In all my life, I've never witnessed this degree of animation overkill. Studio Madhouse had the opportunity to produce an OVA adapting a shoujo manga where a cursed man pursues a beautiful teen so that her body can be used as the vessel for his wife, whose flesh is rotting away. Sadly, what we get is a random chapter from a 17 volume manga. I don't blame Madhouse for not producing a complete adaptation because, for 1, they were likely commissioned for just 1 episode, and two, I don't think the manga was ever completed either. I consider Bride of Deimos to be an artistictotal package. Character designs, background art, scene composition, animation, music, and sound effects, everything combines to create an ominous atmosphere. Although this was likely intended to be a promo for the manga, its end result far surpassed its purpose and created a visual experience capable of standing on its own. Additionally, I couldn't help but notice a similarity to Vampire Hunter D. Surprisingly, it shares the same animation director as Vampire Hunter D, as well as several other 80s classics that you might be familiar with. Furthermore, it was directed by Madhouse co-founder Rintaro who has his own extensive list of accomplishments.

Presentation aside, there is a story that's being told in Bride of Deimos...in fact, there's two. Admittedly, this 30-minute ova felt like it lasted an hour due to it being so dense with artistic value as well as its two stories. The first lays the groundwork for the main plot by introducing Deimos, and his wife's would-be host, Minako. The second story occupies the majority of the OVA. It is basically episodic subplot from the manga that depicts a secluded brother and sister who lure people into their mansion to murder them.

Surprisingly, this segment of the story was pretty impressive, considering it only occupied about 15 minutes of screen time. In addition to being suspenseful, the brother and sister received characterization, a back story, and it's concluded with tragic irony. As long as you come into this ova expecting the main plot to go nowhere and its subplot to be the high point of its narrative, then you'll likely enjoy the OVA even more. Personally, I was confused by this gradual focal shift considering Minako's involvement with the brother and sister duo. Hopefully, this review can set your expectations appropriately, so you know what to look for and don't let its loose ends trip you up.

Is Bride of Deimos a bad manga adaptation or an awe-inspiring work of art? There are mixed opinions about this, but I think it's open to interpretation. I read a bit of the manga out of curiosity, and it does have a portion of artistic flair in early chapters. It might be a great read; it's just not for me. However, I do know that I will continue to spread awareness about this OVA because I believe its presentation and atmosphere outweigh its broken plot. I give Bride of Deimos a 7.5 out of 10. If you have 30 minutes, I think this is totally worth your time.

Unfortunately, this ova can only be found in VHS rip format. It's currently available on youtube, but youtube compression plus VHS rip quality doesn't do this anime any favors. I recommend finding a higher-quality version of the VHS rip if you can.

Story 6
Art 10
Sound 10
Character 7
Enjoyment 9
Overall 7.5 (rounded up to 8)