Burn-Up Excess is an animated Japanese

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 television series, directed by Shinichiro Kimura

Shinichiro Kimura

is a Japanese anime director. His nickname is ', a shortened version of his name. Kimura graduated from Osaka University of Arts.-Anime involved in:*Burn Up Excess*Cosplay Complex*Dai-Guard*G-On Riders*Generator Gawl*Hand Maid May*Karin...

 and produced by AIC. It aired from 1997 to 1998, ran for 13 episodes, and 4 volumes of videos were released on VHS

VHS

The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....

 and DVD

DVD

A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....

 in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 by ADV Films.

The series is a tongue-in-cheek look at a special operations unit in the Tokyo police force called "Team Warrior", with large amounts of fan service

Fan service

, fanservice, or , is a term originating from anime and manga fandom for material in a series which is intentionally added to please the audience. It is about "servicing" the fan - giving the fans "exactly what they want"...

 thrown in for good measure.

Plot summary

The story revolves around Rio Kinezono, a buxom member of the team who consistently overspends her paycheck, but is also a top-flight martial artist and a valuable member of the team. In the field, Rio is usually flanked by Maya Jingu, the green-haired team sniper

Sniper

A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....

 who appears to have a serious lust for ranged weapons (specifically assault rifles). Their antics are backed up by the inventions of Nanvel Candlestick, the exotic team engineer

Engineer

An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...

 whose job is to devise and implement special combat and surveillance

Surveillance

Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...

 hardware for the team's use. Lilica Ebett, the sprightly pink-haired girl who's a computer

Computer

A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...

 expert, can pretty much crack into any information system, and Yuji Naruo, a perverted, camera-toting voyeur, always serves as Warrior's drop-operation pilot and driver. Maki Kawasaki, the mysterious, bespectacled superintendent, is charged with commanding Warrior in the field and administering their various missions as they arise.

The series chronicles the team members' adventures as they slowly track down a sinister city plot.

It was preceded by the OVA Burn-Up W, although there are some inconsistencies with several elements, the most notable of which is the malignant and calculating Ruby, who seems to be a completely different character altogether in Burn-Up Excess, despite the two anime being considered canon.

Main characters

• Rio Kinezono
  • This busty blonde is the main character of the series. She's trained in martial arts and is always the person leading an attack. She likes to look good and loves buying pretty things. Unfortunately, her spending habits keep her in eternal debt, so she's always looking for good-paying jobs to support her lifestyle. She has a desk job working for the police in Policetown and counts on work with Team Warrior to pay her bills. Always trying to find the easy way out, she tries to hook up with any rich guy she can find in the hopes that he'll be able to buy her all the pretty things she desires.

• Lilica Ebett
  • The computer expert of the group, Lilica is usually seen in a control room. With her pink hair done up in bows, she hacks into computer systems and gives intelligence support to the rest of the group.

• Maki Kawazaki
  • Team Warrior's commander. A no-nonsense type of leader, she does remember one of the reason's she was awarded the command... which would later come back to haunt her.

• Maya Jingu
  • Maya loves her guns and treats them like her men. She has green hair and is almost always seen wearing a headband.

• Nanvel Candlestick
  • Team Warrior's resident engineering wizard. She is the one responsible for creating a lot of the high-tech gadgets the team uses. But she has a bad habit of coloring her creations either purple or pink, for example a recon device constructed as a pink cockroach
    Cockroach
    Cockroaches are insects of the order Blattaria or Blattodea, of which about 30 species out of 4,500 total are associated with human habitations...
    
    .

• Yuji Naruo
  • Yuji is the guy of the group and the team's vehicle expert. He is constantly hiting on Rio, much to her chagrin, and as we find in episode two, is a lover of female legs and undergarments. He is a great example of a hentai (pervert). He also has a bad habit of showing up in the girls' locker room while they're either changing or taking a shower (which gets him beat up a lot).

Voiced by: Ryotaro Okiayu

Ryotaro Okiayu

is a Japanese voice actor, who was born in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, and raised in Osaka, Osaka Prefecture. He has been active since 1989, and is currently affiliated with Aoni Production....

 (Japanese), Jason Lee

Jaxon Lee

Jason C. Lee is an American voice actor and co-founder of the dubbing studio Gaijin Productions along with his wife Amanda Winn-Lee...

