Do Android Salarymen Dream of Electric Cherry Blossoms?

Cyberpunk.

When Anime first made in-roads into the Western entertainment market in a way that made serious film buffs pay attention, it was with a Cyberpunk film called 'Akira'.

Akira, the 1988 animated motion picture written and directed by Manga icon Katsuhiro Otomo took the West, particularly the United States, by storm. Released in the US in 1989, Akira made over 2 million dollars during its run in movie theatres. It was positively regarded by both fans and film critics alike and is, to this day, considered on of the greatest animated films of all time. 

Akira was by no means the first Japanese animated feature to be shown in the West but it was the landmark title that (one could argue) opened up gates for the cavalcade of titles to come after it. Akira was the first Anime to not only be widely accepted but widely appreciated. Adult Americans who viewed cartoons as media for children were hit head-on by a sticker covered red motorcycle sliding into them at high speed. 

Personally, I love this film. I had already been a fan of Anime and Manga for (roughly) five years when Akira came out in the States. While others around me experienced surprise, even shock at what the medium of animation could do if treated as a serious artform, I simply felt validated in what I'd already known. Looking back on it now I find one element of the movie and its reception very curious. It is considered an Anime in the Cyberpunk genre and while I would agree, it isn't exactly Cyberpunk as we often view it here in the West. 

Then again neither is Blade Runner, another movie I adore that falls into the same category of non-cyber Cyberpunk. Neither film is overly concerned with the 'Net', cybernetics, or mega-corporations (though they exist and play a role in the world-building). While both films do make commentaries on modern society, the focus is on the characters, not so much the setting. It's about people whether they are embracing their humanity, trying to find it, or losing it all together. There is the idea that power corrupts and turns people into monsters, while asking if monsters can change back into people. 

These are very common questions throughout Japanese Cyberpunk. Indeed, it's an example of how the Cyberpunk fiction of Japan differs from its Western cousin in a number of ways. 

Western Cyberpunk is often focused outward; it looks at society from the characters points of view and said characters are often trying to change society or save it from itself. The protagonists are radicals, rebels, even criminals, and they're going to overthrow the status quo and save the world.

That's rare in Japanese Cyberpunk. Akira aside, most Anime/Manga Cyberpunk stories are centered on police, military, or heroic secret organizations trying to protect the citizens of their society from bad elements that would plunge it into chaos. There is often a strong theme of society effecting the protagonists but the protagonists being unable to make a major impact on society as a whole.

Take a look at another quintessential Cyberpunk franchise, Ghost in the Shell; the main characters are former police or military personnel serving as a special operation task force called Public Safety Service 9. They are part of the status quo charged with protecting innocent citizen and, by association, maintaining the status quo. In the two seasons of the animated TV series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, the team investigates and solves various crimes but the major arcs running throughout series deal with uncovering government corruption with which the Public Safety Service is entwined.

No spoilers here but just Imagine that Major Kusanagi and friends successfully uncover the officials behind the lawbreaking and arrest them. Awesome, the bad guys are caught and eventually punished. Government and society-wise things go back to normal...and normal is a Cyberpunk dystopia. The heroes win and therefore nothing has changed. . 

This brings us to two really excellent new Cyberpunk titles: Pluto and Metallic Rouge.

Pluto is a modern and dark retelling of the story The Greatest Robot on Earth, originally written by Osamu Tezuka in the Manga version of Tetsuwan Atom - The Might Atom aka Astro Boy. This story was written and illustrated as a Manga by Naoki Urasawa and serialized from 2003 to 2009 before being adapted into an Anime in October of 2023.

The story deals with a world in which robots abound, living among and working with Humans in a near-utopia of advanced technology. The plot involves a mystery killer hunting down and looking to destroy the seven most powerful robots in the world. Gesicht, Europol's top detective is on the case; a case that has his path cross with the planet's mightiest boy, Atom! 

First and foremost, I absolutely loved this series. I highly recommend it. 

One aspect I found especially interesting about its worldbuilding was how it portrayed the different types of robots and how they were treated by others in Robotkind and the more widespread and authoritative Humanity. While many Humans harbor a prejudice against all robots, those that look like Humans often get more of a pass than those who look like half-faced, six armed, giants among normal people. Of course, any robot known to have performed admirable feats for the benefit of Humanity and the world they live in are viewed in an especially positive light. Many smaller, more 80s robot toy looking mechanicals are often overlooked and seen as inconsequential. At best they are pets and at worst disposable tools. 

