Rob Kelk
1st February 2003, 06:03 PM
(continued from Part 2)
P
PANDA KOPANDA (a.k.a. PANDA! GO PANDA!): Hayao Miyazaki's first
produced work. It is two half-hour short pieces. The first piece was
made in 1972, the second a year later. The main characters are a
little girl named Mimiko, a large panda (Pa Panda), and his panda son
(Panny). Mimiko (about 5 years old) lives with her grandmother. One
day, her grandmother has to travel out of town for an extended period,
leaving Mimiko alone to take care of things. By chance, a panda
father and his son wander into the town where Mimiko lives, and
attracted by the large bamboo garden, come to her house. Mimiko talks
with them and decides to create a family of sorts, wherein she is the
little panda's mother, and the large panda is her father. This piece
is generally seen as a precursor to TONARI NO TOTORO (MY NEIGHBOR
TOTORO). It is available on DVD and VHS from Pioneer.
[Entry by Matt Huber]
PATLABOR: Although PATLABOR TV nominally deals with police using
mecha ("labors") to combat labor crime, the series is no more a mecha
show than a modern-day Western police show is a "car show" or a
"truncheon show"; the majority of episodes are comedy based on oddities
of modern Japanese culture (apart from the mecha, there are practically
no futuristic elements in PATLABOR) or the thoroughly dysfunctional
cast.
The second OVA series is essentially a continuation of the TV series;
but the first OVA series is less well-concieved, and should probably be
watched only if you come to like the TV series. The movies are very
different, being serious works not atypical of Mamoru Oshii's direction.
Manga Entertainment released the movies both theatrically and on
video. The TV series and OAV series are being released by USMC.
[Entry by David Damerell]
PHANTOM QUEST CORPORATION (a.k.a. YUUGEN KAISHA): Hard-drinking,
hard-shopping Ayaka Kisaragi is the head of the "Phantom Quest
Corporation", an eclectic team of ghostbusters whose members include
Ayaka with her magical sword, a huge Buddhist priest, a
flame-summoning schoolgirl, and a brilliant little boy whose financial
acumen is all that keeps Ayaka's shopping from ruining the company.
The animation is beautiful and fluid, and the soundtrack songs catchy
indeed. Four OAVs, available from Pioneer on two tapes or one DVD.
[Entry by Antaeus Feldspar]
PLEASE SAVE MY EARTH: PLEASE SAVE MY EARTH is a shoujo anime that
centers on the concept of reincarnation. Based on the original manga
by Saki Hiwatari published in "Dreams and Flowers" magazine, this
story follows seven year old Rin Kobayashi who has dreams of another
life. These dreams are shared by his neighbor Alice Sakaguchi and two
of her high school classmates Jinpachi Ogura and Issei Nishikiyori.
The three of them decide to search for others who may share the same
dreams while Rin sets off on his own agenda. In these dreams, they
all seem to live on a base on the moon. From that base they study the
Earth, its politics, rescources, music, wildlife etc. In total there
are seven scientists, each one seemingly gifted in some way. They
feel a fondness for the Earth and wish they could be a part of it.
Full of emotion, complex relationships and a myriad of characters that
the seven who share the "Moon Dreams" encounter, PLEASE SAVE MY EARTH
is one of few anime that will truly make you think and feel. Complete
OVA series available on one DVD from Viz Video.
[Entry by Terrence Walker]
POKEMON (a.k.a. POCKET MONSTERS): Before you all start gagging,
yes this is a full blown, card carrying anime. The story is loosely
Earth like in its setting, however the world in this case is inhabited
by many different "Pocket Monsters" or "Pokemon", which people trap
and train to compete in fighting competitions. Of course there are
all sorts of rules attached to this, plus the obligatory baddies, in
this case a boy and girl team (Team Rocket) and their pet Pokemon.
Dubbed and on show on TV virtually eveywhere, with two films also
released to date. Both the anime and manga are available from Viz.
[Entry by Chika]
PORCO ROSSO (a.k.a. CRIMSON PIG): Directed by the master Hayao
Miyazaki, is a light-hearted but mature and sentimental film set in
the 1920 Italian Adriatic, as a valiant pilot (who happens to be a
pig) fights air pirates for his honor and for his lady. Top notch
animation. Licenced by Disney.
PRINCESS NINE: Ryo Hayakawa is a "natural" at baseball - despite
being in high school, her pitches are faster than some from the pros.
Kisaragi Girls' School forms a team around her in order to be the
first girls' school to win the Japanese high-school series at Koshien,
a tournament that has been restricted to teams of boys only. But
that's secondary to the people on or involved with the team - Ryo and
her rival Izumi Himuro, Kisaragi Boys' School's team's star batter
Hiroki Takasugi (who both Ryo and Izumi have feelings for, but not the
same feelings), Ryo's childhood friend Seishiro, the boisterous Hikaru
and the quiet Yuki who were first to join the team after Ryo, and too
many other characters (most with hidden depths to them) to name here.
Like many other shows (such as MAGIC USERS' CLUB), PRINCESS NINE is
about growing up and learning who you are, and not what it looks like
it's about at first glance. But the baseball games are interesting,
too, and manage to keep the viewer's attention even after repeated
viewings. And who wins when Ryo pitches against Hiroki? That would
be telling ...
PRINCESS NINE is available from ADV Films. ADV's series website is
at <http://www.advfilms.com/favorites/princessnine/>
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
PROJECT A-KO: A very powerful girl named A-ko is the friend of a
little girl called C-ko. The supergenius rich girl at school, B-ko,
wants to get rid of A-ko so she can be C-ko's friend and she tries to
do this via a bunch of mecha her designed and built herself. Then a
bunch of female aliens who look like men (they have male voices in the
dub) show up looking for their lost princess. Then things really get
weird.
Filled with 'in jokes' galore, this was followed up by five OVAs.
The two PROJECT A-KO VS OVAs are set in an alternate reality and so
don't follow the continuity of the other OVAs.
Available from USMC.
A-ko FAQ: <http://www.zuhlcity.com/a-kofaq1.htm>
[Entry by Bruce Grubb, edited by Rob Kelk]
Q
R
RAIL OF THE STAR: A Japanese family living in Korea experiences
the end of WW2, told from the perspective of the young daughter.
Supplies and medicine become sparse, simple diseases turn deadly, the
occupied Koreans slowly start being rebellious against the Japanese
oppressors. When the Russian forces take over North Korea, the
Japanese have to flee to the South if they ever want to see Japan
again. Despite an interesting historical backdrop, the actual story
is slow and boring and is painfully naive in its description of
occupied Korea.
[Entry by Hanno Mueller]
RANMA 1/2: Ranma Saotome is the heir to his family's style of
martial arts. Akane Tendo is the heir to her family's martial arts
style. Their fathers want to unite the two styles, and what better
way (they think) than to have the two heirs marry? But that isn't
Ranma's only problem - while he was training in China, he was cursed
to become a girl whenever he gets wet. Comedy (often slapstick) from
the pen of Rumiko Takahashi. Both the anime and the manga are
available from Viz, the anime being their flagship title.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
RAHXEPHON: Ayato Kamina, a Tokyo high school student, witnesses an
attack in the sky by a huge floating machine. In the ensuing chaos,
he and the mysterious Reika Mishima find their way to an ancient
shrine, where Reika awakens the giant, winged robot RahXephon from
inside an enormous egg. When Ayato escapes from the shrine by somehow
piloting RahXephon, he discovers himself outside the vast dome that
encloses Tokyo Jupiter, where strange beings called Murians rule and
time is distorted. He is enlisted by Haruka Shitow, a feisty special
agent, to help in the fight against the Murians - but what has become
of Reika Mishima? Why does Ayato's mother bleed blue blood? What is
the purpose of the Mu civilisation? This highly complex series has
been compared with EVANGELION, but has a less annihilistic feel,
although the story is dark and dramatic - Ayato has qualms about
piloting the mysterious RahXephon, yet feels he must to protect
others. An eclectic score by Ichiko Hashimoto (NOT Yoko Kanno, who
provides the theme tune) adds weight to the scenes, and the production
quality is extremely high, with a gripping plot - although some
episodes fall into a "mecha-of-the-week" pattern. Recently announced
as licensed by ADV Films - the first DVDs are available in Japan, and
digisubs have been made of the first half of the series.
[Entry by Andrew Hollingbury]
READ OR DIE: Yomiko Readman loves books, so much so that she's
almost always found reading one. She also has the power to control
any piece of paper she touches (which gives her her codename "The
Paper"). When she's sent to retreive a rare book from a scientist who
clones historical figures, she and her partners discover a plot that
could change the world ... If you can imagine a James Bond movie with
low-key superpowers and a naive, kindhearted hero, you'd probably be
imagining something close to this three-OAV series.
READ OR DIE has been licenced by Manga Entertainment, and is
scheduled to be released in North America in late May 2003.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
RECORD OF LODOS WAR: There are now two series called RECORD OF
LODOS WAR: the original 13 episode OVA and a 27 episode TV series
called RECORD OF LODOSS WAR: CHRONICLES OF THE HEROIC KNIGHT. The OVA
based is on novels which in turn were baced on an D&D game with the
standard class and race types as the heroes (Fighter, Cleric, Wizard,
Thief, Elf, and Dwarf) and the clasic villians of orcs, wizards, and
drow elves. Due to time constraints the animaters shifted things
around a bit which creates some problems with the HEROIC KNIGHT series
which is set after episode 7 of the OVA but follows the novels far
more closely.
[Entry by Bruce Grubb]
REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA: see UTENA
RIDING BEAN: Ace driver Bean Bandit will deliver anything to
anywhere in Chicago for the right price, no questions asked. But when
he tries to deliver an escaped kidnap victim to her father, he gets
framed as the kidnapper! An action story written by Kenichi Sonoda.
Available from AnimEigo.
(Please note that this OAV *almost* qualifies for inclusion in the
Anime Hentai Primer, because of one scene that is inappropriate for
younger viewers.)
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
ROBOT CARNIVAL: 8 separate short pieces by different artists, some
serious, some comedy, almost all very well done. All involve a robot
somewhere - some more than others. Some comedy, some pathos. Artsy.
Streamline dub versions exist (only 2 segments had dialog, anyway.)
[Was available dubbed from Streamline Pictures when Streamline was
still in business. - Rob Kelk]
ROSE OF VERSAILLES: A historical fantasy based on the manga by
Riyoko Ideda, set in France in the years leading up to the French
Revolution, and including many real historical figures and events in
its story of romance and intrigue. The central character is Oscar
Francois de Jarjeyes, a fictional swordswoman who becomes the head of
Marie Antoinette's bodyguards. Raised as a man by her father, she
initially keeps her own feelings buried beneath a mask of duty and
honour. The series portrays Oscar's journey both personal, as she
strives to reconcile her upbringing with her own passionate nature,
and political, as she ultimately must choose between the good of the
country and her lifelong loyalities. Produced as a 40 episode TV
series in 1978, the animation may not be up to modern standards, but
this is easily compensated for by the beautiful artwork.
[Entry by David Simmons]
ROUJIN-Z: The very near future. A new fully automated healthcare
robot, integrated in a sickbed, starts taking way too much care of its
senile patient when it takes on the personality of the patient's
deceased wife. A silly cyberpunk parody with lots of punches about
the generation gap and the lack of interest in the problems of the
elderly. Senior citizens hacking into government computers from their
daycare facility! Strange humour that may not appeal to everybody,
though.
[Entry by Hanno Mueller]
ROYAL SPACE FORCE (a.k.a. WINGS OF HONNEAMISE): 1987 anime
blockbuster of all ages, which never busts anything, including the box
office. The first Studio GAINAX feature film, it is a story about the
first spaceman of some abstract planet (alternative Earth, because
Honneamise is much like Japan, and the Republic resembles the United
States very much). That astronaut, Colonel Shirotsugh Lhadatt, is a
complete loser all his life, and the staff of Honneamise space program
is a bunch of misfits and weirdos led by some space maniac, but
somehow they succeded in their goal, launching the rocket directly
from a battlefield, during a war! Despite all said above, it's a kind
and heartwarming story, with brilliant graphics and talented
direction. And box office? Who cares about it, especially after
1990, when it returned its budget.
