Rob Kelk
1st December 2002, 06:03 PM
(continued from Part 1)
F
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]
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]
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. (Pioneer)
[Entry by KireiSarah]
G
GALL FORCE: A series of nine SF OAVs about cute girls with guns
and space ships. All the men of the race died in the everlasting war
with the Evil Paranoids, and there's nothing left but sexy young women
who reproduce by cloning. But, they have a plan... Available subbed
from USMC. A parody of the series called Ten Little Gall Force was
available from AnimEigo.
GENESIS SURVIVER GAIARTH: A post-apolcalyptic world sees a young
boy with no parents brought up by a stranded war robot (warroid) as a
soldier but when a mysterious enemy slaughters the only parent he had
ever had, he goes to war only to find that the war had ended many
years before. He meets up with a battered warroid who has no memory
of his past but seems to be full of surprises and a girl who gets the
hots for him, when she isn't thinking of money, and the group go off
treasure hunting, only to find that their hunt will eventually turn
into a fight to save the planet and end the long dormant war...
Available from AnimEigo.
[Entry by Chika]
GEO-ARMOR: see KISHIN HEIDAN
GHOST IN THE SHELL: Hong Kong, years from now, and a collaboration
work between Masamune Shirow and western influences to produce a
special police force on the hunt for a mysterious creature that steals
peoples' "ghosts" and reprograms them for its own purposes. However,
it seems to be so elusive that it is questionable if it is actually
one person, or even human. The common factor with the force is their
cybernetic upgrades. Based on the successful manga series, though the
manga is nowhere as dark as the film. Some folk refer to this film as
"Frain's Folly" as it saw the end of Andy Frain at Manga Video after
poor sales in the UK.
[Entry by Chika]
GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES: A powerful and moving story about two
children orphaned when their village is fire-bombed in WWII. This is
an excellent work by Studio Ghibli that should include the warning
"May cause severe sadness." The art is fabulous and the story has a
strong emotional impact.
[Entry by Robin Casady]
GUNBUSTER (a.k.a. GUNBUSTER, AIM FOR THE TOP!): Takaya Noriko is a
teenage girl enrolled in a school for giant robot pilots in the near
future. After her father dies in a battle with aliens, Noriko vows to
go into space like him, and fight to save the human race. GUNBUSTER
is the story of her struggle to develop the skills that will allow her
to pilot the mighty robot Gunbuster, humankind's ultimate weapon
against an encroaching alien menace. She is joined in her quest by
her 'big sister' Kasumi whom she idolizes, their stern teacher Coach
Ota, and her sometime-rival, the brilliant and beautiful Jung-Freud.
Their story, deftly directed by Hideaki Anno and produced by the
famous GAINAX team, is sometimes comic, sometimes tragic, always
moving and entertaining.
GUNBUSTER is both a gentle satire of older giant robot shows, and a
homage to them. Its major theme is that staple of fiction, the
education of the hero and the development of heroic character, as we
watch Noriko's often agonized struggle to grow from weakness to
strength, from incompetence to mastery, from inconsequentiality to
heroism. A secondary theme is the damaging effects of near-lightspeed
travel on human relationships.
The show's tone changes radically as it progresses, being
lighthearted and comic at the outset, but darker and more serious in
the later episodes. You'll be laughing during the first episode, on
your feet cheering at the end of fourth, and the bittersweet end of
the final episode will probably leave you in tears. But they're good
tears. Fans usually rate GUNBUSTER's ending as one of the best in
anime, and the show has been a fan favorite since it was released.
This should be on your short list of anime to watch, even if you don't
think you like giant robot shows.
Content advisory: Some bouncing breasts and female nudity, no
sexual activity or innuendo. Lots of violence against alien lifeforms
that resemble titanic space-going cauliflowers. Six OAV episodes,
total running time about 3 hours.
As of May 2001, the six GUNBUSTER episodes are available in the US
from Manga Video, subtitled on 3 VHS tapes. No dub is available. No
date for a DVD release is known.
[Entry by Slithy Tove]
GUNDAM (MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM, STARDUST MEMORIES, WAR IN THE POCKET, MS
TEAM 08, ZETA GUNDAM, ZZ GUNDAM, CHAR'S COUNTERATTACK, GUNDAM WING,
etc.): One thing to keep in mind with GUNDAM is that there are two main
continuities. One is known by the Universal Calendar and the other is
the After Colony calender. The UC timeline is the original, while the
newer Gundam Wing universe uses the AC timeline. Other than that they
have giant robots and semi-realistic near-future Earth space
civilizations at war, they don't interelate much.
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM was the first 'gritty' and 'realistic' giant robot
stories, paving the way for other series. Before MS GUNDAM, most giant
robot stories were vehicles for selling toys in Japan. GUNDAM
revolutionized the genre by putting a background and a more realistic
use of giant robots. GUNDAM is war story, with extras.
Adding in ambiguous allies and enemies and an unusual manifest
destiny, it managed to tell a compelling story of a young man thrust
into the middle of an unwanted war. He and the ship he ends up on
become the pivot on which their history is decided. The UC timeline has
the colonies rebelling against a static Earth Federation. One of the
more interesting points is that no one is really good or evil, per se.
Both have faults and heroes, both have their villans. The Gundam units
are on Earth's side for the most part.
MS GUNDAM, STARDUST MEMORIES, WAR IN THE POCKET and MS TEAM 08 all
are based (loosely) in the UC timeline. They all use or make mention of
the One Year War.
GUNDAM WING (and the finale, GUNDAM WING: ENDLESS WALTZ) are based
in the newer AC (After Colony) timeline. A repressive Earth government
is tyranizing everyone, holding an iron grip over their colonies. The
colonies finally rebel, using five Gundam mobile suits. Piloted by
young freedom fighters, they are the colonies best hope to break the
iron grip of Earth. Part soldiers and part terrorists, the young pilots
fight and interact with foes. Still a war drama, GUNDAM WING puts an
effort into some social commentary on war and death.
[Entry by Arthur Hansen]
[Many Gundam shows are available from Bandai / Anime Village, and
GUNDAM WING has been televised in the U.S. - Rob Kelk]
GUNDAM WING: see GUNDAM
GUNDAM WING: ENDLESS WALTZ: see GUNDAM
GUNNM: see BATTLE ANGEL
GUNSMITH CATS: Rally Vincent and May Hopkins are bounty-hunters in
Chicago. Rally is a sharp-shooter with a passion for fast 70's sports
cars, and May likes explosives - lots of explosives. A BATF agent
named Bill Collins "hires" Rally to help him break up a gun-smuggling
ring, and big trouble ensues, leading eventually to the Mayor's
office. Based loosely on the manga by Kenichi Sonoda. Good art and
animation. Some violence and lots of shooting. Three episodes.
Subbed and dubbed. From ADV Films.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
H
HERE IS GREENWOOD: Hasakawa has the worst luck: He's late for his
high school entry exams, then he's late for high school, and his older
brother has married the woman of his dreams. As he heads to school,
he figures things are looking up, until he finds out he's been put in
"GreenWood", the dorm notorious for its weird residents. Having a
roommate who looks like a girl is the *least* of his problems ...
[Entry by Catherine Johnson]
HEROIC LEGEND OF ARISLAN: see ARSLAN SENKI
HUMANOID: Fairly retro feel here in a story about the creation of
a scientific genius, referred to as a "humanoid". The planet on which
this happens is also the resting place of other and greater
technology, power which the planetary governor wouldn't mind getting
his hands on. The story seems to revolve around the development of
the humanoid, some of which is voluntary, indeed resonant of KEY THE
METAL IDOL, and around the deeds of the governor as he realises his
folly...
[Entry by Chika]
I
I CAN HEAR THE SEA: A snotty Tokyo girl moves to a provincial sea
town, there she clashes with her new classmates in high school. Told
from the perspective of one of the local boys who is first appalled by
her, but later befriends her when he finds out about the divorce of
her parents and helps her cope with her family problems. A sweet,
subdued story about growing up to be an adult and about first love
with some interesting insights into everyday life of Japanese school
and college students.
[Entry by Hanno Mueller]
ICZER-1: A three-part SF OAV involving hideous monsters from
space, cute but lethal girls, and two giant robots. Meant to be taken
only semi-seriously, but has some great slime-monsters that'll make
your skin crawl.
[Was available from US Renditions when US Renditions was still in
operation. - Rob Kelk]
ICZER-3: Earth has been taken over by Big Gold's daughter (see
ICZER-1) and Iczer 1 is in no fit state to do anything about it. All
there is left is Iczer 1's little sister, Iczer 3, but she is very
much a rookie. Just as well that Nagisa is waiting aboard the only
remaining Earth ship, sitting waiting on the moon along with its crew.
The story is very similar to Iczer 1 except that there isn't quite so
much body-snatching; each episode seeing the crew and Iczer 3 battle
each of the baddies (mostly rejects from the Negaverse!!!). Iczer 1
and Iczer 2 both emerge at the end, by the way. Iczer-3 is available
subbed from USMC.
[Entry by Chika]
INU-YASHA: Hundreds of years ago in Feudal Japan, during the
Sengoku Jidai (or Warring States Era), there was a half-demon,
half-human hybrid named Inu-Yasha. He sought to capture the Shikon no
Tama (or Jewel of Four Souls) for himself, but Kikyo, the priestess
who had guarded the jewel, sealed him away with a sacred arrow. On
her deathbed, she was cremated along with the Jewel ... but the story
does not end there. In the modern age of the present day, Kagome
Higurashi, a seemingly ordinary girl, is thrust back into the Sengoku
Jidai by a magical well, and must now protect the mysteriously
reappeared Shikon no Tama from the fearsome demons and ogres that
wander across the land. But can she rely on Inu-Yasha, the
resurrected half-demon, to help her defend this enigmatic jewel? A
gothic horror/adventure series, with romantic comedy elements, from
Rumiko Takahashi (creator of RANMA 1/2 and MAISON IKKOKU).
[Entry by Nicholas A. Jalowick]
IRIA (a.k.a. ZEIRAM, THE ANIMATION): Set in a future time Iria is
a bounty hunter in training. She, her brother Gren and their boss Bob
are hired to for a rescue mission when the most dangerous lifeform in
the galaxy Zeiram shows up as part of the cargo. Escaping to the
planet Taowajan with no idea on the fate of Gren or Bob, Iria must
deal with the authorities idea of urban renewal which is to allow
Zeiram to run loose in a city slum. Later on all records of the
rescue mission have vanished and Iria must contend with a conspiracy
that wants to silence her before she can find out what their plans for
Zeiram are. (6 episode series on VHS and DVD by US Manga)
[Entry by Bruce Grubb]
IRRESPONSIBLE CAPTAIN TYLOR: Through a series of coincidences (or
are they?), Justy Tylor (aged 20) becomes captain of the Battle
Cruiser Soyokaze, which is full of misfits and rejects. His
easy-going, do-your-own-thing manner annoys and confuses friend and
foe alike, and his amazing successes keep people wondering: Is he
incredibly lucky or incredibly clever? Available from The Right Stuf.
