For those who don’t know about Darkroom, perhaps now is the time to subscribe. Not only is this streaming platform affordable, it also specializes in showcasing independent, foreign, arthouse, and cult classic films; at just $2.99 USD per month, why not? Even a quick browse shows they’re no stranger to giving film festival curiosities like Heavy Trip (film review) a home. There’s even Icarus to be found, assuming you have a premium membership to tap into this particular film vault.
For anime fans, what’s especially notable is the platform’s recently added lineup, which includes Crusher Joe. For those unfamiliar with this classic series, it follows a group of licensed troubleshooters known as Crushers, specialists who tackle everything from rescue missions and planetary colonization support to dangerous assignments that ordinary authorities can’t handle. The Crusher Council oversees their activities, and the original novels delve into far more drama than the animated adaptations that followed. Written by Haruka Takachiho beginning in the late 1970s and published through Sonorama Bunko, the series feels less like Star Wars and more like giving Han Solo his own spin-off series, only with a stronger emphasis on teamwork and adventure.
Takachiho wasn’t trying to write hard science fiction. He wanted fun, fast-paced adventures with likable rogues taking centre stage. The theatrical film that helped define the franchise was released in 1983, introducing Joe and his ragtag crew as they take on one impossible job after another across the galaxy. Looking back, it’s easy to see how elements of the series may have foreshadowed works like Cowboy Bebop. It’s a swashbuckling space adventure with a loose, breezy tone.
There’s also an OVA follow-up consisting of Crusher Joe: The Ice Prison, Crusher Joe: The Final Weapon ASH, and Crusher Joe: A Trap of the Frozen Jail, which further expand the crew’s adventures. Another fun piece of trivia is that Crusher Joe shares the same universe as Dirty Pair. They’ve crossed paths in the novels, and some fans have wondered why they haven’t in the animated world. And who knows, maybe this streaming service may offer the latter as well should ratings prove good for this classic crossing of the guard.
What makes this series worth watching today isn’t really the plot. What’s presented is mostly world building. While the novels involving the Lovely Angels is more serious, their evolution to an on screen character is more comedic, perhaps slightly different in tone when compared to Joe.
Also streaming are Haré + Guu DELUXE and Haré + Guu FINAL, both based on the manga by Renjūrō Kindaichi, along with the science fiction series Simoun. Additional anime titles will be added regularly, and fans are encouraged to check the platform throughout the summer and fall for new arrivals. And hey, our spiritual namesake, Otaku no Video, is also available here too!
Darkroom
Crusher Joe the Movie
Description: Amid a supposedly simple escort mission, Joe and crew wake up to find their passengers missing. The United Space Force accuses them of committing space piracy and Crusher HQ suspends their licenses for six months. To clear their names, they have to solve the crime and save the passengers.
Crusher Joe: A Trap of the Frozen Jail
Description: Joe and crew are contracted to correct the orbit of a satellite about to crash into an ice planet with a prison population. They conceive a plan to correct the trajectory but are soon double-crossed. Joe and his team race against the clock to save everyone’s lives before the prison is destroyed.
Crusher Joe: The Final Weapon ASH
Description: Crusher Joe and his team are hired to retrieve the ultimate weapon from when it risks falling into the wrong hands. Joe and his team must overcome out-of-control defense systems and corruption from within the military to save the day.
Images ©Takachiho & Studio Nue・Sunrise
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