Robots themselves, to no great surprise, view each other quite differently. The nuances of how though, that's what makes the setting so intriguing. Without giving away too much, more advanced robots and androids see their less complex and capable brethren the way we might think of an orphaned child or an abandoned animal. 

Personally, I'd love to run or play in a game that explored this take on the role of robots in a Human dominated world. For a similar yet more action packed take on this idea...

Metallic Rouge is a very recent Anime series that is only up to its third or fourth episode as of this writing. Originally scheduled to start in March of this year, it began early due to an unforeseen opening in this season's schedule.

The series is produced by the animated studio Bones and written by Yutaka Izabuchi, a long time veteran of the Anime/Manga scene and a personal favorite creative person of mine. It's not surprising I like this show as I tend to love most of Izabuchi work. He is best known as a a Mecha Designer, coming up with looks for the robots in Patlabor, Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack, and Panzer World Galient. In addition he's been a director, producer, and the costume designer on many Tokusatsu series, including various iterations of Kamen Rider. 

Perhaps its not surprising then that his latest series is a cross between a Tokusatsu show and Blade Runner, a Cyberpunk Sci-Fi Action tale of two female agents traveling to Mars to hunt down nine renegade artificial beings hostile to the government. Here again we see the governing body, while still possibly up to something, the victim in danger from rebellious robots. It may turn out that the androids, or Neans, have every right to be angry but we are still following heroes who work as government/law enforcement agents.

If you can picture Rick Deckard as a cute Anime girl capable of transforming into a superpowered battle robot to face off against Roy Batty you have a pretty good idea about the core concept of the show. In many ways it reminds me of a campaign I ran with a very similar premise back in 1992-93, which was also inspired by Blade Runner in addition to Anime classics like Bubblegum Crisis, Appleseed, and even some Battle Angel Alita. The next 31 Day Character Challenge entry with cover this game. 

Rouge Redstar and his alter ego Metallic Rouge

As in Pluto, the non-combat oriented Neans are commonplace, a regular part of daily life for the people of Mars. They are generally treated as second-class citizens at best, slave labor at worst, with rare individuals earning the respect one sentient should show another. There are also rare Humans would generally see Neans as people in their own right but it doesn't appear a common outlook. 

Highly recommended.

With that I hope you have some greater context for Japanese Cyberpunk in general and my next post specifically.

Until next time...

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Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - CRIMSON CYCLONE CYBERO

Crimson Cyclone Cybero was a character my buddy Aldrin originally created for a game we only ran a single session of and then couldn't seem to get around to scheduling. I think his original name was Crimson Hurricane and he was a homage to DC's Red Tornado. He was randomly rolled up for a Villains and Vigilantes game with the premise that the PCs were a team of international heroes. Crimson Hurricane represented Myanmar (Burma at the time) but it might also have been the Indochina region. Buzz really liked him and wanted to use him for this other game so I said sure, since I liked him too. 

Character: Crimson Cyclone Cybero

Cybero is pronounced sigh-BEH-row.

AKA: A Secret Identity (that I don't recall). 

Player: Aldrin 'Buzz' Aw

System: Mekton RPG, 1st Edition and Villains & Vigilantes, 2nd Edition kitbash.

 

Nature: Short Campaign: Super Savior Cybero

Gamemaster: Adam Dickstein

Circa: 1985-1986

Origins: I spent some time over one Summer with my Dad and where he lived he got foreign language TV stations if you messed with the antenna and channels a bit. I discovered and was able to watch Kamen Rider in Spanish and Ultraman in either Chinese or Japanese (depending on the day). I think I was also able to catch one of the Sentai programs as well. 

Sometime after running my first 'campaign' of Mekton (if you could really call it a campaign), I wondered if there was a way to take parts from R. Talsorian's Mecha game and glue them into the Superhero RPG that was 2nd Edition V&V in order to run a Tokusatsu RPG. It worked! OK, it worked 'cause I made it work and probably fudged some things. Maybe a lot of things. We got a good game out of it didn't we?

Backstory: When Doctor Simon Date invented the Cybero Circuit, a revolutionary Organic Computer far ahead of its time, he completely changed the field of cybernetics overnight! Unfortunately, the benefactor funding his research was secretly Catastrophe-X, leader of the would-be world conquering organization 'Armageddon Genesis'. 

