Rob Kelk
1st October 2004, 01:50 PM
(continued from Part 1)
Subject: 7. Capsule Descriptions of Anime
And now, the descriptions:
3x3 EYES (a.k.a. SAZAN EYES): Pai, the last of a race of three-eye
immortals known as Sanjiyan Unkara, desires to become human. She has
been sent to Yakumo by his late father to obtain an artifact called
the Ningun No Zou or Statue of Humanity which is needed to accomplish
this. Unfortunately, one of her demon friends is let loose and Yakumo
is mortally wounded in the resulting chaos. To save Yakumo she pulls
his soul into her, turning him into a Wu (an undead-like immortal).
To become human again, Yakumo must help Pai become human.
Unfortunately there are others who want the Ningun No Zou, the
immortality of being Wu, or Pai herself. Complicating matters is that
Pai has a totally different personality when her third eye manifests.
The North American DVD release by Geneon combines the two OVAs
"Immortal" and "Legend of the Divine Demon". 3x3 EYES is available in
Australia from Madman.
PARENTAL ADVISORY: The "Immortal" OVA has several violent gorish
scenes - Yakumo gets badly beaten several times and his hand is chopped
off. His girlfriend is used as a hostage during which she is painfully
attacked from the inside by a demon. "Legend of the Divine Demon" is
far
less gory, though there is the death of Yakumo's mentor, a blind Tibetan
priest.
Detailed web page is at <http://www.sazan.net/digest/>
[Entry by Bruce Grubb]
801 T.T.S. AIRBATS (a.k.a. AOZORA SHOUJOTAI): A series based
around a female aerobatic team within the Japanese Air Self Defense
Force, made up of misfits including a gambling addict, an airhead, a
pilot with a major chip stuck on her shoulder and another that is
always at war with her. Oh yes, and one rookie airplane and mecha nut
with whom both of the latter two pilots are besotted with. Available
from ADV Films in North America and Madman in Australia.
[Entry by Chika]
A
ABENOBASHI MAHOU SHOUTENGAI (a.k.a. MAGICAL SHOPPING ARCADE
ABENOBASHI): 11-year-old friends Satoshi "Sasshi" Imamiya and Ayumi
Asahina are bemoaning the fact that their Osaka neighbourhood is now
decaying, and wondering about the animal statues on top of some of the
shops. When Arumi's grandfather accidentally knocks down the pelican
statue on top of his restaurant, things get trippy for the two kids, and
they end up in various re-settings of their neighbourhood, based on a
different theme in each show (i.e. sword and sorcery, China, outer
space), where parodies of examples of the genres follow, frequently at
blur speed. Add dashes of juvenile humour here and there (including a
young woman appropriately named Mune-Mune, who supplies the fan
service), plus the odd touching moment, blend, and serve. A
collaboration between Gainax and scriptwriter Akahori Satoru (SABER
MARIONETTE J, SORCEROR HUNTERS and MON COLLE KNIGHTS, among many
others).
[Entry by David Watson]
AD POLICE FILES: This series chronicles the (mis-)adventures of AD
Police rookie Leon and his colleagues as they defend the near-future
cyberpunk city of MegaTokyo (and sometimes themselves) from boomers -
humanish androids. There are three episodes, each with a different
plot line, but each asking the same question - what happens when the
line between man and machine blurs? Forewarned, this series is
extremely dark, violent, gory and sexual. Therefore I do not
recommend it for anyone under 17 years old unless they are very
mature. Well drawn and animated, and certainly engaging to watch. If
you liked Bladerunner, you might like this series. Three episodes.
Subbed. From AnimEigo in North America and Madman in Australia.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
[NOTE: There is a recent remake titled AD POLICE, that has been
released by ADV Films in North America. The FAQ maintainer has not
yet seen the remake, and nobody else has yet written a capsule
description of the show. - Rob Kelk]
ADVENTURES OF THE MINI-GODDESSES: Loosely based on a series of
four-panel comic strips that themselves were loosely based on Kosuke
Fujishima's AH MEGAMI-SAMA story, this is a series of short (five- to
seven-minute) episodes featuring cute versions of Urd and Skuld as
they have adventures with Gan-chan, a rat that lives in the temple.
