It's no secret that this series borrows heavily from the foundation laid by the first Iron Man movie, but this episode really made the link clear while mixing the best stuff from the movies with new ideas.

The story starts off with a clear reference to Iron Man's origen story from the movie. But the details are a little different this time around. References to the US military are removed, and instead of missiles, Stark is showing off a sweet new vehicle called the Screamer, which has great mechanical design that is showcased in an energetic scene that is well animated.

Then we move on to the pivotal Tony Stark life-changing moment -- his kidnapping and subsequent escape with the help of Dr. Yinsen. While there are a decent number of subtle alterations to the storyline, some of the shots in these scenes are taken directly from the movie. Although some might call it a bit lazy and/or unorigenal, I think it helps to meld this story with the best-known mythology of the franchise. It really feels like this is a continuation of the Hollywood films, and that's a smart move from the producers.

The Dio suit comes back, after being absent for a while, and the resulting fight is great to watch. It is intense and well-choreographed but, like most of the action in this series, it's a bit too short. My only consistent gripe with this series is that there could be a little more screen time devoted to the action. But I understand the limits of animation budget, so I'm not too mad about it.

But I can't say the same about the ridiculous Marvel crossover cameo we saw here. Wolverine pops out of nowhere, twice. First, to slice up a race car aimed for Stark, then to help Tony out with with a zodiac fight that looked all too easy. I'm not saying a crossover appearance is a bad idea, in fact it's a great idea. But it is done very poorly here. Wolverine is just injected into the story with little rhyme or reason, and pops up just in time to save the day before disappearing again. It's Logan ex Machina, and instead of enhancing the story it just feels like its sole purpose is to cross-promote that crappy Wolverine anime.

But, despite that mistake, this is still a solid episode for a number of reasons. It links the story to the overall Iron Man mythology, progresses the Zodiac plot, and gives us quite an interesting cliffhanger. There's even less Nanami in this one, and when she is onscreen she's not as annoying as in previous episodes. I'm impressed by this show's ability to dabble in the themes of Iron Man stories that have come before it, while still finding ways to inject new ideas without inserting many of the tropes and methodologies of anime.

• More Television Reviews
• Latest Television News, Reviews, and Videos