Available from Manga Video.
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]
RUIN EXPLORERS (a.k.a. FAM AND IHRIE): Based on the original manga
by Kunihiko Tanaka, this is a light-hearted sword & sorcery series.
Somewhat reminiscent of Slayers in tone and basic plot, it stands
firmly on its own as a great story with characters that you can't help
but love, even if some of them are a bit cliche. The animation is
very good, although some of the fan-service is a little overdone at
times. The series opens with a scene of Fam & Ihrie in the middle of
exploring a dungeon, so don't think that you've mistakenly gotten a
later volume when you start watching. One of the funniest and cutest
aspects of the show is Ihrie's curse - she has a *little* problem with
casting spells. The one real complaint that most people have about
the series is that it is too short - four episodes for a total of
about two hours viewing time.
Released in North America by AD Vision, available on VHS in two
volumes either sub or dub, or as a single-volume hybrid DVD.
[Entry by Paul Lepant]
RUMIK WORLD: see FIRE TRIPPER, LAUGHING TARGET, MARIS THE CHOJO,
and MERMAID FOREST
RUPAN III: see LUPIN III
RUROUNI KENSHIN: The adventures of Himura Kenshin and his friends
in 1870's Japan, 10 years after the civil war. A former assassin,
Kenshin now uses a sakabattou (reverse-bladed sword) so as to protect
those the loves while keeping his promise to never kill again. This
long series hits its stride during the season long "Kyoto Arc" (eps
28-62), becoming darker and more serious than the previous season.
The OVA, made after the series but set before it, is much darker
and more violent than the series itself.
Commercially available through ADV (movie and OVA, as SAMURAI X)
and Anime Works (series)
[Entry by Catherine Johnson]
S
SABER MARIONETTE J: The planet of Terra II is populated only by
men, all clones of the six survivors of a crashed colony vessel. To
compensate for the loss of women in their society, robots in female
form, called marionettes, were created. Centuries later, a young man
named Otaru comes into the possession of a trio of marionettes (Lime,
Cherry and Bloodberry) that exhibit some very un-robotlike behavior:
they laugh, cry and argue. Otaru now faces the challenge of teaching
the three marionettes what it means to be human, while struggling with
his own growing feelings for them. (25 episode TV series, from
Bandai, US VHS and DVD release by AnimeVillage.)
[Entry by Karl Merris]
SABER MARIONETTE J AGAIN: In this sequel to SABER MARIONETTE J,
Otaru and the marionettes, Lime, Cherry and Bloodberry, take care of
some unfinished business from the first series and unexpectedly
acquires some new marionette "students" that wish to fully realize
their potential to be human. Dealing with a houseful of lively women,
Otaru learns a few new things himself about being human. As
catastrophe looms over the planet of Terra II, the marionettes find
that a human heart carries a heavy price: it can be broken. (6
episode OAV series, from Bandai, US VHS and DVD release by
AnimeVillage.)
[Entry by Karl Merris]
SABER MARIONETTE R: This OAV feature was released prior to SABER
MARIONETTE J, but is set three centuries after that series. A young
boy, Junior, heir apparent to the throne of the city-state of Romana,
is hunted by his mad brother and his army of warrior marionettes. The
boy's only hope for survival lies with three marionettes, Lime, Cherry
and Bloodberry, who are dedicated to Junior's defense. There's plenty
of action and surprising revelations as Junior struggles against his
brother to determine the fate of Terra II. (3 episode OAV series,
from Bandai, US VHS release by AnimeVillage, 1999, DVD release
expected in 2002.)
[Entry by Karl Merris]
SAILOR MOON: This magical girl show is more suitable for adults than
others in the genre; although it offers the standard transformation
sequences and monsters of the week, it also has a strong sense of humour
that frequently approaches parody of the genre or the show itself, and
presents a more interesting cast of characters than many such shows.
The third season, SAILOR MOON S, is arguably the strongest - both
because of the season's plot and because of the introduction of the
series' best characters - and also readily available in an uncut form.
It's interesting to note that Ikuhara (later responsible for UTENA) was
given more artistic freedom when directing this season.
Sadly, the US dub cuts much of the subtext that makes the show worth
watching, and makes major changes to the personalities of some
characters; in particular, the heroine is presented in a much less
positive light.
This show is now seen as the first of a new subgenre: the
"magical sentai girl" story, drawing equally on the "magical girl" and
"sentai team" (or "fighter team") genres for inspiration. The dubbed
television run from DIC lasted for only the first two of the show's
five seasons, but a subsequent dub from Optimum has covered the third
and fourth seasons. Luckily, Optimum went to Cloverway, the same
dubbing studio that DiC used, for their dubs. ADV Films is now
releasing the dubs that DIC commissioned from Cloverway, and also has
the sub rights for the first two seasons. Pioneer is releasing the
dubs that Optimum commissioned from Cloverway, as well as dubs and
subs of all three Sailor Moon movies and subs of the third and fourth
seasons. Fansubs of the fifth season exist, but are becoming very
difficult to find.
[Entry by David Damerell and Rob Kelk]
SAMURAI X: see RUROUNI KENSHIN
SAZAN EYES: see 3x3 EYES
SECRET OF BLUE WATER: see NADIA
SEIKAI NO MONSHOU: see CREST OF THE STARS
SERIAL EXPERIMENTS LAIN: Lain is a shy junior-high girl living in
a seemingly normal, not too very far in the future world. And yet,
strange things keep happening. A classmate commits suicide by jumping
off a building ... and the next day, several people receive e-mail
from her. Lain's parents don't behave as you would expect. Lain
starts to become interested in computers and quite naturally and
easily demonstrates startling aptitude for them using them and "the
wired" - the Internet of her day. But the real truth of who Lain is
will be even more startling yet. A trippy, surreal, confusing and in
my opinion very interesting series. Decent art and animation.
Occasional gore, though very little actual violence. 13 Episodes.
From Pioneer Entertainment.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
SHIN SEIKI EVANGELION: see NEON GENESIS EVANGELION
SHIN TENCHI MUYO: see TENCHI IN TOKYO
SHINESMAN: SPECIAL DUTY COMBAT UNIT: They're a team of
superheroes, just like the Power Rangers, except for one little
difference: Most of them don't quite understand what a "sentai" team
is supposed to act like. But that's what happens when the team is
corporately funded, and made up of various mid-level office workers
(and an OL as the requisite token female) ...
AnimeWorks has released both OAVs on one tape. Both the sub and
the dub have their strong points - the dub has some funny one-liners
in the dialogue, while the sub makes it quite easy to identify the
voice actors - they're given characters with the same family names.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
SHOUJO KAKUMEI UTENA: see UTENA
SILENT MOBIUS: THE MOTION PICTURE and SILENT MOBIUS: THE MOTION
PICTURE 2: Based on the popular manga series by Kia Asamiya, Silent
Mobius is set in the near future, when creatures from the dark
universe of Nemesis threaten the Earth. Founded to fight this battle,
the Attacked Mystification Police, a special (and all female) police
department is always looking for a few good women who meet their
unique requirements: each member brings her own special power
(physical, cyber, religious, psychic, mystical) to the fight. These
movies are really parts 1 and 2 of the same story - how AMP heroine
Katsumi Liqueur came to join the force (and she's really not this
whiney in the manga or TV series!).
[Entry by Jeanne Hedge]
[Was available dubbed from Streamline Pictures when Streamline was
still in business. - Rob Kelk]
SILENT MOBIUS TV: In the near future, creatures from the dark
universe of Nemesis threaten the Earth. The battle has been going on
for generations, and now things are coming to a head. Spanning the
course of several years, Silent Mobius is a 26-episode TV series that
follows the adventures of the Attacked Mystification Police, a special
(and all female) police department founded to carry on where their
elders left off. Each member of the force brings her own special
power (physical, cyber, religious, psychic, mystical) to the fight
against darkness - both from without and within. Part action-drama,
part comedy, this is *not* a re-telling of the movies, and it's
alternate-universe to both the movies and the manga series by Kia
Asamiya that both TV and movies were based on (in overall tone, it's
close to the manga than the movies). Available from Bandai/Anime
Village.
[Entry by Jeanne Hedge]
SLAYERS: Slayers is a half-comic half-serious take on the fantasy
genre. The series revolves around the underdevoloped, short, small
breasted, ever hungry Lina Inverse, a sorceress that kills bandits and
steals their loot for a living, and her companions, Gourry Gabriev,
the not so bright swordsman possesing the legendary Sword of Light,
Amelia Wil Telsa Sailoon, the obnoxious princess and shrine madien who
believes in justice and that the power of good will prevail, Zelgadis
Greywords, a part human, part golem, and part demon, shy, pessimistic
creation that seeks to return to a human state, and Sylphiel, a shrine
madien who's the only good one of the bunch. Along the way Lina and
company have to face off against the dark lord Shabranigdo, and find
out who put a bounty on their head. Some subplots include dressing
Gourry up like a girl, fighting a dragon, and pretending to be players
in a play. The series remarkably juggles the comedy and drama, often
flipping between both in the same episode. On one hand it's a great
fantasy anime, and on the other it's funny as hell. The animation
starts out not so great, and improves through out the first season,
getting pretty good by the end. The voice acting is great, except for
the original dub voices of Zelgadis and Amelia which are fortunatly
changed after episode thirteen. Available from Software Sculptors.
[Entry by "Sultan Of Swing"]
SLAYERS NEXT: The second, and arguably the best, Slayers season.
After Lina, Gourry, Amelia, and Zelgadis are reunited they take off in
search of a cure for Zelgadis's condition, a quest that leads them
into the middle of a power struggle between two demon lords,
Hellmaster Fibrizo and the Demon Dragon King Gaav. Also joining them
is the schizophrenic princess Martina who is obsessed with killing
Lina, and the mysterious priest Xellos who shadows the group with his
own ulterior motives. The second season, at least the second half, is
based mostly around the relationship of Lina and Gourry, and the two
of them admitting to their feelings for each other. Of course the
theme is surronded by comic misadventures and tense battles against
powerful opponents. Pretty much the first and third quarters of the
season is mostly comical, while the second and fourth quarters are
mostly serious. The animation is greatly improved over the first
season, but unfortunatly the dialogue seems to be more cut and dry
question and answer stuff, unlike the first season where the
characters would routinely interupt each other and add in odd and
often times ignored comments throughout the episode. Still it
manages to be slightly better than season one with most of the best
episodes being in the second half. Available from Software Sculptors.
[Entry by "Sultan Of Swing"]
SLAYERS TRY: The third, and unfortunatly final, season of Slayers.
Once again Lina, Gourry, Amelia, and Zelgadis are reuinited, but this
time head off into unexplored territory where magic is a lost art.
Shortly after their arrival, Lina and company are hired by Philia, a
dragon priestess who needs them to fulfill a prophecy, and later are
joined by Xellos who once again comes complete with his own ulterior
motives. The third season seems to revolve around the theme that
there is no real good or evil, just what lies between. The animation
and voice acting are great, but the season seems like the worst of the
three, especially in the begining. Still it's a great series and the
second half of episodes really turn out great. Available from
Software Sculptors.
[Entry by "Sultan Of Swing"]
SLAYERS OAVs and movies: These describe Lina Inverse's early
years, before she met Gourry and the others. Travelling and working
with, and sometimes fighting against, the over-endowed and
overly-obnoxious Naga the Serpent (who has proclaimed herself "Lina's
greatest rival"), Lina explores her little part of the world while
turning many sword-and-sorcery cliches on their ear.
The first three OAVs and the first movie are available from ADV
Films, who also have the rights to the remaining OAVs and movies.
