As some of you readers might know, when it comes to US Television broadcasts, the lifespan of certain shows can be healthy (4-6 seasons), unhealthy (however long NCIS or Law and Order SVU have been on at this point), or just terminated without warning (1 season or half of one). Just because a series has a successful pilot episode and gets picked up for a full season order, doesn’t mean itll succeed entirely. And on occasion, a show will be outright cancelled before its season order is even completed, leaving some episodes unaired or unfinished. I bring all of this up because I feel this is definitely the case for Bubblegum Crisis. The setup is one that works and the first episode did show off the glitz and glam of the Cyberpunk infused Megatokyo as well as the kick ass charm of the Knight Sabers. But after that, everything went downhill when it came to story and characters. Like I said about OVAs last time, beautiful presentations can only get you but so far when the story cant back up the visuals. While I know this isn’t THE END because we’ll be getting to Bubblegum Crash next week, I not sure what can be done to save this stylish but incredibly flawed Cyberpunk Anime.
The final two episodes of the series couldn’t be more different from one another. Episode 7 focused on a popular rocker, Vision, seeking revenge for the death of her sister all the way back in Episode 2. You remember Linna’s friend who died and Linna wanted payback but was back to her old “Oh my car wont start wahhhh” self? It’s ok if you don’t cause I’d totally forgotten about it too and was surprised her dead colleague would even get brought up again at all. Linna herself should have played a more substantial role in the episode itself but instead just did more of what she usually does…she’s just happy to be here. Yeah she gets captured and tries to talk Vision out of her revenge quest but it all feels so hollow and shallow from the worst character of the series. Even watching two spider tank Boomers duke it out couldn’t make the episode any better. What did? Vision and her band “The Revengers” delivering the best musical track of the entire show, “Say Yes”. Honestly, I’d say BGC has been worth it just for the music alone…so don’t waste your time on it and just look up the OSTs on Youtube.
As for Episode 8 well…not gonna lie, it might’ve been my
favorite episode. Granted, that’s a very
low bar. But the Series Finale felt like
something I could see happening in a proper TV Anime of Bubblegum Crisis that
didn’t take itself too seriously (Tokyo 2040 is a VERY serious show without
much of a sense of humor). And, the
finale focused on someone other than Priss for the bulk of the episode. Nene took centerstage and while most of the
episode felt like everyone was roasting her and she also had to babysit an
obnoxious would be reporter who discovered her secret, Nene got to shine and,
much like her Tokyo 2040 counterpart, I think she’s the MVP of this OVA. Sure she isn’t much in a fight but the girls
got grit, standing up to Boomers attacking AD Police HQ and using her new suit
(much closer to its Tokyo 2040 version) to counterhack a Boomer hooked directly
into the system. What Nene lacks in
physical strength, she makes up for in spirit and determination…also I think
she has the cutest design of the bunch.
The AD Police attack was also a clever mix of Die Hard and The
Terminator. While the attacking Boomers
in question weren’t a lot to brag about, the mad scientist who created them was
so over the top and cartoonish, I couldn’t help but enjoy him…even if I cant
remember his name to save my life. But
that’s it, that’s where the original Bubblegum Crisis ends. It’s a weird note for sure but damn, Episode
8 showed some actual promise and I wish the show had maybe had this story a bit
sooner. Sure it’s a total comedy tonal
shift but it worked a lot more than anything else in this OVA.
I cant understate how disappointed I am with Bubblegum Crisis. For a Cyberpunk tale that’s allegedly the stuff of legends, I can see people are talking more about the visuals and the music than anything else. And in that regard, theyre right. This is a beautiful OVA with animation that only gets better and better with each episode, again a good way to see the evolution of Anime from the late 80s to the early 90s. The mecha are monstrous and slick and the Knight Saber suits are admittedly sexy for our core four heroines. And the music, yeah look it all up on Youtube and add it to your playlist for working out or driving, it’s an absolute blast. But that’s where all the praise ends. BGC’s story bounces all over the place and seems more intent on racing to the next action scene without giving any time to detailing how things work, why things are the way they are or why we should care. How did the Knight Sabers first meet and what’s with this book long “code” they have? What is Sylia’s big connection to Genom and especially Mason? Can Genom be brought down when it’s Commander and Chief has a seemingly endless supply of Boomer doubles? Will Linna do anything useful besides complain about every little thing? Yeah the characters were a mixed bag. Priss could both be the best thing about BGC and the worst with all her screentime taking crucial amounts from her fellow Sabers. Nene could be annoying but was cute and had some actual skills. Sylia played Shadow Broker a lot but was surprisingly more bearable than her Tokyo 2040 version…and I’ve ragged on Linna enough, you know where I stand with her. At best, this is a fun 80s nostalgia trip with good ideas and gorgeous visual design. At worst, it’s a wasted opportunity to build something more. So like I said…disappointed is kind of my final thoughts on this Anime…and I don’t think my thoughts on Bubblegum Crash will be any better.
Final Score for Bubblegum Crisis is…4.5/10. I’ll see ya Next Monday for the…you know what, freaking screw it, let’s just get this mess over with today. The final chapter of this original saga with Bubblegum Crash can be found right here: http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2021/03/bubblegum-crash.html
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