Appleseed, 1988. The Future is Now.

Appleseed, released April 21, 1988, is an adaptation of the manga of the same name by Masamune Shirow and directed by Kazuyoshi Katayama. I missed out on anime and manga as a child, and it’s only in the last few years that I have now started to appreciate the fruits of its labour. I know I could have done more to seek it out, but after viewing Appleseed recently, I believe this also feels like the perfect time for me to discover this vibrant and abundant orchard. Enough with the agricultural talk. I only wish that I started this journey a little earlier, but better late than never. However, in 1988 in England, the BBC Red Dwarf and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe had both aired on television for the first time, but it was the action movies of that time that truly had me captivated. Coincidentally, Appleseed is an animated movie that feels like it was sharing that same moment with me, unapologetically taking pleasure in the tropes that brought a lot of enjoyment to the masses in those days. I am unaware of where Appleseed sits in today’s climate, but watching this recently only brought a smile to my face. Science fiction, action, and a dubious English dub, where can it go wrong?

“We do not merely destroy our enemies; we change them.” ― George Orwell, 1984

Olympus, quite the name of a utopian society. Don’t you think? After the devastation of World War III, humanity in the world of Appleseed has a chance to start again. To be honest, I found the world-building of Olympus to be slightly one-dimensional. A couple of months earlier, another anime movie directed by Katsuhiro Otomo would go on to transcend time and give us a greater insight into the fragility of a society and a more realistic taste of the human condition. Despite that, Appleseed gives me something I love to think about. Where would I settle in this community, and where do I belong within my own? Science fiction is a brilliant genre that can take you to other galaxies, travel back in time or give you a glimpse into the future. However, it always comes back to the experiences that shaped the world into what it is today.

Utopian and dystopian fiction has helped create some of the most memorable societies we have ever known, and they are places we can revisit and understand somehow. Alternatively, they have become meaningful in our thought process. It is hard to talk about artificial intelligence without the words of Skynet being spoken, or the rise in surveillance being linked to 1984, written by George Orwell. Big fish in my opinion, and societies that are completely thriving on their own at this point. In contrast, Appleseed has made me realise these are simply the thoughts and ideas of one person, and how their experiences have helped shape them creatively. I say creatively, because it is also important that we don’t fall into these societies too deeply, or I don’t! It is important to me that I learn about the atrocities of war in the past, the fear of nuclear war in the future, while trying to make sense of everything else in the present. However, I watched Threads at school as a child, and the fear I felt is something I don’t wish to bathe in every day. Appleseed also gave me something good to think about: the enjoyment we have along the way.

“Yippee-ki-yay Motherfucker” John McClane ― Die Hard, 1988

Please excuse the language, but the quote above represented the differences in Appleseed very well. I appreciate the story of Charon Mautholos, a police officer who mourns the loss of his wife, Fleia. In the opening scene, we watch a dream sequence in which Fleia leaps to her death from her high-rise apartment, unable to live in this perfect city. Unfortunately, this perfect city is all but described in one monologue, given by Charon when he visits his late wife’s grave. He describes life in Olympus as a zoo. No hardships, no inconveniences and no competition for anything. However, as a viewer, you cannot buy into that version of reality because we have already looked behind the scenes. Indeed, I have only watched this film twice, so my understanding of the landscape within Olympus could be vague, but I am just saying what I see. The city is inhabited by humans, cyborgs and biodroids. However, the biodroids are created to get along nicely and not question the reality that is given to them, right? I guess there could be an answer that Charon and Fleia are both biodroids, and that is what caused Fleia’s death and Charon’s plan to destroy Olympus to become a reality. However, that in itself is a fundamental flaw, and nobody in the city of Olympus cares in the slightest about it, which is the truest representation of mankind you can find, in a bizarre way. Olympus is anything but Utopian, and I kind of like it.

I could spend a few days getting philosophical about the implications of Olympus, but the city is also blessed with imperfections. Duenan Knute and Briareos Hecatonchires are a couple of protagonists I can get behind. Perfection and harmony could and should never be used in the same sentence as this pair; Briareos ‘ smoking jacket is a testament to my point. I didn’t know what to expect when I first watched Appleseed, but it is a reminder of something that I had almost forgotten. I loved action movies in the eighties. Appleseed is everything about those films I used to adore. The soundtrack by Normasa Yamanaka instantly lets you know that you will be in the presence of a montage soon enough. Charon and his A.J. Sebastian plans on destroying the city, and nobody cares why? Just kill them, and as quickly as possible. There are no discussions in Appleseed, no alternative course of action and no desire for a perfect outcome. Just get the guns out and cause as much carnage as possible. Duenan and Briareos are the perfect buddy cop couple, and even when they are out to save the day, the other officers in the department ask them if they have been on their honeymoon. I have heard some complaints about the language in this movie, but it did nothing but make me laugh. It is trashy, but I can come from a place where trashy is what you need to get through the day sometimes. However, I will admit that during the second act, all bets are off and hearing Briareos saying his leg is fucked, or Duenan stating that the Superintendent gets on her tits, did take me to a place I didn’t expect. It was the unexpected that made this movie for me, and I am glad that I found it.

In conclusion, I feel like I have barely scraped the surface of Appleseed. However, I spend a lot of time getting deep into movies and books, and Appleseed was just a fun watch. It was exactly what I needed, and for that reason, regardless of the quality compared to other anime movies, I think it will become one of my favourites. I like the idea of Olympus, Hitomi, a biodroid whose DNA controls the genetic key that unlocks Gaia, the computer system that controls the city’s infrastructure. In other words, I still have a lot to learn about this world, and I want to read the manga now. Olympus is familiar to me; it’s flawed, it’s pretty funny, and it feels realistic, in an unrealistic kind of way, if that makes sense. I am also just learning about the name Appleseed and its importance in Greek Mythology, i think. However, it also represents my humble beginnings in the world of anime. I guess a long-time fan of this work could say I know nothing about this film, and you may be correct. On the other hand, I know I have to start somewhere, and yet I have been writing about Ghost in the Shell for a long time now, and I may already be at a place where I can call myself a fan. All this is irrelevant, and I do this because I enjoy it. It helps me learn more about myself, the society that surrounds me and the creative processes that create magic, in my opinion. Masamune Shirow is one of those artists that I am beginning to love, and even though I may seem dismissive about Appleseed, I am aware that everything that has come after or before is phenomenal. Just because I think the movie is flawed, I don’t think it is perfect. On the contrary, it is perfect because of its flaws. I appreciate flaws, it gives individuals and the world around us a truly unique character.

Thank you for visiting today, it really is appreciated. If you enjoyed this review, please leave me a like or comment below. Also, if you would like to follow my journey on this site, please subscribe for future posts.

My Projects.