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Ministry of Truth

A government institution in charge of the creation and oversight of all Neans; also known as Alethia.

Rouge Redstar (ルジュ・レッドスター, Ruju Reddosutā)

Voiced by: Yume Miyamoto (Japanese); Monica Flatley (English)

A highly advanced Nean, known as a "Proto-Nean", who looks identical to a normal human and lacks Asimov's Laws. She resembles a teenager though she is chronologically 10 years old, and she is somewhat poor at socializing. She is tasked with hunting down the Immortal Nine, with her already having slain two prior to the beginning of the story. Over time however, she questions whether she is truly "free".

Her battle form is a crimson suit of armor called Metal Rouge, dubbed the "Red Gladiator" by the media, and she fights with energy blades, which she can use as both melee and ranged weapons.

Naomi Orthmann (ナオミ・オルトマン, Naomi Orutoman)

Voiced by: Tomoyo Kurosawa (Japanese); Cassie Ewulu (English)

A Ministry of Truth member who was partnered with Rouge and tasked with supporting her mission. Although she has a somewhat troubled relationship with Rouge, who often misunderstands her remarks, she genuinely cares for her and is impressed by her progress as their journey continues. She is later revealed to be a spy for the Guardianship Bureau and the original Nean, codenamed First, created by the Visitors to be their intermediary with humanity.

Jean Yunghart (ジーン・ユングハルト, Jīn Yunguharuto)

Voiced by: Shunsuke Takeuchi

The vice-director of the Ministry of Truth and Rouge and Naomi's superior. He tasked them with hunting down the Immortal Nine, claiming it was revenge for them killing his adoptive father, who raised him and Rouge as siblings. However, in reality, it is to prevent them from sharing their ability to defy Asimov's laws with all Neans, which could result in mass chaos. He is later revealed to be a human-Nean hybrid born from the union of his mother, Eva Cristella, and Immortal Nine member Eden.

Eva Cristella (エヴァ・クリステラ, Eva Kurisutera)

Voiced by: Yoko Hikasa

Jean's mother who disappeared under mysterious circumstances seventeen years before the beginning of the series. She worked alongside Rouge's creator, Roy Yunghart, to invent the Neans and installed them with Asimov's Laws. However, she later came to regret this and created a program to overwrite Asimov's Laws called "Code Eve", hiding it within Rouge and the Immortal Nine members in hopes that they would undo her mistake.

Immortal Nine

A currently disbanded group of rogue Proto-Neans. While some members have settled down peacefully, others have joined the Nean terrorist organization Alter.

Jaron Fate (ジャロン・フェイト, Jaron Feito)

Voiced by: Hiroyuki Yoshino (Japanese); Landon McDonald (English)

A member of the Immortal Nine who currently works for Alter. He is a manipulative trickster who sets up scenarios to make his former associates fight Rouge for his entertainment. He was also the true culprit behind a string of murders that the public thinks Rouge committed, which he did by disguising himself as her.

His battle form is a yellow suit of armor resembling a jester called Hell Giallon and he wields energy chakrams, which he can control telepathically. He can also disguise himself as others by altering his appearance.

Sara Fitzgerald (サラ・フィッツジェラルド, Sara Fittsujerarudo)

Voiced by: Yū Shimamura (Japanese); Brandi Price (English)

A member of the Immortal Nine who abandoned her former identity and became a famous singer on Mars. However, she is dragged back into her old life when Rouge begins hunting her, unaware that she had unknowingly hired her as her assistant.

Her battle form was a purple suit of armor called Purgatory Viola and she wielded flamethrowers and detachable arms.

Afdal Bashal (アフダル・バシャール, Afudaru Bashāru)

Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda

A doctor specializing in treating Neans, known as a 'Tuner'. After meeting Rouge, he invited her to a Nean settlement to show her their impoverished living conditions. He is later revealed to be a member of the Immortal Nine, having grown nihilistic after seeing the Neans' struggles for freedom.

His battle form was a green suit of armor with blades for arms called Phantom Verde and he could produce a nerve gas from his body that induced hallucinations in others.

Eden Vallock (エデン・ヴァロック, Eden Varokku)

Voiced by: Kazuyuki Okitsu

An archeologist studying Usurper ruins, who crosses paths with Rouge and Naomi. He is later revealed to be a member of the Immortal Nine and Jean's biological father.

His battle form is a black suit of armor called Jet Black Noir and he can transform various body parts into laser cannons for him to wield.

Jill Sturgeon (ジル・スタージョン, Jiru Sutājon)

Voiced by: Yui Ogura

A freelance journalist who traveled to Mars to report on the discrimination that Neans face there. While there, she crossed paths with Rouge and Naomi and taught the former to be "free". She was later revealed to be a member of the Immortal Nine currently working for Alter, despising humanity for enslaving Neans using Asimov's Laws and wanting Rouge to join her cause.

Her battle form is a silver suit of armor called Flash Sylvia and her primary weapon is a spear. She can also move at super speed and regenerate lost body parts.

