Appleseed: Alpha

Spoiler Alert! This is Not Appleseed. There is nothing here that has anything to do with the lore outside of Briarios, Dhunen and Hitomi...kinda. I was bored to tears almost immediately. The voice acting was garbage and the characters were less than believable. I know it's fantasy, but this was horrendous. Do not waste your time if you're a fan. You've been warned

The various attempts to anime-ize Appleseed over the years have largely resulted in a collection of disappointing misfires. Which is surprising because the Appleseed series (talking Masamune Shirow in the 80s here) is some of the most brilliant manga ever to leave Japan. While Shirow's other effort--Ghost in the Shell--has managed to keep itself interesting and engaging over the course of the last 20 years or so, the same cannot be said for the Appleseed franchise, such as it is. So then, what to call this latest installment? Boring? Check. Wooden and cliche characters? Check. Rehashed plot elements lumbering predictably through each attempt at a reboot? Check. Those city-sized mobile weapons platforms--destroyed anew every few years--have come to epitomize the lumbering single-mindedness serving us the warmed-over mediocrity that is all this series has left to offer. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.

Animation looks great but the story just makes no sense. Definitely enjoyed the previous Appleseed movie more. Still love the original Manga the most.