Alien Nine (2001)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Based on the manga by Hitoshi Tomizawa
Directed by Jiro Fujimoto
Character Design by Yasuhiro Irie

Features:

• Series manga with box set
  
• Art gallery
  
• Sketch gallery
  
• Comments from the producer
  
• Japanese promos
  
• Manga preview on DVD
  
• Trailers
  

Dindrane's Anime Warnings:

• Hints of lesbianism
• Hints of incest
• Violence
• Unwilling heroine
• Gross parasites
• Subliminal sexuality

Released by: Central Park Media
Region: 1
Rating: 13+
Anamorphic: N/A; appears in its original 1.33:1 format.

My Advice: Check it out.

Alien Nine takes the usual "magical girl in sixth grade who has to save the world" premise and gives it a twist: this time, the three girls in question don't have innate magical powers; they are chosen to be part of a school sponsored team, chosen to wear symbiotic aliens called Borg on their heads and fight other aliens who would harm the school. Yuri, our main heroine of the three, is also not your usual heroine in that she does not want to be on the Alien Team. She's genuinely afraid, as well she should be, and she hates aliens, so having one feeding off of her is rather disturbing; she's one of the only crying girls in anime who actually seems to have a reason for it all. Both the manga and the DVD that come packaged together closely parallel each other; I strongly suggest you experience both.

The specific episodes deal with a series of alien threats attacking the school, and the girls' attempts to combat them and come to terms with their year of service as alien hunters. As the series progresses, we learn a bit more about what's really going on behind the scenes and come to appreciate the possible metaphors underlying the show's elements. For example, the Borg/Borgu could represent the process of puberty and inevitable sexualization that all girls of that age are undergoing, but do not really understand. Contact with the aliens lead to the kinked wiry hair, as demonstrated later by Kasumi and Kumi, and at key points by adults. Yumi's problems dealing with her aging process reflect the feelings that many girls have about things they cannot control, particularly things revolving around physical contact with beings they find icky and who want to lick them--boys, anyone?

What is, in this light, the abuse of Yumi becomes a central theme of the show; her emotions are not only understandable given her violent fear and hatred of the Borg and her situation, but also when you see it as a girl being forced to leave childhood and do things she does not want to do with her own body--a body that is quickly no longer even her own. The invasiveness is obvious and all the more disturbing given that Yumi does not choose to share her body at any time, yet it is forever changed. The scene where Yumi sits in her bathtub and weeps as her alien licks her back is quite disturbing.

Another hint that the Borg are something more than just alien helmets is how the boys' Borgs cause them to act--they become more violent, less interested in their previous childhood occupations, and can only think of "attacking" Yuri, while creepy little smiles wreath their faces. Further, when the wearer of a Borg accepts adulthood, the Borg... well, that might be giving too much away. Just trust me that it's more evidence for the sociological underpinnings of this show that is, in its own way, a rather incisive and chilling indictment of how girls are forced into adulthood by Japanese (and world?) society and their own bodies. Too often, we are impatient with children who do not want adulthood yet and who are forced into maturity, especially sexual maturity, when they are not ready. Why are we so angry at Yuri at times for crying when her life is in danger, and she never asked for any of this? Alien Nine would ask us to be more insightful and understanding, as well as supportive of her inevitable trauma.

The animation is good enough quality, but some of the character designs leave a bit to be desired. The alien symbiosis is meant to be a bit gross, so expect that, but why does everyone lack a nose? Perhaps their flesh was all tied up in their ears. The Borg are adorable with their bad wings and froggy faces, but the mechanism of their attachment to the girls will bother anyone with a parasite phobia, and Yumi's violent opposition to her situation will strike a similar chord with any viewers who have a history of abuse or rape.

The manga that comes packaged with the DVD is a fantastic bonus, and one I wish more anime producers would do. The art in both places is very similar and true to the original, but the manga does give you a bit more information that is only hinted at in the show, but as with the show, you are left to absorb what you will. The DVD features are also unusually rich. Not only do we get the usual art gallery, but we get a behind-the-scenes video and a wonderful set of comments from the producer of the DVD. There are also assorted other promo materials.

If you're expecting another sci-fi show of "aliens-bad, humans-good," then you're going to be disappointed. Alien Nine is much more than that. Sure, there are plenty of scenes of violence against human and alien, but there's a lot more and deeper emotional content than you might be expecting, given the ages of the heroines and the nature of sci-fi anime. There's the almost subliminal relationship between Yuri and Kasumi, for example, and Yuri's very real problems with her rollerblading job. If you enjoy sci-fi, then give this one a try, and fans of magical girl or shoujo in general should also try it for something a bit different.