Ranked #4073

009-1

009-1 is an action/drama series, which tries to rekindle the spark of the Old School way of drawing. It has a sixties feeling to it, boosted with modern day flashy graphics. Directed by Shotaro Ishinomori (mostly famous for his Kamen Rider and Ultraman live action series), it retains a lot of his trademark gloomy feeling, a thing which tends to not be likable for most of the modern audience.

ART SECTION: 7/10 [The retro appeal receives an optical upgrade]

General Artwork 2/2: It is truly refreshing to watch and listen to the series, thanks to its fore mentioned combination of old and new form of animation. In terms of artwork, it stands out from most other anime series. If you liked Osamu Tezuka’s works, such as Astro Boy and Jungle Emperor (really old series) , you’ll love it. The series itself is a spin-off of the original 009 series of the seventies and keeps the same appeal.

Character Figures 1/2: Curvy ladies, packed with cybernetic limbs and a hundred gadgets makes them the perfect combination between the Bionic Woman and James Bond . Although remarkable at first, the facial expressions may become annoying after a while. Most of the younger otaku will consider the facial graphics to be childish. In today’s terms they seem unappealing and generally don’t look like anime as most of us know and love (they don’t look like your mainstream Clannad or Bleach designs) . Older otaku may like them. Graphic artists may prize them. But for the rest of us out there it will most likely be a big “Geez! How ugly!” This doesn’t mean that the graphics are bad. They simply look too alternative with the general image of animation today and will probably be considered distasteful to most (even if they truly aren’t).

Backgrounds and Lightning Effects 3/4: There are plenty of detailed backgrounds, dressed with nicely made lightning effects. Nothing major, but they pass by your eyes nicely. Just remember that they are pretty dark colored, with a mostly chilly mechanical/industrialized look on them. If you prefer cheery atmospheres, look elsewhere.

Animation 1/2: Pretty good again. There are fluid movements, backed up with computers to look realistic when they turn around or spin. There are even some simple battle choreographies present. The problem comes when you try to reason the whole thing. Like in most superhero and action films, the bad guys seem stunned when the heroines pull out their secret high-tech gadget and beat them out of the blue. It feels rather fake when you see the bad guys suddenly moving like slowpokes when the heroines take the offensive.

SOUND SECTION: 7/10 [Let the good times roll]
The sound department didn’t leave me with any specific impressions. Both voice acting and music themes were decent. Sound effects and way of speaking were lukewarm. Generally, above average.

STORY SECTION: 6/10 [My name is Bond… Cyber Bond]

General Scenario 1/2: Nothing original and yet not the usual “super heroines save the world in the name of justice and love”. The protagonists are a team of female cyber-spies, taking up missions than involve the protection of their leader/creator’s status quo (there is no right or wrong) .

Pacing / Side Stories 3/4: Most episodes are stand alones and from time to time a flashback occurs to give a few simple twists to the story. It’s a generally good form of narration with dead time in between. Thank goodness that the series is short and that does not become annoying.

Plausibility 1/2: The scriptwriters offered us an alternative history, where the Cold War still rages on and both sides still use spies, now of cybernetic nature. This is good. But then again there is no explanation about how all this hi-teck gismos work. How does that cybernetic woman move around with a smokescreen bomb thrower inside her kneecap? Ok, it is a light sci-fi series but I tend to like it more when they throw in some explaination.

Conclusion 1/2: Nothing major. You’ll probably have seen the same scenario on dozens of spy films so far and most likely won’t remember anything special about it after it’s over.

CHARACTER SECTION: 6/10 [-Good morning Angels. -Hiii Charlieee!]

Presence 1/2: Girls with hi-teck gadgets and sexy bodies. They look lovely and cool but their faces are kind of a turn off.

Personality/Quirks and Backdrop Stories 3/4: Every girl has a dramatic past, there are greedy and merciless villains, there is a secret hiding somewhere… The cast covers the basics but not in a very detailed or realistic way.

Development and Catharsis 2/4: Nothing major here either. Most character development is presented through flashbacks and the ending does not leave out the chance of a sequel. So okay, they are not Charlie’s Angels! But seriously, after having watched the titles in my Suggestion List , the only thing you will remember from the characters are their gadgets and their sexy bodies.

VALUE SECTION: 4/10 [Pre-ejaculated retro orgasm!]

Historical Value 0/3: None; left no standing impressions the form of storytelling feels too old to be appreciated today.
Rewatchability 0/3: Nah, people want Clannad or Bleach designs and it’s too simple to deserve a rewatch.
Memorability 4/4: If you are a hardcore fan with a taste for retro and originality, go ahead and get this jewel. Its unique feeling make it re-watchable and cult important. But as for the rest of you mainstream guys, keep away from it!

ENJOYMENT SECTION: 3/10 [Generic series #8.153.854]
Can’t say I enjoyed it. Most of the plot was quite boring and although the drama and the action were fine on their own, the final comment I had was “Seen it all before, in a lot better setting than this”. It was mostly the artistic aspect that I enjoyed; which tends to be only a small part of the whole. The battles were not exciting, the stories lasted too little, and the characters felt basic.

VERDICT: 5.5/10
It is a typical story dressed handsomely to appeal to the older members’ emotions. It is mostly interesting to look at it rather than to enjoy it as a whole, thus it eventually becomes a passable anime. I myself did not bother keeping it into my collection, as it has no actual replay value or is that great as a spy/sci-fi series.

SUGGESTION LIST

This series is better than:
Totally Spies, Charlie’s Angels, Bionic Woman, James Bond, and most of everything resembling spies in Western culture. Stupid, phallocratic and tasteless productions for brain dead entertainment.
6 Angels. A sci-fi anime mini series with a team of anti-terrorist girls. Too stupid but with nice asses.
Kikaider. Another anime with cyborgs. God ugly ones. And the plot is dreadfully simplistic and overblown with melodrama.

This series is worse than:
Kamen Rider. Shotaro’s best lasting hero series. Has some really cool concepts in it.
Gunslinger Girls. No sci-fi but it has little girls, brainwashed to become assassins. WAY better characters.
Ghost In The Shell (both the series, the movies and the manga). It also has sci-fi and a cyber woman assassin/swat member in it, but the story is a billion times better and is brimming with issues around humanity, soul, technology and politics. Graphics and sound kick ass!
Battle Angel Alita (the manga). It also has sci-fi and a cyber woman warrior in it, but the story is a billion times better and is brimming with issues around humanity, soul, technology and politics. The battles and the cyberpunk atmosphere are mind numbing! read more