BUBBLEGUM CRISIS: SPECIAL COLLECTOR'S SET - DVD review

The term "Bubblegum Crisis" is a bit of a mistranslation as the series' creators meant more along the lines of "Sticky Situation." The series began as an eight episode OAV, an original animation video, meaning it went direct-to-video. It spawned a sequel in "Bubblegum Crash" and a TV series, "Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040", which was an alternate universe take on the original. There was also a pair of spin-offs based around the AD Police force, "AD Police Files" and a 2040 version, "AD Police."

The year is 2033 and the location is Mega-Tokyo, a futuristic city recovering from a massive earthquake several years ago. Japan is now a world superpower due in no small part to the massive conglomerate known as Genom. Their advancements in robotics and lead to the creation of Boomers, named so because they helped in the economic and technological boom. The AD Police are in charge of handling Boomers that go out of control. But with technology improving at a rapid pace, they become ill-equipped to handle the dangers in front of them, especially when we learn that isn't all that benevolent.

It is now up to a group of women known as the Knight Sabers, freelance troubleshooters each wearing high-tech armor called "hardsuits." The leader of the group is Sylia Stingray, whose father was a Genom scientist killed in a lab accident by a rogue Boomer. Other members include; Priss, whose rough life on the streets gave her a tough attitude. There's Linna, an aerobics instructor that lost both her parents to a crazed Boomer. And finally there's, Nene, the youngest of the group and a member of the AD Police. She's also the most different of the Sabers due to the fact she's not highly skilled in combat situations. Instead, Nene assists the gang with her computer know-how.

The series is heavily influenced by the cyber-noir classic, "Blade Runner". The look of the futuristic Tokyo certainly owes a lot to the Los Angeles of 2019 that was shown in "Blade Runner." Genom's main headquarters appears very much like the Tyrell Building. The idea of specialized operatives assigned to take down renegade robots? Lifted right from "Blade Runner." Even Priss is a direct nod to Darryl Hannah's character. The similarities grow as Priss dons a blonde wig, skimpy clothes and performs with a band called The Replicants.

"Blade Runner" itself was influenced by Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" and "Bubblegum Crisis" follows in this tradition of inspiration. Many elements of this series found their way into "The Matrix Trilogy." Does an expansive green tinted city, beautiful women in tight outfits riding motorcycles, and giant robotic battle suits sound familiar? In Episode 2, Linna tries to use a phone booth and is nearly run down by a Boomer, a scene that reappears in the first "Matrix" film.

"Bubblegum Crisis" is more than just cool action and beautiful animation. The soundtrack consists of 80's style pop rock and there isn't a single song that I don't like. I'm not ashamed to say that I got extremely pumped when I popped in the first DVD and immediately heard "Konya-Wa Hurricane." The music is a driving force in each episode setting the tempo for the action happening on screen.

The original eight episodes are spread out among four discs:

-Disc 1-

"Tinsel Town" - The main plot revolves around the Knight Sabers being hired by the USSD to investigate in the disappearance of a young girl named Cynthia, who was taken by a Boomer posing as one of their scientists. The first episode serves as an introduction to the Sabers and supporting characters like Mackie (Sylia's younger brother), Leon (an AD Police officer) and Brian J. Mason (a Genom executive). The opening of the episode is wonderful as we get the AD Police battling a Boomer, intercut with Priss & The Replicants performing "Konya-Wa Hurricane."

"Born to Kill" - Following the events of the previous episode, a group of USSD scientists are killed while attempting to examine Cynthia's body. Irene, the girlfriend of one of the scientists, blames Genom and it's up to the Sabers to help her out. Genom isn't going to let them interfere with their plans and send a group of powerful female Boomers after them. I really liked this episode mainly because it spotlighted Linna, who seems to be a bit underdeveloped compared to the other characters.

-Disc 2-

"Blow Up" - Genom buys up the housing projects of old Tokyo and proceeds to evict everyone living there. This doesn't sit well with Priss, especially when her friend is killed during the demolition of her home, leaving her son orphaned. It all leads to the big showdown between Mason and the Sabers. This episode opens up with another battle between the AD Police and a Boomer, but this one is much more violent.