With the help of his assistant Sana and his daughter Sadako, Dr. Date had just enough time to complete his three Super Cybero Savior projects and escape with them before X's minions arrived. Now, protected by this trio of cybernetic superheroes, the group tries to take down Armageddon Genesis and defend all mankind!

Overview: The campaign was very episodic, with each session following a basic format; either Armageddon Genesis would send agents to capture or kill Dr. Date or his Daughter and the PC heroes would have to protect them - or - the heroes would hear reports of a peculiar crime or occurrence and go to investigate, uncovering some scheme by AG to take over the planet.

The villains would consist of a half dozen to a dozen faceless goons and 1-3 'lieutenants', more formidable opponents using Super Weapons and Armor or else being Super Cyborgs themselves. 

As far as the PC good guys we had:

Protector Cybero Paladin - Blue, White, Gold - A normal but skilled young man wearing an 'Iron Man' type Powered Armor. He had Super Strength, near Invulnerability, a multi-setting Raygun and a Power Sword that delivered stunning blasts. The Cybero Circuit gave him mental control over the suit - he can change the settings on his weapons with a thought for example. He was basically our Captain America/Superman boy scout.

Cybero Midnight Mask - Purple, Black, White, Gold - was a cyborg whose enhancements were undetectable until he donned his special mask. Midnight Mask's cybernetics gave him 3x the strength, speed, and agility of a normal Human. He was equipped with numerous crimefighting gadgets like a tricked out Motorcycle, Throwing Disks, Shock Tonfa, Smoke Bombs, and Power Inhibitor Handcuffs. The Cybero Circuit activated his cybernetics and let him remote control his motorcycle. Midnight Mask was our cynical and grim detective in the vein of Kamen Rider and Batman. 

and last but not least...

Crimson Cyclone Cybero - Red, Black, Gold - is a full android and he was built before Dr. Date realized his work was being funded by a Supervillain! The prototype designs were shown to Catastrophe-X in his secret identity and as such were copied by Armageddon Genesis to create some of their powered minions. However, the good Doctor kept tinkering and eventually created a unique sentient machine. His primary power is Super Speed, able to travel so fast he appears to be a blur of red light. He can also move quickly, not just run quickly, giving him the ability to perform multiple attacks and catch or deflect projectiles. Crimson Cyclone can also use his speed to build up wind, creating powerful gusts and striking like a 'living' tornado. His Cybero Circuit allows him to transform into a normal looking person and he does have emotions. His personality is split; in battle he is a cold, calculated, and no non-sense, though still heroic and honorable. Out of combat he is like a child, a Data-like Pinocchio learning to be Human. A little Silver Surfer is in there as well. 

Three of the major inspirations for Crimson Cyclone Cybero

(Left to Right) Android Kikaider, Joe from Cyborg 009, and The Red Tornado

The Highlights: 

It is difficult to recall many of the game's specific moments. It was so long ago, a campaign of no more than a dozen sessions, probably less, and there were so many other games going on at the time. Even so...

I recall one really good session where Sadako, Dr. Date's daughter, had been kidnapped by the bad guys and ransomed. Armageddon Genesis would return her if Date handed over the blueprints for the Cybero Circuit, otherwise she would be killed at dawn! The heroes discovered the location where Sadako was being held and went to rescue her but it turned out to be a trap! The real Sadako was hidden somewhere else and the one at the place the PCs went to was an android duplicate. Worse yet, one with Magnetic Powers! 

The battle was extremely difficult, as Crimson Cyclone and Protector Paladin fought the Iron Maiden (her code name) while Midnight Mask sneak into the place where the true Sadako was held. MM had to fight through a bunch of goons and traps all on his own before being confronted by a major lieutenant. Meanwhile, the other two PCs had a tough time being Metal Heroes against the Mistress of Magnetism. 

What turned the tide was when Crimson Cyclone started to ask her why she was doing this, fighting against another android such as himself. She replied that it was her programming and what she was designed and built to do. CC got all existential on us, discussing what it meant to be an Artificial Intelligence and whether the fight was logical if you were going to think like a robot or decent and compassionate if you were going to think like a true living being. As she starts to get second thoughts about her role in all this, the villains signal that they're going to blow up the base with Cyclone, Paladin, and Maiden inside it. Cyclone appeals to her better judgement once more and convinces her to work with them to get free.

