Rob Kelk
1st October 2007, 09:54 PM
(continued from part 2)
D
THE DAICHIS: see EARTH DEFENSE FAMILY
DAMEKKO DOUBUTSU: Zen-Zen! Dame-Dame! Turning the roles of the
animal kingdom on thier heads, DAMEKKO DOUBUTSU tells the story of
Uruno the cowardly wolf, who moves into the forest of misfit animals.
Befriended by Usahara (a delinquent bunny who smokes), and Chiiko (a
clumsy and slow cheetah), Uruno fits in perfectly with his
not-quite-right neighbors.
Cute and funny, DAMEKKO DOBUTSU's five-minute episodes are perfect
for comedy fans trying to squeeze in a quick fix.
[Entry by Abraham Evangelista]
DEARS: A year ago, an alien spacecraft crashed just off the
Japanese coast. The (humanoid) survivors, calling themselves "DearS",
started to integrate themselves into human society. Now, xenophobic
high-school student Takeya discovers and takes pity on a nearly-naked
girl, and lets her follow him home before he discovers that she's a
DearS with no knowledge of Earth's customs who has decided to become
his property ...
Starting from a cliched and explotative premise, DEARS tells a
story of tolerance, understanding, and finally acceptance of other
people's feelings and lifestyles. The series does spend a lot of time
on the various possible relationships between men and women, and many
of the DearS are depicted as physically desirable, but these parts of
the story are a "bedroom farce" in the style of the old "Carry On"
movies rather than a sex romp. (However, since it *is* a bedroom
farce, you probably don't want to show the series to your pre-teen
children unless your family is very open about sex.)
DEARS is a 13-episode series, available in R1 from Geneon.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
DETECTIVE CONAN: see MEITANTEI CONAN
DEVIL HUNTER YOHKO (a.k.a. MAMONO HUNTER YOHKO): Mano Yohko is
your average Japanese High-School girl. However, what she doesn't
know is that she's 108th in the line of Devil Hunters, women who must
battle supernatural demons to keep the world safe. Silly more than
scary, and not without the ecchi (sexual) overtones and occasional
violence, this is a fun but fluffy series. No grand concepts, just
silly, occasionally dramatic fun. However, the sex and violence
prevent it from being ideal for the kiddies. 5 episodes plus one tape
of music videos. Subbed. From ADV Films.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
[PARENTAL ADVISORY: The first OAV *almost* qualifies for inclusion
in the Anime Hentai Primer, because of one scene that is inappropriate
for younger viewers. - Rob Kelk]
DIGIMON: Seven children are suddenly ripped from summer camp to a
strange land which is in danger from the domination of an evil
creature. Coming to their aid are seven creatures that, upon suitable
stimulus, grow and change and gain all sorts of powers. These are the
Digimon (or Digital Monsters). The series is a little drawn as each
enemy defeated reveals another and, in the course of fighting one
particular enemy, an eighth member is added to the group. This series
was dubbed in a number of languages and is shown on TV in the US, UK
and mainland Europe.
[Entry by Chika]
DIRTY PAIR: Humanity has abandoned Earth and spread across the
galaxy, but that doesn't mean there aren't any problems any more. One
of the most successful troubleshooting teams is the "Lovely Angels",
two teenaged girls who have a near-perfect success record. However,
they also have a reputation of blowing up everything they touch (which
isn't fair - only about a third of their missions end with something
being destroyed, and it's never their fault), which has lead to their
unofficial and hated nickname of the "Dirty Pair". Two action series
(the original DIRTY PAIR and the remake DIRTY PAIR FLASH) and a North
American comic series exist, based on the novels by Takachiho Haruka.
More information about the Dirty Pair is available at the website
"Tea Time in Elenore City", <http://www.elenorecity.com/home.html>.
The North American rights to the OAVs, the movies, and FLASH are
now owned by ADV Films. The comics are available from Dark Horse.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
DNA^2: Series based on Masakazu Katsura's manga of the same name.
Earth is overpopulated in the future, and that's all because of one
guy - the Mega-Playboy, who was irresistible to women, and was the
father of one hundred children, each of them also was a father/mother
of another hundred ... you get the picture. But Karin Aoi, a DNA
operator sent to the past to eliminate that threat, found that the
Mega-Playboy, usual Japanese high-school student Junta Momonari, isn't
a Mega-Playboy, moreover, he throws up every time when he see a women
in any state close to nakedness (bikinis and aerobic leotards
included), except for his childhood friend Ami Kurimoto. But Karin
discovers this *after* she shot Junta with DNA Control Medicine ...
the *wrong* one. So she turned Junta to Mega-Playboy with her own
hands and should convert him back ... but has fallen to his charm too.
Only Ami can resist that charm. Classical romantic comedy, which
Katsura is well known for. But I didn't recommend seeing the last
three eps. Because of low rating show was stopped and those three
episodes were released only on video to end the story and did it so
badly ...
Licenced by USMC in North America.
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]
DOCTOR SLUMP AND ARALE-CHAN: 1981-86 and 1997-99 series by Toei.
It's all about a loony & pervy inventor named Senbe Norimaki and his
creation Arale; a robot girl who's powerful enough to put a crack in
the world and loves playing with turds. They live in the Penguin
Village, a truly bizarre place populated by anthropomorpic animals,
aliens, superheroes, and other odd characters. Arale gets into a lot
of misadventures with her friends Akane, Taro, Psuke, and Ga-chan (a
little angel that eats anything except rubber, and later duplicates
itself). Based on the manga by Akira Toriyama.
Arale, Senbe, and the rest of the Penguin Village appears in DRAGON
BALL during the Red Ribbon storyline. DR. SLUMP is highly
recommended.
[Entry by Andrew Kieswetter]
DOKOKADE NAKUSHITA AITSU NO AITSU: see DNA^2
DOMINION: Two OVA series (4-part DOMINION, available from US Manga
Corps, and 6-part NEW DOMINION, previously available from Manga Video)
tell us how hard the life of a SWAT team member in a big city in
near-future Japan could be ... especially if you're piloting huge
battle tanks on the narrow streets of Newport City. Based on Masamune
Shirow's manga of the same name, it is a lighthearted and sometimes
twisted police comedy which is definitely worth seeing, even if the
manga is mush better. Some people, however, says it's a bit too
violent (and it's true: in the first episode, tank cops torture a drug
dealer with hand grenades playing golf around him, and title of
Captain Brenten's favourite book is "How to Kill".)
Note: This may be set in the same city and the same time as
Shirow's GHOST IN THE SHELL manga - the Puma sisters, two cyborg-babe
villains in DOMINION, have a cameo appearance in GitS where they fight
with Motoko's fuchikoma.
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]
DORAEMON: A robotic cat, Doraemon, travels back in time to help a
lazy and weak 10-year-old schoolboy, Nobita Nobi. Doraemon features a
dimensional pocket from where he can produce a great assortment of
tools and gadgets, which he uses to help Nobita resolve his problems.
Most of the time this causes more problems than the ones he tried to
fix, usually originated by Nobita's misuse of the gadget, but
sometimes caused by Nobita's friends.
This is a lovable and ongoing series that has more than 1090
episodes, and more are still being produced (now replaced with a new
seiyuu cast after 25 years of being in the air), produced by TV Ahashi.
[Entry by Gerardo Campos]
DRAGON BALL: The first series concerning the adventures of Son
Goku, a strange child who, in his earliest days, possesses a tail.
When he runs into Bulma (or "Bloomers"), he gets involved in the
search for Dragon Balls, mystical stones that, when collected
together, can be used to call forth a magical dragon who can then
grant your hearts' desire. Heavily involved in martial arts, Goku's
main part in all this is to fight off a variety of monsters and other
opponents to gain these balls while learning his fighting skills.
This series was dubbed into a number of languages and has been shown
on TV in mainland Europe and the US.
