Introduction

StarsStarship Troopers (宇宙の戦士, Uchū no Senshi, lit. “Universal Warriors”, “Universal Soldiers” or “Soldier of Space”) is a six-part anime OVA produced by Sunrise and released in 1988.

It is based on the 1959 book Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein.

The OVA was dedicated to Heinlein who died before the first part of the series was released.

Outline

It is here that we see the basic training of Mobile Infantry recruits with all of the standard tropes of basic training: harsh marching, loose talk in the barracks, Drill Sergeants flexing their Kung-Fu skills against the new meat, force-on-force training, and learning to throw a knife…!

Much like the film and the book, the OVA does include the infamous knife throwing training and Sgt. Zim taking on the new recruits in hand-to-hand combat.

It is here that Johnnie meets fellow recruit Hendrick, who seems unhappy with the ways of basic.

Towards the end of the episode, we see training with the powered armour and several of the recruits being tasked with combating a wildfire with fire suppression equipment.

It is here that Hendrick learns that he is not fit for combat and is drummed out of the MI. It is here also that Johnnie disobeys direct recall orders to rescue a firefighting trapped in a blazing building. While he did save a life, Sgt. Zim is displeased that he disobeyed a direct order.

Back at base, Zim beats the shit out of Johnnie and then forces him to run. While Rico knew he made the right call, morally, he begins to understand the importance of following orders.

While Rico is training, his mother is at the New Buenos Aires spaceport to meet her friend Maria as the luxury space cruiser, the Queen Alexandra, arrives.

Once it lands, the terrible truth is revealed, the aliens have taken over the Queen Alexandra and the massive creature releases HE DE bolts and spores. Armoured MI troopers show up and a major battle ensues, level ling portions of New Buenos Aires and killing Johnnie’s mother.

Starship Troopers Series

You can find a full index of the Starship Troopers anime series here.

You can find a full index and overview of the Starship Troopers franchise here.

Production & Filming Details

• Director(s): Tetsuro Amino.
• Producer(s): Hironori Nakagawa and Minoru Takanashi.
• Writer(s): Tsunehisa Ito and Sho Aikawa.
• Music: Hiroyuki Nanba.
• Cinematography:
• Editor(s): Takeshi Seyama.
• Production: Sunrise, Studio Nue, and Bandai Visual.
• Distributor(s): Bandai Emotion.
• Release Date: 25 October 1988.
• Running Time: 25 minutes.
• Country: Japan.
• Language: English.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5NSdDmYqdc