[Entry by Catherine Johnson]
J
JUBEI NIMPUUCHO: see NINJA SCROLL
JUNGLE TAITEI: see KIMBA THE WHITE LION
JUUNI KOKKI (aka THE TWELVE KINGDOMS, CHRONICLE OF TWELVE
COUNTRIES, JUUNI KOKUKI): A teenaged girl, Yoko, is attacked by
strange beasts at school, and is summoned into another world by Keiki,
a mysterious white haired man, along with her two classmates. Gifted
with a sword that seems to have a hidden agenda, Yoko attempts to find
a way home along with Yuka and Asano, until they become embroiled in a
power struggle over the rule of one of the Twelve Kingdoms - and who
can Yoko trust in this strange new world? Extremely high quality
animation lends a fantastic look to this shoujo show, which is heavily
character-driven despite the "cliched" girl-in-another-world set-up
and flashy fight scenes. The slow exposition is derived from the
series of novels the show is based on. Currently being released on
digisubs - no license has yet been announced, although the first DVD
is forthcoming in Japan.
[Entry by Andrew Hollingbury]
K
KARESHI KANOJO NO JIJYO (aka KAREKANO; HIS AND HER CIRCUMSTANCES):
Yukino Miyazawa is an intelligent and popular student who craves the
attention this gives her, and she works hard to keep the impressions
she makes in all her classmates' minds. However, on the day of her
high school entrance ceremonies, she finds that the position of
incoming class representative that she wanted so much has been taken
by a boy named Arimi Souichiro. While this enrages her, she
eventually finds herself drawn closer to him, and he to her. When
their popular masks finally slip in front of each other, they find
that they have fallen in love.
This romantic drama was Gainax's first TV series after the
legendary NEON GENESIS EVANGELION, and carries over some of its
experimental tendencies, only this time to more comic effect; they
carried that over and built on it in future series such as FLCL and
ABENOBASHI MAHOU SHOUTENGAI. Based on the popular shoujo manga by
Masami Tsuda, and, whilst a quality series, the anime has a
frustrating non-ending, since the manga is still running in the
monthly LaLa at the time of writing.
[Entry by David Watson]
KEY THE METAL IDOL: Tokiko "Key" Mima is a strange, pale, waifish
little girl who claims to be an android. Raised by a scientist in a
small town, she is forced to strike out on her own when he dies. His
dying words to her are a puzzling "In order to make yourself a real
girl, you must make 30,000 friends." But things only get stranger
from there. Who is the evil Ajo and his henchman "D"? Why are they
interested in Key? Is Key really an android? Decent art and
animation. Subbed and dubbed. 13 episodes. From Viz.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE: Kiki, a 13-year-old witch, leaves her
home and family as a rite of passage, and finds a new city in which to
live and practice her craft. She is given a place to live by a
friendly woman baker, and finding she has no special skills with which
to support herself, decides to use her ability to fly on her broom to
run a parcel delivery service. Kiki and her black cat, Jiji, have
many adventures and a few disasters as they explore their new city,
grow up, and find their place in the world. A boy her own age named
Tombo offers his friendship, and an older girl artist named Ursula
becomes a mentor and confidant. As the story progresses, Kiki matures
from a sometimes callow and uncertain girl into a resilient and
capable young woman. A crisis of confidence in her witchy powers
leads to the film's intense and satisfying conclusion.
KIKI is a gentle work, devoid of the battles and violence that mark
many of Miyazaki's other films. Like much other anime, it's a story
of growing up, of a teenager learning how deal with life's challenges
and setbacks, and becoming an adult in the process. For a non-action
film, there's a fair amount of action, often involving Kiki's antics
and accidents while flying on her broom, and director Hayao Miyazaki,
who loves airships of all kinds, even manages to drag in a dirigible
near the end. The works of Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli are
generally considered to be among the finest anime, and KIKI is no
exception. This a famous and much-loved film, and you should make a
point to seek it out.
Content advisory: nothing offensive. Running time: 102 minutes.
As of May 2001, KIKI is available in the US from Disney/Buena Vista
as a dubbed, pan&scan VHS. It was also released as a bilingual
laserdisk and letterboxed subtitled VHS, however these are out of
print. Disney's plans regarding a DVD release are uncertain.
[Entry by Slithy Tove]
KIMAGURE ORANGE ROAD: A TV series, many OAVs, and a movie.
Contemporary high school students work out their love triangles and
try to grow up, even though one has ESP "powers". A kindly, comic
look at the youth experience, relatively easy to understand.
Available from AnimEigo.
KIMBA THE WHITE LION: Another old US import from the pen of Osamu
Tezuka originally titled JUNGLE TAITEI (Emperor). Note any similarity
to Disney's "Lion King"?
KISHIN HEIDAN (a.k.a. KISHIN CORPS or GEO-ARMOR): An interesting
admixture of World War II, an Alien invasion, and the giant robots
captured alien technology makes possible. Fast-paced adventure,
available from Pioneer dubbed or subtitled.
KODOMO NO OMOCHA (aka KODOCHA; CHILD'S TOY): Sana Kurata is a
child actress renowned for her hyperactivity and her role on the TV
show of the title (yes, a show within a show; cute, innit?), and is
the adopted daughter of the eccentric author Mariko Kurata. Despite
her stardom, she still goes to a non-exclusive school, in which her
class is terrorized by a bully named Akito Hayama, a cold and quiet
boy who manages to rally the other boys around him and make the class
hell for the teacher. When Sana decides enough is enough and stands
up to him to try to get him to stop, she discovers just how troubled
he and his life actually are, and eventually goes from enemy to
friend ... or is it even more?
Zany comedy and very touching drama exist side by side in KODOCHA's
shoujo frame, and it still manages to work very well. While the TV
series still hasn't been announced as licensed yet (and it's hard to
say if it ever will, since it's over 100 episodes long and its pace
and puns make it difficult to translate), TOKYOPOP is now releasing
Miho Obana's manga under the name KODOCHA.
[Entry by David Watson]
L
LAIN: see SERIAL EXPERIMENTS LAIN
LANDLOCK: Firstly, this is *not* a Shirow story. It merely uses
some character designs. A typical brother and sister eventually find
that they have more to them than meets the eye. Or two eyes; each one
a different colour! This story is a typical quest to save the world
against insurmountable odds and evil mentors. Available from Manga
Video.
[Entry by Chika]
LAPUTA, CASTLE IN THE SKY: A great fast-moving action adventure
by children's film-maker Miyazaki, and features designs Jules Verne
would approve (not to mention Swift.) Two kids flee pirates, the
army, and other parties in a race to find the legendary Laputa. Great
soundtrack, too. A Must See.
[Dubbed to English by Streamline, and again by Disney, but not
currently available. Unreliable rumors claim this may be available on
video in North America in 2002. - Rob Kelk]
LAUGHING TARGET: Another serious story from Rumiko Takahashi (in
her "Rumik World" series), this takes many of Takahashi's favourite
cliches (unwanted engagements, a love triangle, teenaged protagonists,
etc.) and puts them into a supernatural-horror story. Was available
from USMC.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
LEGEND OF GALACTIC HEROES: A far-future SF epic in which two vast
space-faring governments, the Empire and the Federation, vie for
supremacy amid the sea of stars. Against this backdrop two young
heroes on the opposing sides wage war with each other and politics
with their peers.
LENSMAN: Loosely based around the E.E. "Doc" Smith stories, an
ex-patrolman suddenly finds his planet being ripped apart, but all is
not lost! His son inherits a "lens", which because of the nature of
the info on it, the enemy would really like it back, hence its
destruction of the planet and relentless pursuit of the boy from that
point onwards through all sorts of weird scenarios. However he
gathers allies on the way, so the enemy doesn't get it all its own
way...
[Entry by Chika]
[Chika is understating matters - this anime uses little more than
some of the names from the original series of novels. It isn't a bad
story, but don't expect it to be anything like "Doc" Smith's
masterpiece. Lensman was available dubbed from Streamline when
Streamline was still in business. - Rob Kelk]
LOCKE THE SUPERMAN: An intergalactically famous superbeing lured
out of voluntary seclusion helps save Earth from a group of elite
ESPers bent on galactic conquest. The design sense is rather
primitive but the story line is lean, exciting and propulsive,
revolving around the title character, a powerful female ESPer, and an
evil conclave. Admittedly, these are simple premises, but the action
& storytelling are first-rate.
LODOSS WAR: see RECORD OF LODOSS WAR
LOST UNIVERSE: Lost Universe is done by all the same people who
did SLAYERS, and it's pretty much SLAYERS in outer space. It's a
Sci-Fi comedy which follows the adventures of Kain Blueriver, a
psychic troubleshooter that hires himself out to solve problems and
looks like he could be the child of Lina and Gourry, and his ship the
Swordbreaker, which is one of the lost ships belonging to a highly
advanced lost civilization. Joining him is Canal, the holographic
image which the ship projects to communicate, and Millie, a dead shot
who blows up kitchens cooking and wants to become the best something
or other in the Universe (exactly what changes with every episode).
Despite some not so great animation, those fuzzy dots that move around
are not because of a bad TV, the series is an enjoyable comedy done in
SLAYERS fashion, and although it doesn't quite live up to its parent
anime it's the closest thing out there to a fourth season of SLAYERS
right now. Available from ADV Films.
[Entry by "Sultan Of Swing"]
LOVE HINA: Keitaro Urashima, a 20 year old "ronin" (student who
has failed his university entrance exams) gets a job as the caretaker
at his grandmother's old hot springs inn. What he doesn't know is
that she has turned it into a girls-only dorm. The girls aren't
pleased at first to have him there, but eventually accept him, and
Keitaro starts to fall in love with one of the girls, named Naru. But
Keitaro is haunted by the vague memories of having promised, when he
was young, to go to Tokyo U with a girl whose name he has since
forgotten.
What develops is a romantic comedy, with a fair amount of surreal
humor, and a number of fun, memorable characters. This was a big, big
hit in Japan. Non-Japanese fans of the manga version tend to have
real problems with the anime version since it varies a lot from the
manga. I saw the anime first, then read the manga, and tend to like
the anime more.
Available from Bandai.
[Entry by Anthony D. Baranyi]
LUPIN III: A semi-modern series of (TV & OAV) stories about a
stylish thief with a heart of gold and his gang. My personal favorite
installment is CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO (directed by Miyazaki), although
THE FUMA CONSPIRACY is one of the most action-packed and entertaining
anime around. Most LUPIN III is not by Miyazaki, but by a fellow who
calls himself "Monkey Punch" (I'm not making this up, you know).
["The Fuma Conspiracy" is available from AnimEigo, under the name
"Rupan III". "Castle of Cagliostro" is available from Manga Video.
Other Lupin III shows exist, but many, including one also available
from AnimEigo, are not recommended by the fans. - Rob Kelk]
M
M66: see BLACK MAGIC M66
MACH GO GO GO: see SPEED RACER
MACROSS: Epic sci-fi space opera, influenced by GUNDAM and YAMATO.
In the year 1999, a deserted alien space warship crash lands on the
Earth. The people on Earth spend the next 10 years refurbishing the
spaceship, christening it the Macross. On the day of the Macross'
launching ceremony, the Zentradi, an alien race of humanoid giants,
appears above the Earth to claim the ship. The crew of the Macross
are forced to perform a space fold to escape, unwittingly taking
50,000 civilians with them to the edges of the solar system. With the
fold system mysteriously missing, the Macross is forced to slowly make
its way back to Earth, while constantly being harassed by the pursuing
Zentradi.
Within the backdrop of this war, personal dramas are played out.
