Introduction
While pursuing an alien fugitive, Birdy Cephon Altera—a bombastic police officer from the Space Federation—finds herself on Earth. Her target, Geega, has disguised himself as a human and assimilated into the fashion industry, so Birdy follows suit and joins a modeling agency, taking on the identity "Shion Arita." Her position as a rising model has her posing for photo shoots by day and chasing intergalactic criminals by night.
Meanwhile, Tsutomu Senkawa, an average high school student, explores an abandoned building with his friend, and coincidentally, Birdy has tracked down Geega to the same building. Senkawa briefly witnesses the battle before being seized as a hostage by Geega. However, Birdy, oblivious, attacks Geega and accidentally kills Senkawa. Distraught, she quickly decides to save him by integrating his consciousness into her body.
Now, Birdy and Senkawa must not only cohabitate the same body, but also balance Senkawa's high school life, Shion Arita's modeling career, and Birdy's increasingly dangerous job as a Federation officer.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
SMGJohn
Tetsuwan Birdy Decode is the usual A1 Picture slop that they mass produced between their few successes, void of any form of redeemable qualities in any shape or form.
The anime suffers from the same obnoxious A1 Picture slop tropes to make everyone either an asshole or an emotionally unstable teenager. The animations are poor, the art style is generic, overuse of soundtracks to hide the non-existent sound effects and ambience.
The writing is perhaps the biggest offense just being downright lazy which is not entirely A1 Picture fault considering this is a manga adaption however, there seems to be some jarring differences between the original works and the anime adaption.
Which indeed is A1 Pictures fault, the anime itself is very uninspiring compared to the original Tetsuwan Birdy OVA f…
Read at the sourceSzandor
After watching the 90's OVA and finding it pretty good I naturally wanted to watch this as well. The OVA only has 4 episodes so I hoped for a bit more of the same, even though this seemed like a reboot rather than a continuation. Sadly, this series just doesn't cut it and I'm pretty disappointed in it. So what makes this a worse watch than the OVA? Well...
- Story & Theme
The main story has altered, but overall it's the same theme and setting. That's not really a problem, the new story isn't worse or better than the original, and though the story isn't the best I've seen it's not too bad either. The body switching problems gets a bit more screentime since there is more time here to address it, but it's still not the main focus of the story and that's fine.
- Characters & Writing
Wow, the…
Read at the sourceGsarthotegga
After the original Birdy series was abandoned, the author returned to write a new Birdy series, which Birdy the Mighty: Decode is an adaptation of. The gist of it is more or less the same, but Decode is completed. Although the rating on MAL is pretty decent, I remember this being a series with a fairly lukewarm reception back when it came out—at least the first season, and i can see why.
It starts off well enough. A typical sci-fi action/adventure that sometimes looks merely okay or a bit generic, but the production values shift rapidly to be something more awe inspiring. There's a lot of great key animation here, especially coming alive during the numerous action sequences. The problem with a number of "sakuga fests" is that, like Naruto, it's not uncommon for them to be like dumpster d…
Read at the sourcePixelB
Tetsuwan Birdy Decode's plot is actually right down my alley. There's a lot of potential for a story that starts off with a boy that has to co-exist with another person in the same body since his body got destroyed.
However, Tetsuwan Birdy Decode fails to follow up on the character relationships between Birdy and Senkawa.
See, Senkawa is portrayed "realistically" as to how a normal person would if he was in his predicament. Predictably, he complains, asks for explanations, and is basically a nuisance to Birdy who is trying to protect a tragedy from happening. The thing is, Senkawa is really a boring character to watch. He's selfish: He wants to preserve his daily life so much that he's willing to get in Birdy's way of her own investigation on criminals. Maybe rightfully so, since he got ki…
Read at the sourcelamaraptor
I thought this was going to be a rehash of the original OVA, but I didn't know going into it that there are actually two versions of the manga as well. The original OVA was based on the older manga, while this one is based on the new series that fleshed out the story a bit more and added some new characters.
I've got some question. Why is M. Night Shyamalan the villain? Were they trying to say that there was going to be a twist ending? Was the twist that he died? He was so convinced that he was creating a perfect society and that he would be chosen for it but he was literally the first person to die.
I wasn't really having much fun with this series, it was more of a chore to watch than anything. The ending song slaps, but the rest was pretty mediocre. Needs more Shion Arata and less Bird…
Read at the sourceResting_Bonfire
Tetsuwan Birdy Decode
One of the lesser-known anime that is rarely talked about. I saw it for the first time in 2012 and never finished looking, I can't answer exactly why.
Now that I have given him a new chance, I can say that he is somewhat individual and dull. The typical sci-fi concept of good alien vs evil alien.
Somehow I had a "lilo and stitch" vibe all the time while watching it.
The basic idea of the divided body is interesting and you could discover somewhat creative processes and approaches, but otherwise, there is nothing more.
