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 5: Blood & Steel
By John Huxley
27th Apr 04  The penultimate volume of Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 kicks off with some of the best action the series has offered so far. Galatea's presence has awoken the latent Boomers housed in the basement of the AD Police building, trapping the hapless chief, Nene and a few others in the abandoned building. Meanwhile, Priss and the rest of the Knight Sabers are powerless to help Nene because their new hardsuits aren't quite completed yet. It looks like they'll have to fight their way out of there with nothing but their bare hands... This whole scenario reminded me of a zombie film, the sloth-like Boomers with their grotesque appearance not unsuited to a Resident Evil game. Indeed, the manner in which the stranded AD Police employees escape the flesh eating robots is not unlike the Capcom videogame and the films which inspired it: crawling through vents, using every last precious piece of ammo and generally doing everything they can to survive. It's an unexpected change of pace for the series but certainly not an unwelcome one. Though I've yet to see the final volume, I wouldn't be surprised if this was the highlight of the entire series, regardless of the slightly ridiculous ending. When the whole ordeal is finally over, the Knight Sabers emerge from the wreckage to discover a Tokyo in a state of turmoil. The AD Police have disbanded, either resigned or dissolved back in to the regular police force and the timing couldn't have been worse. With Galatea on the scene and Mason pulling the strings, everything is about to go apocalyptic... Over the course of the five episodes (one more than the previous disc) we learn plenty more about Galatea and her connection to the Boomers, Sylia and her father. The explanations we're given aren't entirely satisfactory or even slightly plausible, requiring you to indulge in a little fuzzy logic. Those of you who like your anime to be grounded in realism won't be impressed by the use of sloppy plot devices and corny reasoning, though I'm sure all of you who think along those lines wouldn't even touch Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 with a 2040 foot barge pole in the first place. It's not exactly been a smooth ride, but for the most part I've found Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 an enjoyable viewing experience. Although I'm sure the finale will be equally enthralling, I'm curious as to how the final showdown with Galatea will pan out considering the increasingly small role (my favourite character) Mason has had to play. Whatever happens, I'm really looking forward to the conclusion of this series.
R2 DVD Notes
Features: English and Japanese Audio, English subtitles, character profiles, ADV trailers
Notes: The episode count may have increased by one, but sadly the same can't be said for this slender set of extra features. Although I've seen far worse DVDs in my lifetime, the Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 discs are average at best. The menu system is similar in design to the last two volumes, as is the cover and insert designs.
-- John Huxley 27th Apr 04
Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 Images  
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