Mad House is renowned for its work on several outstanding anime features, including Millenium Actress and Perfect Blue. However, many fail to realize that the studio produced several series that slipped past the view of the public (sometimes with good reason). Several of these less noticed pieces share the same quality of animation that fans have known for years. Cyber City is one such work that is average in most respects, but still manages to hold up a decent visual presentation.

The story itself is a mix of intrigue and action wrapped in a gritty cyberpunk universe. the plot revolves around three "Cyber Cops," each of whom is a former criminal that is set to serve several life sentences. These cops are essentially on "work release," chiseling at their sentences with each successful mission. Goggles is one of these officers, kept on a leash that consists of a time bomb embedded in a collar. On an investigation of stolen body parts, an old partner of Goggles' arises. In another part of the city, a mysterious military superweapon is wreaking havoc upon the many criminals that roam the streets. Goggles has a difficult choice ahead of him... will he rejoin his partner and return to his former life, or will he face the military's new toy in a bloody fight to the death?

Despite The Decoy being part of the three-part Cyber City Oedo 808 OVA series, the story manages to function well as a standalone work. The feature tells its tale with the bluntness of a rock, but still has enough twists to keep viewers interested. Since it is set in a city ruled by crime, Oedo's world is befittingly dark and gritty. The pacing is much like a Die Hard movie - always steady and building tension until the inevitable climax and release. However, despite its decent execution, the film has few features that distinguish it from the rest of the genre.

Goggles proves that hardened criminals can still take time to enjoy a good book.	The military's new weapon is an example of why people shouldn't make schematics while intoxicated.

Cyber City's animation is simply gorgeous. The characters move fluidly with no noticeable jerk in any motions. The vehicles all animate smoothly with no hiccups about them. The character designs, sadly, are the epitome of generic. The only characters that truly stand out are Benten, the cross-dresser and Goggles. The rest of the cast could easily make the "How to Draw..." books seem original and unique.

Aurally, Cyber City fails to deliver an oustanding offering. The only song that is close to memorable is the opening, which is a fun piece of 80s J-Rock with piano accompaniment. The rest of the music in the film is decent, but quickly forgotten.

Despite the shortcomings of the music, the film's acting saves the feature from falling into total mediocrity. The Japanese cast breathes life into the otherwise bland players of the series. The English performers, on the other hand, are very flat in comparison as they read their lines. Sadly, the English track also suffers from a poor dub script that utilizes the word "fuck" at every possible opportunity.

For the DVD release, Central Park Media has opted to take a more bare-bones approach. The packaging features a generic montage of shots, with Goggles taking the majority of the image. The back of the packaging features a description of the disc's contents accompanied by a brief summary and an image of the feature's main cast. The liner notes, as usual, are on the inside of the cover and viewable through the clear Alpha case. For extras, The Decoy sports an art gallery and a sketch gallery to accompany the two trailers for the series. The most notable feature on the disc, though, is a full director's commentary, courtesy of Yoshiaki Kawajiri himself. His insights help to flesh out the otherwise bland Cyber City Oedo. The video transfer is clean, with no cross-coloration or artifacts. The sound transfers well, with no dropouts or distortions on any of the three tracks.

Cyber City is by no means a bad film. However, on the same note, it is far from being a great film, as well. However, despite its shortcomings, Cyber City: the Decoy provides an entertaining, mindless adventure that is guaranteed to satisfy any cravings for action.

Distributor: Central Park Media
Creator: Studio MADHOUSE
Released: 1993

Plot: B
Character Design: C+
Animation Quality: A
Music: B-
Overall: B-