The golden age of anime. Back when anime creators looked outside for inspiration instead of just looking at each other over and over again. This was a fantastic video. Thank you for your effort! I'm a huge BGC fan, with a poster of Priss and her Motoslave from episode 6 right above my computer screen as I type this. Got another Priss & Motoslave poster from episode 1 in my bedroom.
Eyyyy, nice to see you on here. I started watching Bubblegum Crisis again (only watched 3 episodes years back, trying to watch all of it now) and it's really good.
I too was lucky enough to buy bubble gum crisis 2040 before hastings closed down. I am trying to finish it again. And the motoslave is the best bike in the world. And shout out to A.D Police too
@@FURognar That's why I wanna try looking into other stuff for inspiration. Me and someone else are in the process of polishing a Visual novel we made in a game jam and it's essentially a 90s sci-fi/comedy anime (think Outlaw Star and Cowboy Bebop). However, it's important we have it stand out on its own. I'd say more but I don't wanna ramble. Basically "haha, what if we took some elements from Kevin Smith's stuff and crazy events that happened during the medieval period."
i don't consider it plagiarized, similar beat/rhythm structure yeah in some parts, but Konya wa Horricane's cadence, tonal layers,drum and guitar elements and lyrics (and it's more "kinectic" rock style) really make it it's own song that just a simple "oh it copied this other song". . .
The opening and verse of "hurricane" borrows from Akina's "Desire" but other parts of the song, like the chorus melody, are very different. So I wouldn't go so far as to call it plagiarized, but I agree it's a top anime song regardless
@@gilbertculloden87 It have nothing with Akina song... If Desire has that proto heavy rhythm and that's heavy metal, every band sound exactly the same...
@@MrEnsiferum77 Agree to disagree, the verse melody of both songs are very similar. Regardless, Konya wa Hurricane is an all-time great anime track and I'm very glad both songs exist
YES. My first anime. Like, I didn't even know anime existed and found the first few episodes in the corner of a store. The box didn't even have screenshots on it ffs, I had no idea what was on there or how it looked but the hardsuit designs at the front just called to me. Like I knew it was something special, something different and had my brother get it for me for my birthday. You can probably imagine what putting the first episode in, and getting THAT opening as an 11 year old felt like. I'll never forget it.... --- This anime literally shaped my life. Decided all the friends I'd befriend, people I've been with romantically, etc, my tastes in scifi and cyberpunk... it _changed me._
I had the a similar experience! Saw the dvd box set at a garage sale and had no idea what it was but I had to have it. Went home and that opening, like you said, was unforgettable
I was around 16 years old when I saw my first bootleg tape of BGC in 1990-1991. Whoever made those bootlegs back then always cut the endings off which fueled my future purchases. Whilst not my first real purchase of anime, that award goes to Gunbuster, it was my second. Those two OVA's I hold near and dear to my heart.
I've been wanting a Bubble Gum Crisis reboot for years. I always enjoy finding out new information about the original. I even have gone as far as obtaining the soundtrack CD's for the first 7 episodes of Crisis, a couple of the Artbooks, and Animation Cels from Crisis, Crash, and 2040.
Guys, I'd like for this to happen too, but you know, it just wouldn't be the same. Is there really anything out there entertainment wise that just nails something nostalgic? I will hold on to my Laserdisc's forever!
@@SupaBumaIt doesn't need to be the same. We have the OVA's and they'll never go away. As long as they stick to the spirit of the original OVA's, I'd be glad to see a reboot.
Bubblegum Crisis 2040 was my introduction to this series but last year I finally watched the original and loved it. The soundtrack was amazing and I love the 80's retrofuturism. I bought it on Blu-ray and watched it all again, I actually love the 8th episode since Nene is my favorite Knight Saber.
I got 2040 when it came out and it was.....good-ish as a reimaging if you never saw the original, but I'd just never really liked it all that much tbh. I found BGC back in the early 90's and loved it, grabbed everything. All the soundtracks, all the VHS of Crisis and Crash, the mangas whatever was there. Still have them too!
@@Slayer398 That's an awesome collection you've got! If I had seen the original first I would have been disappointed in 2040 but not knowing any different I did like it. Definitely can't beat the original though, plus, I love the original Nene a lot more.
I watch 2040 first too, i think it have much more better character development. But once you watch the Original one 2040 lacking of cyber punk feel. So i think 2040 is a decent remake With technology upgrade but not surpass the original one.
@@evangelineirene6994 I agree, 2040 did have better character development and a more cohesive story. As you say though, the original really nailed the cyber punk setting not to mention the awesome soundtrack.
From what I understand how Bubblegum Crisis came here in the US and got translated with all its songs as well is something of its own story. They even got an unknown female band here in the US to do a faithful translation word for word of all of Bubblegum Crisis's songs.