Foremost among them is the love triangle that slowly forms between
fighter pilot Ichijyo Hikaru, singer Lynn Minmay, and bridge operator
Hayase Misa. Hikaru saves Minmay's life during the Zentradi attack,
and falls in love with her when the two are accidentally stranded deep
within the bowels of the Macross. But as Minmay's singing career
blossoms and her star rises, he wonders if their worlds are drifting
apart. Hikaru and Misa begin their relationship with almost constant
arguments, but their time together in the line of duty slowly brings
them closer.
MACROSS comprises 36 episodes, and originally aired on TV in Japan
from 1982 to 1983. MACROSS is generally considered a classic, famous
for its transforming Valkyrie mecha and its idol singer, Lynn Minmay.
In the US, it was altered and incorporated into the 1985 ROBOTECH
series as the Macross Saga.
[Entry by Ray Li]
MACROSS: DO YOU REMEMBER LOVE: Set in the MACROSS universe, this
"film in a film" is a brief and somehow distorted retelling of the
original TV series, SDF MACROSS. Any other description will be only a
list of differences from original story.
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]
MADOX-01: A parody of mecha films in which a young lad gets
trapped inside a metal combat suit. The army wants the suit back, and
the hero just wants to keep his date. Available from AnimEigo.
MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH: Season One: Three junior high school
girls, Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuuzaki, and Fuu Hououji meet for the first
time atop Tokyo Tower on a field trip. Suddenly, they find themselves
swept away to a magical world called Cephiro, where one's belief
becomes reality. They are greeted by Clef, the land's most powerful
magician, and are told they have been summoned and can not return to
their world unless they fulfill a legend - they must become the Magic
Knights and save Cephiro.
Princess Emeraude, the Pillar of this peaceful land, has kept it
together using her willpower. However, High Priest Zagato has
captured the Princess and Cephiro has become a place of fear, monsters
have freely roamed the land, and is beginning to fall apart.
Although the threesome's personalities are different - Hikaru is
persistent and has a caring heart for others, Umi is world wise and
loyal, and Fuu uses her smarts to quickly sum up a situation - they
soon become the best of friends and reaffirm their pledge to become
the Legendary Magic Knights and save Cephiro.
They make friends on their quest including Presea, Cephiro's Master
Weaponsmith, who provides the knights with weapons that evolve as
their skills increase, and Ferio, a swordsman with a mysterious past
and unknown motives. They are guided by a cute and whimsical creature
called Mokona in searching of a huge being with unimaginable power to
help them in their ultimate battle.
At every turn, Lord Zagato's minions are determined to prevent the
Magic Knights from fulfilling their quest. The Magic Knights, who
were strangers before they arrived, find they have become the best of
friends in the many battles and trials they faced.
In the end they must face Zagato - during which the Knights meet an
unexpected turn of events and must look into their hearts to save
Cephiro.
Season Two: Following the startling events of Cephiro's ultimate
battle, the Magic Knights find themselves again swept away from Tokyo
Tower to that magical land.
They discover all that remains of Cephiro, which has continued to
crumble, is an enormous castle created by its people's willpower, as
guided by Clef. The Magic Knights are reunited with old friends and
meet new ones, including a mysterious magic swordsman who has returned
to the land since leaving just before the capturing of the Princess.
The Magic Knights learn a new Pillar must be found to restore
Cephiro to the beautiful place it once was. If the land's
disintegration wasn't enough, it's soon discovered three countries
from nearby planets are on their way to invade. These forces are from
Autozam, a planet of technology and machines; Farhen, a Asian-styled
country whose leaders cast powerful illusions; and Chizeta, an
Arabian-styled country with guardian Genies.
Donning their Rune Gods once more, the Magic Knights face off with
the invading countries. It's eventually discovered one of those
countries has a person with a strong enough will to capture the
Pillar's position and bring Cephiro's downfall.
As great a threat these forces pose, however, a far more dangerous
and sinister force lurks. Unresolved matters from the Magic Knight's
first-season ultimate battle threaten to bring Cephiro's final
destruction.
Available on VHS and DVD from Anime Works
[Entry by Christopher Mattiuz]
MAGIC USERS CLUB: see MAHOU TSUKAI TAI
MAGICAL GIRL PRETTY SAMMY: Sasami Kawai is chosen by Tsunami,
Queen of Juraihelm, to become the title character. With the aid of a
magic wand and her cute animal sidekick Ryo-chan, Sammy rights wrongs
and triumphs over evil, while desperately hoping no one she knows
spots her in her ridiculous costume! Three-part OAV series featuring
the magical-girl spoof character introduced in the TENCHI MUYO TV
series. Entertaining silliness that can be appreciated by fans of
Tenchi as well as an affectionate send-up of the Magical Girl genre.
Watch for the Evil Bill Gates clone in episode two! Available from
Pioneer.
[Entry by Dave Menard]
MAGICAL PROJECT S: TV series version of MAGICAL GIRL PRETTY SAMMY
and spoof of magical girl shows in general. Aimed more at children
than the OAV series was. Catchier theme song, too. Suitable for all
ages. Available from Pioneer.
[Entry by Dave Menard]
MAHOU TSUKAI TAI (a.k.a. MAGIC USERS CLUB): This series starts
with an alien craft entering the Earth's atmosphere, devestating the
carrier taskforce sent to intercept it, and ... stopping in the middle
of the Pacific. Meanwhile, Sae is trying to make a good impression on
her afterschool club leader Takeo so that he'll notice her, although
it shouldn't be too hard to notice someone in a club that only has
five members, even if it is a club for people who can actually cast
spells (although the rest of the school thinks it's for people who
practice stage magic).
Despite the alien and the magic, this is a coming-of-age story
about five unusual teenagers, told with compassion and humour.
Six OAVs and a sequel TV series (which actually *is* a sequel
instead of being a remake), translated by Anime Works.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
MAISON IKKOKU: No aliens, demons, magic hot springs, or mermaids
here, just Godai and his ever-thwarted love for Kyoto. Perhaps Rumiko
Takahashi's finest pure romantic comedy of errors. Available from Viz
Video.
[Entry by Rob Maxwell]
MAMONO HUNTER YOHKO: see DEVIL HUNTER YOHKO
MARIS THE CHOJO (a.k.a. SUPERGIRL MARIS): Unlike the other "Rumik
World" stories by Rumiko Takahashi that have been turned into anime,
this OAV is not at all serious. Maris is a super-strong
troubleshooter who just can't stay out of debt. (She dreams of
getting rich, or at least breaking even, but fate conspires against
her.) One day, she's assigned to track down the kidnappers of one of
the richest eligible bachelors in the galaxy... This OAV is one of
the few anime to have a Jackie-Chan-style "blooper reel" under the
ending credits. Was available from USMC.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
MARMALADE BOY: Miki is your typical teenage anime girl, popular in
school, star of the girls' tennis team, happy with her life. Until
the day she came home from school and her parents told her they are
divorcing. Not just divorcing, but also swapping partners with
another couple they met on their recent vacation. And this is just
the first 5 minutes of episode 1! Based on the manga by Yoshizumi
Wataru, Marmalade Boy follows Miki, Yu, the teenage son of the other
couple in the partner-swap, Meiko, Miki's best friend, Ginta, Miki's
tennis teammate, Arimi, with her ever-present group of male followers,
Suzu, famous teen model, and others through 76 episodes of high school
romantic comedy/drama that often has viewers semi-suicidal with its
unexpected plot twists and turns.
[Entry by Jeanne Hedge]
MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO (a.k.a. MOBILE BATTLESHIP NADESICO):
Aliens attacking Martian colonies. Dead parents leaving orphaned
children to defend themselves. Doesn’t sound funny does it? How
about a mech pilot who keeps hiding from the fights so he can cook?
A Cyber girl with a deep depression? An anime fanatic who screams
battle cries from his favorite anime? It all makes Nadesico is one
of the funniest anime around. There are even some good spoofs on just
about every type of fan. Anime, Manga, and even action figure
collectors are not spared. Stereotypes are used to enhance the humor
and not because the writer was lazy. A space comedy of the best kind.
Available from ADV Films.
[Entry by Shawn Granger, edited by Rob Kelk]
MASTER OF MOSQUITON: (OVA, 6 episodes) This dark comedy set in
the 1920s follows the adventures of 17 year old girl named Inaho
Hitomebore who continues her now two year search for immortality via a
device known as the Opar assisted by the vampire (Alucard von
Mosquiton) she has awakened and his two elemental servents Honoo
(Fire) and Yuki (Ice). Complicating her search is Gregoria Rasputin
who assisted by Mosquiton's old foe Sangermaine want to use the Opar
as a weapon against the Star Lords, and former wife Camille Inaho
Camilla who just wants Mosquiton.
The OVA is full of little references that fans of 30s' and 40s'
horror fans will quickly get (for example Alucard is one of the alias
often used by Dracula in films of the period) The OVA inspired a TV
series called MOSQUITON '99 which is set in 1999 and has Inaho after
the Opar for monetary gain rather than immortality.
The OVA series is produced on three VHS tapes by ADV Films while
the TV series only exists as fansubs.
[Entry by Bruce Grubb]
MEGAZONE 23: MEGAZONE TWO THREE is a three part mecha anime OAV
series (with some cyberpunk overtones). Part One was one of the first
anime OAVs ever, and helped spark the OAV trend (in which movies were
made directly for video release, instead of first hitting TV or
cinema). Although the MEGAZONE OAVs are numbered Parts One, Two, and
Three, they were actually entirely separate productions, related but
released several years apart (like the first STAR WARS trilogy).
In Part One (aka just plain MEGAZONE 23), a Tokyo teen named Yahagi
Shogo (inexplicably changed to "Johnny Winter" in the Carl Macek dub)
comes into posession of a huge red motorcycle called variously the
Garland, Garand, or Bahamode depending on what source you listen to,
and is chased all over town by the military and government agents who
want to get it back for their own nefarious purposes. In the
meantime, there is a war going on with a hostile alien force, and the
city of Tokyo is not all that it appears to be...
This OAV was redubbed and edited into part of the spectacularly
unsuccessful ROBOTECH cinematic movie, and has more recently been
released to bilingual DVD by Streamline Video.
Part Two picks up where the first part left off, but with character
designs and animation style so dramatically altered that it is
difficult to believe they are the same characters. This OAV follows
the decline and final fall of the Tokyo Megazone as an ancient weapon
of last resort comes into play. Bootlegs of a Macek English dub with
Japanese subtitles can occasionally be found.
Part Three, the most cyberpunk-influenced, picks up decades or
centuries later, with a new generation of rebellious teenagers and new
Garland battle bikes piloted by virtual reality. It is somewhat
difficult to understand the storyline of this part, as no official
English version was ever made (and even fansubs are nearly impossible
to find), but it seems that mankind did not learn its lesson from the
Megazones' past.
The third MEGAZONE 23 was not very successful, and no further
episodes have been made to date.
[Entry by Chris Meadows]
MELLOWLINK: See the entry for VOTOMS.
MERMAID FOREST and MERMAID SCAR: Horror stories released in Japan
as part of the "Rumik World" series by Rumiko Takahashi. Most people
who eat the flesh of a mermaid die. The unlucky ones live forever,
most becoming horrendously malformed in the process of gaining
immortality. Two people were lucky enough to gain immortality without
being changed. Now they wander through Japan, searching for others
who might eat the flesh of a mermaid...
