Are you ready for some serious villainous action anime fans? The new show Yattaman needs villains, and to get the most foul, the most reprehensible, the most - dare we say - evil villains, the producers have decided to…put together a race to see which trio of felons gets the job! Yes, welcome to the wacky antics and whirlwind adventures in TIME BOKAN.

Part the First - It's the greatest spectacle ever at the town stadium! Announcer Tommy Yama proclaims it's time for the "We've Got the Main Part Mecha Mecha Race" to determine which trio of evildoers will be the next to vex our heroes Yattaman. Seven triads of nasty persons have entered their mechs into the race - but as we all know, only one can win (and by any means necessary, naturally). It's a strange coincidence, but all the teams bear a slight resemblance to each other: each has a beautiful, buxom female leader, a smarmy big nose/buck toothed tech, and an unshaven lunkhead driver. However, one set of villains - the Dorombo Gang- is missing a member. Their tech Boyakey has gotten married and decided the villain lifestyle isn't for him anymore. Even a visit to his noodle shop by Doronjo (the girl) and Donzler (the lunk) fail to persuade him to join Team D in their quest to be the adversaries on Yattaman. The duo resolves to win without him. So back to the race - each trio has their mechs ready and the gun sounds - they're off! It's no-holds barred hilarity as the teams pull out all their tricks to win - although most of the time the various schemes backfire on whichever gang tries to cheat. Ultimately, a man must do what a man must do... and true friendship, even among villains, wins the day. Winning. However, may turn out to be the worst thing that could happen.

Part the Other - (Spoiler Alert if you don't wanna know who won the race!) A great new anime - Catnip Man, featuring all the best of anime (i.e., robots, schoolgirls and panties) - is being shown at the local theatre by a trio of suspiciously familiar owners. Since the show is being screened for free (and nothing's cheaper than free, kids), the suckers - err, I mean, the crowds flock to the movie house. Catnip Man is nothing more than a mecha in a dress. The audience is appalled, but not as much as when the owners inform that while getting in was free, it'll cost 'em to leave. Yes, it's quite a scam for Team Dorombo! However, the powerful Dokurobe appears and charges the gang to find the mysterious Taksunoko Kingdom and steal their precious Doguru Stone. While Team D prepares for their assault, the shows' heroes Yattaman 1 (a boy) and Yattaman 2 (a girl) (?) have fallen in love and gotten married - they're oblivious to all but each other. Boyakey remembers a time when the Gatchaman team visited his noodle shop, only to stiff him on the bill. When he followed the Gatchamen, he saw them escape into a manhole that was emblazed with the symbol of the Taksunoko Kingdom. It's the way in! The Dorombo gang leap into their mew mecha - the First Grader - and go to steal the Stone so Dokurobe will quit blowin' them up! But the path is fraught with peril - speeding racers, bionic men, ninja Gatchamen, gorillas, evolving mechas, giant dogs and star-crossed newlyweds. Take my word for it; if you think things are crazy for Team Dorombo now, you ain't seen nothing yet!

Oy vey. TIME BOKAN is one wild anime, obviously made for the truly devoted fan. There are 'in jokes' a-plenty, and I'll be the first to admit I probably missed half of them myself. Hardcore fans will enjoy the many parodies of the genre and general nonsense prevalent throughout TIME BOKAN. The casual anime fan might feel lost at times, but still should enjoy the inanity of the situations and cameos by favorite heroes. Non-anime fans will be completely vexed; TIME BOKAN is not for the Disney crowd. Aside from the Dorombo Gang, not much characterization is given to the others involved, but in such a fast n' furious adventure, who needs it? I admit I really liked the Gang, and wouldn't mind seeing them again (especially if Doronjo suffers more 'wardrobe malfunctions'). The animation is pretty standard fare, with many 'super-deformed' sequences, as one would probably expect. There are a few scenes, which veer totally into different styles of animation - that may be deliberate, or a cost-cutting tactic. Remember, TIME BOKAN isn't about art; it's about having a good time. It must have been a blast for the production team to cut lose and make fun of all their characters. Much like the best comedy shows, TIME BOKAN throws everything into the mix (and I think I did see a kitchen sink); you'll laugh out loud, cringe at bad puns, groan at sheer stupidity, but the end result is one heck of a lot of fun for diehard anime fans.

Released as a treat for fans, TIME BOKAN doesn't come with many extras. There's a trailer and art gallery, plus the obligatory previews. That's all. Since the show is basically all parody, a who's who would be pretty useless - if you have to explain it, the joke ain't' funny.

TIME BOKAN is definitely geared for a specific audience; if you're not an animaniac or really into Gatchaman and the like, this show is not for you. But if that's your bag baby, give TIME BOKAN a spin - a wild parody that's sure to amuse even the most serious anime fanatic!