I was asked a while back to review the Silent Mobius series and, as I needed to re-watch and read it anyway for that winning story for the “Worldshaking” Fanfic contest, this was as good a time as any other. :-) I was lucky to get the box set of the anime for a really good price, which will allow me to clear out some precious shelf space. I recommend the box set – it’s a good deal – about a buck an episode. Of course I’ve linked to it above. lol

To begin with, Silent Mobius is set in a future dystopia in which two worlds, that of humans and a parallel universe full of demony things called “Lucifer Hawks” have collided. Lucifer Hawks feed on, slaughter and breed with humans like the inhuman creatures of the night that they are.

The AMP, “Attacked Mystification Police” force is an all-female squad assigned to the single job of dealing with Lucifer Hawks. Who the members are, and why they, particularly, are chosen, are the subject of many of the first half of the series’ episodes. I will say this – I remember much of these character stories – they were very, very good.

Also good are the relationships between the women, and between them and characters outside the group. Everyone seems very human, very real – far more real than many current series ever get close to – with far fewer inexplicable hand-waves and plot holes. This story is quite seriously, well written and conceived.

Like You’re Under Arrest, Silent Mobius is an extremely straight story, but because of the nature of fandom, people just aren’t willing to settle for that, dammit, and go through all sorts of hoops to make couples of the women of AMP.

Frankly, I’d forgotton how much I like Kiddy and Ralph together. LOL And Roy and Katsumi are kind of sweet, too, even though I know that they are doomed. ;-)

Yuki, if the story were redone now, would be drawn as a 12-year old goth-loli and Nami’s the female equivalent of a eunuch. Lebia Maverick gets my vote as “character most likely to prefer sex with herself”. ^_^

Which leaves us with the only two characters who ping *my* Yuri-dar….Mana and Rally.

But I get ahead of myself. In this volume we have no more to ID them than exceedingly severe shoulder pads and a ball-buster attitude. (One day, many years ago, I went to work in a suit jacket, tie and long skirt. At least three guys told me that I looked “severe” or like a “ball buster”…I never really thought about it until I re-watched this DVD. I see what they mean!)

There is of course, Rosa, who with her S&M dom look and sister complex gets some people’s blood going. Not mine. And she hasn’t shown up yet, anyway. ^_^

Volume 1 is pretty much just a intro to the story. There are a few differences from the manga, the most notable of which is that Mana is already with AMP, and that it is told chronologically from Katsumi’s arrival in Japan. I think I prefer the manga, but that’s probably just me. There’s nothing wrong with the anime.

“Kindan no Pensee” is a really good opening theme, too – it was the first MP3 I ever downloaded to play on my computer. Ah, nostalgia…

Yuri? Not in Volume 1, but this story is more about good action, and solid characters than it is about Yuri. I’m surprised how well it holds up – even if the clothes look awfully 80’s “vision of the future.” ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 7 (The Lucifer Hawk had to be severely simplified for animation, which makes it easier to see them and what they do)
Story- 7
Characters – 8
Yuri – 0
Service – 1

Overall – 7

A strong action/magic/scifi/ball-busting severe woman/future dystopian/romance of a story.

With big shoulder pads.