Cyberteam in Akihabara Volume 1: Cyber Genesis - Ascully.Com
- Ascully.Com
- Mental
- 11/12/04
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Introduction:
PataPi: the hottest toy to hit the market since the hula hoop has preteens everywhere wanting one, Hibari Hanakoganei is no exception. This energetic 12 year old living in the town of Akihabara just started junior high school and wants nothing more than her own PataPi so she can fit in. One day the mysterious prince of her dreams (literally) fulfills her desire with the toy PataPi that she calls Densuke, but this is no ordinary toy.
Cover Art, Menus & Extras:
Cyber Team in Akihabara Volume 1: Cyber Genesis kicks off this 26 episode series with the first 5 installments. The disk isn't exactly overflowing with extras, but 5 episodes more than make up for it. On the DVD you will find a textless opening and closing, ADV previews, credits, and production sketches. The cover art depicts Hibari and Densuke smiling and posing, nothing terribly spectacular, but it is cute, which is fine, because this is a cute anime.
The Episodes:
Episode 1: Diva
Hibari Hanakoganei has just graduated from her elementary school and is moving on to junior high with her best friend Suzume Sakurajosui. Suzume is continually raving on and on about her PataPi. Everyone at school has a PataPi, they are always raving about their PataPis. Hibari wants a PataPi too. Her dreams are flooded with the mysterious images of a white prince under a tree on a hill. She doesn't know what to make of this until one day she is walking and hears him calling. She looks around and notices the hill and tree from her dreams. As she approaches, the white prince gives her a PataPi. She is ecstatic. Later in the week she is walking home and is ambushed by Blood Falcon, a well endowed woman of unknown origins and intentions who only declares that she wants Densuke, Hibari's new PataPi. Blood Falcon summons her homunculi from the dirt and they being to attack Hibari, she tries to protect Densuke but to no avail. Suddenly, Densuke begins to glow and transforms into Hibari only older, much taller, and wearing a Bubblegum Crisis looking hard-suit. Densuke quickly dispatches the enemies and rescues her companion.
Episode 2: The Black Meteor
Naturally, Suzume doesn't believe the wild story that Hibari spins. Hibari maintains it as the truth. Blood Falcon, meanwhile, is chastised for her failure and ordered to try again. Hibari and Suzume decide to go to the new electronics store to check out parts for their PataPis, but Suzume is called to the principal's office. While she is there, Blood Falcon tricks Hibari into a dead end ally and attacks her again. Densuke transforms and begins to fight, but the Master Shooting Star, Blood Falcon's boss, interferes, weakening Densuke's power. Suzume sees this and sends in her PataPi to help in any way she can. Her PataPi soon transforms into a Diva as well and the two join in the fight.
Episode 3: Homunculus
Still bitter from her defeat, Blood Falcon vows to try again. On her way to school, Hibari drops Densuke when crossing the street, right into oncoming traffic. Before Densuke can become road kill, Tsugumi Hagashijujo jumps in and saves her. Hibari and Tsugumi become fast friends, Suzume is less than pleased. She goes off on her own, but is attacked by Blood Falcon (again). Tsugumi and Hibari walk into the fight and try to save Suzume, but are overpowered, and so are their PataPi Divas. Suddenly, Tsugumi's PataPi transforms into a diva as well and begins to fight. Master Shooting Star, watching from a distance, notes that one awakened from love, one from envy, and the third from fear, this bothers him.
Episode 4: Death Crow
After three failures, Master Shooting Star orders Death Crow to help Blood Falcon on the next go around. They begin stalking the girls from a distance at school, sending voices into their ears; voices of their friends badmouthing them behind their backs. The trio turns on each other, but is brought back together when Blood Falcon and Death Crow begin to attack. Their PataPis transform and fight united to stop their assailants.
Episode 5: Cockatrice
The newly formed Cyber Team in Akihabara is taking in the town festival when they learn of a competition to find the best PataPi and owner. Still mad over the defeat of his flunkies, Master Shooting Star orders a new fighter to step up to the plate: Dark Pigeon. I don't know about you, but I haven't been attacked by any evil pigeons lately, but none the less, the girls are soon tricked by Dark Pigeon into attending the relocated PataPi pageant in an auditorium across the park. They fall right into the trap, confronted by hundreds of homunculi and Dark Pigeon; the Divas transform and begin their hardest fight yet.
Art, Audio, & Voice Acting:
Cyber Team in Akihabara has some interesting characters, the animation is quite fluid, but the colors are a bit washed out. For a DVD, it looks like a cable TV broadcast half the time; almost bland. The plot is fairly simple and linear, but the show is just getting started so it may take some twists and turns down the line. Hopefully more depth in the story will emerge as the episodes progress. The voice acting is pretty good, the characters don't really have annoying voices, and the actors manage a believable performance.
Value:
I did kinda like this one; although the story did get repetitive at times it still had enough variety to stay interesting. This genre really isn't my thing, but going strictly off empirical observation and not personal feelings it looks to be one that will entertain you if this genre is your thing. Volume 1: Cyber Genesis lists for $29.99 which is a decent price since you are getting a bunch of content, but I'm sure you can find it cheaper online. Overall, I'm interested in seeing how this one turns out as future volumes are released.
Posted on Friday, November 12, 2004 (Archive on Sunday, December 12, 2004)