Matt Cooper Anime, Films

Appleseed Saga: Ex Machina (2007) by Shinji Aramaki

Deunan Knute (Ai Kobayashi) and her partner Briareos (Koichi Yamadera) are assigned with ESWAT to an old cathedral to rescue EU officials taken hostage by cyborgs. On returning to Olympus Briareos is sent to recuperate while Deunan is assigned a new partner. Her new partner, Tereus (Yuki Kishi), seems strangely similar to Briareos old physical form, and Deunan learns that he has been cloned from her former partner’s DNA. Olympus is once again imperilled when they discover a mysterious signal being used to control both cyborgs and humans (who have taken to wearing a popular headset communication device). It is this signal that is prompting the increasing waves of terrorist activity. Meanwhile, Athena (Gara Takashima) is attempting to convince world leaders that they should join together a global satellite network that might prevent future terrorist attacks.

Shinji Aramaki directs this sequel to his 2004 “Appleseed” film. This time around we get more focus on the relationship between Deunan and Briareos and the introduction of what might be considered an atypical love triangle with the introduction of Tereus. The plot is focussed on an external threat to Olympus and therefore more familiar territory to action movies. Again the film provides us with a thinly veiled commentary on everything from terrorism, consumerism, surveillance, and communication technologies with a story that moves briskly between several incredible action sequences. The animation style is altered slightly from the first film, with less of a cell-shaded appearance to the characters. It is interesting to see the development and introduction of several new technologies, such as the bee-like flying transports early on and the Connexus devices that satirise people’s addiction to mobile communication tools. Tetsuya Takahashi again provides the music, this time alongside Haruomi Hosono. While the techo-beats and electro-rock are carried over there are also more of the softer moments and a heroic score to complement the narrative of our protagonists fighting against attempts to destroy Olympus.

“Appleseed: Ex Machina” raises interesting questions about the need for difference. Unity is something that many in society strive for, here exemplified by the idea of bringing together the world’s satellites into one system. However, when large numbers of cyborgs and people are following the commands of a single source we also see the dangers of unity (or perhaps more accurately “conformity”). We see the zombie-like citizen completely under the control of the mysterious force. It is good to see a film tackling such fundamental questions as what a Utopian society should or might look like while criticising what many consider to be an ideal.

Matt Cooper Anime, Films

Appleseed (2004) by Shinji Aramaki

The film opens on a young soldier Deunan Knute (Ai Kobayashi), fighting amongst the rubble of a bombed city. After a battle with robotic enemy forces she is picked up by ESWAT, an elite team of soldiers, who tell her she no longer needs to fight. The world war that has devastated the majority of the planet had no ultimate victor. The surviving humans have retreated to a Utopian city named Olympus. The population of Olympus, half human and half Bioroid (synthetic humans), live a peaceful existence, their lives dictated by a supercomputer named Gaia and the Bioroid leader Athena (Mami Koyama). Deunan is reunited with her old partner Briareos (Jurota Kosugi), who has lost his body and been given a new cyborg one and a Bioroid Hitomi (Yuki Matsuoka) who is assigned to help her adjust to Olympus. The peace is short-lived when they uncover a plot by the army, led by General Uranus (Yuzuru Fujimoto), to overthrow what he sees as a Bioroid dictatorship and establish human supremacy again. Deunan and Briareos must fight to maintain the delicate balance that has been established.

“Appleseed” is based on the manga by Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell) and does an incredible job of world-building, introducing us to Bioroids, Gaia, ESWAT, Landmates and other technologies and systems that create a believable backdrop to the action. The design of all these elements is spectacular and there is clearly an attention to the minutiae and practicalities of everything. The animation uses a cell-shaded CG technique that gives the film a unique look and the flexibility of the camera allows us to swoop around the ruins of the city in the opening and the vast scale of Olympus in a way that gives a sense of reality and permanence to the setting. If there is one issue with this style it is that it leaves certain things looking too pristine, lacking texture and wear. Where the animation really excels is in the action sequences, from the opening battle with tanks and snipers, hand to hand brawls, gunfighting, and the final destructive battle, the choreography and camerawork enabled by the animation make for fast-paced exciting moments. Director Shinji Aramaki has an eye for dramatic action sequences, with the rain-battered remote laboratory sequences being a particular highlight. The music by Tetsuya Takahashi and Boom Boom Satellites is a mix of electronica, rock, and an occasional emotional piano track. The soundtrack suits the futuristic feel and is a shot of adrenaline for the frenetic action scenes. Deunan is a great protagonist, established as a legendary soldier, her relationship with Briareos and her backstory give her complexity and sympathy from the audience. There is not a lot of time spent on the relationship between her and Briareos as the plot involves a lot of exposition and the various twists and turns allow little time for character building, but those moments we do see work well and offer just enough to keep you emotionally invested.

“Appleseed” is laden with philosophical and political discourse, questioning the future of humanity as we become increasingly reliant on technology. The character of Deunan, a hardened soldier, is fitting for the narrative as she encapsulates the warlike nature of humanity, but also the compassion that can hold us back from violence. The tension at the centre of the film arises from General Uranus’s realisation that humans are no longer the dominant force on the planet and his desire to rectify what he sees as the natural order. Violent tendencies make humans unsuitable to rule without safeguards, as their past actions have shown that they seem hellbent on their own destruction. Far from technology being the danger, it is technology that protects humans from themselves. However, the lust for power and human failings continue even in the future and create problems that must be constantly guarded against. The film’s message is one of the importance of balance. It is interesting that early in the film Hitomi notes that the population of Olympus is roughly 50/50 Bioroid and humans. To have more of one or the other, as the villains of the film desire, would upset the balance of society. The strong anti-war message of the film is also stated obliquely in a similar way. The world war produced no victor, only losers. To compete for absolute dominance is a futile endeavour, and the only way humanity can proceed is by acknowledging the need for co-operation. A science-fiction action film with an important message on the future of humanity and how catastrophe might be averted.

