Saber Marionette J

In the distant future, since the Earth has become overpopulated, efforts to find and colonize on other planets have begun. However, one of the ships, the "Mesopotamia" malfunctions and all but 6 of its inhabitants are all killed. the remaining 6 manage to escape to a nearby planet named "Terra ll ", which is similar to Earth in many respects. However, all of them are male. Therefore, as to not let their efforts go to waste, they begin to set up 6 countries and to reproduce through cloning and genetic engineering. however, there are still no women, and to make up for it they create lifelike advanced female androids called "Marionettes" which do everyday chores and work. However, they are all emotionless machines. But one day, a ordinary boy named Otaru finds and awakens 3 special battle type Marionettes that have emotions due to a "Maiden Circuit" within them. It's up to him then to teach them and allow their emotions to grow, and when a nearby country threatens with world domination, it's up to to Otaru and his "human" Marionettes to protect their country.

Lime Main

Hayashibara, Megumi Japanese

Cherry Main

Shiratori, Yuri Japanese

Bloodberry Main

Hiramatsu, Akiko Japanese

Mamiya, Otaru Main

Imai, Yuka Japanese

Tiger Main

Takano, Urara Japanese

Luchs Main

Mizutani, Yuuko Japanese

Panther Main

Inoue, Kikuko Japanese

Faust, Gelhardt von Main

Midorikawa, Hikaru Japanese

Hanagata, Mitsurugi Supporting

Koyasu, Takehito Japanese

Hanagata, Yumeji Supporting

Takano, Urara Japanese

Haruta, Katsunori Producer

Yokoyama, Shinjirou Producer

Shimoda, Masami Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Sayama, Kiyoko Episode Director, Storyboard

Reviews

Aug 29, 2023

Rubblewolf

Recommended

I heard about this anime way back when I was in high school, but I was never able to check it out until about a week ago. And well, I must say I don't regret watching this anime. I really enjoyed it.

Story:
A boy named Otaru Mamiya awakens three marionettes called Lime, Cherry, and Blood Berry, who are all different from other marionettes on Terra 2. What makes them different from all the other female robots/androids? Well, Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry have this thing called a Maiden Circuit, which acts like their heart. And that means they get to experience emotions. Basically, this story is about ... Otaru's daily life with the three mechanical girls and of course throw in a plot about an evil ruler from a German-inspired country/kingdom that wants to conquer Japaness (Otaru's Japanese inspired homeland) with his own Marionettes with Maiden Circuits, and you got one hell of a story.

Of course, all the episodes had me hooked. I enjoyed watching the crazy antics of Otaru's marionettes as they fought for his affections (Tenchi Muyo style might I add) all the while of learning about the daily lives of humans. The first half of the season is mostly about Otaru adjusting to life with the girls, with him teaching them about various human experiences such as life and death, and the second half of the series delves more into the reason for Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry all having Maiden Circuits and why there are only men on Terra 2, oh and the war against the German-inspired country of Gartland.

At first glance, this might seem like another sci fi-ish harem that's trying to be like Evangelion and Tenchi Muyo but honestly, it's not. It's not as goofy and lighthearted as TM but at the same time it doesn't try to be all that serious like Neon Genesis Evangelion, but the similarities are still there. Each episode, believe it or not, carried the story on, adding onto the characters and their own little arcs. This series wasn't afraid to slow down and make you cry over something as trivial as Lime's pet squirrel dying (Ugh, yes there was an episode where Lime learned first hand about death...) or learning about the past of the antagonist, Lord Faust. There's also plenty of action scenes as well.

Art:
I'll admit that the art style of the characters all looked a little weird to me at first but I quickly got used to it. Everything looked great, even albeit a bit dated. The character designs really showed off the personality of all the characters, from the intimidating Lord Faust to the cute adorable Cherry. The action sequences were really fluid and the characters were really well done and expressive. And the scenery. There was a lot of pretty scenery.

Sound:
So, I watched the English dub and not the Japanese dub, and well, eh, I will say that the English Dub isn't bad, I mean it's not the best out there. But I liked it. I especially liked Lime's VA. But all of the actors brought life to their characters and the music, the opening theme got stuck in my head while I watched this. The ending song was pretty catchy. All the sounds overall were pretty good, from the cracks of plasma lightning(?) being heard in the sky, to the cute squeaks of the weird Ponta creatures in the forest, and the punches and kicks that Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry dealt out when protecting Otaru.

Characters:
Ah yes, I will say that while the story did feel a bit awkward, the characters are really what makes Saber Marionette J shine. We have the serious yet kindhearted Otaru Mamiya, the cheerful and childish Lime, the soft-spoken and modest Cherry, and the tough badass yet flirty Bloodberry. There are other characters but I don't really wanna spoil anything. All I gotta say is that I loved these characters, especially Lime, she was really adorable and I actually cried whenever Lime cried. All the characters all added something to the overall plot of this anime. From Lime learning about life and death to Bloodberry being conflicted over possibly liking another character who was similar to Otaru.

Enjoyment;
I had a lot of fun watching this series though I will admit that there were a few episodes that were sad but they didn't evoke any emotions out of me at all, except for the one about Lime and her pet squirrel and possibly another one that I'm not gonna say anything about. Let's just say I was hooked on this series until the end.

Overall:
Overall, I'd say give this series a watch because while it seems like it's trying to be another Tenchi Muyo or another Neon Genesis Evangelion, it isn't. Saber Marionette J has the perfect balance of romance, drama, action, and sci fi.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Sep 11, 2014

chig

Recommended

Man you gotta stick with this until the end. It's a harem definitely for the most part, but even if that's not your thing, the ending is a straight 10/10 and worth waiting for

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Jan 3, 2025

joemaamah

Mixed Feelings

Ah, the infamous. Back when this came out, it started so many flame wars, that it might have gotten outlawed in some countries. You either hated it, and slagged it mercilessly. Or loved it, and praised it beyond all other animes.

As in all things, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. The art work is kind of different. It turned many people off but I thought it was at least a little imaginative. The animation was about average for the era. Meaning it could look really good one second, then like complete shit the next. The story and the characters are, well, odd. This ... isn't meant to be taken seriously, but sometimes it seems to be weird just for weirdness' sake. The VAs could be over the top. But that was the trope for this genre back in the day. I am sure the director was just following his directions from the money guys.

I found it entertaining enough. I'd probably have rated it a low end 8. But if I was grading it today, I really couldn't see fit to give it much better than 68/100 for a D+. If you loved it, it might be worth a rewatch for nostalgia's sake. But it's not the type of series that will have aged well, and I'd think a modern audience would be more liable to see the cracks in it. I'd say don't be a puppet though. Make up your own mind after giving it a try, if the premise sounds interesting.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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