Burst Angel

I should hate Burst Angel. It’s fanservicey. It has an inconsistent plot and setting with almost nonsensical antagonists. It tries to overcome its shortcomings by throwing tons of Yen at its problems, filling every frame with lots pretty, high-contrast graphics. But, I can’t help but be charmed by this action-packed show. If nothing else, at least it’s full of interesting if risque cosplay ideas.

Burst Angel follows four members of a special squad of an underground organization known as Bai Lan – Meg, Jo, Sei, and Amy. Sei is the granddaughter of the head of Bai Lan, and leads the squad. Amy is a preteen computer whiz. Meg has a large gun and has an uncanny knack for being abducted. Jo pilots a mech named Django, and has unreal, Exaltedesque combat abilities. Together, they travel around in a large trailer with their wimpy cook and macho mechanic. They visit amusement parks, cybernetic worlds, a TV station, Osaka, a private all-girls high school, and the urban underworld of mad-scientist train-labs.

Jo has a mysterious past, and is somehow connected to the strange monsters that reappear time and time again. I wish this mysterious past were less straightforward, and that there were some sort of twist to this series’ plot. The ending is a downer, and I just wish that the organization behind all of the explosions, giant mechs, and assassination attempts had some substance to its goals. For all its flaws, Burst Angel is probably one of the best action anime ever made, and I love it.