Excellent piece. Great research. It's a real shame Suzuki ended up like that. For a while, he could not make anything but good stuff. But that damn bubble economy popped and things were never the same again. Would love to see you tackle the unmade Thunderbirds proposal that ended up becoming seed material for TechnoBoyagers, TerraHawks, and Mospeada. It sounds like BGC has a tangent into it as well.
Hot Damn! that's some crazy history I did not know. Put into perspective it all makes sense now, how the quality was affected by the economic crash of the 80s leading to Crash. Your videos are amazing, fantastic investigation work!
the perfect song to end the video with. it well fit the closing info, and the fact it was the last episode scoop chase (i think. i may be wrong lol). i always liked that song.
Wow, I didn't know about all this history, Thanks! Bubblegum Crisis was something I got my mom and dad to buy when we were laid over a day in Tokyo on our way to China. We went on a day tour around Tokyo and dropped by a mall in the Ginza district (?)I remember seeing the cover art of Priss with her armor exploding around her and I think it was $48 for the first episode. I always like Sonoda's work in those OVA days. I didn't know they had plagerized so many song though and I LOL'd at the sight of the Asia Go video because I liked that so much too. I think Mad Machine has to be one of my favorite songs.
oh god...the memories! So many memories. And i still have the CDs for almost ALL of those episodes and reboots of the series! I had no idea there was so much WTF behind the scenes....
BGC and 8th MS Team are my two favorite anime, simply for how well designed and executed they were. Incredible research and editing in this video. Thank you!!!!
This was a pleasant surprise to find this video dropped on my birthday. The OAV that started my lifelong love of anime in general! Thanks for this, you just got a sub!
I think a detail overlooked was the production and distribution of BGC for the Western Markets through The efforts of Robert Woodhead and Animeigo. That in itself is a pretty fascinating story, especially in that the dub voice talents performed the themes composed in English. Also the Kickstarter Blu-ray edition put together by Woodhead is fantastic and pretty lovingly done. But regardless, really nice video!
I'm glad you mentioned Animeigo. They were one of the first (if not the first) who put out faithfully translated subtitled anime commercially, just the way the fans wanted it, as opposed to 2nd or 3rd hand copies off of videotape, or waiting who knows how long for a copy from a fansub group. I think this was a big reason BGC is so popular in the US.
I saw a youtube short that featured some of the art and thankfully was able to find the whole series here on youtube. I had never heard of Bubblegum Crisis but on watching the first episode and seeing the date I can see the influence this must have been.
BGC music was badass and essential to the popularity, along with Sonoda-san's designs, of how much of a touchstone this series was. Well, at least, there is a satisfactory explanation of which Priss's seiyuu, suddenly disappeared from the show and why Vision suddenly parachuted into the storyline. Plus all the goings on between Artmic, Youmex, Studio Nue and eventually AIC during the production of the series. And WTF happened to to Suzuki-san for so many years. Geez, sounds like the makings of a Netflix series with that guy!
I first discovered Kenichi Sonoda works from "Riding Bean" and I absolutely love his artstyle, the characters, the car ,the guns all perfect. then I keep looking for his work, untill I found this series. sadly I still doesn't have a chance to buy it (since it's kinda expensive to buy a blu-ray in thailand) but from what I see I still think It's fabulous.
Very well done mini documentary! I'm a huge fan of the series as well as Robotech and Megazone 23. I didn't know there was a relation between them. Killer soundtrack in BGC too. Hearing those songs bring me back to my teen years in the 80s.
Man I love this series. I even own the tabletop RPG and have run it several times in the past. I would love to see it revived. Such memories. I think I need to give it a rewatch.
I was into Bubble gum Crisis and Crash from the beginning and collect the music but knew none of this. Thank you for your diligent work in presenting this aspect of a beloved anime.
Wow!!....this really took me back. A blast from the past this is. BGC was one of the first anime that I was introduced to that set me on the path to enjoying many yrs. of exciting and jaw-dropping genres of anime. This vid gave me a full spectrum view of what went on behind the scenes with BGC as well as the other influences that were involved. From taking me back to my childhood to now being an adult/"Big Kid"....I would like to thank you, MercuryFalcon for posting this vid. BigUp to you!!.... 👏🏼👍🏼🙌🏼😁
A lot more of the entertainment that you enjoy has a sketchy beginning. Batman was a plagiarism of the The Shadow but developed into his own thing. The original Captain Marvel plagiarized Superman but soon became his own character. There have been many disputes about who created what character in books and film. There are criminal stories linked to virtually every segment of the entertainment at the beginning and adolescence of these industries. What happened with BGC is nothing compared to many other popular characters and series.
Thanks for the hard work on this man. Always wondered why yhis IP fell by the wayside. I had half of the original run on VHS back in the day. Soundtrack was fire! Still listwning to Mr Dandy from time to time!
