Ep 1. Can't Buy a Thrill

In Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 season 1 episode 1, entitled "Can't Buy a Thrill," we are introduced to a futuristic Tokyo, where mega-corporations have taken over, bringing a new level of technological advancement to the city's inhabitants. However, this advancement has also brought with it a new breed of crime that the police force is ill-equipped to handle.

We are introduced to a group of four women - Sylia, Linna, Nene, and Priss - who run a private investigation and mercenary agency called the Knight Sabers. The group is a tightly-knit team, with Sylia as the leader, Linna as the muscle, Nene as the tech expert, and Priss as the skilled fighter. Together, they take on dangerous missions that the police force cannot handle.

The episode opens with a group of people gathered around a new motorcycle model on display in a shop window. The motorcycle, known as the Griffin 600, has been highly anticipated and is set to be released soon. However, as the crowd disperses, a truck crashes into the shop and a group of bandits emerges, stealing the motorcycle and taking off into the night.

Meanwhile, the Knight Sabers are introduced in their everyday lives. Sylia is a businesswoman and scientist, running her own company and taking care of her aging father. Linna is a fitness instructor and aspiring actress, trying to make ends meet. Nene is a police dispatcher and tech genius, working in a job she finds boring and unfulfilling. Priss is a rockstar and bike enthusiast, playing gigs and getting into brawls at local bars.

The Knight Sabers receive a call from a client, who introduces himself as Mackey Stingray, a young boy looking for assistance with his father's company. His father, Brian Stingray, had been trying to develop a new motorcycle that could rival the Griffin 600, but had been caught up in a lawsuit with the mega-corporation Genom. Brian Stingray had been working on the project from his private lab and had gone missing, along with the prototype bike. Mackey enlists the Knight Sabers to find his father and recover the bike.

The team quickly deduces that the bandits who stole the Griffin 600 are responsible for the theft of Brian Stingray's bike and investigate. The bandits turn out to be a gang of bikers known as the Mad Poets. They have a rivalry with the Griffins, a group of bikers associated with Genom Corporation. While investigating, the Knight Sabers cross paths with a lone biker who appears to be a Griffin. They chase him down, but he reveals himself to be a member of the Mad Poets, who had infiltrated the Griffins to carry out their thefts.

The Knight Sabers capture the biker and interrogate him, learning about the Mad Poets' plan to use the stolen bikes to create an army to take over the city. They track down the Mad Poets' hideout and engage in a fierce battle, using their skills and advanced suits to take out the gang members and recover the prototype bike.

In the aftermath, the Knight Sabers return the bike to Mackey and provide him with the information needed to take on Genom in court. Mackey expresses his gratitude, and the team leaves, their next mission already looming on the horizon.

Overall, "Can't Buy a Thrill" sets up the world and characters of Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 in a thrilling manner. The action is intense and the characters are well-defined, each with their own unique personalities and roles within the group. The episode also sets up the overarching conflict between the Knight Sabers and the various gangs and mega-corporations of the city, leaving the viewer eagerly anticipating the next mission.