Just as Midnight Mask and his opponent duel to a standstill, Crimson Cyclone, Protector Paladin, and Iron Maiden blast through the ceiling to come to MM's aid. The heroes, including Sadako, depart after defeating their enemy and Cyclone asks Maiden to come with them. She declines as she must discover who she is now and what her purpose is but she assures them they'll all meet again. 

Game Info:

After running a lot of Villains and Vigilantes and then a lot of Mekton, it just struck me that if you mixed these together you could cover those Metal Hero series style characters. Now, how did I do it? What did it look like? Beats me...

It was a long time ago and I don't think I ran any other games with this particular kitbash. If I remember correctly, it was mainly Mekton with the powers from V&V stapled on and adapted to work with the former. Somehow.

Notes:

This was one of many games I ran between the mid-80s to the mid-90s that were initiated because I just really wanted to run a game about whatever the heck I thought was cool that month. Most of the time this worked because I was playing with people who also thought those things were really cool. I also had a number of people who didn't care to know anything before being introduced to it during play. I miss those days. Everyone now needs a 10 page write on the world background and mechanics in order to even consider playing a suggested game. Seems our sense of adventure only extends to our characters in their settings and not to the players in the real world. Sigh.

Thinking back, I wonder if the rules I stitched together actually worked or whether we all just agreed to pretend they did. It was an unholy mish-mash to be sure but it made sense to us at the time and I guess that's all that matters. 

Doctor Date's name is pronounced Dah-TEH. It is a Japanese family name that means Intelligent

I forgot to mention, one ability all three PCs got from their Cybero Circuits was to instantly change into their 'costumes'. Midnight Mask's Cybero Circuit was on his belt and activating it summoned his mask/helmet to him. One putting it on he fully transformed. Protector Paladin's was on his wrist I think. Crimson Cyclone's was in the center of his chest a la Tony Stark's Arc Reactor. 

Legacy:

As mentioned under 'Origins', Crimson Cyclone was first created for a V&V campaign featuring international superheroes. He has since appeared or been mentioned in that capacity in various Supers games I've run over the years. More often than not its a name drop when discussing what Superheroes are around or available in the area of Southeast Asia. 

I've always liked this character and still due, though I haven't thought about him in a while. I am sure some version of him is out there in the Multiverse somewhere, defending Humanity while still trying desperately to fully understand it.

Not unlike myself I suppose.

From live action Superheroes to Space Opera Anime - tag along with dangerous DEE HOSHIYORU and face the Cregurian!

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Barking Alien

Now, Shall We Begin the Experiment?

I've been thinking about Tokusatsu lately and would really like to do another game in that genre and style. The last one I did was a few years ago and it was specifically a Super Sentai campaign. This time I was thinking more of a Metal Hero Series approach, perhaps a team of Kamen Rider type Superheroes. I haven't done that in decades.

What's that? What the #@%$ am I talking about? Hmm. Maybe I should lay some ground work...

Tokusatsu is a catch-all phrase for Japanese live-action TV shows and films in which a good deal of special effects are used, from fireworks to miniature cities, rubber monster costumes to light-up props and so forth. Kaiju films, Super Sentai, and Metal Hero show are all subtypes of Tokusatsu. 

We all know what Kaiju films and shows are about, giant monsters attacking cities and battling other giant monsters! The word Kaiju translates to Strange Beast. Godzilla, Gamera, and even King Kong are well known Kaiju. I'll address this genre in detail later this month. 

Super Sentai is the genre most familiar to Americans and others in the Western World thanks to Power Rangers. Sentai is a military term that roughly translates to group or task force, be it a small team, squadron of figters, or fleet of ships. As such, Super Sentai shows feature a team of Superheroes usually identified by their color [and maybe a code name or motif]. I've talked about Super Sentai a few times in the past. 

Metal Hero is a lesser known thing outside of Asia; specifically Japan, China, and Korea. Metal Hero maybe teams or solo heroes and are often connected to the military, police, rescue services, or some scientific organization (particularly space agencies). They are identified less by the color of their costumes and more by what they do. Some are Space Cops or Sheriffs hunting down aliens that have come to Earth to cause havoc. Others are normal if very high-tech crimefighters battling evil organizations bent on world domination! Some focus on emergency services and rescuing people from disasters. It is common for there to be three members of the team, with other characters in support roles. 