Remember: if someone ever says cartoons are just for kids tell them how a mans life was threatened by the yakuza over an anime with borderline copyright music.
MAAAN, Thank you for this, I watched all of it religiously and always wonder what happened... "Now I know with all questions answered, great video, great breakdown, and I hope someone out there will revive this awesome anime." Thank you sooo much... :)
I still remember this was the first time I had ever heard of Japanese Anime, even though, technically I never knew it that Transformers in the 80's and G. I. Joe can be considered it, but I was hooked on Anime! The soundtrack is also what set this apart!!
Thank you so much for covering this great story! I cant imagine the shocking back story of such a great anime! and the fall of a company who would have had a bright future if it wasn't for so many bad things happening..... super well done! really hope and wish to see the bubblegum crises characters again in the future!
Streets of Fire, would later inspire the game Final Fight. Man I loved Bubblegum Crisis, one of my most favorite anime, of all time- and the music was insane! BGC along with Blade Runner, made me fall in love with cyberpunk, and inspired a little comic I did in school.. Which I think I will redo.. 80's, and 90's.. The golden era of anime
Excellent video! Very impressed by your research and how clearly you communicate the details. I somehow never knew that Houquet et Rose was supposed to be the singer of Mospeada (I know that's tangential, but still very cool to learn)
I've been a Bubblegum Crisis fan since 2000. Saved up allowances for months to import over a box set of the soundtrack CDs, which I still listen to (the ripped MP3s at least). Last year I watched Streets of Fire for the firs time, and nearly did a spit-take at the opening. It looked like Konya Wa Hurricane, but sounded just like Crisis. Now I have to look up these other songs...
Wow, excellent video. BGC was fantastic back in the day and Artmic/AIC had such a great team of animators/directors/designers too. Sonoda doesn't get enough recognition for his work on BGC or his other works. I had no idea about Suzuki's fate either. Don't undersell the actual BGM too. Yeah, it got high marks for the songs (ripped off or not), but the instrumental music is killer throughout that series.
Thanks for this vid. I was a big fan in the 90s. I now live near all the animation studios. So cool being close to the things important to me as a kid.
This was the documentary I didn't know I needed. I am flattened by the info of how rocky BGC's history was, as an overseas consumer I only knew that 8 episodes was short and abrupt. And I was NOT a fan of Tokyo 2040, although I had hope. I bought the OST back in the 80's and never thought twice about the music being plagiarized. If they rebooted BGC with some kind of Lisa-esque Gurenge vocals, sprinkled in some Su-Metal, and topped it off with Shiina Ringo, I would buy every mini album that came out. It would hit like a freight train on the charts.
Thank you for the video, very interesting. I remember watching a FanSub of this in the mid-late 80s then I purchased it for myself. Still one of my favorite shows.
I watched this anime (and other notables) back in early 2020 for the first time, iirc. It was very good. I totally love the 80's style of anime, and I would definitely consider it to be a huge deal in terms of what they accomplished.
Ho shizz dude, looking up BGC vids to fall asleep to, this popped into my feed and I though this would be some generic crap video but nope, glad I was wrong. Great vid! And with sources too! One of my favorite anime from back then! The BGC soundtracks were awesome too and I still listen to my ripped BGC songs to this day (mainly the ones from eps 1 and 5 and the complete vocal collections). Almost daily actually. The copycat music info bits were mind blowing!! Omg!!
This was the anime that got me into anime.... after watching he-man, GI Joe, Jem, and Transformers I was introduced to Bubblegum Crisis episode 3 Blow-up... my young middle school brain exploded within the first 3 minutes of that show. It has spawned a life long love of anime and Japanese pop/rock music.
There was also a tabletop RPG published by R Talsorian Games using the Fuzion system also used in Cyberpunk 2020. It's got a bunch of stuff in it that references concept art work or side story material for things like variant hard suit designs.
It does! I own a copy and it has a lot of detail on the hardsuits, ad police mecha and vehicles ( the firebee) , the griffon cybermonster in its various stages, and the highway star among others
Bubblegum Crisis and Bubblegum Crash are both really good and I love the cyberpunk vibe. They're definitely worth a watch, even if the music is mostly stolen and the animation begins to dip in quality with Crash.
Gotta love Internet Rabbit holes! RIP Suzuki, Toshimichi .Truly created a unique and cult classic of a show, got into collecting VHS tapes cause of this series and the soundtrack for this series "chief's kiss". This is the only video essay on the subject and given how this video was put together I can tell your other content is going to be amazing, Subscribed!
Bubblegum Crisis was my first and still favorite anime, I've still got my tapes from AnimEgo and even a couple of the old mail order catalogs stuffed away somewhere. If I can put any one anime on a pedestal above all others, that's the one. I will defend it and sing it's praises to the end. ADPolice Files is fun for what it is. Crash is passable but hard to re-watch. I hated Tokyo 2040 and it's spinoffs. Kenichi Sonoda was a major influence on my own art style in my younger years, he is a wildly underrated artist.
