Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040

An essential part of my childhood, I would get a VHS tape every Christmas until I had the complete collection. Many years later they adorn an entire shelf in tribute.

This is a fantastic anime series, that demonstrates how to conceptualise and write female characters without them 'being female' turning into a factor. It's extremely impressive how everyone feels believable and relatable, and there is a genuine sense of individuality and perspective to each character. This is helped by a fantastic English dub and one of the best music scores ever put to film, one of only two scores I had on CD and treasure to this day.

Although perfect in a lot of areas, the animation and details sometimes look a bit plain, and some episodes needed a little bit more effort to bring out the environments.

I lasted four episodes (which seemed ten) of this drag before quitting it. The story never took off and the characters were not interesting in the slightest. To be WORST than the original Bubblegum Crisis, not a masterpiece of character development and story on itself, should be awarded as an accomplishment...with something like the Razzie Awards. Avoid safely.

The original Bubblegum Crisis came out in 1985 and spawned a very popular following on both sides of the pacific. It was also one of the earliest anime titles to get a video release in the states. An 8-part OAV series, it was a mix of Charlies's Angels, Batman, and Terminator. Now, it's been remade as a television series. Although the animation has a much cleaner look and incredibly vivid color, it's not as fluid as the original OAVs, but that shouldn't be a problem. The story expands on the concepts of the OAV, and exceeds them to a degree. It's also much darker, to an extent. The Boomer design isn't as realistic as those in the original OAVs-here, the Boomers appear more like Zombies or Monsters when they go nuts. The character designs and personalities are also very different(and very 90's) But the changes help improve the series rather than hinder it. Overall, it's very pleasing.

This is a remake of the anime classic from the 80's, and this one is even better. Sylia, Nene, Linna, and Priss are all back as the Knight Sabers in their hard-suits battling the robotic boomers. The animation is crisp, the characters are well-developed, and the action rocks. Priss is a singer in her regular job, so the series features some wonderful songs as well. There is a fair amount of violence, but most of it is against robots, and there is some fan service, but nothing too racy. The DVDs also have many extras, including commentaries, which really enhance your understanding and enjoyment of the show. A must-have for any anime fan.

Also recommended: Burst Angel, Armitage III

The original "Bubblegum Crisis" was one of the first animes I had the chance to see in my life, since my parents rented two of the original Ovas from a video store thinking they were movies for kids. I actually loved it, even when I didn't fully understand the plot.

Some years later, I had the chance to see this remake series, which I also liked a lot, despite some changes done to the plot and characters, but keeping the essence of the original: The animation and designs were quite good, the soundtrack was more than decent. Additionally, tthe plot was very interesting, with likeable characters and complex themes explored in a dynamic, non-pretentious manner, being also helped by its thrilling atmosphere.

I never understood why this anime wasn't more popular. And it is certainly more deserving of appreciation than many other forgetable titles which I prefer not to name.

If you like animes like "Ghost in the Shell" and superhero comics like Iron Man, this is your series.