Bubblegum Crash (1991) Anime OVA Series Review

Bubblegum Crash is a 1991 action science fiction Cyberpunk OVA series. It's a direct continuation of Artmic's anime series Bubblegum Crisis, with designs by Kenichi Sonoda, with additional guest character design work by Hiroaki Gōda. The series was done after anime production company Youmex split with Artmic and the later began production on a continuation series, some fans theorizing these last three episodes were originally intended to be the finale. Toshimichi Suzuki created the original story but writing duties went to Emu Arii this time and the series also changed directors since Crash was directed by Hiroshi Ishiodori and Yukihiro Matsushita. The cast includes Yoshiko Sakakibara, Ryôko Tachikawa, Michie Tomizawa, Akiko Hiramatsu and Toshio Furukawa.

Set one year after the events of the original series, the Knight Sabers are now living life peacefully after the extermination of the boomers. Priss seems to be doing well as a singer and her career is about to blow up according to her manager, Linna became a stockbroker and got rich and Nene still works for the AD Police and is constantly on the lookout for any strange event. Sylia comes out of the shadows and reunites the team when powerful boomers begin having violent encounters in the streets, prompting the girls to get back into their exo-suits and battle the mechanical menaces.

A very faithful and respectable sequel to the original show that picks up the interesting parts of it and runs with them immediately and without much to lose. There aren't that many iconic fights or needle drops as in the first one but the most recognizable elements shine in this continuation. Since it has the hindsight of knowing when it will end the episodes have a more concise and recognizable structure to them, the writers know how to organize the episodes and what beats to touch at different points of the extensive episodes. It's not self-conclusive like each chapter of the first show but it's also not a strongly cohesive plotline either, being a very weird middle ground between the two.

Most of the characters come back and they recapture their charm and lovable attitude. I would even say that I am glad they dedicate more time to the leading girls as a group as we see them interacting once more together as friends. Their bond is strong and their chemistry is quite wonderful. There are no sudden shifts in their personality or their backstories, mostly just sticking to the characterization we already knew. They don't alter the status quo as much either, whatever changes we are presented with are mostly irrelevant or minor.

The animation is just as solid as ever and the team really did their best to keep it in line with the visual style and flavor of the first series, it feels mostly the same but you can tell some corners were cut for the sake of keeping the workflow going. It's barely noticeable but some people might see some minor flaws or odd frames here and there. Other than that the animation skills on display are on the upper tiers even if it's not outstanding or groundbreaking. 

With a nice soundtrack, attractive visuals and the same cyberpunk spirit that gave its predecessor its charm, Bubblegum Crash is a highly recommended piece of sci-fi anime with cool battle sequences and a nice handling of its inherited, but memorable, characters. If you enjoyed Crisis you will definitely enjoy this one, even if part of its edge was diluted.

Barbarian Queen (1985) Movie Review

Barbarian Queen was a 1985 sword-and-Sandal fantasy action film directed by Héctor Olivera, written by Howard R. Cohen and produced by B-movie king Roger Corman as part of his nine picture deal that included shooting several films in Don Torcuato, Argentina. The cast includes six foot bombshell Lana Clarkson, actress turned writer/director Katt Shea, Frank Zagarino, Dawn Dunlap, Armando Bó's son Víctor Bó, Susana Traverso, Andrea Barbieri and Tony Middleton. The film was one in a series of fantasy films Corman shot in that country throughout the 1980s, including Deathstalker (1983), The Warrior and the Sorceress (1984), Wizards of the Lost Kingdom (1985), Amazons (1986) and Deathstalker II: Duel of the Titans (1987). Most of these films recycled the same sets, props, costumes and even footage, each movie recycling more and more resources.

The wedding of Queen Amethea is interrupted by a gang of bloodthirsty soldiers following the orders of Lord Arrakur. Her groom is captured and her sister is raped. Amethea unites with her handmained, Estrild, and a warrior, Tiniara, in order to rescue her loved ones and defeat the man who caused her such pain.

