Silent Mobius

—by Mark L. Johnson

We first looked at the SILENT MOBIUS TV series back in EX 3.3, but here we are again (in a shorter time than usual) to review the domestic North American release of SILENT MOBIUS. For a deeper look into the world of SILENT MOBIUS, be sure to check out this initial review, along with a review of the SILENT MOBIUS manga.
My first exposure to SILENT MOBIUS was the two movies made years ago. Both of them dealt with the scenario of AMP (the Attacked Mystification Police Department) composed of specifically talented women fighting mysterious demons in the future. However, they mainly focused on Katsumi, the most powerful member to grace AMP, before she is convinced to join. I remember thinking that I would like to see the series expand, rather than have Katsumi Liquer complain constantly about being drawn in to fight. And, so many years later, this is what this TV series tried to do.
The initial episodes contained in the first two volumes introduce the scenario again, with Katsumi being forced to awaken to her inherent powers (away from her secretary roots). Unlike the movies though, and in a believable fashion, Katsumi quickly decides to join AMP as she feels guilty over events her father (Gigelf Liquer) may have caused in the past. AMP also struggles to establish itself as the threat from the demons, or Lucifer Folk as they are called, begins to rise.
The later episodes start to go more into the other characters and their working relationships with each other: the powerhouse Kiddy, the traditional priest Nami, the timid and friendly Yuki, Lebia with her tech toys, and Mana and Rally leading the pack with mysterious inner strength. Also, we see more of the future world in its decrepit state, with enormous cities being the last places people can still live.
As production values go, I found that SILENT MOBIUS floats between above average and below average. Some of the character scenes look great, as the use of computer shading worked nicely with some complicated scenes. Others moments bear the mark of true budget pressure. For instance, in the second episode I found a few scenes where I could literally count the pixels of a poorly scanned, colored and apparently zoomed scene. Also in "Break In," the quality takes a quick nose dive in flow and consistency of artwork as the action heats up.
Along with the jarring production flaws, I also could see the plot being forced too much in spots, along with the use of standard anime cliches (character archetypes, teamwork in combat, shower scenes...the whole bit). I think some of these may be due to the desire to establish the scenario fast, and I do not know if these problems will continue in later volumes.
There are some nice qualities to the story that I appreciated. For instance, the internal political maneuverings between the corporate controlled police divisions was a nice complication, and Rally Cheyenne's struggle to get AMP approved and funded was interesting. I also look forward to the explanation of the mystery behind the Lucifer Folk, their real purpose and their link to Gigelf Liquer.
The opening is well done in my humble opinion, with the use of CG working well for the most part and the theme was catchy. I found the current ending song Silently to be rather bland, however.
Eventually, I would like to see the conclusion to this series released at a faster pace (hopefully on the rumored DVD releases), as I personally find waiting for a TV series at two episodes per volume to be far too slow. It is nice to see AnimeVillage.com releasing a variety of series in a timely manner here in North America, but I have to admit I would give a higher priority to some of its other titles like COWBOY BEBOP, or even OUTLAW STAR. Any fan of SILENT MOBIUS or Asamiya Kia's manga works should definitely give the series a look, and while this incarnation of SILENT MOBIUS did not amaze me so far, it has the potential to be a decent series.

Released in N. America by AnimeVillage.com
VHS, 50 minutes per volume

English Subtitled: $24.98
Vol. 1 "Decisions"
- Awake
- Decide
1150 ISBN 1-58354-225-6

Vol. 2 "Tokyo Underground"
- Tokyo Underground
- Break In
1151 ISBN 1-58354-226-4

Where to buy