Some anime disappear because they are bad. Some disappear because they are too strange, too early, or just never got the push they deserved. Alien Nine feels like the second type.
The underrated sci-fi OVA from 2001 is now getting a fresh Blu-ray release, 25 years after it first arrived. According to ComicBook Anime, Crunchyroll’s official site has confirmed that the home video release is set for June 9 in North America, with pre-orders already available through AnimEigo.
For Malaysian and SEA anime fans, this is one of those “eh, I’ve heard the name but never watched it” titles that might be worth revisiting. We get flooded with new seasonal anime every few months, so older OVAs like this can easily get buried under the latest shonen hit or Netflix drop. But Alien Nine has the kind of weird, unsettling school sci-fi energy that collectors and old-school anime fans tend to appreciate.
The new Blu-ray will present the four-episode OVA in HD using a new AstroRes restoration and upscale. The package is also set to include extra material such as interviews with the English cast and staff, an executive producer interview, a dubbing diary, and a featurette with the Japanese voice cast.
Yes, this is a North American release, so local fans will probably need to look at import options if they want the physical copy. But for collectors in Malaysia who already import anime Blu-rays or manga box sets, this is the kind of niche release that can become hard to find later. Not everything needs to be Demon Slayer-level mainstream to be worth owning, bro.
Alien Nine began as a manga by Hitoshi Tomizawa, first serialized in Akita Shoten’s Young Champion magazine in 1998. The manga ran for 30 chapters and was collected into three volumes before receiving its anime adaptation from J.C. Staff.
The OVA also has some very interesting names attached. It was directed by Yasuhiro Irie, who would later direct Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The script was handled by Sadayuki Murai, known for his work on the classic psychological anime film Perfect Blue. So while Alien Nine may not be a household name, the creative pedigree is seriously not random.
The story follows Yuri Otani, a middle school student who gets chosen by her classmates to join the school’s “Alien Party.” Sounds cute? Not really. The Alien Party is responsible for catching aliens that enter the school grounds, though the girls are not supposed to kill them.
Yuri is joined by Kumi Kawamura and Kasumi Tomine, with advisor Megumi Hisakawa guiding them. The girls are also paired with symbiotic aliens called Borgs, which attach to their heads and protect them during alien encounters.
The problem is simple: Yuri is terrified of aliens. She only takes the role because of peer pressure, and when she actually faces one, she can freeze or faint. That fear gives Alien Nine a very different flavour from the usual “kids fight monsters” setup. There is a mystery behind the Alien Party, the Borgs, and why these girls are being pushed into this role in the first place.
For newer fans raised on slick seasonal anime, Alien Nine might feel odd at first. But that is exactly why this Blu-ray matters. It gives a forgotten sci-fi title another chance to be discovered, especially by fans who want anime that is stranger, darker, and less formulaic than the usual weekly hype cycle.
Source: ComicBook Anime