Alien 9

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Alien Nine

Japanese: エイリアン9

Information

Type: OVA

Episodes: 4

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Jun 25, 2001 to Feb 25, 2002

Producers: Bandai Visual, Genco, MediaNet, AT-X, Nippon Columbia

Licensors: Central Park Media

Studios: J.C.Staff

Source: Manga

Genres: Horror, Sci-Fi

Themes: Psychological, School

Duration: 28 min. per ep.

Rating: R - 17+ (violence & profanity)

Statistics

Score: 6.76¹ (scored by 16,837 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #5540²

² based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #3534

Members: 39,884

Favorites: 533

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Synopsis

Soon after entering middle school, Yuri Otani is coerced into joining the "Alien Party," a single-minded group with one goal: capture any alien attempting to enter school grounds. Terrified of aliens her entire life, Otani is anything but thrilled, and to make matters worse, her kit includes a "Borg"—an alien-like creature tasked with ensuring her safety. Despite this, she finds solace in her two partners: the independent and reliable Kumi Kawamura, and the smart and energetic Kasumi Tomine.

As the Alien Party works to fend off extraterrestrial threats, will their roller blades and lacrosse sticks be enough to overcome the dire challenges ahead, or will they succumb to fear and suffer the grim consequences of defeat?

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Adaptation:

Supporting

Nakayama, Sara
Japanese

More staff

Staff

Matsukura, Yuuji

Producer

Oosawa, Nobuhiro

Producer

Irie, Yasuhiro

Director

Fujimoto, Jirou

Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

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Opening Theme

	1: "Flower Psychedelic: Kasumi Tomine Version" by Noriko Shitaya
	2: "Flower Psychedelic: Kumi Kawamura Version" by Kaori Shimizu
	3: "Flower Psychedelic: Yuri Otani Version" by Juri Ihata