USMC and Viz have released the OAVs, and Viz has collected the
translated manga into three volumes.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
METAL ANGEL MARIE: see MY DEAR MARIE
MIGHTY ATOM: see ASTRO BOY
MOBILE BATTLESHIP NADESICO: see MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: see GUNDAM
MOLDIVER: He has an overdeveloped Sense Of Right And Wrong, an
incredible brain, and not much else to recommend him. So he invents a
superhero suit! Too bad his sister found out and accidentally changed
the design... Now they share the identity of "Moldiver" (although she
gets to use it more often than he does) in battle against their
arch-enemy - but is the arch-enemy evil, or just misunderstood?
Starts as a comedy, but becomes more serious near the end. A six-OAV
series available from Pioneer.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
MONSTER RANCHER: Another POKEMON-motivated "monster" kids show.
Energetic young kid Genki is transported to a world populated by
humans and intelligent monsters, where he joins Holly, a young girl
with a mysterious pendant, and a small band of monsters on their quest
to stop Mu by finding the Phoenix, the only monster capable of
fighting him.
English dubbed episodes televised, and available on video from ADV.
[Entry by "Royal Orange"]
MOSQUITON: see MASTER OF MOSQUITON
MS TEAM 08: see GUNDAM
MY DEAR MARIE (a.k.a. METAL ANGEL MARIE): Brilliant, nerdy Hiroshi
creates an android replica of his dream girl, but finds things a
little trickier than he'd planned when she turns out to have
self-determination. Some may be turned off by the iffy nature of the
sexual subtext (Android Marie has a definite 'thing' for her creator,
despite him insisting on being her 'brother') but others may be
intrigued by Marie's attempts to deal with her origins and her
feelings. Three OAVs, released on a single tape from ADV Films. The
third OAV is especially hilarious for all the references the sharp-
eyed can spot to other famous anime.
[Entry by Antaeus Feldspar]
MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (a.k.a. TONARI NO TOTORO): Two girls move out
to the country with their father (their mother is in the hospital).
They discover the joys of nature and the power of family thanks to
some unusual new woodland friends. Available dubbed from FOX Video.
[Entry by Catherine Johnson]
MYSTERIOUS CITIES OF GOLD: It is the sixteenth century. From all
over Europe great ships sail west to conquer the New World. The
Americas. The men, eager to seek their fortune, to find new adventure
in new lands. They long to cross uncharted seas and discover unknown
countries. To find secret gold on a mountain trail high in the Andes.
They dream of following the path of the setting sun that leads to El
Dorado and the Mysterious Cities of Gold. (opening theme)
So begins the story of 12 year old Esteban, his new friends Zia and
Tao, and the older sometimes ally/sometimes enemy Mendoza with his
sidekicks Pedro and Sancho. A story of action, adventure, intrigue,
mystery, trust, betrayal, discovery, prophecy, mysticism, and strange
powers. Not to mention a little science fiction.
Esteban is lured to the Americas where he is shipwrecked. The rest
of the story is how he is caught up in navigating his way around the
conquistadors and the various native tribes throughout Central and
northern South America, searching for his origins and the cities of
gold. They are caught several times, but manage to escape to
eventually find the four cities of gold.
Included all through the adventures are mini-history lessons.
Nothing overt, but if you have a smidgen of knowledge of the area it
deepens enjoyment of the story. Our intrepid heroes contact the Inca,
the Aztecs at Tenochititlan (Mexico City), the Maya at Macchu Picchu,
an Amazon tribe, and other lost civilizations all while trying to stay
one step ahead of the conquistadors.
A 1980's anime serial aimed for a 'tween audience, although the
story and subplots make it interesting for an older audience and
overcomes the dated animation.
The last time I saw this on the shelves it was in the year 2000 on
VHS. I have no idea whether or not it's been released on DVD or what
distributor. My copies are the dubbed version that I recorded from
Nickelodeon in 1986-87 on BETA.
[Entry by D.Eric Wilson]
MYSTERIOUS PLAY: see FUSHIGI YUUGI
N
NADESICO: see MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO
NADIA (a.k.a. SECRET OF BLUE WATER): Recent TV series in 39 parts.
Starts as a Miyazaki-clone light action-adventure about a girl with a
mysterious past and a fantastic amulet, "Blue Water", and the young
boy who takes off with her. Gets silly for long stretches, ends with
a bang. A 6-hour compilation of the TV series is titled "Nadia: The
Nautilus Adventure". A new Nadia Movie is also out & not well
reviewed.
[Translated by ADV Films. - Rob Kelk]
NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND: Probably Miyazaki's most
popular film - a sort of post-apocalypse mystic eco-fantasy, more
notable for plot, character, music and designs than the smoothness of
animation. Excellent Jo Hisaishi soundtrack, too. Based on the comic
(manga) of the same title. A classic.
[A poorly-received translation, "Warriors of the Wind", was
released some years ago but is no longer available. Currently, Disney
has the rights to NAUSICAA. - Rob Kelk]
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION (a.k.a. SHIN SEIKI EVANGELION): Fifteen
years after the Second Impact that wiped out half of humanity, Ikari
Shinji is recruited by his father to fight alongside Ayanami Rei and
Asuka Langley Soryu to save mankind from the invading mechanical
Angels. This pyschological drama amongst a cast of flawed characters
filled with intrigue, deception, and carnage has two vastly different
endings.
ADV Films has released the 26-episode TV series on video and DVD.
The two movies "Death and Rebirth" and "End of Evangelion" (an
alternate ending to the series) are coming early 2002.
Official website: <http://www.gainax.co.jp/anime/eva/evaindex-e.html>
[Entry by Rob Maxwell]
NINJA SCROLL (original title JUBEI NIMPUUCHO): The original title
translates as "Story of wind-ninja Jubei". This epic tells a
semi-historical story about Kibagami Jubei, well known in Japan as a
master swordsman and special agent. Once he was missing for a dozen
years, and it was believed that he was on special duty. There were
many versions, and here is one of them: Jubei was fighting with Eight
Demons of Kimon, evil fighters/sorcerers under command of Hideyoshi
Toyotomi, who was believed to be a demon in Japan.
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo and Terrence Walker]
NO NEED FOR TENCHI: see TENCHI MUYO
NOIR: NOIR is a 26 episode TV series about two female assassins,
and their search to uncover the conspiracy that threatens their lives.
Mireille is a beautiful French professional assassin who is haunted by
a childhood tragedy. Kirika is a Japanese schoolgirl with deadly
skills and no memory of her past. The series takes place in
France/Europe, and features a stunning soundtrack, stylish gunplay, a
twisting plot, and lots of bodies at the end of each episode. Despite
this, the series isn't graphically violent - the fight scenes usually
don't even have blood in them!
The series has received raves for being daring and different, as
the two main characters willingly kill lots of people (this isn't
SAILOR MOON, folks) with minimal angst. The main complaints are that
the pacing is too slow and the show suffers from "main characters gun
down bad guys too easily" syndrome. The pacing and tension do pick up
as the series progresses, with a solid ending that asks whether
killing can ever be justified in the name of good. Some people
dislike the main characters, due to their seeming coldness, but NOIR
has good character development so that you care about these people to
a surprising extent in the end.
Warning: If you're looking for fan service, the show is
surprisingly free of it, considering what a babe Mireille is. C'est
dommage.
[Entry by Scott Fujimoto]
NUKU-NUKU: see ALL PURPOSE CULTURAL CAT-GIRL NUKU-NUKU
O
OH MY GODDESS!: Keiichi is visited by the lovely goddess
Belldandy, who grants him a wish. He wishes that she become his
girlfriend. Her older sister wants their relationship to progress
faster, while her younger sister is dead-set against it. But why does
Belldandy resist them both, insisting that promises must be kept?
Based loosely on the manga AH MEGAMI-SAMA by Fujishima Kosuke.
The original five-episode OAV series is available from AnimEigo.
The manga is available from Dark Horse.
(See also AH MY GODDESS! and ADVENTURES OF THE MINI-GODDESSES.)
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
OMOIDE POROPORO (English title ONLY YESTERDAY): Contemporary
sentimental drama about a yuppie Japanese woman looking back at her
youth and life-choices, brilliantly animated by Miyazaki pro Isao
Takahata. Talky, actionless, and stunningly beautiful.
ONE PIECE: This is a grand shounen adventure saga, with humor,
action, drama and great characters. It's based upon a long running
and very popular shounen manga. The anime is well over a hundred
episodes and stays amazingly fresh and imaginative.
In a strange world of pirates, that is sort of a funky mix of 17th
Century Spanish Main and today, Rufi, a teen who has eaten seeds of a
cursed rubber plant, has become a "rubber boy", with super powers.
Which is useful, because he wants to be the king of all pirates in
this world and find the greatest pirate treasure of all time, the "One
Piece". Rufi collects a strange band of associates and they explore
this very baroque world, helping many folks in need (mainly by
fighting the real pirates), but not actually pirating.
[Entry by Anthony D. Baranyi]
ONIISAMA E (a.k.a. BROTHER, DEAR BROTHER): Teenage Misonoo Nanako
enters an exclusive private high school, makes new friends, and is
quickly picked to join a snooty sorority. She is quickly caught up in
the emotional whirlwind of the passionate and unstable personalities
of her female classmates: Miya-sama, the wealthy, beautiful, and
ruthless sorority president; Saint-Juste, a brilliant pianist, but
prone to depression and fits of self-destructive violence; the boyish
basketball player Kaoru no Kimi, smart and ethically clear-sighted,
but subject to a mysterious illness, and troubled by an undisclosed
romantic sorrow; and the beautiful, fiercely loyal, but unstable and
obsessed Mariko, the despised daughter of a wealthy writer of
pornography. With innocent Nanako in the middle, the fragile truce
between the other girls begins to break down, and Nanako is carried
with them into a destructive maelstrom of passion, madness, and
unrequited love.
This is the dark side of shoujo, much darker than author Ikeda
Riyoko's best known work, ROSE OF VERSAILLES. It is gothic and
atmospheric, dramatic bordering on melodramatic, and includes sexual
stalking, graphic physical violence, multiple suicide attempts, drug
abuse, and lesbian homoeroticism. It is deadly serious, with scarcely
a trace of humor, and as the story passes the midpoint of its 40 TV
episodes, it becomes unbearably intense. It is not for everyone, and
may appeal to women more than men. Like it or hate it, you will never
forget it. It has an outstanding score, which reinforces the show's
emotional tone. Available only as fansubs of the first 28 episodes;
even the original Japanese edition is no longer in print.
[Entry by Slithy Tove]
ORANGE ROAD: see KIMAGURE ORANGE ROAD
OUTLAW STAR: The first show in Sunrise's "Toward Stars" universe,
OUTLAW STAR is an old-fashioned space opera writ large. Gene
Starwind, a big fish in the small pond of his home planet, is thrust
into a conflict between the Space Forces, the galactic pirates, and
the "outlaws" who owe allegiance to neither side as they all try to
reach the Galactic Leyline. Helping Gene are his young partner Jim
Hawking, the lovely Melfina, and others who come and go from the plot.
If you like "pulp"-era science fiction, you'll like this show.
