Review of Blue Gender (1999)

In the near future, a boy diagnosed with a terrible illness agrees to be put into stasis, so a cure can be found in time. He wakes up by accident, in a big military operation to bring him to safety. While he slept, the Earth was infested with monsters called the Blue. Civilization on Earth has been destroyed. The humans who are still fighting do so from space stations and afford no empathy for those left behind, except for the Sleepers with that strange illness. There is no cure, only dark purposes.

Mecha/kaijū action and tragedy. A flawed high-tech marriage of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) and Castle in the Sky (1986) with subpar art and music, as well as bad creature and mecha design. The concept and dynamic plot are interesting, although the script quickly exits credible science fiction and ends badly. There’s a good international perspective and high lethality: several people who look like they’re going to survive don’t, and death is often suitably pathetic. Lots of Engrish, hand drawn for some reason. There is surprisingly little digital aid.

References here: Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse (2012).

moving picture animation Japanese production mecha fiction series