Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040
Publisher
ADV
Director
Hayashi Hiroki
Production
AIC, TV Tokyo, Victor Entertainment
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
26 episodes
Year
1998
Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 volume 3: Leviathans
By John Huxley
27th Apr 04  If a lifetime of watching anime has taught me anything, it's that robots, androids and other man-made machines will eventually turn against their masters in a bitterly ironic killing spree. Do you own an Aibo robot dog? Or maybe you have one of those dancing Pino things? Do yourself a favour and smash it up in to tiny little pieces right now (it has to be tiny pieces - I've seen Terminator 2) before it's eyes start glowing red and it pounces on your neck and tries to rip out your throat. No? Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you! Thankfully the reasons behind the mad boomers in Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 are a little more plausible, if equally entertaining. This third volume in the series treads a familiar path for anyone who's had the pleasure to watch the previous two, with plenty of ladies in slinky power suits smashing up mad boomer robots on the rampage. Don't worry drama fans - there's still a good amount of melodramatics between the central characters to liven things up between the battle sequences, including a rather feisty little spat between the young Nene and group leader Sylia. Amused by the relationship developing between Priss and Leon, Nene casually chats with Sylia about the situation. Unfortunately Sylia becomes enraged when she learns that Leon is a member of the AD Police, their rivals and potential enemies. The ensuing rift between the two characters reveals Sylia's less agreeable side and her distain for organisations like the AD Police. There are so many unanswered questions about Sylia and her mysterious brother Mackey that are clearly pivotal to the central plot. Most pressing, why did Sylia create the Knight Sabers as a vigilante group to combat the mad boomer epidemic? She obviously takes the matter personally, so I wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with her family life. Time will tell. Later on, Linna takes a trip back to her hometown (you may recall she just arrived in Tokyo at the beginning of the series) in Kumamoto, where she is shocked to learn her parents have organised an arranged marriage without her knowledge or consent. After meeting with her would-be husband, Linna is pleasantly surprised to find that she might like him after all. It is this kind of human drama that lends the series a little spice; knowing that Linna has an arranged marriage on her mind and that Nene is distracted by her argument with Sylia gives the battles more meaning. It's far from the heart-wrenching theatricals best seen in series like Neon Genesis Evangelion, yet it's entertaining stuff nonetheless. As time passes, we're treated to more and more screen time for the deliciously over the top bad guys of Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040. Aside from the slightly eccentric OAP hooked up to all manner of life support machines in his space-bourne hideaway, his underling Mason takes the biscuit for best nutter of the show. Constantly sneering behind his master's back, he toys with his pet Boomers and generally acts like the evil git he is, showing no mercy to those he considers to be beneath him (everyone). For a series such as this it's great to see the kind of cliched bad guy that we were accustomed to back in the heyday of cyberpunk, even if he doesn't sport a ridiculous evil laugh. Sadly Mason hasn't met the Knight Sabers as of yet, a showdown which should be worth the wait. All round, another good show for the Knight Sabers. My fears that the series would become too repetitive were unfounded - despite the lack of new characters or a change in direction, I still find myself enjoying Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040.
R2 DVD Notes
Features: English and Japanese Audio, English subtitles, character profiles, ADV trailers
Notes: Reading the back of the box, everything appeared to be much the same as the last two volumes. Loading the disc in my DVD player I discovered that ADV had inexplicably altered the design of the menu system, changing it from a blue/grey high-tech look to a much plainer, white monotone design. Granted, this reflects the (also altered) design of the cover better, yet I really didn't think there was anything wrong with the old designs. Still, both look nice and it's not really a problem unless you're a sucker for absolute continuity.
-- John Huxley 27th Apr 04
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