Reference2, Appleseed

Set in 2131 AD, Appleseed stars Deunan Knute, a young, legendary female soldier and a survivor of the Third World War, which brought Earth to the brink of destruction. While fighting a number of unknown figures, a platoon of tall white soldiers come up and shoot them. As she tries to run away, they tranquilize her. Deunan later wakes up attached to a scanning device. Alarmed, she breaks free and takes a woman hostage while she attempts to escape, only to be stopped by the voice of her former lover and comrade Briareos, who is now a cyborg. Deunan soon learns that there was no nuclear war, and she is now in a Utopian city called Olympus. Its population is half human and half clone, a genetically-engineered species called Bioroids made from the best technical components. Olympus is governed by three factions: Prime Minister Athena, who Deunan seems to know; General Edward Uranus III, head of the Olympus Regular Army; and the Council of Elders -- seven old men hooked up to life support and anti-gravity chairs. Yet everything in the city is observed by an artificial intelligence named Gaia, which resides in a building called Tartarus. Here, Deunan integrates into the prestigious ESWAT organization to serve as the city's guardian and becomes friends with a Bioroid named Hitomi.

Bioroids are created from the DNA of Deunan's father, Carl, making the Bioroids her brothers and sisters, genetically speaking. Unfortunately, they have a lifespan much shorter than those of humans due to the suppression of their reproductive capabilities. When the facilities that were used in the Bioroid's life extension processes are destroyed by a secret faction of the Olympus Regular Army in a terrorist attack as part of its demonstration of fear and hatred for the Bioroids, a crisis which requires immediate resolution is formed, and the Appleseed data is revealed to still exist, even though most thought it destroyed.

Under the surface, Olympus is plagued by conflicting factions. Some believe that Bioroids are a threat to the future advancement of mankind, whilst others believe that humans themselves are the threat. The ultimate question is over everyone's right to life, and whether or not one group deserves life more than the other. At the center of this battle is Appleseed, the data that is able to extend Bioroid life.

Along with a top secret strike force, Deunan and Briareos head for the building where the Bioroids were originally created. With a disk given to her from Athena, she activates a holographic recording of where the Appleseed went. Dr. Gilliam, who created the Bioroids, entrusted the Appleseed to her daughter, Deunan. But she was killed by the military. And then coincidentally, the military had also arrived, thanks to a spy on their team. Colonel Hades, the anti-Bioroid activist who destroyed the Bioroid care facilities, reveals to Deunan that Briareos had intentionally allowed his Landmate to escape. They run to the rooftop with their team killed and get cornered by the Regular Army. Worse, Uranus had also came. He tries to convince Deunan that Bioroids seek to control humans, so he plans to blow up the D-Tank on Tartarus. Briareos tries to plea to the General that the Elders were the ones who planned this; the D-tank, which controls a virus that was originally meant to keep Bioroids in line, was reworked to sterilize humanity. Hades convinces Uranus that trying to negotiate is pointless. He reveals to Deunan that he blames her father for all that has happened. "If there's any one to blame, blame your father" and starts shooting. Briareos acts as a shield and Deunan shoots Hades directly in the brow and was barely able to escape.

When she returned to Olympus, the Council of Elders were able to save the Bioroids. However, she confronts them that they sent the military after them. The Elders confessed and reveal that they intend to unleash the deadly D-tank virus onto Olympus, sterilizing the human race, leaving the Bioroids the new rulers of Earth, claiming it is the will of Gaia. They required the Appleseed in order to keep the Bioroids alive, but Gilliam found out and hid the data so their plan could never come. However, both the military and Bioroids catch on and disable the button that'll unleash the virus. Athena tells Deunan that the Elders had been acting on their own and shut down Gaia once it realized humanity has lessened its hatred towards Bioroids. As a result, the Elders will soon die because Gaia regulates their life support systems. Unfortunately, the elders had a contingency plan; several mobile fortresses activate and began marching towards their location, to destroy Tartarus at point-blank range. Hitomi reveals to everyone assembled that her name can shut down the fortresses on the number 7. ESWAT begins mobilizing their forces to try to slow down the towers, with heavy casualties. Deunan and Briareos reach number 7 and managed to shut them down at the last second.

Director Shinji Aramaki also directed the sequel to the 2004 movie, titled Appleseed EX Machina, which was released in fall 2007 in Japan. The movie once again featured animated computer-generated imagery and John Woo was fully involved in the production.