Blue Submarine No.6

Blue Submarine No. 6 was written by Satoru Ozawa and published in 1967 by Akita Shoten. It was adapted into a 4-episode OVA and released on the 4th of April 2000. The series uses advanced animation techniques, such as mixing 3D graphics with traditional animation. The Thrill did the soundtrack, which has a very jazzy vibe.

The plot is set in an apocalyptic future. The sea covers the entire land of the earth, and countless lives were lost when the ‘flooding’ incident happened. A scientist named Zorndyke was behind the flooding, and he continued to create havoc for the surviving humans. Zorndyke also created an army of hybrid animals, and he used this army to end the remaining humans.

Blue No. 6, from the troops' perspective, is this story's main plot point. Fighting Zorndyke are the submarine forces. We are introduced to one of the protagonists in the first episode when the captain of Blue Submarine No. 6 sends Mayumi Kino to recruit Testu Hayami, an ex-naval pilot. Submarine No. 6 is shown to be highly understaffed, but it is a flagship of the Pacific Fleet.

Hayami initially refuses to join the ship’s fleet, but a chain of events leads him to accept the proposal. Angered at Hayami’s refusal, Kino ends up on the streets of Tokyo when Zorndyke’s attack begins. Kino is stuck, having no way to return to Blue No. 6.

Hayami ends up saving Kino on a motorboat and safely reaches Submarine No. 6. Hayami shows an entirely different side as he jumps into a battle pod with Kino and goes on a full attack against the enemy craft.

In the following moments, we see the destruction of Tokyo by Phantom Ship, Zorndyke’s flagship, and Blue No. 6 ends up retreating. Not everything is black and white, as there is a moment of hesitation when Hayami is about to kill one of the enemies, but circumstances force him to do it anyway. We also get introduced to the Pacific Fleet around this time, where all the world leaders are, and that’s where genuine world-building begins.

Just as “Blue Six” goes to the Pacific Fleet after the destruction of Tokyo, the world leaders are strategizing their next move when Zorndyke interrupts them with a message. He can be seen angrier and even more vengeful at the Pacific and Atlantic Fleet’s attempts to stop his plans.

While the others see it as the rambling of an angry man, Hayami senses a deeper meaning in Zorndyke’s message, and from this point on, he gets the feeling that things are not exactly as they seem and that a more significant threat is coming their way.

The plot is undoubtedly an interesting one. The series starts with the implication that Zorndyke is all evil, but this changes as we slowly progress toward the end and raises moral questions. It is a matter of perspective, as Zorndyke is just trying to ensure his side's survival, and the humans are trying to ensure their survival. The themes of peace, harmony with nature, and diplomacy can be seen throughout Blue Submarine No. 6.

This is one of the most beautiful anime series I have seen. The advanced animation style of mixing 3D animation with 2D animation is done very well. The production team didn’t take shortcuts and ensured that even the tiniest detail was top-notch. The battle sequences and CG effects used in them are a technical marvel. The massive battle between submarines and Phantom Ship is one of the best battles in the series, so that’s something to always look forward to if you start this series.

The only problem with the visuals is how the smoke effects are designed. They don’t work well with the rest of the animation. There are also issues with brightness as, depending on the device, some scenes were difficult to see. The soundtrack complements the high-fidelity visuals. It is nothing special on its own, and you won’t remember too much of it – but it works very well with the anime atmosphere. The voice actors did a fantastic job conveying different emotions and had terrific chemistry with each other. Think Cowboy Bebop.

Tetsu Hayami is one of the main characters. He is a former elite cadet at the Naval Academy. His character is fleshed out, considering his tragic past. He is also behind the development of Grampus. Unfortunately, after an incident, he couldn’t work with the Navy anymore and spent most of his life depressed until he was recruited by Blue Submarine No. 6. He is also aquaphobic, an issue he has suffered from since childhood.

The character goes from being utterly hopeless to being the voice of diplomacy when no one is willing to be diplomatic. He is a good pilot and very intellectual, which isn’t very obvious at first glance.

Mutio is one of the side characters who saves Hayami and ends up getting saved by him later. She is one of the hybrid animals created by Zorndyke. Mutio is one of the most sympathetic characters in the series. She is the only one besides Hayami who wishes to be diplomatic and probably had a diplomatic nature even before Hayami developed his. She is also the only one of her species with red spots and red eyes, showcasing genetic diversity.

I enjoyed this OVA. It had four episodes but gave the experience of an anime series. The characters had proper development, and nothing was rushed. We got to experience the past of some characters explaining their behavior and personality in the present.

Finally, my favorite part was how the plot transitions from one-sided to showing the other side. It allows the viewer to develop their opinion of the good and wrong sides, which is always pleasant and makes the anime much more impactful than it would otherwise be.