OUTLAW STAR is available uncut on VHS and DVD from Bandai, and an
edited version of most of the series has been shown on US television.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
(continued in Part 3)
--
Rob Kelk <http://robkelk.tripod.com> robkelk -at- jksrv -dot- com
"I'm *not* a kid! Nyyyeaaah!" - Skuld (in "Oh My Goddess!" OAV #3)
"When I became a man, I put away childish things, including the fear of
childishness and the desire to be very grown-up." - C.S. Lewis, 1947
F
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]
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]
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. (Pioneer)
[Entry by KireiSarah]
G
GALL FORCE: A series of nine SF OAVs about cute girls with guns
and space ships. All the men of the race died in the everlasting war
with the Evil Paranoids, and there's nothing left but sexy young women
who reproduce by cloning. But, they have a plan... Available subbed
from USMC. A parody of the series called Ten Little Gall Force was
available from AnimEigo.
GENESIS SURVIVER GAIARTH: A post-apolcalyptic world sees a young
boy with no parents brought up by a stranded war robot (warroid) as a
soldier but when a mysterious enemy slaughters the only parent he had
ever had, he goes to war only to find that the war had ended many
years before. He meets up with a battered warroid who has no memory
of his past but seems to be full of surprises and a girl who gets the
hots for him, when she isn't thinking of money, and the group go off
treasure hunting, only to find that their hunt will eventually turn
into a fight to save the planet and end the long dormant war...
Available from AnimEigo.
[Entry by Chika]
GEO-ARMOR: see KISHIN HEIDAN
GHOST IN THE SHELL: Hong Kong, years from now, and a collaboration
work between Masamune Shirow and western influences to produce a
special police force on the hunt for a mysterious creature that steals
peoples' "ghosts" and reprograms them for its own purposes. However,
it seems to be so elusive that it is questionable if it is actually
one person, or even human. The common factor with the force is their
cybernetic upgrades. Based on the successful manga series, though the
manga is nowhere as dark as the film. Some folk refer to this film as
"Frain's Folly" as it saw the end of Andy Frain at Manga Video after
poor sales in the UK.
[Entry by Chika]
GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES: A powerful and moving story about two
children orphaned when their village is fire-bombed in WWII. This is
an excellent work by Studio Ghibli that should include the warning
"May cause severe sadness." The art is fabulous and the story has a
strong emotional impact.
[Entry by Robin Casady]
GUNBUSTER (a.k.a. GUNBUSTER, AIM FOR THE TOP!): Takaya Noriko is a
teenage girl enrolled in a school for giant robot pilots in the near
future. After her father dies in a battle with aliens, Noriko vows to
go into space like him, and fight to save the human race. GUNBUSTER
is the story of her struggle to develop the skills that will allow her
to pilot the mighty robot Gunbuster, humankind's ultimate weapon
against an encroaching alien menace. She is joined in her quest by
her 'big sister' Kasumi whom she idolizes, their stern teacher Coach
Ota, and her sometime-rival, the brilliant and beautiful Jung-Freud.
Their story, deftly directed by Hideaki Anno and produced by the
famous GAINAX team, is sometimes comic, sometimes tragic, always
moving and entertaining.
GUNBUSTER is both a gentle satire of older giant robot shows, and a
homage to them. Its major theme is that staple of fiction, the
education of the hero and the development of heroic character, as we
watch Noriko's often agonized struggle to grow from weakness to
strength, from incompetence to mastery, from inconsequentiality to
heroism. A secondary theme is the damaging effects of near-lightspeed
travel on human relationships.
The show's tone changes radically as it progresses, being
lighthearted and comic at the outset, but darker and more serious in
the later episodes. You'll be laughing during the first episode, on
your feet cheering at the end of fourth, and the bittersweet end of
the final episode will probably leave you in tears. But they're good
tears. Fans usually rate GUNBUSTER's ending as one of the best in
anime, and the show has been a fan favorite since it was released.
This should be on your short list of anime to watch, even if you don't
think you like giant robot shows.
Content advisory: Some bouncing breasts and female nudity, no
sexual activity or innuendo. Lots of violence against alien lifeforms
that resemble titanic space-going cauliflowers. Six OAV episodes,
total running time about 3 hours.
As of May 2001, the six GUNBUSTER episodes are available in the US
from Manga Video, subtitled on 3 VHS tapes. No dub is available. No
date for a DVD release is known.
[Entry by Slithy Tove]
GUNDAM (MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM, STARDUST MEMORIES, WAR IN THE POCKET, MS
TEAM 08, ZETA GUNDAM, ZZ GUNDAM, CHAR'S COUNTERATTACK, GUNDAM WING,
etc.): One thing to keep in mind with GUNDAM is that there are two main
continuities. One is known by the Universal Calendar and the other is
the After Colony calender. The UC timeline is the original, while the
newer Gundam Wing universe uses the AC timeline. Other than that they
have giant robots and semi-realistic near-future Earth space
civilizations at war, they don't interelate much.
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM was the first 'gritty' and 'realistic' giant robot
stories, paving the way for other series. Before MS GUNDAM, most giant
robot stories were vehicles for selling toys in Japan. GUNDAM
revolutionized the genre by putting a background and a more realistic
use of giant robots. GUNDAM is war story, with extras.
Adding in ambiguous allies and enemies and an unusual manifest
destiny, it managed to tell a compelling story of a young man thrust
into the middle of an unwanted war. He and the ship he ends up on
become the pivot on which their history is decided. The UC timeline has
the colonies rebelling against a static Earth Federation. One of the
more interesting points is that no one is really good or evil, per se.
Both have faults and heroes, both have their villans. The Gundam units
are on Earth's side for the most part.
MS GUNDAM, STARDUST MEMORIES, WAR IN THE POCKET and MS TEAM 08 all
are based (loosely) in the UC timeline. They all use or make mention of
the One Year War.
GUNDAM WING (and the finale, GUNDAM WING: ENDLESS WALTZ) are based
in the newer AC (After Colony) timeline. A repressive Earth government
is tyranizing everyone, holding an iron grip over their colonies. The
colonies finally rebel, using five Gundam mobile suits. Piloted by
young freedom fighters, they are the colonies best hope to break the
iron grip of Earth. Part soldiers and part terrorists, the young pilots
fight and interact with foes. Still a war drama, GUNDAM WING puts an
effort into some social commentary on war and death.
[Entry by Arthur Hansen]
[Many Gundam shows are available from Bandai / Anime Village, and
GUNDAM WING has been televised in the U.S. - Rob Kelk]
GUNDAM WING: see GUNDAM
GUNDAM WING: ENDLESS WALTZ: see GUNDAM
GUNNM: see BATTLE ANGEL
GUNSMITH CATS: Rally Vincent and May Hopkins are bounty-hunters in
Chicago. Rally is a sharp-shooter with a passion for fast 70's sports
cars, and May likes explosives - lots of explosives. A BATF agent
named Bill Collins "hires" Rally to help him break up a gun-smuggling
ring, and big trouble ensues, leading eventually to the Mayor's
office. Based loosely on the manga by Kenichi Sonoda. Good art and
animation. Some violence and lots of shooting. Three episodes.
Subbed and dubbed. From ADV Films.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
H
HERE IS GREENWOOD: Hasakawa has the worst luck: He's late for his
high school entry exams, then he's late for high school, and his older
brother has married the woman of his dreams. As he heads to school,
he figures things are looking up, until he finds out he's been put in
"GreenWood", the dorm notorious for its weird residents. Having a
roommate who looks like a girl is the *least* of his problems ...
[Entry by Catherine Johnson]
HEROIC LEGEND OF ARISLAN: see ARSLAN SENKI
HUMANOID: Fairly retro feel here in a story about the creation of
a scientific genius, referred to as a "humanoid". The planet on which
this happens is also the resting place of other and greater
technology, power which the planetary governor wouldn't mind getting
his hands on. The story seems to revolve around the development of
the humanoid, some of which is voluntary, indeed resonant of KEY THE
METAL IDOL, and around the deeds of the governor as he realises his
folly...
[Entry by Chika]
I
I CAN HEAR THE SEA: A snotty Tokyo girl moves to a provincial sea
town, there she clashes with her new classmates in high school. Told
from the perspective of one of the local boys who is first appalled by
her, but later befriends her when he finds out about the divorce of
her parents and helps her cope with her family problems. A sweet,
subdued story about growing up to be an adult and about first love
with some interesting insights into everyday life of Japanese school
and college students.
[Entry by Hanno Mueller]
ICZER-1: A three-part SF OAV involving hideous monsters from
space, cute but lethal girls, and two giant robots. Meant to be taken
only semi-seriously, but has some great slime-monsters that'll make
your skin crawl.
[Was available from US Renditions when US Renditions was still in
operation. - Rob Kelk]
ICZER-3: Earth has been taken over by Big Gold's daughter (see
ICZER-1) and Iczer 1 is in no fit state to do anything about it. All
there is left is Iczer 1's little sister, Iczer 3, but she is very
much a rookie. Just as well that Nagisa is waiting aboard the only
remaining Earth ship, sitting waiting on the moon along with its crew.
The story is very similar to Iczer 1 except that there isn't quite so
much body-snatching; each episode seeing the crew and Iczer 3 battle
each of the baddies (mostly rejects from the Negaverse!!!). Iczer 1
and Iczer 2 both emerge at the end, by the way. Iczer-3 is available
subbed from USMC.
[Entry by Chika]
INU-YASHA: Hundreds of years ago in Feudal Japan, during the
Sengoku Jidai (or Warring States Era), there was a half-demon,
half-human hybrid named Inu-Yasha. He sought to capture the Shikon no
Tama (or Jewel of Four Souls) for himself, but Kikyo, the priestess
who had guarded the jewel, sealed him away with a sacred arrow. On
her deathbed, she was cremated along with the Jewel ... but the story
does not end there. In the modern age of the present day, Kagome
Higurashi, a seemingly ordinary girl, is thrust back into the Sengoku
Jidai by a magical well, and must now protect the mysteriously
reappeared Shikon no Tama from the fearsome demons and ogres that
wander across the land. But can she rely on Inu-Yasha, the
resurrected half-demon, to help her defend this enigmatic jewel? A
gothic horror/adventure series, with romantic comedy elements, from
Rumiko Takahashi (creator of RANMA 1/2 and MAISON IKKOKU).
[Entry by Nicholas A. Jalowick]
IRIA (a.k.a. ZEIRAM, THE ANIMATION): Set in a future time Iria is
a bounty hunter in training. She, her brother Gren and their boss Bob
are hired to for a rescue mission when the most dangerous lifeform in
the galaxy Zeiram shows up as part of the cargo. Escaping to the
planet Taowajan with no idea on the fate of Gren or Bob, Iria must
deal with the authorities idea of urban renewal which is to allow
Zeiram to run loose in a city slum. Later on all records of the
rescue mission have vanished and Iria must contend with a conspiracy
that wants to silence her before she can find out what their plans for
Zeiram are. (6 episode series on VHS and DVD by US Manga)
[Entry by Bruce Grubb]
IRRESPONSIBLE CAPTAIN TYLOR: Through a series of coincidences (or
are they?), Justy Tylor (aged 20) becomes captain of the Battle
Cruiser Soyokaze, which is full of misfits and rejects. His
easy-going, do-your-own-thing manner annoys and confuses friend and
foe alike, and his amazing successes keep people wondering: Is he
incredibly lucky or incredibly clever? Available from The Right Stuf.