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Ending Theme

"rebirth" by en avant

Reviews

Nov 16, 2023

SgtSalamander

Recommended

Alien 9 is one of those hidden gems you find every now and then with anime. It just barely catches your eye, so you pick it up, dust it off, and find an incredible piece of work that has, somehow, against all odds, remained in relative obscurity, languishing with a mediocre reception. I stumbled upon it by total accident as I was looking for a quick watch, and armed with nothing but a brief description I settled in for what I thought was going to be a fun yet average experience. I couldn't have been more wrong. Instead, I got Madoka before Madoka. I got ... a lovingly crafted fever dream about aliens, puberty, and the terrors of growing up. I got Alien 9. Beginning with the story, which is its strongest aspect, it must first be understood as a wild thing that evades intellectual understanding and rational capture at every turn, all while not slipping into the realm of the totally absurd. Building from a premise which is simple enough, where a group of late elementary school girls are tasked with defending their school from regular attacks by monstrous aliens, it builds into something so much more than that. It tackles the psychological burden of growing up, and navigating life as it changes around and within you, regardless of how you feel about it. People look at you differently, you look at yourself differently, and the whole world becomes complicated, and while you understand more of it and develop a real identity for the first time, the less of it seems to make sense, and that fragile sense of self is challenged by difficulties you must overcome. But it's also beautiful, in its own bizarre way, as the worries and uncertainties of childhood evolve into a resolve to be who you want to be. I'd say the tentpole of the story is this, that coming of age dynamic, but it covers a lot more ground within and around that concept- loneliness, depression, anxiety, friendship, social expectations, personal discovery, psychological trauma, defiant adaptation, and so much more. I could go on for hours, really. Its depiction of how scary and uncertain the transition into adolescence can be is uniquely raw and authentic, while its cautious moments of peace and togetherness are simple yet warm and infinitely meaningful. I've seen this piece compared to Madoka Magica, which would come a decade later, and the resemblance is definitely there. A lot of despair inflicted on young girls who are chosen to battle horrible monsters, pushed along by sinister forces beyond their understanding, embodying a subversion of the magical girl genre. However, there is a distinct difference that I believe makes Alien 9 decidedly superior- it feels so much more authentic. Madoka Magica is good, don't get me wrong, but the sheer depths of its edgy darkness feel almost manufactured, like the rules of that world are engineered for maximum grimness, and leaves many of its other themes under-examined. Meanwhile, Alien 9 covers so much emotional and conceptual ground in the space of only a handful of episodes, and in a few words or passing scenes manages to deeply fathom all of its major questions and ideas, leaving a distinct mark upon the viewer. It grabs you, and doesn't let go. Emotions leap through the screen directly into your chest, feeling a direct connection to the joys, anxieties, victories, and fears which unfold before you. More mechanically, the story's episodes feel like just the right length, with a somewhat disjointed pacing that lends itself well to the cerebral aspect of the show. Though, it does leave a lot of things open, and makes one wonder if that was on purpose or just a necessary exclusion to get the anime done on time. Next, the art is wonderful, combining a cute, emotive style, characterized by the distinctive inclusion of large ears and eyes, with painstakingly detailed backgrounds and alien designs that feel haunting and otherworldly. Its use of color, poses, shot composition, and smooth animation all make the art style and execution feel distinctly timeless. It cannot be understated just how great this looks for an OVA from 2001. In a phrase, it's easy to sit back and get lost in for a while. In a similar vein, the sound design is masterfully experimental. The voice work is immaculate, with voice acting that makes the characters feel more like actual people instead of just pawns for the designs of the author. They feel seriously authentic, and that is backed up with weeping that feels so genuine that its actually arresting. Definitely some of the realest crying in anime. The sound design goes on to impress with sounds of life that carry physicality and weight, with the meaty thwack of alien biology under a swift blow, or the gentle shuffle of nervous footsteps. Though, all of this auditory excellence pales in comparison with the OST. The music is bold and unlike anything else in the genre, forging ahead with a wanton experimentality, fusing cutesy slice-of-life tunes with the gripping mechanical edge of a psychological sci-fi thriller. It is a feat all on its own, distorting the perception of a given scene through a myriad of emotional dimensions, complimenting and subverting at a whim. The characters are also incredibly strong, representing the main drivers of the anime as a whole, where the story is determined by their actions rather than the whims of the plot. Their interplay is easy to get invested in, and nobody in the main cast is left wanting for depth or characterization. Beyond an engaging visual design, they are shockingly multifaceted, and are somehow able to embody this three-dimensional complexity over the course of a brief OVA. My favorite characters are Yuri Otani and Kumi Kawamura. Otani feels like one of the most authentic adolescent protagonists in anime, and since the viewer is often inside her head with her thoughts, we get a front row seat to the complex cacophony of debilitating anxiety and a desire to rise above it. She's not some special hero, she's not a secret savant, she's just a girl, a girl who's doing her best in the face of it all. Of all the things in this anime which defy logic and convention, she remains distinctly, almost defiantly, grounded. That is refreshing in a way that's hard to describe, and a surefire formula for a good character. Meanwhile, Kawamura is such a strong character for what her presence says about the story itself. She doesn't get as much characterization as Otani, but by the subtext of her actions, and brief interactions with people outside school, we get a rich portrait of her anyway. Really, that's a testament to how this anime tells its story, and handles its characters. Overall, Alien 9 is a work of art that is criminally underappreciated, but still leaves so many things unsaid. With so many open questions fluttering in the breeze, it may fail to satisfy some people, but if you can appreciate it for what it is, you will walk away with an anime that you can not only feel smug about liking, but also acknowledge as something special, a rare but brief moment that punches far above its weight.

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Jun 5, 2023

BurningCarnation

Mixed Feelings

Alien 9 is about three girls beating up aliens. One of them hates the job, one of them does it because the other option was worse, and one of them is raring to go. There's a copious amount of gore, blood, and mental breakdowns. So yeah, this show is not all sunshine and lollipops.

From the first scene, Yuri (the first girl I talked about) will whine about not wanting to be the one designated to beat up aliens in her class. In the next scene she will complain and whine to her best friend about how she's unqualified for the job, and that she doesn't ... want to do it. If you ever think she'll stop moaning and whining and suddenly start heroically busting out the moves to beat up aliens in a badass manner, I'm here to tell you that Alien 9 is not that kind of show. Yuri will not suddenly become a badass: instead, the proceeding scenes will also include her sniveling, bawling, and feebly whimpering yet again about how she REALLY doesn't want to beat up aliens. Did I tell you that Yuri receives the most screentime of the three girls, so you'll see her going through that same pattern about 4 times in every episode? If you don't want to see that, then stay the hell away from Alien 9.

Now, if you managed to get beyond that initial barrier, you'll find that Yuri's constant whimpering and crying, while aggravating to listen to, is not only justified, but the circumstances that led up to that point are worth a deeper look into.

The point is that Yuri is too young and immature to decide things for herself. Constantly crying and whimpering is not how you solve problems, and it is especially not how an adult should act if they want to be treated like one. Her constant whimpering, her inability to speak her mind, and her extreme dependency on Kumi all hint towards her relative emotional immaturity. Out of the main cast, Yuri is the furthest from being a responsible adult, and thus she is treated like an incapable child. She doesn't get to call the shots, her parents and teachers do, because she's such a kid.