Remember, kids - imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. The series probably hit its zenith at Red Eyes. Incredibly well animated and overall a tremendous episode. However, even then, Double Vision excelled and while Scoop Chase was something of a bridge episode between Crisis and Crash, it was still Crisis in spirit and I'll personally defend it as such. The first episode hit the ground running like mad cheetah. While they used to be somewhat difficult to obtain, the soundtrack CDs are now fairly widely available and are hellacious listens. Oh, and EVERYONE should have Streets of Fire in their library - both the movie and the soundtrack. God bless MercuryFalcon for keeping BgC in our collective consciousness. You're doing the Lord's work.
I have streets of fire, but I haven't watched it yet, although I did catch the first ten minutes or so and Diane Lane is all punked up and sassy while singing on stage, what a saucy fox!
Much of that music was by Koji Makaino. He's got a lot of other music to his name and some of it is just amazing stuff. Seek out his other works. It's worth it!
I remember when Bubblegum Crisis was being released . First I got the series on VHS later I got them on laser disc. But it took me longer to get all 8 CD's and the two Vocal CD's. Even though they are now on my PC I still listen to them.
Rip-off or not, the soundtrack kicks ass. Also, you gotta love that 80s anime aesthetic.
The OST of pretty much all BC franchise roundhouse kicks so much ass I can't even count.
Tbh the way I look at it it’s kinda like rap and R&B they technically sampled original tracks and reworked it to be their own
There is no discussion, BGC has the best OST in anime history.
Instablaster...
Yes, I agree the songs and music in BBC are better. They moved me more.
The AD police was funnly enough one of my favorite parts. I also love the the relationship with Priss and the AD detective.
Kenichi Sonoda is fantastic I wish more people recognized how amazing his work is.
Agreed. He’s one of my favorite artists along with Masamune Shirow and Yukito Kishiro.
I’ve seen him at a guest panel at Emerald city con a few years back.
You act as if he went unrecognized throughout his career, he's one of the most beloved character designers from the 80s and 90s
@@edkwon in Japan he recognized, over here he rarely gets a shout out.
@@BohbearonYT I'm, I'm an American fan and he was really beloved by American fans in the late 80s to 90s when his work was current
Nene pulling over Priss for speeding only to have Priss wave money or her ID in her nose was hilarious.
The golden age of anime. Back when anime creators looked outside for inspiration instead of just looking at each other over and over again. This was a fantastic video. Thank you for your effort! I'm a huge BGC fan, with a poster of Priss and her Motoslave from episode 6 right above my computer screen as I type this. Got another Priss & Motoslave poster from episode 1 in my bedroom.
Eyyyy, nice to see you on here. I started watching Bubblegum Crisis again (only watched 3 episodes years back, trying to watch all of it now) and it's really good.
@@JLCL01 I just watched episode 3 on bluray on Saturday. It looks great.
I too was lucky enough to buy bubble gum crisis 2040 before hastings closed down. I am trying to finish it again. And the motoslave is the best bike in the world. And shout out to A.D Police too
Yeah back when Anime would look at ideas common to Sci-Fi or fantasy and then put a new spin on them. They were brilliant at that.
@@FURognar That's why I wanna try looking into other stuff for inspiration.
Me and someone else are in the process of polishing a Visual novel we made in a game jam and it's essentially a 90s sci-fi/comedy anime (think Outlaw Star and Cowboy Bebop). However, it's important we have it stand out on its own.
I'd say more but I don't wanna ramble. Basically "haha, what if we took some elements from Kevin Smith's stuff and crazy events that happened during the medieval period."
And then Disney's Big Hero 6 comes out with an armor design that was very reminiscent of Priss's hardsuit...
Easily one of the best OAVs ever. Episode 6 with Priss's confrontation with Largo and the Hyperboomers still gives me goosebumps.
Konya Wa Hurricane is still one of anime's best songs... plagiarized or not, lol
i don't consider it plagiarized, similar beat/rhythm structure yeah in some parts, but Konya wa Horricane's cadence, tonal layers,drum and guitar elements and lyrics (and it's more "kinectic" rock style) really make it it's own song that just a simple "oh it copied this other song". . .
The opening and verse of "hurricane" borrows from Akina's "Desire" but other parts of the song, like the chorus melody, are very different. So I wouldn't go so far as to call it plagiarized, but I agree it's a top anime song regardless
Angels dancing in the thrill is also similar to Journey separate ways, whatever, the soundtrack is masterpiece
@@gilbertculloden87 It have nothing with Akina song... If Desire has that proto heavy rhythm and that's heavy metal, every band sound exactly the same...