 (English)

Minor Characters and Groups

• Bob
  • The redheaded member of the Jingu crime syndicate in Osaka
  • Episode 4
• Chi Mama
  • The leader of a group of transvestite thieves, although definitely not the brains behind his group's operation. Generally refers to Rio by a pet name for her, "Stephanie"
  • Episodes 2 and 8
• Drone bugs
  • Used by the Ruby and the Dawn Mirage to take over Neo Tokyo Tower
  • Episode 1
• Gondo Construction
  • A crime syndicate in Osaka bent on taking over the Jingu crime syndicate
  • Episode 4
• Henry
  • An advanced strategic tank with artificial intelligence and multiple forms of advanced weaponry, from standard machine guns to a large pulse cannon capable of destroying an entire division of standard tanks in seconds. One of Team Warrior's missions is to escort Henry from Japan to Switzerland, during which Rio accidentally triggers Henry's VIP guard system.
  • Episodes 9 and 10
• Jingu Syndicate
  • A crime syndicate in Osaka run by Maya's father
  • Episode 4
• Ken
  • A chubby guy who wears glasses and is a member of the Jingu crime syndicate in Osaka
  • Episode 4
• Maya's father
  • The boss of the Jingu crime syndicate in Osaka
  • Episode 4
• Mecha Cops
  • The Mecha Cops are robotic police of mysterious origin being sold to the Neo Tokyo police. They have advanced artificial intelligence with black diamond CPUs, and are impervious to most normal weaponry. They are designed to subdue criminals using non-lethal force
    Non-lethal force
    Non-lethal weapons, also called less-lethal weapons, less-than-lethal weapons, non-deadly weapons, compliance weapons, or pain-inducing weapons are weapons intended to be less likely to kill a living target than are conventional weapons...
    
    . They have many other features, including the ability to run faster than speeding cars and interface directly with computer systems in Police Town for quick data retrieval.
  • Episode 11
• Miriam Bardo
  • A famous designer who visits Tokyo to host a fashion show
  • Is actually Ruby in disguise
  • Episode 12
• Miyuki
  • Miyuki is Rio's friend from the police academy. She works as a traffic cop.
  • Episodes 6 and 7
• Miyuki's boss
  • Just like Rio, Miyuki constantly gets in trouble with her boss. She shows up in a police car and yells at Miyuki if she starts slacking for even a second.
• Prince Hasan
  • The heir to the most powerful oil company in the Middle East. Shows up in Tokyo and requests protection from the Warriors. Rio hoped to marry him and get him to pay off her debts until she found out that he is a crazed pervert.
  • Episode 3
• Ramen shop owners
  • The couple that owns the ramen shop next to Policetown
  • Have two kids, a boy and a girl
  • Appear throughout the series
• Rio's boss
  • Rio's always getting in trouble with her boss for not finishing her work. She often uses her sexual charm to get him to let her off the hook.
  • Appears throughout the series
• Ruby
  • Ruby is the woman that coordinates much of the criminal activity against which Team Warrior fights. It is apparent that she has a considerable amount of funding for her operations; although her motives are initially unclear. She is also very adept in hand to hand combat.
  • Appears throughout the series
• Ruby's boss
  • A mysterious guy with scars on his face and hand. He goes under the name of Harry, although this is not his real name.
  • Episodes 1, 12 and 13
• Shiguru Tomoyama
  • Former prime minister of Japan who becomes involved with the production of mechanized police and military personnel
  • Episodes 11, 12 and 13
• Thunderstorm
  • A group that wants to kill Prince Hasan to cause disorder in the middle east
  • Episode 3
• Tommy
  • A member of the Jingu crime syndicate in Osaka
  • Episode 4
• Underwear thief
  • A masked thief who travels around Tokyo, stealing women's underwear
  • He's actually a cram school
    Cram school
    Cram schools are specialized schools that train their students to meet particular goals, most commonly to pass the entrance examinations of high schools or universities...
    
     student
  • Episode 2
• Yamada
  • A tall guy who wears glasses and is a member of the Jingu crime syndicate in Osaka
  • Episode 4

Nanvel's Inventions

As the group's electronics expert, Nanvel's job is to design and build machines that will help the team achieve its goals.

• Pinel
  • Pinel is a giant pink elephant that Nanvel advertises as a diet machine. It's able to project a hologram over someone to make that person look slimmer. People that want to change their looks wear receptors shaped like flowers on their heads and Pinel transmits the new images to those receptors which are then projected over their wearers. Chi Mama and her group of thieves realize that they can use the machine to disguise themselves while they carry out crimes. They force Nanvel to build them their own Pinel. In the end, she builds 3 versions of the machine, each smaller than the last. The final version is so small that it can be carried around by one person.
  • Episode 8
• Pink Cockroach
  • A pink device the size and shape of a cockroach, designed to sneak into inaccessible locations and transmit audio and video back to the team. It can also be used as a communications device. Nanvel also states that if the cockroach's wings are opened, it can be used as a hand grenade; although this function is never demonstrated.
  • Episodes 2 and 13
• Pink Rabbit
  • This is a giant pink robot shaped like a rabbit. Nanvel rides in a large glass bubble that makes the rabbit's head. It doesn't have any weapons, but it has heavy armor and is able to punch, kick, and shoot its hands off like pop guns. She uses the rabbit to help fight the super androids in the last episode.
  • Episode 13

