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

After an FTL jump, the Roger Young assumes launch position in the upper atmosphere of the ETs base-of-operations or their homeworld: Klendathu.

The unit loads up into drop pods and hundreds of encased MI troopers stage a massive airborne assault on the jungle world of Klenathu.

The enemy launches a thick blanket of AAA fire and MI troopers die in their coffins. Rico’s squad hits the dirt and launches an attack on any enemy units. All manner of ET forms attack from the ground, from the trees, and from the air; taking their toll on the MI troopers minds and will.

Several soldiers break down and allow themselves to be killed or others wounded, including Rico. Lt. Dan, sorry, Sgt. Dan leads an assault on a massive alien bio-mass cluster that seems to be “a base” or “brain”, but Sgt. Dan becomes trapped.

The rest of the squad pour on the fire and rescue Sgt. Dan and watch the alien bio-mass burn.

In the last scene of the OVA, Rico is an lunar military hospital and he is summoned to an observation deck. It is there that Rico sees a wounded Carmencita and Rico is about to confess his love for her as the credits roll.

Thus, ending the 1988 SST OVA and so is the mystery surrounding this SST adaptation.

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: 17 December 1988.
• Running Time: 25 minutes.
• Country: Japan.
• Language: English.