Gundress review: A fusion of attractive design and story

Gundress: Warriors and terrorists in a futuristic city

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

others

■ Release date

March 20, 1999 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Distributor: Toei Co., Ltd. Released by: Nikkatsu Corporation

■ Eirin Number

115499

■Frequencies

90 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Akira Amasawa

■ Director

Katsuyoshi Yatabe

■ Production

Planning and production: Sanctuary Production: Gundress Production Committee

■Works

©1999/Akira Amasawa, ORCA/Gundress Production Committee

■ Story

The story takes place in Yokohama Bayside City in the year 2100. Behind the scenes of the city that has grown into a megalopolis that surpasses the capital, Tokyo, terrorist crimes are rampant. To fight against the terrorists, a group of girls with special abilities gather together. They set up a security company called Angel Arm, and spend their days fighting armed with the latest powered suits, Landmaids. As the fierce terrorist battle continues, the girls face various crises...

■Explanation

A joint anime production between Japan and Korea. A sci-fi mecha action film with Masamune Shirow from "Ghost in the Shell" as the original creator of the character and mecha designs. The film was initially produced with beautiful girls, firearms, and robots as its theme, but due to the low budget, most of the film was left unfinished when it was released in theaters. When it was later released on DVD as "Gundress Complete Edition," the unfinished theatrical release version was included as a bonus feature in addition to the finished version.

■Cast

Arisa Takakura, Rie Ishizuka, Yun Kei, Kumiko Watanabe, Marcia Asano, Akemi Okamura, Michelle Iga, Tomoko Kawakami, Sylvia Kakihana, Reiko Takagi, Takako Houraiji, Masako Katsuki

■ Main staff

・Producers: Masaya Nakamura, Yu-seok Lee, Takehiko Asakawa, Terutaka Takano, Masahiro Kawano・Producers: Kazumasa Fujiya, Tatsuyoshi Yoshida・General Manager: Masaharu Nagashima・Animation Producer: Yoshiaki Noguchi, Takao Kozai・Director: Jujiro, Kozue Kasuga, Yoko Iino・Character Design: Tetsuro Aoki, Yuuki Iwai・Chief Animation Director: Taro Yamada・Animation Directors: Mikio Tsuchiya, Hideo Maru, Masahiko Okumura・Screenplay: ORCA, Kentaro Izaki, Junichi Sakai, Kazumasa Fujiya・Setting Cooperation: Masamune Shirow・Music: Yutaka Tominaga・Art Setting: Hiroshi Kato, Akihiro Hirasawa, Yoshinori Shiozawa・Art: Mitsuharu Miyamae・Sound Director: Wataru Date・Sound Direction: Katsuyoshi Yatabe・Sound Producer: Toru Nakano・Editor: Kazuo Inoue・Director: Katsuyoshi Yatabe・Producer: Gundress Production Committee

■ Main Characters

Arisa Takakura: A member of Angel Arm, she pilots the Land Maid Dolce. She previously belonged to the terrorist group "Secundati." She has a surly personality.

Yun Kay is a member of Angel Arm Company and a Land Maid pilot of the Geumgang. He was once a member of the Republic of Korea Army and is a Taekwondo practitioner. He speaks his true feelings openly.

Marcia Asano: A member of Angel Arms, she pilots the Noctule as a Land Maid. She was born in Japan but grew up in America. She used to be an American police officer, and is second to none when it comes to marksmanship.

Michelle Iga: A member of Angel Arms, her Landmaid pilots the Truffle Anne. Her parents are world-famous scholars, and she herself is a genius who earned her doctorate at the age of 14. She is particularly skilled in information analysis.

Sylvia Kakihana is a member of Angel Arm, who speaks in a distinctive Kansai dialect. Her Land Maid pilots the Nanbu. She was scouted by the owner of Angel Arm after seeing her karate skills.

■ Main robot items

・Landmate: A humanoid mecha for battles, one of the next generation weapons. It can be controlled by the pilot armed with weapons. Each Landmaid has different functions.

The appeal and evaluation of "Gundres"

Gundress is a Japanese-Korean co-production animated film released in 1999, centered around sci-fi mecha action. It was directed by Katsuyoshi Yatabe, written by Akira Amasawa, and the original character and mecha designs were created by Masamune Shirow of Ghost in the Shell. This highly entertaining film combines the elements of beautiful girls, firearms, and robots, but due to its low budget, many parts were left unfinished when it was released in theaters. However, the DVD version of Gundress: Complete Edition, which was later released, includes the unfinished theatrical version as a bonus video in addition to the finished version, making it a valuable resource for fans.

The story is set in Yokohama Bayside City in the year 2100. This city has grown into a megalopolis that surpasses the capital, Tokyo, and terrorist crimes are rampant. Meanwhile, a group of girls with special abilities come together to set up a security company called Angel Arm, and fight against terrorists using the latest powered suits, Landmaids. In the midst of their battles, they face various crises and grow, which is a highlight of the series.

The five main characters are Arisa Takakura, Yun Kei, Marcia Asano, Michelle Iga, and Sylvia Kakihana. Each character has a different background and unique personality. Despite being a former terrorist, Arisa is depicted fighting as a member of Angel Arm. Yun uses her experience in the Republic of Korea Army and her taekwondo skills to fight. Marcia uses her experience as an American police officer to show off her shooting skills. Michelle has a genius mind and is in charge of information analysis. Sylvia is a lively character who speaks in the Kansai dialect and fights using her karate skills. The highlight of the series is watching these characters board their respective Land Maids and fight against terrorists.

Landmaids are combat humanoid mechas, depicted as next-generation weapons. Each Landmaid is equipped with different functions and features a design that reflects the personality of its pilot. Each Landmaid, such as Alisa's Landmaid "Dolce", Yun's Landmaid "Kumgan", Marcia's Landmaid "Noctour", Michelle's Landmaid "Truffle Ann", and Sylvia's Landmaid "Nanbu", has different abilities and engages in strategic battles.

It has been pointed out that Gundress is often left unfinished due to its low-budget production. However, the individuality of the characters and the appeal of the mecha designs are still there, and the film has been highly praised by fans. In addition, the DVD version of Gundress Complete Edition includes the finished version as well as the unfinished theatrical version, making it a valuable resource for fans.

"Gundress" is recommended for those who want to enjoy sci-fi mecha action and those who like the combination of beautiful characters and robots. It cannot be denied that there are many unfinished parts due to the low-budget production, but even so, the individuality of the characters and the charm of the mecha design are fully felt, and it has received high praise from fans. The DVD version of "Gundress Complete Edition" includes not only the finished version but also the unfinished theatrical release version, making it a valuable resource for fans. Please give it a watch.