Holding off on Final Thoughts for one more day, as I suddenly remember this bonus tucked away on the DVD set. Produced by TMS Entertainment and NOA Production, this is a three-and-a-half minute proof of concept short, mostly to show off animation, characters, general feel and action. A lot of what's in here did make it into the finished show, but there's a few interesting elements which didn't.
It starts off pretty much like the opening title sequence, where most of this animation will be used, albeit without the sweeping theme song. Cyber is being chased along rooftops by Fixed Ideas, intercut with creatures swirling around in tubes. Lots of action shots, with the fight from the credits where Cyber is literally jumping from one Fixed Idea to another as she kicks them down going on much longer. It's actually quite brutal at times.
There's a great animation bit of Cybersix swinging by on a line, followed by a flailing Fixed Idea on his own line who crashes through a wall.
The shots of Lucas and Adrian in the diner now have dialogue, as well as some animated bits which would be recycled in the series. Lucas' face looks a little different. A little puffier, more haggard, not quite the dashing, square-jawed lovable lunk we'd get throughout the show.
In a very strange scene in José's lab, Lori is there, pinching his cheeks, calling him cute, and teasing him that they should go on a date. His bashful reaction doesn't quite undercut the squick of remembering what happened between them in the comic in last week's post. Then she brushes him off, Fixed Ideas laugh, and an enrage José straight up whip out a gun!
An injured Cybersix tells Lucas to stay away, even though she's come to his apartment. They don't go full sweeping kiss, but the backlight, wind, and chemistry is certainly promising it.
There's a great shot of Von Reichter marching through his lab with a coat draped over his shoulders, empty sleeves flapping in his wake, leading to that great shot of both he and Cyber looking up to the same lightning-filled sky.
There's a dual fight where Data-7 is taking on José in the drill machine. Most of this made it to that episode. Cyber is taking on Terra, and I much prefer the Evil!Terra design here than the anglerfish version used in the episode. Here, it's still got that grinning clown mask, albeit twisted into a sinister leer, and dozens of eye-stalks emerge all over the body, all looking at its victim at once, the two on its head draping down like a jester's bells. It's really quite chilling.
As the building explodes behind them, Cyber and Data leap out into the night, and we're done.
There's not much story here, with this playing more like an extended trailer, just great glimpses of the type of action and style we're in for. And it's definitely the show we got, which I'm certainly more than happy with.
There's also a gallery of production art on the DVD. Again, most of this made it to air, though there's a giant spider and dragon monster we never saw, multiple weirdly specific images of José being bathed by female Fixed Idea maids, the giant gargoyle on the building from the comics which later became the angel in the square, and a shot of someone who appears to be Krumens, though he has the green skin of Fixed Ideas.
Annnnnnnnd then there's this...
WHY ARE YOU LOOKING THERE, LUCAS! KNOCK IT OFF!
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