009-1

I hadn't given any thought to this series till I saw that it was in Funimation's YouTube channel, then I thought I'd give it a go. I'm glad that I did as it was enjoyable. It might not be the most gripping series but the lead character, Miléne Hoffman AKA agent 009-1 is a good character who draws the viewer into her world. Set in a future where the cold war never ended 009-1 is a cyborg agent working for the west; each of the early episodes sees her going on a mission to thwart the dastardly East, towards the end we get a three part story where it is clear that the West's behaviour isn't perfect either. Surprisingly for a short action series there are quite a few touching moments and we see out heroine take actions that will have consequences for ordinary people.

The animation isn't as good as many other series but the style grew on me and the characters had a distinctive look. While there is no real nudity in the series we see 009-1 wearing nothing but a strategically placed sheet. More than once she beds her target, some viewers might think this goes to far but I thought it was no more than we see in a James Bond film; it just has a female protagonist rather than a man... although Bond doesn't have machine-gun breasts. Most of the actors did a good job although the English agent did have a "Cor blimey Mary Poppins" accent which was difficult not to laugh at. Normally I watch anime in Japanese with English subtitles but as that wasn't available I watched the dub and still enjoyed it.

From the creator of Cyborg 009, comes something more sophisticated. Back in 1967, Shotaro created 009-1 which was published into 6 volumes. Unlike Cyborg 009, this series was made for mature audiences. Back then it was still rare for manga to be made for older viewers. Which made 009-1 and Lupin III to be one of the earliest manga for mature audiences. The manga wasn't made into an anime until 39 years later. And it had great source material to be an anime.

009-1 takes place in an alternate future where the cold war has lasted for a 140 years. As a result of that, the Earth we knew has been divided into 2 factions: The East block and the West block. Agent 009-1 a.k.a. Mylene Hoffman is a cyborg agent for the West Block. Where she follows orders from her superiors. However every decision she makes will effect the outcome of each mission. As it's not an easy life to be a female spy.

This anime was created 8 years after Shotaro's death. And most people would say that he would probably like it as well as the 2001 Cyborg 009. As the stories and character designs are all true to the original content. I never read the manga but I love how the animators and director Naoyuki KONNO(animation director of 2001 Cyborg 009) have worked hard in making this manga come to life. It's almost as if the anime was supervised by Shotaro himself. Which is pretty much what they want people to say when they watch it.

The episodes are partly old school spy movie inspired, but have a good story quality to make it worth watching. The characters are memorable and you'll immediately know it's something Shotaro created.

Overral those who like Cyborg 009 will most likely enjoy this series as well. It's easy to purchase on DVD and should be known by all anime and manga fans alike.

It's difficult to keep track of all the anime titles that are released each year, let alone watch a few before a new batch arrives. Regardless of what they may have to offer, a lot of shows will unavoidably slip through the cracks due to this continuous stream of submissions. The kind of movies that people would only discuss if they gain a committed cult following or are just discovered by chance by viewers leafing through old catalogs. Additionally, the likelihood of such stragglers slipping from the public's notice has increased because to the dramatic increase in title releases in the 2010s.

Another example of this phenomenon is 009-1, which was passed over in favor of the far more well-liked shows that aired that same year, including Death Note, Code Geass, Welcome to the NHK, Higurashi, Black Lagoon, Gintama, Ouran High School Host Club, and many more. Apart from the fact that the aforementioned works are well-known, 009-1's appeal may have played a significant role in this happening. An appeal that the anime market wasn't particularly craving at the time. However, given that the topic of this appeal has recently taken center stage in local discourse, perhaps now is the ideal moment for it to resurface in the public consciousness.

Recently, there has been an increasing trend of adapting older manga/anime titles or maintaining their aesthetic elements in order to either cater to the older lovers of the medium or retrofit it for a new audience. 009-1 is essentially an early example of this, including entries like Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Hunter X Hunter, Sailor Moon Crystal, Parasyte, and Kill la Kill, to mention a few. But I believe it's reasonable to say that something like Kill la Kill and Parasyte is aimed at a completely different audience for 009-1, even though they're attempting to capitalize on that appeal while still catering to contemporary tastes.

The art style is definitely the first thing that will catch your attention. It combines a traditional look with a contemporary presentation, thus it seems sense that the target demographic would be primarily young adults and older. This portrayal was deliberate, as it is an adaptation of a manga that was released between 1967 and 1974. Although it's packaged with old enthusiasts in mind, younger anime lovers could still find it to be rather enjoyable. Simply put, people who are interested in more traditional art forms would find it more enticing than people who are not familiar with or accustomed to modern art forms. It's as though the program chose to wait until the 2000s to thaw out its capture of an anime metamorphosis in a cryogenically frozen condition.

Exaggerated physical characteristics were frequently employed to highlight the personality traits that the characters would represent, thus the characters were literally pulled to their archetype. Crazy villains appeared crazy; decaying elderly hags appeared decaying; sexy super spies appeared sexy, and so on. Even while they didn't always look nice, it helped to make them immediately recognized. Although the creative initiative is commendable, there was a chance that some of the characters might come across more as parodies than as real people. They can be as basic as drawing boards or as complex as body models lifted directly from an old Disney movie. The animation is quite smooth even with some of the bizarre (even by old standards) character designs.

