Cheap Bubblegum Crisis Mega-Series (DVD) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of Bubblegum Crisis Mega-Series

This is the original OAV series, which has inspired several knockoffs (Bubblegum Crash, AD Police Force, and most recently Bubblegum Crisis 2040). On the surface, it doesn't seem like a terribly original anime--"women in sexy uniforms stop malfunctioning and malicious robots" is what the plotline often boils down to--but there's some attention to detail and storyline that sets it apart from the crowd. There are, for one, the Blade Runner references and homages--it's pretty clear from the very first episode that this is really a homage to that great Ridley Scott film by the animators. Second is the animation quality--dated, perhaps, by current standards, but very high quality for its day. The action scenes are still quite well-directed, though so many animes have taken after BGC and stolen designs, concepts, and other aspects enough that watching it now makes it seem very familiar, much like reading quotes from Shakespeare that have now become cliches. As far as story and character go, the notable episodes are 5, 6, and 7, all which deal with some difficult decisions that the characters have to face. There's some basic emotional resonance there absent from the rest of the series, which are otherwise run-of-the-mill action plots. Characterization-wise, most of the main girls fall into well-known "types" one finds in action films and anime, so there's nothing to write home about in particular. Now, of course, one can't talk about BGC without mentioning the music, which is for the most part top-notch, then-state-of-the-art-produced 80s J-pop. The melodies are better developed than most of the dreck that topped the charts in that decade, though age has inevitably made some tunes sound rather "cheesy." But the music always fits the action on screen, and the DVD set includes some decent music videos for the songs (the non-live action ones, that is. The live concert videos, alas, are incredibly embarassing to watch now). BGC has, ultimately, become a classic and is well worth watching to examine the roots of many current anime tropes. You won't watch it to be emotionally involved or intellectually provoked, but it's lost little of its charm and fun over the years.

Music Videos Dedicated to the Beautiful Knight Sabers :-)
The final DVD in the original Bubblegum Crisis series presents thirteen music videos based on the series. Two videos are of live-action concert footage by the main voice actresses of the series, one video ("Say Yes!") mixes live-action concert footage with animation from the much-loved series, "Touchdown to Tomorrow" introduces new animation of the Knight Sabers as a rock group, and the others present excellent music with the best action scenes from the series. For those who have not seen the original Bubblegum Crisis series, or for those who absolutely love the series, the Hurricane Live videos present a beautiful and inspiring overview of the entire series.

The series, inspired by Blade Runner and itself a tremendous influence on following anime, is full of fast-paced action and incredible music. This DVD provides anime newcomers with an excellent introduction to the world of anime.

GREAT
This is one of the pioneering shows of Anime! I remember shelling out $35 to $40 for ONE tape! Blech..what a rip off! But it got me hooked on the "Knight Sabers"! This show is fun and shows it's age with the clothes they wear etc but is a GREAT show and is the BEST in the series. If you are a fan buy THIS edition, the casing is junky as its a big clunky box with plain ol jewel cases etc but its well worth the price alone for fans of the show. The characters were done very well in this show amidst some sillyness, but not as silly as the new show 2040.