Appleseed (film)

Appleseed
Theatrical release poster
Kana	アップルシード
Rōmaji	Appurushīdo
Directed by	Shinji Aramaki
Produced by	Fumihiko Sori Hidenori Ueki Naoko Watanabe
Screenplay by	Haruka Handa Tsutomu Kamishiro
Based on	Appleseed by Masamune Shirow
Starring	Ai Kobayashi Jūrōta Kosugi Mami Koyama Yuki Matsuoka Toshiyuki Morikawa
Music by	Boom Boom Sattelites Tetsuya Takahashi
Studio	Micott and Basara TBS Geneon Entertainment Yamato Toho Digital Frontier MBS
Distributed by	Toho
Release date(s)	April 17, 2004 (2004-04-17)
Running time	106 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Budget	$10 million
Box office	$30,461,989

Appleseed (アップルシード, Appurushīdo) is a 2004 Japanese animated science fiction action film directed by Shinji Aramaki. Based on the Appleseed manga created by Masamune Shirow, the film stars the voices of Ai Kobayashi, Jūrōta Kosugi, Mami Koyama, Yuki Matsuoka, and Toshiyuki Morikawa. The film tells the story of Deunan Knute, as she searches for data that can restore the bioroids' reproductive capabilities. Although it shares some characters with the original series, this film's storyline is not connected to it. It is not to be confused with the 1988 OVA also based on the manga. Appleseed was released in theaters on April 17, 2004.

Plot

Deunan Knute is a young highly skilled female soldier and is one of the last survivors of the Global War. During a battle, she is rescued by Hitomi, a Second Generation Bioroid. Deunan attempts to escape from a hospital and takes Hitomi hostage, but is stopped by Briareos Hecatonchires, her former lover, who is now a cyborg. She learns that the war had ended and she is in a Utopian city called Olympus. Its population is half-human and half-clone, a genetically-engineered species called Bioroids. Olympus is governed by three factions: Prime Minister Athena Areios; General Edward Uranus III, head of the Olympus Army; and a Council of Elders. Everything in the city is observed by an artificial intelligence named Gaia from a building called Tartaros. While there, Deunan joins the ESWAT organization.

The Bioroids were created from the DNA of Deunan's father, Carl, making the Second Generation Bioroids her brothers and sisters. However, they have a much shorter lifespan than humans due to suppressed reproductive capabilities. The Bioroid’s life extension facilities are destroyed by a secret faction of the Regular Army in a terrorist attack against the Bioroids. However, the Appleseed data, which contains information on restoring the Bioroids reproduction capabilities, still exists.

Olympus is plagued by conflicting factions. Along with a strike force, Deunan and Briareos head to the building where the Bioroids were originally created. She activates a holographic recording showing the location of the Appleseed data. Dr. Gilliam Knute, who created the Bioroids, entrusted Appleseed to Deunan, but was shot by a soldier. Colonel Hades, the anti-Bioroid terrorist, reveals to Deunan that Briareos had intentionally allowed his Landmate, a large exoskeleton-like battlesuits, to escape. They run to the roof where their team is killed and they are cornered by the Regular Army. Uranus tries to convince Deunan that Bioroids seek to control humanity, and he wants to destroy D-Tank full of virus material in Tartarus. Briareos tells Uranus that the Elders were the ones who planned this; the D-tank’s virus was originally believed to keep Bioroids in line, but in actuality is capable of sterilizing humanity. Hades convinces Uranus that negotiating is pointless, and blames Carl for all that has happened before Deunan kills him. They manage to escape, and later wash up on a beach. Briareos, badly damaged in the firefight, lays dying in the sand. Grief-stricken, Deunan refuses to leave his side. Briareos confeses everything to Deunan, hoping to coax her into continuing on. Mechanic Yoshitsune Miyamoto arrives in his Landmate and begins repairing Briareos. Deunan takes the Landmate back to Olympus, where the Appleseed data is used to fully restore Bioroid reproductive functions.

Despite the relief, Deunan confronts the Council of Elders and force them to admit that they killed her mother. They reveal they plan to use the D-tank virus to sterilize all humans, allowing their race to die out slowly, leaving the Bioroids the new rulers of Earth. They needed the Appleseed data to keep the Bioroids alive, but Gilliam hid the data so they could not move forward with their plan. Athena, stepping in to stop them and announcing that Uranus has surrendered, tells Deunan that the Elders had been acting on their own and had shut Gaia down once they realized humanity had softened their stance against Bioroids. The Elders state that they will soon die since Gaia kept them alive, but that they were ready to sacrifice themselves. They then activate the city's mobile fortress defenses, which begin marching towards Tartaros. Athena states that D-tank's security system is nearly impenetrable, but a shot from the fortresses' main cannons might puncture the tank, releasing the virus. ESWAT begins mobilizing, but suffer heavy casualties due to the fortresses' heavy weaponry.