Matt Cooper Anime

Appleseed XIII (2011)

In the idyllic city of Olympus, a paradise amidst the ruins of World War Three, humans and bioroids (artificial humans) live together in peace. The city itself is controlled by a giant supercomputer, Gaia, under the auspices of the bioroids, whose superiority over humans makes them perfect governors of this utopia. However, not all humans are happy and a terrorist group known as the Argonauts is working to destroy bioroids. Deunan Knute and her partner Briarios of the E-SWAT team must work to uncover who is behind the Argonauts’ plot to kill bioroids and their motivation.

This thirteen part series follows on from a franchise that began with Shirow Masamune’s manga and has seen several film entries. This takes the series back to its roots, reminiscent of the 1988 animated film, with a brightly coloured aesthetic to Olympus and often more humorous take on the characters of Deunan and Briarios and their relationship as a couple. The screenplay by Junichi Fujisaku is densely plotted, with the Argonauts plot running throughout while several subplots spin off from this. Fujisaku also worked on Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (similarly based on a Shirow Masamune manga). Many of the episodes are structured round a single mission, with E-SWAT assigned to protect somebody, or investigate something, creating individual moments of triumph or failure amid the ongoing investigation. It is also interesting to see more focus placed on the two protagonists as a couple, as they bicker and play off one another well. Appleseed has always referenced Greek Mythology, in its character and place names (Athena, Olympus, Poseidon), and each of this series 13 episodes are named for one of the labours of Heracles. This doesn’t distract from the story to a great extent, but likewise for those unfamiliar with the mythology it offers little in the way of explanation. There will often by flashes of mosaics or statues depicting a scene from mythology, but the link to what is happening in the show is tenuous. When it does work it is a powerful tool, showing the eternal nature of particular struggles, of humans trying to discover their purpose or standing in the world, and other theological and philosophical questions that the series raises. At other times these cutaways appear only to serve as filler content or meaningless scene transitions.

Unfortunately, there are several flaws in this series that put it on a lower rung to other entries in the franchise. The CGI anime style that has become a mainstay since its reincarnation in the 2004 Appleseed film seems to have taken a step backwards here. While it does provide an interesting aesthetic it can be distracting due to the contrast between handdrawn and digitally rendered images. The animation is occasionally jerky and unnatural and background characters often appear to have had little time spent on their animation, thrown around like plastic toys. The city of Olympus also seems strangely unpopulated, with empty streets and a noticeable lack of vehicles and people. This is circumvented in many places by having the episode set in a unique location, such as a submarine or a building where there should not be many people present.

Appleseed XIII is a mixed bag. It is hard to pinpoint exactly where the series went wrong, aside from the animation which could be chalked up to budget constraints. It is worth a watch for fans of the series as it does give you more of the main characters, the technological and philosophical debates that are familiar from other entries, however things seems somehow small scale here and you never feel much for many of the side characters. For those new to Appleseed it would be better to begin with the films.

Matt Cooper Anime, Films

Appleseed (1988)

Based on the manga by Masamune Shirow, Appleseed takes place in a future world ravaged by a Third World War. Humanity has constructed a utopian society called Olympus, ruled over by computers and bioroids (an elite of cybernetic individuals). Our protagonists are SWAT-team members Deunan Knute and Briareos, who has a fully cybernetic body. When life in Olympus is threatened by  a terrorist plot led by humans who have become disaffected living under the rule of robots, Deunan and Briareos must work to stop it.

We are thrown straight into the action with the film beginning with a suicide and a hostage situation that SWAT are dealing with. Throughout the script is incredibly efficient. Within a run-time of a little over sixty minutes it manages to establish the world, the idea of Olympus, bioroids and GAIA (the computer system that controls the city), set up several themes and ideas, and develop its protagonists. We discover that Deunan and Briarios are romantically involved as well as being partners, and while the film rarely dwells on this it is nice that they did not choose to omit complexity despite being a short movie. The film is much more humorous than later installments in the franchise, perhaps heavily influenced by the decade in which it was released. You can certainly sense the 1980’s buddy-cop vibe. It is hard not to draw the comparison with those films, which use a lot of the same material and expand upon Shirows creation. Writer and director Kazuyoshi Katayama does a good job in crafting an enjoyable science-fiction action film. Although the animation has dated a little it is still great to see this more light-hearted interpretation of the characters.

The film deals with a number of issues relating to the interplay between robots and humans in the future, something that with each passing decade becomes more and more pertinent. While most humans have learned to accept their roles in a world with superior beings, many still insist on fighting for their individuality, or belief in human dominance. There is a sub-plot involving a discussion of the rights of bioroids and also a hint towards possible psychological issues involved with an increasingly technocratic society, such as the characters feeling they are trapped in a prison, rather than having any real control over their lives. Overall, this is a great watch for Appleseed fans as it shows the first attempt to bring the characters to the screen and also features many elements that will be recognizable from later films.