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Appleseed
Type: Original Animated VideoGenre: Cyberpunk, Police Story
In the futuristic metropolis of Olympus, a terrorist action is taking place. Handling the situation is ESWAT, a special branch of the Olympus Police Dept. Through the tense situation, ESWAT prepares to neutralize the terrorists. Finally, ESWAT strikes and kill or capture all but one of the terrorists. Along the way, we're introduced to two ESWAT members: Deunan Nut and Briareos Hecatonchires. They are 2 outsiders who joined ESWAT for lack of anywhere else to go. The OAV tells a story of a terrorist plot to take over Gaia...the central computer running Olympus. The plot involves a disillusioned ESWAT officer and the terrorist who got away and Hitomi, Deunan's bioroid friend who is used as a pawn to gain access to Gaia.
NOTE: The OAV is based on the manga "Appleseed" by (Masamune) Shirow. The manga is full of rich character development and background. Unfortunately, none of this was shown in the OAV. We got a simple police vs. terrorist story filled with lots of action, but was pretty pointless. It was interesting to see how many English words were misspelled, though... :-)
[Source: Anime Pocket Guide, by Alan Takahashi]
Websites:
Bubblegum Crash
Type: Original Animated VideoGenre: Cyberpunk
After the 8-part BGC OAV series, the story continues in this new series. 2 years have passed, and the Knight Sabers have all but disbanded. Then Silia reappears with a new hardsuit design. Note that characters, plot and the general setting have all changed from their appearance in BGC.
Note: After "Bubblegum Crisis", this series completely changed the characters, making them stereotypes instead of individuals. Add a formula plot (with at least 1 fight scene complete with reused animation!) and the result is something to be avoided.
[Source: Anime Pocket Guide, by Alan Takahashi]
Websites:
AFS Bubblegum Crisis Gallery
Bubblegum Crisis
Type: Original Animated VideoGenre: Cyberpunk
In the near future setting of the BGC saga, Tokyo is flattened in a great earthquake, and is reborn as Megatokyo through the efforts of the Genom corporation. Through this involvement, Genom exercises virtual control over every aspect of life, including the law. The corporation develops boomers, combat androids that occasionally run amok in the city, causing problems for the police force. The ADPolice, tasked with dealing with such incidents, is poorly equipped to handle the problem. Enter the Knight Sabers, a team of female vigilantes with a wealthy, enigmatic employer, an arsenal of advanced battlearmor called Hardsuits, and a vendetta with Genom.
The cast of Bubblegum Crisis 8.
Websites:
AFS Bubblegum Crisis Gallery
Detonator Orgun
Type: Original Animated VideoGenre: War Story, Cyberpunk
Unreviewed.
Websites: None
Escaflowne
See The Vision of Escaflowne.
Evangelion
Type: TV SeriesGenre: Super Mecha
In the not-too-distant future, a cataclysm is set off in the Antarctic that decimates the majority of the human population. In the aftermath of the cataclysm, which comes to be called the Second Impact, the remainder of humankind must restore itself, and prepare for what is to come. In the background, an organization called NERV is tasked to defend the Earth from the mysterious alien enemy, dubbed Angels. For this purpose, the huge Artificial Human Evangelions are built, but only a select few from the population's young generation are able to control them. So it is that 14-year-old Shinji Ikari finds himself at the controls of Evangelion Unit 01, and reunited with his father Gendou, who now heads NERV.
The cast of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Eva Units 02, 01, and 00 in order from left to right.
Probably the most controversial aspect of the series was the conclusion, which was changed and retold in the movie(s), Evangelion: Death and Rebirth.
Websites:
GAINAX' Evangelion Page
Animelink Evangelion review on AOL.
Ghost in the Shell
Type: MovieGenre: Cyberpunk
Unreviewed.
Websites:
Animelink Ghost in the Shell review on AOL.
Robert Walker's Ghost In the Shell fansite, with images and video clips from the movie.
Giant Robo
Type: Original Animated VideoGenre: Super Mecha
In the near future, humanity has been granted cheap energy in the form of the Shizuma Drive. This has ushered in a new era of prosperity known as Third Energy Revolution. Behind the scenes, a struggle between Good and Evil still goes on as personified by the International Police Organization and Big Fire. To aid in the struggle against evil, the IPO have a great robot known as Giant Robo. A young boy named Kusama Daisuku controls Giant Robo and there is some mystery behind him. The OAV series explores Daisuku and his friends characters against the backdrop of a major plot involving the Shizuma Drive. It successfully combines the atmosphere and design of 1960's anime and those grand plotlines with modern animation techniques. It has to be seen to be believed. Based on the old live-action "Giant Robo" series which was dubbed as "Johnny Sokko and his Giant Robot".
[Source: Anime Pocket Guide, by Alan Takahashi]
Websites:
Gunbuster: Aim for the Top!
Type: Original Animated VideoGenre: Space Opera, Parody
Yes, it's time for Yet-Another-Alien-Invasion! The Earth is preparing to defend itself. Oblivious to this, Noriko Takaya, daughter of an admiral lost in space, tries to succeed in her dream: to become a Gunbuster robot pilot and go off into space like her father. This OAV series fluctuated between parody and drama and was notable for paying attention to Einstein and his Theory of Relativity as it pertains to near-lightspeed travel.
[Source: Anime Pocket Guide, by Alan Takahashi]
Websites:
Gundam
See Mobile Suit Gundam.[Back to Top | I to N]