Bubblegum Crisis

Title:Bubblegum Crisis
Baburugamu Kuraishisu
Bubblegum Crisis Mega-Tokyo 2032
バブルガムクライシス
Overall:Rent
Keywords: , , , , , , , , ,
Notables: FURUKAWA Toshio
HAYASHI Hiroki
HAYASHIBARA Megumi
HISAKAWA Aya
R1 License - AnimEigo
SAKAKIBARA Yoshiko
SONODA Kenichi

Chronicles the battles of the Knight Sabers, a female band of mercenaries who take jobs that inevitably lead to their fighting "boomers", androids designed with military purposes in mind. Can these girls manage their careers and thier lives as Knight Sabers? Will Geneon stop making bad business decisions?

[8 OAV episodes]


1:59min OVA Trailer - YouTube Video
[edit] The ↗Bubblegum franchise:

Original story: Same setting (prequel):
Episode Details 
7, 8
OverallArtAnimationCharacter Design MusicSeries StoryEpisode StoryReviewer
Rent 7 7 6 8 6 6 Ggultra2764 [series:57#1552]
(Rent-/ Watch+)

Wanting to further brush up on my history of anime, I decided to give Bubblegum Crisis a shot via Netflix rental. The series has the feel of a typical sci-fi anime looking into a future where corrupt megacorporations have a huge influence on society and vigilantes exist to keep their power in check, case in point Genom and the Knight Sabers. The ladies that consist of the Knight Sabers are a likeable bunch having different personalities and showing great chemistry with one another, such as bubbly police officer Nene and tough rock singer Priss. The music proves to be the show's highlight for me consisting of upbeat and catchy J-pop tracks that do well at getting you into the fights that occur between the Knight Sabers and Genom's Boomers.

However other than Sylia, the backgrounds of the other Knight Sabers are never really delved into and a number of the foes that the group go up against who are sentient are just your typical shallow, power-hungry baddie out to take out anyone that they consider a threat. Bubblegum Crisis also has an unfinished feel as the series never has a proper conclusion, which comes to no surprise as this series was left unfinished due to legal problems concerning the two animation studios with rights to the series.

I have heard that there's a reboot of the series in the form of Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 that expands on much of the elements from the original Bubblegum Crisis and provides fleshed-out backgrounds for the girls that make up the Knight Sabers which has me interested in looking into the series at some point. Bubblegum Crisis is by no means a bad anime as I did enjoy the interactions between the Knight Sabers and the catchy soundtrack. But other than those elements, there isn't really much else that sticks out for me with the series.

Last updated Wednesday, June 22 2011. Created Wednesday, June 22 2011.
Rent 8 9 8 8 8 8 KBanger1 [series:57#1694]
BGC is certainly a classic. The animation is what holds the whole thing together. As a comparison to the newer 2040 series, it's basically bits of long episodes. Like each episode was an OAV all in its own. That, I feel, is one of the necessary components to create a successful anime. The 20 minute episode thing is too rigid and make most anime series quite too long. Even though the 4-disc collection of BGC seems long, each episode goes into quite some depth. Also, since there is no main plot/storyline, its a more of a free flowing anime. The only reason I ranked it as "Rent" is because it's not worth paying an excessive amount of money for only an 8-episode series. Even with all the extras (I mean, all the extra music videos), it's not worth buying. Unless you are a completist (a collector who buys to complete a series) don't drop a dime.

I would raise the rank to "Buy" but I don't like to see people drop dollars for a B-grade series. The english dubbing is 75% decent. The rest is really terrible. For those who like pure old-school anime, this is worth the time to rent. Even though it can drag a bit, there are a few episodes that really put BGC as a top series. It's just a shame that AnimEigo has to justify it's price with a bunch of crap music videos. I'd rather get it bootleg or used. Geez, that 25% is really a killer.

