Customer Reviews

Bubblegum Crisis Collection

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

300+ minutes of anime for 45 bucks? Heck, I'd buy it even if it was Explorer Woman Ray! Well, maybe not. Seriously, aside from the Jeykll/Hyde packaging (the box is great-looking, but has ZERO functionality, although I didn't notice any major problems with the subtitles on my copy), everything about the Bubblegum Crisis Collectors' Suite says buy it. BGC is perhaps the greatest anime direct-to-video series ever made. You really can't go wrong with it. The animation is excellent, the characters are wonderful, the bad guys are nasty (and not always who they seem), and the music kicks serious aft, especially if you have any appreciation for 80s stuff.

The MegaTokyo created in BGC is well-realized, from the hapless AD Police to the diabolic Genom Corporation to the quintessential deadly babes in powersuits, the Knight Sabers. The heroines, Sylia, Priss, Linna, and Nene are all excellent characters; they don't fit into any standard anime stereotype - even the cutesy Nene is much more mature than she appears. Quincy, the elusive chairman of Genom, may be the best anime villian of all time, and even the AD Police get some screen time between thrashings by Genom's berzerk Boomer cyborgs.

The mechanical designs and character designs helped to give BGC the legendary status it has attained. From the designs of the Boomers to the Knight Sabers' lithe 'hardsuits' to the classic character design of Kenichi Sonoda, quality is apparent everywhere. There isn't really an end to BGC (its original budget was cut), and it leaves many questions unanswered, but the result is a sort of short glimpse into the fantastic world of a possible future. It is a gripping story of friendships, death, revenge, and survival.

Bubblegum Crisis is by far one of the best examples of anime available, and even after 10 years it still rules. If you have DVD capability and like anime, don't make a big mistake. Get this while you still can.

Bubblegum Crisis as much as any other anime, is what brought Anime to the American mainstream. The DVD brings an end to the perpetual subbed vs dubbed argument by allowing you to choose. The animation and story are good and this is a DVD that I rewatch frequently.

I do have a few complaints, mostly the packaging. This is not packaged as a DVD, but in normal jewel boxes and packed more like software than as a DVD set. Also, for a series that isn't really very long, it seems strange that the set requires 3 DVDs.

Complaints aside, I recommend this series to anime fans.

Before I go into this review, let me say that I LOVE Bubblegum Crisis. I have loved it since it first came out in Japan. It's a great example of cyberpunk anime, and it's a good first series to watch if you are interested in anime, or wondering about what anime is. Some violence and MILD nudity may make this series unsuited for young children. I give the series itself 5 STARS!

Animeigo did a great job subtitling this series, and the voice dubbing isn't half bad at all.

The DVD transfer quality is pretty good. There is a Bubblegum Crisis interface that you can install on your computer and use as a player. It's a neat extra. The gallery is a collection of pictures, most of which have been published elsewhere, so there's nothing new there. The bonus videos consist of scenes from the episodes. Where did the Hurricane Live stuff disappear to?

I was really disappointed with the packaging however. It consists of three DVDs shipped in unlabeled jewell cases (not the standard DVD case). There are no liner notes, no booklets, none of the usual stuff you get with a DVD purchase. It really looks like it was produced by a bunch of pirates, burned to CD and shipped off in a plain brown wrapper. I know I'm being picky, but I was really hoping for something a little more. I mean, if you've bought collectors editions before, you usually get some neat little gimics that at least make you feel like you've got a collector's item.

If you're a fan of the series, this is a cheap way to get all the episodes. If you want something to add to a collection, buy the individual DVDs. It's more expensive, but at least then you can tell the difference between pirated copies and something produced by a good company (which Animeigo is). I could do a better job with MicroSoft Paint and sticky labels.

Firstly, I think the content of the collection is great. I did have one small problem with the subtitles disappearing for a minute or two, but nothing that couldn't be ignored. The characters in BGC are refreshingly unique and each has her own storyline throughout the episodes. One tends to get lost in the first couple episodes until you figure out what is going on, but after that it is really easy to get into. The dvds also allow you to choose sub vs. dub, which is a great feature for those who can't make up their minds. That said: like others, I was unimpressed with the big box they put the jewel cased dvds in. I'm pretty picky about everything fitting in nicely. However, I discovered you can buy just the character-decorated clasp cases - identical to the ones the non-collection dvd versions have - at multimedia 2000's site (and ONLY there, which is why I am mentioning it), so for all of you who are considering not buying it because of the packaging, my suggestion is buy this collection here, grab the clasp cases separately, and you will have one great dvd set! Highly recommended!

