n this section, I will explore the four Knight Sabers in more detail than any other characters briefly acknowledged in the Characters page. Basically, I will write about how I feel about each character and more on their attitudes and personality. (Just a side note: when I talk about the series, I am referring to the ADV dubbed version unless otherwise stated).

Sylia Stingray

Age: 24

Relations: Dr. Stingray (father), Macky Stingray (brother), Galatea

Occupation: Owner of clothes store, Silky Doll.

Personality: To the public eye, Sylia seems like a nice, understanding lady, but on the inside she really possesses a very violent temper. That is not to say that she does not have a degree of compassion, or that she isn't considerate, Sylia is all these things and more. Sylia is an extremely complex character, and has a very complicated past. What her father did to her when she was younger may be what is responsible for moulding her into the character she is today.  

Love?: Since the beginning of the series, it is evident that Sylia has a thing for Nigel Kirkland, a man who is seemingly oblivious to everything going on around him. He is responsible for helping Sylia build the hardsuits, and it is later discovered that he does have a very deep past that is linked with the Stingray family.  

Other Info: Sylia is the leader of the Knight Sabers, and often stays behind at the controls rather than go into action like the other girls.  It is made clear throughout the series that she is fighting for very personal reasons, some of which she does not initially share with her fellow Knight Sabers. Sylia is often seen popping pills or taking alcohol to ease the stress placed upon her shoulders everyday. 

My thoughts: Personally, Sylia is my favorite character. I'm not entirely sure why, but she just appeals to me. I think it may be because she is such a complex character, and I have a thing for complex characters, whether male or female. Not to add that she is voiced by Laura Chapman, a VA which I am especially fond of as I loved the part she played (however small) in Neon Genesis Evangelion (Laura was Naoko Akagi and also Kaji's contact lady). Back to Sylia. The complexity that shrouds the character of Sylia is something to be awestruck by. Her temper gives her the fiery quality that is increasingly evident in Sylia, and, in a way, contradicts that calm blue that her hair is. Sylia is an extremely smart person, her knowledge of higher technology machinery and ability to decipher her father's algorithms is definitely something to be proud of. Sometimes I feel really very sorry for poor Sylia, who was practically tortured by her father as a child and thus can never escape the connection she has with every single boomer on the face of the earth. Whatever Galatea does also greatly affects her and causes her pain, plus to make things worse, she can't seem to gain the affection of Nigel! ^_^    

Japanese Seiyuu: Yukino Satsuki

American VA: Laura Chapman

Linna Yamazaki

Age: 20

Relations: Mother, Father (names are not mentioned)

Occupation: Office worker at Hugh-Geit 

Personality: Linna is what could be described as an ordinary, average girl. She is rather easy-going, and uncertain of how to react to unusual things (like rogue boomers attacking her). As the series progresses, Linna builds a very solid friendship with Nene, and begins to break out of her "ordinary girl" mould. 

Love?: During a trip back home to the country, Linna was stunned by a boy around her age named Masaki. The two had a very intense conversation, and was going to have dinner together. Their meeting, however, was cut short when Linna's presence was desperately needed back in Tokyo and she chose to go.  

Other Info: When BGC 2040 first started, Linna was yet to be recruited as a Knight Saber, and her turmoils to join the group are detailed in the first few episodes. Thus, the beginning of BGC 2040 seems to be told from her point of view, her perception of the other characters and so on. However, later each of the Knight Sabers had an equal opportunity to be in the lime-light, and the views of each character was offered. Linna honestly hates her job at Hugh-Geit, and is especially annoyed by the supervisory boomers who seem to order workers like her around. The human bosses (e.g. Cain) aren't exactly very nice either, though. Linna, in a way, looks up to Priss, especially since it is her goal to "replace [Priss] as top dog on the team." 

My thoughts: I found Linna to be extremely easy to like, when she was initially introduced I felt she was the only really "normal" Knight Saber of the four. She seemed like a good country girl, unexposed to the harshness of a city like Tokyo, which is why one word she used in episode 18 really shocked me. (Watch it yourself to hear it!! ^_~). Sometimes, however, her voice got really annoying, especially since it was the same person who did the voice for Nahga the Serpent in the Slayers movie (and we all know what she's like! O_o). That's not to say that Kelly Manison did a bad job of Linna's voice, on the contrary, I felt all the girls' voices were chosen especially well, and the tones that Kelly placed in Linna's voice was a clever touch.  