Last updated Sunday, May 28 2006. Created Sunday, May 28 2006.
Watch Forbin [series:57#1573]
Drama : Med
Comedy : Low
Action : High
SciFi : High
Ecchi : Low/Med (Mostly Boob shots when they change)

I have watched the sequel 2040 and liked it. So when I was given the original BGC I was interested. Boy was I disappointed. The stories don't have any real connection. They just 'assume' you know what's going on. And the R1 is really boring. Owells. Go watch the sequel. It's better. Priss (the main character) is just a stuck up lamer. You want a better anime with chicks and guns? Go watch Burst Angel

Last updated Thursday, January 26 2006. Created Thursday, January 26 2006.
Rent 9 8 7 10 6 7 manganime [series:57#1633]
An undoubtly cyberpunk classic with good old fashion 80s style art. I just love the whole feel of this anime; futuristic tokyo but with the 80s flavour. I nevr really got into the story much but what I REALLY love about this series is the music; some of the best I've ever heard. It should be a crime that there is no release of the English OST; I have the complete Japanese version which still rocks non the less.

But if you don't like 80s rock and roll then the music will obviosly do nothing for you.

This is very border-line Buy-Rent.

Last updated Thursday, December 15 2005. Created Thursday, December 15 2005.
Rent 8 7 7 7 4 6 AstroNerdBoy [series:57#436]

Thanks in part to reviews here, I saw Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 first. (Technically, I saw it first when I lived in Japan, but it was not translated, so I don't count it as having been seen first.) I'm glad I did because that experience was helpful in watching this classic. Unlike the remake, this OAV is very episodic in nature and is full of 80's stereotypical "bs".

For starters, Geneon is the corporate villian here. They make the boomers which the Knight Sabers have to fight. Apparently, Geneon thinks they will make more money if their military-styled boomers destroy large chunks of Tokyo. Maybe they are just keeping the AD Police in business in addition to providing a 2nd income for the members of Knight Sabers. How that puts money into Geneon's pockets is still a mystery to me. However, this is the typical "evil corporation" of the 80's.

The first few stories are boring and as Stretch stated, have the same plot. After that, the stories are better, but the series as a whole suffers. At the end of eight episodes, we know very little about the Knight Sabers or why they joined other than getting another paycheck. However, it seemed to me all of the girls got paid well in their day jobs, so the paycheck reason seems far-fetched (though they are very mercinary). Had the series been serial rather than episodic, it would have helped too.

Bottom line: if you liked the remake, I think you should take a look at this title. I think it will give you a greater appreciation for the remake.

Last updated Thursday, March 15 2018. Created Saturday, May 29 2004.

Rent Stretch [series:57#628]
The first time I started watching the series, I lost interest around halfway through and shelved the tapes for nearly a year. That's an easy mistake to make, since by all accounts, BGC gets off to a slow start. The plots of the first three episodes are a blur in my memory. Episodes 2 and 3 have largely the *same* plot--the Genom corporation does something despicable to a friend of the Knight Sabers, which pisses them off and they find Boomers conveniently waiting as they go out for a climactic fight. Fortunately BGC tends to get steadily better towards the end. Episode 4, "Revenge Road", represented a marked improvement--and for once the enemy isn't Genom and the Boomers. I noticed a major improvement in the animation of action scenes in episode 5. The series gets steadily better, to the extent that I consider the final episode, number 8, to be my favorite (largely because of the comedy that was included) and number 7 to be my second-favorite.


Apparently more than one reviewer cannot stand the charachter of Priss in this original version of the Bubblegum saga, but how could BGC have ever claimed to be a "cyberpunk" series without her? Priss has more "punk" in her than the other three Knight Sabers combined! Tough, independent, but also rude and capable of screwing up (such as the time she underestimated the capabilities of one of Mackie's handbuilt motorcycles), she is my favorite charachter. I also like Leon and his gay partner, Daley--I wish a few more jokes about the two of them had been included. Lack of charachter development is a common criticism of BGC; Sylia's father had provided the technology for the battlesuits, and had been murdered by Genom, which is why she has a grudge against them--that's about all we know about her. Linna was still basically a stranger to me at the series' end. Perhaps this is because of another common complaint, namely that there is no real ending to the series--Genom has not been overthrown, so the fights with the Boomers will go on in various sequels. I read recently that at one point it had been planned to make no less than 13 OVA episodes, but due to squabbling among the companies involved, only eight were completed. So much excellent anime has appeared since BGC debuted that in comparison it's shortcomings become more and more obvious, while we tend to forget what a groundbreaking series it originally was. This was the first anime "Cyberpunk" series I watched, and my initial impression was that this was one sassy show with an attitude. The fact that not just myself, but many others still consider it good enough to be worth buying or renting today gives a hint of what a standout performer it was 15-odd years ago.