Said emotional immaturity and inability to control her fear is why Yuri is the target of the most gory and violent scenes throughout the show. The sheer fear she feels toward the aliens is fueled by her instinctive repulsion towards them for how absolutely disgusting they are. How they lick her back for nutrients, how she constantly gets soaked in alien blood, how she's constantly being threatened to become Swiss cheese by the invading aliens. The scaredy-cat is the best target for pranks and horror shows, since they're assured to give the most reactive responses. Was there any other reason Luigi got a horror game for himself, but not Mario?

While I did mention horror, Alien 9's aliens honestly aren't that scary, and look more like badly drawn versions of Digimon. The Borgs look like a very wrinkly Patamon with CG wings, and the invading aliens attack with tacky black and white CG drills and tendrils, like they're out of a PS1 game. Hell, everything looks cutesy. The girls don't have noses and gigantic eyes. Everything is painted in slightly flushed out, but still bright, colors. Anything that emphasizes horror loves to operate in the dark, but Alien 9 has the girls fighting aliens in broad daylight. It's less scary and more uncomfortable. The horror aspect is only truly emphasized when Yuri faces the aliens, and when the show depicts how raw the terror she feels can be.

All that I've mentioned above is in the first two episodes, and I've only talked about them so extensively because they're the more interesting part of the show. The next two episodes go into the other two girls, and due to the divided screentime the show does not have enough time to cover them both: frankly speaking however, there's not much to talk about when one of the girls' biggest defining trait--nay, quirk--is saying "Nya!" every one of four lines like she's some kind of Pokémon. The last two episodes don't go anywhere.

We have some dream sequences, and some more scenes of the girls cowering in fear, and then the show just...ends. It ends while hinting at a potential episode 5 that never came to pass. Wouldn't you know it, Alien 9 is yet another member of the 'read the manga for the rest' crowd of anime. For what it's worth, the manga ended and also got a sequel called Alien 9: Emulators, so if you love these 4 episodes and want more there's plenty of stuff to read to satiate yourself.

Unfortunately, unlike the manga, Alien 9 the anime is incomplete and inconclusive, and was given far too little time to even begin to explore its own themes and characters, let alone familiarize them to the audience. The subpar production value and the lack of elaboration on its own world and internal logic will further detract many people. If you don't know what you're getting into, the chances are that you'll be disappointed. If you're into uncomfortable mindfucks, then maybe this is the show for you.

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Nov 11, 2023

Atsunome

Not Recommended

Wasted potential.

I’m sorry, but I just don’t think this anime explained its main plot elements nearly well enough to warrant a higher rating, which is a real shame since I was hoping this would be a potential 7/10 or 8/10 upon seeing the second episode. So many questions are left unanswered, and the sheer amount of completely wasted time (all of episode 3, A.K.A. a full quarter of the runtime) in an already short series was infuriating beyond belief.

This OVA started off with amazing potential in the first two episodes, before completely throwing it away for a filler-like third episode which was so desperately ...

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Poll: Alien Nine Episode 1 Discussion Ston3_FreeN7 - Sep 18, 2009	41 replies	by lasodamos »» Mar 23, 2:43 PM
Poll: Alien Nine Episode 4 Discussion ( 1 2 ) heartpatterned - Aug 2, 2009	63 replies	by Fabrizio00 »» Mar 7, 4:16 AM
Poll: Alien Nine Episode 3 Discussion Ston3_FreeN7 - Sep 18, 2009	23 replies	by Fabrizio00 »» Mar 7, 3:08 AM
Poll: Alien Nine Episode 2 Discussion Ston3_FreeN7 - Sep 18, 2009	38 replies	by Fabrizio00 »» Mar 6, 9:36 PM
Where can I watch this subbed? Purple_Gh0st24 - Feb 27, 2019	3 replies	by Androide911 »» Jul 27, 2022 12:28 AM

Alien 9

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Characters & Voice Actors

Otani, Yuri

Kawamura, Kumi

Tomine, Kasumi

Borg

Hisakawa, Megumi

Knife, Yellow

Otani, Satoko

Hironaka, Tomoya

Namiki, Manabu

Tamaki, Miyu

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Alien 9

Alternative Titles

Information

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Available At

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Synopsis

Background

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Characters & Voice Actors

Staff

Opening Theme

Ending Theme

Reviews

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