[Entry by Catherine Johnson]
J
JUBEI NIMPUUCHO: see NINJA SCROLL
JUNGLE TAITEI: see KIMBA THE WHITE LION
JUUNI KOKKI (aka THE TWELVE KINGDOMS, CHRONICLE OF TWELVE
COUNTRIES, JUUNI KOKUKI): A teenaged girl, Yoko, is attacked by
strange beasts at school, and is summoned into another world by Keiki,
a mysterious white haired man, along with her two classmates. Gifted
with a sword that seems to have a hidden agenda, Yoko attempts to find
a way home along with Yuka and Asano, until they become embroiled in a
power struggle over the rule of one of the Twelve Kingdoms - and who
can Yoko trust in this strange new world? Extremely high quality
animation lends a fantastic look to this shoujo show, which is heavily
character-driven despite the "cliched" girl-in-another-world set-up
and flashy fight scenes. The slow exposition is derived from the
series of novels the show is based on. Currently being released on
digisubs - no license has yet been announced, although the first DVD
is forthcoming in Japan.
[Entry by Andrew Hollingbury]
K
KARESHI KANOJO NO JIJYO (aka KAREKANO; HIS AND HER CIRCUMSTANCES):
Yukino Miyazawa is an intelligent and popular student who craves the
attention this gives her, and she works hard to keep the impressions
she makes in all her classmates' minds. However, on the day of her
high school entrance ceremonies, she finds that the position of
incoming class representative that she wanted so much has been taken
by a boy named Arimi Souichiro. While this enrages her, she
eventually finds herself drawn closer to him, and he to her. When
their popular masks finally slip in front of each other, they find
that they have fallen in love.
This romantic drama was Gainax's first TV series after the
legendary NEON GENESIS EVANGELION, and carries over some of its
experimental tendencies, only this time to more comic effect; they
carried that over and built on it in future series such as FLCL and
ABENOBASHI MAHOU SHOUTENGAI. Based on the popular shoujo manga by
Masami Tsuda, and, whilst a quality series, the anime has a
frustrating non-ending, since the manga is still running in the
monthly LaLa at the time of writing.
[Entry by David Watson]
KEY THE METAL IDOL: Tokiko "Key" Mima is a strange, pale, waifish
little girl who claims to be an android. Raised by a scientist in a
small town, she is forced to strike out on her own when he dies. His
dying words to her are a puzzling "In order to make yourself a real
girl, you must make 30,000 friends." But things only get stranger
from there. Who is the evil Ajo and his henchman "D"? Why are they
interested in Key? Is Key really an android? Decent art and
animation. Subbed and dubbed. 13 episodes. From Viz.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE: Kiki, a 13-year-old witch, leaves her
home and family as a rite of passage, and finds a new city in which to
live and practice her craft. She is given a place to live by a
friendly woman baker, and finding she has no special skills with which
to support herself, decides to use her ability to fly on her broom to
run a parcel delivery service. Kiki and her black cat, Jiji, have
many adventures and a few disasters as they explore their new city,
grow up, and find their place in the world. A boy her own age named
Tombo offers his friendship, and an older girl artist named Ursula
becomes a mentor and confidant. As the story progresses, Kiki matures
from a sometimes callow and uncertain girl into a resilient and
capable young woman. A crisis of confidence in her witchy powers
leads to the film's intense and satisfying conclusion.
KIKI is a gentle work, devoid of the battles and violence that mark
many of Miyazaki's other films. Like much other anime, it's a story
of growing up, of a teenager learning how deal with life's challenges
and setbacks, and becoming an adult in the process. For a non-action
film, there's a fair amount of action, often involving Kiki's antics
and accidents while flying on her broom, and director Hayao Miyazaki,
who loves airships of all kinds, even manages to drag in a dirigible
near the end. The works of Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli are
generally considered to be among the finest anime, and KIKI is no
exception. This a famous and much-loved film, and you should make a
point to seek it out.
Content advisory: nothing offensive. Running time: 102 minutes.
As of May 2001, KIKI is available in the US from Disney/Buena Vista
as a dubbed, pan&scan VHS. It was also released as a bilingual
laserdisk and letterboxed subtitled VHS, however these are out of
print. Disney's plans regarding a DVD release are uncertain.
[Entry by Slithy Tove]
KIMAGURE ORANGE ROAD: A TV series, many OAVs, and a movie.
Contemporary high school students work out their love triangles and
try to grow up, even though one has ESP "powers". A kindly, comic
look at the youth experience, relatively easy to understand.
Available from AnimEigo.
KIMBA THE WHITE LION: Another old US import from the pen of Osamu
Tezuka originally titled JUNGLE TAITEI (Emperor). Note any similarity
to Disney's "Lion King"?
KISHIN HEIDAN (a.k.a. KISHIN CORPS or GEO-ARMOR): An interesting
admixture of World War II, an Alien invasion, and the giant robots
captured alien technology makes possible. Fast-paced adventure,
available from Pioneer dubbed or subtitled.
KODOMO NO OMOCHA (aka KODOCHA; CHILD'S TOY): Sana Kurata is a
child actress renowned for her hyperactivity and her role on the TV
show of the title (yes, a show within a show; cute, innit?), and is
the adopted daughter of the eccentric author Mariko Kurata. Despite
her stardom, she still goes to a non-exclusive school, in which her
class is terrorized by a bully named Akito Hayama, a cold and quiet
boy who manages to rally the other boys around him and make the class
hell for the teacher. When Sana decides enough is enough and stands
up to him to try to get him to stop, she discovers just how troubled
he and his life actually are, and eventually goes from enemy to
friend ... or is it even more?
Zany comedy and very touching drama exist side by side in KODOCHA's
shoujo frame, and it still manages to work very well. While the TV
series still hasn't been announced as licensed yet (and it's hard to
say if it ever will, since it's over 100 episodes long and its pace
and puns make it difficult to translate), TOKYOPOP is now releasing
Miho Obana's manga under the name KODOCHA.
[Entry by David Watson]
L
LAIN: see SERIAL EXPERIMENTS LAIN
LANDLOCK: Firstly, this is *not* a Shirow story. It merely uses
some character designs. A typical brother and sister eventually find
that they have more to them than meets the eye. Or two eyes; each one
a different colour! This story is a typical quest to save the world
against insurmountable odds and evil mentors. Available from Manga
Video.
[Entry by Chika]
LAPUTA, CASTLE IN THE SKY: A great fast-moving action adventure
by children's film-maker Miyazaki, and features designs Jules Verne
would approve (not to mention Swift.) Two kids flee pirates, the
army, and other parties in a race to find the legendary Laputa. Great
soundtrack, too. A Must See.
[Dubbed to English by Streamline, and again by Disney, but not
currently available. Unreliable rumors claim this may be available on
video in North America in 2002. - Rob Kelk]
LAUGHING TARGET: Another serious story from Rumiko Takahashi (in
her "Rumik World" series), this takes many of Takahashi's favourite
cliches (unwanted engagements, a love triangle, teenaged protagonists,
etc.) and puts them into a supernatural-horror story. Was available
from USMC.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
LEGEND OF GALACTIC HEROES: A far-future SF epic in which two vast
space-faring governments, the Empire and the Federation, vie for
supremacy amid the sea of stars. Against this backdrop two young
heroes on the opposing sides wage war with each other and politics
with their peers.
LENSMAN: Loosely based around the E.E. "Doc" Smith stories, an
ex-patrolman suddenly finds his planet being ripped apart, but all is
not lost! His son inherits a "lens", which because of the nature of
the info on it, the enemy would really like it back, hence its
destruction of the planet and relentless pursuit of the boy from that
point onwards through all sorts of weird scenarios. However he
gathers allies on the way, so the enemy doesn't get it all its own
way...
[Entry by Chika]
[Chika is understating matters - this anime uses little more than
some of the names from the original series of novels. It isn't a bad
story, but don't expect it to be anything like "Doc" Smith's
masterpiece. Lensman was available dubbed from Streamline when
Streamline was still in business. - Rob Kelk]
LOCKE THE SUPERMAN: An intergalactically famous superbeing lured
out of voluntary seclusion helps save Earth from a group of elite
ESPers bent on galactic conquest. The design sense is rather
primitive but the story line is lean, exciting and propulsive,
revolving around the title character, a powerful female ESPer, and an
evil conclave. Admittedly, these are simple premises, but the action
& storytelling are first-rate.
LODOSS WAR: see RECORD OF LODOSS WAR
LOST UNIVERSE: Lost Universe is done by all the same people who
did SLAYERS, and it's pretty much SLAYERS in outer space. It's a
Sci-Fi comedy which follows the adventures of Kain Blueriver, a
psychic troubleshooter that hires himself out to solve problems and
looks like he could be the child of Lina and Gourry, and his ship the
Swordbreaker, which is one of the lost ships belonging to a highly
advanced lost civilization. Joining him is Canal, the holographic
image which the ship projects to communicate, and Millie, a dead shot
who blows up kitchens cooking and wants to become the best something
or other in the Universe (exactly what changes with every episode).
Despite some not so great animation, those fuzzy dots that move around
are not because of a bad TV, the series is an enjoyable comedy done in
SLAYERS fashion, and although it doesn't quite live up to its parent
anime it's the closest thing out there to a fourth season of SLAYERS
right now. Available from ADV Films.
[Entry by "Sultan Of Swing"]
LOVE HINA: Keitaro Urashima, a 20 year old "ronin" (student who
has failed his university entrance exams) gets a job as the caretaker
at his grandmother's old hot springs inn. What he doesn't know is
that she has turned it into a girls-only dorm. The girls aren't
pleased at first to have him there, but eventually accept him, and
Keitaro starts to fall in love with one of the girls, named Naru. But
Keitaro is haunted by the vague memories of having promised, when he
was young, to go to Tokyo U with a girl whose name he has since
forgotten.
What develops is a romantic comedy, with a fair amount of surreal
humor, and a number of fun, memorable characters. This was a big, big
hit in Japan. Non-Japanese fans of the manga version tend to have
real problems with the anime version since it varies a lot from the
manga. I saw the anime first, then read the manga, and tend to like
the anime more.
Available from Bandai.
[Entry by Anthony D. Baranyi]
LUPIN III: A semi-modern series of (TV & OAV) stories about a
stylish thief with a heart of gold and his gang. My personal favorite
installment is CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO (directed by Miyazaki), although
THE FUMA CONSPIRACY is one of the most action-packed and entertaining
anime around. Most LUPIN III is not by Miyazaki, but by a fellow who
calls himself "Monkey Punch" (I'm not making this up, you know).
["The Fuma Conspiracy" is available from AnimEigo, under the name
"Rupan III". "Castle of Cagliostro" is available from Manga Video.
Other Lupin III shows exist, but many, including one also available
from AnimEigo, are not recommended by the fans. - Rob Kelk]
M
M66: see BLACK MAGIC M66
MACH GO GO GO: see SPEED RACER
MACROSS: Epic sci-fi space opera, influenced by GUNDAM and YAMATO.
In the year 1999, a deserted alien space warship crash lands on the
Earth. The people on Earth spend the next 10 years refurbishing the
spaceship, christening it the Macross. On the day of the Macross'
launching ceremony, the Zentradi, an alien race of humanoid giants,
appears above the Earth to claim the ship. The crew of the Macross
are forced to perform a space fold to escape, unwittingly taking
50,000 civilians with them to the edges of the solar system. With the
fold system mysteriously missing, the Macross is forced to slowly make
its way back to Earth, while constantly being harassed by the pursuing
Zentradi.
Within the backdrop of this war, personal dramas are played out.
