Parasite Dolls
Cyberpunk themes were a centerpiece of Anime. The meshing of humanity and technology were themes that, when coupled with the popularity of cop dramas, dominated the cinematic landscape of the eighties, nineties, and early 2000s. While the topic of humans and machines continues to feed the tastes of many, the grit and societal ambiguousness that made Cyberpunk anime a hot topic in many cases has been scrubbed and replaced with the lighter and more accessible fare.
Parasite Dolls is a gritty three-part OVA set in the Bubblegum Crisis universe. For those who’ve never heard of Bubblegum Crisis is was a series of eight OVA’s that aired from 1987 to 1991. The story revolved around the Knight Sabers, a Kick-Ass squad of female mercenaries who fight using powered exo-armor against defective androids known as “Boomers.” The success of Bubblegum Crisis spawned numerous sequels such as Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040; several A.D. Police anime, Bubblegum Crash, and Parasite Dolls.
Parasite Dolls is the black sheep of the Bubblegum Crisis universe as it is not well known. But similar to its predecessors’ Parasite Dolls is an action, mecha, sci-fi, police genre anime with a sprinkling of Chiaki Konaka’s eccentric writing thrown in for good measure.
Set in Mega Tokyo, Parasite Dolls follows “Branch,” a squad of officers that operate in the shadows of the A.D. Police. Like the Knight Sabers, their job is to flesh out and investigate crimes involving rogue androids. Their world is set in a time when humans and androids coexist.
The androids are known as Boomers and are almost indistinguishable from their blood-driven counterparts. Their acceptance has become so commonplace that Boomers are part of Japan’s workforce, entertainment, and social fabric.
Parasite Dolls is divided into three stories. Each OVA has its themes but is part of an ongoing narrative climaxing and concluding in the final OVA. Part I, titled “A Faint Voice,” focuses on the partnership of two investigators, though there are several side stories at play. We’re introduced to Basil “Buzz” Nikvest and his partner Rod Kimball; Buzz is a human and Kimball a Boomer. Their relationship is used to highlight the human opinion of Boomers; Friend, Foe, Machine.
The OVA climaxes when a Boomer falls in love with his human coworker, a sultry-voiced DJ voiced by Ai Orikasa.
The Duo investigated a rogue drug associated with defective Boomers. Yes, “Boomers,” pop pills! The pills appeared to make the Boomers deadly; however, it is learned that the drugs served a different purpose. It is essential to pay attention to Part I as it sets the framework for the next two episodes.
Part II, titled “Dreamer,” is set one year after the events of “A Faint Voice.” Part II follows the case of a rogue Boomer who has been killing prostitutes. The Boomer dubbed by the A.D Police as the “Hooker Boomer Chrusher,” has targeted android prostitutes in Mega Tokyo’s red-light district. Reiko Michaelson, another investigator within Branch who also appeared in part one, goes undercover searching for a particular Hooker Boomer, one responsible for the death of a high-ranking executive. Someone else is looking for the Hooker Boomer as well.
While part one primarily focused on Buzz and Kimball’s working relationship, part two focused on Reiko Michaelson. Working undercover, her view of Boomers shifts as she encounters a Boomer named Eve. Eve is a customized Boomer who reshapes Michaelson’s view of what it means to be human. Eve is tied to the mysterious Puppet Master, an individual we see but never genuinely meet. We can only infer that his goal was to make Boomers human.
“Knights of a Round Table,” a play on the famed table used by King Arthur, is the title given to the final OVA or part 3 of the theatrical cut. It is set five years after the events of “Dreamer.” Mega Tokyo has become reft with Anti-Boomer terrorism. A leader operating from the shadows wants to end human dependence on androids or what he deems as a perversion of evolution. He wants to usher in a new world where he is the ultimate power and the strong controls the weak. When Takahashi, the head of “Branch,” goes missing, his subordinates investigate.
Branch is a separate covert division outside the A.D Police and has no direct ties to the “Normal” Police. It is made up of six members. Chief Director Takahashi, Buzz, Kimball, Michaelson, Angel, and Myers. Myers is the computer geek who stays locked up in his office digging for information in typical anime form. He does not receive any character development but is essential to the day-to-day operations of Branch.
