Blue Seed...
Way back, when VCRs still stalked the Earth, I picked up the VHS version of Blue Seed...
It's been a while since I last visited the world of Blue Seed. I recall the series being very, very long and more than a bit convoluted. I lost interest in the series part way through. Overall, I gave Blue Seed a 1 out of 5. In the aftermath of the Ultimate Otaku Fall Cleanup, I decided not to keep it in my archive.
An elite team of special agents faces off against an ancient race of creatures whose millennia-long attempt to enslave humanity has given rise to man's ancient legends of shape-shifting monsters and demons! This is the world of BLUE SEED, the incredible animated series that stunned Japan with spectacular sequences of nightmarish action and jaw-dropping visions of unearthly horror! For thousands of years the Aragami have been held in check by human sacrifices, but now the bonds have been broken and it's up to the agents of the TAC to take on mankind's oldest enemies, whose ability to mutate and control almost any living creature makes them the deadliest of adversaries! To combat an enemy who can attack anywhere, anytime, without notice will require the most talented agents from around the world and every resource modern civilization can provide; but the most dangerous weapons in the TAC's arsenal are two very special humans. Joining the agents in their battle are Momiji Fujimiya, a young teenager whose traumatic implantation with an unborn Aragami, a "blue seed", has left her with enhanced psychic abilities and Mamoru Kusanagi, orange skinned, cat-eyed former servant of the Aragami who rebels against the will of his masters to use his super-human powers to protect Momiji! The ultimate destiny of the planet Earth will be decided in BLUE SEED!
Volume 1
It's X-FILES meets ALIENS meets SPECIES! It's the incredible animated series that stunned Japan with twenty-six episodes of spectacular action and jaw-dropping sequences of unearthly horror! Based on the hit graphic series by Yuzo Takada, Blue Seed is the story of the TAC, a super-secret government organization founded to combat the supernatural forces of the Aragami, a bizarre race of beings whose millennia-long attempts to conquer and enslave humanity have given rise to many of man's ancient legends of shape-shifting monsters and demons. Joining the TAC in their battle is Momiji Fujimiya, a young Japanese girl who carries an unborn Aragami, a "blue seed", inside her chest, and Mamoru Kusanagi, a cat-eyed servant of the Aragami with super-human powers who rebels against the will of his masters to protect Momiji. The entire nation of Japan is the battleground as the TAC squares off against mankind's oldest enemies, whose ability to impregnate any living creature with a controlling seed means they can attack anywhere, anytime, without notice! The fate of the human race will be decided, once and for all, in the animated masterpiece BLUE SEED!
Volume 2
After she is accidentally implanted with a "blue seed," the unborn form of the Aragami, teenager Momiji Fujimiya finds herself the recipient of bizarre psychic powers. Destined to be sacrificed to the Aragami, will Momiji find protection in the mutated human, Mamoru, and the badly outgunned and outnumbered TAC?
Volume 3
As the strain of the continuing war against the Aragami begins to take its toll, the TAC finds itself under increasing pressure from within as well as without. In this action packed volume, when Yaegashi's inexperience with weapons almost costs Kome her life, he has to deal with the aftermath. While a giant jelly fish eats Tokyo, Matsudaira must deal with her feelings of inadequacy when she forgets her son's birthday.
Volume 4
The Kushinada Project
As BLUE SEED VOLUME 4 opens, six year old Yukiko is kidnapped by the Aragami to force her father to release data from the Kushinada Project. Incensed that an innocent has been put in danger because of her, Momiji makes it her personal crusade to rescue Yukiko. The action continues in the second episode when, as a result of her popularity after rescuing Yukiko, Momiji is nominated to perform for the Kanto Pop-Idol Scout Caravan. However, the contest's climatic singing duel, which pits Momiji against Sakura Yamazakim a magic using young lady with an eye on Mamoru, is interrupted by the attack of a ginkgo tree Aragami.
Volume 5
A Date With Danger
A new breed of Aragami has appeared in Tokyo. Taking the form of hunting dogs, these Hell Hounds are stronger, faster and meaner than all the Aragami that have come before. Add their mysterious master and his giant fire breathing toad and the TAC's resources and Kusanagi's abilities will be stretched to the breaking point.
