The time period of 009-1 is unclear, though its spies are as likely to carry laser pistols as bolt-action sniper rifles, and they dodge killer robots almost as often as they dodge each other. But the biggest indication that this is some far-flung future is 009-1 herself. She and her sister 009s are female cyborgs, bodies packed with special tricks and equipment, not to mention stacked in ways human women would have trouble matching.

Each of the first four episodes on the initial 009-1 disc is a complete mini-adventure, in which West Bloc spy 009-1, aka Mylene Hoffman, takes on her East Bloc counterparts or oversees West Bloc activity. Episode 1 centers on an East Bloc scientist attempting to defect to the West; with both sides about to sign a nuclear disarmament treaty on the neutral ground of a moonbase, a handful of hawks are eager to get their hands on a weapon that will unbalance the "disgusting peace" and tip the balance of power. To keep the East Bloc from having a monopoly on the scientist's data, Mylene and a handful of other cyborg agents rush to get him free.

The other episodes sideline the other cyborgs to concentrate on Mylene at work. Assigned to observe as a dangerous mutant child is tracked down and executed by a standard elimination squad, she dutifully stands by and watches them go about their business. When an enemy agent with strange habits targets her, she's initially smug and confident, but later intrigued by his strict timetables and routines. And when she and a handful of other agents from both sides are invited to a "haunted castle" to receive key information, she goes along coolly, even though they all suspect it's a trap.

More than just guns and cheesecake

Mylene doesn't have much personality, apart from being calm, capable and a bit conceited. But the series itself has personality to spare. Animated in an exaggeratedly cartoony style that owes some stylistic influences to Astro Boy creator Osamu Tezuka and Lupin III mastermind Monkey Punch, 009-1 features characters that look more like Muppets or roosters than people, with broad flapping mouths, built-in smirks and long floppy bodies. Mylene herself has outsized breasts and surprisingly broad hips, and she frequently stands in positions that emphasize both. She gets an assist from the stylish direction, which sets images at odd angles, concentrates on extreme close-ups and shows characters from the neck down, or from extreme low angles that provide plenty of fan service. Frequent blood sprays (though no actual gore) and a fast-cutting action mentality help complete the picture: 009-1 is ostensibly about spycraft and the war between nations, but at a base level, it's all sex, death and snappy style.

009-1 isn't the average cheesecake-and-guns show, though. The scripts are smart and twisty, with the requisite number of double-crosses, big reveals and behind-the-back plots. And when all else fails, there are plenty of technological surprises: a cornered cyborg might suddenly eject a smoke cartridge from her knee or rearrange her pliable face to reveal a new one. Mylene herself is full of surprises of a different sort: She's confident enough in her capabilities that she doesn't mind taking time out to examine a situation, ask questions and complicate the scenario by getting to know her enemies better. (Or by having sex with them, either to sneak secrets out of them or just for fun.)

The bouncy, sudden twists can be a lot of fun, and the show is clever about engaging action fans without giving anything away: Frequently, it cuts straight into an action scene without explaining what's going on until that action is resolved. And the jazzy, perky score sets an energetic tone designed to keep viewers' blood flowing. 009-1 could stand to be a little less strictly episodic, and a little less focused on Mylene's buttocks, but overall it's a swinging good time, straight out of the '60s but with a minor modern flair.