PARASITE DOLLS review: Exploring the appeal and profound themes of cyberpunk

"Parasite Dolls": A cyberpunk masterpiece depicting the dark side of a future city

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

January 17, 2004 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Clockworks = IMAGICA Entertainment

■Frequencies

85 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Naoyuki Yoshinaga and Kazuto Nakazawa

■ Director

Directed by: Naoyuki Yoshinaga, Kazuto Nakazawa

■ Production

Production/IMAGICA ENTERTAINMENT
Production: AIC

■Works

©AIC/Parasite Production Committee

■ Story

In the year 2034, Tokyo is a futuristic city where humans and the "demi-humans" Booma coexist. However, behind the scenes, crimes using the Booma are rampant. In order to solve these cases, AD Police forms a special mission organization called "Branch". This work, which depicts Branch's exploits in a three-part omnibus format, is a work that combines a cyberpunk worldview with deep human drama.

■Explanation

Uncontrollable――

"Parasite Dolls," a theatrical adaptation of the OVA series that is a spinoff of "AD Police," depicts a society in which Boomas and humans coexist in Tokyo in the year 2034. While Boomas are used as tools for prostitution and sabotage, the AD Police form a special mission organization called "Branch" to fight against these crimes. This work, which depicts Branch's exploits in an omnibus format of three stories, is a work that combines a cyberpunk worldview with deep human drama. *Quoted from Bandai Channel

■Cast

Baz Nyqvest/Kazuhiko Inoue/Michaelson/Akemi Okamura/Takahashi/Masaru Ikeda/Kimball/Akira Uchida/Angel/Kikuko Inoue/Myers/Toshio Furukawa

■ Main staff

・Planning / Susumu Miura, Chiaki Konaka・Director / Kazuto Nakazawa, Naoyuki Yoshinaga・Screenplay, Script / Chiaki Konaka・Character Design / Naoyuki Onda・Art Setting / Masahiro Sato・Art Director / Masaru Sato・Sound Director / Toshiki Kameyama・Music / Kazushi Miyakoda・Sound Effects / Minoru Yamada・Editing / Shigeyuki Yamamori・Sound Production / Omnibus Promotion・Opening Animation / Kazuto Nakazawa・Production Producer / Yasuo Hasegawa, Hisao Fukaya・Production / AIC
・Produced by IMAGICA Entertainment ・Produced by Clockworks

■ Main Characters

Baz Nykvest He was headhunted by the normal police 5 years ago. He has an aversion to firearms and doesn't carry one. However, he is skilled enough to have won the Interpolice competition.
Michaelson: Although she still has the appearance of a young girl, she is licensed to operate Battlehawk-class heavy weapons. She is talkative and easygoing, but on the inside she is quite feminine.
Takahashi
He had risen through the ranks of the AD Police, but when a problem arose with the way he handled a certain case, he was seconded to a branch.
Kimball: Booma, a silent giant. He is completely human. The model for the information program printed on him is that of a deceased detective.
Angel: A beautiful woman of super model class. She doesn't go near the base very often, and seems to be doing undercover investigations on her own up to the center of the genome. She occasionally stops by the base.
Although he is not an employee of Myers Genome, he is a specialist in Booma analysis who knows Booma well. He only opens up to Buzz. He is unstable and has manic-depressive tendencies.

■ Related works

・AD.POLICE

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Get On the Beat
Lyrics: Mitsuko Komuro; Composition: Kazushi Miyakoda; Arrangement: Yosuke Haga

The appeal and evaluation of "Parasite Dolls"

Cyberpunk worldview

"Parasite Dolls" is set in Tokyo in the year 2034 and depicts a society where Booma and humans coexist. The cyberpunk worldview skillfully depicts the glamor of the futuristic city and the darkness behind it. The contrast between the night view of Tokyo with its skyscrapers and the crimes rampant in the underworld makes a strong visual impression. In particular, the scene in which Booma is used as a tool for prostitution and sabotage realistically depicts the dark side of society and encourages the audience to think deeply.

Character Depth

Each character in this work is unique and has a deep background. Buzz Nyqvest is a skilled police officer who has won the Interpolice Competition, despite his aversion to firearms. Michaelson is a strong woman who has a license to operate Battlehawk-class heavy weapons, while still retaining the features of a young girl. Takahashi has risen through the ranks within the AD Police, but is transferred to a branch after a problem arises with the way he handles a certain case. Kimball is a silent, large-bodied Booma who prints information programs on fallen detectives. Angel is a beautiful supermodel who conducts an undercover investigation at the Genome Center on her own. Myers is a Booma analysis specialist and an unstable person who only opens up to Buzz. The drama woven by these characters has the power to draw the audience in.

Story Development

"Parasite Dolls" is composed of three stories in an anthology format, each of which is independent but has a consistent theme. The first story depicts the destruction of a prostitution ring that uses Booma, the second story depicts the prevention of Booma's destructive activities, and the third story questions the very existence of Booma. These stories depict the dark side of society and the true nature of humanity, encouraging deep reflection in the audience.

Visuals and Music

The visuals of this work realistically depict the cyberpunk worldview. The night view of Tokyo with its skyscrapers and the scenes depicting the dark side of the underworld leave a strong visual impression. The music is also an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of this work. The opening theme "Get On the Beat" is a powerful song that emphasizes the cyberpunk worldview, with lyrics by Mitsuko Komuro, music by Kazushi Miyakoda, and arrangement by Yosuke Haga.

Ratings and Recommendations

"Parasite Dolls" is a masterpiece that combines the worldview of cyberpunk with deep human drama. The individuality and depth of the characters, the development of the story, and the quality of the visuals and music have the power to draw the audience in. In particular, the theme that depicts the dark side of society and the true nature of humanity encourages the audience to think deeply. This work is recommended not only to those who like cyberpunk and science fiction anime, but also to those who are looking for deep human drama.

Related works and their appeal

AD.POLICE

"Parasite Dolls" is a theatrical remake of the OVA series, which is a spinoff of "AD Police". "AD.POLICE" shares the cyberpunk worldview of depicting a symbiotic society between Booma and humans, and also depicts a deep human drama. "AD.POLICE" also depicts the dark side of society and the true nature of humanity, encouraging deep contemplation in the audience. By watching "Parasite Dolls" and "AD.POLICE" together, you will be able to enjoy the cyberpunk worldview and human drama even more deeply.

Conclusion

"Parasite Dolls" is a masterpiece that combines the worldview of cyberpunk with deep human drama. The individuality and depth of the characters, the development of the story, and the quality of the visuals and music have the power to draw the audience in. In particular, the theme of depicting the dark side of society and the true nature of humanity encourages the audience to contemplate deeply. This work is recommended not only to those who like cyberpunk and science fiction anime, but also to those who are looking for deep human drama. Please watch "Parasite Dolls" and feel the darkness of the futuristic city and the true nature of humanity.