Bubblegum Crisis

MegaTokyo 2033: Tokyo was left flattened as a result from a great earthquake. A new city, MegaTokyo, was then recreated due in no small part from the aid of a multi-million dollar company, Genom Corp. Genom created and mass-produced biomechanical creatures called Boomers to aid in the restoration of MegaTokyo. When the Boomers began to run out of control, the ADPolice at first tried to stop them, but they proved to be far more difficult to deal with than was first imagined. Under the ever looming Boomer threat, a group of four girls from varying degrees of society banded together. Calling themselves The Knight Sabers, they were the only ones with enough firepower and resourcefullness to defend the fledgling MegaTokyo from Genom and it's berserk Boomers.

Bubblegum Crisis (1987-1991) is a Japanese animated cyberpunk series created for original video animation release, produced by ARTMIC, DARTS, Youmex and Anime International Company. Set in MegaTokyo 2033, a city rebuilt after a devastating earthquake, the story follows four young women who form the Knight Sabers to fight the berserk biomechanical Boomers created by the corporation Genom Corp. Priscilla Asagiri leads a double life as a pop singer, while Sylia Stingray and Nene Romanova bring firepower and resourcefulness to the fight. Their engine is simple and urgent: protect a fledgling city from a corporate machine that has turned on its makers, with each episode built around a new Boomer threat, police frustration, and the cost of secret heroics. Eight episodes tell a single arc in a compact run. The mood is gritty and kinetic, with neon-lit streets, motorcycle chases and power armor battles, balanced by camaraderie among the four women. Fans of Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor and Akira will find resonance in its dystopian atmosphere and mecha spectacle.

Audiences rate this OVA-era cyberpunk mecha series positively for its stylish action, high-energy motorcycle and power-armor set pieces, and its memorable heroines.

• Ghost in the Shellshared cyberpunk setting, mecha action and female ensemble vigilantes
• Patlaborshared mecha tradition, city-scale robotic threat and cyberpunk tone
• Akirashared dystopian future city, rogue machines and action-driven OVA style

Release Date

1987-02-25

Episode runtime

45 min

Rating

7.3 / 10 (56)

What is Bubblegum Crisis about?

Four young women from different walks of MegaTokyo band together as the Knight Sabers to fight rampaging corporate Boomer machines.

What is Bubblegum Crisis like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Bubblegum Crisis as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Bubblegum Crisis violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Bubblegum Crisis as moderate.

What did critics think of Bubblegum Crisis?

Audiences rate this OVA-era cyberpunk mecha series positively for its stylish action, high-energy motorcycle and power-armor set pieces, and its memorable heroines.

Which shows are like Bubblegum Crisis?

Shows with a similar feel include Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor, and Akira.

How long is Bubblegum Crisis?

Bubblegum Crisis: 1 season, 8 episodes.

Is Bubblegum Crisis still running?

No, Bubblegum Crisis was canceled.

Where can I watch Bubblegum Crisis?

In United States, Bubblegum Crisis streams on Peacock Premium, Night Flight Plus, Eternal Family, Peacock Premium Plus, RetroCrush Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel.