Birdy the Mighty: Decode Part 1

I have never seen the original OVA, but from seeing the first season of this new one, its pretty good. Its short. And with most short series it has to wrap up the plot within its time allowed. The plot is pretty straight to the point for the 13 ep duration. Birdy has been sent to Earth to find Geega, Tsutomu who is exploring an abandoned building gets caught in the fight, his body severed in half. To save his life Birdy fuses with his consciousness and his body is sent to her planet to be restored. Together they must find the Ryunka, which ends up being figured out around ep 10. The last three eps are wrapped up in the last three eps quite quickly. But like I said, for being 13 eps its gotta get to the point pretty quick.

Overall, the story is simple, it has some good points, and I think it could be more then what was the end result. The animation is really crisp and smooth, the animation in the first ep caught my eye, and the designs for some characters as far as clothes were interesting. The op and end songs were good. I found this anime quite decent, and may pick up the boxset when it comes out. I have not seen the second season but will most likely pick it up. The series is different then some others and I really enjoyed it, if you want something that is eye catching as far as animation goes and simple entertainment, check this out.

I discovered this anime through Amazon's suggestion, and I have to say, +1 for Amazon! I'm so glad I was able to discover this series, as I have thoroughly enjoyed watching it.

The animation in general is a breath of fresh air compared to the majority of what you'd call "mainstream" anime; Bleach, Inuyasha, Full Metal Alchemist, etc...I'm one of those viewers that enjoys a "pretty" anime in addition to a great story. The lines don't seem as thick, the colors aren't as (for lack of a better word) loud, and overall it's easier on the eyes.

Additionally, as female anime viewer, the protagonist (Birdy) is still very much a relatable character. Yeah she's an alien and gorgeous, but her character still feels human. She doesn't always understand the complexities of teenagers (especially the dramatic side of high school girls), but she has heart and compassion. She might be gorgeous, but I wasn't intimidated at all or felt as though this series was geared towards the male viewer.

All in all, this series is definitely worth watching and I've already recommended it to my fellow anime watchers :)

Literally can't get enough Birdy even after watching both seasons. This is just a simple review for both season 1 and 2. Birdy Decode is a great reboot to an old franchise. There is a lot more polish in this series than the past. What is particularly welcome is the fact that there is a lot of chances for cheesy fanservice or crude humor but Birdy is very mature and doesn't go there. The characters are equally good and the storyline/world is quite fascinating. Mix in great art with some modern effects and it really wraps up to be a great scifi series with a gender change twist.

The English dub is very respectable too. Many of the voices used you will recognize from some of the better dubbed series like Gunsword. No they are not the annoying childish voices that have plagued great series in the past. However, still there are some things lost in translation. I fully recommend watching the Japanese dub with subs to get the full effect of Birdy. The accent she has while playing Arita Shion is more intact. Really it wouldn't hurt English dubs if they left some of the Japanese intact. How Shion ends everything with desu would have been funny even if it was done in English.

The greatest downsides I can give for this release is I do not like the use of the 70s logos or menu music. Come on, Birdy has no connection with the 70s...why the heck would you try to use that? Maybe because they thought it might sell better, but Birdy doesn't need such cheap tricks. This is a very well written series with great characters that can stand quite fine on it's own without such cheese. I truly hope someday there will be a season 3, 4, and more! There is just so much to tap in the universe, so many possibilities, it would be a disservice to the show's creators if they never get a chance to make another show.

Also as others have confirmed, be sure to watch the Cipher episode first when you start the 2nd part/season. It should be on part 2. DO NOT WATCH THE 2ND SEASON BEFORE WATCHING CIPHER!! IT IS THE LINKING EPISODE BETWEEN BOTH SEASONS!