Synopsis:
The time is year 2032. The place
is MegaTokyo. A mercenary group of four women in high-tech hardsuits
known as "Knight Sabers" take on the treacherous GENOM corporation.
GENOM is responsible for the production of powerful and destructive
androids known as "Boomers". Leading the Knight Sabers is Sylia Stingray,
whose father was a scientist eliminated by GENOM. Sylia used her father's
research to create the Knight Sabers' revolutionary hardsuits. Other
members of the Knight Sabers are: Linna, whom Sylia recruited for her
strength and reflexes. Priss, the rock singer and heavy assault specialist.
Nene, the expert hacker with a day job at the AD Police. Aside from
carrying out their own agendas, the Knight Sabers also accept outside
jobs if the price is right.
Review:
Bubblegum Crisis is supposed to be the anime that revolutionized
the state of anime in America. It's considered the cyberpunk
classic, etc etc. I'll tell you now, BC is over-rated. It's not really
bad, but it's also not nearly as fantastic as the hype proclaims.
BC is a series, but not in
a strict sense. Each episode can stand on its own, but watching them
in sequence only makes the BC experience more encompassing. The general
plot can be summed up in a phrase -- Knight Sabers vs. GENOM. The first
3 episodes are so-so to okay, at some points even bordering on boring.
Fortunately, episode 4 onwards really packs the punches. BC is predominantly
an action-oriented anime, but there is also a good portion of emotional
situations and even a bit of humor.
The art and animation are
very good. They don't look the least bit stale even though BC's production
dates back to the 80's. Music is given a lot of emphasis. Every episode
has a different opening and ending theme. There are even songs exclusively
for the action sequences. My main gripe is the lack of character background
and development. BC doesn't really share anything about Linna, Nene,
or Priss. It would have been very interesting to know why or how they
came to be Knight Sabers. There is a bit of history on Sylia, but also
not that much. The English dub is basically okay. Even the English versions
of the songs are pretty neat. If you're expecting to see one of the
best anime series in existence, you'll be quite disappointed. But if
you just watch BC for what it is, you may actually be entertained.
|