SLAYERS reference site: <http://www.inverse.org/>
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
SOL BIANCA: SOL BIANCA centers around the five woman crew of a
pirate ship of the same name. There are two OVAs, and there should
have been a third. The second OVA sets up the stage for a third quite
nicely, but apparently the series didn't have enough popularity to
merit the third OVA. Which is a shame, because it is a very nice
series. It takes place in the far flung future, where Earth is a
legend, and space travel is commonplace.
In the first episode a fairly standard bit of piracy on the part of
the crew of the Sol Bianca results in them accidentally capturing a
boy who was stowing away on the ship they'd plundered. Events cause
them to take on an entire planetary empire, and show that in addition
to looking very nice the Sol Bianca has a range of rather astonishing
powers (including the mandatory BFG).
The second episode explains more about the ship, and why it has
such extraordinary powers. Unfortunately the explanations are mostly
in the form of rather obscure hints, and this sets up quite nicely for
the third episode, which doesn't exist.
Excellent mecha design, an intriguing cast, and well done animation
and pacing.
The first OVA is available from ADV on VHS in both sub and dubbed
format. The second OVA is available from ADV on VHS in subtitled
format only. The OVAs are not available on DVD.
[Entry by Brad Jackson]
SOL BIANCA: THE LEGACY: This series shares the ship design, most
of the character designs, and many of the character personalities with
the first two OVAs, but it is neither a sequel nor a prequel. In the
same tradition as the various incarnations of the TENCHI MUYO
universe, we see a different, and in many ways better, version of SOL
BIANCA.
The ship design is mostly the same, and those few changes that
exist are all improvements. The character designs are improved, and
the characters have deeper and more complex personalities than they do
in their first incarnations. Jun is still the data hack, but Feb is
no longer the captain; that job has passed to April. May's character
is the most changed, instead of being a short mecha freak, she is now
a child.
The computer-generated scenes are ok, but not really worth raving
about. Generally though the animation is much better than it was in
the first OVAs, and the first OVAs had very good animation. The
storyline is engaging, and the characters make you care about them.
The quality of the dub, like many of Pioneer's other recent releases
is surprisingly good. Not Disney quality, but it's actually enjoyable
even to subtitle fans.
There are six episodes to the new SOL BIANCA OVAs.
SOL BIANCA THE LEGACY is available from Pioneer in both subtitled
and dubbed versions on VHS. It is also available on DVD with both
Japanese and English audio tracks and an English subtitle track.
[Entry by Brad Jackson]
SORCERER HUNTERS: Carrot Glaice, Tira Misu and Chocolate Misu are
the Sorcerer Hunters, a group comissioned by the goddess "Big Mama" to
hunt down renegade sorcerers. These three particular people are
chosen for their mix of talents. Carrot, in particular, is highly
qualified for reasons I can't tell you without spoiling a major plot
point. However, he's also an amazing letch, so his two companions
have to keep him in line, by tying him up in their sexy outfits, if
need be! This is a TV series, and so the artwork and animation could
be better, though they're not terrible - just not great. Mostly this
is just fun, stupid fluff. Has sexual overtones and occasional
violence. Dub and sub. 25 episodes. From ADV Films.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
SPEED RACER (aka MACH GO GO GO): Based on the 1966 manga MACH GO
GO GO this 52 episode 1967 series by Tatsunako studios shows the
career of Speed Racer (Go Mifune) from beginner racer to world
champion. The dub version is noted for its mixture of interesting
storylines and unintentually campy dialog and numberous bad puns in
regards to character names.
It was considered popular enough that in the 1990s two revial
attempts were tried: One in America under the title NEW SPEED RACER
(1993) [13 episodes] and the other in Japan by Tatsunako studios under
the title MACH GO GO GO (1996) (aka Y2K SPEED RACER) [52 episodes were
planned only 34 made] Neither revial worked partly IMHO due to the
stories not measuring up to the original.
(In North America, FHE and NOW both made VHS taps in the 1980s but
AFAIK only the Speed Racer Movie containing the Car Hater and the two
part Mammoth Car episodes is still in print though as a Pioneer DVD.
Speed Racer Enterprises via Speedracer.com has released limited
edition (1000 copies) VHS and DVD sets. In Australia, Siren releases
SPEED RACER.)
SPEED RACER FAQ: <http://udel.edu/~mm/anime/speed/>
[Entry by Bruce Grubb]
SPELL WARS: see SORCERER HUNTERS
STARDUST MEMORIES: see GUNDAM
STRANGE DAWN: STRANGE DAWN is an intriguingly naturalistic take of
what happens when you drop two ordinary 16 year old girls into a
parallel world populated by constantly warring tribes of knee-high
people who hail them as superheroes: Where are the toilets? Oh no,
we don't have any clean clothes! Do we really want to be saviours, or
should we just keep our heads down and look for a way home? The
attention to everyday concerns may sound comical but actually it makes
the whole thing believable, and heightens the impact of the violence
which punctuates the tale as rival factions fight over the girls. The
story is complex and mysterious: every character has their own
agenda, and neither we nor the girls really know what's going on, and
in their case they are not sure they even want to know.
The series is 13 episodes long, and a nicely blended mix of cel and
CGI. The DVD version is both sub & dub. The dub has a mixed
Anglo-Australian-European sound to it which non-American viewers find
refreshing, but many American viewers can't bear. The voice acting is
good and in keeping with the tone of the original; however the
translation itself is a salutary reminder of the ambiguities of the
Japanese language: where it's possible to translate a sentence in two
different ways, the dub infallibly picks the wrong one. This just
adds to the overall air of mystery though, so the dub is undoubtedly
destined to be a cult classic, especially when you throw in the
complete absence of lip sync.
Being released in North America by Urban Vision.
[Entry by Shez]
SUPERGIRL MARIS: see MARIS THE CHOJO
T
TAIHO SHICHAUZO!: see YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!
TANK POLICE: see DOMINION
TENCHI MUYO: A story about a teenage boy, the pretty alien girl
who loves him, the other pretty alien girl who loves him, the *other*
other pretty alien girl who loves him, and a few other pretty alien
girls (some of whom love him, too). And they all just happen to be
some of the most powerful people in the universe. The plotline varies
between sit-com and space opera, occasionally in the same episode.
The plot of the first OAV series was heavily re-written to become the
basis of TENCHI MUYO TV. The first two OAV series are available from
Pioneer under the name "Tenchi Collection" - in fact, this is
Pioneer's flagship title - and an edited version has been aired on
U.S. cable TV. The manga (with the translated title "No Need for
Tenchi") is available from Viz.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
TENCHI MUYO: MIHOSHI SPECIAL: A side story to the TENCHI MUYO OAV
series, this is Galaxy Police officer Mihoshi's recounting of her
biggest case ever. The names in the story have been changed to
protect the innocent, of course, but Mihoshi changes them to the names
of her friends! Somehow, the relationships just don't change... This
comedy marks the only undisputed appearance to date of Kiyone in the
OAV continuity, and also shows one of the earliest appearances of
Magical Girl Pretty Sammy. Available (on VHS only) as part of the
"Tenchi Collection" from Pioneer.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
TENCHI MUYO TV: Tenchi Masaki is an ordinary schoolboy until
gorgeous alien women (with their little sisters and meowing spaceships
in tow) start to crash-land in his backyard. A little bit of URUSEI
YATSURA and a little bit of RANMA 1/2, with some "Star Wars" homages
thrown in for good measure. The TV series is generally considered a
parallel universe to the version of the story told in the OAV series.
Highly recommended for fans of romantic comedies and sci-fi adventure.
[Entry by Dave Menard]
[Available from Pioneer. - Rob Kelk]
TENCHI IN TOKYO (a.k.a. SHIN TENCHI MUYO): This latest installment
of Tenchi fun is yet another parallel universe from the OAV and first
TV series. In this story, Tenchi goes off to school in Tokyo leaving
the girls behind in Okayama. This doesn't sit well with the passell
of alien women, especially since Tenchi's getting awfully close to
that new girl, Sakuya...
[Entry by Dave Menard]
[Available from Pioneer. - Rob Kelk]
TENCHI MUYO movies
TENCHI MUYO IN LOVE!: Tenchi and the girls must race back in time
to keep an intergalactic criminal from altering the past. The first
Tenchi movie, based off the TV series continuity. Spectacular
animation combined with a good story make this film in many ways the
best Tenchi feature.
TENCHI MUYO: DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS (a.k.a. MANATSU NO EVE): Known
as "Midsummer's Eve" in the UK and Europe. Tenchi's daughter appears,
but who's the mother? And what does all this have to do with Yosho's
childhood on planet Jurai? Not as well received by fans as the first
Tenchi movie, DoD is nevertheless high-quality animation, though the
story may seem to be a little rushed. This may be due to the
long-circulated rumour that the plotline was originally written for a
third OAV series.
TENCHI MUYO IN LOVE 2 - TENCHI FOREVER: According to Pioneer/AIC,
the *final* TENCHI MUYO TV feature. "Forever" does a fair job of
resolving some of the longstanding conflicts between the two primary
rivals for Tenchi's heart, and the bittersweet ending suggests that
Tenchi has finally made a choice. A languid pace makes this feature
tricky viewing, especially compared to the more frenetic pace of the
earlier films. Worth watching only if you are willing to invest the
attention needed to appreciate this final chapter.
[Entries by Dave Menard]
[Dave's comment about the first movie being the best is his
opinion - some people, including the list maintainer, like the second
movie better. All three movies are available from Pioneer. - Rob
Kelk]
TETSUWAN ATOMU: see ASTRO BOY
THOSE OBNOXIOUS ALIENS: see URUSEI YATSURA
TIME STRANGER: An involving variation on THE TERMINATOR, with
slight nods of the head towards TIME BANDITS. The animation is very
good and the story, complex. Feudal Japan is depicted nicely and in
detail, as is the far future. Great plot complications throughout.
TO HEART: A 13 episode slice of life drama about a group of
17-year-old high-school students. The nail-biting climax of episode
one concerns whether or not Akari, a total sweetie with cherry-red
hair, will get to sit next to the boy she likes, and the rest of the
series pretty much follows on at the same tempo. Akari's squeeze is
the sleepy-headed but kind-hearted Hiroyuki, whose ever-helpful nature
causes him to acquire new female friends in each episode. The genius
of this charming series is how its focus on the events of everyday
life manages to elevate them to a level of importance that supplants
any need for magical superheroes or quests to save the world. Having
said that, many of the girls that Hiroyuki befriends have intriguing
quirks: e.g. Serika practices black magic, Kotone is a psychic who
only makes unlucky predictions, and Multi is an incompetent android
sent to the school for field trials.
Rather remarkably for a TV series that is bordering on shoujo, TO
HEART actually started life as a Hentai dating sim. As well as the 13
episodes, there are 6 little "omake" (extras) which were originally
broadcast with some of the episodes. They use super-deformed versions
of the characters and are mostly even more low key than the main
episodes.
[Entry by Shez]
TONARI NO TOTORO: see MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO
TRIGUN: A sci-fi western comedy (mostly) focusing around the
world's most unlikely criminal, Vash the Stampede. The man is
apparently so dangerous that he's worth 60,000,000,000$$ ("double
dollars"), but whenever anyone catches up to him in hopes of snagging
the reward, they're always thwarted: sometimes by his skill with a
gun, but mostly by his inherent goofiness. However, Vash does have a
dark past, so mysterious that even he himself doesn't know what it is!
All in all, a fairly lighthearted show with some serious themes, but a
hilarious watch. (Pioneer)
[Entry by KireiSarah]
THE TWELVE KINGDOMS: see JUUNI KOKKI
U
URUSEI YATSURA (translates as something like THOSE OBNOXIOUS
ALIENS): A slap-stick screwball comedy about Lum, the flying
electro-demon girl from space, Ataru, the earth boy she wants, and a
host of other crazy characters. Popular madness in TV, OAV, and movie
formats by Rumiko Takahashi. This entire series is being released
from AnimEigo in dubbed and subbed formats. (The second movie is
available subbed from USMC. Don't ask...)
