CB Chara Go Nagai World was a 3-part OVA series that was a homage to the work of Japanese manga author Go Nagai. Basically, it was a crossover among three of his series -Devilman, Mazinger Z and Violence Jack, with cameos from a few others- in which the characters find themselves in a "Chi Bi World" (another term for Super-Deformed.) Although mostly a comedy, it features some good action, one or two touching moments, and some pretty good music and animation. You can watch it here: [1]
The story starts with the main Devilman characters -Akira, Ryo and Miki- waking up one day to find that they've been turned into midgets (!) and that the world is now composed of floating islands that orbit a "sun". Note that they already know they are Manga characters, but don't know why they have had such a "style change." They set out for the land of demons to try to find an explanation, but end up tangling instead with the female demon Sirene, who claims Devilman is her lover! This in turn gets interrupted when the Mad Scientist Dr. Hell kidnaps Sirene to be HIS bride! The characters then go to "Mazinger's World" (the islands are linked by thin natural bridges) to recover her. There Akira befriends Koji, the Mazinger's pilot, but Ryo (who is secretly Satan) ends up taking over Dr. Hell's operation. He discovers that their entire universe is just part of Go Nagai's imagination and tries to use it for his own purposes, but is opposed by Devilman and Mazinger. Their battle ends up in Violence Jack's world (and confirms the canonical connection between it and Devilman's.) Everything ends up well for everybody — except perhaps for Ryo.
Tropes featured in the movie:
- Action-Hogging Opening: Parodied like everything else in this OVA.
- Adaptational Heroism: The Nagai villains here are more Laughably Evil Ineffectual Sympathetic Villains who forms Enemy Mines with the protagonists unlike their vile and dead serious counterparts (an example would be Jinmen usually depicted being a sadist in Devilman adaptations, while here he is comical Butt-Monkey with a cute super-deformed family). This is likely to fit with their adorably laughable super-deformed looks and the Lighter and Softer parodic nature of this OVA.
- Adorable Evil Minions: All the Go Nagai villains count for being in chibi form, but the Demon Cleanup Squad takes the cake.
- Affectionate Parody: Of Go Nagai's works in Super-Deformed form.
- Airborne Aircraft Carrier: Dr. Hell's Flying Fortress.
- Alas, Poor Yorick: Jinmen's and Count Broken's talking heads.
- Butt-Monkey: The Demon Cleanup Squad. Jinmen upon his introduction.
- Berserk Button: Ryo won't tolerate being laughed at. Even though he looks downright adorable.
- Bittersweet Ending: Satan killed Akira, again, but he has been reborn as Violence Jack, Koji had to sacrifice Mazinger Z the defeat Satan, who is now wandering through the wasteland naked as Ryo, Jinmen has been reunited with his family and seems to have given up evil, meanwhile Dr. Hell and company seem to be taking a break, Zenon is probably still looking for his face and while Akira seems to be accepting his new life as Violence Jack, Miki and Psycho Jenny aren’t going to let him move on that easily.
- Breather Episode: The OVA's humor, lack of angst and the adorable chibi forms of the characters makes it this in comparison to the other OVA series based on Nagai's works around that time.
- Catchphrase: Jinmen “I’m turtle” usually said when he hasn’t contributed to the conversation yet.
- Children Are Innocent: The sun's true form is revealed to be a child's head, said to be the face of one without a care in the world. It's Go Nagai's avatar. Several times, the chibi world is described as a child's world.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Miki and Sirene, to Akira/Amon.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Ryo to Akira. Unlike Miki and Sirene, he's perfectly willing to Murder the Hypotenuse.
- Cute Monster Girl: Sirene, with the emphasis on "cute" due to being Super-Deformed.
- Deconstruction: Of chibi worlds. The characters know that they're in a better world than before and don't know whether they want to go back or not.
- First Law of Resurrection: Applied in an unexpected way.
- Glory Days: The original Mazinger and Getter Robo don't seem to get the respect they used to.
- Good Angel, Bad Angel: Devilman acts one for Akira when he had the choice of choosing Miki or Sirene.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Koji blowing up the Mazinger.
- Hermaphrodite: Satan. Lampshaded by Kyoji, who calls Satan 'Sister' at one point. Satan doesn't mind.
- How Unscientific!: When he sees Getter Robo combining, Dr. Hell mutters that it is utterly unscientific.
- Ignored Enamored Underling: Psycho Jenny is this to Satan.
- Lighter and Softer: It's hardly a perfect world, but certainly better than the characters' real ones.
- Losing Your Head: Jinmen gets decapitated by Miki as soon as he trips over a rock with a butcher knife. Still alive though.
- Lost World: The CB world resembles a Hollow Earth.
- Love Dodecahedron: Akira, Miki, Sirene, Dr. Hell, Kaim and Ryo... and Psycho Jenny
- Mental World
- No Party Like a Donner Party: After Miki cut off Jinmen’s head, she, Akira and Ryo eat his body, Miki then tells him that they’re probably going to eat him again as soon as his body grows back, and later she identifies him as their emergency food supply to Koji.
- Oh, No... Not Again!: Satan's reaction when he unintentionally kills Akira the same way he did in the manga.
- Rage Against the Heavens: Ryo's rant against Go Nagai.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: Ryo's Demonic Express Gold Card.
- Super-Deformed: Actually lampshaded and explained for once!
- Talking to Themself: Baron Ashura.
- Talking with Signs: God/Go Nagai.
- Toon Physics: Both applied and averted at different times.
- Trauma-Induced Amnesia: Ryo.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: Akira is never seen wearing a shirt in human form (it’s a moot point in demon form).