@@MrEnsiferum77 Agree to disagree, the verse melody of both songs are very similar. Regardless, Konya wa Hurricane is an all-time great anime track and I'm very glad both songs exist
STILL my fave anime...i first saw it around age 15 ...i'm in my early 40's now.
YES. My first anime. Like, I didn't even know anime existed and found the first few episodes in the corner of a store. The box didn't even have screenshots on it ffs, I had no idea what was on there or how it looked but the hardsuit designs at the front just called to me. Like I knew it was something special, something different and had my brother get it for me for my birthday. You can probably imagine what putting the first episode in, and getting THAT opening as an 11 year old felt like. I'll never forget it....
--- This anime literally shaped my life. Decided all the friends I'd befriend, people I've been with romantically, etc, my tastes in scifi and cyberpunk... it _changed me._
What year did you watch this?
@@propheci Sometime in the 90s? Lol I'm old yo. I was an arcade rat, and hung out at malls lol.
I had the a similar experience! Saw the dvd box set at a garage sale and had no idea what it was but I had to have it. Went home and that opening, like you said, was unforgettable
One of my first adult animes. I remember it sandwiched in between VHSs of Bubblegum Crash, AD Police, & Tank Police.
I was around 16 years old when I saw my first bootleg tape of BGC in 1990-1991. Whoever made those bootlegs back then always cut the endings off which fueled my future purchases. Whilst not my first real purchase of anime, that award goes to Gunbuster, it was my second. Those two OVA's I hold near and dear to my heart.
I've been wanting a Bubble Gum Crisis reboot for years. I always enjoy finding out new information about the original. I even have gone as far as obtaining the soundtrack CD's for the first 7 episodes of Crisis, a couple of the Artbooks, and Animation Cels from Crisis, Crash, and 2040.
Always thought live action could be good
Guys, I'd like for this to happen too, but you know, it just wouldn't be the same. Is there really anything out there entertainment wise that just nails something nostalgic? I will hold on to my Laserdisc's forever!
@@SupaBumaIt doesn't need to be the same. We have the OVA's and they'll never go away. As long as they stick to the spirit of the original OVA's, I'd be glad to see a reboot.
@@MrStimpson38 I'd rather they just add more to the story , reboots are over -rated.
Wasn't Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 a reboot?
Bubblegum Crisis 2040 was my introduction to this series but last year I finally watched the original and loved it. The soundtrack was amazing and I love the 80's retrofuturism. I bought it on Blu-ray and watched it all again, I actually love the 8th episode since Nene is my favorite Knight Saber.
_Scoop Chase_ really did make for a lighthearted epilogue to the series.
I got 2040 when it came out and it was.....good-ish as a reimaging if you never saw the original, but I'd just never really liked it all that much tbh. I found BGC back in the early 90's and loved it, grabbed everything. All the soundtracks, all the VHS of Crisis and Crash, the mangas whatever was there. Still have them too!
@@Slayer398 That's an awesome collection you've got! If I had seen the original first I would have been disappointed in 2040 but not knowing any different I did like it. Definitely can't beat the original though, plus, I love the original Nene a lot more.
I watch 2040 first too, i think it have much more better character development. But once you watch the Original one 2040 lacking of cyber punk feel.
So i think 2040 is a decent remake With technology upgrade but not surpass the original one.
@@evangelineirene6994 I agree, 2040 did have better character development and a more cohesive story. As you say though, the original really nailed the cyber punk setting not to mention the awesome soundtrack.
From what I understand how Bubblegum Crisis came here in the US and got translated with all its songs as well is something of its own story. They even got an unknown female band here in the US to do a faithful translation word for word of all of Bubblegum Crisis's songs.
As a teen, watching that intro to the first episode hooked me for life as a BGC fan. I miss 80s anime!
I wonder... If enough otaku started buying legal DVDs of 80s anime, would Japan be financially motivated to start making things like this again?
@@LikaLaruku Nah. The Japanese don't make stuff like this anymore. Nowadays it's all about 3D and CGI. Some are good but most look shitty.
Excellent piece. Great research. It's a real shame Suzuki ended up like that. For a while, he could not make anything but good stuff. But that damn bubble economy popped and things were never the same again. Would love to see you tackle the unmade Thunderbirds proposal that ended up becoming seed material for TechnoBoyagers, TerraHawks, and Mospeada. It sounds like BGC has a tangent into it as well.
Wow this is quite an anime documentary channel! Macross, Mospeada, Megazone 23, Bubblegum Crisis... awesome!
Hot Damn! that's some crazy history I did not know. Put into perspective it all makes sense now, how the quality was affected by the economic crash of the 80s leading to Crash. Your videos are amazing, fantastic investigation work!
What a fantastic documentary, I loved Bubblegum Crisis in the early 90s and this brings back memories! Thank you!
