Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040

BUBBLEGUM CRISIS TOKYO 2040

Bubblegum Crisis 2040 is a unique series. It’s unique in terms that it doesn’t do anything revolutionary or brings something new to the table, yet the contents of this anime aren’t reminiscent of anything else. It was a refresher after binging or watching through a ton of anime released in recent memory, which was mostly just cliché.

2040 is an alternate take on the original Bubblegum Crisis; nothing is connected between the two other than some of the characters and the same setting. The most significant difference between the two is that the original OVA was more episodic, whereas 2040 is wholly focused on a single structured narrative.

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The titular year is 2040. Tokyo is rebuilt from the ground up after an apocalyptic event destroys it. To rebuild one of the largest cities in the world, humans obviously needed help. This is where the elite company Genom comes in and creates these mechanoids called “Boomers” (Yes, they’re actually called boomers), who helped in the rebuilding process of “Mega Tokyo.” Yep, they made Tokyo even bigger.

They helped humanity prosper, but they were built in a rapid production schedule and eventually came out flawed. They would often go berserk and end up destroying the cities’ landscapes, but Genom’s hold on Mega Tokyo was untouchable.

Here enters our heroine, Sylia Stingray, the daughter of Dr. Stingray, the owner of Genom and the creator of the Boomers in the first place. However, Sylia is against their production and wants to see them to an end. Her character development is a massive part of the series. Sadly, the last part leaves you hanging a bit with just a touch of development missing.

Still, though, most of the characters are unique and have their own personalities halfway through the series. Priss is the lone-wolf who thinks people hold her back, Lina’s the typical shounen character who wants to be the very best, Nene is the young technical prodigy, and our heroine Sylia is the intelligent and mysterious leader. I know they don’t sound exciting on paper, but they develop a lot throughout the series and become characters of their own personalities.

In all honesty, the animation and the character designs here were awe-inspiring especially considering the time of release and the fact that it’s a full-length 26 episode series. This series came out at a time when companies were trying new technology and animation techniques, giving birth to some extremely horrifying CGI.

This never happened with Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040. This series had unique character designs and backgrounds, along with some high-quality action sequences. It never added any panning images or even repeated any scenes again and again much.

Since it’s a cyberpunk series, it has a dark and gritty atmosphere with a dark world to boot. The cyberpunk atmosphere is filled to the brim with it. Each street, sign, and person you see in this world is influenced by this aesthetic. That being said, it’s not the most original cyberpunk style. It’s actually a mix of the OVA and a lot of other cyberpunk content smudged into one. But, overall, the series has a prominent focus on the darkness and depression of the Cyberpunk world, and it conveys that imagery perfectly.

The Bubblegum Crisis original OVA had some standout music! However, this area is where 2040 suffers a bunch, in my opinion. If you’ve seen the original OVA, and you’re expecting the music to be the same quality as Hurricane Tonight, then you will be sorely disappointed. Priss does have a few vocal songs of her own in the series too, but they don’t stand out quite as much as I expected them to.

The central theme itself is also a mixed bag. The darker and more moody tracks fit very well in the mysterious and emotional moments, but none of the songs stay with you when you’re done with the series. I guess what I mean. It's certainly not bad but, after something like Bubblegum Crisis' OVA, you'd surely expect to find a top-notch OST here, and sadly that's not really the case.

Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 was an insanely refreshing and very entertaining show. It definitely comes with its flaws, but there is more good than bad here. If you’re a science fiction fanatic yet care about simple, straightforward plots, this should be right up your alley. It’s got a ton of high-octane action, reasonably well-developed characters, and an insanely beautiful art design and animation quality.

The series retains its much-developed story arcs yet focuses more on a single story instead of sub-stories and plot points, which means it gets to develop its characters much faster. The music quality in this series is a bit lacking compared to the OVA, but it is still suitable for the series itself. All in all, Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 should definitely be on your watch list if you want something refreshing or just pure fun!