Director: Tetsuro Amino
Starring: Aya Hisakawa, Stacie Lynn Renna, Masaru Ikeda, Gary Suson, Chika Sakamoto, Jason Harris, Juurouta Kosugi, Chris Yates, Mika Kanai, Terri Muuss, Shigeru Chiba, Andrew Thorson,
Running Time: 175 minutes
Certificate: 12
IRIA is an animated prequel series to little scene Japanese live-action science-fiction effort ZEIRAM. In ZERIRAM we followed bounty hunter Iria as she arrived on Earth hunting an alien creature known as Zeiram. IRIA sets up exactly how Zeiram came into being, as well as giving us some back story on certain characters and expanding on the universe on which this is set. The whole of ZEIRAM took place on Earth, and the film was delightfully cheap. It was a very low-budget affair, but had a lot of charm and a strong heroine. For anyone concerned, you do not have to have seen ZEIRAM to enjoy this show.
Iria is a delightful protagonist as she perfectly represents the innocence and vulnerability of a female rookie in a man’s world who gradually becomes a dangerous and professional individual. Iria works as a bounty hunter apprentice alongside her brother and his friend Bob. She isn’t exactly trusted with high profile missions on top of being too protected by her elder sibling. As fate would have it, she is soon thrust into an adventure that she isn’t ready for, after her brother is killed by Zeiram, an alien creature with a mysterious past.
This is rather a short series, but it runs at a smooth pace. Rather than extending all possible plot lines, the show remains focused on Iria’s progression as a character. Due to this, the show sometimes makes large leaps forward in time, which again helps to detail Iria growing as a warrior. She isn’t alone in her battles though, as she is aided by Bob, who works almost as a Jiminy Cricket-esque conscience as well as mentor. It gives Iria a constant companion with which to play off, despite her mainly standing as a lone gun woman. The show creates an interesting futuristic world and also throws a number of emotional curveballs into the mix. It’s an entirely different beast to the live-action film, which focused heavily on two comedy sidekick characters and was hampered by its Earth setting.
It’s a real treat that older animes such as this one are not being forgotten about. It may look jarring in its 1:33:1 aspect ratio, as well as its obviously 90s colour palette that lacks a lot of vibrant variety. Sound effects and music are also dated, but it all comes together as a welcome piece of nostalgia. The creativity and heart are all present and it reminds us that anime became popular thanks to its characters and innovative storytelling. IRIA may not be one of the unforgettable milestones, but when compared to its live-action counterpart, it’s easy to see why many storytellers chose cartoons as their medium. It is able to explore a world with sincerity and confidence. More from the early 1990s please.
IRIA is released on DVD on 1st July via MVM.
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