009-1, Vol. 1

009-1 is a futuristic spy story dressed in natty clothes. Titular agent Mylene Hoffman lives in a world in which the Cold War never ended, where—alone or with a team of fellow spies—her duties include eliminating assassins, rescuing brilliant scientists, and monitoring a team assigned to kill dangerous mutants. Luckily, Mylene is not only beautiful and smart, she's also aided by a host of gadgets, the most important of which is her cyborg body. While the first four episodes compiled here aren't terribly complex, neither are they entirely clear-cut (Mylene often finds that situations are darker than they initially seemed), and the moral ambiguities help sell this spy drama's minimalist plots. Mylene herself is very practical, not above sleeping with the enemy or taking advantage of his or her code of honor. Based on the late 1960s YA manga by Shotaro Ishinomori, 009-1's retro design is faithful to the original: villains are ugly, while women are buxom and leggy (unfortunately, while the animation is smooth, the artwork itself is sometimes overly simplistic). Presented on a dual-language disc (with a nice English dub), rated TV-MA (for violence and sex), DVD extras include interviews with the director and staff, background material on the transition from manga to anime, a gadget guide, and a booklet. A strong optional purchase. [Note: 009-1, Vol. 2 is slated for release on Aug. 21.] Aud: P. (L. Martincik)