Ask John: How Successful Was Saber Marionette in Japan?

Question:
How successful was the Saber Marionette series in Japan, and what’s your opinion of the stories SMJ, J Again, and J to X?

Answer:
The mere fact that Saber Marionette lasted through four distinct series released over a period of 4 years (1995 through 1999)- SM Gals Saber Marionette R, Saber Marionette J, Mata Mata Saber Marionette J, and Saber Marionette J to X, should prove that Saber Marionette was more popular in Japan than other seemingly popular shows like Trigun and Outlaw Star that got only a single TV season and no OAVs.

Although I’m in a minority, I believe that Saber Marionette started out strong then gradually went downhill. My favorite series is still the original Saber Marionette R. The more childlike character design of the saber marionettes were more suited to their distinctly different personalities, and the vast difference in character design between the saber marionettes and the saber dolls in the original OAV series made the conflict between them more overt and dramatic. Furthermore, I really enjoyed the dark, harsh and unforgiving environment of the Saber Marionette R series. While I also enjoyed Saber J, the tone of Saber R has always seemed more appropriate to the world affecting story present in both Saber R and Saber J.

The Saber Marionette J TV series was surprising well constructed, including no filler episodes. Everything that occurs in the Saber Marionette J TV series somehow affects the characters and the story. Nothing is useless or unnecessary. However, the dramatic story seems unsuited to the often slapstick presentation, making the dramatic and tension filled final third of the series not as affecting or emotionally resonant as it could have been.

The Saber J OAV series in a way seems even more focused on being specifically an entertaining bit of nonsense, and in that regard it succeeds beautifully. However, for me the ending of the OAV series took silliness a bit too far beyond the point of suspension of disbelief into the realm of sheer absurdity. Entertaining, but silly.

I only managed to watch the first five episodes of Saber J to X in fansubbed form several years ago. Unfortunately, my initial impression of poor character design, poor animation and poor writing in the show prevented me from ever continuing through it. The full digital animation struck me as appallingly bad, with flat, uninteresting and unpopulated backgrounds and too much amateurish static animation. Characterizations became so extreme that they turned into exaggerated parodies. The saber marionettes in J to X were no longer characters with personalities, they were personalities in the shape of characters, which I interpreted as poor writing. And the new, elf-like character designs seemed to do nothing so much as emphasize the childish regression of the show from intelligent sitcom to broadly painted, unfocused, ham-fisted humor.