My favorite line: "I wonder if she's a...?" --Leon, trying to figure out why Priss won't go out on a date with him.

10/03 #78

Last updated Tuesday, February 05 2008. Created Sunday, October 12 2003.
Avoid 5 5 3 1 2 Devil Doll [series:57#752]
[Score: 27%]
Looking at all the other negative reviews, I am a little relieved, as I didn't just get to it.
And no, I don't like this music either.

Last updated Tuesday, November 25 2003. Created Sunday, June 08 2003.
Buy 7 7 6 9 7 Nami [series:57#455]
Comparing this to BGC 2040 is comparing apples to oranges. For what it was and the time when it came out, the original Bubblegum Crisis is an great series. It was one of the earliest direct-to-video animation series. This came out almost 15 years ago, if I remember correctly.
The music has a great 80's hard rock feel. The episodes are fairly standalone, although there is a bit of a continuing plot underneath this and its sequel, Bubblegum Crash. The characters could probably have done with a lot more development, but I admit to prefering some of them to their 2040 counterparts.
All in all, even though the animation might not stand up when compared to current shows, this is a classic in its own right, as well as a precursor to a number of other great series. Many older anime fans will name this as one of the series that "converted them" to serious anime, and I am one of them.

Last updated Saturday, December 14 2002. Created Saturday, December 14 2002.
Buy 4 4 4 7 6 kakyuu_prince [series:57#404]
Blegh, I didn't like this. I frankly can't see what all the fuss is about. I only got the first DVD over half a year ago and I still haven't finished it because it was so boring. I hated everyone. They were all so stereotypical. All of the music sucked except Konya wa Hurricane which is catchy and not too bad, although it sounded VERY 80's like. After seeing the first 2 episodes of this I got some of Bubble Gum Crisis Tokyo 2040 and I liked it a lot better.

Last updated Sunday, October 13 2002. Created Sunday, October 13 2002.
Buy Robbie [series:57#192]
Wow, some bad reviews. I don't really know what people are complaining about, but I really liked this series. While it is true that since Bubblegum Crisis is short, we don't get to see much character development. There is a bit with Priss however, as we see that she really is human like the rest of the group.
Well moving on, Bubblegum Crisis was a great series. The animation may not be the best, but it was still pretty good. The music was awesome and really catchy. Like Juliet said, each episode more or less stand on their own, so there is not much of an ongoing plot, but the episodes themselves are good.
I think the problem most people had was that they were comparing this to Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040. Of course if you compare it to something better, it won't seem as good as it actually is. Bubblegum Crisis is a good buy, especially if you love pop 80s style music! It's worth a try if you can get into the later episodes. (But there are only 8, so give it a shot! ^_^ )

Last updated Monday, June 24 2002. Created Monday, June 24 2002.
Buy 6 8 7 7 10 Atsumi_Yamaki [series:57#259]
Unlike alot of yall. I really liked this Anime. The 8th Episode was the best. Now I know it is a classic but I dunno I just really liked this one.

Last updated Friday, January 11 2002. Created Friday, January 11 2002.
Rent 7 7 6 Kaitou Juliet [series:57#137]

I started watching Bubblegum Crisis mostly because I felt it was a classic which I ought to have seen. The first four episodes didn't do much for me, but around episode five the story started to pick up and the characters started to grow on me. I really enjoyed the last couple of episodes.