Bubblegum Crisis 2030 ovas (1-8) sci-fi/action: set in the same universe as A.D. Police Files, this is several years into the future. The secret vigilante group known as the Knight Sabers has been formed. They arrive earlier than the A.D. Police to the crime scenes and usually destroy the boomers without their help. The quality of this anime is equal to the A.D.Polic Files. (mentioned above). The Knight Sabers are women that work undercover along with a rich mistress named Sylia. They wear these mecha outfits which they call hard suits. Their sole purpose is to destroy renegade boomers which are causing public harm; they never handle human/ civilian crimes ( they leave that up to the regular police). Most of the episodes are self-contained stories, but it is good to watch all 8 of them for continuity. The animation is fluid, the character designs and backdrop of a futuristic Tokyo are beautiful, like a world based on Bladerunner. The action is gritty and gory. And the stories are interesting albit cynical. The only problem with this series was the lack interesting characters: something which is corrected in the next series. Blood and gore, light nudity, for adults only. The episodes are also self contained, except for the last 2 episodes which continued. Ends on 8 then connects with the anime Bubblegum Crisis 2040

The setting, stereotypical megatokyo 2032 (every anime is set in something-tokyo, 20-something), this is fantastic anime. great storyline, and great plot development, along with action scenes that are mesmerizing.

However: technically, there is a bit to be desired. The picture is not too stable, and moves a bit on screen (maybe becuase of my DVD-ROM drive, so don't take that for gospel). The sound is decent, and picture is a bit fuzzy, but hey: for 1987 vintage, it's pretty nice stuff.

the "multiplay disc" simply has some extra stuff for PC: you can print out technical notes and images from the gallery that can only be viewed onscreen.

and, a little pet peeve...the discs come in normal CD jewel cases, not DVD clamshell cases...so i had to go buy some blanks to throw the disk in. but i'm just wierd.

but all in all, a sweet anime. it's long too, so you can cardly beat it for fun and viewing pleasure. definitely a must have.

Bubblegum Crisis HAS to be one of the BEST animes in existance! The artwork rocks even this far down the line, the storyline is amazing, and incredibly fun to watch! All in all it's worth your money folks!

I only have two qualms about this series, only one of which will really influence you purchasing this set. One, which doesn't really matter, is the sorriful absence of the English-version soundtrack to buy on CD. Oh yes, they dubbed the songs into English, but they're painfully difficult to find, I doubt they've even been released.

The second one being the fact that the series is only 8 episodes long, it was cut short after a dispute between the producers. Bubblegum Crash and 2040 seriously DO NOT count.

However, there are three DVDs, thus explaining the price.

But it's definately a must-have, for fans and newbies alike ^_^

This box set is a must-have for Anime fans. You get eightepisodes on DVD. I was very pleased with the animation, but the onlydisappointment was the sound. The dubbed track is mono -- MONO! and the Japanese track has this annoying time-code tone that is constantly droning in the background. Other than that, this collection is excellent and I would recommend it to everyone!

Having been a fan of BGC since 1994, I was overjoyed when I heard this was coming out. To me, BGC remains one of the standbys of modern anime fare. We have all the right stuff: likeable and striking characters, a gothic cyberpunk setting, hardcore mecha combat action, and ....well, J-pop idol music. It's not as silly as it sounds, either. Most importantly, the storylines touch the heart as well as thill the senses. We have plots motivated by revenge, bitterness, sorrow, the desire for justice and obsession. They make a lasting impression even in today's age of CGI-enhanced animation. I will agree with my fellow reviewers: the packaging was just silly. It was on my software store's shelf for weeks before I realized it was a DVD set and not one of those jukeboxes. Also, I will warn others that the subtitling is embarassingly out of sync in places on disc 2. Still, with these meager flaws, this is a set that no sci-fi enthusiast can be without.

BGC is prolly the best anime that I have experienced, and I agree with some of the other reviewers, that the packaggeing put out by media 2000 was absolutley horrible, The only way to watch this is in the original japanese, becuase the actors that did the dub were totally out of character, and in my opinion, pathetic, and even scary at times.