Birdy the Mighty...
In Birdy the Mighty, we are treated to the rather small sub-genre of anime featuring a half-girl-alien-half-guy buddy cop adventure...
Birdy the Mighty has had two incarnations over the years -- an OVA circa 1996 and a TV series, Decode, circa 2008. The OVA and the TV series each follow somewhat similar story paths. In each incarnation, Birdy is chasing criminals and accidentally kills a human named Tsutomu Senkawa and subsequently merges with the aforementioned human. But, after that initial similarity, the two productions, take different story paths.
The original OVA appears a bit more dated than it actually is, but, still manages to hold up well with the passage of time and repeated viewings. Both incarnations are fairly action-packed, but, the TV series, greatly benefits from a longer running time and higher production values and is able to explore more of Birdy's origin and backstory, giving the viewer a grand view of Birdy's home world and upbringing.
There is a fair amount of red ink in both incarnations, but, more so in the TV series. The TV series is also able to take the time to explore more of the political and racial undercurrents in the series. Each incarnation of Birdy the Mighty contains some fan service elements such as the occasional bare breast and bare bottoms.
What can I say? I have a soft spot for half-guy, half-girl, cop-buddy flicks. I used to have the subtitled VHS version and enjoyed it very much. I haven't had the "pleasure" of hearing the dubbed version, but, I'm told that it's bad - really, really bad. I had a lot of fun with this title and after the demise of a local video store, I was able to repurchase the original OVA on DVD for a price that I just couldn't resist.
I gave Birdy the Mighty a 4 out of 5.
OVA
Volume 1
Double Trouble
Meet Tsutomu and Birdy - a boy and a girl from opposite ends of the galaxy with absolutely nothing in common. Tsutomu was an ordinary high school student. Birdy's a maverick Space Federation Officer armed with superhuman strength and - as Tsutomu soon discovers - a devastating energy blast.
Now they share one thing in common: Their body. While attempting to apprehend an alien felon hiding out on Earth, Space Federation Officer Birdy accidentally killed high school student Tsutomu Senkawa. Now, Tsutomu must 'time-share' his body with Birdy - a female space cop! Despite their unique 'impediment' and Tsutomu's lack of experience, they've got to work together to track down a deadly serum capable of mutating humans into hideous, psychic soldiers. But first, they'll have to battle their way past an army of shape-changing aliens and robot assassins!
Volume 2
Final Force
Ever since Tsutomu got stuck sharing his body with Birdy, his life's been turned completely upside-down. His parents are trying to figure out why he's acting so oddly. His sister wants know who's been wearing her clothes. And worst of all, his girl-friend saw him transform into the shapely and scantily-clad Birdy - and she wants answers!
But Birdy's got a mission to complete, and she's getting close. Birdy's enemies aren't taking any chances. They've arranged for a little surprise for our heroine: an unstoppable cyborg assassin that can match Birdy blow-for-blow! Time is running out, and if Tsutomu and Birdy fail - Tsutomu's family, friends... and all of Tokyo will be mutated into maniacal monsters!
TV Series
Decode
Volume 1
Birdy is a jaw-dropping, pin-up sensation with a secret. Under the cover of darkness, this dream girl becomes a bad guy's worst nightmare. Birdy dons her crime-fighting costume and hits the street as a lethal, interstellar federation agent charged with nailing the most dangerous criminals in the galaxy. Her latest case involves a gang of extraterrestrial terrorists and a stolen space weapon that could nuke every living thing on Earth. Birdy's got the moves to stop them dead in their tracks, but there's one big problem: she's got a nasty habit of going berserk, and somebody always gets hurt. Yeah, Birdy may be dreamy, but she's also the only thing more dangerous than the bad guys.
Volume 2
In the wake of a devastating explosion that nearly wiped out Tokyo, intergalactic peace-keeper Birdy Cephon is charged with tracking down the six alien terrorists responsible for the deadly attack. This stunning space agent refuses to let anything derail her mission, but the unexpected arrival of a face from her past triggers an onslaught of haunting memories. Birdy's adversaries don't hesitate to exploit the connection, luring her into one ambush after another and forcing her to confront a painful truth: the bad guys aren't the only killers terrorizing Earth. As the body count rises, Birdy finds herself torn between honoring past loyalties and following unthinkable orders: defend the very enemies she's been trained to destroy - or hunt down the only true friend she's ever known. The future of humanity rests on her decision.
The original OVA appears a bit more dated than it actually is, but, still manages to hold up well with the passage of time and repeated viewings. Both incarnations are fairly action-packed, but, the TV series, greatly benefits from a longer running time and higher production values and is able to explore more of Birdy's origin and backstory, giving the viewer a grand view of Birdy's home world and upbringing.
There is a fair amount of red ink in both incarnations, but, more so in the TV series. The TV series is also able to take the time to explore more of the political and racial undercurrents in the series. Each incarnation of Birdy the Mighty contains some fan service elements such as the occasional bare breast and bare bottoms.
What can I say? I have a soft spot for half-guy, half-girl, cop-buddy flicks. I used to have the subtitled VHS version and enjoyed it very much. I haven't had the "pleasure" of hearing the dubbed version, but, I'm told that it's bad - really, really bad. I had a lot of fun with this title and after the demise of a local video store, I was able to repurchase the original OVA on DVD for a price that I just couldn't resist.
I gave Birdy the Mighty a 4 out of 5.
