Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
5Yuu5
Bubblegum Crisis is a classic of Japanese cyberpunk and one of my favorite OVAs of all time.
Set in a futuristic MegaTokyo increasingly dominated by Boomers (artificial humanoids designed for labor and other purposes), the series builds a fascinating world filled with technological anxiety, corporate greed, and that unmistakable '80s cyberpunk atmosphere. The episodic structure is fairly simple, but there's so much to love about this world and the ideas behind it.
The Knight Sabers are easily one of my favorite things about the series. Their armored suits are iconic, with distinctive designs and abilities. The combination of stylish action, striking mechanical designs, and the group's chemistry makes them a joy to watch.
The soundtrack is another major highlight. The songs fit the seri…
Read at the sourceJizzyBizzy
Bubblegum Crisis, also known as Bubblegum Crisis 2033, is a borderline-dystopian, cyberpunk, sci-fi action-thriller that is the most late 80s thing ever.
Plot (5/10)
It is clearly inspired by Robocop and, to a lesser extent, The Terminator. It concerns a futuristic world inhabited by both humans and bots, known as boomers, initially developed for military purposes, then deployed in policing and eventually integrated into society. The fact that they are called boomers is a source of endless lols and some of the all-time best quotes and anachronisms in anime, like:
"I can't believe that the police are so corrupt that they would want to jail me just for killing a boomer."
"The killings were performed by boomers, and you are an expert on boomers."
"Kill every boomer in sight if you have to.…
Read at the sourceSlammer1970
Where to begin with this review….I discovered this series back in the 1990s when I really became an Anime fan because of a coworker at the time, who was a massive Anime nut. I remember seeing the VHS tapes at a local record/video store in New Jersey and just picked up the first tape. Back then everything had been dubbed into English and the series and story line were great. I never really had the entire series until more recently (2021 from Amazon). This is when I rediscovered everything that I loved in the first place and much more. I always like the design of the mecha suits for the Knights Saber and the Boomers. I have to say that out of all the Knights Sabers I liked Priss as the lead singer of a “Priss and the Replicants.” This leads me to one of the greatest opening scenes and songs…
Read at the sourceTheSlyRomano
I'll be honest like I'm really mixed on this, Because it's beautifully animated especially for the time that it was made but it's very lacking in terms of character development and storyline, It's just a bunch of mixed sci-fi stuff that doesn't have any real stakes, I couldn't even type a characters name if I wanted from this because until the very last 2 episodes, everybody feels the same to me
I hear this compared to other stuff like Gunsmith Cats and other animes with "Badass Girls shooting guns" and it definitely doesn't deserve this reputation of a "Good oldie"
It's still beautifully animated though like my rating is still a fine 6/10 but it's could have been better
Read at the sourceespejo14
A master class on how to blend suspense with comedy in a series of short action films, the futuristic background allows something like powerful mechas to drive around like crazy, although, the rest of the technology remains stagnant in the 90's for some reason, the soundtrack was good even 'till this day, the animation was steady from start to finish, the main cast is a bunch of heroines with power suits who fight against an evil corporation, so yeah, it was a product of its time, and this works pretty well, my problem is that they never reveal the source of their impressive weaponry, why these particular girls (an their mechanic) can compete with a giant organization that spreads its tentacles all over the globe?, sure, they got the "A.D police" from their side and a growing number of fam…
Read at the sourcejoemaamah
A title that is better regarded through the lenses of nostalgia. Back in the day, it was certainly peak, and had a certain cult status here in the US. Sadly, time has not been so kind to these ladies. They've become faded icons of late 80s/early 90s culture. Kind of the Nirvana of anime.
The series is by no means bad. The characters are charming in distinct ways. The side characters, as was the wont back then, are all left as flat as 2D cutouts. There's kind of a quantity over quality of them.
The artwork was amazing for its day, but looks quite cliche today, as so many other animes over the years copied the style. The animation was well above average for it's time, but will look timeworn today.
The writing was OK. Being fairly short, it can seem rushed, as you flash from action scen…
Read at the sourceThatAnimeSnobRE
This anime used to be huge back when it first aired by encompassing all the best elements of 80s cyberpunk. It was almost a flagship title at a time when anime were still fairly niche in America and everyone was watching tame sitcom cartoons. It was in a way the Neon Genesis or Ghost in the Shell of the 1980s, or the Psycho Pass of the 2010s. Historical importance aside, nowadays it is closer to a skeleton of a good story, since it had lots of good ideas but didn’t do much with them.
