Goku is the name of a legendary monkey in ancient Chinese literature
who has a magical rod that can extend and contract at its master's will.
The
lead character is thus named Goku for he inherits a modernized version of this
rod, as well as a supercomputer for an eyeball that analyses everything he sees
- given to him by a mysterious Godlike entity after a car accident.
This
two-episode show hints at the irony of technology - how all the technology in
the world cannot preserve, let alone save, the life of a single woman (as it turns
out). And it does this well, through well-orchestrated action scenes and a plethora
of visual candy when we see things through Goku's supercomputer eyeball - it's
not overly flashy but looks cool.
There is also
a potent parallel to Akira, in that one of Goku's adversaries possesses
psychokinetic powers that corrupts him and spirals his mentality out of control.
The show is incomplete in that it does not have
a conclusion that wraps everything up, nor does it answer the fundamental questions
of who gave Goku these weapons and why. But these questions need no answer for
the purpose of the show is to explore the negativities of technology, and Goku's
attainment of his superpowers is merely a vehicle to carry out this exploration.
Thus, I judged Goku on what it sought to
do, and not what it actually does in terms of being a holistic story. For this
reason, it gets a four - it's worth watching if convenient but don't go out of
your way to get it.