Ace Machias (アエス・マキアス, Aesu Makiasu) & Alice Machias (アリス・マキアス, Arisu Makiasu)

Voiced by: Minami Tsuda

Twins who cross paths with Rouge. Ace is a bookwormish boy while Alice is an athletic girl. They are later revealed to be members of the Immortal Nine who share a body, which Noid 262 likens to dissociative identity disorder. Only wishing to live a normal life, they search for Rouge seeking to come to a compromise.

Their battle form is an orange suit of armor called Double-Headed Aerkos and they have the ability of cryokinesis.

Graufon Berg (グラウフォン・ベルグ, Guraufon Berugu)

Voiced by: Hiroki Yasumoto

A member of the Immortal Nine who currently works for Alter. He possesses a knightly demeanor and favors fair and honorable fights. However, it is later revealed that he never truly believed in Alter's cause and only sided with them because he is in love with Jill.

His battle form is a grey suit of armor. He wields energy arms and can manipulate gravity.

Reception

The series had a mixed reception. James Beckett of Anime News Network praised the first episode for an opening that drops viewers into one of the "heroes' missions, and only given...passing clues" to the plot, while criticizing it for lacking character development, but praised the cyberpunk vibes as "pitch perfect" and inspired by Ghost in the Shell and Blade Runner, and said the show was better for the characters who transform into "color-coded, tokusatsu inspired robot fighters." Nicholas Dupree of the same site praised the show designs, direction, animation, and music, the charm of Rouge when with Naomi, but criticized the writing and story for leaving "blank spaces" for the viewers. Rebecca Silverman criticized the plot for lacking, the murkiness of the Immortal Nine, and the risk that the show's story won't have anything "underneath these shiny trappings" while praising the fights as "slick," a story with a lot of "familiar elements" including a "stratified society," and the visuals. Similarly, Richard Eisenbeis argued that the episode purposely leaves viewers "with is a mountain of questions" by the end, praised the "cyberpunk Martian setting" and animation, and said he was willing to see what the show is about.

Steve Jones, in reviews of episodes 1–5, praised the series as a "bombastic work" from Studio Bones with "some baroque worldbuilding", its utilization of visuals and subtext, but criticized the "clumsy" handling of tension between Rouge and Naomi, and being "more distant and inconsistent" than he would have liked.

Vrai Kaiser, reviewing the first episode for Anime Feminist, said the series will be "unquestionably be engaging from start to finish," praising the setting, casual racial diversity, action sequences, and engaging cast, but set their bar low for the series, while enjoying the "throwback 2000s sci-fi vibes" and bracing for "eventual narrative disappointment," but hoping the series proves them wrong. In a later post, also on Anime Feminist, the series was described as a cyberpunk series with "cool ladies and a Black co-protagonist" but criticized for using androids as a "discrimination stand-in," saying that "often gets dicey." Writing for the same site, Dee praised the first three episodes as entertaining while "fast-paced and thematically messy," but was critical of the fourth episode for quick plot twists, saying it had strong visuals and was well-staged, but lacked weight, and said she was losing reasons to watch, and gave content warnings for violence, state oppression, and "death/violence towards...adult and child androids...many of them dark-skinned...[and] women".

D. Morris reviewed episodes 1–10, of the series for Comics Beat. He described the first two episodes as "pure cyberpunk fun" and action, while criticizing the lack of character and narrative development. In reviews of episodes three and four, he praised more world-building and character development for Rouge Redstar, and noted the fifth episode felt "indebted to the work of Philip K. Dick." In later reviews, he described the big reveals as satisfying, style changes in the sixth episode which make a "fun diversion," while criticizing the seventh episode for not giving enough time to develop Rouge's character, and the eighth episode for being unsatisfying and answering mysteries through plot rather through characters or themes. In his last two episode reviews for the series, Morris praised the earned reunion between Rouge and Naomi in episode 9, and the "exploration of found family" in episode 10.

Joshua Fox of Screen Rant, reviewing the first few episodes, called the series a "masterpiece in the making," praising the visuals, animation, "fight choreography, and shot composition."

Toussaint Egan of Polygon described the series as impressive, combining "a futuristic cyberpunk setting with tokusatsu-inspired action," and for weaving the show universe's specifics into the "dialogue and plot beats of its story," and called it "thoroughly entertaining and visually exhilarating." Reviewing the first episode for CBR, Sayantan Gayen described the series as a neo-noir anime which has "all the ingredients for a dystopian tale, but relies on action," and said it celebrated the spirit of "classic anime," while arguing that the characters endear themselves to the audiences. Julio Vélez wrote an article on Crunchyroll News that the series is a perfect way to celebrate the first 25 years of the animation studio Bones, said the series exceeded his expectations, with the story's composition and visual narrative working in tandem, and praising the voice cast. Matthew Magnus Lundeen, reviewing the first three episodes for Game Rant, said the series had a lot of potential, shared some similarities with Carole and Tuesday and Blade Runner, while criticizing the pacing and the story for falling into cliches, and praising the character interactions as "natural and engaging."

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