One of my all time favorite series. The music still kicks ass.
the perfect song to end the video with. it well fit the closing info, and the fact it was the last episode scoop chase (i think. i may be wrong lol). i always liked that song.
Wow, I didn't know about all this history, Thanks! Bubblegum Crisis was something I got my mom and dad to buy when we were laid over a day in Tokyo on our way to China. We went on a day tour around Tokyo and dropped by a mall in the Ginza district (?)I remember seeing the cover art of Priss with her armor exploding around her and I think it was $48 for the first episode. I always like Sonoda's work in those OVA days. I didn't know they had plagerized so many song though and I LOL'd at the sight of the Asia Go video because I liked that so much too. I think Mad Machine has to be one of my favorite songs.
Thanks, I knew I couldn't be the only person who's had that singer shouting MA-CU-ROSS living rent free in my head for the past 20 years.
God, I love this channel, the work and research you put into these videos is amazing.
Thank you for the video and research that went into it. I did not know all these shows were related. Brings back memories.
oh god...the memories! So many memories. And i still have the CDs for almost ALL of those episodes and reboots of the series! I had no idea there was so much WTF behind the scenes....
Cyber punk era still has my heart!!
BGC and 8th MS Team are my two favorite anime, simply for how well designed and executed they were. Incredible research and editing in this video. Thank you!!!!
This post is 18 Sept 2022; but for 18 minutes, I am 24 years old and back in 1987.
Much Appreciated!
This was a pleasant surprise to find this video dropped on my birthday. The OAV that started my lifelong love of anime in general! Thanks for this, you just got a sub!
This was a really great video. Keep up the great work man. I love your channel for the recaps of old niche shows - you find a lot of gems.
Thanks for reviving some great memories!
Thanks you... This was awesome!
And thanks again for your work on that video and this channel
Been rewatching all Crisis and Crash episodes yesterday - music SLAPS like when I was 8!
Thank you for this. This was my fav anime growing up.
I think a detail overlooked was the production and distribution of BGC for the Western Markets through The efforts of Robert Woodhead and Animeigo. That in itself is a pretty fascinating story, especially in that the dub voice talents performed the themes composed in English. Also the Kickstarter Blu-ray edition put together by Woodhead is fantastic and pretty lovingly done.
But regardless, really nice video!
I'm glad you mentioned Animeigo. They were one of the first (if not the first) who put out faithfully translated subtitled anime commercially, just the way the fans wanted it, as opposed to 2nd or 3rd hand copies off of videotape, or waiting who knows how long for a copy from a fansub group. I think this was a big reason BGC is so popular in the US.
Man, tons of research to put this all together. Thanks so much for compiling all of this.
Good video man gosh it’s been forever since I heard bubblegum crisis. Lol what that video “Rock Me “
I saw a youtube short that featured some of the art and thankfully was able to find the whole series here on youtube. I had never heard of Bubblegum Crisis but on watching the first episode and seeing the date I can see the influence this must have been.
Some Bubblegum Crisis love in 2021? Yes please!
BGC music was badass and essential to the popularity, along with Sonoda-san's designs, of how much of a touchstone this series was. Well, at least, there is a satisfactory explanation of which Priss's seiyuu, suddenly disappeared from the show and why Vision suddenly parachuted into the storyline. Plus all the goings on between Artmic, Youmex, Studio Nue and eventually AIC during the production of the series. And WTF happened to to Suzuki-san for so many years. Geez, sounds like the makings of a Netflix series with that guy!
A true gateway drug to cyberpunk and anime
I first discovered Kenichi Sonoda works from "Riding Bean" and I absolutely love his artstyle, the characters, the car ,the guns all perfect. then I keep looking for his work, untill I found this series. sadly I still doesn't have a chance to buy it (since it's kinda expensive to buy a blu-ray in thailand) but from what I see I still think It's fabulous.
Very well done mini documentary! I'm a huge fan of the series as well as Robotech and Megazone 23. I didn't know there was a relation between them. Killer soundtrack in BGC too. Hearing those songs bring me back to my teen years in the 80s.
Amazing video been a fan of BGC for over 20 years but still learned a lot from this. Thank you! 😮
Man I love this series. I even own the tabletop RPG and have run it several times in the past. I would love to see it revived. Such memories. I think I need to give it a rewatch.
Tabletop RPG? Tell me more?
@@ShimodaNexus you might be able to find a copy on ebay
Bubblgum Crisis was and maybe still is one of my favorite animes. I remember getting it on vhs around the same time as GunBuster.
I was into Bubble gum Crisis and Crash from the beginning and collect the music but knew none of this. Thank you for your diligent work in presenting this aspect of a beloved anime.
I love Bubblegum Crisis, it had one of the best vocal soundtracks ever, I still listen to it today !!!
