Kinnikuman Nisei muscleman second generation is a sequel to the classic Kinnikuman series which was a spoof of the superhero genre think Ultraman in which superheroes and villains are all wrestlers. The show as a whole is as ridiculous and overthetop as it gets and its clear from the getgo that the series is intended for kids. The shows main gimmick is that the protagonist while usually a total goofball becomes an incredible wrestler whenever he gets into a pinch. As stupid as he is its fun to watch how he grows both as a character and a fighter to surpass his spoiled royaltytype personality and become a respectable person. Now comparing the new series to the original theyre virtually indistinguishable from one another with Nisei basically being a same show for a new audience type of deal. What makes the new series more of a sequel than a reboot is that many of its characters and enemies are the direct descendants of characters from the original Kinnikuman hence the title second generation. For that reason while the anime and an offshoot manga series were aimed at children the main manga series was published in the Japanese Weekly Playboy magazine finding a readership among those who grew up with the original. If you ever watched or read the original you know exactly what to expect from this one. As for my personal opinion there are some inspiring moments here and there which make it worth the watch in the longrun this goes for both series although other than the concept theres nothing particularly special about the show which unfortunately says quite a lot because the humour is something that only children will mainly enjoy. Animation is decent: character models are surprisingly solid and seem to stay consistent throughout the series although not all scenes have topnotch animation since the fights are usually dragged out to cover a couple of episodes. That being said for a basic shounen anime from 2002 I found it to be better than worse. What really kills the show for me is the protagonist. Ive always said to people that what makes or breaks a show for me are its main characters and I personally cant stand shows where the protagonists are constantly making a fool of themselves like Dumb and Dumber and Kinnikuman/Nisei are no different in that sense. Its really satisfying to watch this type of character learn to be respectable in moments of need but youll find that those segments are few and far between: for every minute of the series I enjoyed there were a few that I just werent that interested in. So make sure to keep this in mind when deciding whether or not to give either series a watch. Ultimately theyre stuffed full of innocent fun and I believe its worth watching an episode every now and then if youre ever craving something elementary but its not a series I would consistently indulge in. Now it wouldnt be a full review if I didnt mention the English dub which was handled by 4Kids Entertainment and completely reworked for Western television under the name Ultimate Muscle: The Kinnikuman Legacy. The original series never made it over to the west hence the name change although figures and merch were released in the region under the name M.U.S.C.L.E. so the shows new name reflects both of its Japanese and Western roots. 4Kids dubs are known for changing the feel of the show by injecting a different style of humour thats more directed at western youth. This along with the fact that all of their shows are edited/censored to meet the standards of the Fox broadcasting network is the reason that many anime fans dislike the majority of their work. In the case of Ultimate Muscle however the changes do little to damage the series. Heck because the series is so overthetop to begin with the comedic changes have been said to sometimes actually better the show as a whole. I havent watched much of it so I cant actually give a solid recommendation but from what Ive heard the dub is quite funny and the show was so popular in the West that the final season of the show was actually a separate series that 4Kids requested be produced specifically for the Western market. How cool is that? Anime fans will feel comfortable watching the original Japanese version of the show while the dub definitely feels more juvenile a little more like a Saturday morning cartoon. If you just want something to laugh at go with the English version which doesnt seem to take the story very seriously at all adding in a lot of extra humour on top of the original script. For those who want something more shounenesque meaning it has deeper storytelling moments sprinkled in with the humour than watch it subbed but be warned: its very difficult to find the entire series in Japanese with English subtitles. The dub is a lot more widespread online. In my books an anime is a mustwatch if in the 90s worth watching if in the 80s casually enjoyable if in the 70s and not a complete writeoff if in the 60s. At a 70/100 Id say that Kinnikuman Niseior Ultimate Muscle whichever version you decide to watchis a fun show that will take you back to your early days of watching Saturday morning anime although even in that context this one just barely makes the cut. Yeah its fun and Kinnikuman is a classic but there are definitely better shounen anime out there. At the very least I think youll enjoy the few episodes you watch even if you never choose to go any further with this one. As for me Im on episode 8 or 9 and although I dont plan on continuing it any time soon Im not ruling out a future viewing of another episode or two. Its just that kind of show.