The settings and set pieces are dark and gloomy thanks to stark shading and restrained color schemes, which fits quite nicely with the kind of mystery usually connected with spies. Additionally, scenes or other interesting elements within keyframes were occasionally further emphasized by using this restrained color scheme. Though not very outstanding, it was a nice addition to the visual tale. Although the tone frequently shifted depending on the task at hand, it generally maintained a melancholy atmosphere. It had a chilly, lonely vibe to it, which frequently reflected the attitudes of the adult ensemble that makes up the majority of the show.

I strongly recommend checking this one out if you enjoy espionage fiction or just the look of the 1960s and 1970s. Unlike other shows that cling stubbornly to broad appeal and miss everyone at once, this one knew its demographic and had style. Even though 009-1 had some rough edges, there was an unmistakable swagger and confidence to the way that they handled themselves. And for that reason alone, I think it's a title worth looking into.

I'm going to try to watch the first episode from every anime series ever made. Wish me luck.

My first experience is with this spy series featuring a cast of four female agents. Full of fan-service and sub-par Bond shenanigans, it taxed my patience throughout. If barely-there dresses and stiltedly animated combat scenes work for you, then this is essential viewing. On the other hand, if you like a bit of substance to go with your boobs and brawling, look elsewhere.

Will I be watching the next episode? NO.

4/10

009-1 is an action/drama series, which tries to rekindle the spark of the Old School way of drawing. It has a sixties feeling to it, boosted with modern day flashy graphics. Based on an old title by the now deceased Shotaro Ishinomori (mostly famous for his Kamen Rider and Ultraman live action series), it has been animated by the homonymous company he left behind. It is quite close to the feeling of the original; they did a good job at retaining his trademark gloomy and a bit morbid atmosphere. Which is exactly this show is not for everyone. It won't feel likable for most of the modern audience and will be appreciated only by retro fans or middle aged men who grew up with Shotaro's shows and are fans of his work.

PRODUCTION VALUES

Its retro style helps it stands out from most other newer anime series, assuming you got tired of the cop-out looks of most modern shows. And it is all about curvy ladies (for all you pervs), packed with cybernetic limbs and a hundred gadgets, a combination of Bionic Woman and James Bond (for all you action weebs). Remarkable at first, unless you get bothered by the facial structures which is where most of the retro aesthetic is based on (doesn't look like modern anime).

Aside from that there are plenty of detailed backgrounds, dressed with nicely made lightning effects. They are pretty dark-colored, with a mostly chilly mechanical/industrialized look on them, making them claustrophobic and creepy. If you prefer cheery atmospheres, look elsewhere.

Movements are fluid for the time the show was made, backed up with computers to look more real when they turn around or spin, and there is basic battle choreography in every fight. Being a rule of cool action show also means you must not try to reason how everything works out, since you get a lot of bad guys freezing whenever the heroines pull out their secret high-tech gadgets and beat them out of the blue. Basically the bad guys suddenly move like slowpokes when the heroines go on the offensive.

SCRIPT

In an alternative history, where the Cold War still rages on and both sides still use spies, now cybernetic in nature, a team of female cyber-spies takes up missions than involve the protection of their leader/creator's status quo. The backdrop is interesting but they use it in a very light manner. Most episodes are stand alones and from time to time a flashback occurs to give a few simple twists to the story or to flesh out one of the characters.

They went easy with the technology; there is no elaborate explanation regarding how all these hi-tech gismos work. How does that cybernetic woman move around with a smokescreen bomb thrower inside her kneecap? After awhile the sci-fi setting doesn't differ from any generic fantasy realm full of magic. It is a kinda mindless sci-fi series not bogged by technobabble.

The ending is nothing major. You will get to know the characters better but that's it. You'll probably have seen the same scenario on dozens of spy films so far and most likely won't remember anything special about it after it's over. Also the series is short and ends before it becomes annoying.

CAST

Girls with hi-teck gadgets, sexy bodies, and retro-style faces that will be a major turn off for younger viewers. Besides that they will never make you wanna cheer for them. The atmosphere of the show ends up being more captivating than them. I mean, every girl has a dramatic past, it's not like they are left paper-thin in characterization, but it's not detailed. It feels rather basic and can get overblown with cheesy drama at points. For the same reason there isn't much character development, it's more like colorizing them through flashbacks. Certainly not people you will relate with; a common trait of most retro shows where the atmosphere was more important than the characters. You will probably only care about their gadgets and their sexy bodies instead of their tragic pasts.

LEGACY

Can't say I enjoyed it much. I liked the retro feeling but most of the plot was quite boring and although the drama and the action were fine on their own, I've seen it all before, in a lot better settings than this one. It was mostly the artistic aspect that I enjoyed; which tends to be a small part of the whole. The battles were not exciting, the stories lasted too little, and the characters felt basic.

It is a typical story dressed handsomely to appeal to the older members' emotions, a time waster at best and eventually a passable title. It has no actual replay value and is not some great spy/sci-fi series. As far mainstream appeal goes it never had much and got forgotten fast.

SUGGESTION LIST

Kamen Rider (live action sci-fi about superheroes) Ghost In The Shell (hard sci-fi cyberpunk) Battle Angel Alita (manga only, hard sci-fi cyberpunk)