OVA Week 2: Day 6 – Crying Freeman

ashleycapes

June 1

Second last post now! This week is flying by, but it feels like that each time for me 😀

As usual, I've got an overview on the OVA form below, then the review itself. And also as usual, I'm keen to hear any suggestions you might have for future OVA-weeks 🙂

An animated film or series made for release on video, rather than for broadcast/theatrical screening
Generally, high budgets that can mean visual qualities are better than a typical television series
No fixed length, nor broadcast time-constraints when it comes to storytelling
To some extent, created outside regulation – and so they have a reputation for 'anything goes' when it comes to restricted content
Often (but certainly not always) based on original scripts, rather than being adaptations
Long wait times between episodes/installments for some OVAs
First OVA to be described as such was 1983's Dallos from Mamoru Oshii
The ONA (Original Net Animation) is an obvious more modern equivalent

Crying Freeman (1988)

The premise for Crying Freeman caught my eye when doing research for my 'OVA Week' series I started back in 2022, so let's begin with that:

Yo is brainwashed into acting as the principal assassin for crime syndicate 108 Dragons, yet - cruelly - is permitted to remember his innocent past at the moment he kills, shedding a tear unconsciously each time. He is given the codename "Crying Freeman" as a result.

Such potential for character exploration!

And when I finished that first OVA, the best of them, I thought the series might just go on to explore Freeman as a character; the cost of killing, and how he might change, how he might come to terms with his actions (or not).

Or how Emu might end up changing him, since Freeman breaks his own code early on, in order to come to her aid… but as the episodes continued, the OVA series grew simpler and often quite crass, or worse.

Simplicity does not equate "bad quality", but here I just didn't enjoy things as Crying Freeman strayed toward (and sometimes wallowed in) many of the trashiest action-movie conventions.

During the six episodes of Crying Freeman, there are still exciting action sequences, twists and turns, and admittedly, Freeman as character never wholly loses his mix of regret, tenderness and ability as an extremely-efficient killer… but it's static.

To me, it still feels like a missed opportunity to deeply explore psychological issues, morality and doubt.

But of course, the OVA is an 1980s action thriller (equally influenced by Hong Kong martial arts or crime cinema too). At times the series can be very stylish, but it's also something which has been compressed (in terms of intensity) into the anime form, and even finds a way to squeeze in harem aspects.

Elsewhere, among other problems, there's blackface, heaps of fat-phobic content and no shortage of women who instantly fall in love with Freeman* in an example of the most generic of male fantasies.

Can't go higher than 2 stars, in part because the first episode is pretty great.

2 Stars

*A note on the nudity and sex in the OVAs:

In a way, Crying Freeman is the perfect example of the clichés you've probably heard about the OVA era. It's obviously not kid-friendly, without being pornography, either.

But of course, like a lot of different media forms that are aimed at older audiences (from all eras), there's an unquestioning willingness to reveal a woman's body, but not so much when it comes to the men.

For instance, you'll see plenty of breasts and pubic hair for the female characters here, but you won't see any shots of Freeman's penis for example. He tends to have his genitals hidden by shadows or underpants. (Again, this common across all kinds of media forms, especially in broadcasting, and at least in part driven by network and government regulation, of course).