Sol Bianca - The Legacy #1: Lost Treasures
from Geneon [Pioneer]
The adventures of the rambunctious space pirates of the spacecraft Sol Bianca continue with the first two episodes in the new story line, The Legacy. In "Emblem," Captain April and her unruly crew set out to recover a rare Frontier Age flintlock stolen from her years before. They find it at an auction on a distant planet, and snatch it from the grasp of the sinister Gyunter of the Terra Force. In "Memories," Gyunter and brash Lieutenant Ranny pursue the Sol Bianca to the ruined planet Consegra. Jun and Mayo find themselves in a deadly maze, more or less inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy, but navigate it with the aid of Sancho, a genie/graphic interface that Jun keeps in a ring. The writing is spotty, with adventures ending before they really get started. The viewer never sees crew members Jun and Mayo escape from the maze; they just turn up at the end of the episode. Fans of these outrageous female pirates probably won't care about these shortcomings, though, because director Hiroyuki Ochi and writer Hideki Mitsui give them plenty of fast-paced battles, wisecracks, sky chases, and explosions. (Ages 11 and older due to violence and occasional profanity) --Charles Solomon
The all-girl crew of the pirate ship Sol Bianca is not afraid of anyone, so when they cross paths with the most powerfully armed power in the known universe, it is sure to be a wild ride!
Sol Bianca - The Legacy #2: Separation
from Geneon [Pioneer]
The makers of this six-episode OAV are clearly more interested in jazzy computer-graphics effects and action sequences than in coherent story lines involving the female pirates of the ship Sol Bianca. In "The Cleaner," the Sol Bianca is taken over by Booster, a fanatic mutant psychic, eager to begin a campaign of assassination. Toting enough fire power to level a fair-sized city, Jeni charges to the rescue, with the aid of Gwen, a powerful man with a curious link to Booster. In "Lovers," April shares a passionate interlude (and escapes the pull of gravity) with Percy, the dashing proprietor of a pirate theme park. The perpetually tipsy Feb decides she can't continue as a pirate, and runs away. Pressured by the other crew members, April tries to bring her back, but they end up separated. Hideki Mitsui's dialogue lacks the humor and warmth that would characterize the banter of a real team. The rather sketchy story lines and character interactions serve as vehicles for more shoot-'em-up action and elaborate effects. Jeni and Gwen battle Booster's army of murderous robots; April's rescue mission is a nonstop barrage of explosions and bullets. But the adventures of these outrageous pirates should be more fun. Unrated; suitable for ages 13 and up for nudity, violence, profanity, and sexual situations. --Charles Solomon
Is it a man, or space that came between them? Captain's Log: Reminder, when the tarot cards tell of trouble, next time believe them! A terrorist violated the Sol Bianca today, but fortunately, he played the situation to Jani's strengths and she was able to answer the situation in her favorite way - with guns blazing. It's a good thing that Jani's able to control herself or she'd be a real problem. Speaking of which, Feb is getting more out of control, and the cards are warning about trouble again. I hope it's those annoying Blue Comets. They're easier to deal with than Feb's attitude. - April
Sol Bianca - The Legacy #3: Going Home
by Hiroyuki Ochi
from Geneon [Pioneer]
extended Family Values! Captain's Log: We may fight, but families are important, and Feb's departure has fractured the family of our crew. Fortunately, Jun has a lead on Feb and on Mayo's family, so if we're lucky, we should be able to celebrate two family reunions. It will probably be a big fight to get Feb back from the Earthian's headquarters, and she may not even appreciate a rescue... Still, family's worth fighting for, and if we didn't like a little rough, we wouldn't be pirates! - April
Sol Bianca - The Legacy - Limited Edition Boxed Set
from Geneon [Pioneer]
Although this 1999 six-episode OVA continues the adventures of the space pirates of the Sol Bianca, the character designs and stories have been completely reworked from the 1990 original. Captain April and her unruly crew--Feb, Jun, Jeni, and young stowaway Mayo--set out to recover a rare "Frontier Age" flintlock stolen from her years before. They find it at an auction on a distant planet, and snatch it from the grasp of the sinister Gyunter of the Terra Force. Gyunter and brash lieutenant Ranny pursue the Sol Bianca across the cosmos.
Both crews eventually find their way to Earth, which is now encased in a Dyson Sphere, a metal shell approximately the diameter of the orbit of the moon. The Admiral, who serves as Gyunter's commander, regards the pirate ship as a fabulous artifact and is determined to capture it at any cost. Inexplicably, Gyunter turns on the Admiral in the heat of battle and fires a nuclear missile. The Sol Bianca not only survives the blast, it's resurrected, with enough power to vaporize the evil Admiral--although Gyunter somehow survives. The sketchy storylines and flat character interactions do little more than tie together the sky chases, elaborate effects, and shoot-'em-up action. Writer Hideki Mitsui's stolid dialogue lacks the outrageous espirit de corps that won the earlier incarnations of Sol Bianca so many fans. (Rated 13 and older: violence, occasional profanity, nudity, sexual situations) --Charles Solomon
Mankind has taken up residence in space, with any memories of Earth more a legend than a reality. A militaristic splinter group, known as the Earthians, share a quasi-religious belief that the Earth is sacred ground, and prefer to use force to seize the Earth's holy treasures. However, the beautiful crew of the pirate ship, Sol Bianca, gleefully challenges the Earthians oppressive tactics and meets might with might. Join April, Jun, Janni, Feb, Meiyo, and their marvelous space ship, the Sol Bianca, as they challenge the forces of the Galaxy in the pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Lawlessness! Contains all 6 episodes collected in a "Bailey Box."
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