Briareos arrives and asks Deunan to join the battle. Despite the Elders’ objections, Deunan goes with Briareos to the towers. Deunan attempts to enter the password to shut the defenses down, but a malfunction makes it difficult to complete. The final password letter appears by itself, and Deunan secures the D-Tank.

The film ends with Deunan stating that the sins of humanity will probably get worse, but that there is always the chance that future generations will learn from these mistakes. She vows to keep fighting for the children, who are "the true new race of man."

Cast

Deunan Knute

Voiced by: Ai Kobayashi (Japanese), Jessica Straus (Geneon Dub), Luci Christian (Sentai Dub) (English)
The daughter of Carl Knute and Gilliam Knute, Deunan, a beautiful young woman and warrior, has spent her entire life fighting. It was not until she was rescued by an ES.W.A.T. team led by Hitomi and Briareos that she was finally evacuated from the Badlands.

Deunan later learns that over half the population are artificial humans called Bioroids, including her new friend, Hitomi. Deunan also discovers that people are looking for her because she unknowingly possesses the secret of "Appleseed". Unknown to Deunan finding the "Appleseed Data" would condemn the human population to extinction.

Briareos Hecatonchires

Voiced by: Jūrōta Kosugi (Japanese), Jamieson Price (Geneon Dub), David Matranga (Sentai Dub) (English)
Briareos is a E-S.W.A.T officer and Deunan's lover. He works with Deunan in Olympus during the Appleseed crisis. He is a cyborg since his body was severely damaged in battle.

Athena Areios

Voiced by: Mami Koyama (Japanese), Carolyn Hennesy (Geneon Dub), Allison Sumrall (Sentai Dub) (English)
Prime Minister of Olympus, Athena Areios is a 1st generation Bioroid created by Deunan's mother, Dr. Gilliam Knute and served as her lab assistant until Dr. Knute's death. Because Athena is a 1st generation, she does not have the emotional limitations of the 2nd generation. She has greater latitude to use "extraordinary" methods to try to find Deunan. She also runs the risk that either the Council of Elders or General Uranus would take action against her.

Nike

Voiced by: Miho Yamada (Japanese), Cindy Robinson (Geneon Dub), Shelley Calene-Black (Sentai Dub) (English)
Nike is Athena Areios's chief-of-staff, as well as commander of E-S.W.A.T. Although she is a 2nd generation Bioroid with limited emotions, she is fiercely loyal to Athena and the Bioroids' prime purpose: the salvation of humanity.

Hitomi

Voiced by: Yuki Matsuoka (Japanese), Karen Strassman (Geneon Dub), Hilary Haag (Sentai Dub) (English)
A 2nd generation Bioroid, Hitomi recruits new E-S.W.A.T. members. She had led the rescue mission to get Deunan Knute out of the Badlands. She also helped with getting Deunan settled in at Olympus. Although her emotions are regulated, she is interested in the emotion of love and is disturbed by hate.

Yoshitsune Miyamoto

Voiced by: Toshiyuki Morikawa (Japanese), Dave Wittenberg (Geneon Dub), Chris Patton (Sentai Dub) (English)
A 2nd generation Bioroid, Yoshitsune, or "Yoshi," is E-S.W.A.T.'s chief mechanic and Land Strider designer. He also wants to examine Briareos' cybernetic armor more closely, if only Briareos would let him. His knowledge of mechanics becomes very useful. Yoshi seems to care for Hitomi.

Edward Uranus III

Voiced by: Yuzuru Fujimoto (Japanese), Michael McConnohie (Geneon Dub), Jason Douglas (Sentai Dub) (English)
Supreme commander of the O.R.A., General Edward Uranus III distrusts the Bioroids and wishes to either control or eliminate them. Unlike his subordinate Hades, he is not irrational. A friend of both Carl Knute and Dr. Gilliam, Uranus deeply regrets the death of Dr. Gilliam and wants to persuade Deunan to help him in his quest.

However, when General Uranus finds out about the Council of Elder's plan to replace humans with Bioroids and sterilize the humans using the "D-tank", he voluntarily surrenders, rather than being used as a pawn.

Hades

Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu (Japanese), Jack Aubree (Geneon Dub), Andrew Love (Sentai Dub) (English)
Colonel Hades is General Uranus's subordinate. Like Uranus, he distrusts the Bioroids. However, it has evolved into an irrational, all-consuming hatred, and he wants to see the Bioroids destroyed.

