Appleseed

"Urban combat in the city of dreams"

1988 1h 6m JA

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 94

CrimeAnimationScience Fiction

Synopsis

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In the futuristic city of Olympus, built on the ashes of the third world war, a police officer and her cyborg partner fight terrorism.

“Urban combat in the city of dreams”

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Cast

Masako Katsuki
Deunan Knute (voice)
Yoshisada Sakaguchi
Briareos Hecatombcales (voice)
Toshio Furukawa
Calon Mautholos (voice)
Norio Wakamoto
A. J. Sebastian (voice)
Toshiko Sawada
Athena Areios (voice)
Mayumi Shou
Hitomi (voice)
Mika Doi
Fleia Mautholos (voice)
Kumiko Takizawa
Nike (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kazuyoshi Katayama
Writers: Kazuyoshi Katayama, Shirow Masamune
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 66-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

38 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Appleseed Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Norimasa Yamanaka. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Masako Katsuki and Yoshisada Sakaguchi and Toshio Furukawa carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Urban combat in the city of dreams".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0094668 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kazuyoshi Katayama directs. Norimasa Yamanaka scores. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 66-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
238 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Part of the "Appleseed Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Original score by Norimasa Yamanaka. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Masako Katsuki and Yoshisada Sakaguchi and Toshio Furukawa carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Urban combat in the city of dreams".
8IMDB entry: tt0094668 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 94 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 9 themes, including "future", "utopia", "freedom fighter", "futuristic".

The technical file

Original score: Norimasa Yamanaka
Runtime: 66 min · 1h 6m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: JA
IMDB: Appleseed (1988)

Part of

Appleseed Collection

Appleseed takes place in the 22nd century, after the non-nuclear Third World War has led to the destruction of a majority of the Earth's people. While countries like Great Britain, USA and China have difficulty maintaining order and power, international organizations like the "Sacred Republic of Munma" and "Poseidon" have been established in the aftermath. The main characters are Deunan Knute and Briareos Hecatonchires, former SWAT members of the LAPD. They are found in the desolated city and invited to join the prestigious ESWAT (Extra Special Weapons And Tactics) organization in the utopian city of Olympus, the new world's most powerful state. Roughly one half of Olympus's population are bionically augmented. The series follows Deunan and Briareos as they protect their new home from both foreign and domestic threats to its security.