Foremost among them is the love triangle that slowly forms between
fighter pilot Ichijyo Hikaru, singer Lynn Minmay, and bridge operator
Hayase Misa. Hikaru saves Minmay's life during the Zentradi attack,
and falls in love with her when the two are accidentally stranded deep
within the bowels of the Macross. But as Minmay's singing career
blossoms and her star rises, he wonders if their worlds are drifting
apart. Hikaru and Misa begin their relationship with almost constant
arguments, but their time together in the line of duty slowly brings
them closer.
MACROSS comprises 36 episodes, and originally aired on TV in Japan
from 1982 to 1983. MACROSS is generally considered a classic, famous
for its transforming Valkyrie mecha and its idol singer, Lynn Minmay.
In the US, it was altered and incorporated into the 1985 ROBOTECH
series as the Macross Saga.
[Entry by Ray Li]
MACROSS: DO YOU REMEMBER LOVE: Set in the MACROSS universe, this
"film in a film" is a brief and somehow distorted retelling of the
original TV series, SDF MACROSS. Any other description will be only a
list of differences from original story.
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]
MADOX-01: A parody of mecha films in which a young lad gets
trapped inside a metal combat suit. The army wants the suit back, and
the hero just wants to keep his date. Available from AnimEigo.
MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH: Season One: Three junior high school
girls, Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuuzaki, and Fuu Hououji meet for the first
time atop Tokyo Tower on a field trip. Suddenly, they find themselves
swept away to a magical world called Cephiro, where one's belief
becomes reality. They are greeted by Clef, the land's most powerful
magician, and are told they have been summoned and can not return to
their world unless they fulfill a legend - they must become the Magic
Knights and save Cephiro.
Princess Emeraude, the Pillar of this peaceful land, has kept it
together using her willpower. However, High Priest Zagato has
captured the Princess and Cephiro has become a place of fear, monsters
have freely roamed the land, and is beginning to fall apart.
Although the threesome's personalities are different - Hikaru is
persistent and has a caring heart for others, Umi is world wise and
loyal, and Fuu uses her smarts to quickly sum up a situation - they
soon become the best of friends and reaffirm their pledge to become
the Legendary Magic Knights and save Cephiro.
They make friends on their quest including Presea, Cephiro's Master
Weaponsmith, who provides the knights with weapons that evolve as
their skills increase, and Ferio, a swordsman with a mysterious past
and unknown motives. They are guided by a cute and whimsical creature
called Mokona in searching of a huge being with unimaginable power to
help them in their ultimate battle.
At every turn, Lord Zagato's minions are determined to prevent the
Magic Knights from fulfilling their quest. The Magic Knights, who
were strangers before they arrived, find they have become the best of
friends in the many battles and trials they faced.
In the end they must face Zagato - during which the Knights meet an
unexpected turn of events and must look into their hearts to save
Cephiro.
Season Two: Following the startling events of Cephiro's ultimate
battle, the Magic Knights find themselves again swept away from Tokyo
Tower to that magical land.
They discover all that remains of Cephiro, which has continued to
crumble, is an enormous castle created by its people's willpower, as
guided by Clef. The Magic Knights are reunited with old friends and
meet new ones, including a mysterious magic swordsman who has returned
to the land since leaving just before the capturing of the Princess.
The Magic Knights learn a new Pillar must be found to restore
Cephiro to the beautiful place it once was. If the land's
disintegration wasn't enough, it's soon discovered three countries
from nearby planets are on their way to invade. These forces are from
Autozam, a planet of technology and machines; Farhen, a Asian-styled
country whose leaders cast powerful illusions; and Chizeta, an
Arabian-styled country with guardian Genies.
Donning their Rune Gods once more, the Magic Knights face off with
the invading countries. It's eventually discovered one of those
countries has a person with a strong enough will to capture the
Pillar's position and bring Cephiro's downfall.
As great a threat these forces pose, however, a far more dangerous
and sinister force lurks. Unresolved matters from the Magic Knight's
first-season ultimate battle threaten to bring Cephiro's final
destruction.
Available on VHS and DVD from Anime Works
[Entry by Christopher Mattiuz]
MAGIC USERS CLUB: see MAHOU TSUKAI TAI
MAGICAL GIRL PRETTY SAMMY: Sasami Kawai is chosen by Tsunami,
Queen of Juraihelm, to become the title character. With the aid of a
magic wand and her cute animal sidekick Ryo-chan, Sammy rights wrongs
and triumphs over evil, while desperately hoping no one she knows
spots her in her ridiculous costume! Three-part OAV series featuring
the magical-girl spoof character introduced in the TENCHI MUYO TV
series. Entertaining silliness that can be appreciated by fans of
Tenchi as well as an affectionate send-up of the Magical Girl genre.
Watch for the Evil Bill Gates clone in episode two! Available from
Pioneer.
[Entry by Dave Menard]
MAGICAL PROJECT S: TV series version of MAGICAL GIRL PRETTY SAMMY
and spoof of magical girl shows in general. Aimed more at children
than the OAV series was. Catchier theme song, too. Suitable for all
ages. Available from Pioneer.
[Entry by Dave Menard]
MAHOU TSUKAI TAI (a.k.a. MAGIC USERS CLUB): This series starts
with an alien craft entering the Earth's atmosphere, devestating the
carrier taskforce sent to intercept it, and ... stopping in the middle
of the Pacific. Meanwhile, Sae is trying to make a good impression on
her afterschool club leader Takeo so that he'll notice her, although
it shouldn't be too hard to notice someone in a club that only has
five members, even if it is a club for people who can actually cast
spells (although the rest of the school thinks it's for people who
practice stage magic).
Despite the alien and the magic, this is a coming-of-age story
about five unusual teenagers, told with compassion and humour.
Six OAVs and a sequel TV series (which actually *is* a sequel
instead of being a remake), translated by Anime Works.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
MAISON IKKOKU: No aliens, demons, magic hot springs, or mermaids
here, just Godai and his ever-thwarted love for Kyoto. Perhaps Rumiko
Takahashi's finest pure romantic comedy of errors. Available from Viz
Video.
[Entry by Rob Maxwell]
MAMONO HUNTER YOHKO: see DEVIL HUNTER YOHKO
MARIS THE CHOJO (a.k.a. SUPERGIRL MARIS): Unlike the other "Rumik
World" stories by Rumiko Takahashi that have been turned into anime,
this OAV is not at all serious. Maris is a super-strong
troubleshooter who just can't stay out of debt. (She dreams of
getting rich, or at least breaking even, but fate conspires against
her.) One day, she's assigned to track down the kidnappers of one of
the richest eligible bachelors in the galaxy... This OAV is one of
the few anime to have a Jackie-Chan-style "blooper reel" under the
ending credits. Was available from USMC.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
MARMALADE BOY: Miki is your typical teenage anime girl, popular in
school, star of the girls' tennis team, happy with her life. Until
the day she came home from school and her parents told her they are
divorcing. Not just divorcing, but also swapping partners with
another couple they met on their recent vacation. And this is just
the first 5 minutes of episode 1! Based on the manga by Yoshizumi
Wataru, Marmalade Boy follows Miki, Yu, the teenage son of the other
couple in the partner-swap, Meiko, Miki's best friend, Ginta, Miki's
tennis teammate, Arimi, with her ever-present group of male followers,
Suzu, famous teen model, and others through 76 episodes of high school
romantic comedy/drama that often has viewers semi-suicidal with its
unexpected plot twists and turns.
[Entry by Jeanne Hedge]
MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO (a.k.a. MOBILE BATTLESHIP NADESICO):
Aliens attacking Martian colonies. Dead parents leaving orphaned
children to defend themselves. Doesn’t sound funny does it? How
about a mech pilot who keeps hiding from the fights so he can cook?
A Cyber girl with a deep depression? An anime fanatic who screams
battle cries from his favorite anime? It all makes Nadesico is one
of the funniest anime around. There are even some good spoofs on just
about every type of fan. Anime, Manga, and even action figure
collectors are not spared. Stereotypes are used to enhance the humor
and not because the writer was lazy. A space comedy of the best kind.
Available from ADV Films.
[Entry by Shawn Granger, edited by Rob Kelk]
MASTER OF MOSQUITON: (OVA, 6 episodes) This dark comedy set in
the 1920s follows the adventures of 17 year old girl named Inaho
Hitomebore who continues her now two year search for immortality via a
device known as the Opar assisted by the vampire (Alucard von
Mosquiton) she has awakened and his two elemental servents Honoo
(Fire) and Yuki (Ice). Complicating her search is Gregoria Rasputin
who assisted by Mosquiton's old foe Sangermaine want to use the Opar
as a weapon against the Star Lords, and former wife Camille Inaho
Camilla who just wants Mosquiton.
The OVA is full of little references that fans of 30s' and 40s'
horror fans will quickly get (for example Alucard is one of the alias
often used by Dracula in films of the period) The OVA inspired a TV
series called MOSQUITON '99 which is set in 1999 and has Inaho after
the Opar for monetary gain rather than immortality.
The OVA series is produced on three VHS tapes by ADV Films while
the TV series only exists as fansubs.
[Entry by Bruce Grubb]
MEGAZONE 23: MEGAZONE TWO THREE is a three part mecha anime OAV
series (with some cyberpunk overtones). Part One was one of the first
anime OAVs ever, and helped spark the OAV trend (in which movies were
made directly for video release, instead of first hitting TV or
cinema). Although the MEGAZONE OAVs are numbered Parts One, Two, and
Three, they were actually entirely separate productions, related but
released several years apart (like the first STAR WARS trilogy).
In Part One (aka just plain MEGAZONE 23), a Tokyo teen named Yahagi
Shogo (inexplicably changed to "Johnny Winter" in the Carl Macek dub)
comes into posession of a huge red motorcycle called variously the
Garland, Garand, or Bahamode depending on what source you listen to,
and is chased all over town by the military and government agents who
want to get it back for their own nefarious purposes. In the
meantime, there is a war going on with a hostile alien force, and the
city of Tokyo is not all that it appears to be...
This OAV was redubbed and edited into part of the spectacularly
unsuccessful ROBOTECH cinematic movie, and has more recently been
released to bilingual DVD by Streamline Video.
Part Two picks up where the first part left off, but with character
designs and animation style so dramatically altered that it is
difficult to believe they are the same characters. This OAV follows
the decline and final fall of the Tokyo Megazone as an ancient weapon
of last resort comes into play. Bootlegs of a Macek English dub with
Japanese subtitles can occasionally be found.
Part Three, the most cyberpunk-influenced, picks up decades or
centuries later, with a new generation of rebellious teenagers and new
Garland battle bikes piloted by virtual reality. It is somewhat
difficult to understand the storyline of this part, as no official
English version was ever made (and even fansubs are nearly impossible
to find), but it seems that mankind did not learn its lesson from the
Megazones' past.
The third MEGAZONE 23 was not very successful, and no further
episodes have been made to date.
[Entry by Chris Meadows]
MELLOWLINK: See the entry for VOTOMS.
MERMAID FOREST and MERMAID SCAR: Horror stories released in Japan
as part of the "Rumik World" series by Rumiko Takahashi. Most people
who eat the flesh of a mermaid die. The unlucky ones live forever,
most becoming horrendously malformed in the process of gaining
immortality. Two people were lucky enough to gain immortality without
being changed. Now they wander through Japan, searching for others
who might eat the flesh of a mermaid...