Angel is a beautiful and statuesque agent of Branch. Her exotic dark-skinned features and keen intelligence often allow her to go undetected when spying on the Genom Corporations machinations. Genom Corporation is the conglomerate that manufactures Boomers and appears throughout the Bubblegum Crisis universe.
Basil “Buzz” Nikvest is the centerpiece of Parasite Dolls having several intimate relationships mentioned in the series. He is a widower and around thirty-two when the series begins. Initially, he was a member of the A.D. Police, but he was transferred to Branch, an agency set up by friend and college alumn Takahashi due to an accidental shooting. Though the two were friends in college, the viewer will learn that the divide of time, career, and integrity has changed the two men. Takahashi is not as clean as he used to be; he is a compromised man.
Buzz is different, a brilliant and handsome man; Buzz became a widower the result of a rogue Boomer killing his wife a year before the events of Episode 1. He is more stoic now, straight-laced, and duty committed. His personality change affected his relationship with others as, at some point, he had a relationship with Angel, who still at times pines for him. Buzz is not your typical cop. He does not use guns and does not harbor ill will towards Boomers. He does not view them as mere machines; he prefers to disconnect them rather than shoot them.
Despite his stoic persona, it is his partner Kimball who helps him to open up. Kimball, a Boomer himself, exhibits a great deal of compassion, and though Buzz was not keen on working with him primarily because of his concern of Kimball going rogue, the two men bond. Despite being a Boomer, Kimball is very much human. His banter with Michaelson and his ability to deceive is keenly natural.
Michaelson rounds out the Branch Team. She is a hothead and quick to leap into action at a moment’s notice. She is an accomplished helicopter pilot and a keen shot, as shown when she hovers a copter of a swimming pool and fires through the window of a house, destroying only the computer equipment that was inches away from the inhabitants. She harbors disdain for Boomers and views them as machines, but her views change as the story progresses. She has a deep romantic love for Buzz, and besides, Kimball acts as an occasional partner.
The Art and Animation of Parasite Dolls were done well. There is a multitude of unique characters designs, even amongst background characters. At the same time, AIC is the credited studio for Parasite Dolls; multiple studios assisted in this anime, including DEEN, Magic-Bus, Nakamura Productions, and Gainax.
This is not an all-inclusive list but is sighted to show the interest that went into the work. Most of the animation is fluid though there is some scene skip. This is obvious when Michaelson fights the Boomer in the second OVA, and she leaps from its head back to the building. The animation and art were enjoyable though some viewers may be put off by the film noir aesthetic used in the third OVA.
A standout in Parasite Dolls is the music, soundtrack, and voice acting. The intro “Get on the Beat” is a soulful Deep House track that should seem out of place with a gritty cyberpunk anime. Like the outro “off’ both performed by Michaelson, they convey the beauty of life in Mega Tokyo.
The other music used in the anime hails from multiple genres. There are two standouts, however. The first is a jazz track played at the end of episode one. Here we see Buzz sitting on the patio playing the saxophone. It appears again in the anime, but it is the perfect closing track for the episode.
The second is a piece used in episode two when Michaelson and Buzz go to the underground Boomer lab in episode two. The music plays whenever there is a discussion regarding the sexual market for Boomers. It cannot be said for sure, but the music bears a striking resemblance to the music heard in Cowboy Bebop.
A great deal of work went into this unknown gem of an anime, and AIC gets a nod for its choice of voice actors; So it’s subbed over dubbed. If English dubbing is your preferred choice Sentai Filmworks does an excellent job. Mike Vance does a good job voicing Buzz. Though Monica Rial, the voice of Michaelson, did a commendable job, her voice became unbearable as the series progressed.
Parasite Dolls does not break new ground in terms of content, but it does make a compelling case for viewing time. Some of its themes may be hard to follow if taken literally and should be understood only as symbolism. Like many of its cyberpunk contemporaries, it is a predictor of the possible course of humanity. It predicts a future where race, gender, and economics may no longer be the dividing line. Machines will.
Is it worth a watch? For fans of nostalgia, yes. For seekers of meaning in entertainment, perhaps. Modern viewers, maybe not.
Viewers may find its violence laughable or hard to swallow, but does it really matter if it’s done to a machine? That’s the real question.
