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Bubblegum Crisis is the original Cyberpunk anime story. On top of that, this is the series that started the whole OAV craze. That said, and looking at it objectively, Bubblegum Crisis really isn't the ultimate anime series, but it certainly distinguishes itself from the pack (both preceding and following it), and has managed to remain popular over the years since its introduction. As a whole, the series has managed to stand out partly because of its relatively detailed view of the future (though a lot of it is ripped straight out of Blade Runner--just watch the cityscapes in the opening sequence), partly because of the solid rock soundtrack (with a connection to the story, no less), and partly because it's just plain well done. The stories, though not all of them tie into an ongoing plotline, fit together well, and you always have the feeling that the series is heading somewhere--you're just not exactly sure where. And, sadly, that is probably the biggest problem with Bubblegum Crisis: the story never really concludes. The final episode doesn't even resemble a conclusion, and this isn't a mistake; the lack of closure (and the many, many unanswered questions) are due to the fact that the series was cut off well before it was intended to end. There have since been attempts at reviving it, to varying degrees of success. There have been a number of American-made comic books, as well as a sequel animated series, Bubblegum Crash (considered by many to be kind of a messed up tangent story), and a second sequel, Bubblegum Crisis 2040. None of these, to my knowledge, tie up what was begun in the original Bubblegum Crisis, but despite the lack of a satisfying conclusion to the series, the storylines individually hold up quite well, and it doesn't end wide open--there's just no satisfying conclusion.

One of the distinguishing features of Bubblegum Crisis is it's dark mood and accompanying visuals. Now, it's no where near as dark as, say, Ghost in the Shell or many newer, really grim series, but since the general style is outwardly more along the lines of traditional anime (the cuter, big eyed stuff), it ends up being grittier than most of its apparent kin.

As far as the production values go, Bubblegum Crisis is generally well done, but there is a noticeable change in the look about half way through the series (actually, it starts with episode 4). The series starts out with a rough, kind of gritty-looking art style with somewhat rough animation, and progresses into a somewhat brighter, much smoother art style, with much more fluid animation. This actually reflects a change in the way anime was produced that occurred during the 80s, moving from more detailed art to smoother animation (more frames, less detail on each one). Both styles look good in this case, and although the earlier part has a look that stands out a lot more than the later stuff, the end of the series generally looks better than the early parts, particularly in the action sequences. Speaking of which, the action, especially in the 5th and 6th parts, is very well done. Not the best robot fighting you'll ever see, but still extremely solid and darned good.

This midway change in the series isn't limited to the art and animation; although all the stories except 3 and 4 are loosely tied together, they get somewhat more cohesive in the second half of the series, and I would also say much better. Not that the first few episodes are bad, but as the series progresses, it definitely builds momentum. Even if it doesn't seem particularly appealing at first, you might want to give it a chance until at least episode 4 before you give up on it; things really do start to pick up from there. (Be warned, though, that episode 3 is nearly identical to episode 2 with new victims.) Even the music changes a bit through the series; the early songs (mostly performed by Priss in the story, whose Japanese voice actress, Oomori Kinuko, was actually better known as a singer than for anime) have a hard beat and darker feel that is relatively uncommon in Japanese pop (particularly anime themes), but fits well in the Cyberpunk setting. Later in the series, more of the songs are performed by other singers, and the feel of the music also starts leaning more toward the happier, lighter music that is common in newer anime music, which is fine, but doesn't match the setting as well.
Having mentioned it, the voice acting is generally quite good. Priss in particular is worth singling out; Oomori Kinuko may not be well known as an actor, but she is very skilled, and on top of that is the fact that she sounds... well, different. A lot of Japanese voice actresses seem to end up sounding almost alike, but Oomori's voice has a dry, hoarse tone to it that makes her really stand out, as well as adding an edge to Priss' character as a singer (and to her singing itself). The characters that go with the other voices are also interesting enough; their personalities aren't wildly original, but they manage to be emotional without ever going over the top (by anime standards, anyway). Some of the minor or non-ongoing characters are particularly well done, and really add to the series as a whole (look for the disturbed driver in ep. 4, the escaped boomer in 5 and 6, and Largo). And of course there's Leon, who ended up with his own spinoff series.

To sum all that up, Bubblegum Crisis is a well done (if unoriginal) Cyberpunk series that, in addition do defining the genre and being one of the first OAV series, manages to still hold its own today. Although it starts a little weak, the stories are pretty good, the art is well done, the characters are interesting and varied, the action is very well done (later in the series), and the whole thing all fits together well. If you haven't seen it, it's worth at least a look (and again, if you're a bit put off by the first three episodes, give the later ones a chance--it really does get better as it goes along).


Has intense moments and a fair amount of violence, but is relatively easy on the objectionable material; equivalent to a PG-13.

Violence:
3--A fair amount of violence, but not terribly graphic.

Nudity:
1--One or two very brief scenes.

Sex/Mature Themes:
1--Brief talk of pleasure robots, and a couple of spots here and there.

Language:
2--Some expletives.