“Bubblegum Crisis” (1987-1991) is a curious anomaly amongst 80s anime OVAs. When released in North America on VHS and Laserdisc by AnimEigo it did so unedited and without an English dub. Anyone who watched anime in the 90s knows just how badly butchered some shows and films were before people in the West ever got to see them. It shows a wonderful faith in the project to speak for itself without a need to rework it. Whilst it never reached a major level of acclaim, those familiar with the show recognised its high quality. Now AnimEigo is releasing all 8 episodes on Blu-Ray in a new HD edition that updates the craft whilst losing none of what made it special.
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In the year 2032, Japan is living in a fractured state. Annexed by America after a great earthquake split the country in two, there is a great disparity between the rich and the poor. In the technological jungles of the cities lurk boomers; advanced humanoid robots that can become deadly in the wrong hands. The police are little help against the rising tide of techno-terrorism. Enter the Knight Sabers, a team of mecha suited mercenaries that can face these threats and the shadowy corporation Genom that is pulling their strings.
There is something so purely entertaining about “Bubblegum Crisis”. It has the cyberpunk aesthetics of the likes of “Blade Runner” (1982) and “Robocop” (1987) , a little bit of the team structure from a “Super Sentai” show, and with Knight Sabers member Priss having a rock star persona and the first episode opening on essentially a music video there’s a, probably unintentional, hint of “Jem and the Holograms” (1985) in there. All these things together might sound silly, and at times it does veer into ridiculous like when you notice the robot suits have high heels, but they all work and are a lot of fun.
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Each episode of the OVA was made as a separate work with various directors helming under the overall series director Katsuhito Akiyama and set to a lively Citypop style soundtrack by Koji Makaino. The series concept and writing came from Toshimichi Suzuki who was aiming to rework a previous idea that had been developed into the film “Techno Police 21C” (1982). And what would an 80s anime be without some Kenichi Sonoda designs? Each of the Knight Sabers look lively and distinct, as do the hardsuits that they wear deisgned by Shinji Aramaki.
Sylia is the elegant leader in silver with a touch of mystery, Priss the rockstar hothead who rushes in, Linna the tomboyish gymnast with sharp bladelike ribbons on her suit and cute little police officer Nene with the most technical knowhow. Priss gets a lot of the focus, but all the characters are appealing. This attention to personality is also reflected in the fight sequences with each having slightly different styles in battle. It really keeps the fights interesting.
On the animation side of things, there is a wonderful level of detail in everything, particularly the backgrounds and environments. The high-tech city landscapes are bright and glitzy whilst the alleys and slums are grim and grimy. There is a worry with a release like this that in upgrading to HD it will end up a little too polished. Thankfully, there is no such issue here as the visuals are clear without sacrificing any of the rough charm that is particular to anime of this era. The sound has also been given a remaster and is clear and sharp, particularly necessary for those musical sequences.
A fascinating bonus on this new release is an interview with Kenichi Sonoda himself. He goes into the inspirations and thought behind some of the design elements, such as the desire for a more feminine and less bulky mechanical mech suits. He goes into how he got involved with the project and his opinions on its legacy. Sonoda comes across as an insightful and thoughtful individual and it’s interesting to hear him speak about his art and even the other aspect of his life in running the family traditional sweet shop.
AnimEigo have been worthy caretakers of “Bubblegum Crisis” for over thirty years. Hopefully with this great new Blu-Ray release, a new generation of fans can discover this fun sci-fi delight.