Without much to brag about, Barbarian Queen functions very smoothly and without issues as a likable and fast paced fantasy flick with all of the ingredients that make this type of formula work: cheap attires that add to the drab ancient look, lots of violence and nudity for the sake of exploitation that makes the whole ordeal sleazy, captivating characters that fall into archetypes but that are decently played by the cast, a simple but ultimately engaging storyline that has all the emotion and rawness needed to entertain and a particular rhythm that makes things more digestable. It's a pretty complete package, it goes along well with the technical skills of Hector Olivera and his wonderful directing as the film is well blocked and expertly lit, giving a lot of texture and grittiness to the images.

While the characters are not profoundly explored they are very well defined, which gives the routine plotline some more substance. The performers do their job very well and the three main ladies stand out both because of their skills and their physicality seen on the frame. They really do have some screen presence. We also get some cheap and silly but endearing special effects that are not that bad considering that it's such a meager production. The film's biggest flaws are the more misogynistic components and the lack of investment in the bonding or interactions between the female leads themselves.

The fact that this was a low budget genre film should already give you a hint of how sleazy this film is going to be. Some will find shocking the fact that a film with a semi-feminist message ends up exploiting women and has some lurid nudity and sexual assault as a form of spectacle for the public but a lot of these contradictions are why exploitation movies are fascinating. By having to appeal to the market they can also inject some thoughtful commentary or ideas without having to lose the audience. Nothing wrong with touching upon subjects directly, but having this distance and paradoxical nature does give us some very interesting results. It should also be said that this is a common thing for Corman, especially considering how there's small remains of The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent (1957) throughout this film, only updated and modified to fit the Conan rip-off mold. 

Overall, this is a good sword-and-sandal item of the eighties with enough virtues and interesting implications in its subtext.

Wanna-Be's (1986) Anime OVA Review

Wanna-Be 's is a 1986 action sports sci-fi wrestling anime OVA directed by Yasuo Hasegawa and written by Toshimichi Suzuki. It features character design work done by manga artist Ken'ichi Sonoda and Yoshiharu Shimizu served as animation director. The voice cast features Eriko Hara, Miki Takahashi, Shūichi Ikeda, Akio Nojima, Eiko Yamada and Urara Takano. It also had metal music by Japanese band Seikima-II and an ending theme by Saori Saitō. Produced by Anime International Company, Wanna Be 's became a cult direct to video release among otakus, particularly because it took advantage of the Japanese wrestling craze of the time.

Miri and Eri are two female wrestlers known as the Wanna-Be's, who fight furiously in the ring against their local foes the Foxy Ladies. However, things get shady when the mysterious Kidou Corporation offers them a chance to better their capabilities. The girls begin to feel some strange and awkward changes in their bodies and uncover the company's nefarious hidden plans.

Considering that this was just a year after Dirty Pair, it's not strange to see a leading pair heavily inspired by them and with similar designs and personalities. The redhead with the short hair embodies a tomboyish attitude and her fiery nature, while the long haired girl with a less arresting color has elements that signal her calm demeanor and more "feminine" personality. The two have some chemistry and enjoy modernity through the futuristic lenses the show sets up, sharing a strong bond and a love for combat. The only difference is that the Wanna Be's don't cause a giant mess everywhere they go.

This OVA is quite awesome from the start, it goes right to the point and gives you the money shots you expect, it really grabs you from the start and never lets go, putting you on a short but very enjoyable roller coaster of wild wrestling action up to the science fiction brawl from the climax with all of it making perfect sense and never feeling out of place. I honestly wasn't expecting the turn it took around the half way mark but it was a very welcome surprise. The versatile genre elements it shuffles really do come together seamlessly.

As you might expect, we also witness some potent wrestling anime action, you can tell the animators and directors took their time and studied the different moves and maneuvers that were common at the time in the sport, having the girls perform them and be victims of them, arriving at some striking poses. The actual direction is also solid as the shots are dynamic, intense, well timed, edited smoothly and with the angles emphasizing the ferocity of the encounters. It's a shame we weren't gifted with even more matches or perhaps more characters in the ring. We have a good variety of bodies and colors in there, but it would have been cool to get more lady matches in there as a way to expand the world because the few that we see kind of make the world seem a bit narrow.

This is a radically deranged and out there anime OVA that mixes both sports fanservice with the imaginative thrills of a sci-fi monster anime of its time quite expertly.