Anime 009-1

[Dagger]

Three-disc, 12-episode series from ADV. The creator is Shotaro Ishinomori; 009-1 has the same distinct-looking character designs as Cyborg 009 and Kikaider, two of his other works. Other recent anime based on his stuff include Gilgamesh and The Skull Man.

It's an episodic show set in an alternate world where the Cold War never ended. The main character is a female spy for the Western Bloc. Where 009-1 shines is its mixture of retro cheesiness and modern polish... the action is so good and so consistent that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone who enjoys fight scenes in anime. With her competence and low-key personality, the heroine is much like the Major from Ghost in the Shell.

After watching the second disc, I realized that 009-1 is also rather similar to Black Lagoon in how it lures you in with slick surface packaging and then weighs you down with a lot of unanswerable questions. It's violent, but the sense of darkness to it comes more from a sort of philosophical melancholy than the spraying bullets.

~Dagger~

[Zen]

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With Cartoon Network's record of picking up both Kikaider and Android 009, do you think there is any chance of them picking this one up to, being that they are soon to have an open programming block on Saturdays for Adult Swim with the loss of Futurama?

As much as I loved Kikaider and Adroid, I don't have the bones to spend on a series I've never seen...[/color][/size]

[Dagger]

If I had to guess, I would say no. CN doesn't often seem to pick up short series, and ADV has probably reserved it for their own network (I think it might be available On Demand). It's unfortunate. This is the type of show that would be perfect for them to stream online... it was never fansubbed beyond the first two episodes, and it could afford to be much better known.

At any rate, [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqDKtdoktq0][u]here's a 40-second clip[/u][/url] that IMO does far more to sell the show than the OP or any of ADV's long-winded trailers. ;)

It turns out that 009-1 was actually 13 episodes; the last disc contains a bonus episode between 9 and 10. The show ends on a three-episode arc.

~Dagger~

[Kanji]

Haha, nice video clip. It's been a good while since I've watched a series starring a fairly attractive female character that can effortlessly kick copious amounts of ***. Is the music in the rest of the series anything similar to that in the 40-second brawl? It sounded pretty groovy, which seems like a very stylish way to spruce up the series. I'm reminded slightly of Yoko Kanno's excellent jazz compositions for Darker than Black, which also added quite a bit of panache to the series' fight/chase sequences.

Might have to give this a go, being a short series and all.

[Dagger]

Yeah, the background music goes heavy on the jazz throughout.

~Dagger~

[Zen]

[quote name='Dagger']If I had to guess, I would say no. CN doesn't often seem to pick up short series, and ADV has probably reserved it for their own network (I think it might be available On Demand). It's unfortunate. This is the type of show that would be perfect for them to stream online... it was never fansubbed beyond the first two episodes, and it could afford to be much better known.


~Dagger~[/QUOTE]

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[adult swim] aired the six-episode masterpiece FL/CL and has it in rotation occasionally, and also regularly airs movies and what not. I don't think it's completely out of the question, but in any case, you're probably right about the ADV channel. It's a shame. Ah well.

Of clip: very elaborate up-skirt shots. They're getting creative with their fan-service. Liking the action though. Pretty baller I must say.[/color][/size]