Steel Angel Kurumi

Steel Angel Kurumi is an anime and manga series created by Kaishaku. The anime series was produced by Oriental Light and Magic, and was directed by Naohito Takahashi. Steel Angel Kurumi ran for twenty-four episodes, and aired on WOWOW from October 5, 1999 to April 4, 2000. A sequel series, Steel Angel Kurumi 2 ran for twelve episodes, and aired from April 12, 2001 through June 28, 2001. There are also two Steel Angel Kurumi OVA series: Steel Angel Kurumi Zero (which ran for three episodes) and Steel Angel Kurumi Encore (which ran for four episodes). ADV Films holds the North American licensing rights to the series.

Steel Angel Kurumi is set in an alternate timeline version of Japan during the 1920s. In this alternate timeline, there is technology utilized in the series that would not have existed or have been readily available during that time period.

The story follows an eleven-year-old boy named Nakahito Kagura. Nakahito is pressured by a group of his classmates to go inside a house that’s been rumored to belong to a mad scientist. After being forced into the house by his classmates, Nakahito explores the house to try and find a way out.

As he explores, he comes across what appears to be a life-like female doll. As Nakahito kneels down to take a better look at it, the Japanese Army carries out an attack on the house. The army’s attack causes the ground to shake, and the life-like doll falls over. As the doll falls over, its lips touch Nakahito’s lips, and they kiss. The doll awakens, and declares that Nakahito is her master. It turns out the doll is Steel Angel Kurumi, and the military is hunting her for unknown reasons.

During the attack, the scientist finds Kurumi and Nakahito, and wonders how Kurumi was activated. Before he can get an answer, the Japanese Army breaks through the ceiling, causing a cave-in. During the cave-in, Kurumi disappears with Nakahito, and the stage is set for the rest of the series.

The animation style used in Steel Angel Kurumi is a mixture of typical anime, dramatic still shots, and “super deformed” anime. This series is a mixture of action and romantic comedy, but there’s also some fanservice and panty shots. Due to nudity and other fanservice present in Steel Angel Kurumi, I would recommend this series to anime viewers who are sixteen years of age or older.