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33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best I have ever seen!, June 29, 2004
When Blue Gender first aired on Adult Swim, I really got into it but I never saw the whole thing. Just from what I did see I felt justified in buying the box set and I knew I wouldn't regret it. After viewing all 26 episodes, I can go far as to say this is the best anime series I have ever seen with the exception of Cowboy Bebop. Trust me though, Blue Gender is a very close second. Yuji Kaido, the main character, is diagnosed with an incurable disease so he becomes a "sleeper", and the plan is to wake him when mankind finds a cure. After he has been asleep for much longer than he was told, he is awakened to find out the world he once knew has become his worst nightmare. The Earth has been invaded by giant insects known as the "Blue". The blue have wiped out most of the Earth's population and those who remained left to a space station called Second Earth. It is a recovery team from Second Earth that awakens Yuji, and the team is there with the mission of bringing back as many sleepers from Earth as possible. In fact it is Marlene Angel that wakes Yuji, and the two soon have to work together if they are going to make it out alive. This is a series filled with emotion, strong violence, and nudity. Some may opt to pass on this series due to these themes, but I can't recommend seeing this enough. Seeing Yuji's nightmare as he awakens on Earth is incredible, as is his transformation into the fighter he becomes. There are twists in the storyline at every turn, and the action is nonstop. I never felt like the plot was dragging, as every episode left me wanting to see more. It is just that incredible. The animation is pretty good and works for this series. I especially like the design of the different kinds of Blue, which add so much to the effect of the action. And the best bug comes in the end, but youll have to see what I mean. Another thing that makes this a great series are the characters, who have so much personality. They are realistic people in a war against a species that has invaded their Earth. So by now you have the basic idea behind Blue Gender, and there are too many great plot twists for me to say anymore about that. There is a certain reviewer about 3 down from me who claims this anime has a weak story, bad animation and was a total waste of money. I have to ask: what Blue Gender did you watch? I mean I can understand that this might not be a title for everyone, but to say it was a complete waste of 536 minutes with absolutely no good? I have to disagree about the main character Yuji, who is annoying when he first wakes up, but as he realixes what he must do to take back his Earth his personality becomes more complex. But anybody who hasnt seen this, at least rent it first before you buy reviews that tell you that this series is total crap. Packaging for this set is superb, with a great looking art box to hold all 8 volumes of the series. It is a high price for the whole set, although you can buy the volumes individually for about $20 each. It is definaely cheaper in the long run to buy the box set, and if you look in the right places you can find it for way less than the $120 retail price ( I bought mine for $70 new). As for extras, each volume contains some art galleries, character bios, and trailers for other anime releases. Nothing groundbreaking, but good. All volumes contain the Japanese (for the purists that like the original dialogue) and English tracks with Dts, so if you have a nice system crank it up when you are watching this. If you dont like too much violence you may want to pass this one up. Otherwise, I hope I have persuaded you to at least see this series for yourself and hopefully you will be amazed like I am with what you see.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's an addiction, October 16, 2003
Yugi is a teenager who has contracted a lethal virus with no hope of a cure. The only option for his survival is to be put into suspended animation in hopes that the future will somehow find a cure for his illness. Fourteen years later, he is awoken with several other people like him. They are now known as "sleepers" and must fight "the blue", or monsters that have taken over the earth.
Sounds formulaic, right? Think again. Blue Gender is a psychological and action trip that will have you like an addiction by the first episode. Many people have been turned off by the title alone, but to those of you not sure what you are getting yourselves into, don't worry. You'll love it. The art is detailed, the music is haunting, and the story is solid in every episode. If you can take political intrigue, loads of mechs, and a ton of blood, you're in for a real treat. This series is undeserving in its constantly overlooked state. Fans of the Macross series, Cowboy Bebop, the Big O, and Gundam: this is for you.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You can't stop watching..., September 20, 2003
Blue Gender intrigued me when I caught a few episodes on Adult Swim, enough to buy the set. And it's quite an adventure. The animation ranges from stunning to just okay, but the story arc is riveting and very powerful. The box set is the way to go, because if you miss an episode, you miss a major part of the plot. And there are some wonderfully enexpected twists. Yuji Kaido, awoken from an illness-induced cryogenic sleep to a world gone mad, and Marlene Angel, the seemingly emotionless perfect soldier, are the central characters. Over the course of the series they undergo remarkable growth, discovering their own strengths and limitations, and of course learning to care about each other. It is a harsh, bitter environment these people inhabit. Other characters come and go. Many die shocking, horrible deaths. But Marlene and Yuji are the heart, soul and emotional core in this story of giant mutated insects and armored mech suits. The English dub is quite good, although Yuji's helpless whining when he is first awoken does get irritating. The orchestral score is terrific, perfectly capturing the suspense and drama playing out on screen. At times the music and sound effects are positively chilling. The DVDs do contain some sexual situations and graphic gore that was cut from the Cartoon Network broadcast. Overall, Blue Gender is a strong series. But be forewarned, once you are caught up in the story, you may not be able to stop watching.
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