Burst Angel is a Japanese anime based on a screenplay by Fumihiko Shimo and produced by the Gonzo animation studio which takes place in the near future, after a rise in criminal activity forced the Japanese government to allow citizens to possess firearms and establish the Recently Armed Police Taskforce (RAPT).
The series follows Kyohei Tachibana, a culinary school student who dreams of becoming a pastry chef, and the band of mercenaries he works for.
The series originally aired in the USA on TV Asahi from 6 April to 14 September, 2004. There are 24 half-hour episodes in the series.
Burst Angel premiered in South Africa on DStv's Animax channel on Sunday 19 October 2008, at 20h15, with a double bill. It continues with a double bill on Saturday 25th at 20h15 and Sunday 26th at 21h15. Thereafter, it airs as a double bill on Saturdays and Sundays, at 21h15.
Repeats
(Double bills)
Mondays: 00h15
Synopsis
In a crime-ridden future, the streets of Tokyo are patrolled by RAPT, an organisation responsible for maintaining peace and order.
In this bleak world, the citizenry are legally allowed to carry and wield firearms, but so too are the criminals.
Kyohei Tachibana is a peaceful student at a culinary school, dreaming of going to France for advanced study as a patissier (pastry chef). To afford the trip, he accepts a part-time job as private cook to a strange group of women - Sei, Meg, Jo and Amy.
To Kyohei's astonishment, they turn out to be a band of violent mercenaries, and he finds himself in the line of fire.
RAPT aims to dispense quick justice to those who violate or abuse the law but, unknown to its members, buried deep underground in secret labs, monsters of unimaginable terror are being forged.
Using a new science which fuses their organic cells with machine parts, rogue scientists are working to create the perfect enforcers to ensure a future devoid of free will.