Compiler: Fast-Food Monsters and the women that wield them

So I've seen enough mad women in my time (through no fault of my own, mind you) that when they stab THEMSELVES in the head with a little data comb thingy you should already be running.

Let's chalk up another chance for hilarity at the expense of someone's manly pride as we discuss Kia Asamiya's greatest animated work to date, Compiler!




A trio of 2-D computerized female programs are sent to Earth to destroy/enslave it with the spear of their assault being led by Compiler, a program capable of bending our reality to her will. All that went to hell when they decided the food was too good and they got boyfriends, now two of the three girls are freeloading at Toshi and Nachi's house eating food and destroying and reassembling their home.

All of that stuff I just noted is woven into the narrative as the anime is set after the origin story happened and somewhere in the middle of the Manga storyline closing one arc and starting another. And for the record, Kia Asamiya is the pen name of the artist/writer behind cult favorites Silent Mobius and Nadesico, amongst other awesome things.


Watch Compiler_OVA_01 in Animation  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
(Veoh has the first episode... subtitled in Spanish? At least you can SEE some of the stuff in the opening like the assassins being turned into women as punishment for their consistent failure.)

For your viewing pleasure however, you have three episodes in this outstanding OAV that show (according to the culprits) a 37th failed attempt on Compiler's life as they unleash fast-food hell on Osaka, a bungle of record proportions as the girls try to work out their love lives and sleep arrangements and finally a showdown that took a lot longer to happen than you might have expected.

The show itself is already pretty funny on its own as the girls struggle to understand life among humans as they kind of guilt/force themselves on both of the guys. So they live in the house being very complicated guests as assassins drop in constantly to kill them both. There's a third girl, Interpreter, but she's sparsely utilized in the anime as most of the focus is on the domestic awkwardness of affection craving aliens who can/will eat the boys out of house and home.

I was only ever fortunate enough to obtain the first tape, that's right TAPE. As in cassette. I'm talking about a VHS tape I picked up like ten years ago.

Don't go rushing out to find it, ADV Films put it on Tape in the USA, but they never brought it over to DVD for some reason. Then again, they had such a huge library I'm not entirely surprised it got lost in the shuffle... Bummer though.

The dub REALLY shines with an outstanding script and incredible delivery by some of ADV's best voice actors. I had seen it subbed before at a convention and while it was also amusing it was not even remotely as funny as the english dub.

I've scoured Youtube and I'm STILL shocked that more clips of this aren't up there because some of the scenes set up in this show are well beyond perfect. Chaos as breakfast, constant coupon references, fast food mascots fighting in the streets and a romantic dynamic so messed up it's a wonder Dr. Phil and Oprah haven't noted it in their shows. Then again... The could bring up Ranma, too...

I'm really not sure what else I can say about it except that it exists on two cassettes, Compiler 1 has the first two episodes and Compiler 2 has the third. I'd certainly look for the dubbed before I'd recommend the subbed, so if you come across a VHS copy of Compiler 1 & 2 (each of which have a market value of roughly $10) and you have a VCR that still works then give it a shot.

As messed up romantic comedies stacked with cute girls and stuff blowing up everywhere, this stands as a high quality product. I'll update and... probably completely revise this review if someone EVER gets it on DVD. I'm just hoping they keep the dub.