Baldr Force EXE is set in the (possibly) near future wherein technology has allowed mankind to plug their brains directly into a computer. This allows mankind to manage systems easier or just hang around with each other in a virtual world. Of course, any time man creates great technology to further the world someone will try to use it for evil or profit.
Our "hero" Souma is a member of a gang of hackers, Steppen Wolf. At least he was until they decided to hack the highly advanced virtual security company FLAK. The plan apparently fell apart and while they were rushing to get out of the system, FLAK's virtual robots came to beat up their virtual robots. In the process the current leader of the gang was killed in the virtual world which apparently leads to your head exploding in the real one. In the first few minutes the episode are are several rather bloody displays of this fact. Regardless the rest of the gang was arrested in the real world and due to serve serious time, but a hacker is a terrible thing to waste.
And lo, the anime memes begin to list off. Firstly the main character is recruited by the very organization that wronged him, FLAK. The team consists of the usual crew: a middle-age battle-hardened commander, a nerdy chick who runs the system letting them enter the virtual world, an unsociable robotic (in personality, not body) chick, a playboy, and a slutty chick. Together they work to fend off hackers and keep the peace in virtual land. And by fend off hackers, I mean get in virtual robots and shoot at the hackers' virtual robots. This leads to Souma being a bit shocked as, again, when someone's virtual body gets destroyed, their head explodes in the real world. To wrap all the common anime elements up, he then meets a little girl in the virtual world who calls him "Big Brother." Granted this is not always meant in the literal sense in anime, but the episode ends with the "random mystery girl appears" cliffhanger.
Baldr Force is a typical story of a man seeking revenge. It simply oozes with every anime stereotype imaginable that, while not that bad of a thing, makes it entirely predictable. One can imagine that the random mystery girl is probably tied to saving Earth or some such. Ignoring the generalities a moment, the show is very well set up. Baldr Force involves a man with a clear mission who questions the way the world works and a crew consisting of all our beloved anime stereotypes. I personally question the logic in plugging one's brain into a computer to hack something instead of just using the old-fashioned way. This would involve much less risk of cranial explosion.
Check out some virtual robots and exploding heads on Funimation's Hulu account here.
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