Blue Submarine 6: Blues 1 [DVD]

Features

• Type: DVD
• Studio: Bandai
• Language(s): english, japanese
• Subtitle(s): english
• Director(s): Kôichi Chigira, Mahiro Maeda
• Actor(s): Hozumi Gôda, Kinryû Arimoto, Scott Bailey, Ali Bell, Rhonda Bellamy, Bryan Bolick, Michael Brady, Ralph Brownewell, Thomas Bruning, Jeff Call

The look of the anime series Blue Submarine No. 6 is the place to start any description of it. The 1998 show uses more computer-generated 3-D images than any series, yet the show looks like a video game. The plot, which also reminds one of a video game, is like a spinoff of Waterworld: in the near future, Earth's coastal cities are flooded, and an evil power, Zorndyke, has brought his minions to destroy the remaining humans. Earth's best weapon is a submarine fleet led by the supercool No. 6. Young Mayumi is an officer assigned to bring hotshot Tetsu back into the fold. The Travis Bickle-like Tetsu is more intrigued by learning about the faceless enemy--all that is known is their destructive tactics and elegant ships, intriguing combinations of beast and machine (a whale submarine, an insectlike tank). We discover just enough of the series' premise in this introductory 30-minute chapter, which is always watchable if never memorable. Rated 13 and older for violence and some nudity. --Doug Thomas