Cybersix aired on Teletoon from 1999-2000, based on the more violent/sexually explicit Argentine comic book. The series was a Canada/Japan co-production between two Vancouver, British Columbia studios (Network of Animation, Ocean Productions), and Tokyo Movie Shinsha. In the United States of America, Cybersix aired on Fox Kids in fall 2000.

Cybersix’s main character is Cyber-6 (Cathy Weseluck), an artificial human created by former Nazi/Schutzstaffel member Dr. Von Reichter (Terry Klassen). Cyber-6 is the last fully-intact, surviving member of the Cyber series, which Von Reichter wants to destroy due to the Cyber series’ possession of free will. The Nazism is toned down in the animated series, but not fully eliminated.

During the series’ run, Cyber-6 fights Von Reichter’s monsters in the city of Meridiana. The monsters include Fixed Ideas (big green humanoid mooks), Technos (normal-seeming artificial humans), and Types (like Technos, but teenaged and more monstrous). Cyber-6 survives by taking their “Sustenance” – essentially, a way to suggest vampirism without being blatant about it. José (Alex Doduk), Von Reichter’s “son”/clone, is the show’s main on-screen antagonist, carrying out his “father’s” orders. Cyber-6 is helped by Data-7, a panther with the brain of Cyber-6’s “brother” Cyber-29.

By day, Cyber-6 assumes the identity of teacher Adrian Seidelman. Biology teacher/big eater Lucas Amato (Michael Dobson) is the designated Lois Lane, capable of holding his own against normal people, but not the villains Cybersix deals with. Julian (Andrew Francis) is a street kid who tries to help Cybersix at times – emphasis on tries. Lori Anderson (Janyse Jaud) is one of Seidelman’s students. Lori has a crush on Seidelman, and is the main focus of the fifth episode, “Lori is Missing”.

Cybersix is an atypical animated series, due to its being Japanese animation with the Cybersix comics’ European look. The theme song (see below) is excellent; Cybersix’s scores aren’t as good, and the show mostly goes with a monster-of-the-week format. Cybersix’s main strengths are its production values, character designs, and gender flip of the Clark Kent/Superman dynamic. Cybersix is a reminder of the early, more freewheeling days of Teletoon.

Discotek Media released this complete series DVD set August 26, 2014; it retails for USD$34.95 at its website. Extras include commentary on the first and final episodes, by Cathy Weseluck and Discotek Media graphic artist/Cybersix fan Brady Hartel. The set only includes the English dub, in its original 1.33:1 aspect radio.

I can’t complain about this set. In today’s Canadian TV-on-DVD world, the fact this title is out at all after fifteen years is a minor miracle. Frankly, I think Cybersix is Teletoon’s best-ever original series. I don’t claim Cybersix is perfect, as the monster-of-the-week format limits it more than anything. I still prefer Cybersix for adapting seemingly questionable source material, and adapting it well. Teletoon never took as big a chance as with Cybersix; I doubt it will again.