Influences

It is well-known that Bubblegum Crisis was influenced by a number of films, particularly '80s Hollywood science fiction. I thought it would be fun to list some of those examples that the BGC creators may have drawn influence from. Here is what I have so far. If you know of more famous references, please let me know.

Streets of Fire

In "Tinsel City," Priss' opening number, Konya wa Hurricane (There's a Hurricane Tonight), was inspired by the opening of the 1984 movie Streets of Fire where Diane Lane's character performs the song Nowhere Fast. The music sequence was done in the same manner as that movie.

Ellen Aim and the Attackers
Ellen Aim singing Nowhere Fast in Streets of Fire		 Priss and the Replicants
Priss singing Konya wa Hurricane in "Tinsel City"

Blade Runner

Blade Runner's influence on Bubblegum Crisis is one of the most well-known aspects of the series, beginning with the similar-sounding music score that opens the very first episode.

Priss and Leon are named after the replicants in Blade Runner. Priss' band is even called The Replicants.

The Genom tower resembles the Tyrell Corporation.

Tyrell pyramid
Tyrell Corporation		 Genom pyramid
Genom tower

In "Moonlight Rambler," the Boomers' escape to Earth is similar to the backstory of Blade Runner where the replicants escape to Earth and not all of them make it. Furthermore, in this episode, the 33-S Boomers have a desire to prolong their lifespan which involves going back to the corporation that made them, just as the replicants do in Blade Runner.

In "Moonlight Rambler," the blimp looks like the one that Deckard sees while waiting for a seat at the noodle bar.

Blimp above L.A. 2019
BR "Off-world colonies" blimp		 Blimp above MegaTokyo 2033
MegaTokyo blimp

In "Red Eyes," after Largo attacks Quincy, it turns out that Quincy is actually using a Boomer as his double. This is similar to an unfilmed scene in Blade Runner where it was supposed to be revealed that Tyrell was a replicant after he is killed by Roy.

In "Scoop Chase," when Lisa uses her computer to analyze her photos, the interface and sound effects bear some similarity to Deckard's ESPER machine. Too bad it can't also see behind walls!

ESPER interface
Deckard's ESPER machine		 Lisa's computer screen
Lisa's computer

The Terminator

Often, a Boomer's flesh gets shot off to reveal its metallic interior, similar to the Terminator.

Terminator damaged
Terminator's red eye exposed		 Boomer missing some flesh
Boomer's red eye exposed

Throughout BGC, several computerized point of view shots from the perspective of Boomers are reminiscent of the Terminator's infrared vision.

Terminator vision
Terminator's infrared vision		 Boomer vision
Boomer's infrared vision

In The Terminator, dogs are able to tell a human apart from a Terminator. In "Moonlight Rambler," a cat is able to sense that Sylvie is a Boomer.

Mad Max

In "Revenge Road," the character J.B. Gibson who hunts down a biker gang in his hot rod is likely a reference to Mel Gibson's character Max Rockatansky who takes revenge on a motorcycle gang with his Ford XB Falcon.

Max out for vengeance
Max takes revenge in his Ford XB Falcon		 J.B. Gibson takes revenge
J.B. Gibson hunts down a biker gang in his Griffon

Alien

In "Moonlight Rambler," the escape ship that Sylvie and Anri use resembles the Nostromo. Sylvie's use of the ship's thrusters to fry the Doberman Boomer is similar to the end of Alien when Ripley actives the thrusters, toasting the alien on the back of the Narcissus.

The Nostromo takes off
The Nostromo		 Shuttle escape
SDPC Shuttle