[After hearing the fans' opinion of the dub of the first episodes,
AnimEigo decided to release the remainder of URUSEI YATSURA in
subtitled format only. - Rob Kelk]
UTENA (a.k.a. SHOUJO KAKUMEI UTENA, REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA): You
could go off roses! A different twist on the magical girl series in
that the subject here makes no attempt to transform into anything
except by the fact that as a very young girl, grieving her parents'
death, she encounters a "prince" who comforts her and tells her that
they are destined to meet again, giving her a ring. She vows to grow
up as noble as this prince, but takes it too literally, shunning the
usual fuku of her peers for more masculine garb. On her acceptance to
a school with a mysterious club, she finds that not only were there
other people with the same ring as her, but that they regularly fought
for the hand of the "Rose Bride", in the hope that eventually the
lucky winner will gain entry to the strange castle visible from the
duelling ring, though each has a different reason driving them. The
first twenty-three episodes are available from Software Sculptors.
[Entry by Chika]
V
VAMPIRE HUNTER D (1985): A.D. 12,090 is a lot like the Old West,
except for the mutants and vampires. When Count Magnus Lee, an
ancient and powerful bloodsucker, sets his sights on a young woman of
the frontier, Doris Lang, she hires a cape-clad, sword-swinging
stranger known simply as D to get rid of a suitor who doesn't
understand "No." D must fight his way past a horde of supernatural
guardians as well as taking on Count Lee himself, and also must
contend with his own unnatural aspects. In addition to being a
dhampir (half human and half vampire), D has in his left palm a
symbiotic creature that exercises weird powers on his behalf but also
taunts him for his shortcomings at every opportunity.
Some fans look down on VHD for its crude animation and cliched
storyline, but it has become a cult classic, perhaps for its stunning
imagery and larger-than-life conflicts. There's romance as well when
Doris starts falling for her half-human savior. VHD is also notable
for its violence, as D's blade slices through nearly anything that
will make a blood splash. Tetsuya Komuro's soundtrack gives a rich
atmosphere to both action and quieter moments.
Available from Urban Vision.
[Entry by Cathy Krusberg]
VAMPIRE HUNTER D (2000): A second Vampire Hunter D movie was
released to Japanese theaters in April 2001 and is slated for American
theatrical release in September 2001. Also titled "Vampire Hunter D,"
it is based on the third novel in Hideyuki Kikuchi's VHD series, "D -
Yousatsukou" (D - Demon Deathchase). D is hired to retrieve a woman
kidnapped by the vampire Meier Link, but his task is complicated by
two factors: a competing set of hunters, and the true love that led
the woman to accompany Meier of her own will. The character designs
in the new movie are much closer to Yoshitaka Amano's vision, and the
animation is top notch.
[Entry by Cathy Krusberg]
VAMPIRE PRINCESS MIYU: A supernatural horror series about a
contemporary "vampire" who stalks wayward demons (Shinma) loose on
Earth and sends them back to Darkness, while pursued by a persistent
exorcist not as enthused about unlife as Miyu. Quiet, moody brooding
chiller, hopeless to follow without understanding the dialog.
Available from AnimEigo.
[There is also a recent VAMPIRE PRINCESS MIYU TV series, which has
a slightly different focus from the OAVs described above. - Rob Kelk]
VENUS WARS: A group of racers on Venus and a reporter from Earth
are caught up in the war for the dominance of Venus. A dark film from
the "sand in my spacesuit" view of the future which sees the racers
being turned from a group of stunt racers who defeat a tank by sheer
fluke to hard fighting riders who become instrumental in the war's
conclusion. Available from USMC.
[Entry by Chika]
VIDEO GIRL AI: Youta Moteuchi has a crush on his schoolmate, Moemi
Hayakawa, but she has feelings for his best friend, Takeshi Niimai.
Since Youta is too nice for his own good, he tries to get the two of
them together, despite how sad it makes him. A mysterious new video
store called Gokuraku appears on Youta's path home, and he winds up
renting an adult video entitled "Ai Amano - I'll Cheer You Up." When
he plays it on his defective VCR, Ai pops out of the TV screen into
his life, and promises to help him square things away with Moemi.
There was one thing she hadn't counted on, however: Amongst other
flaws, the broken VCR caused her to eventually fall in love with
Youta, which is forbidden for Video Girls, and causes heartbreaking
complications for both of them. A six-OVA series based on the popular
manga by Masakazu Katsura (who had previously distinguished himself
with WINGMAN). Available domestically from Viz Video, but beware the
over-massaged, over-localized translations, especially in the dub.
[Entry by David Watson]
THE VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE: A sixteen year old girl, Hitomi, who is
magically transported to the land of Gaia, is embroiled in a battle
with the evil Zaibach empire, bent on manipulating destiny. She aids
the boy king Van Fanel, who pilots the mecha Escaflowne, the alluring
knight Allen Schezar, the cat-girl Merle and the willful Princess
Millerna as she discovers latent pyschic powers which may be key to
the fate of Gaia. This 26 episode series mixes romance, magic, mecha
and plot in a pacy, beguiling mix, with above average TV animation and
a musical score widely regarded as one of the best in anime. The dub
is either loved or loathed.
Licensed by Bandai in North America - a commercial subtitle,
unedited and cut (Fox Kids) dub are available on VHS, with the DVDs
containing uncut subtitle and dub. In Australia, ESCAFLOWNE has been
released by Madman.
[Entry by Andrew Hollingbury]
VOTOMS: Old TV series of post-WW3 world. The army controls the
world with their mecha, but not everyone goes along. MELLOWLINK is a
related series in the same universe (set before VOTOMS, made after.)
VOTOMS has been licensed by USMC.
W
WAR IN THE POCKET: see GUNDAM
WEATHERING CONTINENT: A sword and sorcery tale in a land fallen to
ruin. Takes its time and tells a small story of three travelers with a
dark, spooky mood, well supported by a fine musical score.
A WIND NAMED AMNESIA: It happened suddenly. One minute all was as
it should be, the next... everyone on Earth had their memory wiped.
Language, social habit, everything. The story surrounds one boy, who
has been retrained to normality by another boy who escaped erasure by
the fact that he was linked to a computer in a radical new way.
Touring the devastation, he is accompanied by a woman who seems also
to have escaped erasure but will not say how. On their journey they
see what Man has made of himself since his memory was wiped, and view
the consequences, all of which leads to the ultimate questions; who
did it, and why? Available from USMC.
[Entry by Chika]
WINDARIA: A lovely fantasy story of two kingdoms at war, and how
that disturbs two pairs of lovers - one peasant, one royal. A
tragedy. Well worth the watch, IMHO. Nice music, too.
[Was available dubbed from Streamline Pictures while Streamline was
still in business. - Rob Kelk]
WINGS OF HONNEAMISE: See ROYAL SPACE FORCE.
WITCH HUNTER ROBIN: (review written after 15 episodes) In
recession-hit modern Japan, a mysterious group called "STN-J" hunts
and captures criminal magic-users. Into the group is transferred a
young woman named Sena Robin. Coming from Europe, she is dourly
dressed, has a mysterious background, and has powers similar to those
of the people the group hunts. The group could use some help, as
morale is low due to unspoken recent events and ineffective
management. Robin, a surprisingly sweet-tempered 15 year old despite
her harsh upbringing, has some learning to do before she can be of
much use. She may also be fronting for a faction opposed to STN-J.
And just what are STN-J doing with their witches after they are
captured?
The series has a very dark, foreboding, humorless feeling. It is
colored almost entirely in black, brown and gray, without even the
flashes of gleeful saturated color that come through in, for example,
HELLSING. The character cel animation is outstanding, with detailed,
naturalistic designs. Much of the grimy urban cityscape is rendered
in 3D CG. This works rather well - it's vastly better than, say,
VANDREAD, almost on par with HOSHI NO KOE, and blends well with the
cel animation. The writing is subtle and deft. We learn a lot about
the characters of the protagonists through their "normal" daily
interaction, without recourse to contrived explanatory dialog. Most
episodes are focused on dialog and investigation, actual violence is
brief and not especially graphic.
The first third of the series is deceptively episodic. As STN-J
struggles to track its targets the characters grow on us almost
unnoticed, until the second third of the series when the major
story-arc kicks in with a vengeance and the secrets of STN-J - and
Robin herself - begin to play out. This business of witches being
hunted down & killed recalls some bitter episodes in Western history,
and sets an expectation of extreme moral ambiguity upon which the
series is delivering well so far.
Recommended for those who like BLADE RUNNER, Lance Henrickson's
MILLENNIUM, or THE X-FILES. The alt-rock OP and ED by Bana and the
BGM are highly recommended also.
ROBIN, from Sunrise, started broadcast on TV Tokyo in July 2002.
Series website: <http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/robin/>
[Entry by D B Malmquist]
WITCH'S DELIVERY SERVICE: see KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE
X
Y
YOU'RE UNDER ARREST! (a.k.a. TAIHO SHICHAUZO!): The adventures of
Natsumi Tsujimoto and Miyuki Kobayakawa, two female police officers on
the Bokutoh City police force and their day-to-day adventures. Set in
a more or less present day city. Good animation and artwork. Good
clean fun. Little if any violence or gore, and only some innocent
flirting on the sexual side. Both OVA and TV series has been made.
Based on a manga by Kosuke Fujishima, the same guy who did OH MY
GODDESS! There's also a TV series that hasn't been released yet in
the US. Four OVAs. From AnimEigo.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
[The TV series has been licenced by AnimEigo. There is also an
excellent YOU'RE UNDER ARREST movie, which has a tone somewhere
between the YOU'RE UNDER ARREST OAVs and the PATLABOR movies. The
movie has been licenced by ADV Films, who plan a theatrical release
for it in North America. - Rob Kelk]
YUUGEN KAISHA: see PHANTOM QUEST CORPORATION
Z
ZEIRAM, THE ANIMATION: see IRIA
ZETA GUNDAM: see GUNDAM
ZZ GUNDAM: see GUNDAM
------------------------------
Subject: 7. The List Maintainer's Current Favourites
It's come to my attention that the Anime Primer, while useful, is
simply too large to act as an introduction to all anime available now.
Also, there are some people on <news:rec.arts.anime.misc> who have
expressed an interest in knowing what other fans are watching.
This is a list of my top twenty favourite anime titles as of the last
time I updated this list. (That would be 26 August 2002.) The list
is subject to change on my whim - it's a list of my favourites, after
all, not a list of what's acknowledged as "good". The North American
translation companies that have released these shows are listed so
that you can more easily find the anime.
Taking a riff from David Letterman ... From the home office in
Ottawa, here's Rob Kelk's Top Twenty Favourite Anime:
20: KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE (Disney)
19: PHANTOM QUEST CORPORATION (Pioneer)
18: ALL PURPOSE CULTURAL CAT-GIRL NUKU-NUKU (ADV)
17: DRAGON HALF (ADV)
16: IRRESPONSIBLE CAPTAIN TYLOR (TRSI)
15: OUTLAW STAR (Bandai)
14: GHOST IN THE SHELL (Manga)
13: TENCHI MUYO (Pioneer)
12: REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA (CPM)
11: STRANGE DAWN (Urban Vision)
10: BUBBLEGUM CRISIS (AnimEigo)
9: MAGIC USERS CLUB (Anime Works)
8: EL HAZARD (Pioneer)
7: GUNSMITH CATS (ADV)
6: LOVE HINA (Bandai)
5: READ OR DIE (Manga; not yet available)
4: PRINCESS NINE (ADV)
3: NADIA (ADV)
2: MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO (ADV)
1: SABER MARIONETTE J (Bandai)
--
Rob Kelk <http://robkelk.ottawa-anime.org/> 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
P
PANDA KOPANDA (a.k.a. PANDA! GO PANDA!): Hayao Miyazaki's first
produced work. It is two half-hour short pieces. The first piece was
made in 1972, the second a year later. The main characters are a
little girl named Mimiko, a large panda (Pa Panda), and his panda son
(Panny). Mimiko (about 5 years old) lives with her grandmother. One
day, her grandmother has to travel out of town for an extended period,
leaving Mimiko alone to take care of things. By chance, a panda
father and his son wander into the town where Mimiko lives, and
attracted by the large bamboo garden, come to her house. Mimiko talks
with them and decides to create a family of sorts, wherein she is the
little panda's mother, and the large panda is her father. This piece
is generally seen as a precursor to TONARI NO TOTORO (MY NEIGHBOR
TOTORO). It is available on DVD and VHS from Pioneer.
