By Alison L. Roberts

Her past is a mystery and even her present is clouded. Most of Tokyo sees Sylia Stingray as the successful proprietor of the fashionable Silky Doll boutique, but Sylia's true interests lie elsewhere — she is the founder and leader of the Knight Sabers. Building upon the technology left to her by her scientist father, the founder of boomer technology, she is driven to prevent what she views as Genom's further corruption of his legacy. She knows more than she lets on and has no problem keeping information on a "need to know" basis, even among members of her own team.

In addition to radical differences in character design, the Sylia Stingray of Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040 (BGC2040) is less of a superwoman than her earlier counterpart. Although she presents a cool and confident facade to the world and to her teammates, the secrets she is keeping weigh heavily upon her and manifest themselves in interesting ways. These emotions range from obsession about the Knight Sabers' purpose and competitiveness with Priss (sometimes only perceived on Sylia's end) to a desperate need to protect the ones she loves most, Nigel and her brother Mackey.

Many series based around teams have at least one member who is the "designated rebel." In BGC2040, this role is filled with aplomb by one Priss Asagiri. Her "bad girl" trappings extend beyond the obvious — her love of motorcycles and her occupation as lead vocalist for the band Sekiria — and into her secret life as a Knight Saber where her teammates can count on her aggressive and decisive style of combat. Her anger and frustration about events in her past fuel both her dislike for authority and a strong sense of justice. This leads to potential conflict with Sylia, especially when both of their "type A" personalities come into play.

Even more than in the original series, Priss is a loner. How this antisocial behavior started is unclear, but it is very possible that she is now just in the habit of emotionally isolating herself from others. Her band mates and Nigel (the mechanic) know when to back off, but others insist on trying to thaw the cold, yet charismatic persona she has cultivated. Nene insists on annoying her, much as a younger sister would. Linna not only wants to befriend her; Linna wants to be more like Priss, admiring her bravery even when faced with almost certain defeat. ADP officer Leon McNichol is fascinated by her and, in his own awkward way, pursues her romantically, unaware that she is a member of the vigilante team he has sworn to stop. Despite her tough exterior, she truly does care about the few people who are close to her. It is either something that will allow her to save herself or become her undoing.

Having just moved to Tokyo, Linna Yamazaki is frequently called "country girl" by her coworkers, a designation that annoys her but is indicative of her relative inexperience. Her naïveté and idealism are simultaneously offset and accentuated by her spunk and determination, qualities that bring her to the attention of the Knight Sabers as a potential teammate.

Throughout the course of the series, Linna questions both her abilities and the direction she has chosen in life. As the most "normal" member of the team, she serves as a galvanizing force, often smoothing over differences between the other members and encouraging them to pull together at critical times.

Teenage computer genius Nene Romanova is proud to point out that the Knight Sabers wanted her for her brains rather than for her athletic prowess, and her day-job in the A.D. Police's communications division provides the team with valuable information about the law enforcement agency's plans and boomer activities. When in her area of expertise, she has nerves of steel.

Her immaturity is part of her charm, but it also sometimes wears on the nerves of those around her — specifically Sylia and Priss, who both wish she would take her role as a Knight Saber even more seriously (or at least stay out of their way). Her constant teasing and goading of fellow officer Leon McNichol earns her nicknames such as "teenage jinx." Whether she realizes it or not, she probably thinks of him as the big brother she never had.