Black Magic M66

From the creator of the (in my opinion) superior Appleseed (VL-9/01), Masamune Shirow's Black Magic M66 is an impressively animated (especially for 1987) shoot-em-up involving a pair of not-quite-fully-operational M-66 military high-tech android assassins that escape after a military transport crash and begin tracking their test subject--the inventor's granddaughter, Ferris (why gramps would want to use his granddaughter as part of a test program for homicidal machines is a little unclear). Interweaving the story of a freelance video journalist named Sybel--who becomes involved professionally, physically, and finally, emotionally, when she finds and attempts to shield Ferris from her would-be attackers--with nicely choreographed set pieces in which the M-66 units handily dispatch soldiers, the rather short Black Magic M66 feels somewhat dated today, and while it would be a solid choice for those collecting key titles in the history of anime, this is pretty much optional for general collections. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)