Licenced in North America by FUNimation.
[Entry by Chika]
DRAGON BALL Z: Moving on from the original DRAGON BALL series,
this series opens when Goku's long lost brother, Raditz, shows up on
Earth during a reunion party and declares that he intends to destroy
the planet. The ensuing battle is the first of many that Goku and his
son Gohan have to deal with, including the discovery of Piccolo's home
planet and the destructive battles with Freeza there as well as the
intervention on Earth by future son Trunks, the android wars and so
forth. Far more violent than the original series, and the Freeza war
in particular is panned by some for being too long. Again, dubbed for
TV in Europe and the US as well as UK, where it started Toonami on
Cartoon Network there.
Licenced in North America by FUNimation.
[Entry by Chika]
DRAGON HALF: Absolutely whacked comedy playing off everything from
fairy tale world to "idol singers". Lots of visual gags, lots of
nuttiness, lots of fun. Note: this is a *very* disorienting title to
many viewers because the style of animation frequently shifts to
punctuate the gags; some people even find it difficult to connect the
character in one frame drawn in 'realistic' style to the same
character in the next frame, drawn in a deliberately crude, cartoony
style. If you want a hilarious hour of goofy humor, however, you
really should check this out. Note: Only two OAVs were ever produced
in Japan, and they are released domestically on a single tape or DVD.
Available from ADV Films.
[Entry by Antaeus Feldspar]
DUNBINE: see AURA BATTLER DUNBINE
E
EARLY REINS: If you love classic bullets-flying-everywhere Western
movies and good-looking anime girls, this one's for you. No steampunk
or any other modern trappings (unless you count one character's short
skirt, and even then, no panty shots). Very reverent (but not without
a sense of humour), very entertaining, very recommended. One OAV.
[Entry by David Watson]
EARTH DEFENDER MAO-CHAN: See MAO-CHAN
EARTH DEFENSE FAMILY (a.k.a. THE DAICHIS): A very different take
on the classic "fighting team defending the Earth" theme as the
Daichis, a contemporary and very dysfunctional Japanese family, are
unexpectedly offered the opportunity to turn their lives around by
becoming a team of masked fighters who must defend the Earth against
an alien invasion. But nothing is what it seems - the agreement to
become the "Earth Defense Team" turns out to be a very Faustian
bargain, the family finds out that their own problems don't go away
just because they can beat some alien monsters, and in the end the
divisions within the Daichis threaten the Earth itself. EARTH DEFENSE
FAMILY is masterful and thoroughly entertaining mix of action, comedy
and social commentary.
Available in North America from Geneon.
[Entry by Dave Baranyi]
EARTH GIRL ARJUNA: Juna Ariyoshi is involved in a mysterious
motorbike accident with her boyfriend Tokio. She awakens to find
herself "dead", and privy to a horrifying vision of the destruction of
Earth's environment by man, and controlled by fearsome worm-like
creatures known as Rajah. She is given a second chance at life by
the apparition of Chris Horken, a crippled telepath, if she agrees to
become the Avatar of Time and protect Earth from the Rajah. But Juna
is not at ease with this role - although she utilises her power to
save Tokio, she is petrified of the monstrous Rajah, and has
difficulty reconciling her environmental awareness and protection with
her modern life - how would you feel if you heard the voices of all
the creatures killed to make your food each time you ate? An
extremely high budget shows through in the detailed character
animation and computer effects - although some rendering doesn't mesh
very well - and another high quality soundtrack from Yoko Kanno
present an extremely polished show. However, the environmental
message can become extremely heavy handed, which aggravates many
viewers - this thought-provoking "magical girl" show tends to polarise
viewers.
ARJUNA is available in North America from Bandai, and in Australia
from Madman.
[Entry by Andrew Hollingbury]
EL HAZARD: Makoto is your average high-school kid. A bit of a
nebbish, he likes Nanami and is constantly hounded by her big brother
Jinnai, though not about Nanami per se. Makoto and several of his
classmates get sucked through a portal to another world where he and
his friends each seem to manifest a superpower. There is a war going
on between the human people of the world and the insect-like Bugrom.
Makoto and his friends try to help the humans, aided by the three
priestesses of Muldoon, while Jinnai ends up on the wrong side,
helping the Bugrom. Hilarity, action and adventure ensue, including
the discovery of an ancient evil power, a woman named Ifurita who only
Makoto can defeat. Good art and animation. Silly and fun. This
summary applies only to the OVA version; there is also a TV series
with the same characters. Comedic violence only. Seven OVAs. From
Geneon.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
[PARENTAL ADVISORY: Some characters in this OAV series have what
has come to euphemistically be called "alternative lifestyles", and
not all of them are villains. If this bothers you or your children,
watch the TV series EL HAZARD: THE WANDERERS instead of the OAV
series. - Rob Kelk]
ELFEN LIED: The series begins with Lucy's escape from a maximum
security facility, a bloody, violent escape that begins a
heart-wrenching 13 episode series. After her escape, Lucy ends up on
a beach to be found naked and bleeding by Kouta and Yuka. However,
she no longer has Lucy's adult personality - it has been replaced by
Nyu, a naive child-like personality. Kouta and Yuka take Nyu in to
Kouta's home (an old Japanese inn), setting the stage for an unfolding
love story with unimaginable pain.
Lucy's escape brings a wide cast to the stage. One of the most
lovable is Nana. From the beginning, her arc is one of unimaginable
pain. She has spawned a following of web comics called "Nana's
Everyday Life" that are a must-see for fans of the anime. Nana
befriends a runaway, Mayu, who is also befriended by Kouta and Yuka,
bringing them all together under the same roof. The relationships
between Kouta, Yuka and Lucy are unraveled over the 13 episodes. At
times it is shocking and disturbing; the revelation of Mayu's past is
possibly the worst one to watch.
ADV has released a fine four-DVD set with a good English dub of the
series. They did, however, leave out an episode that was not shown on
Japanese TV, but included in the last Japanese DVD as an extra. That
episode is available as a fansub and worth watching when you complete
the series; it has a good bit of context for Lucy/Nyu. The DVD
edition has more gore than the TV version. When the anime ended the
series was still appearing in Young Animal; it finished its run in
December 2005 and is now available in 14 bound volumes in Japan.
[Entry by Bobby Clark]
PARENTAL ADVISORY: Definitely *NOT* for children. This series has
gruesome, bloody death scenes, violent dismemberments, and nudity in
non-consensual sexual settings.
R1 official website: <http://www25.advfilms.com/titles/elfenlied/>
EMMA: In Victorian England, a young nobleman, William Jones, pays
a visit to his old governess' house in central London, where he
becomes captivated by her maid, Emma, and vice versa. However,
William's family is pushing for him to marry a girl of his own
ranking, Eleanor Campbell, and William's friend (and Indian prince)
Hakim also takes an interest in Emma. Can any kind of relationship
flourish between William and Emma across such a cultural divide?
EMMA is a short yet sweet period romance, not exactly typical anime
material. Unfortunately, due to budget problems, it only lasts for 12
episodes, thus not finishing the manga storyline (the ending is a good
stopping point, however). That said, the short length of the series
means that it's extremely polished - the attention to period detail is
exquisite (there's no mangling of English whatsoever, which must be a
first for anime!), and animation and music are top notch. It is quite
slowly paced and entirely character and dialogue-focused, so not a
series for action junkies, but <cite>Emma</cite> is a very well
crafted romantic drama.
All 12 episodes are available fansubbed. EMMA is currently
unlicensed in Region 1 - the first 6 episodes are currently available
on DVD in Japan.
[Entry by Andrew Hollingbury]
ENDLESS WALTZ: see GUNDAM WING
ESCAFLOWNE: see VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE
EVANGELION: see NEON GENESIS EVANGELION
EXCEL SAGA: This anime is an example of insanity in motion. Each
episode is a parody of different styles of anime, and in the first
episode the heroine, Excel Excel dies several times, then goes off to
kill her manga artist (talk about breaking down the 'fourth wall').