Volume 6
Impending Disaster
Creepy crawlers and jitter bugs! It's an entomologist's dream come true when the world of the TAC is invaded by a host of insectoid Aragami. The fun begins with little black spiders in control of Momiji's classmates at school. With no curds, no whey and no tuffets in sight, these spiders are going to find life a lot tougher than it was for their sister in the nursery rhyme, especially since Sakura's taking an interest in the fight. However, no sooner is the spider invasion squashed, than a giant, sky scraper scaling centipede appears to terrorize downtown office workers
Volume 7
Rebirth
Despite overwhelming odds, the men and women of the TAC have somehow managed to hold back the Aragami invasion.... But now the Aragami are turning the tide of the battle for Earth with a nightmarish new wave of mutated monsters and the unexpected arrival of a new force of allies! For teenager Momiji Fujimiya and the TAC, the fight to save the Earth has turned into a struggle for their own survival as man's most ancient enemies target the human race for annihilation! Mankind's last trump card: sacrificing Momiji and unleashing the awesome power of the Kushinada effect.... But can any force generated by a mere human match the power of a living God? Human Beings become Aragami prey as Yuzo Takada's animation epic BLUE SEED continues!
Volume 8
Sea Devils
Old sailors have always feared the many horrors concealed by the tranquil looking waves of the briny depths. Now, the members of the TAC find themselves trapped between devils and the deep blue sea as they struggle to cope with the unexpected reappearance of Momiji's sister Kaede. Once believed to be dead but now known to be fighting on the side of the Aragami, Kaede's spell travels beyond the TAC's traditional urban turf to the surf swept beaches of Tono. There, while investigating the recent sightings of some very real sea monsters, Momiji finds her life turned upside down as the stories told by Kaede's friends and her own teammates cause her to question her own relative worth to both the TAC and Kusanagi. Then, Kunikida must face the most dreadful duty of all when an investigation into the death of an old comrade unravels a nightmarish secret of inhuman bloodlust and murder. The personal consequences of the war against the Aragami hit hard in this spectacular submarine edition of BLUE SEED!
Volume 9
When Gods Walk the Earth
A massive earthquake in Mie Prefecture triggers the latest avalanche of disasters for the TAC. As Takeuchi worries about Kunikida's mental health, Momiji is plagued by a series of recurring visions of a mysterious hexagram, a prelude to the appearance of the legendary Stone Door Of Heaven! Meanwhile, the dark plans of the rapidly growing infant god, Susano-o, become more apparent when Momiji's lost sister Kaede announces an impending holocaust that will wipe the nation of Japan from the face of the Earth! As Aragami attacks become more and more frequent, Sakura must face the most difficult decision of her life when she learns that slaying the Aragami known as Nozuchi will also destroy her mother's soul; a decision made all the more difficult when the creature swallows both Momiji and Sakura alive!
Volume 10
Fate and Destiny
As the time nears for the final ceremony that will bring Susano-o to full power, a dome, impenetrable to anyone without a blue seed, appears over the city of Kogure. When Kusanagi goes there in search of the "godling", he finds himself trapped in a world of phantoms where even his own existence is questionable and Momiji must use her love to recall him to the real world. But will it be enough? Then, as the time for the Tamafuri Ceremony draws ever nearer, the TAC travels to Izumo in a desperate attempt to head off Susano-o. Momiji's homecoming, however, is a rocky one as she remains distracted by thoughts of the coming cataclysm.
Volume 11
Sacrifice
Time is running out for the members of the TAC and Kunikida's squad finds itself fighting an increasingly desperate battle for Japan! As the final ceremony nears, Susano-o's growing power pulls the moon from its accustomed orbit causing unanticipated eclipses and predictions of doom and disaster from every quarter. The situation moves from bad to worse when Momiji decides that the only solution to the problem calls for a human sacrifice - her!
Volume 12
Betrayal
As the TAC works feverishly to prepare for the coming eclipse, Matsudaira and Yaegashi discover the factor behind the Kushinada's power, the Kushinada Pulse, which they believe can be used to destroy Susano-o. Despite this exciting discovery, the Japanese government makes a stunning announcement. For the safety of Japan, Momiji Fujimiya must be found and used as a human sacrifice! To top things off, on the eve of the eclipse, Kunikida reveals the governments dreadful "final option" to deal with the Aragami. Don't miss these two exciting episodes as Blue Seed builds to its final stunning conclusion!
Volume 13
Nightfall
The day of the eclipse has finally dawned and the end of the world is at hand! As if the triple threat of renegade Kushinada, awakening the "godling" and the monstrous Aragami were not enough, Momiji and the members of the TAC must also deal with the threat of nuclear annihilation if they should fail! Will Momiji's faith in humanity be enough to save Japan? Or will the specter of eternal darkness be broken only by the hellish brilliance of a nuclear fireball? Don't miss the spectacular conclusion of Blue Seed! Secret government agency versus ancient evil with poor Momiji Fujimiya caught in the middle. Watch as the epic battle unfolds in this epic series.
It's been a while since I last visited the world of Blue Seed. I recall the series being very, very long and more than a bit convoluted. I lost interest in the series part way through. Overall, I gave Blue Seed a 1 out of 5. In the aftermath of the Ultimate Otaku Fall Cleanup, I decided not to keep it in my archive.