Japanese Seiyuu: Natsuki Rio

American VA: Kelly Manison

Priss S. Asagiri

Age: 19

Relations: None mentioned

Occupation: Singer in her band Sekiria

Personality: Priss is the rebel of the team, mysterious in nature, she doesn't allow anyone to cross her. Priss is also seemingly in the Knight Sabers for the money, but it becomes apparent that this is not the only reason she does what she does. 

Love?: At first, Priss seemed to be in competition with Sylia for Nigel's attention, but later Priss developed a liking for Leon, an ADP cop who tried endlessly to win her over. Leon had to persist for a while before Priss would even consider talking to him, but when the Knight Sabers and ADP were forced to work together to rescue Nene, it became evident that Priss had begun to tolerate him, and even open up to him.  

Other Info: Priss only seems genuinely happy when she is tearing down the road in her motorbike or singing in her band. She seems uninterested in much of anything else, and is often very annoyed with Nene's comments, as well as with Sylia's persistence that she wear something more presentable. Priss seems to live in a trailer. 

My thoughts: One thing I really like about Priss is her singing. This is one place where I felt ADV should have preserved!!! They should have left her singing in Japanese, trying to synch it with words in English was not a good move. I've always personally felt that ADV is one of the best dubbing companies in the industry, so the fact that they completely destroyed a large part in the series was rather surprising. Anyway, let's not dwell on the bad parts anymore. Christine Auten did a wonderful job of Priss, her voice was dark and moody, sometimes lacking expression, which reflects the couldn't-care-less nature that Priss so obviously has. Also, focusing more on the actual character of Priss, Priss is the type of person that would resort to violence with the slightest provocation, which I think gives her the edge that so many fans love.    

Japanese Seiyuu: Asakawa Yuu (speaking); Akira Sudou (singing)

American VA: Christine M. Auten

Nene Romanova

Age: 18

Relations: None mentioned

Occupation: AD Police Officer (communications)

Personality: Nene is a happy-go-lucky girl, and the youngest member of the Knight Sabers. She is extremely humorous and enjoys teasing almost everyone. It is hard for anyone around Nene not to get caught up in her care-free nature. Nene also has a love for computers, and is a genius with them, able to hack into top-secret files without the slightest bit of effort.

Love?: Macky!!! ^_^ What more can I say? Despite Nene's efforts to shake this seemingly younger boy off, she couldn't help but return his companionship in the end. Macky is always nice to Nene, and often asks for her to teach him how to hack into files. Nene became so obsessed with Macky in one episode that she even resorted to looking up his family files, which led her to discover more disturbing information about the Stingray family.  

Other Info: Nene loves teasing Leon, an ADP cop whose partner is Dailey Wong. These two officers often make Nene hack into restricted information for them, as they are sharper than the rest of the ADP officers and are constantly on the hunt for the Knight Sabers (until they discovered who they were, that is! ^_^). Nene is known to act rather irrationally in battle, which greatly annoys Priss and even Sylia. Linna however, seems to have developed a good friendship with Nene, as she can appreciate Nene's sense of humor. Nene's house always looks like a tornado has been through it, as she spends all her free time playing around with her computer and eating "Red Hot Snacks". ^_~ 

My thoughts: Well, Nene has earned herself quite a large following. At a poll at www.bubblegumcrisis2040.com, Nene is winning as favorite Knight Saber by a long shot. I don't know why so many people love her so much, not that there's anything wrong with Nene, but she didn't initially strike me as being such a popular character. Maybe it's because of the voice that Hilary Haag gave her. I have never heard a voice like it and I love it!!! It's unique and different and I can't describe it anymore than to say that it's different!!! ^_^ Initially, I found the character of Nene to be quite annoying, but she has grown considerably on me, I really like her now and feel that she is a valuable member of the team. I also love the humorous element she adds to the series, it can really help lift the mood especially when the whole city is being overrun by boomers. Plus, the relationship she has with Macky cannot be described as anything but sweet. It's incredibly satisfying to watch them grow closer to each other and to see their characters develop further.   

Japanese Seiyuu: Konishi Hiroko

American VA: Hilary Haag