In later episodes you meet others that get involved in the story, and
she's joined by Hyatt, a girl that dies about as much as possible, but
she keeps on getting back up. Not to mention the fact that she keeps
a stray dog named Menchi as an emergency food supply. Released by ADV
in North America.
[Entry by Bill Martin]
[PARENTAL ADVISORY: ADV Films quite properly rated this show at
"17+". Many episodes have a high violence quotient, some of the
language is inappropriate for minors, and the final episode should be
listed in the Anime Hentai Primer. Definitely NOT for children. - Rob
Kelk]
EYESHIELD 21: This is a traditional sports anime about a kid who
learns to believe in himself and become a winner, but at the same time
it is also a comedy with a bizarre twist - it's about a group of
misfit Japanese high school kids forming a team to play "American
Football" in their Japanese high school. So you not only have all of
the usual "Gambatte! Gambarimasu!" ("Do your best! I'll do my best!")
sort of stuff, but also an attempt to give a Japanese youth audience a
crash course in American-style football. The result is a
spectacularly funny comedy, both deliberately - due to the wacky cast
of misfits - and also unintentionally, because of the ongoing attempts
to explain the rules and concepts of American football during the
eyecatches and off-and-on during the story line.
First year high school student Sena has always relied upon his
older female friend Mamori to protect him. And when Mamori isn't
around, Sena has learned to run away from trouble because he is
smaller than most of the bullies that bother him. But now that Sena
is in high school he no longer wants to be "protected by a girl" and
allows himself to be talked into joining his high school's American
Football team, which has few players, never wins, and is almost
unknown in the high school. But Sena's "running away" has developed
him into a phenomenon - he can out-run most pursuers and can thread
his way through most obstacles, including football defensive teams.
Because of that, the fanatical and demonic captain of the high school
football team, Hiruma, decides to rebuild the team around Sena, with
Sena disguised as the mysterious running back "Eyeshield 21".
What results from this is a fast-paced, unpretentious story with
surprisingly adept character development and smart, consistent comedy.
Add to this reasonably good animation and a lively soundtrack and you
have a nice bit of old-fashioned fun done in a thoroughly up-to-date
manner. So forget about anything you ever knew about American High
School Football, sit back, grab a bottle of "sports water", and enjoy
the action.
Official Japanese website: <http://jump.shueisha.co.jp/eyeshield/>
[Entry by Dave Baranyi]
F
FAKE: A very gay detective story with young man and woman in care
of the officers in an alternate version of NYC.
The senior detective, who is in love with the younger who is
Japanese-American, sets up a vacation for both in England. He bribes
the young man to stay behind so that he and the object of his
affection can enjoy a truly romantic weekend.
Too bad the hotel they have chosen is the scene of a mystery which
has attracted the attention of a senior officer of the NY State
Police. A woman vanishes and then the kids show up to prevent
seduction.
Well the vacation is already spoiled when a flaming fellow officer
insists on following them to the site and they get a harsh suprise on
their return to the station house.
Very amusing!
One 60 minute OAV, from Anime Works
[Entry by bobbie sellers]
[PARENTAL ADVISORY: FAKE does touch on male/male romantic
relationships, but it's clean. There isn't even any nudity in it past
the occasional male chest. - David Watson]
FAM AND IHRIE: see RUIN EXPLORERS
FANCY LALA: FANCY LALA is the story of a girl and her magic
sketch book. I think that cleared all of the DBZ heads out. For the
rest of you, no, there are no magical princesses fighting evil by
moonlight, nor are there any convoluted love polygons. What we have
here is a simple show about how a young girl, Shinohara Miho (all
names in Japanese name order) obtains the power to grow just a bit
older from some 'funny dinosaurs' (Pigu and Mogu, her wise helpers ...
yea right, they spend more time arguing and eating all the food than
helping) and her not so meteoric rise to stardom. Her alter ego's
name is Lala, for short (Fancy Lala in full). She's got powers that
every little girl would want: growing older, drawing all the cool
clothes you could ever want with a magic pen (just say Dabu Dabu and
the clothes become real!) and meeting all your favorite stars (in
Miho's case it's the fabulous male idol, Aikawa Hiroya).
However, this show's best aspect is its unusual realness. Lala's
rise to stardom is no instant success. It's a lot of hard work full
of bright lights, pushy stars, and time spent away from friends. Her
time as Miho isn't all sugar sweetness wrapped in a candy cane either.
Miho's a rather real little girl, genki or not, and she gets
frustrated and tired. An interesting point is the depth of character
is actually accentuated by Miho having two forms. Seeing how
characters react to each form shows their characters in more detail
than otherwise would be possible. That's it, except for maybe that
mysterious guy ... (Fushigi-san, called 'Mystery Man' in the
commercial version). Maybe he has something to do with Miho's
spectacular transformation? This 26 episode series was on Japanese TV
in 1998, and now is released in the US by Bandai Entertainment. An
extra note: it's a homage to CREAMY MAMI, a 1983 magical girl show
along the same lines (both done by Studio Pierrot).
[Entry by Hana no Kaitou]
FIGURE 17: Some young anime girls get wands or pens that let them
transform into powerful fighters. Tsubasa got a twin sister.
This anime takes place in rural Hokkaido, a quiet place just right
for slow character development, quiet childhood life, and the
occasional fight against an alien menace that could destroy the
planet. And shy, out-of-her-element Tsubasa is caught in the middle
of it all when her father moves there and an alien spacecraft crashes.
After getting that "twin sister" (actually an alien AI), who names
herself Hikaru, Tsubasa spends most of her screen time learning how to
open up to her new classmates, and about close friendship. However,
there's still the alien menace to be dealt with, and it seems that
only Hikaru and Tsubasa, working together as "Figure 17", are up to
the challenge.
FIGURE 17 will seem familiar to old-school anime fans; the show was
originally presented as one 50-minute episode every month, so the
pacing is very much like the original OAV anime series of the 1980s.
(However, the anime was first released to cable television, not to
video.) The production values are state of the art for the turn of
the millennium, though. The show also doesn't pigeonhole into
convenient genres; it's roughly equally a "coming of age" story and an
"intense battle" story.
[PARENTAL ADVISORY: There is some violence, and people do die.
Please preview the show before letting pre-teens watch it.]
13 episodes, available in North America on six DVDs from Anime
Works.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
FIRE TRIPPER: One of the more serious of the "Rumik World" stories
by Rumiko Takahashi. A young woman gets sent back in time to feudal
Japan, but how? And what happened to the young boy that was with her?
Was available from USMC.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
FLCL: What makes a boy a man: older women, baseball and rock and
roll. FLCL is a hilarious, surreal comedy from GAINAX (NEON GENESIS
EVANGELION, KARE KANO).
Naota is a 12-year old boy in a boring town that has the steam-iron
shaped Medical Mechanica factory as its most distinguishing feature.
He lives in the shadow of his older brother, a local baseball star who
went to America, and his life is going nowhere. He spends most of his
time hanging around with his brother's ex-girlfriend, Mamimi, and
being manipulated by Ninamori, the class president.
Then *she* comes to town, Haruko Harurura. Riding an Italian Vespa
scooter and carrying a wicked electric guitar she starts like a
chainsaw, she enters Naota's life and turns it and the town upside
down. Just what is it she wants with Medical Machinica and why do
robots keep bursting from Naota's head!?
Visually, it is as if Chuck Jones decided to make anime. It's
wild, frenetic and full of hilarious sight gags, but it's also a
coming of age story. It will remind you of your awkward "tween" years
as you discovered the opposite sex, feeling cynical about adults and
the question, "Where do you want to go with your life?"
Available in North America from Synch-Point.
