1986 / 45m - Japan
Sci-fi, Horror - Animation
2.5*/5.0*
Roots Search: Shokushin Buttai X poster

Watches

April 20, 2023

2.5*/5.0*

A fun but extremely generic space sci-fi anime. With only 45 minutes on the clock, Roots Search doesn't have much time to elaborate on the plot and characters, but it would've been nice if it hadn't stuck so closely to its genre cliches. The limited animation and predictable outcome stand in the way of a more memorable experience.

A space station finds itself in the warp path of a smaller vessel. A collision is barely averted, but as soon as the vessel appears, the station receives an SOS message. An expedition is sent out to explore the vessel, and all they find are corpses, and one single unconscious survivor. There is something else on board though, and it has some very unique powers.

The sci-fi elements are nice enough, but the art style is pretty limited, as is the quality of the animation. The plot is generic and the film charges through it with little conviction. If it weren't for the fact that I like this type of sci-fi there wouldn't have been much of note here, I still enjoyed it for what it was though. Just don't expect too much of it.