In terms of production values it holds up pretty well. Made at a time when everything was hand-drawn with multiple layers of shading, it doesn’t become instantly aged as the CGI monstrocities of today. The world is also your standard sci-fi dystopia, the claustrophobic high-tech megacity almost all sci-fi sto…
Read at the sourceREC3
Bubblegum Crisis 2032-2033. Don't let the name fool you this series packs serious heat, despite its age. Maybe they call it Bubblegum Crisis, because three of the girls look like teenagers. Much of the focus in this series is on Priscilla (Priss) the brunette and her boyfriend from the AD Police. The focus towards the end and especially in Bubblegum Crash (the finale) shifts gradually towards Sylia Stingray the brains of the outfit (literally).
I thought the story was very enjoyable and complex. Do yourself a favor though and buy the Blu-ray version as you don't have to shuffle discs. When a new Boomer arrives it's up to the Knight Sabers to stop them; Priss, Linna, Nene, and the mentor Sylia. The Knight Sabers suits remind me of Iron Man's suit as they fly, blast things, and are pretty d…
Read at the sourceDISKOWN
Bubblegum Crisis is an OVA series that thrives on a great artstyle and well animated action. However, the rest is average. The narrative is weak throughout the series, with some plot points never being explored. With the exception of several scenes none of the characters are really developed. While the action is well animated the other scenes are lackluster in comparison. The designs and overall artstyle, as previously stated, are a joy to look at. The action scenes are fun to watch and well executed. The animation seems to take a backseat towards the end of the series in favor of attempting to develop the characters more, but it is a little too late. The OST is also worth a listen. While Bubblegum Crisis caters to sci-fi and animation enthusiasts, those seeking a thought-provoking story a…
Read at the sourceEL_MUTTO
If you have ever been within the "classic" 90s/80s or cyberpunk anime zeitgeist for more than 3 minutes you'd probably at least heard of Bubble Gum Crisis. Its an anime that was wildly revered but these days its largely unknown (at least from my perspective) outside of the odd gif here and there. From an outside viewer a title like that sounds more fit for a romance anime than anything. However you'd be severely wrong.
Short version: its a lil cheesy and for its time but it has its charm and I think you should watch it even for historical sake
Long version :
Bubble Gum Crisis as the synopsis suggests is a... well cyberpunk anime with all the typical cyberpunk tropes and the likes. If you like cyberpunk , it has it by the bunch. This doesn't mean its grim like a lot after it - our heroes…
Read at the sourcestmwg01
In full disclosure, Bubblegum Crisis is not in my normal wheel house. With that aside, what is presented is a fair anime with some strong points but a few misses.
The story to Bubblegum Crisis is fairly easy to follow and at time both very good and enjoyable. However at other times it can feel forced or convoluted. Unfortunately, that leads to some episodes being really good and others being okay. The show begs to be more of an overarching story line and while I'm aware that would've been uncommon for the time, it's episodic format leaves a lot to be desired and makes the overall show feel really disjointed.
Art is good for the time and periodically correct. Sound is good and the songs are, for the most part, enjoyable even dubbed. Acting is good.
Character design was enjoyable and each…
Read at the sourceSCLFI
Bubblegum Crisis has one main issue, and that is focus. The focus of the budget seemed to have gone towards the aesthetics, many of which happen to be lifted directly from Blade Runner, and while the aesthetics are certainly good, you need more than that for a series to thrive.
So, accounting for the absence of focus towards other areas, the one that is most negatively affected is the story. With that said, it is an action series, which are typically sparse in story for the obvious reason that if you have to regularly include action sequences, then that’s going to subtract from the available time to produce a story. Bubblegum Crisis seems to have all the intent to set up a story with the makings of something like Robocop, i.e. an action series that actually has a well thought out and mult…
Read at the sourcemateoid
Loaded with action and entertainment, Bubblegum Crisis is anime where its highlights make up for the overall flaws. I wasn't sure if I'd like this due to its 80s' cheesiness, yet said characteristic is the one that creates such a beautiful retro-futuristic world, with one banging song after the other (the first ten minutes are honestly incredible) and stylish outfits throughout, set against this alluring nocturne urban landscapes. The animation is the one to thank for this aspect, as well as for some truly pretty shots that have landed their way in most of the "slow+reverb" videos. Nonetheless, storytelling wise lacked strength, it would've been beneficial to this anime a full-on dramatic arc, from first to eighth episode, instead of a different adventure each installment. Although the epi…
Read at the sourcedaniqm
First of all I want to emphasize that this anime has the best introduction I have ever seen in my life, it is simply magnificent, I didn't expected it.
