This review might contain spoilers. You may proceed if you can handle the truth...

Nowadays, Studio 4°C has a reputation for its distinctive and creative art styles in animes like Mind Game, Tekkonkinkreet, Animatrix etc. As their early productions show, their unique approach to animation was not always the case. In the beginning, their first feature-length movies had a conventional art style and a minimal usage of CGI. Nevertheless, they experimented with different techniques and CGI in their shorts and anthologies in the 90s. At the start of the new century, they incorporated more and more of their experiments into their projects and became well-known for them.

One of those early experimental shorts was Onkyou Seimeitai Noiseman, directed by a co-founder of Studio 4°C Kouji Morimoto. He is probably more known for his essential role as an animator of pictures like Akira than as a director. His best-known directorial work is the first episode Magnetic Rose of the classic anthology Memories. In his films till Magnetic Rose, their animation and score are not as unique and inventive as in Onkyou Seimeitai Noiseman. Having more experience as a director, he would revamp the ideas of his first directorial effort, Franken's Gears, in the movie collection Robot Carnival.

The biggest strength of the 15-minute film is the imaginative, immense and impressive world. The superb camera movement supports the exploration of the detailed, fictional city. Another highlight is the colourful and creative art style which perfectly suits the psychedelic scenes. Regarding the animation and camera movement, the flick looks and feels like a progenitor of Tekkonkinkreet. Onkyou Seimeitai Noiseman is also one of the few movies having a unique, memorable and diverse soundtrack.

Although the story offers a fresh take on the crazy scientist's monster movies, it fails to entertain and keep the interest of its audience. The occasional incohesive jumps between scenes increase the difficulty of understanding the plot. Furthermore, the storyline does not receive the necessary time and always feels rushed. Besides the unusual villain, all the other characters are bland and uninspiring.

To sum up, Onkyou Seimeitai Noiseman is a must-watch if you want to learn more about the history of the famous Studio 4°C or are a fan of Kouji Morimoto's bizarre works. For everybody else, I think the 15-minute time investment is worth it to experience those peculiar psychedelic scenes. You can find the film with a Spanish or German subtitle on YouTube at the point of writing.