Bubblegum Crisis Volume 1

For many fans the original Bubblegum Crisis OAV was a genre-defining series: following Otomo’s seminal Akira into overseas popularity and combining futuristic cityscapes with good old fashioned feisty heroines kicking butt in style, it’s easy to see how it has been remembered so fondly. Judged on the first three episodes though, Bubblegum Crisis looks rather dull and dated – the animation for instance is showing its age and doesn’t do the action scenes or the otherwise-impressive views of Neo-Tokyo any favours.

The three episodes on offer here are fairly self-contained but to their credit introduce the main characters well. The four members of the all-female vigilante group, the Knight Sabres, are portrayed as tough and determined but the way in which their personalities play off each other endears them to the viewer: episodes two and three for instance implicate Linna and Priss directly when friends of theirs become victims of Genom’s evil ambitions.

Bubblegum Crisis never tries to deliver a deep and meaningful message about the relationship between humanity and technology in the same way as the movie Blade Runner, the series’ most obvious influence, did. Its focus is very much on simple action-packed entertainment (including monstrous boomers and Kenichi Sonoda’s excellent designs for the girls’ hardsuits) and showing how events affect the characters lives on a more ‘everyday’ level. There are references to Ridley Scott’s 1982 classic however. Take, for example, the neon cityscapes, Priss’s name or that of her band the Replicants; there’s also cheeky nod to the film Top Gun in one opening scene as we see the characters’ names appear on a display screen.

The episodic nature of the storyline is what prevents the series realising its full potential at this stage: the situations are wrapped up before the end of each episode and we don’t get to know the supporting characters well enough before we are introduced to new ones. Fortunately there are some interesting characters in the A D Police, rivals to the Knight Sabres in fighting boomers and investigating Genom: the gruff Leon’s attempts to take the corporation down and get a date with Priss ensure that the series isn’t just about four girls bashing robots in a futuristic Tokyo.

That is a recurring impression I had when watching Bubblegum Crisis: it’s quite a playful and fun series, which is a bit of a surprise for those of us who have more recently been used to the serious and straight-faced cyberpunk fare such as Ghost in the Shell and the angst-laden Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040 remake. The Knight Sabres are no strangers to tragedy but the characters are portrayed with real humour and warmth; sadly this can detract from the gravity of the situation at times, as the scenes jump from our heroines witnessing a tragic death to going about their normal business soon afterwards.

If there’s one thing that saves the show from mediocrity it’s the soundtrack. Consisting of some of the best J-pop that the 1980s had to offer, there are pumping rock tracks and tender ballads that open and close each episode as well as providing background music; the blend of synths and guitars gives a great retro-futuristic vibe to the action.

In Summary

For a cyberpunk fan favourite the opening volume of Bubblegum Crisis may leave some fans wondering what all the fuss was about. With so many newer and better-looking titles on offer (especially the 2040 incarnation) that offer more involved storylines and smoother visuals, it initially relies on its soundtrack and endearing cast of characters to keep viewers hooked. Rest assured that it does get better after this though – if you don’t warm to the retro visuals, you can at least enjoy the music.