Sometimes you start going down a strange rabbit hole. You get curious and think to yourself: “I wonder if there is an Avengers anime out there.” At that moment, you remember that they had one focused on Iron Man, Wolverine, the X-Men, and Blade. All of a sudden, you realize there is a strange show called Marvel Disk Wars. So, you start looking up what this could be. What hooks you in isn’t the premise but the odd designs of the characters. Unlike the previously-mentioned shows, this took a much more stylized approach with the iconic Marvel characters. It was a kid’s show with a limited budget that introduced us to a unique take on the Marvel universe. So, let’s jump into the story about how Japan saw a group of heroes and thought about sticking them into tiny collectible disks. What can go wrong?
The series picks up with a young Akira, who is the son of Dr. Nozomu Akatsuki. His father was developing a device called the Digital Identity Securement Kit alongside Tony Stark. Of course, as is Marvel tradition, it was shortened to D.I.S.K. and was made to keep supervillains trapped within these containment DISKs. On the day of the announcement, Loki had other plans, as his goons the Celebrity Five unleashed a variety of villains, who escaped from the raft through the very DISKs that was supposed to contain them. Everything backfires when our Avengers team gets trapped within their tech, and only those imprinted with a Bio-Code can unleash them again. You might have guessed that Akira would be one to receive this gift. He is joined by his brother Hikaru, a bad boy with a soft heart cliché Chris Taylor, shy Edward Grant, and rich Jessica Shannon.
The series ran for 51 episodes that would feature a variety of villains and heroes from Marvel history. At one point, even Deadpool makes an appearance throwing the entire series into his usual chaos. The show revolves around these DISKs. Once one of our main characters needs a hero, they just throw this device on the floor, and it summons them. Yeah, it sounds a lot like Pokémon but with superheroes. It’s a kids’ show, so the focus is on introducing as many characters as possible so you too can purchase the Abomination DISK. Their designs are unique, so I’d be happy to see them adapted into other media like Marvel’s Avengers.
Sadly, it also kind of shows in the series’ overall quality. They are dragging out quite a few episodes, especially early on as they introduce the kids. It starts strong with a showcase of various heroes that will appear throughout the show, but it takes a while for them to get the team together. The focus is mainly on the kids, so our favorite Avengers are mere holograms until they are summoned. It’s not a terrible concept, but it does drag on at times that I wasn’t able to force myself to finish the series. Yet, I’ll say it is something entertaining for kids that are into Anime like Digimon or Pokémon, who are also Marvel fans. I’ll say the most memorable aspect is just how handsome Hulk is in this series.