Wow!!....this really took me back. A blast from the past this is. BGC was one of the first anime that I was introduced to that set me on the path to enjoying many yrs. of exciting and jaw-dropping genres of anime. This vid gave me a full spectrum view of what went on behind the scenes with BGC as well as the other influences that were involved. From taking me back to my childhood to now being an adult/"Big Kid"....I would like to thank you, MercuryFalcon for posting this vid. BigUp to you!!.... 👏🏼👍🏼🙌🏼😁
I watched Bubblegum Crisis and Crash a few weeks ago. It really grew on me. So it's kind of sad to learn that its creation had such a sketchy story
A lot more of the entertainment that you enjoy has a sketchy beginning.
Batman was a plagiarism of the The Shadow but developed into his own thing.
The original Captain Marvel plagiarized Superman but soon became his own character.
There have been many disputes about who created what character in books and film.
There are criminal stories linked to virtually every segment of the entertainment at the beginning and adolescence of these industries.
What happened with BGC is nothing compared to many other popular characters and series.
Bubblegum Crisis/Crash is one of my favorite anime series of all time. I also personally think Bubblegum Crash is highly underrated.
I'll fight you on this Mercury, the Bubble Gum Crash opener is a banger.
the song when one of them is fighitng the big spider was so amazing i started crying
Bubblegum Crisis is so iconic and cool. I love it
I love Bubblegum Crisis, thank you for this video!!!!!!
Brought a tear to my eye. Thank you.
One of the greatest!!! One of the best sound track!!!
Thanks for the hard work on this man. Always wondered why yhis IP fell by the wayside. I had half of the original run on VHS back in the day. Soundtrack was fire! Still listwning to Mr Dandy from time to time!
Its great to see all of this behind the scenes info. BGC was one of my favorite animes back in the 90s when i was in high school.
Bubblegum Crisis is still one of the most amazing anime out there and was one of the first OAV series I saw back in the 90’s.
Remember: if someone ever says cartoons are just for kids tell them how a mans life was threatened by the yakuza over an anime with borderline copyright music.
Really great video with in depth stuff I never heard before. Thanks !
MAAAN, Thank you for this, I watched all of it religiously and always wonder what happened... "Now I know with all questions answered, great video, great breakdown, and I hope someone out there will revive this awesome anime." Thank you sooo much... :)
Amazing job with this video, man. Loved it!.
One of my all time favorite series.......BGC still stands the test of time.......love it❤️❤️❤️
I still remember this was the first time I had ever heard of Japanese Anime, even though, technically I never knew it that Transformers in the 80's and G. I. Joe can be considered it, but I was hooked on Anime! The soundtrack is also what set this apart!!
Thank you so much for covering this great story! I cant imagine the shocking back story of such a great anime! and the fall of a company who would have had a bright future if it wasn't for so many bad things happening..... super well done! really hope and wish to see the bubblegum crises characters again in the future!
Bubblegum Crisis is what got me into anime in the 90's during my early 20's.
Konya wa Hurricane, Episode 5 opening?
EPISODE 5?!?
Damn, son, it song #1. 😛
Yeah, editing mistake because I copy and pasted the title cards then re-wrote the text. Dumb mistake that will haunt me my whole life.
Streets of Fire, would later inspire the game Final Fight. Man I loved Bubblegum Crisis, one of my most favorite anime, of all time- and the music was insane! BGC along with Blade Runner, made me fall in love with cyberpunk, and inspired a little comic I did in school.. Which I think I will redo.. 80's, and 90's.. The golden era of anime
Hay Mr DANDY Hay Mr JOY. that song always will stick with me
Excellent video! Very impressed by your research and how clearly you communicate the details. I somehow never knew that Houquet et Rose was supposed to be the singer of Mospeada (I know that's tangential, but still very cool to learn)
I've been a Bubblegum Crisis fan since 2000. Saved up allowances for months to import over a box set of the soundtrack CDs, which I still listen to (the ripped MP3s at least). Last year I watched Streets of Fire for the firs time, and nearly did a spit-take at the opening. It looked like Konya Wa Hurricane, but sounded just like Crisis. Now I have to look up these other songs...
Wow, excellent video. BGC was fantastic back in the day and Artmic/AIC had such a great team of animators/directors/designers too. Sonoda doesn't get enough recognition for his work on BGC or his other works. I had no idea about Suzuki's fate either. Don't undersell the actual BGM too. Yeah, it got high marks for the songs (ripped off or not), but the instrumental music is killer throughout that series.
Thanks for this vid. I was a big fan in the 90s. I now live near all the animation studios. So cool being close to the things important to me as a kid.
Great stuff. Super glad I subbed to your channel.
Thank you for this, BGC is one of my all time faves! Used to have the entire original VHS collection. ^_^
Cops that investigate boomer crimes would be an interesting show nowadays.