[Entry by Matt Huber]
PATLABOR: Although PATLABOR TV nominally deals with police using
mecha ("labors") to combat labor crime, the series is no more a mecha
show than a modern-day Western police show is a "car show" or a
"truncheon show"; the majority of episodes are comedy based on oddities
of modern Japanese culture (apart from the mecha, there are practically
no futuristic elements in PATLABOR) or the thoroughly dysfunctional
cast.
The second OVA series is essentially a continuation of the TV series;
but the first OVA series is less well-concieved, and should probably be
watched only if you come to like the TV series. The movies are very
different, being serious works not atypical of Mamoru Oshii's direction.
Manga Entertainment released the movies both theatrically and on
video. The TV series and OAV series are being released by USMC.
[Entry by David Damerell]
PHANTOM QUEST CORPORATION (a.k.a. YUUGEN KAISHA): Hard-drinking,
hard-shopping Ayaka Kisaragi is the head of the "Phantom Quest
Corporation", an eclectic team of ghostbusters whose members include
Ayaka with her magical sword, a huge Buddhist priest, a
flame-summoning schoolgirl, and a brilliant little boy whose financial
acumen is all that keeps Ayaka's shopping from ruining the company.
The animation is beautiful and fluid, and the soundtrack songs catchy
indeed. Four OAVs, available from Pioneer on two tapes or one DVD.
[Entry by Antaeus Feldspar]
PLEASE SAVE MY EARTH: PLEASE SAVE MY EARTH is a shoujo anime that
centers on the concept of reincarnation. Based on the original manga
by Saki Hiwatari published in "Dreams and Flowers" magazine, this
story follows seven year old Rin Kobayashi who has dreams of another
life. These dreams are shared by his neighbor Alice Sakaguchi and two
of her high school classmates Jinpachi Ogura and Issei Nishikiyori.
The three of them decide to search for others who may share the same
dreams while Rin sets off on his own agenda. In these dreams, they
all seem to live on a base on the moon. From that base they study the
Earth, its politics, rescources, music, wildlife etc. In total there
are seven scientists, each one seemingly gifted in some way. They
feel a fondness for the Earth and wish they could be a part of it.
Full of emotion, complex relationships and a myriad of characters that
the seven who share the "Moon Dreams" encounter, PLEASE SAVE MY EARTH
is one of few anime that will truly make you think and feel. Complete
OVA series available on one DVD from Viz Video.
[Entry by Terrence Walker]
POKEMON (a.k.a. POCKET MONSTERS): Before you all start gagging,
yes this is a full blown, card carrying anime. The story is loosely
Earth like in its setting, however the world in this case is inhabited
by many different "Pocket Monsters" or "Pokemon", which people trap
and train to compete in fighting competitions. Of course there are
all sorts of rules attached to this, plus the obligatory baddies, in
this case a boy and girl team (Team Rocket) and their pet Pokemon.
Dubbed and on show on TV virtually eveywhere, with two films also
released to date. Both the anime and manga are available from Viz.
[Entry by Chika]
PORCO ROSSO (a.k.a. CRIMSON PIG): Directed by the master Hayao
Miyazaki, is a light-hearted but mature and sentimental film set in
the 1920 Italian Adriatic, as a valiant pilot (who happens to be a
pig) fights air pirates for his honor and for his lady. Top notch
animation. Licenced by Disney.
PRINCESS NINE: Ryo Hayakawa is a "natural" at baseball - despite
being in high school, her pitches are faster than some from the pros.
Kisaragi Girls' School forms a team around her in order to be the
first girls' school to win the Japanese high-school series at Koshien,
a tournament that has been restricted to teams of boys only. But
that's secondary to the people on or involved with the team - Ryo and
her rival Izumi Himuro, Kisaragi Boys' School's team's star batter
Hiroki Takasugi (who both Ryo and Izumi have feelings for, but not the
same feelings), Ryo's childhood friend Seishiro, the boisterous Hikaru
and the quiet Yuki who were first to join the team after Ryo, and too
many other characters (most with hidden depths to them) to name here.
Like many other shows (such as MAGIC USERS' CLUB), PRINCESS NINE is
about growing up and learning who you are, and not what it looks like
it's about at first glance. But the baseball games are interesting,
too, and manage to keep the viewer's attention even after repeated
viewings. And who wins when Ryo pitches against Hiroki? That would
be telling ...
PRINCESS NINE is available from ADV Films. ADV's series website is
at <http://www.advfilms.com/favorites/princessnine/>
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
PROJECT A-KO: A very powerful girl named A-ko is the friend of a
little girl called C-ko. The supergenius rich girl at school, B-ko,
wants to get rid of A-ko so she can be C-ko's friend and she tries to
do this via a bunch of mecha her designed and built herself. Then a
bunch of female aliens who look like men (they have male voices in the
dub) show up looking for their lost princess. Then things really get
weird.
Filled with 'in jokes' galore, this was followed up by five OVAs.
The two PROJECT A-KO VS OVAs are set in an alternate reality and so
don't follow the continuity of the other OVAs.
Available from USMC.
A-ko FAQ: <http://www.zuhlcity.com/a-kofaq1.htm>
[Entry by Bruce Grubb, edited by Rob Kelk]
Q
R
RAIL OF THE STAR: A Japanese family living in Korea experiences
the end of WW2, told from the perspective of the young daughter.
Supplies and medicine become sparse, simple diseases turn deadly, the
occupied Koreans slowly start being rebellious against the Japanese
oppressors. When the Russian forces take over North Korea, the
Japanese have to flee to the South if they ever want to see Japan
again. Despite an interesting historical backdrop, the actual story
is slow and boring and is painfully naive in its description of
occupied Korea.
[Entry by Hanno Mueller]
RANMA 1/2: Ranma Saotome is the heir to his family's style of
martial arts. Akane Tendo is the heir to her family's martial arts
style. Their fathers want to unite the two styles, and what better
way (they think) than to have the two heirs marry? But that isn't
Ranma's only problem - while he was training in China, he was cursed
to become a girl whenever he gets wet. Comedy (often slapstick) from
the pen of Rumiko Takahashi. Both the anime and the manga are
available from Viz, the anime being their flagship title.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
RAHXEPHON: Ayato Kamina, a Tokyo high school student, witnesses an
attack in the sky by a huge floating machine. In the ensuing chaos,
he and the mysterious Reika Mishima find their way to an ancient
shrine, where Reika awakens the giant, winged robot RahXephon from
inside an enormous egg. When Ayato escapes from the shrine by somehow
piloting RahXephon, he discovers himself outside the vast dome that
encloses Tokyo Jupiter, where strange beings called Murians rule and
time is distorted. He is enlisted by Haruka Shitow, a feisty special
agent, to help in the fight against the Murians - but what has become
of Reika Mishima? Why does Ayato's mother bleed blue blood? What is
the purpose of the Mu civilisation? This highly complex series has
been compared with EVANGELION, but has a less annihilistic feel,
although the story is dark and dramatic - Ayato has qualms about
piloting the mysterious RahXephon, yet feels he must to protect
others. An eclectic score by Ichiko Hashimoto (NOT Yoko Kanno, who
provides the theme tune) adds weight to the scenes, and the production
quality is extremely high, with a gripping plot - although some
episodes fall into a "mecha-of-the-week" pattern. Recently announced
as licensed by ADV Films - the first DVDs are available in Japan, and
digisubs have been made of the first half of the series.
[Entry by Andrew Hollingbury]
READ OR DIE: Yomiko Readman loves books, so much so that she's
almost always found reading one. She also has the power to control
any piece of paper she touches (which gives her her codename "The
Paper"). When she's sent to retreive a rare book from a scientist who
clones historical figures, she and her partners discover a plot that
could change the world ... If you can imagine a James Bond movie with
low-key superpowers and a naive, kindhearted hero, you'd probably be
imagining something close to this three-OAV series.
READ OR DIE has been licenced by Manga Entertainment, and is
scheduled to be released in North America in late May 2003.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
RECORD OF LODOS WAR: There are now two series called RECORD OF
LODOS WAR: the original 13 episode OVA and a 27 episode TV series
called RECORD OF LODOSS WAR: CHRONICLES OF THE HEROIC KNIGHT. The OVA
based is on novels which in turn were baced on an D&D game with the
standard class and race types as the heroes (Fighter, Cleric, Wizard,
Thief, Elf, and Dwarf) and the clasic villians of orcs, wizards, and
drow elves. Due to time constraints the animaters shifted things
around a bit which creates some problems with the HEROIC KNIGHT series
which is set after episode 7 of the OVA but follows the novels far
more closely.
[Entry by Bruce Grubb]
REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA: see UTENA
RIDING BEAN: Ace driver Bean Bandit will deliver anything to
anywhere in Chicago for the right price, no questions asked. But when
he tries to deliver an escaped kidnap victim to her father, he gets
framed as the kidnapper! An action story written by Kenichi Sonoda.
Available from AnimEigo.
(Please note that this OAV *almost* qualifies for inclusion in the
Anime Hentai Primer, because of one scene that is inappropriate for
younger viewers.)
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
ROBOT CARNIVAL: 8 separate short pieces by different artists, some
serious, some comedy, almost all very well done. All involve a robot
somewhere - some more than others. Some comedy, some pathos. Artsy.
Streamline dub versions exist (only 2 segments had dialog, anyway.)
[Was available dubbed from Streamline Pictures when Streamline was
still in business. - Rob Kelk]
ROSE OF VERSAILLES: A historical fantasy based on the manga by
Riyoko Ideda, set in France in the years leading up to the French
Revolution, and including many real historical figures and events in
its story of romance and intrigue. The central character is Oscar
Francois de Jarjeyes, a fictional swordswoman who becomes the head of
Marie Antoinette's bodyguards. Raised as a man by her father, she
initially keeps her own feelings buried beneath a mask of duty and
honour. The series portrays Oscar's journey both personal, as she
strives to reconcile her upbringing with her own passionate nature,
and political, as she ultimately must choose between the good of the
country and her lifelong loyalities. Produced as a 40 episode TV
series in 1978, the animation may not be up to modern standards, but
this is easily compensated for by the beautiful artwork.
[Entry by David Simmons]
ROUJIN-Z: The very near future. A new fully automated healthcare
robot, integrated in a sickbed, starts taking way too much care of its
senile patient when it takes on the personality of the patient's
deceased wife. A silly cyberpunk parody with lots of punches about
the generation gap and the lack of interest in the problems of the
elderly. Senior citizens hacking into government computers from their
daycare facility! Strange humour that may not appeal to everybody,
though.
[Entry by Hanno Mueller]
ROYAL SPACE FORCE (a.k.a. WINGS OF HONNEAMISE): 1987 anime
blockbuster of all ages, which never busts anything, including the box
office. The first Studio GAINAX feature film, it is a story about the
first spaceman of some abstract planet (alternative Earth, because
Honneamise is much like Japan, and the Republic resembles the United
States very much). That astronaut, Colonel Shirotsugh Lhadatt, is a
complete loser all his life, and the staff of Honneamise space program
is a bunch of misfits and weirdos led by some space maniac, but
somehow they succeded in their goal, launching the rocket directly
from a battlefield, during a war! Despite all said above, it's a kind
and heartwarming story, with brilliant graphics and talented
direction. And box office? Who cares about it, especially after
1990, when it returned its budget.