[Entry by Travers Naran]
FRUITS BASKET: This is a shoujo story about an orphaned girl who
is taken in by a wealthy clan that has been cursed to transform into
animals from the Chinese zodiac. While there are the usual tropes of
growing up in the face of loss and dealing with being an outsider,
FRUITS BASKET treats it with a wry sense of humour, an excellent cast
of characters and genuine warmth. But despite the overall cheeriness
of the series, there are darker undercurrents to the story and some
powerful moments when the characters utterly break down in the face of
something they can't deal with.
Licenced in North America by FUNimation.
[Entry by Michael Lo]
FULL METAL ALCHEMIST: In a world where Alchemy developed as a
science, Ed and Al Elric, sons of a powerful but shadowy and vanished
alchemist, set off on a quest to find the secret for creating the
Philosopher's Stone in order to attempt to right a terrible mistake
that they made. But this is a dangerous land in turmoil, with
rebellious factions, military government and mysterious puppet masters
all conspiring to unknown ends. FMA is a grand fantasy adventure-
drama of, on one hand hubris and Faustian bargains, and on the other
hand love and loyalty. Great characters, intricate and intelligent
plotting, humor interspersed with drama, a classic sound track and a
powerful conclusion make this one of my all time favourite anime.
Licenced in North America by FUNimation.
[Entry by Dave Baranyi]
FULL METAL PANIC: Popular high school girl Chidori Kaname,
unbeknownst to her, is one of a group of people called the Whispered.
The Whispered are people who have buried in their memories knowledge
of Black Technology, military technology so advanced and powerful that
the nations of the world will go to any extreme to get their hands on
it. To protect Kaname from falling into the wrong hands a covert
anti-terrorist organization called Mithril assigns a bodyguard to
watch over and protect Kaname without her knowledge. Unfortunately
the person they select for the job is Sagara Sousuke, a teenager who
has spent his entire life on battlefields and military camps.
Consequently he has no concept of how to cope with ordinary civilian
life. Needless to say Sousuke's reactions to even the merest
perception of a threat are extreme. As a result he proceeds to turn
Kaname's life completely upside down while defending her against some
of the nastiest terrorists ever to appear in anime. This has the
apparent effect of having Kaname start to fall in love with him.
Anyway Sousuke's military skills are unparalleled and he is expert in
this world's preferred combat mech, the Arm Slave.
Licenced by ADV Films; trailer available at ADV's Trailers page
(<http://www.advfilms.com/cool_stuff/trailers.asp>).
[Entry by Kyle Thomas Pope]
R1 official websites:
* First series: <http://www.full-metal-panic.com/>
* Sequel series: <http://www25.advfilms.com/titles/fumoffu/>
FULL MOON O SAGASHITE: Mitsuki Koyama is a twelve year old girl
suffering from throat cancer. Her parents have died and she lives
with her strict grandmother. She loves singing but is under doctor's
orders not to do so lest she further damage her throat. Moreover, her
grandmother despises music of all types.
Takuto and Meroko, two shinigami (or spirits of death), are
surprised when Mitsuki can see them. They are more comical than
bright. The intelligent Mitsuki tricks them into revealing that they
are paying an advance visit and that she will die within a year.
Upon hearing this news, Mitsuki resolves to live her year to the
fullest. She sneaks away to an audition. The shinigami at first stop
her but Takuto is moved by her sad circumstances and changes her into
a sixteen year old girl with a healthy throat. We spend the next year
wondering if Mitsuki's tragic fate can be changed. Meanwhile, Mitsuki
alternates between her real twelve-year-old self and a popular
sixteen-year-old singer who performs under the name Full Moon. Her
given name in Japanese means full moon and she is fascinated by
everything to do with the moon. This fascination with the moon gives
the anime its title which means "Searching for the Full Moon."
Mitsuki's dual life is not easy. The shinigami are sometimes a
help and sometimes a hindrance. She develops conflicting romantic
attachments. Her grandmother's strict edicts and dislike of music
complicate matters, as does Mitsuki's doctor. Somehow, she continues
her musical career.
Most of the songs are performed by the Japanese band "Changin' My
Life". Additionally, the band's lead singer, myco, is Mitsuki's
Japanese seiyuu (voice actress). The songs in the English dubbed
version remain in Japanese with English subtitles.
The anime is based on a manga series by Arina Tanemura who also
wrote KAMIKAZE KAITOU JANNU. Although the premise is the same in both
the anime and the manga, there are substantial differences between the
two.
The 52 episode anime series is being released in the US by Viz
Media, who have released the seven-volume manga series in its
entirety.
[Entry by Phil Yff]
FUSHIGI NO UMI NO NADIA: see NADIA
FUSHIGI YUUGI (a.k.a. MYSTERIOUS PLAY): One of the most emotional
anime of all time, truly heartwrenching, though it does delve into sap
a little by the end. The anime focuses on a young girl, Miaka, who
gets pulled into an ancient Chinese text and becomes a part of the
story - a priestess, in fact, of one of the book world's four gods,
Suzaku. When she tries to get out, her best friend Yui is taken in
her place! Miaka goes back in after her, but things have happened
since Miaka returned to the real world ... With her guardians, the
Suzaku Shichiseishi, and her love Tamahome, Miaka must go through many
trials in order to regain both peace for her warring kingdom, and her
best friend as well. (Geneon)
[Entry by KireiSarah]
G
GALAXY ANGELS: The universe is a dangerous place. Pirates,
aliens, and terrorists are everwhere, threatening to destroy
civilization as we know it. But fear not! The gun loving, boy crazy,
cosplay obsessed, obsessively religious, and super lucky Angel Brigade
are here to make a buck and save the day!
Resembling a harem anime without the boy, GALAXY ANGELS takes the
classic "Cute Girls Doing Bad Things", and puts it in space. An
episodic half length anime, GALAXY ANGELS is mostly character (or
often character flaw) driven comedy, with the occasional foray into
melodrama.
Available in R1 from Bandai Entertainment
[Entry by Abraham Evangelista]
GALAXY FRAULEIN YUNA: With a carefree heart, a perpetually-hungry
android companion, a collection of other powerful friends who've taken
it upon themselves to be her bodyguard, and a giant robot, Yuna
defends goodness in her corner of the universe as the Champion of
Light. But she isn't all business; finding lost puppies and taking
part in Iron Chef tournaments is just as important to Yuna as is
thwarting those who try to take over or destroy the galaxy.
On the surface, GALAXY FRAULEIN YUNA is a parody of shows like
SAILOR MOON (try to spot the Senshi cameo in the first episode) or
ICZER-1, but with more giant robots and fewer male characters (even
the tuxedo-garbed flower-throwing "love-interest" character is
female). But if you look deeper than that, you see a story about a
champion of goodness who truly *is* good, down to the core. In
situations where other heroes would set aside their principles to save
the world, Yuna remains steadfast to the values which made her the
Champion of Light, which puts her head and shoulders above all the
other magical warrior girls.
Two OAV series released on one R1 DVD, available from ADV.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
GALL FORCE: A series of nine SF OAVs, split into two distinct
series, based around the actions of a group of girls. Each series
follows the same group, although they are often recast for whatever is
going on in the series. In one series, they are the last surviving
group on one side of a space battle which they attempt to escape,
sacrificing much in the process, to reach a planet on which they can
shelter. In the other series, Earth is attacked, and the survivors
have to get help, find ways of getting off the planet and survive
whilst doing it. There was also a parody of one of the stories - 10
LITTLE GALL FORCE was a parody of STARDUST WAR. The team(s) also turn
up in the ArtMic parody OAV, SCRAMBLE WARS. The series is available
in the US from USMC/CPM, whilst the parodies were available from
AnimEigo.
[Entry by Chika]
(continued in part 4)
--
Rob Kelk <http://robkelk.ottawa-anime.org/> e-mail: s/deadspam/gmail/
Any Usenet message claiming to be from me but posted from any server
other than individual.net is a forgery. Please filter out such
messages if you have the capability.
