Bubblegum Crisis

About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

So, what makes BCG different from all the other good vs. evil sci-fi anime out there? Well, there's four strong and confident main female characters for one - an enjoyable change from the weepy, whiny demeanor we so often see depicted by our favorite anime heroines. Secondly, the series is simply brilliant - beautiful animation and a really gripping storyline that gives you just enough background to understand the plot without sacrificing the action that you originally wanted to see.

Its hard, fast and just darn good. If girls with guns anime sounds like your cup of tea, then Bubblegum Crisis is definitely for you.



Pros

• Strong female characters
• Classic "girls-with-guns" anime
• Great story that moves right along

Cons

• The last five episodes were never produced so BCG just "ends"

Description

• Original Release Date: 1981
• Rating: Mature
• Genres: Mecha, Action, Sci-Fi, Futuristic
• Production: AnimEigo
• Distribution: Madman Entertainment

Guide Review - Bubblegum Crisis

Seven years after it was devastated by the great Kanto earthquake, a new Tokyo is beginning to emerge. In the midst of this rebirth lies the Genom Corporation - a high tech company who has seemingly secured its place in the world with the introduction of Boomers, a cybernetic robot with artificial intelligence.

But the Genom Corporation isn't what it appears to be and apparently, neither are all the boomers. After the mysterious death of the Boomers' creator, Dr. Stingray, Genom continued his work and has been secretly building military boomers that enable Genom to control the government and the economy and threaten mankind's existence.

To battle this threat, Dr. Stingray's daughter Sylia forms a group called the Knight Sabers, brazen mercenaries who will stop at nothing to bring Genom down.

Originally released in 1987, Bubblegum Crisis has since been re-released several times and for good reason - its a classic that anime fans just can't get enough of.

Our story centers around the four Knight Sabers - Sylia Stingray, Linna Yamazaki, Nene Romanova and Priss Asagiri. Each member brings their own unique assets to the group, from Sylia's fighting ability to Linna's technical abilities, Nene's hacking skills and Priss's strength. Together and with the help of the innovative "hardsuits", the Knight Sabers are a definite force and a serious problem for the Genom Corporation.

Interestingly, the BCG series was never completed. Originally slated for 13 episodes, there was a tiff between the two production companies - Artmic and Youmex. As a result, BCG only made it to episode #8. There were of course, several sequels to the series, but none provided closure for the original show.