Available from Manga Video.
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]
RUIN EXPLORERS (a.k.a. FAM AND IHRIE): Based on the original manga
by Kunihiko Tanaka, this is a light-hearted sword & sorcery series.
Somewhat reminiscent of Slayers in tone and basic plot, it stands
firmly on its own as a great story with characters that you can't help
but love, even if some of them are a bit cliche. The animation is
very good, although some of the fan-service is a little overdone at
times. The series opens with a scene of Fam & Ihrie in the middle of
exploring a dungeon, so don't think that you've mistakenly gotten a
later volume when you start watching. One of the funniest and cutest
aspects of the show is Ihrie's curse - she has a *little* problem with
casting spells. The one real complaint that most people have about
the series is that it is too short - four episodes for a total of
about two hours viewing time.
Released in North America by AD Vision, available on VHS in two
volumes either sub or dub, or as a single-volume hybrid DVD.
[Entry by Paul Lepant]
RUMIK WORLD: see FIRE TRIPPER, LAUGHING TARGET, MARIS THE CHOJO,
and MERMAID FOREST
RUPAN III: see LUPIN III
RUROUNI KENSHIN: The adventures of Himura Kenshin and his friends
in 1870's Japan, 10 years after the civil war. A former assassin,
Kenshin now uses a sakabattou (reverse-bladed sword) so as to protect
those the loves while keeping his promise to never kill again. This
long series hits its stride during the season long "Kyoto Arc" (eps
28-62), becoming darker and more serious than the previous season.
The OVA, made after the series but set before it, is much darker
and more violent than the series itself.
Commercially available through ADV (movie and OVA, as SAMURAI X)
and Anime Works (series)
[Entry by Catherine Johnson]
S
SABER MARIONETTE J: The planet of Terra II is populated only by
men, all clones of the six survivors of a crashed colony vessel. To
compensate for the loss of women in their society, robots in female
form, called marionettes, were created. Centuries later, a young man
named Otaru comes into the possession of a trio of marionettes (Lime,
Cherry and Bloodberry) that exhibit some very un-robotlike behavior:
they laugh, cry and argue. Otaru now faces the challenge of teaching
the three marionettes what it means to be human, while struggling with
his own growing feelings for them. (25 episode TV series, from
Bandai, US VHS and DVD release by AnimeVillage.)
[Entry by Karl Merris]
SABER MARIONETTE J AGAIN: In this sequel to SABER MARIONETTE J,
Otaru and the marionettes, Lime, Cherry and Bloodberry, take care of
some unfinished business from the first series and unexpectedly
acquires some new marionette "students" that wish to fully realize
their potential to be human. Dealing with a houseful of lively women,
Otaru learns a few new things himself about being human. As
catastrophe looms over the planet of Terra II, the marionettes find
that a human heart carries a heavy price: it can be broken. (6
episode OAV series, from Bandai, US VHS and DVD release by
AnimeVillage.)
[Entry by Karl Merris]
SABER MARIONETTE R: This OAV feature was released prior to SABER
MARIONETTE J, but is set three centuries after that series. A young
boy, Junior, heir apparent to the throne of the city-state of Romana,
is hunted by his mad brother and his army of warrior marionettes. The
boy's only hope for survival lies with three marionettes, Lime, Cherry
and Bloodberry, who are dedicated to Junior's defense. There's plenty
of action and surprising revelations as Junior struggles against his
brother to determine the fate of Terra II. (3 episode OAV series,
from Bandai, US VHS release by AnimeVillage, 1999, DVD release
expected in 2002.)
[Entry by Karl Merris]
SAILOR MOON: This magical girl show is more suitable for adults than
others in the genre; although it offers the standard transformation
sequences and monsters of the week, it also has a strong sense of humour
that frequently approaches parody of the genre or the show itself, and
presents a more interesting cast of characters than many such shows.
The third season, SAILOR MOON S, is arguably the strongest - both
because of the season's plot and because of the introduction of the
series' best characters - and also readily available in an uncut form.
It's interesting to note that Ikuhara (later responsible for UTENA) was
given more artistic freedom when directing this season.
Sadly, the US dub cuts much of the subtext that makes the show worth
watching, and makes major changes to the personalities of some
characters; in particular, the heroine is presented in a much less
positive light.
This show is now seen as the first of a new subgenre: the
"magical sentai girl" story, drawing equally on the "magical girl" and
"sentai team" (or "fighter team") genres for inspiration. The dubbed
television run from DIC lasted for only the first two of the show's
five seasons, but a subsequent dub from Optimum has covered the third
and fourth seasons. Luckily, Optimum went to Cloverway, the same
dubbing studio that DiC used, for their dubs. ADV Films is now
releasing the dubs that DIC commissioned from Cloverway, and also has
the sub rights for the first two seasons. Pioneer is releasing the
dubs that Optimum commissioned from Cloverway, as well as dubs and
subs of all three Sailor Moon movies and subs of the third and fourth
seasons. Fansubs of the fifth season exist, but are becoming very
difficult to find.
[Entry by David Damerell and Rob Kelk]
SAMURAI X: see RUROUNI KENSHIN
SAZAN EYES: see 3x3 EYES
SECRET OF BLUE WATER: see NADIA
SEIKAI NO MONSHOU: see CREST OF THE STARS
SERIAL EXPERIMENTS LAIN: Lain is a shy junior-high girl living in
a seemingly normal, not too very far in the future world. And yet,
strange things keep happening. A classmate commits suicide by jumping
off a building ... and the next day, several people receive e-mail
from her. Lain's parents don't behave as you would expect. Lain
starts to become interested in computers and quite naturally and
easily demonstrates startling aptitude for them using them and "the
wired" - the Internet of her day. But the real truth of who Lain is
will be even more startling yet. A trippy, surreal, confusing and in
my opinion very interesting series. Decent art and animation.
Occasional gore, though very little actual violence. 13 Episodes.
From Pioneer Entertainment.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
SHIN SEIKI EVANGELION: see NEON GENESIS EVANGELION
SHIN TENCHI MUYO: see TENCHI IN TOKYO
SHINESMAN: SPECIAL DUTY COMBAT UNIT: They're a team of
superheroes, just like the Power Rangers, except for one little
difference: Most of them don't quite understand what a "sentai" team
is supposed to act like. But that's what happens when the team is
corporately funded, and made up of various mid-level office workers
(and an OL as the requisite token female) ...
AnimeWorks has released both OAVs on one tape. Both the sub and
the dub have their strong points - the dub has some funny one-liners
in the dialogue, while the sub makes it quite easy to identify the
voice actors - they're given characters with the same family names.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
SHOUJO KAKUMEI UTENA: see UTENA
SILENT MOBIUS: THE MOTION PICTURE and SILENT MOBIUS: THE MOTION
PICTURE 2: Based on the popular manga series by Kia Asamiya, Silent
Mobius is set in the near future, when creatures from the dark
universe of Nemesis threaten the Earth. Founded to fight this battle,
the Attacked Mystification Police, a special (and all female) police
department is always looking for a few good women who meet their
unique requirements: each member brings her own special power
(physical, cyber, religious, psychic, mystical) to the fight. These
movies are really parts 1 and 2 of the same story - how AMP heroine
Katsumi Liqueur came to join the force (and she's really not this
whiney in the manga or TV series!).
[Entry by Jeanne Hedge]
[Was available dubbed from Streamline Pictures when Streamline was
still in business. - Rob Kelk]
SILENT MOBIUS TV: In the near future, creatures from the dark
universe of Nemesis threaten the Earth. The battle has been going on
for generations, and now things are coming to a head. Spanning the
course of several years, Silent Mobius is a 26-episode TV series that
follows the adventures of the Attacked Mystification Police, a special
(and all female) police department founded to carry on where their
elders left off. Each member of the force brings her own special
power (physical, cyber, religious, psychic, mystical) to the fight
against darkness - both from without and within. Part action-drama,
part comedy, this is *not* a re-telling of the movies, and it's
alternate-universe to both the movies and the manga series by Kia
Asamiya that both TV and movies were based on (in overall tone, it's
close to the manga than the movies). Available from Bandai/Anime
Village.
[Entry by Jeanne Hedge]
SLAYERS: Slayers is a half-comic half-serious take on the fantasy
genre. The series revolves around the underdevoloped, short, small
breasted, ever hungry Lina Inverse, a sorceress that kills bandits and
steals their loot for a living, and her companions, Gourry Gabriev,
the not so bright swordsman possesing the legendary Sword of Light,
Amelia Wil Telsa Sailoon, the obnoxious princess and shrine madien who
believes in justice and that the power of good will prevail, Zelgadis
Greywords, a part human, part golem, and part demon, shy, pessimistic
creation that seeks to return to a human state, and Sylphiel, a shrine
madien who's the only good one of the bunch. Along the way Lina and
company have to face off against the dark lord Shabranigdo, and find
out who put a bounty on their head. Some subplots include dressing
Gourry up like a girl, fighting a dragon, and pretending to be players
in a play. The series remarkably juggles the comedy and drama, often
flipping between both in the same episode. On one hand it's a great
fantasy anime, and on the other it's funny as hell. The animation
starts out not so great, and improves through out the first season,
getting pretty good by the end. The voice acting is great, except for
the original dub voices of Zelgadis and Amelia which are fortunatly
changed after episode thirteen. Available from Software Sculptors.
[Entry by "Sultan Of Swing"]
SLAYERS NEXT: The second, and arguably the best, Slayers season.
After Lina, Gourry, Amelia, and Zelgadis are reunited they take off in
search of a cure for Zelgadis's condition, a quest that leads them
into the middle of a power struggle between two demon lords,
Hellmaster Fibrizo and the Demon Dragon King Gaav. Also joining them
is the schizophrenic princess Martina who is obsessed with killing
Lina, and the mysterious priest Xellos who shadows the group with his
own ulterior motives. The second season, at least the second half, is
based mostly around the relationship of Lina and Gourry, and the two
of them admitting to their feelings for each other. Of course the
theme is surronded by comic misadventures and tense battles against
powerful opponents. Pretty much the first and third quarters of the
season is mostly comical, while the second and fourth quarters are
mostly serious. The animation is greatly improved over the first
season, but unfortunatly the dialogue seems to be more cut and dry
question and answer stuff, unlike the first season where the
characters would routinely interupt each other and add in odd and
often times ignored comments throughout the episode. Still it
manages to be slightly better than season one with most of the best
episodes being in the second half. Available from Software Sculptors.
[Entry by "Sultan Of Swing"]
SLAYERS TRY: The third, and unfortunatly final, season of Slayers.
Once again Lina, Gourry, Amelia, and Zelgadis are reuinited, but this
time head off into unexplored territory where magic is a lost art.
Shortly after their arrival, Lina and company are hired by Philia, a
dragon priestess who needs them to fulfill a prophecy, and later are
joined by Xellos who once again comes complete with his own ulterior
motives. The third season seems to revolve around the theme that
there is no real good or evil, just what lies between. The animation
and voice acting are great, but the season seems like the worst of the
three, especially in the begining. Still it's a great series and the
second half of episodes really turn out great. Available from
Software Sculptors.
[Entry by "Sultan Of Swing"]
SLAYERS OAVs and movies: These describe Lina Inverse's early
years, before she met Gourry and the others. Travelling and working
with, and sometimes fighting against, the over-endowed and
overly-obnoxious Naga the Serpent (who has proclaimed herself "Lina's
greatest rival"), Lina explores her little part of the world while
turning many sword-and-sorcery cliches on their ear.
The first three OAVs and the first movie are available from ADV
Films, who also have the rights to the remaining OAVs and movies.