D
THE DAICHIS: see EARTH DEFENSE FAMILY
DAMEKKO DOUBUTSU: Zen-Zen! Dame-Dame! Turning the roles of the
animal kingdom on thier heads, DAMEKKO DOUBUTSU tells the story of
Uruno the cowardly wolf, who moves into the forest of misfit animals.
Befriended by Usahara (a delinquent bunny who smokes), and Chiiko (a
clumsy and slow cheetah), Uruno fits in perfectly with his
not-quite-right neighbors.
Cute and funny, DAMEKKO DOBUTSU's five-minute episodes are perfect
for comedy fans trying to squeeze in a quick fix.
[Entry by Abraham Evangelista]
DEARS: A year ago, an alien spacecraft crashed just off the
Japanese coast. The (humanoid) survivors, calling themselves "DearS",
started to integrate themselves into human society. Now, xenophobic
high-school student Takeya discovers and takes pity on a nearly-naked
girl, and lets her follow him home before he discovers that she's a
DearS with no knowledge of Earth's customs who has decided to become
his property ...
Starting from a cliched and explotative premise, DEARS tells a
story of tolerance, understanding, and finally acceptance of other
people's feelings and lifestyles. The series does spend a lot of time
on the various possible relationships between men and women, and many
of the DearS are depicted as physically desirable, but these parts of
the story are a "bedroom farce" in the style of the old "Carry On"
movies rather than a sex romp. (However, since it *is* a bedroom
farce, you probably don't want to show the series to your pre-teen
children unless your family is very open about sex.)
DEARS is a 13-episode series, available in R1 from Geneon.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
DETECTIVE CONAN: see MEITANTEI CONAN
DEVIL HUNTER YOHKO (a.k.a. MAMONO HUNTER YOHKO): Mano Yohko is
your average Japanese High-School girl. However, what she doesn't
know is that she's 108th in the line of Devil Hunters, women who must
battle supernatural demons to keep the world safe. Silly more than
scary, and not without the ecchi (sexual) overtones and occasional
violence, this is a fun but fluffy series. No grand concepts, just
silly, occasionally dramatic fun. However, the sex and violence
prevent it from being ideal for the kiddies. 5 episodes plus one tape
of music videos. Subbed. From ADV Films.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
[PARENTAL ADVISORY: The first OAV *almost* qualifies for inclusion
in the Anime Hentai Primer, because of one scene that is inappropriate
for younger viewers. - Rob Kelk]
DIGIMON: Seven children are suddenly ripped from summer camp to a
strange land which is in danger from the domination of an evil
creature. Coming to their aid are seven creatures that, upon suitable
stimulus, grow and change and gain all sorts of powers. These are the
Digimon (or Digital Monsters). The series is a little drawn as each
enemy defeated reveals another and, in the course of fighting one
particular enemy, an eighth member is added to the group. This series
was dubbed in a number of languages and is shown on TV in the US, UK
and mainland Europe.
[Entry by Chika]
DIRTY PAIR: Humanity has abandoned Earth and spread across the
galaxy, but that doesn't mean there aren't any problems any more. One
of the most successful troubleshooting teams is the "Lovely Angels",
two teenaged girls who have a near-perfect success record. However,
they also have a reputation of blowing up everything they touch (which
isn't fair - only about a third of their missions end with something
being destroyed, and it's never their fault), which has lead to their
unofficial and hated nickname of the "Dirty Pair". Two action series
(the original DIRTY PAIR and the remake DIRTY PAIR FLASH) and a North
American comic series exist, based on the novels by Takachiho Haruka.
More information about the Dirty Pair is available at the website
"Tea Time in Elenore City", <http://www.elenorecity.com/home.html>.
The North American rights to the OAVs, the movies, and FLASH are
now owned by ADV Films. The comics are available from Dark Horse.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
DNA^2: Series based on Masakazu Katsura's manga of the same name.
Earth is overpopulated in the future, and that's all because of one
guy - the Mega-Playboy, who was irresistible to women, and was the
father of one hundred children, each of them also was a father/mother
of another hundred ... you get the picture. But Karin Aoi, a DNA
operator sent to the past to eliminate that threat, found that the
Mega-Playboy, usual Japanese high-school student Junta Momonari, isn't
a Mega-Playboy, moreover, he throws up every time when he see a women
in any state close to nakedness (bikinis and aerobic leotards
included), except for his childhood friend Ami Kurimoto. But Karin
discovers this *after* she shot Junta with DNA Control Medicine ...
the *wrong* one. So she turned Junta to Mega-Playboy with her own
hands and should convert him back ... but has fallen to his charm too.
Only Ami can resist that charm. Classical romantic comedy, which
Katsura is well known for. But I didn't recommend seeing the last
three eps. Because of low rating show was stopped and those three
episodes were released only on video to end the story and did it so
badly ...
Licenced by USMC in North America.
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]
DOCTOR SLUMP AND ARALE-CHAN: 1981-86 and 1997-99 series by Toei.
It's all about a loony & pervy inventor named Senbe Norimaki and his
creation Arale; a robot girl who's powerful enough to put a crack in
the world and loves playing with turds. They live in the Penguin
Village, a truly bizarre place populated by anthropomorpic animals,
aliens, superheroes, and other odd characters. Arale gets into a lot
of misadventures with her friends Akane, Taro, Psuke, and Ga-chan (a
little angel that eats anything except rubber, and later duplicates
itself). Based on the manga by Akira Toriyama.
Arale, Senbe, and the rest of the Penguin Village appears in DRAGON
BALL during the Red Ribbon storyline. DR. SLUMP is highly
recommended.
[Entry by Andrew Kieswetter]
DOKOKADE NAKUSHITA AITSU NO AITSU: see DNA^2
DOMINION: Two OVA series (4-part DOMINION, available from US Manga
Corps, and 6-part NEW DOMINION, previously available from Manga Video)
tell us how hard the life of a SWAT team member in a big city in
near-future Japan could be ... especially if you're piloting huge
battle tanks on the narrow streets of Newport City. Based on Masamune
Shirow's manga of the same name, it is a lighthearted and sometimes
twisted police comedy which is definitely worth seeing, even if the
manga is mush better. Some people, however, says it's a bit too
violent (and it's true: in the first episode, tank cops torture a drug
dealer with hand grenades playing golf around him, and title of
Captain Brenten's favourite book is "How to Kill".)
Note: This may be set in the same city and the same time as
Shirow's GHOST IN THE SHELL manga - the Puma sisters, two cyborg-babe
villains in DOMINION, have a cameo appearance in GitS where they fight
with Motoko's fuchikoma.
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]
DORAEMON: A robotic cat, Doraemon, travels back in time to help a
lazy and weak 10-year-old schoolboy, Nobita Nobi. Doraemon features a
dimensional pocket from where he can produce a great assortment of
tools and gadgets, which he uses to help Nobita resolve his problems.
Most of the time this causes more problems than the ones he tried to
fix, usually originated by Nobita's misuse of the gadget, but
sometimes caused by Nobita's friends.
This is a lovable and ongoing series that has more than 1090
episodes, and more are still being produced (now replaced with a new
seiyuu cast after 25 years of being in the air), produced by TV Ahashi.
[Entry by Gerardo Campos]
DRAGON BALL: The first series concerning the adventures of Son
Goku, a strange child who, in his earliest days, possesses a tail.
When he runs into Bulma (or "Bloomers"), he gets involved in the
search for Dragon Balls, mystical stones that, when collected
together, can be used to call forth a magical dragon who can then
grant your hearts' desire. Heavily involved in martial arts, Goku's
main part in all this is to fight off a variety of monsters and other
opponents to gain these balls while learning his fighting skills.
This series was dubbed into a number of languages and has been shown
on TV in mainland Europe and the US.