Postmodern urban decay isn't my usual taste, but there is no denying that the atmosphere adds a lot to this series. Unfortunately there isn't a real resolution to the plot. Each episode more or less stands alone.

If you only want to dip into it a little, I recommend starting with episodes 5 and 6, which form a two-part story arc and include most of the important elements of the series. Many people list these two as their favorite episodes (although my own favorite is episode 7).



Last updated Monday, July 30 2001. Created Wednesday, March 07 2001.
Rent 9 5 7 10 8 Midnighter [series:57#94]
Bubblegum Crisis is a classic anime. It was one of my first tastes of japanese animation, and it only fed my desire to see more. The Dark, gritty look of the series never ceases to impress me.
Never mind that the animation is fairly poor, the art alone is just remarkable. Bubblegum Crisis borrows heavily from Blade Runner (In fact, Priss' band is called the Replicants, an obvious nod to the movie) so fans of the movie should check this series out.
The stories vary from fairly weak to fairly strong, and I have no complaints with it. The concept of the Boomers is cool. Bubblegum Crisis has some of the best music EVER in an anime. The driving rock soundtrack is brooding and fits the tone of the series very well. The Knight Sabres' hardsuits are some of the coolest looking mech I have ever seen.
To summarize, I really am fond of this series. The stories are pretty good, the animation, while not that good, is watchable, the characters are all likeable, and the art, oh god, the art is just gorgeous. I really can't say enough about the dark, gritty, stark look of the series. It's just wonderful!

Last updated Friday, January 18 2002. Created Friday, February 02 2001.
Rent 5 6 4 5 4 Kaneda [series:57#87]
While this series does have it's share of mecha, explosions, and general mayhem, the characters also have a fair amount of depth to them. Comprising the four Knight Sabers are Sylia, the team's leader, Priss, a rock star, Nene, who provides the "cute", and Linna, a fitness trainer who is probably the most normal of the bunch. We get a good insight into the characters personal lives and the difficulties they have dealing with their secret identities.
However, the stories are this series weak point. Essentially they're in place merely to set up violent clashes between the Knight Sabers and various foes. I was especially unimpressed with the first three episodes, but things do get somewhat better, particularly in the final two episodes which were more character-driven.
The artwork did a good job of capturing the gritty future in which the Knight Sabers live. The animation was decent, but it did look a little grainy. While I haven't seen the dubbed version, I've heard it's simply awful. That's why I sought out the subtitled version to watch.
If you want cool mecha, lots of action, and females in nifty-looking body armor, then Bubblegum Crisis is exactly what you're looking for.

Last updated Friday, November 24 2000. Created Friday, November 24 2000.
Avoid 2 3 1 CatWoman [series:57#65]
I HATED this anime! I must admit that I didn't watch the hole series but that is only because I could not stomach it! I hated all that nudity and the characters stunk! You had to try and like them all and I ended up hating Priss. I would not recomend it to anyone! (It aspesholy throw me off when one of the characters looks at his sisters chest, BLUCK!) This is saying a lot because, my fav. anime is bubblegum 2040! And I love Priss in that one!

Last updated Thursday, July 27 2000. Created Thursday, July 27 2000.
Avoid 5 6 5 7 5 The Coyote [series:57#64]
This is going to be an unpopular review because with everyone I know this is an absolute classic but, I saw this one and hated most of the characters right away. Priss is horible especially compared to the Priss in 2040. The rest of the characters have few redeaming qallitys I strongly sugest passing this one up and getting the new Bubble gum 2040 instead. It is far more indepth the animeation is better which considering how much newer it is it should be. The characters seem much more human and not so stereotypical. this is like watching a bad 80's TV show.

Last updated Tuesday, December 04 2001. Created Saturday, July 22 2000.

Other Sites
NameURL
IMDB http://us.imdb.com/Title?Baburugamu+kuraishisu+(1985)+(V)
Bubblegum Crisis Guide http://www.gweep.bc.ca/~edmonds/anime/BGC/index.html

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