SLAYERS reference site: <http://www.inverse.org/>
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
SOL BIANCA: SOL BIANCA centers around the five woman crew of a
pirate ship of the same name. There are two OVAs, and there should
have been a third. The second OVA sets up the stage for a third quite
nicely, but apparently the series didn't have enough popularity to
merit the third OVA. Which is a shame, because it is a very nice
series. It takes place in the far flung future, where Earth is a
legend, and space travel is commonplace.
In the first episode a fairly standard bit of piracy on the part of
the crew of the Sol Bianca results in them accidentally capturing a
boy who was stowing away on the ship they'd plundered. Events cause
them to take on an entire planetary empire, and show that in addition
to looking very nice the Sol Bianca has a range of rather astonishing
powers (including the mandatory BFG).
The second episode explains more about the ship, and why it has
such extraordinary powers. Unfortunately the explanations are mostly
in the form of rather obscure hints, and this sets up quite nicely for
the third episode, which doesn't exist.
Excellent mecha design, an intriguing cast, and well done animation
and pacing.
The first OVA is available from ADV on VHS in both sub and dubbed
format. The second OVA is available from ADV on VHS in subtitled
format only. The OVAs are not available on DVD.
[Entry by Brad Jackson]
SOL BIANCA: THE LEGACY: This series shares the ship design, most
of the character designs, and many of the character personalities with
the first two OVAs, but it is neither a sequel nor a prequel. In the
same tradition as the various incarnations of the TENCHI MUYO
universe, we see a different, and in many ways better, version of SOL
BIANCA.
The ship design is mostly the same, and those few changes that
exist are all improvements. The character designs are improved, and
the characters have deeper and more complex personalities than they do
in their first incarnations. Jun is still the data hack, but Feb is
no longer the captain; that job has passed to April. May's character
is the most changed, instead of being a short mecha freak, she is now
a child.
The computer-generated scenes are ok, but not really worth raving
about. Generally though the animation is much better than it was in
the first OVAs, and the first OVAs had very good animation. The
storyline is engaging, and the characters make you care about them.
The quality of the dub, like many of Pioneer's other recent releases
is surprisingly good. Not Disney quality, but it's actually enjoyable
even to subtitle fans.
There are six episodes to the new SOL BIANCA OVAs.
SOL BIANCA THE LEGACY is available from Pioneer in both subtitled
and dubbed versions on VHS. It is also available on DVD with both
Japanese and English audio tracks and an English subtitle track.
[Entry by Brad Jackson]
SORCERER HUNTERS: Carrot Glaice, Tira Misu and Chocolate Misu are
the Sorcerer Hunters, a group comissioned by the goddess "Big Mama" to
hunt down renegade sorcerers. These three particular people are
chosen for their mix of talents. Carrot, in particular, is highly
qualified for reasons I can't tell you without spoiling a major plot
point. However, he's also an amazing letch, so his two companions
have to keep him in line, by tying him up in their sexy outfits, if
need be! This is a TV series, and so the artwork and animation could
be better, though they're not terrible - just not great. Mostly this
is just fun, stupid fluff. Has sexual overtones and occasional
violence. Dub and sub. 25 episodes. From ADV Films.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
SPEED RACER (aka MACH GO GO GO): Based on the 1966 manga MACH GO
GO GO this 52 episode 1967 series by Tatsunako studios shows the
career of Speed Racer (Go Mifune) from beginner racer to world
champion. The dub version is noted for its mixture of interesting
storylines and unintentually campy dialog and numberous bad puns in
regards to character names.
It was considered popular enough that in the 1990s two revial
attempts were tried: One in America under the title NEW SPEED RACER
(1993) [13 episodes] and the other in Japan by Tatsunako studios under
the title MACH GO GO GO (1996) (aka Y2K SPEED RACER) [52 episodes were
planned only 34 made] Neither revial worked partly IMHO due to the
stories not measuring up to the original.
(In North America, FHE and NOW both made VHS taps in the 1980s but
AFAIK only the Speed Racer Movie containing the Car Hater and the two
part Mammoth Car episodes is still in print though as a Pioneer DVD.
Speed Racer Enterprises via Speedracer.com has released limited
edition (1000 copies) VHS and DVD sets. In Australia, Siren releases
SPEED RACER.)
SPEED RACER FAQ: <http://udel.edu/~mm/anime/speed/>
[Entry by Bruce Grubb]
SPELL WARS: see SORCERER HUNTERS
STARDUST MEMORIES: see GUNDAM
STRANGE DAWN: STRANGE DAWN is an intriguingly naturalistic take of
what happens when you drop two ordinary 16 year old girls into a
parallel world populated by constantly warring tribes of knee-high
people who hail them as superheroes: Where are the toilets? Oh no,
we don't have any clean clothes! Do we really want to be saviours, or
should we just keep our heads down and look for a way home? The
attention to everyday concerns may sound comical but actually it makes
the whole thing believable, and heightens the impact of the violence
which punctuates the tale as rival factions fight over the girls. The
story is complex and mysterious: every character has their own
agenda, and neither we nor the girls really know what's going on, and
in their case they are not sure they even want to know.
The series is 13 episodes long, and a nicely blended mix of cel and
CGI. The DVD version is both sub & dub. The dub has a mixed
Anglo-Australian-European sound to it which non-American viewers find
refreshing, but many American viewers can't bear. The voice acting is
good and in keeping with the tone of the original; however the
translation itself is a salutary reminder of the ambiguities of the
Japanese language: where it's possible to translate a sentence in two
different ways, the dub infallibly picks the wrong one. This just
adds to the overall air of mystery though, so the dub is undoubtedly
destined to be a cult classic, especially when you throw in the
complete absence of lip sync.
Being released in North America by Urban Vision.
[Entry by Shez]
SUPERGIRL MARIS: see MARIS THE CHOJO
T
TAIHO SHICHAUZO!: see YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!
TANK POLICE: see DOMINION
TENCHI MUYO: A story about a teenage boy, the pretty alien girl
who loves him, the other pretty alien girl who loves him, the *other*
other pretty alien girl who loves him, and a few other pretty alien
girls (some of whom love him, too). And they all just happen to be
some of the most powerful people in the universe. The plotline varies
between sit-com and space opera, occasionally in the same episode.
The plot of the first OAV series was heavily re-written to become the
basis of TENCHI MUYO TV. The first two OAV series are available from
Pioneer under the name "Tenchi Collection" - in fact, this is
Pioneer's flagship title - and an edited version has been aired on
U.S. cable TV. The manga (with the translated title "No Need for
Tenchi") is available from Viz.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
TENCHI MUYO: MIHOSHI SPECIAL: A side story to the TENCHI MUYO OAV
series, this is Galaxy Police officer Mihoshi's recounting of her
biggest case ever. The names in the story have been changed to
protect the innocent, of course, but Mihoshi changes them to the names
of her friends! Somehow, the relationships just don't change... This
comedy marks the only undisputed appearance to date of Kiyone in the
OAV continuity, and also shows one of the earliest appearances of
Magical Girl Pretty Sammy. Available (on VHS only) as part of the
"Tenchi Collection" from Pioneer.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
TENCHI MUYO TV: Tenchi Masaki is an ordinary schoolboy until
gorgeous alien women (with their little sisters and meowing spaceships
in tow) start to crash-land in his backyard. A little bit of URUSEI
YATSURA and a little bit of RANMA 1/2, with some "Star Wars" homages
thrown in for good measure. The TV series is generally considered a
parallel universe to the version of the story told in the OAV series.
Highly recommended for fans of romantic comedies and sci-fi adventure.
[Entry by Dave Menard]
[Available from Pioneer. - Rob Kelk]
TENCHI IN TOKYO (a.k.a. SHIN TENCHI MUYO): This latest installment
of Tenchi fun is yet another parallel universe from the OAV and first
TV series. In this story, Tenchi goes off to school in Tokyo leaving
the girls behind in Okayama. This doesn't sit well with the passell
of alien women, especially since Tenchi's getting awfully close to
that new girl, Sakuya...
[Entry by Dave Menard]
[Available from Pioneer. - Rob Kelk]
TENCHI MUYO movies
TENCHI MUYO IN LOVE!: Tenchi and the girls must race back in time
to keep an intergalactic criminal from altering the past. The first
Tenchi movie, based off the TV series continuity. Spectacular
animation combined with a good story make this film in many ways the
best Tenchi feature.
TENCHI MUYO: DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS (a.k.a. MANATSU NO EVE): Known
as "Midsummer's Eve" in the UK and Europe. Tenchi's daughter appears,
but who's the mother? And what does all this have to do with Yosho's
childhood on planet Jurai? Not as well received by fans as the first
Tenchi movie, DoD is nevertheless high-quality animation, though the
story may seem to be a little rushed. This may be due to the
long-circulated rumour that the plotline was originally written for a
third OAV series.
TENCHI MUYO IN LOVE 2 - TENCHI FOREVER: According to Pioneer/AIC,
the *final* TENCHI MUYO TV feature. "Forever" does a fair job of
resolving some of the longstanding conflicts between the two primary
rivals for Tenchi's heart, and the bittersweet ending suggests that
Tenchi has finally made a choice. A languid pace makes this feature
tricky viewing, especially compared to the more frenetic pace of the
earlier films. Worth watching only if you are willing to invest the
attention needed to appreciate this final chapter.
[Entries by Dave Menard]
[Dave's comment about the first movie being the best is his
opinion - some people, including the list maintainer, like the second
movie better. All three movies are available from Pioneer. - Rob
Kelk]
TETSUWAN ATOMU: see ASTRO BOY
THOSE OBNOXIOUS ALIENS: see URUSEI YATSURA
TIME STRANGER: An involving variation on THE TERMINATOR, with
slight nods of the head towards TIME BANDITS. The animation is very
good and the story, complex. Feudal Japan is depicted nicely and in
detail, as is the far future. Great plot complications throughout.
TO HEART: A 13 episode slice of life drama about a group of
17-year-old high-school students. The nail-biting climax of episode
one concerns whether or not Akari, a total sweetie with cherry-red
hair, will get to sit next to the boy she likes, and the rest of the
series pretty much follows on at the same tempo. Akari's squeeze is
the sleepy-headed but kind-hearted Hiroyuki, whose ever-helpful nature
causes him to acquire new female friends in each episode. The genius
of this charming series is how its focus on the events of everyday
life manages to elevate them to a level of importance that supplants
any need for magical superheroes or quests to save the world. Having
said that, many of the girls that Hiroyuki befriends have intriguing
quirks: e.g. Serika practices black magic, Kotone is a psychic who
only makes unlucky predictions, and Multi is an incompetent android
sent to the school for field trials.
Rather remarkably for a TV series that is bordering on shoujo, TO
HEART actually started life as a Hentai dating sim. As well as the 13
episodes, there are 6 little "omake" (extras) which were originally
broadcast with some of the episodes. They use super-deformed versions
of the characters and are mostly even more low key than the main
episodes.
[Entry by Shez]
TONARI NO TOTORO: see MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO
TRIGUN: A sci-fi western comedy (mostly) focusing around the
world's most unlikely criminal, Vash the Stampede. The man is
apparently so dangerous that he's worth 60,000,000,000$$ ("double
dollars"), but whenever anyone catches up to him in hopes of snagging
the reward, they're always thwarted: sometimes by his skill with a
gun, but mostly by his inherent goofiness. However, Vash does have a
dark past, so mysterious that even he himself doesn't know what it is!
All in all, a fairly lighthearted show with some serious themes, but a
hilarious watch. (Pioneer)
[Entry by KireiSarah]
THE TWELVE KINGDOMS: see JUUNI KOKKI
U
URUSEI YATSURA (translates as something like THOSE OBNOXIOUS
ALIENS): A slap-stick screwball comedy about Lum, the flying
electro-demon girl from space, Ataru, the earth boy she wants, and a
host of other crazy characters. Popular madness in TV, OAV, and movie
formats by Rumiko Takahashi. This entire series is being released
from AnimEigo in dubbed and subbed formats. (The second movie is
available subbed from USMC. Don't ask...)