I find it very interesting that the songs of each episode are different and have a lot of 80s vibes, it was so sad that we only were able to see Priss on the stage once.
The animation was what I liked the most (apart from the music of course) very much in keeping with the time, in itself the story was very normal, a group of girls fighting robots called "boomers", but the animation and the "cyberpunk" context of the story was what really drew me.
I recommend it.
Read at the sourceSTMPD
Okay, so Bubblegum Crisis isn’t the greatest anime of all time. It’s not even the greatest cyberpunk anime of all time. It’s not even the greatest cyberpunk anime of the eighties, because critical opinion placed that crown firmly on Akira’s head long, long ago. And yet Bubblegum Crisis, not Akira, or Ghost in the Shell, or even Evangelion, is far and away my *favorite* anime out there - nothing else even comes close. Admittedly, I’m something of an obsessive person. I’ve been latching onto sea-tossed fandoms like a memetic lamprey for years. But why BGC?
Because it’s fucking awesome, that’s why. Because it’s a synthesis of things that I like in this point in time. Because its open-endedness, its willingness to focus on action and put all the existential stuff in the backseat, the sense of…
Read at the sourcepunishedsneed
Bubblegum Crisis looks beautiful, sounds beautiful, and generally speaking, feels beautiful. However, its writing leaves much to be desired. This is an anime best enjoyed with your brain turned off. Watch for the characters, aesthetics, and action.
Now, there are episodes that are extremely well written, such as the cool ass car episode. What I mean by poor writing is that the overarching story itself never really goes anywhere. If you go into it knowing that, you'll probably be less confused when you've finished the last OVA. I was certainly a little puzzled.
Why? Because there are mysteries set up about certain characters, well, one in particular, that I expected to be wrapped up by the end. The last episode is cute, but not a finale. Definitely a good episode, but - again, perhaps I e…
Read at the sourceDreamhunterkat
Buublegum Crisis is a peculiar series. It seemed to be very popular in both the US and japan at the time of it's release, but nowadays nobody seems to be talking about it at all, maybe that's due to the fact that it hasn't got a new installment in ages, or just that it doesn't jive well with modern audiences, among the people that do talk about Bubblegum Crisis is considered something of a classic, and i think that it's reputation definitely holds up well in that regard.
This series LOOKS fantastic, it's probably my favorite looking anime from the 80's, from the character designs to the art style to how fluid the animation can get. this show looks amazing. It only gets better and better as it goes on, and more interesting character designs get introduced, and the characters that we alrea…
Read at the sourceseannyb
Timelessness is overrated. Every creation comes from an era of media culture, and even the most “timeless” productions can’t help but reflect contemporary trends and zeitgeist.
“Bubblegum Crisis” is the opposite of timeless. Its creators, voracious creatures of popular media culture, slathered a goopy concoction of everything that was hip at the time onto each animation cel. The series has no original bone in its body. Everything is a reference. It has nothing to say other than, “This is what cool is.” As a result, it is one of the purest anime time capsules you can watch.
BGC takes place in a true-to-genre “Megatokyo”, a turbulent east-meets-west cyberpunkian metropolis in which shadowy megacorps pull the strings. Murderous Replicants and Terminators prowl the neon-lit streets, kept in…
Read at the sourceRoguePhoenixSys
I don't usually like giving perfect scores on such a detailed scoring system, but this actually had everything I ever wanted in animation. From the opening scene, it features strong women who don't take any nonsense from anyone, has a sizzling score to keep my heart racing, and I immediately recognized the unique graphic style of ArtMIC from the Captain Power video/game that I used to play at my grandparents' house. I know that aesthetic isn't for everyone, but it's like a drug to me. The flashiness doesn't seem to distract from the action like so many special effects suffer from these days, but skillfully directs attention to where the action is. The future tech is imaginatively designed, and artfully brought to life. The dark, gritty visuals set the tone for an equally dark and gritty st…
Read at the sourceCappnRob
Bubblegum Crisis is one of, if not THE essential 1980s cyberpunk anime. Watching it 30 years after its debut almost feels surreal, because it is SO pop culture laden, so aesthetically referential to other works of its time, it almost feels like something made in TRIBUTE of the 80s, like the video game Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, but nope, Crisis is true blue authentic, and it is AWESOME.
Bubblegum Crisis EMBODIES "cool" as its primary driving force. A cyberpunk future where illegal robots called Boomers are made to stir shit up for shady megacorporation reasons that are never really explained because dammit, that isn't what you're here for. Crisis has eight episodes and while there is some light continuity between them, it knows you aren't here for deep introspective plot full of sympathy mo…
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