After seeing some screens of this series, I decided to pick it up; I wasn't expecting much out of it. Even then, Eatman '98 managed to disappoint me. It wasn't only the complete lack of a central plot to tie the series together; after all, episodic independence can be a good way to go. Just not in this case, as it makes it look as if this series was never intended for greatness.

Eatman '98 starts off decently. The first two episodes had me interested in what would happen next, and I cared for the characters. Sadly, the storyline is just cut off, and Bolt moves on to something else. This is continually repeated throughout the anime, leaving it lacking a story to tie the events, character development or even the slightest facsimile of a conclusion. It led me to just stop caring about the characters; after all, they would be sent to oblivion a couple of episodes later when Bolt moved on to another job. To top this off, Bolt's stoicism and monotony is just short of grating, which is all the more hurting because he's the only recurring character.

Visually, Eatman '98 isn't bad at all. The animation isn't something to write home about, but it's fluid enough. The character designs are interesting, at least. The high point is, however, the mechanical design. Machines are detailed and slick (with few exceptions). In contrast, several character designs and monsters are just cheesy. The music is utterly forgettable, but it does complement the scenes most of the time.

In the end, I find it really hard to recommend this series. Eatman '98 just oozes mediocrity.