This was the documentary I didn't know I needed. I am flattened by the info of how rocky BGC's history was, as an overseas consumer I only knew that 8 episodes was short and abrupt. And I was NOT a fan of Tokyo 2040, although I had hope. I bought the OST back in the 80's and never thought twice about the music being plagiarized. If they rebooted BGC with some kind of Lisa-esque Gurenge vocals, sprinkled in some Su-Metal, and topped it off with Shiina Ringo, I would buy every mini album that came out. It would hit like a freight train on the charts.
Thank you for the video, very interesting. I remember watching a FanSub of this in the mid-late 80s then I purchased it for myself. Still one of my favorite shows.
I watched this anime (and other notables) back in early 2020 for the first time, iirc. It was very good. I totally love the 80's style of anime, and I would definitely consider it to be a huge deal in terms of what they accomplished.
Great video! I love BGC.
This youtube remind me of the voices of random army veterans, civie video game youtuber and kenny lauderdale. Great video
Ho shizz dude, looking up BGC vids to fall asleep to, this popped into my feed and I though this would be some generic crap video but nope, glad I was wrong. Great vid! And with sources too! One of my favorite anime from back then! The BGC soundtracks were awesome too and I still listen to my ripped BGC songs to this day (mainly the ones from eps 1 and 5 and the complete vocal collections). Almost daily actually. The copycat music info bits were mind blowing!! Omg!!
Man, you did a great research!! I love Bubblegum Crisis, for me it's perfect! I almost cried watching this video hehe.
BGC is sooooo underated I love that people still remebering this great franchise.
Thank you sir!
This was the anime that got me into anime.... after watching he-man, GI Joe, Jem, and Transformers I was introduced to Bubblegum Crisis episode 3 Blow-up... my young middle school brain exploded within the first 3 minutes of that show. It has spawned a life long love of anime and Japanese pop/rock music.
There was also a tabletop RPG published by R Talsorian Games using the Fuzion system also used in Cyberpunk 2020.
It's got a bunch of stuff in it that references concept art work or side story material for things like variant hard suit designs.
It does! I own a copy and it has a lot of detail on the hardsuits, ad police mecha and vehicles ( the firebee) , the griffon cybermonster in its various stages, and the highway star among others
0:14 perfect timing!
Bubblegum Crisis and Bubblegum Crash are both really good and I love the cyberpunk vibe. They're definitely worth a watch, even if the music is mostly stolen and the animation begins to dip in quality with Crash.
Thats a very long back story but Im glad one of my childhood fave shows got released
Wow, learned so much about BGC I didn't know. Nice research!
Great series, so thanks for all the info.
Gotta love Internet Rabbit holes! RIP Suzuki, Toshimichi .Truly created a unique and cult classic of a show, got into collecting VHS tapes cause of this series and the soundtrack for this series "chief's kiss". This is the only video essay on the subject and given how this video was put together I can tell your other content is going to be amazing, Subscribed!
Bubblegum Crisis was my first and still favorite anime, I've still got my tapes from AnimEgo and even a couple of the old mail order catalogs stuffed away somewhere. If I can put any one anime on a pedestal above all others, that's the one. I will defend it and sing it's praises to the end. ADPolice Files is fun for what it is. Crash is passable but hard to re-watch. I hated Tokyo 2040 and it's spinoffs. Kenichi Sonoda was a major influence on my own art style in my younger years, he is a wildly underrated artist.
Remember, kids - imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
The series probably hit its zenith at Red Eyes. Incredibly well animated and overall a tremendous episode. However, even then, Double Vision excelled and while Scoop Chase was something of a bridge episode between Crisis and Crash, it was still Crisis in spirit and I'll personally defend it as such.
The first episode hit the ground running like mad cheetah. While they used to be somewhat difficult to obtain, the soundtrack CDs are now fairly widely available and are hellacious listens.
Oh, and EVERYONE should have Streets of Fire in their library - both the movie and the soundtrack.
God bless MercuryFalcon for keeping BgC in our collective consciousness. You're doing the Lord's work.
I have streets of fire, but I haven't watched it yet, although I did catch the first ten minutes or so and Diane Lane is all punked up and sassy while singing on stage, what a saucy fox!
That was all great.
It has probably the best anime soundtrack ever made! Amazing 80s early 90s anime.
Much of that music was by Koji Makaino. He's got a lot of other music to his name and some of it is just amazing stuff. Seek out his other works. It's worth it!
These were the first anime soundtracks I ever bought... I had the music videos vhs too lol
I remember when Bubblegum Crisis was being released . First I got the series on VHS later I got them on laser disc. But it took me longer to get all 8 CD's and the two Vocal CD's. Even though they are now on my PC I still listen to them.
It's great but can't beat Yuji Ohno's work for Lupin
It became an OG legend.
Man, i had no idea how complicated the anime industry was in the 80s, even the Yakuza was involded, damn.
Amazing documentary, thank you.