The plot is enormously transparent and flat until the end, one only hopes that the implementation of the events will surprise since the content does not do it anyway.
The pacing makes it difficult for me to judge whether it is good or bad. They ha…
Read at the sourceInjenss
12 Years. I've had this anime sitting around for 12 years without finishing it. That was a mistake, because this anime is awesome. It has so much going for it, but I think the key thing is that while this anime is centered mostly around high school kids, it's not childish. It's a mature story, and very well told. Not a lot of plot holes, not a lot of moe, or nosebleeding, and it actually intersperses adults naturally with children. It's not like most animes today where adults are these far away uninvolved authority figures who only show up at key times to push plot. You had adults working side by side with the kids to figure out what was going on. I liked that as it made the anime feel more realistic and mature.
I also liked the main characters, Birdy and Senkawa. But, especially Birdy. S…
Read at the sourcetheRealGuyFieri
Tetsuwan Birdy Decode, or Birdy the Mighty: Decode, the sexy, cute and ungodly strong detective Birdy.
This review also contains the review of the OVA Tetsuwan Birdy Decode: The Cipher but I'll be judging them separately.
For a start, I say this series isn't all that bad. If you are looking for a series to binge on, I guess Birdy isn't a bad choice to be. Of course, this isn't a very popular series but still feel that you should check it out for yourself. With that, I will explain parts that I like and dislike of the series. Firstly, the show gives off the 2000s vibe. Of course, it was made in 2008 but if you have watched it you would understand what I mean. I want to point out that there was a similar vibe from the show FLCL in the first 3 episodes but sadly it disappeared thereon. Stor…
Read at the sourceWeeabooHunter101
I found Birdy the Mighty through S.A.V.E. so I wasn't expecting very much from this series. I also wasn't expecting much with a premise about a high school boy sharing bodies with a hot alien super cop. Now I am so glad that I decided to buy this series and hope more people seek it out in the future.
I was expecting loads of fan service, but that was kept to a relative minimum. I found the story to be decently paced and the characters to be developed well. The fight scenes were well done and overall the animation was nice. I have a few issues with the English dub, but that is mostly word choices in a few spots that didn't seem necessary. I also found the music to be catchy and can easily recall the OP tune in my head. While it isn't fantastic, I do believe the series in underrated and dese…
Read at the sourceWindSentinel
Tetsuwan Birdy Decode or aka Birdy the Mighty is one of the most memorable and meaningful animes I have ever watched. This beautiful show is gorgeously rendered with stunning linework and visual aesthetics. The tone of the story matches the art very well. The fight scenes are so dynamic and the movement of the characters can be so fluid and artistic at times, that it comes alive to the viewer.
The musical score is reminiscent of Cowboy Bebop, with flowing and moving musical pieces that will remain in memory long after the show is over.
The characters progress and grow beyond that of a linear plane and are deeply emotional. As the deep and well developed story progresses, so does Birdy as she encounters more obstacles.
All in all, Birdy the Mighty is my favorite anime. It has so much e…
Read at the sourceOddOtaku
Season 1 of Tetsuwan Birdy Decode is a stunning reboot to the old OVA and pays homage to the manga which also got rebooted but about 5 more times? Reboots aside, this is one of the best shining examples of story and character done right. With one exception. For the most part the characters are believable, you can understand why every character acts and portray themselves surprisingly realistically. But the main villain. He's almost a disappointing level of why. He's great for memes and in his own way feels like he belongs somewhere, but that place isn't here sadly. While this is a fun anime, it's never had anything to really take you out of belief till he shows up and it's blatantly obvious. Aside from him, I do love the art style but it isn't always top quality, especially in action scene…
Read at the sourcektulu007
Tetsuwan Birdy Decode is an anime from late 08 based off of a manga from the mid to late 80s. It was originally written by Yuuki Masami. The anime was handled by A-1. Yes, them again. And this one came out before Kuroshitsuji too. Which will officially make it the earliest A-1 anime I’ve reviewed. I don’t know what to expect since their quality is so variable. Let’s have a look.
Story:
We open with our titular Birdy in pursuit of some criminals. Turns out she’s a federation security agent and yet she doesn’t wear gold. In any case, she captures their getaway driver but they scarper. Cut to some time later, Birdy and her squid friend have tracked the criminals to Earth. Because of course you have to set things on Earth instead of an alien civilisation. It just makes things so much more in…
Read at the sourceDesolatePsyche
First things first. My "reviews" system is explained on a blog entry. Which can be found through my profile.
------
✦Story
Aside synopsis, I have to say I expected this Anime being one of those older "niche" series that probably are utter boredom. But it was actually much more enjoyable than I imagined it to be. Anyhow the progression felt great, I also grew into characters. And I did really like Sayaka. Anyhow, development and story felt as well quite nicely wrapped up. Obviously story goes one but for "act 1" it was good.
✦Art & Sound
Art was somewhat flat, but in a enjoyable way. Animation also felt quite nice. There was subtle touch of obvious fanservice, but nothing bad.