[After hearing the fans' opinion of the dub of the first episodes,
AnimEigo decided to release the remainder of URUSEI YATSURA in
subtitled format only. - Rob Kelk]
UTENA (a.k.a. SHOUJO KAKUMEI UTENA, REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA): You
could go off roses! A different twist on the magical girl series in
that the subject here makes no attempt to transform into anything
except by the fact that as a very young girl, grieving her parents'
death, she encounters a "prince" who comforts her and tells her that
they are destined to meet again, giving her a ring. She vows to grow
up as noble as this prince, but takes it too literally, shunning the
usual fuku of her peers for more masculine garb. On her acceptance to
a school with a mysterious club, she finds that not only were there
other people with the same ring as her, but that they regularly fought
for the hand of the "Rose Bride", in the hope that eventually the
lucky winner will gain entry to the strange castle visible from the
duelling ring, though each has a different reason driving them. The
first twenty-three episodes are available from Software Sculptors.
[Entry by Chika]
V
VAMPIRE HUNTER D (1985): A.D. 12,090 is a lot like the Old West,
except for the mutants and vampires. When Count Magnus Lee, an
ancient and powerful bloodsucker, sets his sights on a young woman of
the frontier, Doris Lang, she hires a cape-clad, sword-swinging
stranger known simply as D to get rid of a suitor who doesn't
understand "No." D must fight his way past a horde of supernatural
guardians as well as taking on Count Lee himself, and also must
contend with his own unnatural aspects. In addition to being a
dhampir (half human and half vampire), D has in his left palm a
symbiotic creature that exercises weird powers on his behalf but also
taunts him for his shortcomings at every opportunity.
Some fans look down on VHD for its crude animation and cliched
storyline, but it has become a cult classic, perhaps for its stunning
imagery and larger-than-life conflicts. There's romance as well when
Doris starts falling for her half-human savior. VHD is also notable
for its violence, as D's blade slices through nearly anything that
will make a blood splash. Tetsuya Komuro's soundtrack gives a rich
atmosphere to both action and quieter moments.
Available from Urban Vision.
[Entry by Cathy Krusberg]
VAMPIRE HUNTER D (2000): A second Vampire Hunter D movie was
released to Japanese theaters in April 2001 and is slated for American
theatrical release in September 2001. Also titled "Vampire Hunter D,"
it is based on the third novel in Hideyuki Kikuchi's VHD series, "D -
Yousatsukou" (D - Demon Deathchase). D is hired to retrieve a woman
kidnapped by the vampire Meier Link, but his task is complicated by
two factors: a competing set of hunters, and the true love that led
the woman to accompany Meier of her own will. The character designs
in the new movie are much closer to Yoshitaka Amano's vision, and the
animation is top notch.
[Entry by Cathy Krusberg]
VAMPIRE PRINCESS MIYU: A supernatural horror series about a
contemporary "vampire" who stalks wayward demons (Shinma) loose on
Earth and sends them back to Darkness, while pursued by a persistent
exorcist not as enthused about unlife as Miyu. Quiet, moody brooding
chiller, hopeless to follow without understanding the dialog.
Available from AnimEigo.
[There is also a recent VAMPIRE PRINCESS MIYU TV series, which has
a slightly different focus from the OAVs described above. - Rob Kelk]
VENUS WARS: A group of racers on Venus and a reporter from Earth
are caught up in the war for the dominance of Venus. A dark film from
the "sand in my spacesuit" view of the future which sees the racers
being turned from a group of stunt racers who defeat a tank by sheer
fluke to hard fighting riders who become instrumental in the war's
conclusion. Available from USMC.
[Entry by Chika]
VIDEO GIRL AI: Youta Moteuchi has a crush on his schoolmate, Moemi
Hayakawa, but she has feelings for his best friend, Takeshi Niimai.
Since Youta is too nice for his own good, he tries to get the two of
them together, despite how sad it makes him. A mysterious new video
store called Gokuraku appears on Youta's path home, and he winds up
renting an adult video entitled "Ai Amano - I'll Cheer You Up." When
he plays it on his defective VCR, Ai pops out of the TV screen into
his life, and promises to help him square things away with Moemi.
There was one thing she hadn't counted on, however: Amongst other
flaws, the broken VCR caused her to eventually fall in love with
Youta, which is forbidden for Video Girls, and causes heartbreaking
complications for both of them. A six-OVA series based on the popular
manga by Masakazu Katsura (who had previously distinguished himself
with WINGMAN). Available domestically from Viz Video, but beware the
over-massaged, over-localized translations, especially in the dub.
[Entry by David Watson]
THE VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE: A sixteen year old girl, Hitomi, who is
magically transported to the land of Gaia, is embroiled in a battle
with the evil Zaibach empire, bent on manipulating destiny. She aids
the boy king Van Fanel, who pilots the mecha Escaflowne, the alluring
knight Allen Schezar, the cat-girl Merle and the willful Princess
Millerna as she discovers latent pyschic powers which may be key to
the fate of Gaia. This 26 episode series mixes romance, magic, mecha
and plot in a pacy, beguiling mix, with above average TV animation and
a musical score widely regarded as one of the best in anime. The dub
is either loved or loathed.
Licensed by Bandai in North America - a commercial subtitle,
unedited and cut (Fox Kids) dub are available on VHS, with the DVDs
containing uncut subtitle and dub. In Australia, ESCAFLOWNE has been
released by Madman.
[Entry by Andrew Hollingbury]
VOTOMS: Old TV series of post-WW3 world. The army controls the
world with their mecha, but not everyone goes along. MELLOWLINK is a
related series in the same universe (set before VOTOMS, made after.)
VOTOMS has been licensed by USMC.
W
WAR IN THE POCKET: see GUNDAM
WEATHERING CONTINENT: A sword and sorcery tale in a land fallen to
ruin. Takes its time and tells a small story of three travelers with a
dark, spooky mood, well supported by a fine musical score.
A WIND NAMED AMNESIA: It happened suddenly. One minute all was as
it should be, the next... everyone on Earth had their memory wiped.
Language, social habit, everything. The story surrounds one boy, who
has been retrained to normality by another boy who escaped erasure by
the fact that he was linked to a computer in a radical new way.
Touring the devastation, he is accompanied by a woman who seems also
to have escaped erasure but will not say how. On their journey they
see what Man has made of himself since his memory was wiped, and view
the consequences, all of which leads to the ultimate questions; who
did it, and why? Available from USMC.
[Entry by Chika]
WINDARIA: A lovely fantasy story of two kingdoms at war, and how
that disturbs two pairs of lovers - one peasant, one royal. A
tragedy. Well worth the watch, IMHO. Nice music, too.
[Was available dubbed from Streamline Pictures while Streamline was
still in business. - Rob Kelk]
WINGS OF HONNEAMISE: See ROYAL SPACE FORCE.
WITCH HUNTER ROBIN: (review written after 15 episodes) In
recession-hit modern Japan, a mysterious group called "STN-J" hunts
and captures criminal magic-users. Into the group is transferred a
young woman named Sena Robin. Coming from Europe, she is dourly
dressed, has a mysterious background, and has powers similar to those
of the people the group hunts. The group could use some help, as
morale is low due to unspoken recent events and ineffective
management. Robin, a surprisingly sweet-tempered 15 year old despite
her harsh upbringing, has some learning to do before she can be of
much use. She may also be fronting for a faction opposed to STN-J.
And just what are STN-J doing with their witches after they are
captured?
The series has a very dark, foreboding, humorless feeling. It is
colored almost entirely in black, brown and gray, without even the
flashes of gleeful saturated color that come through in, for example,
HELLSING. The character cel animation is outstanding, with detailed,
naturalistic designs. Much of the grimy urban cityscape is rendered
in 3D CG. This works rather well - it's vastly better than, say,
VANDREAD, almost on par with HOSHI NO KOE, and blends well with the
cel animation. The writing is subtle and deft. We learn a lot about
the characters of the protagonists through their "normal" daily
interaction, without recourse to contrived explanatory dialog. Most
episodes are focused on dialog and investigation, actual violence is
brief and not especially graphic.
The first third of the series is deceptively episodic. As STN-J
struggles to track its targets the characters grow on us almost
unnoticed, until the second third of the series when the major
story-arc kicks in with a vengeance and the secrets of STN-J - and
Robin herself - begin to play out. This business of witches being
hunted down & killed recalls some bitter episodes in Western history,
and sets an expectation of extreme moral ambiguity upon which the
series is delivering well so far.
Recommended for those who like BLADE RUNNER, Lance Henrickson's
MILLENNIUM, or THE X-FILES. The alt-rock OP and ED by Bana and the
BGM are highly recommended also.
ROBIN, from Sunrise, started broadcast on TV Tokyo in July 2002.
Series website: <http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/robin/>
[Entry by D B Malmquist]
WITCH'S DELIVERY SERVICE: see KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE
X
Y
YOU'RE UNDER ARREST! (a.k.a. TAIHO SHICHAUZO!): The adventures of
Natsumi Tsujimoto and Miyuki Kobayakawa, two female police officers on
the Bokutoh City police force and their day-to-day adventures. Set in
a more or less present day city. Good animation and artwork. Good
clean fun. Little if any violence or gore, and only some innocent
flirting on the sexual side. Both OVA and TV series has been made.
Based on a manga by Kosuke Fujishima, the same guy who did OH MY
GODDESS! There's also a TV series that hasn't been released yet in
the US. Four OVAs. From AnimEigo.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
[The TV series has been licenced by AnimEigo. There is also an
excellent YOU'RE UNDER ARREST movie, which has a tone somewhere
between the YOU'RE UNDER ARREST OAVs and the PATLABOR movies. The
movie has been licenced by ADV Films, who plan a theatrical release
for it in North America. - Rob Kelk]
YUUGEN KAISHA: see PHANTOM QUEST CORPORATION
Z
ZEIRAM, THE ANIMATION: see IRIA
ZETA GUNDAM: see GUNDAM
ZZ GUNDAM: see GUNDAM
------------------------------
Subject: 7. The List Maintainer's Current Favourites
It's come to my attention that the Anime Primer, while useful, is
simply too large to act as an introduction to all anime available now.
Also, there are some people on <news:rec.arts.anime.misc> who have
expressed an interest in knowing what other fans are watching.
This is a list of my top twenty favourite anime titles as of the last
time I updated this list. (That would be 26 August 2002.) The list
is subject to change on my whim - it's a list of my favourites, after
all, not a list of what's acknowledged as "good". The North American
translation companies that have released these shows are listed so
that you can more easily find the anime.
Taking a riff from David Letterman ... From the home office in
Ottawa, here's Rob Kelk's Top Twenty Favourite Anime:
20: KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE (Disney)
19: PHANTOM QUEST CORPORATION (Pioneer)
18: ALL PURPOSE CULTURAL CAT-GIRL NUKU-NUKU (ADV)
17: DRAGON HALF (ADV)
16: IRRESPONSIBLE CAPTAIN TYLOR (TRSI)
15: OUTLAW STAR (Bandai)
14: GHOST IN THE SHELL (Manga)
13: TENCHI MUYO (Pioneer)
12: REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA (CPM)
11: STRANGE DAWN (Urban Vision)
10: BUBBLEGUM CRISIS (AnimEigo)
9: MAGIC USERS CLUB (Anime Works)
8: EL HAZARD (Pioneer)
7: GUNSMITH CATS (ADV)
6: LOVE HINA (Bandai)
5: READ OR DIE (Manga; not yet available)
4: PRINCESS NINE (ADV)
3: NADIA (ADV)
2: MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO (ADV)
1: SABER MARIONETTE J (Bandai)
--
Rob Kelk <http://robkelk.ottawa-anime.org/> 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