Blue Gender - Vol. 1 - Episodes 1 To 3 [2000]

I saw it originally when it was shown on Sci-fi channel with Nadesico and Evangelion. I hadn't seen Nadesico before and really wanted to see it and was looking forward to watching Evangelion again having previously seen it on VHS. I knew very little about Blue Gender and when I watched it I didn't take a great deal of notice of it. I enjoyed it but nothing special.

Watching it again in isolation I realised that I had formed the wrong opinion of Blue Gender. I know it isn't as well known or revered as shows like Evangelion or Nadesico but Blue Gender is incredibly well written.

The basic plot line of Blue Gender is about a young main, Yuji, who having been cryogenically frozen in the hope that a cure is found for an incurable illness he has. He awakens much later than expected to find that the world is a very different place - a derelict wasteland over-run by insect like monsters called the Blue. A rescue team saves Yuji and gets him back to some orbiting space stations known as Second Earth where the remains of the human race figure how to retake the planet for themselves and eliminate the Blue.

Blue Gender is essentially a sci-fi/mecha series but what really runs through the heart of the series is a very credible love story between Yuji and one of the rescue team, Marlene. The story is very involved and there are some clever sub-plots and plot twists as well. The character development is second to none and you really get to know and feel for Yuji and Marlene as their relationship develops in fits and starts, forced along by the circumstances and pressures that surround them. Marlene is incredibly cold to start with but changes as she falls for Yuji and realises what is really important to her and Yuji struggles to come to terms with has happened and begins to harden as he struggles for survival.

Blue Gender is also very adult and has many scenes of a sexual nature and is very violent and gory at times. This isn't for young audiences.

What lets Blue Gender down is the animation. It was produced on a small budget and that is reflected in the quality of the animation. Which is a real shame because some of the designs are fantastic and there is some lovely artwork too. The problems lie with a lack of detail sometimes and some obvious shortcuts in the animation to save costs.

Blue Gender loses the last star because of this, the story telling fully deserves 5 stars as there aren't many shows that can remained that interesting throughout the whole series. If Blue Gender had animation like RahXephon or Stand Alone Complex then it would probably be the perfect series.

Wholeheartedly recommended.


Review on Blue Gender   February 20, 2004
Sabaku No Gaara (United Kingdom)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Blue Gender is one of them Anime's that has you on the tip of your Seat, with one killing after another of the Sleeper Recovery Teams members, Blue Gender is packed with loads of action. Mechs, giant Bugs and loads of Guns. What else could you ask for ?

The Story is pretty solid for a Sci-Fi Anime, at the beginning of the series its fairly annoying with Yuji Kaido's whining, Marlene is boring and has no Emotions for the first half or so. But after the 5th Episode it really starts to advance and the parts of the story start to add up. You could say the story is about a Man's regained Strengh and a Women's regained Tenderness.

The Animation of Blue Gender is outstanding, the colours blend in well together and the Backgrounds are very well detailed and the character designs even better. Although in Episode's you may notice that the Animation change's slightly as if the Animator's couldnt decide on what to go with.

Also Blue Gender contains alot of Blood and Gore and not to mention Nudity, so it might not be an intrest to those with Weak Stomachs...


A real disappointment   February 12, 2003
2 out of 6 found this review helpful

When I discovered this show was to be shown on Sci-Fi I thought 'Great, another Anime series that looks really good. The plot was interesting and the animation, though not the best I had seen, was pretty nice, and I love the opening theme. However, after watching the first few episodes, my interest drained every subsiquent week. The plot didn't seem to go anyway, the dubbing was bad, the animation seemed to deterate, and overall, it was just boring. Each week I had to force myself to watch it. Even the last episode seemed forced and boring. Though a lot does happen in this series, the way it is done makes it seem that nothing every does happen.

If you like epic Mecha Anime avoid this and go straight to the good stuff, like 'Neon Genesis Evangelion', 'Patalabor', 'Macross' or 'Escaflowne.' This Anime series should not even stand anywhere near them. I am a total Anime fan, and this is one of the worst series' I have even seen.


A disgraceful excuse for anime - avoid at all costs!   September 12, 2002
5 out of 9 found this review helpful

Oh dear...another wasted opportunity. Whilst Blue Gender appears promising on the outside, featuring spunky box art and a catchy title, its contents form a rotten core that's sure to disappoint. Instead of being a slick, exciting sci-fi series, it is a dull, generic mecha flick that aspires to evangelion and fails miserably. Not that there's anything wrong with EVA, of course. Blue Gender shows every sign of being a low budget show. Backgrounds are crudely drawn with lurid colours, and animation is frequently replaced with sliding 'stills' that are more irritating than dramatic. Even worse is the fact that there is *no Japanese voice over*! The entire DVD (and subsequent episodes) is only available in American English! And if that wasn't enough, there are *no* extras on the disk, and the video transfer is a disgrace - fuzzy edges and minor artifacts, with no 5.1 sound or Dolby Digital. As for the story itself, it's simply a series of shoddy alien-human encounters interspersed by flashbacks. I cannot emphasise enough how disappointed I was. Don't ruin your day too.


My opinion on Blue Gender Vol. 1   August 8, 2002
4 out of 5 found this review helpful

This is an excellant piece of creativity from Manga. The director; Abe Musachi, has produced an excellant first installment to the series. The situation is described wonderfully; the setting, events, time and status of characters involved. You are not left in the dark about anything.

The whole concept is brilliant, the plot is an intiguing one. The year is 2031, and the 'Blue', a mysterious alien race, has inhabited the earth and all but wiped out the human race. All survivors now live in orbit on Second Earth, except a few, trapped on earth.

Our lead characters are Yuji Kaido, a sleeper, and Marlene, a member of an elite sleeper recovery team. 'Sleepers' are people who were frozen in the past because they had untreatable diseases. Yuji is saved and decides he wants to help out against the Blue while he is being taken back to Second Earth. Can he learn to help out, or will he remain a defenceless, frightened boy?

Abe has directed a good piece of animation and it is for mature audiences, it isn't baby cartoon characters - these characters are more realistic and life like compared to some manga. Definitely worth buying and collecting. You won't be let down. For hard core manga fans and sci-fi buffs too. Get it!