USMC and Viz have released the OAVs, and Viz has collected the
translated manga into three volumes.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
METAL ANGEL MARIE: see MY DEAR MARIE
MIGHTY ATOM: see ASTRO BOY
MOBILE BATTLESHIP NADESICO: see MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: see GUNDAM
MOLDIVER: He has an overdeveloped Sense Of Right And Wrong, an
incredible brain, and not much else to recommend him. So he invents a
superhero suit! Too bad his sister found out and accidentally changed
the design... Now they share the identity of "Moldiver" (although she
gets to use it more often than he does) in battle against their
arch-enemy - but is the arch-enemy evil, or just misunderstood?
Starts as a comedy, but becomes more serious near the end. A six-OAV
series available from Pioneer.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
MONSTER RANCHER: Another POKEMON-motivated "monster" kids show.
Energetic young kid Genki is transported to a world populated by
humans and intelligent monsters, where he joins Holly, a young girl
with a mysterious pendant, and a small band of monsters on their quest
to stop Mu by finding the Phoenix, the only monster capable of
fighting him.
English dubbed episodes televised, and available on video from ADV.
[Entry by "Royal Orange"]
MOSQUITON: see MASTER OF MOSQUITON
MS TEAM 08: see GUNDAM
MY DEAR MARIE (a.k.a. METAL ANGEL MARIE): Brilliant, nerdy Hiroshi
creates an android replica of his dream girl, but finds things a
little trickier than he'd planned when she turns out to have
self-determination. Some may be turned off by the iffy nature of the
sexual subtext (Android Marie has a definite 'thing' for her creator,
despite him insisting on being her 'brother') but others may be
intrigued by Marie's attempts to deal with her origins and her
feelings. Three OAVs, released on a single tape from ADV Films. The
third OAV is especially hilarious for all the references the sharp-
eyed can spot to other famous anime.
[Entry by Antaeus Feldspar]
MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (a.k.a. TONARI NO TOTORO): Two girls move out
to the country with their father (their mother is in the hospital).
They discover the joys of nature and the power of family thanks to
some unusual new woodland friends. Available dubbed from FOX Video.
[Entry by Catherine Johnson]
MYSTERIOUS CITIES OF GOLD: It is the sixteenth century. From all
over Europe great ships sail west to conquer the New World. The
Americas. The men, eager to seek their fortune, to find new adventure
in new lands. They long to cross uncharted seas and discover unknown
countries. To find secret gold on a mountain trail high in the Andes.
They dream of following the path of the setting sun that leads to El
Dorado and the Mysterious Cities of Gold. (opening theme)
So begins the story of 12 year old Esteban, his new friends Zia and
Tao, and the older sometimes ally/sometimes enemy Mendoza with his
sidekicks Pedro and Sancho. A story of action, adventure, intrigue,
mystery, trust, betrayal, discovery, prophecy, mysticism, and strange
powers. Not to mention a little science fiction.
Esteban is lured to the Americas where he is shipwrecked. The rest
of the story is how he is caught up in navigating his way around the
conquistadors and the various native tribes throughout Central and
northern South America, searching for his origins and the cities of
gold. They are caught several times, but manage to escape to
eventually find the four cities of gold.
Included all through the adventures are mini-history lessons.
Nothing overt, but if you have a smidgen of knowledge of the area it
deepens enjoyment of the story. Our intrepid heroes contact the Inca,
the Aztecs at Tenochititlan (Mexico City), the Maya at Macchu Picchu,
an Amazon tribe, and other lost civilizations all while trying to stay
one step ahead of the conquistadors.
A 1980's anime serial aimed for a 'tween audience, although the
story and subplots make it interesting for an older audience and
overcomes the dated animation.
The last time I saw this on the shelves it was in the year 2000 on
VHS. I have no idea whether or not it's been released on DVD or what
distributor. My copies are the dubbed version that I recorded from
Nickelodeon in 1986-87 on BETA.
[Entry by D.Eric Wilson]
MYSTERIOUS PLAY: see FUSHIGI YUUGI
N
NADESICO: see MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO
NADIA (a.k.a. SECRET OF BLUE WATER): Recent TV series in 39 parts.
Starts as a Miyazaki-clone light action-adventure about a girl with a
mysterious past and a fantastic amulet, "Blue Water", and the young
boy who takes off with her. Gets silly for long stretches, ends with
a bang. A 6-hour compilation of the TV series is titled "Nadia: The
Nautilus Adventure". A new Nadia Movie is also out & not well
reviewed.
[Translated by ADV Films. - Rob Kelk]
NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND: Probably Miyazaki's most
popular film - a sort of post-apocalypse mystic eco-fantasy, more
notable for plot, character, music and designs than the smoothness of
animation. Excellent Jo Hisaishi soundtrack, too. Based on the comic
(manga) of the same title. A classic.
[A poorly-received translation, "Warriors of the Wind", was
released some years ago but is no longer available. Currently, Disney
has the rights to NAUSICAA. - Rob Kelk]
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION (a.k.a. SHIN SEIKI EVANGELION): Fifteen
years after the Second Impact that wiped out half of humanity, Ikari
Shinji is recruited by his father to fight alongside Ayanami Rei and
Asuka Langley Soryu to save mankind from the invading mechanical
Angels. This pyschological drama amongst a cast of flawed characters
filled with intrigue, deception, and carnage has two vastly different
endings.
ADV Films has released the 26-episode TV series on video and DVD.
The two movies "Death and Rebirth" and "End of Evangelion" (an
alternate ending to the series) are coming early 2002.
Official website: <http://www.gainax.co.jp/anime/eva/evaindex-e.html>
[Entry by Rob Maxwell]
NINJA SCROLL (original title JUBEI NIMPUUCHO): The original title
translates as "Story of wind-ninja Jubei". This epic tells a
semi-historical story about Kibagami Jubei, well known in Japan as a
master swordsman and special agent. Once he was missing for a dozen
years, and it was believed that he was on special duty. There were
many versions, and here is one of them: Jubei was fighting with Eight
Demons of Kimon, evil fighters/sorcerers under command of Hideyoshi
Toyotomi, who was believed to be a demon in Japan.
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo and Terrence Walker]
NO NEED FOR TENCHI: see TENCHI MUYO
NOIR: NOIR is a 26 episode TV series about two female assassins,
and their search to uncover the conspiracy that threatens their lives.
Mireille is a beautiful French professional assassin who is haunted by
a childhood tragedy. Kirika is a Japanese schoolgirl with deadly
skills and no memory of her past. The series takes place in
France/Europe, and features a stunning soundtrack, stylish gunplay, a
twisting plot, and lots of bodies at the end of each episode. Despite
this, the series isn't graphically violent - the fight scenes usually
don't even have blood in them!
The series has received raves for being daring and different, as
the two main characters willingly kill lots of people (this isn't
SAILOR MOON, folks) with minimal angst. The main complaints are that
the pacing is too slow and the show suffers from "main characters gun
down bad guys too easily" syndrome. The pacing and tension do pick up
as the series progresses, with a solid ending that asks whether
killing can ever be justified in the name of good. Some people
dislike the main characters, due to their seeming coldness, but NOIR
has good character development so that you care about these people to
a surprising extent in the end.
Warning: If you're looking for fan service, the show is
surprisingly free of it, considering what a babe Mireille is. C'est
dommage.
[Entry by Scott Fujimoto]
NUKU-NUKU: see ALL PURPOSE CULTURAL CAT-GIRL NUKU-NUKU
O
OH MY GODDESS!: Keiichi is visited by the lovely goddess
Belldandy, who grants him a wish. He wishes that she become his
girlfriend. Her older sister wants their relationship to progress
faster, while her younger sister is dead-set against it. But why does
Belldandy resist them both, insisting that promises must be kept?
Based loosely on the manga AH MEGAMI-SAMA by Fujishima Kosuke.
The original five-episode OAV series is available from AnimEigo.
The manga is available from Dark Horse.
(See also AH MY GODDESS! and ADVENTURES OF THE MINI-GODDESSES.)
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
OMOIDE POROPORO (English title ONLY YESTERDAY): Contemporary
sentimental drama about a yuppie Japanese woman looking back at her
youth and life-choices, brilliantly animated by Miyazaki pro Isao
Takahata. Talky, actionless, and stunningly beautiful.
ONE PIECE: This is a grand shounen adventure saga, with humor,
action, drama and great characters. It's based upon a long running
and very popular shounen manga. The anime is well over a hundred
episodes and stays amazingly fresh and imaginative.
In a strange world of pirates, that is sort of a funky mix of 17th
Century Spanish Main and today, Rufi, a teen who has eaten seeds of a
cursed rubber plant, has become a "rubber boy", with super powers.
Which is useful, because he wants to be the king of all pirates in
this world and find the greatest pirate treasure of all time, the "One
Piece". Rufi collects a strange band of associates and they explore
this very baroque world, helping many folks in need (mainly by
fighting the real pirates), but not actually pirating.
[Entry by Anthony D. Baranyi]
ONIISAMA E (a.k.a. BROTHER, DEAR BROTHER): Teenage Misonoo Nanako
enters an exclusive private high school, makes new friends, and is
quickly picked to join a snooty sorority. She is quickly caught up in
the emotional whirlwind of the passionate and unstable personalities
of her female classmates: Miya-sama, the wealthy, beautiful, and
ruthless sorority president; Saint-Juste, a brilliant pianist, but
prone to depression and fits of self-destructive violence; the boyish
basketball player Kaoru no Kimi, smart and ethically clear-sighted,
but subject to a mysterious illness, and troubled by an undisclosed
romantic sorrow; and the beautiful, fiercely loyal, but unstable and
obsessed Mariko, the despised daughter of a wealthy writer of
pornography. With innocent Nanako in the middle, the fragile truce
between the other girls begins to break down, and Nanako is carried
with them into a destructive maelstrom of passion, madness, and
unrequited love.
This is the dark side of shoujo, much darker than author Ikeda
Riyoko's best known work, ROSE OF VERSAILLES. It is gothic and
atmospheric, dramatic bordering on melodramatic, and includes sexual
stalking, graphic physical violence, multiple suicide attempts, drug
abuse, and lesbian homoeroticism. It is deadly serious, with scarcely
a trace of humor, and as the story passes the midpoint of its 40 TV
episodes, it becomes unbearably intense. It is not for everyone, and
may appeal to women more than men. Like it or hate it, you will never
forget it. It has an outstanding score, which reinforces the show's
emotional tone. Available only as fansubs of the first 28 episodes;
even the original Japanese edition is no longer in print.
[Entry by Slithy Tove]
ORANGE ROAD: see KIMAGURE ORANGE ROAD
OUTLAW STAR: The first show in Sunrise's "Toward Stars" universe,
OUTLAW STAR is an old-fashioned space opera writ large. Gene
Starwind, a big fish in the small pond of his home planet, is thrust
into a conflict between the Space Forces, the galactic pirates, and
the "outlaws" who owe allegiance to neither side as they all try to
reach the Galactic Leyline. Helping Gene are his young partner Jim
Hawking, the lovely Melfina, and others who come and go from the plot.
If you like "pulp"-era science fiction, you'll like this show.
OUTLAW STAR is available uncut on VHS and DVD from Bandai, and an
edited version of most of the series has been shown on US television.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
(continued in Part 3)
--
Rob Kelk <http://robkelk.tripod.com> robkelk -at- jksrv -dot- com
"I'm *not* a kid! Nyyyeaaah!" - Skuld (in "Oh My Goddess!" OAV #3)
"When I became a man, I put away childish things, including the fear of
childishness and the desire to be very grown-up." - C.S. Lewis, 1947