801 T.T.S. Airbats: 1st Strike

Maybe the three episodes on one video pushed my attention span to the limit, but since the 801 does not have any bogeys to wax (jet jargon from Iron Eagle; bad guys to kill), there is not much action to keep one interested. As I said earlier, unless you had hit the skip the intro link, the laughs come every now and then. It is only 80s sitcom funny, its characters whose quirks and personalities make them pretty entertaining on the surface are not very deep, and a lack of character development act as preventing forces in the title's attempts to capture the audience. It does make a valiant effort to make us care about the characters in the love triangle, giving the scenario a good chunk of the video, but the lack of depth in the characters hardly makes it any better than the less than valiant attempts Saved by the Bell made to draw emotion from the audience.

If you are really into the art and animation aspects of Japanese animated titles, you will not be disappointed. The character design did not really impress me, but it does have its own unique style which makes like/dislike an issue of taste. As for the rest of the animation, the Japan Air-Self Defense Force's involvement in the project helps give the series a special touch artistically.

801 Air Bats maybe well animated, but one episode fulfills the viewers need for cool artwork. If you want story, then this would be one of your average titles. I would say if you like the girls + the unusual equation, the 90 min. for a retail price of $20 is a bargain, but you would have to buy one of the worst dubs I've ever seen. That maybe an over exaggeration, maybe the Southern States' dialect has crossed the largest ocean on the planet.

Production Credits:

Cooperation by: Japan Air-Self Defense Force • Created by: Toshimitsu Shimizu • Character Design: Yuji Moriyama • Directors: Yuji Moriyama, Osamu Mikasa, Junichi Sakata, and Tour Yoshida • Editor: Toshihko Kojima • Producers: Shigeaki Komatsu, Shigeru Kitayam, and Hokou Enomto • Produced by: Studio Fantasia • Production by: JVC