Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040

Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 takes a page from Super Sentai, mixes in some power suits a-la Metroid, and throws in a dash of Final Fantasy. This anime retells an OVA called Bubblegum Crisis.

Seven years after an earthquake almost destroyed Tokyo, androids with a fair level of intelligence are being used to rebuild the city. Called boomers, these robots do all the menial jobs humans don’t want to do. Every so often, boomers get tired of hauling garbage and gain the odd ability to change shape and merge with nearby machines. They then go hunting for their human oppressors.

Two forces, the AD Police and the rogue group known as the Knight Sabers deal with these threads. Of course, the AD Police view the Knight Sabers as a threat and attempt to kill or capture the people behind the group. The Knight Sabers wear hard suits that make them look like a mix between Samus Aran and a Power Ranger.

Sylia Stingray is the power behind the Knight Sabers. She views her father’s invention of the boomer as a mistake that needs fixed. She employs Priss Asagiri, a singer for an indie rock band, Linna Yamazaki, an office worker, and Nene Romanova, an AD Police computer specialist.

As any sci-fi anime goes, not everything is what it seems. Sylia has a mystery that explains why boomers go…well…boom in increasing numbers.

Bubblegum Crisis dates back to 1998. The animation style is dated but holds up surprisingly well. It has a cinematic quality to it that was common to older anime. Sometimes the action sequences break down to movement lines and other shortcuts, but generally the action is solid. Technology takes on a strange organic feel. Wires and other typically hard components ooze and squelch as the anime progresses. The background music is definitely 80s and 90s.

Near the end of the series, the anime takes on a very Final Fantasy feel. The way the battles progress and even how the villains begin to look remind me of fights from older Square-Enix titles. One of the villain’s final shape shifts looked strongly like Ultimecia, the final boss of Final Fantasy VIII.

Despite the dated animation, Bubblegum is an enjoyable sci-fi series. Priss is a hard-ass that hides a softer side (but she isn’t exactly a tsundere). She also takes the starring role of the series. The guys in the series take on a supporting role. This series is dominated by strong females…almost to the point where it feels stereotyped. There is an interesting sexuality to the series. There is a fair bit of skin; hard suits require skin contact to perform best. This lends an interesting sexiness to the series that it plays up time to time. Despite the supporting roles the males have, they characterize their masculinity and courage by letting their female interest go off to battle without their interference. They trust their respective interests. It is a refreshing take over the typical “I’ll protect you” masculinity you see in anime.

Despite not aging well in some areas, Bubblegum Crisis is refreshing. Its take on gender roles is a little stereotyped, but it isn’t enough to detract from the show. Some of the battles were outlandish and the science was loose, but it made for interesting fights. Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 is certainly a bridge between old anime and the more modern style.