This ’90s Fox Kids Action Gem Still Sparks Debates on What Is or Isn’t Anime

Fox Kids did a solid job of introducing viewers to major anime franchises for the first. With anime series such as One Piece, Escaflowne, Digimon, Shaman King, Monster Rancher, and Kinnikuman hitting the North American programming block, there remains one entry that many still debate as to whether it’s an anime at all. The controversial animated series might have only lasted for one season but it remains a wild entry in Fox Kids’ roster and when you learn about its premise and animation style, you might want to give it a watch.

Cybersix debuted in the late 90s, presenting a wild premise for an animated series that featured a vigilante protecting the streets whenever night fell. The titular superhero had an alter ego that saw her teaching a class, much like Peter Parker once did when he decided to teach science at his local high school, though the Fox Kids protagonist took a very different route than Spider-Man in one regard. Cybersix would spend her days pretending to be the male teacher Adrian Seidelman, creating a wild new dynamic for superheroes that had rarely been seen before. The titular crime fighter had some relatively familiar powers to assist in her nightly patrols such as augmented strength and speed, while also being able to use some handy night vision to assist in her fight against evil.

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Cybersix’s Anime Origins

While the animated series was produced in Canada, Cybersix’s animation was animated in Japan by legendary studio TMS. If you need a refresher on the works of this prolific production house, TMS is responsible for classic anime series such as Case Closed, Sonic X, Dr. Stone, Blue Box, and Sakamoto Days. The animated series was created in the late 90s but it aired on Fox Kids beginning in the year 2000 and it shared some wild similarities with anime like One Piece when it came to the censorship department.

Much like anime franchises like Dragon Ball and One Piece, Cybersix was heavily edited when it was aired in North America as Fox wanted the series to appeal to a much younger audience. Unfortunately, the vigilante’s story didn’t last long on Fox Kids, being pulled from the platform the same year as its debut. Luckily, if you want to watch Cybersix, Blu-Ray sets are available that house all thirteen episodes and it can be streamed on both RetroCrush and Amazon Prime Video at present.

The Cybersix Comics

Despite being animated by an anime studio, Cybersix wasn’t based on a manga or light novel series, instead, it was focused on a European comic book of the same name that landed in 1992. While the Fox Kids iteration of the animated series made some edits for a younger audience, the anime in general had to make some major changes from its source material. The original comic, from creators Carlos Trillo and Carlos Meglia, introduced Cybersix as a bi-product of a World War 2 experiment. Cybersix’s creator, Von Reichter, was a prominent member of the Nazi regime and was more than happy to show that fact in the original comic book. The comic book series would come to an end in 1999, though the original story also spawned a short-lived live-action series in 1995.

Ironically enough, Cybersix’s creators came to blows with none other than Avatar and Aliens director James Cameron. Believing that the James Cameron-created television series Dark Angel was taking elements from Cybersix, the comic creators attempted to sue Cameron and the production team but eventually had to retract their claim. The case did not have enough evidence for it to move forward but it remains a contentious moment for both franchises.

Cybersix might not be remembered as one of the best entries in the Fox Kids library, but it remains an idiosyncratic animated series that has to be seen to be believed. While we might never see Cybersix brought back to the screen, revisiting this bizarre tale is worthwhile.

Want to barrel through the history of Fox Kids? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on anime of the past and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.