Licenced in North America by FUNimation.
[Entry by Chika]
DRAGON BALL Z: Moving on from the original DRAGON BALL series,
this series opens when Goku's long lost brother, Raditz, shows up on
Earth during a reunion party and declares that he intends to destroy
the planet. The ensuing battle is the first of many that Goku and his
son Gohan have to deal with, including the discovery of Piccolo's home
planet and the destructive battles with Freeza there as well as the
intervention on Earth by future son Trunks, the android wars and so
forth. Far more violent than the original series, and the Freeza war
in particular is panned by some for being too long. Again, dubbed for
TV in Europe and the US as well as UK, where it started Toonami on
Cartoon Network there.
Licenced in North America by FUNimation.
[Entry by Chika]
DRAGON HALF: Absolutely whacked comedy playing off everything from
fairy tale world to "idol singers". Lots of visual gags, lots of
nuttiness, lots of fun. Note: this is a *very* disorienting title to
many viewers because the style of animation frequently shifts to
punctuate the gags; some people even find it difficult to connect the
character in one frame drawn in 'realistic' style to the same
character in the next frame, drawn in a deliberately crude, cartoony
style. If you want a hilarious hour of goofy humor, however, you
really should check this out. Note: Only two OAVs were ever produced
in Japan, and they are released domestically on a single tape or DVD.
Available from ADV Films.
[Entry by Antaeus Feldspar]
DUNBINE: see AURA BATTLER DUNBINE
E
EARLY REINS: If you love classic bullets-flying-everywhere Western
movies and good-looking anime girls, this one's for you. No steampunk
or any other modern trappings (unless you count one character's short
skirt, and even then, no panty shots). Very reverent (but not without
a sense of humour), very entertaining, very recommended. One OAV.
[Entry by David Watson]
EARTH DEFENDER MAO-CHAN: See MAO-CHAN
EARTH DEFENSE FAMILY (a.k.a. THE DAICHIS): A very different take
on the classic "fighting team defending the Earth" theme as the
Daichis, a contemporary and very dysfunctional Japanese family, are
unexpectedly offered the opportunity to turn their lives around by
becoming a team of masked fighters who must defend the Earth against
an alien invasion. But nothing is what it seems - the agreement to
become the "Earth Defense Team" turns out to be a very Faustian
bargain, the family finds out that their own problems don't go away
just because they can beat some alien monsters, and in the end the
divisions within the Daichis threaten the Earth itself. EARTH DEFENSE
FAMILY is masterful and thoroughly entertaining mix of action, comedy
and social commentary.
Available in North America from Geneon.
[Entry by Dave Baranyi]
EARTH GIRL ARJUNA: Juna Ariyoshi is involved in a mysterious
motorbike accident with her boyfriend Tokio. She awakens to find
herself "dead", and privy to a horrifying vision of the destruction of
Earth's environment by man, and controlled by fearsome worm-like
creatures known as Rajah. She is given a second chance at life by
the apparition of Chris Horken, a crippled telepath, if she agrees to
become the Avatar of Time and protect Earth from the Rajah. But Juna
is not at ease with this role - although she utilises her power to
save Tokio, she is petrified of the monstrous Rajah, and has
difficulty reconciling her environmental awareness and protection with
her modern life - how would you feel if you heard the voices of all
the creatures killed to make your food each time you ate? An
extremely high budget shows through in the detailed character
animation and computer effects - although some rendering doesn't mesh
very well - and another high quality soundtrack from Yoko Kanno
present an extremely polished show. However, the environmental
message can become extremely heavy handed, which aggravates many
viewers - this thought-provoking "magical girl" show tends to polarise
viewers.
ARJUNA is available in North America from Bandai, and in Australia
from Madman.
[Entry by Andrew Hollingbury]
EL HAZARD: Makoto is your average high-school kid. A bit of a
nebbish, he likes Nanami and is constantly hounded by her big brother
Jinnai, though not about Nanami per se. Makoto and several of his
classmates get sucked through a portal to another world where he and
his friends each seem to manifest a superpower. There is a war going
on between the human people of the world and the insect-like Bugrom.
Makoto and his friends try to help the humans, aided by the three
priestesses of Muldoon, while Jinnai ends up on the wrong side,
helping the Bugrom. Hilarity, action and adventure ensue, including
the discovery of an ancient evil power, a woman named Ifurita who only
Makoto can defeat. Good art and animation. Silly and fun. This
summary applies only to the OVA version; there is also a TV series
with the same characters. Comedic violence only. Seven OVAs. From
Geneon.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
[PARENTAL ADVISORY: Some characters in this OAV series have what
has come to euphemistically be called "alternative lifestyles", and
not all of them are villains. If this bothers you or your children,
watch the TV series EL HAZARD: THE WANDERERS instead of the OAV
series. - Rob Kelk]
ELFEN LIED: The series begins with Lucy's escape from a maximum
security facility, a bloody, violent escape that begins a
heart-wrenching 13 episode series. After her escape, Lucy ends up on
a beach to be found naked and bleeding by Kouta and Yuka. However,
she no longer has Lucy's adult personality - it has been replaced by
Nyu, a naive child-like personality. Kouta and Yuka take Nyu in to
Kouta's home (an old Japanese inn), setting the stage for an unfolding
love story with unimaginable pain.
Lucy's escape brings a wide cast to the stage. One of the most
lovable is Nana. From the beginning, her arc is one of unimaginable
pain. She has spawned a following of web comics called "Nana's
Everyday Life" that are a must-see for fans of the anime. Nana
befriends a runaway, Mayu, who is also befriended by Kouta and Yuka,
bringing them all together under the same roof. The relationships
between Kouta, Yuka and Lucy are unraveled over the 13 episodes. At
times it is shocking and disturbing; the revelation of Mayu's past is
possibly the worst one to watch.
ADV has released a fine four-DVD set with a good English dub of the
series. They did, however, leave out an episode that was not shown on
Japanese TV, but included in the last Japanese DVD as an extra. That
episode is available as a fansub and worth watching when you complete
the series; it has a good bit of context for Lucy/Nyu. The DVD
edition has more gore than the TV version. When the anime ended the
series was still appearing in Young Animal; it finished its run in
December 2005 and is now available in 14 bound volumes in Japan.
[Entry by Bobby Clark]
PARENTAL ADVISORY: Definitely *NOT* for children. This series has
gruesome, bloody death scenes, violent dismemberments, and nudity in
non-consensual sexual settings.
R1 official website: <http://www25.advfilms.com/titles/elfenlied/>
EMMA: In Victorian England, a young nobleman, William Jones, pays
a visit to his old governess' house in central London, where he
becomes captivated by her maid, Emma, and vice versa. However,
William's family is pushing for him to marry a girl of his own
ranking, Eleanor Campbell, and William's friend (and Indian prince)
Hakim also takes an interest in Emma. Can any kind of relationship
flourish between William and Emma across such a cultural divide?
EMMA is a short yet sweet period romance, not exactly typical anime
material. Unfortunately, due to budget problems, it only lasts for 12
episodes, thus not finishing the manga storyline (the ending is a good
stopping point, however). That said, the short length of the series
means that it's extremely polished - the attention to period detail is
exquisite (there's no mangling of English whatsoever, which must be a
first for anime!), and animation and music are top notch. It is quite
slowly paced and entirely character and dialogue-focused, so not a
series for action junkies, but <cite>Emma</cite> is a very well
crafted romantic drama.
All 12 episodes are available fansubbed. EMMA is currently
unlicensed in Region 1 - the first 6 episodes are currently available
on DVD in Japan.
[Entry by Andrew Hollingbury]
ENDLESS WALTZ: see GUNDAM WING
ESCAFLOWNE: see VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE
EVANGELION: see NEON GENESIS EVANGELION
EXCEL SAGA: This anime is an example of insanity in motion. Each
episode is a parody of different styles of anime, and in the first
episode the heroine, Excel Excel dies several times, then goes off to
kill her manga artist (talk about breaking down the 'fourth wall').
