyoe, is also greatly implemented in the narrative, inducing the film with a sense of melancholy that finds its apogee in the finale. 

Furthermore, that Locke may be essentially omnipotent, but at the same time gets hurt significantly a number of times, due to his intensely self-sacrificing nature, is another great trait here, adding to the drama the movie offers, and making the main hero even more likable. Particularly his facing off with Lady Kahn, in one of the most shocking scenes in the anime for a number of reasons, is truly shattering to watch, with the injuries he sustains being elaborately grotesque, also due to the excellent use of sound in this part.

Apart from context, the movie also thrives on its technical aspects, with the action being as brutal as it is intricate, frequently highlighting the big scale of Ishiguro's imagination. The one-on- one fights, especially those involving Locke, Amelia, and Cornelia, are truly astonishing, also due to their dramatic subtext, but this trait finds its apogee in the one involving the spaceship passing through a planet, in a truly majestic scene. Also of note is the one where Locke reveals his astonishing powers for the first time, while the count of truly memorable fights is quite significant, showcasing the quality of the animation here, by Nippon Animation. 

Susume Shiraume and Hijiki's character design may foster the “cliches” of the era, with all the characters looking like westerners and with an intense focus on their huge eyes, but in general, looks good even today, with the plethora of individuals being quite different from each other, and the four main protagonists being impressively drawn, especially in their suits. 

As expected from a title from the era, some plot holes do exist, particularly in the hypnosis/illusion aspects, and the way some sentiments are formed are rather unrealistic. This, however, is but a small fault, and “Locke the Superman” remains a title that definitely deserves a watch, particularly for its action scenes and overall story, in a style that easily deems the anime the title of cult.