Now as for music&ost, I wasn't fond of the songs in this anime, especially the ending theme. But OST I did quite…
Read at the sourceQdew
Tetsuwan Birdy Decode is a story with a great premise, that was unfortunately underutilized by the creators. I had high hopes when entering this series, it had me eagerly waiting to see how the story may develop, but it did not live up to my anticipations, and my interest was steadily dropping after 3 episodes.
Let’s first look at what the first episode leaves us with. The series starts off with a flashy and entertaining introduction of the female lead - Birdy Cephon Altera an intergalactic police officer, and moves on to showcasing her earthly alter ego - a rather promising introduction. We are shown the incident regarding Tsutomu Senkawa, and the start of one of the main plot points - two people sharing one body, and with it a common predicament.
The story up to this point has left me h…
Read at the sourceCespar
Birdy the Mighty: Decode, as I’ll refer it to as, isn’t what I expected based on its cover. It’s a mixed-genre show with some fun action and entertainment. However, by no means is this a terrible show, but it is fairly above average and competently made.
* I will note that this is far from an ecchi anime. It's actually a reboot to the 90's 4 episode OVA.
* I will also note that this is based on a more objective 5 as the mean instead of 7 in standard grading.
Story- 5/10
Intergalactic criminals have opposed the Federation and snuck into the backwater planet called Earth. Now our bodacious female lead, the extra-terrestrial federal investigator Birdy Cephon tails down their track. However, an ordinary high school student named Tsutomu Senkawa was caught in the crossfire in the chase as Bi…
Read at the sourceJustGoodAnime
"Tetsuwan Birdy Decode," or "Birdy the Mighty: Decode," is a smartly written show with decent production values and a good hook. It is not an ambitious show however. Birdy the Mighty is a show that proves to be quite entertaining, but its not likely to leave you with much after the credits roll. There's nothing wrong with that, but its something to keep in mind when deciding to watch it or not.
Birdy's characters are likable enough, but not particularly complex. The show does provide a nice duality between public and private life though. Whether its Tuto's charming mix of effeminate charisma and straight faced mentorship, or Birdy's public role of air headed, demure pin-up girl contrasted with her brash, independent nature as a galactic cop. Birdy and high schooler Senkawa also have fairl…
Read at the sourceFujaku
So, Tetsuwan Birdy Decode. Birdy the Mighty Decode to be exact, but does it really matter?
Tetsuwan Birdy Decode is a remake of some nineties OVA, that being an adaption of some eighties manga, which was written by Yuuki Masami, who also wrote Patlabor. It is directed by Akane Kazuki who also directed Escaflowne and Noien. It tells the tale of Senkawa, who is in great anime tradition an ordinary high school student... Until he dies. Birdy Cephon went to Earth to chase a mysterious artifact called the Ryunka as an intergalactic cop, but while battling with a bad guy, accidentally kills him. To make up for it, Birdy puts Senkawa's conscious in her body until it is fixed. Senkawa can live a normal life... Expect when Birdy switches into his body to battle some villains. This causes several p…
Read at the sourcengohongsui
Birdy the Mighty is a thoroughly enjoyable exercise of an interplay of good and okay execution.
Story: 7. Birdy the Mighty is forgettable plotwise due to a tired genre of Alien superiority. The whole "Aliens are stronger than us but we must survive somehow" premise is dealt by the novels like "War of the Worlds" by H.G. Wells or even t.v. shows like "Star Trek" in a greater and more investing manner. The sharing of a body aspect however is quite interesting as it leads to clever and fun character interactions.
Art: 8. The aspect of this show that really brought me in was the direction in which the art took. I saw a show with clean animation and cool character designs. I wasn't disappointed, but I also wasn't blown away. Birdy's movements in battle however are truly stunning. The animati…
Read at the sourceDrProfHectorPhD
I was on my Netflix account, cruising for new and interesting anime to watch, when I noticed Tetsuwan Birdy Decode. I'm not really sure what compelled me to watch it, since I'm not usually drawn to anime with title art such as this, but I started watching and I couldn't stop. Birdy definitely surprised me with her confidence and character development. The story itself didn't feel "cookie cutter" and the music went along very well.
Read at the sourceggultra2764
I must admit that I got quite a bit of enjoyment out of seeing Birdy the Mighty: Decode. While the series does seemingly set itself up as a typical space action-adventure about an alien agent stopping criminals, it does quite a bit to make itself stand out. It sets up Tsutomu having to share Birdy's body after his body accidentally gets wasted by Birdy during a fight with a thug. This sets up the entertaining chemistry between the two characters as they often get at odds with one another over who gets to snag control of Birdy's body as Tsutomu wants to retain whatever normalcy he can in his life while Birdy wants to press on with her mission on Earth where possible.
I've seen a number of reviews online criticize about how they find Tsutomu's character to be rather annoying as he complains…
Read at the source
