Bubblegum Crisis:
Blow Up Review

This is the finale of the 2032 Knight Sabers vs. Brian J. Mason saga. This is, IMHO, the finest of the first three episodes. It has everything one has come to expect from BGC and delivers it all very well.

The opening sequence has the K-11s battling the Boomer. This is one of the most infamous scenes where the AD. Police prove their inadequacy, and is probably the most commonly referenced scene when someone is bashing the poor fools. The scene suffers from Priss racing right toward the Boomer as though she could do a bit of damage to it, which was mildly annoying, if not outright humorous in its own way.

Later into the episode it shows BGC's most fatal weakness YET AGAIN: Too much time spent on Priss, not enough on the story. The plot was sacrificed so that Priss could be shown bonding with Sho and his mother. This was probably so enhance the emotional impact brought about by Sho's mother's death, but it didn't quite work out that way. Instead, fans of the series and not just Priss were left trying to figure out who had written that script.

The climatic battle between Sylia and Mason was also something of a letdown. Why? It could have been great, but once again, Priss got in the way. I love Priss, but it's a huge pain the backside when she takes up so much time that the main character barely has time to kill the main villain before Priss is being shown again... and again... and again... and...

Linna and Nene were left out once more, but by this point it has become a fairly regular thing for Nene fans to be disappointed by her lack of time on the screen. Linna has about three lines in this episode so she's doing better than Nene does. Sylia gets very few lines, but at once is shown the second most. Most of her scenes are silent, where she is contemplating her moves and researching her data.

Finally, there are the villains, Quincy and Mason. Quincy has very few lines but makes quite an impact with his scenes. Mason has more time to develop and become a snide, obnoxious jerk... which is precisely what I wanted him to be. He was cruel, evil, and deserved Sylia's laser sword being shoved into his throat.

The ending credits serve as a permanent reminder that there is indeed a reason that so many Sylia fans think Priss is a huge pain in the ass: Rather than showing nothing at all or some sign that Sylia is the main character, one of Priss' concert posters and her Motoroid are displayed.


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