Kamen Rider or 'Mask Rider' and Ultraman are examples of Tokusatsu but don't really fall into the Super Sentai or Metal Hero categories (though Kamen Rider shares many tropes with Metal Heroes). These two are sometimes referred to a Kaijin or Strange People. I'm a huge fan of Kamen Rider and to a lesser extent Ultraman. I used to watch some of the early Kamen Rider episodes on Spanish language television is the 80s. 

As noted above, I've run Super Sentai games and even one Metal Hero/Kamen Rider campaign (see the next 31 Days / 31 Characters entry) but it has definitely been a while. Since it was on my mind I thought I'd look into what's available in terms of published games for these genres.

Convictor Drive is inspired by Japanese live-action films and television shows such as Kamen Rider, Megabeast Investigator Juspion, and Android Kikaider. 

I was super excited for this game and contributed to the Kickstarter as I am definitely a fan of the genres of Super Sentai and Metal Hero . I've run Japanese Superhero campaigns and one-shots and was excited to see how the Japanese themselves handled the subject in game form. 

I've barely looked at it since I've received it.

Why? Not an easy question to answer...

I did give the book a cursory read through when I first got it and the thing that stood out to me most is that the game has quite a developed setting with a lot of backstory. A lot. Maybe no more or less than any other modern RPG but much more than I expected. I'll be the first to admit that's on me for making assumptions. Being disappointed that the product wasn't exactly what I thought it would be isn't the game's problem, it's mine. It still turned me off. 

LionWing sells the game with the tagline 'A Kamen Rider-inspired TTRPG that features action-packed combat and roleplaying, an original d10 system, and gorgeous anime art!' It is indeed an action-focused Tabletop RPG with a sizable portion of its D10 based rules dedicated to mechanics that support role-playing. It also has nice art. Gorgeous is a bit much. It definitely looks good but I've seen more impressive work, especially in Japanese TRPGs. Also, while the art is nice the layout, graphics, and writing are actually rather dry and a tad bland.

What is doesn't have is the feeling of being Kamen Rider-inspired. I mean...kind of...but I feel like less setting would have made it feel more inspired by the genre that informed it instead of it feeling very specific to itself. Convictor Drive doesn't feel like a Tokusatsu-flavored game the way Starships & Spaceman is a Star Trek-flavored game. Instead, Convictor Drive feels like its very much Convictor Drive flavored. It's atmosphere is too Cyberpunk and not 'Superhero' enough to be Tokusatsu. In fact, I'd say it's closer to late 80s-early 90s Science Fiction Anime like Armored Police Metal Jack and Sonic Soldier Borgman.  

The many faces of Kamen (Mask) Rider

By comparison, take a look at a game like Super Happy Sentai Hour. This is a game that explains the Super Sentai genre in considerable detail and then gives you all the tools, options, and idea suggestions you need to create your own setting.

It isn't as pretty as Convictor Drive, nor as polished, but its raw exuberance and extensive knowledge of the subject matter make it my go-to game for running a Super Sentai game. Seriously, if you are interested in knowing more about Super Sentai and/or running and playing a Sentai game, this book is definitely worth a read. It explains the various elements that make up a Sentai show in a clear and easy to understand way that is also very entertaining.  

There is also a game called Henshin, A Sentai RPG that I haven't gotten the chance to check out at all. Much of the advertising for it seemed oddly pretentious for a game in this genre. Since I'm such a Super Sentai fan I suppose I'll have to read it eventually.

There are likely other games in this sphere and I'll need to do some more research on what they are. I haven't even started on Japan's forays into this mix. I know of a few, including Marginal Heroes (covering general transforming 'Henshin' heroes) and Masquerade Style (a semi-official Kamen Rider RPG).

I tend to prefer games that give me what I need to create my own world as opposed to giving me a ton of info about theirs. If I were buying a licensed IP game like an official Super Rescue Solbrain RPG, then yes please give me everything you can about the world of Solbrain. What I'd rather have though is a Metal Hero RPG so I can make my own Metal Hero milieu.

I'm not writing off Convictor Drive completely but I'm not looking forward to trying to detach the setting from the rules in order to create a more general Tokusatsu vibe. I feel like it would be easier to customize and/or add to Super Happy Sentai Hour than to subtract from Convictor Drive but who knows, I could be wrong. 

Just some thoughts going into the next 31 Days / 31 Characters post...

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Barking Alien

The post title is a reference to the catchphrase of Kamen Rider Build. 

I updated this entry the day after posting it as I felt it gave the reader neither enough context nor my complete thoughts on the subject. Let me know if it all makes sense to you. Thanks.