Originally, Hades served under Carl Knute, Deunan's father, in Los Angeles' S.W.A.T. team, but was removed by Carl because of his extreme methods. He held a grudge with Carl, and is furious that Carl's D.N.A. is in all the Bioroids. Deunan eventually kills Hades with her father's gun.

Kudoh

Voiced by: Tadahisa Saizen (Japanese), Jack Aubree (Geneon Dub), Kalob Martinez (Sentai Dub) (English)
Kudoh is one of the top members of E-S.W.A.T. He trains with Deunan and eventually earns her respect. When she and Briareos head to Dr. Gilliam Knute's old lab, Kudoh comes along. After they are betrayed by fellow E-S.W.A.T. member Leyton, Kudoh stays behind, keeping his gun trained on Hades so that Deunan and Briareos can escape.

Later, Kudoh is gunned down by O.R.A. soldiers and dies against the wall of a hallway. Deunan is greatly distressed over his death, but Briareos drags her away.

Dr. Gilliam Knute

Voiced by: Emi Shinohara (Japanese), Karen Strassman (Geneon Dub), Kara Greenberg (Sentai Dub) (English)
Gilliam created the Bioroids, and the "D-tank" virus, which renders normal humans sterile. During the creation of the first generation she realized the Council of Elders planned to use the Bioroids to replace normal humanity altogether. She arranged for the Bioroids not to be able to reproduce and kept the formula to activate their reproductive systems - codenamed "Appleseed" - in a pendant She gave the locket to her young daughter Deunan, with the promise to give it to Athena, if she asked. Gilliam was captured and gunned down in front of Deunan.

The Seven Elders

Voiced by: Fumio Matsuoka (Japanese), Doug Stone (Geneon Dub), Andy McAvin (Sentai Dub) (English)
Voiced by: Hirotake Nagata (Japanese), Fred Bloggs (Geneon Dub), T. Posthlewaite (Sentai Dub) (English)
Voiced by: Ikuo Nishikawa (Japanese), Kim Strauss (Geneon Dub), Marty Fleck (Sentai Dub) (English)
Voiced by: Ryuji Nakagi (Japanese), Michael Sorich (Geneon Dub), John Gremillion (Sentai Dub) (English)
Voiced by: Takehiro Koyama (Japanese), Mike Reynolds (Geneon Dub), Christopher Ayres (Sentai Dub) (English)
Voiced by: Toshihiko Kuwagaki (Japanese), Russel Thor (Geneon Dub), Ted Pfister (Sentai Dub) (English)
Voiced by: Yoshiyuki Kaneko (Japanese), William Frederick Knight (Geneon Dub), Stefan Craig (Sentai Dub) (English)
The seven elders determine the final will of Olympus by consulting with the Gaia supercomputer, hooked up to machines deep within the legislature. Believing that humanity has no future, they risked their own lives to set up Bioroids' rise as the dominant lifeforms.

Music

The original soundtrack and music to the series features an electronic, techno and trance theme, with the likes of Paul Oakenfold, Basement Jaxx, Boom Boom Satellites, Akufen, Carl Craig, T. Raumschmiere and Ryuichi Sakamoto handling the music.

Release history

The film was released in theaters on April 17, 2004 in Japan. A year later, Geneon Entertainment released the film in select theaters in the US and was later released on DVD on May 10, 2005. However, Geneon Entertainment's North American division was shut down in December 2007. The film was then picked up by Sentai Filmworks; with distribution from ADV Films and was re-released on DVD on July 1, 2009. Sentai Filmworks, along with Section23 Films, released Appleseed on Blu-ray Disc on May 18, 2010. The Blu-ray edition of the film included the original Animaze English dub, and an updated dub produced by Seraphim Digital, which features most of the cast from Appleseed Ex Machina.

Reception

IGN.com gave the film 7 out of 10, commenting that the film is more fun, beautiful and much better than the 1988 film. Anime News Network's Carlo Santos said while the plot is overly cliched, the visual presentation and musical score both stand out and give the film its worth.

Sequel

Director Shinji Aramaki also directed the sequel to the 2004 movie, titled Appleseed Ex Machina, which was released in Fall 2007 in Japan. The movie once again featured animated computer-generated imagery.

External links

• Official website
• Appleseed at The Appleseed Wikia
• Appleseed at MetaCritic
• Appleseed at Rotten Tomatoes
• Appurushîdo at the Internet Movie Database
• Appleseed at AllRovi
• Appleseed (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
• Appleseed at Anime.com