In later episodes you meet others that get involved in the story, and
she's joined by Hyatt, a girl that dies about as much as possible, but
she keeps on getting back up. Not to mention the fact that she keeps
a stray dog named Menchi as an emergency food supply. Released by ADV
in North America.
[Entry by Bill Martin]
[PARENTAL ADVISORY: ADV Films quite properly rated this show at
"17+". Many episodes have a high violence quotient, some of the
language is inappropriate for minors, and the final episode should be
listed in the Anime Hentai Primer. Definitely NOT for children. - Rob
Kelk]
EYESHIELD 21: This is a traditional sports anime about a kid who
learns to believe in himself and become a winner, but at the same time
it is also a comedy with a bizarre twist - it's about a group of
misfit Japanese high school kids forming a team to play "American
Football" in their Japanese high school. So you not only have all of
the usual "Gambatte! Gambarimasu!" ("Do your best! I'll do my best!")
sort of stuff, but also an attempt to give a Japanese youth audience a
crash course in American-style football. The result is a
spectacularly funny comedy, both deliberately - due to the wacky cast
of misfits - and also unintentionally, because of the ongoing attempts
to explain the rules and concepts of American football during the
eyecatches and off-and-on during the story line.
First year high school student Sena has always relied upon his
older female friend Mamori to protect him. And when Mamori isn't
around, Sena has learned to run away from trouble because he is
smaller than most of the bullies that bother him. But now that Sena
is in high school he no longer wants to be "protected by a girl" and
allows himself to be talked into joining his high school's American
Football team, which has few players, never wins, and is almost
unknown in the high school. But Sena's "running away" has developed
him into a phenomenon - he can out-run most pursuers and can thread
his way through most obstacles, including football defensive teams.
Because of that, the fanatical and demonic captain of the high school
football team, Hiruma, decides to rebuild the team around Sena, with
Sena disguised as the mysterious running back "Eyeshield 21".
What results from this is a fast-paced, unpretentious story with
surprisingly adept character development and smart, consistent comedy.
Add to this reasonably good animation and a lively soundtrack and you
have a nice bit of old-fashioned fun done in a thoroughly up-to-date
manner. So forget about anything you ever knew about American High
School Football, sit back, grab a bottle of "sports water", and enjoy
the action.
Official Japanese website: <http://jump.shueisha.co.jp/eyeshield/>
[Entry by Dave Baranyi]
F
FAKE: A very gay detective story with young man and woman in care
of the officers in an alternate version of NYC.
The senior detective, who is in love with the younger who is
Japanese-American, sets up a vacation for both in England. He bribes
the young man to stay behind so that he and the object of his
affection can enjoy a truly romantic weekend.
Too bad the hotel they have chosen is the scene of a mystery which
has attracted the attention of a senior officer of the NY State
Police. A woman vanishes and then the kids show up to prevent
seduction.
Well the vacation is already spoiled when a flaming fellow officer
insists on following them to the site and they get a harsh suprise on
their return to the station house.
Very amusing!
One 60 minute OAV, from Anime Works
[Entry by bobbie sellers]
[PARENTAL ADVISORY: FAKE does touch on male/male romantic
relationships, but it's clean. There isn't even any nudity in it past
the occasional male chest. - David Watson]
FAM AND IHRIE: see RUIN EXPLORERS
FANCY LALA: FANCY LALA is the story of a girl and her magic
sketch book. I think that cleared all of the DBZ heads out. For the
rest of you, no, there are no magical princesses fighting evil by
moonlight, nor are there any convoluted love polygons. What we have
here is a simple show about how a young girl, Shinohara Miho (all
names in Japanese name order) obtains the power to grow just a bit
older from some 'funny dinosaurs' (Pigu and Mogu, her wise helpers ...
yea right, they spend more time arguing and eating all the food than
helping) and her not so meteoric rise to stardom. Her alter ego's
name is Lala, for short (Fancy Lala in full). She's got powers that
every little girl would want: growing older, drawing all the cool
clothes you could ever want with a magic pen (just say Dabu Dabu and
the clothes become real!) and meeting all your favorite stars (in
Miho's case it's the fabulous male idol, Aikawa Hiroya).
However, this show's best aspect is its unusual realness. Lala's
rise to stardom is no instant success. It's a lot of hard work full
of bright lights, pushy stars, and time spent away from friends. Her
time as Miho isn't all sugar sweetness wrapped in a candy cane either.
Miho's a rather real little girl, genki or not, and she gets
frustrated and tired. An interesting point is the depth of character
is actually accentuated by Miho having two forms. Seeing how
characters react to each form shows their characters in more detail
than otherwise would be possible. That's it, except for maybe that
mysterious guy ... (Fushigi-san, called 'Mystery Man' in the
commercial version). Maybe he has something to do with Miho's
spectacular transformation? This 26 episode series was on Japanese TV
in 1998, and now is released in the US by Bandai Entertainment. An
extra note: it's a homage to CREAMY MAMI, a 1983 magical girl show
along the same lines (both done by Studio Pierrot).
[Entry by Hana no Kaitou]
FIGURE 17: Some young anime girls get wands or pens that let them
transform into powerful fighters. Tsubasa got a twin sister.
This anime takes place in rural Hokkaido, a quiet place just right
for slow character development, quiet childhood life, and the
occasional fight against an alien menace that could destroy the
planet. And shy, out-of-her-element Tsubasa is caught in the middle
of it all when her father moves there and an alien spacecraft crashes.
After getting that "twin sister" (actually an alien AI), who names
herself Hikaru, Tsubasa spends most of her screen time learning how to
open up to her new classmates, and about close friendship. However,
there's still the alien menace to be dealt with, and it seems that
only Hikaru and Tsubasa, working together as "Figure 17", are up to
the challenge.
FIGURE 17 will seem familiar to old-school anime fans; the show was
originally presented as one 50-minute episode every month, so the
pacing is very much like the original OAV anime series of the 1980s.
(However, the anime was first released to cable television, not to
video.) The production values are state of the art for the turn of
the millennium, though. The show also doesn't pigeonhole into
convenient genres; it's roughly equally a "coming of age" story and an
"intense battle" story.
[PARENTAL ADVISORY: There is some violence, and people do die.
Please preview the show before letting pre-teens watch it.]
13 episodes, available in North America on six DVDs from Anime
Works.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
FIRE TRIPPER: One of the more serious of the "Rumik World" stories
by Rumiko Takahashi. A young woman gets sent back in time to feudal
Japan, but how? And what happened to the young boy that was with her?
Was available from USMC.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
FLCL: What makes a boy a man: older women, baseball and rock and
roll. FLCL is a hilarious, surreal comedy from GAINAX (NEON GENESIS
EVANGELION, KARE KANO).
Naota is a 12-year old boy in a boring town that has the steam-iron
shaped Medical Mechanica factory as its most distinguishing feature.
He lives in the shadow of his older brother, a local baseball star who
went to America, and his life is going nowhere. He spends most of his
time hanging around with his brother's ex-girlfriend, Mamimi, and
being manipulated by Ninamori, the class president.
Then *she* comes to town, Haruko Harurura. Riding an Italian Vespa
scooter and carrying a wicked electric guitar she starts like a
chainsaw, she enters Naota's life and turns it and the town upside
down. Just what is it she wants with Medical Machinica and why do
robots keep bursting from Naota's head!?
Visually, it is as if Chuck Jones decided to make anime. It's
wild, frenetic and full of hilarious sight gags, but it's also a
coming of age story. It will remind you of your awkward "tween" years
as you discovered the opposite sex, feeling cynical about adults and
the question, "Where do you want to go with your life?"
Available in North America from Synch-Point.
