Alien 9 is not an anime to be watched casually. The very cartoony look of the series completely belies the powerful issues it addresses.

In summary, three 6th grade girls are voted by their classmates to be the part of the “Alien Defense Force”. This entails trapping aliens that invade the school grounds, some of which are quite dangerous. The girls are protected by manta ray-like aliens called “borg” that they wear like hats. In return, the borg suck nutrients from the girls’ backs. One of the girls, Yuri, reacts to the entire experience of being on the team with revulsion and horror as the other two girls capture most of the aliens. The episodes are involved but entertaining, the animation and character design are excellent, and the Japanese voice characterizations are superb.

Looking innocuously innocent, the series CAN be watched as a series of adventure episodes, but you will miss a great deal of the message. The author has postulated a world where the emotions and experiences of becoming an adult are exteriorized as aliens. Yet this is not a gothic horror film. The settings and characters are ordinary and the atmosphere is generally light.

Much of what goes on seems mysterious and threatening, as it parallels the insecurities and problems that go along with adolescence, both physically and mentally. Over the course of four episodes we are shown how very differently the three girls deal with the experience of becoming adults, with the generally ineffectual help of their teacher. Although this sounds like the overused “coming of age” theme so often shown in anime, this series dives into areas seldom touched upon in animated films. This carries right through to the shocking ending that is treated almost casually as it is shown while the credits are running.

At the end, more questions are raised than are answered, but with each watching, you understand more and more of what is going on. For those who want a rich, entertaining, thought-provoking experience, I cannot recommend this series too highly.

The manga series on which this is based is also being printed in English.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older