Episodes

1. • The first episode begins in a ramen shop next door to Policetown. It's the only place Rio eats because it's the only place she can afford. The owners have had to drop their prices to draw in business because just down the street, a giant structure called Neo Tokyo Tower has opened. Suddenly, the tower is attacked by a swarm of robotic insects. At the same time, a mysterious woman and a terrorist group called Dawn Mirage takes its occupants, including the governor, hostage. Team Warrior is summoned to rescue them.
2. • A series of jewelry thefts have been terrorizing Tokyo. Rio's in need of some money to pay her debts, unfortunately, the jewelry theft case has not been handed over to Team Warrior. Instead, Rio has to take a job tracking down a thief who's been stealing women's underwear. As she reaches the bottom of the underwear thefts, she believes she may have stumbled upon an even bigger case.
3. • A middle-eastern prince visits town and is in need of some protection. A group called Thunderstorm is planning to kill Prince Hasan to cause chaos in his country. Rio's excited about the job because she hopes that she can marry him for his money and pay off her debts. She takes him away, in secret, to a favorite spot of hers, Gasolinetown, where thieves and miscreants rule. While there, the two of them are enjoying their time alone, they're attacked and it's up to Rio to get the prince to safety.
4. Rogue Father
   • Maya travels to Osaka to visit her sick father, the boss of the Jingu crime syndicate. When she arrives, she finds that the family is in desperate need of some money.
5. An Idol Never Sleeps!
   • Rio is given the mission of protecting the pop star Anna Katagowa from a stalker, while Ruby attends a conference and loses a special pen.
6. • This episode is a flashback to Rio's first days with Team Warrior. Maki first meets Rio working behind the counter in a convenience store to earn extra money for her debts. She witnesses her fighting skills as Rio takes down a thief who's trying to rob the store. After putting Rio through some tests, Maki asks her to join. Rio refuses. What can Maki do to convince Rio that Team Warrior is the best place for her?
7. • Maki goes to the airport preparing to take off on her annual vacation. As luck would have it, at the same time she's gone, the police run into trouble in Policetown. While in the station's locker room getting dressed, Miyuki discovers evidence of a murder in the bathroom. The same day, Lilica finds evidence of a hacker
     Hacker (computer security)
     In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
     
      who's been in the police's computer system, erasing data. Over the next few hours, officers throughout Policetown discover that many of their personal possessions are missing. Rio begins an investigation into what's behind the recent events, but with an old lady constantly bothering her about her missing little one, "Ta", will she be able to concentrate on finding the culprit of the recent crimes?
8. Nanvel Kidnapped!
   • Nanvel has won the prize for Inventor of the Year—again. Walking home from a celebratory dinner, she and Rio are kidnapped and threatened to force her to construct an invisibility machine to enable the transgendered gang to carry out bank robberies.
9. Slam Tank Part 1
   • Rio is given the task of guarding a "United Nations ViP"--who turns out, to her disappointment, to be a tank rather than a handsome man. The plane they are travelling in crashes, and Rio and the tank are the only survivors.
10. Slam Tank Part 2
    • Rio and the tank are stranded in the Desanian desert and must find their way to the border while evading capture.
11. • A bank robbery takes place in Neo Tokyo. To avoid being captured by the police, the thieves raid a local school and take hostages. The police are trying to handle the situation when a business man arrives and sends in a robot
      Robot
      A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
      
       police squad. They quickly subdue the criminals using non-lethal force
      Non-lethal force
      Non-lethal weapons, also called less-lethal weapons, less-than-lethal weapons, non-deadly weapons, compliance weapons, or pain-inducing weapons are weapons intended to be less likely to kill a living target than are conventional weapons...
      
      . Over the next few days, the robotic police show their many other skills, including the ability to interrogate captives, rescue kittens from trees and run really, really fast. The human police force now faces new competition, humanoid robots serving as policemen! Nanvel and the rest of Team Warrior have their suspicions. The robots seem to be too advanced to be real.
12. • Maki dresses the girls up in school uniforms and sends them into the Mecha Cop factory, claiming they're on a field trip. Using hidden cameras, they take pictures of everything, hoping to find the secret behind the malfunctioning robot police. They don't find much from their search, but they do discover that some very important people, including the former prime minister, Shiguru Tonoyama are involved. In the process, Maki discovers that a part of her past is not as dead as she believed it to be. Miriam Bardo, a famous fashion designer arrives in Tokyo to put on a fashion show. It gets cut short, though, when a group of extremely advanced killer androids attack.
13. • Harry and Rose introduce the new android weapons to the world. They have amazing agility, speed and power and can even heal themselves during battle. Nanvel brings out a new toy, a big pink rabbit that she rides in and uses to help fight the androids. Team Warrior must end the terrorist threat, but at what cost?