Anime Review - Bubblegum Crisis (1987-1990)

DVD Review
Perhaps the most famous example of the "girls with guns" genre, this eight-part cyberpunk-science fiction potboiler has drawn a lot of comment, both positive and negative. The scene: Mega-Tokyo, 2032. As the city recovers from a massive earthquake suffered seven years previously, the Genom Corporation has taken advantage of the unrest by pushing development of automated humanoids called "Boomers," even to the extent of unleashing combat models on the general populace to test them. The AD Police and government are helpless, and it is up to the Knight Sabers, four beautiful (and tough) women vigilantes with special armored "hard suits," to put a stop to Genom's plans.

The series, which steals plot and design aspects from Blade Runner and Batman and throws in liberal doses of guilty-pleasure 80s pop-rock, flaunts MTV flash (we're talking old school, pre-Real World here), stripped-down stories, and slick production -- but major questions about technology and humanity percolate underneath. Some critics dismiss it all as a "glorified rock video," and the narrative is often oblique and implied rather than stated. Extra viewings reveal a wealth of plot and animation details, and the major characters emerge with surprisingly rounded personalities. The "80s" feel to the character designs and music date the series a bit, but unlike most cyberpunk anime shows, Bubblegum Crisis remembers to have a good time even as it tackles serious themes. And if you think any discussion about "serious themes" is a whole lot of hooey, then you won't want to see this hypertext piece I wrote on Bubblegum Crisis back in college ...
The first three episodes depend on speedy plots and tightly choreographed action sequences, and serve as an appetizer for the final five segments -- the true gems in terms of story construction, imaginative animation, and polish. Episodes 5-6 comprise a mini-story about humanoid escapees from a Genom-backed satellite whose paths intersect with the Sabers, and has everything for the sci-fi junkie: darkly beautiful art direction, an intricate plot, tragedy, a touch of comic relief, gripping battle sequences, and even metaphysical themes. Episodes 7 and 8 feature the slickest animation and most streamlined stories, and while some fans find them lightweight, they provide a nice contrast to the darker, heavier earlier episodes, while still maintaining a recognizably Bubblegum universe.

Generally speaking, Bubblegum Crisis is glossy as it gets, but it manages to serve up seriousness, subtlety, and warmth even at its flashiest. Love it or hate it, there's no denying the impact this series has had on anime and anime fans in the U.S. As this is a chronological series, watching the whole shabang in order is a requirement. And it would be remiss not to mention the supplemental Hurricane Live music video collection, which combines sharply edited music videos utilizing series footage with a schlocky live concert featuring the human voice actors -- yikes ...

The entire series is available on individual DVDs or as a box set from Animeigo. Much like the series, this pressing (done in the early days of DVD) shows some age. In particular, the audio synch for episodes 7 and 8 is spotty, and the subtitle synch for episodes 5 and 6 likewise. The DVDs are also plagued by a poor English dubbing job, performed in the days before English dubbing became respectable. In short: Even if you're not a fan of subtitling, the English dub is to be avoided at all costs.

For a more complete look at the Bubblegum Crisis universe, a good place to start is Brian Edmonds' overview. It hasn't been updated in a few years, but the series concluded a decade ago, so who cares?