[Entry by Travers Naran]
FRUITS BASKET: This is a shoujo story about an orphaned girl who
is taken in by a wealthy clan that has been cursed to transform into
animals from the Chinese zodiac. While there are the usual tropes of
growing up in the face of loss and dealing with being an outsider,
FRUITS BASKET treats it with a wry sense of humour, an excellent cast
of characters and genuine warmth. But despite the overall cheeriness
of the series, there are darker undercurrents to the story and some
powerful moments when the characters utterly break down in the face of
something they can't deal with.
Licenced in North America by FUNimation.
[Entry by Michael Lo]
FULL METAL ALCHEMIST: In a world where Alchemy developed as a
science, Ed and Al Elric, sons of a powerful but shadowy and vanished
alchemist, set off on a quest to find the secret for creating the
Philosopher's Stone in order to attempt to right a terrible mistake
that they made. But this is a dangerous land in turmoil, with
rebellious factions, military government and mysterious puppet masters
all conspiring to unknown ends. FMA is a grand fantasy adventure-
drama of, on one hand hubris and Faustian bargains, and on the other
hand love and loyalty. Great characters, intricate and intelligent
plotting, humor interspersed with drama, a classic sound track and a
powerful conclusion make this one of my all time favourite anime.
Licenced in North America by FUNimation.
[Entry by Dave Baranyi]
FULL METAL PANIC: Popular high school girl Chidori Kaname,
unbeknownst to her, is one of a group of people called the Whispered.
The Whispered are people who have buried in their memories knowledge
of Black Technology, military technology so advanced and powerful that
the nations of the world will go to any extreme to get their hands on
it. To protect Kaname from falling into the wrong hands a covert
anti-terrorist organization called Mithril assigns a bodyguard to
watch over and protect Kaname without her knowledge. Unfortunately
the person they select for the job is Sagara Sousuke, a teenager who
has spent his entire life on battlefields and military camps.
Consequently he has no concept of how to cope with ordinary civilian
life. Needless to say Sousuke's reactions to even the merest
perception of a threat are extreme. As a result he proceeds to turn
Kaname's life completely upside down while defending her against some
of the nastiest terrorists ever to appear in anime. This has the
apparent effect of having Kaname start to fall in love with him.
Anyway Sousuke's military skills are unparalleled and he is expert in
this world's preferred combat mech, the Arm Slave.
Licenced by ADV Films; trailer available at ADV's Trailers page
(<http://www.advfilms.com/cool_stuff/trailers.asp>).
[Entry by Kyle Thomas Pope]
R1 official websites:
* First series: <http://www.full-metal-panic.com/>
* Sequel series: <http://www25.advfilms.com/titles/fumoffu/>
FULL MOON O SAGASHITE: Mitsuki Koyama is a twelve year old girl
suffering from throat cancer. Her parents have died and she lives
with her strict grandmother. She loves singing but is under doctor's
orders not to do so lest she further damage her throat. Moreover, her
grandmother despises music of all types.
Takuto and Meroko, two shinigami (or spirits of death), are
surprised when Mitsuki can see them. They are more comical than
bright. The intelligent Mitsuki tricks them into revealing that they
are paying an advance visit and that she will die within a year.
Upon hearing this news, Mitsuki resolves to live her year to the
fullest. She sneaks away to an audition. The shinigami at first stop
her but Takuto is moved by her sad circumstances and changes her into
a sixteen year old girl with a healthy throat. We spend the next year
wondering if Mitsuki's tragic fate can be changed. Meanwhile, Mitsuki
alternates between her real twelve-year-old self and a popular
sixteen-year-old singer who performs under the name Full Moon. Her
given name in Japanese means full moon and she is fascinated by
everything to do with the moon. This fascination with the moon gives
the anime its title which means "Searching for the Full Moon."
Mitsuki's dual life is not easy. The shinigami are sometimes a
help and sometimes a hindrance. She develops conflicting romantic
attachments. Her grandmother's strict edicts and dislike of music
complicate matters, as does Mitsuki's doctor. Somehow, she continues
her musical career.
Most of the songs are performed by the Japanese band "Changin' My
Life". Additionally, the band's lead singer, myco, is Mitsuki's
Japanese seiyuu (voice actress). The songs in the English dubbed
version remain in Japanese with English subtitles.
The anime is based on a manga series by Arina Tanemura who also
wrote KAMIKAZE KAITOU JANNU. Although the premise is the same in both
the anime and the manga, there are substantial differences between the
two.
The 52 episode anime series is being released in the US by Viz
Media, who have released the seven-volume manga series in its
entirety.
[Entry by Phil Yff]
FUSHIGI NO UMI NO NADIA: see NADIA
FUSHIGI YUUGI (a.k.a. MYSTERIOUS PLAY): One of the most emotional
anime of all time, truly heartwrenching, though it does delve into sap
a little by the end. The anime focuses on a young girl, Miaka, who
gets pulled into an ancient Chinese text and becomes a part of the
story - a priestess, in fact, of one of the book world's four gods,
Suzaku. When she tries to get out, her best friend Yui is taken in
her place! Miaka goes back in after her, but things have happened
since Miaka returned to the real world ... With her guardians, the
Suzaku Shichiseishi, and her love Tamahome, Miaka must go through many
trials in order to regain both peace for her warring kingdom, and her
best friend as well. (Geneon)
[Entry by KireiSarah]
G
GALAXY ANGELS: The universe is a dangerous place. Pirates,
aliens, and terrorists are everwhere, threatening to destroy
civilization as we know it. But fear not! The gun loving, boy crazy,
cosplay obsessed, obsessively religious, and super lucky Angel Brigade
are here to make a buck and save the day!
Resembling a harem anime without the boy, GALAXY ANGELS takes the
classic "Cute Girls Doing Bad Things", and puts it in space. An
episodic half length anime, GALAXY ANGELS is mostly character (or
often character flaw) driven comedy, with the occasional foray into
melodrama.
Available in R1 from Bandai Entertainment
[Entry by Abraham Evangelista]
GALAXY FRAULEIN YUNA: With a carefree heart, a perpetually-hungry
android companion, a collection of other powerful friends who've taken
it upon themselves to be her bodyguard, and a giant robot, Yuna
defends goodness in her corner of the universe as the Champion of
Light. But she isn't all business; finding lost puppies and taking
part in Iron Chef tournaments is just as important to Yuna as is
thwarting those who try to take over or destroy the galaxy.
On the surface, GALAXY FRAULEIN YUNA is a parody of shows like
SAILOR MOON (try to spot the Senshi cameo in the first episode) or
ICZER-1, but with more giant robots and fewer male characters (even
the tuxedo-garbed flower-throwing "love-interest" character is
female). But if you look deeper than that, you see a story about a
champion of goodness who truly *is* good, down to the core. In
situations where other heroes would set aside their principles to save
the world, Yuna remains steadfast to the values which made her the
Champion of Light, which puts her head and shoulders above all the
other magical warrior girls.
Two OAV series released on one R1 DVD, available from ADV.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
GALL FORCE: A series of nine SF OAVs, split into two distinct
series, based around the actions of a group of girls. Each series
follows the same group, although they are often recast for whatever is
going on in the series. In one series, they are the last surviving
group on one side of a space battle which they attempt to escape,
sacrificing much in the process, to reach a planet on which they can
shelter. In the other series, Earth is attacked, and the survivors
have to get help, find ways of getting off the planet and survive
whilst doing it. There was also a parody of one of the stories - 10
LITTLE GALL FORCE was a parody of STARDUST WAR. The team(s) also turn
up in the ArtMic parody OAV, SCRAMBLE WARS. The series is available
in the US from USMC/CPM, whilst the parodies were available from
AnimEigo.
[Entry by Chika]
(continued in part 4)
--
Rob Kelk <http://robkelk.ottawa-anime.org/> e-mail: s/deadspam/gmail/
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