"Blue Seed" (1994) TV series 1994-1995

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Creator:

Yuzo Takada

Seasons:

1

Genre:

Animation | Fantasy | Adventure | Comedy | Horror

Plot:

A young girl must fulfill her destiny as a foretold demon fighter with help from a cursed boy and a special investigations team.

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Supernatural | Paranormal Investigation | Anime

Cast

Jason Lee	...	Mamoru Kusanagi (1 episode)
Keiko Yokozawa	...	Wakama (1 episode)

Runtime:

25 min (26 episodes)

Country:

USA | Japan

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16

Company:

Ashi Productions Co. Inc.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Aokushimitama blue seed 2 (1997)

Similar to Neon Genesis, but not quite as artistic

Blue Seed is a revisionist updating of the Susano-Oh/Yamato-no-Orochi tale, and it is in some ways like Neon Genesis Evangelion (for instance, a main character in each is played by the incredible Megumi Hayashibara). Giant monsters rampage through Japan (in this case, totally isolated to the country of Japan, unlike Neon, where the entire world is in danger), bent on recreating the world in their own plant-like image. Like Neon, teenagers are at the center of the struggle-Momiji and her older sister Kaede are the secret weapons against the plant-monster Aragami, who will be banished from the earth if either one of them dies while still a virgin (that's why the mother is safe! LOL).

If the major complaint with major complaints with Neon Genesis could be summed up with the fact that so many animation sequences are re-used over and over (I got so sick of that damned penguin eating that same fish), then Blue Seed's major fault is that it sticks to the monster-appears/introduce-new-characters/new-weapon-is-created/monster-is-defeated formula for at least ten episodes after the initial two-episode introduction. Not that they're bad episodes, but they really don't add much to the overall story (though the relationship between Momiji and Kusanagi is deepened). Neon, even when introducing more characters and sticking to the same formula, was constantly evolving every character and revealing more and more of the government conspiracy and the motivations of Shinji's father. On the other hand, Neon was much more confusing and didn't really answer all the questions it posed, whereas Blue Seed is more straightforward (this could be a bane or a blessing, depending on your tastes).

However, the one thing that Blue Seed has that Neon doesn't is the Omake (`Extra') Theater, a set of thirteen 3-minute self-parodies/music videos that were apparently made for the show when it appeared on video. Seeing Kusanagi sell semi-nude pictures of Kaede and Momiji to TAC leader Kunikida is so freaking hilarious that I almost died laughing, just as Kusanagi does in a different Omake. The Susano-Oh OH-NO short and the Jong Jong Majong were also crazy!