"Revenge Road" - We take a break from the machinations of Genom in this episode. After he and his girlfriend are assaulted by a biker gang called the Outriders, JB Gibson gains a measure of revenge by building an assault vehicle called the Griffon. Some cool chase scenes highlight this episode.

-Disc 3-

"Moonlight Rambler" - The episode opens with a group of five women trying to escape an orbiting space station. Only two make it. Later, Priss introduces the others to her new friend, Sylvie, who turns out to be one of the escapees. Meanwhile, Leon and Nene are on the case of a series of "vampire" killings thought to be the work of an illegal type of Boomer that runs on artificial blood.

"Red Eyes" - New villain, Largo, sends out his own Knight Sabers to commit crimes to discredit the real versions. At the same time, he's concocting other schemes in an effort to take over . It all comes to a head when Sylia, Linna, & Nene battle the phonies while Priss takes on Largo as he makes the ultimate play for power. These two episodes, along with the next one, are the most well done in terms of mixing in drama with action.

-Disc 4-

"Double Vision" - This episode begins with Genom and an American company joining forces to build a new type of Boomer. A mysterious assailant attacks and only the chief scientist, Dr. McLaren survives. He heads off to Japan and hires the Knight Sabers as his bodyguards. Meanwhile, a popular singer named Vision kicks off a tour, but there's more to her when Linna learns she is Irene's sister. Another Linna centered episode as she tries to convince Vision revenge isn't the answer.

"Scoop Chase" - The last episode and it's only fitting that the opening theme song is "Bye Bye, My Crisis." A young girl snaps a picture of Priss's face as she during a Boomer fight and Priss smashes her camera. The girl turns out to be Lisa Vanette, the Police Chief's daughter, and she vows to expose the Knight Sabers' secret identities. Nene finally gets her own story as she's put in charge of babysitting Lisa, while trying to maintain her secrets. There's also a subplot involving a disgruntled Genom scientist building an army of Boomers to attack AD Police Headquarters. This was a lot lighter in tone than the previous episodes and I found the character stuff more interesting than the action. There's quite a few funny moments, including Nene giving a ticket to a speeding motorcyclist who turns out to be Priss.

VIDEO:
The video is presented in non-anamorphic fullscreen with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. Having only previously seen this series on VHS, I was really looking to checking it out on DVD. The transfer doesn't disappoint. It looks great with a few specks rarely popping up. The colors aren't as sharp or vibrant as they could be, but that's mainly due to the older animation techniques used.

AUDIO:
The audio is presented in both the original Japanese language track or English dubbed. Both come in a 2.0 stereo mix. The sound comes in crisp and clear, plus all the music sounds great. Rock on, otaku.

EXTRAS:
The main extras to be found are music videos for all the excellent songs in the series, which are usually cut to highlights of the various episodes. You'll also find live versions featuring the voice actors performing the songs. They are as follows:

-Disc 1-

Music Videos: "There's a Hurricane Tonight", "There's a Hurricane Tonight" (Live), "Mad Machine", "Wild and Scarred", "Touchdown to Tomorrow", and "Touchdown to Tomorrow" (Live).

-Disc 2-

Music Video: "Victory"

Original Japanese Promo for the "Revenge Road" episode and the Live Action Special, "Holiday in Bali" featuring the voice actors.

-Disc 3-

Music Videos: "Crisis - Run with Anger", "Devil and Angel's Kiss", "Jumping Heart" (Live), and "Soldier of Roses."

Original Japanese Promo for the "Moonlight Rambler" episode.

-Disc 4-

Music Videos: "Rock Me" and "Say Yes!" (Live).

You'll also find Line Art Galleries, Program Notes, and text-based interviews and comments from the various directors and animators. These are available on each disc.

FILM VALUE:
An extraordinary series that set the trend for later anime series and many mainstream sci-fi films. For anime fans this is a must-own. Anybody who enjoys films like "Blade Runner", "The Matrix", or "Minority Report" will also find great value in at least checking this series out. I also can't stress enough just how much I love the soundtrack. You'll happily get the music stuck in your head.