Aono Rokugo

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Aono Rokugo

(Blue Submarine No. 6)

genre: SF/Action

In the near future, the oceans have risen, causing all the land at sea level to be flooded. With the expansion of the oceans, humanity has found a new enemy in Zorndyke. A war has erupted between the surface dwellers and the sea dwellers, and mankind if placing all of its hopes in the new vessel Blue Submarine No. 6 and her crew.

Blue Submarine No. 6 is distributed in North America by AnimeVillage.Com. (Darke: and is sometimes played on cartoon network)

Parental Guidance Advised - Some violence and strong language in the subtitled version. Minor frontal nudity involving the mermaid-like underwater creatures.

Episode 1: Blues

Length: 30 minutes

Rating: NR, Café rated Parental Guidance Advised

Format: DVD / VHS, Original Japanese Dialog / Subtitled / English Dub

synopsis:

In the near future, the Earth's sea levels have risen, devastating coastal cities worldwide. Zorndyke has unleashed a nightmarish terror of armed underwater creatures upon mankind, threatening to wipe out everything in their path. But the navy has its own means of battling these heavily armed creatures -- Blue Fleet, with its high-tech attack submarine, Blue Submarine No. 6. But Zorndyke is well aware of this sub, and has already dispatched his own forces -- Musucau, a bio-engineered attack creature, who just might be more than a match for man and machine...

capsule review:

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? Aono Rokugo might be based on an old manga series, but this OAV series has been dressed up with enough gee-wiz action and animation to make you forget that this is a 20 year-old series... First-rate computer-generated 3D models, quality hand cel animation coupled with fast-paced action has dressed up the tried-and-true good versus evil plot, though at first glance, you'll be hard pressed to tell if there is really anything different between this series, and countless other "bad guy sends hoards of minions to wipe out mankind" serials. And like so many other similar plots, there's a key scene involving a couple of key characters, where you're shown that not all the "bad guys" are really bad...

So if not plot, what? Well, how about the great mechanical designs, featuring names like Shoji Kawamori? Aono Rokugo herself is not much more than a streamlined wedge with a high-tech screw, but Zorndyke's mecha and the detailed work put into the two-man Grampus is nothing short of breath-taking. CG animation that's somewhere between Re-Boot and Babylon 5 -- but since it's integrated with cel animation rather than live action, it works very well. About the only time you'll notice the crossovers are with some of the water effects, as well as a few of the flame/smoke effects. With computers handling a lot of the 3d modelling and detailed backgrounds, animators were able to spend a lot more time with the foreground characters, and it really shows. Sound effects are equally well done, thought I have a real problem with the mix -- several intense audio tracks are driven to clipping, which is really annoying. This is the first title we've purchased where clipping was a consistent problem.

Character designs are a little more traditional, though some characters -- in particular, Mayumi Kino -- have such jet-black pupils, that they look sunken. Most of the other character designs (if not the characterisations themselves) are pretty stereotypical. Again, take any 'classic' mecha series, and you'll pretty much be able to swap characters in and out.

In the end, it's the fast-paced action, tight direction, mixed with the exceptional animation that makes this a great piece of escapism. First episodes are usually a chore to watch. This one, I'm pleased to report, is anything but.

- AN, 2000.02.27


	S.O.T.A. Revolution \| home Anime Reviews \| Ah! Megamisama! \| Aono Rokugo \| Arcadia of my youth \| Arislan Senki \| Armitage III \| Ayashi no Ceres \| BAOH \| Battle Angel \| Birdy the Mighty \| Black Jack \| Bubblegum Crisis \| Card Captor Sakura \| Cowboy Bebop \| Crystania no Densetsu \| DBZ Review \| Earthian \| Fake \| Fatal Fury III: The Motion Picture \| Hono Tripper \| Fushigi Yuugi \| Galaxy Express 999 \| Koukaku Kidoutai \| Hotaru No Haka \| Umi Ga Kikoeru \| Juiichinin Iru \| Kaze no Namae wa Amnesia \| Laputa, Castle in the Sky \| Mei Tantei Conan \| Mermaid's Scar \| Ninja Scroll \| Only Yesterday \| Princess Mononoke \| Queen Emeraldas \| Rail of the Star \| Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie \| Tekken Review \| Ultimate Fighter: Grappler Baki \| The Vision of Escaflowne \| Warriors of the Wind \| X: The Movie Aono Rokugo (Blue Submarine No. 6) genre: SF/Action In the near future, the oceans have risen, causing all the land at sea level to be flooded. With the expansion of the oceans, humanity has found a new enemy in Zorndyke. A war has erupted between the surface dwellers and the sea dwellers, and mankind if placing all of its hopes in the new vessel Blue Submarine No. 6 and her crew. Blue Submarine No. 6 is distributed in North America by AnimeVillage.Com. (Darke: and is sometimes played on cartoon network) Parental Guidance Advised - Some violence and strong language in the subtitled version. Minor frontal nudity involving the mermaid-like underwater creatures. Episode 1: Blues Copyright: © 1998 Satoru Ozawa / Bandai Visual / Toshiba EMI / Gonzo, © 1999 AnimeVillage.Com Length: 30 minutes Rating: NR, Café rated Parental Guidance Advised Format: DVD / VHS, Original Japanese Dialog / Subtitled / English Dub synopsis: In the near future, the Earth's sea levels have risen, devastating coastal cities worldwide. Zorndyke has unleashed a nightmarish terror of armed underwater creatures upon mankind, threatening to wipe out everything in their path. But the navy has its own means of battling these heavily armed creatures -- Blue Fleet, with its high-tech attack submarine, Blue Submarine No. 6. But Zorndyke is well aware of this sub, and has already dispatched his own forces -- Musucau, a bio-engineered attack creature, who just might be more than a match for man and machine... capsule review: Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? Aono Rokugo might be based on an old manga series, but this OAV series has been dressed up with enough gee-wiz action and animation to make you forget that this is a 20 year-old series... First-rate computer-generated 3D models, quality hand cel animation coupled with fast-paced action has dressed up the tried-and-true good versus evil plot, though at first glance, you'll be hard pressed to tell if there is really anything different between this series, and countless other "bad guy sends hoards of minions to wipe out mankind" serials. And like so many other similar plots, there's a key scene involving a couple of key characters, where you're shown that not all the "bad guys" are really bad... So if not plot, what? Well, how about the great mechanical designs, featuring names like Shoji Kawamori? Aono Rokugo herself is not much more than a streamlined wedge with a high-tech screw, but Zorndyke's mecha and the detailed work put into the two-man Grampus is nothing short of breath-taking. CG animation that's somewhere between Re-Boot and Babylon 5 -- but since it's integrated with cel animation rather than live action, it works very well. About the only time you'll notice the crossovers are with some of the water effects, as well as a few of the flame/smoke effects. With computers handling a lot of the 3d modelling and detailed backgrounds, animators were able to spend a lot more time with the foreground characters, and it really shows. Sound effects are equally well done, thought I have a real problem with the mix -- several intense audio tracks are driven to clipping, which is really annoying. This is the first title we've purchased where clipping was a consistent problem. Character designs are a little more traditional, though some characters -- in particular, Mayumi Kino -- have such jet-black pupils, that they look sunken. Most of the other character designs (if not the characterisations themselves) are pretty stereotypical. Again, take any 'classic' mecha series, and you'll pretty much be able to swap characters in and out. In the end, it's the fast-paced action, tight direction, mixed with the exceptional animation that makes this a great piece of escapism. First episodes are usually a chore to watch. This one, I'm pleased to report, is anything but. - AN, 2000.02.27