Belldandy sometimes gets in on the fun, too (although not as often,
because her original seiyuu was unavailable when the earliest episodes
were made). While some of the episodes have educational content, most
are simply excuses to tell silly stories from the four-panel comic
strip (such as the "Let's Make a Band" storyline), or parodying
popular Japanese culture (such as the "Gan-chan becomes Godzilla"
stories).
There's little if any serious meaning to this series, but it's
ideal for the times when you're too tired or rushed to watch something
that takes itself too seriously.
Geneon has released this series on DVD in North America.
(See also OH MY GODDESS! and AH MY GODDESS!)
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
AH! MY GODDESS: Set later in the AH MEGAMI-SAMA storyline than the
OH MY GODDESS! OAV series, this movie tells the story of Belldandy's
mentor Celestin and his attempt to go against the will of Kami-sama
for the sake of love. One of the side-effects of Celestin's actions
causes Belldandy to lose her memory, so the goddesses and Keiichi have
two problems to solve at the same time.
This is quite possibly the best animated AH MEGAMI-SAMA story yet.
All of the characters are shown as they are in Kosuke Fujishima's
manga, as opposed to the caricatures of Belldandy and Keiichi in the
OAV series, and the plotline is reminiscent of Fujishima's best work.
(The only real problem some people have with the movie is that Mara
once again doesn't make an appearance, but, given the subject matter,
there's really no logical way for her to have been in the story.)
This movie is available in North America on DVD from Geneon, and
in Australia from Madman.
(See also OH MY GODDESS! and ADVENTURES OF THE MINI-GODDESSES.)
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
AH MEGAMI-SAMA: see OH MY GODDESS!, AH MY GODDESS! and ADVENTURES
OF THE MINI-GODDESSES.
AIM FOR THE TOP!: see GUNBUSTER
AISHITERUZE BEIBE (a.k.a. LOVE YA BABY): Kippei is a lackadaisical
high-schooler, popular with the girls but not ready for commitment. One
day he arrives home to find his young cousin, five-year-old Yuzuyu-chan
there. Her mother has abandoned her and the family decide Kippei should
be the one to look after her. Thus begins a story of responsibility and
maturity on Kippei's part and a chance for stability and happiness for
Yuzuyu-chan.
Like fungus, this anime grows on you. Yuzuyu behaves like a real
five-year-old, scared by her mother's disappearance, comforted by
Kippei-onii-chan, making friends at the kindergarten. There is a little
drama; Kippei becomes the focus of a stalker and Yuzuyu gets caught up
in the action, but mostly this is Kippei learning that actions have
consequences and Yuzuyu learning that she is still loved and her
mother's disappearance was not her fault.
Kuzuhara Miyu, Yuzuyu's seiyuu, makes her sound like a real
five-year-old. The animation quality is not very high but carries the
story adequately. The OP and ED songs are catchy and addictive,
matching the upbeat mood of the series.
This series is still unlicensed and is being fansubbed by Lunar anime
and a.f.k.
[Entry by Robert "nojay" Sneddon]
AKIRA: An adaptation of a longer manga work, the story (as far as
the anime is concerned) surrounds a gang, in particular the leader,
Kaneda, and his friend, Tetsuo, and a secret government/military project
to tap the psychic abilities of children. Tetsuo encounters a "child"
from these experiments and soon after starts to exhibit some abilities
of his own following his abduction by the military. Kaneda is caught up
in the events that follow as first he tries to find his friend and find
out what has happened to him, then has to battle with Tetsuo as his new
found powers start to run out of control. Who is Akira? A question
that runs through the whole convoluted plot but, to find out, Tetsuo
risks himself, his friends and the whole city.
The production was masterminded by Katsuhiro Otomo, and has been
touted as one of the best productions of its type, having won awards
around the world. However people that are fans of the manga series
should be aware of the compacted nature of the production. There is
also one attempted rape scene.
Originally released in the US by Streamline Pictures, later licenced
to Geneon (aka Pioneer). In Australia this is available from Madman, in
the UK it is available from Manga Video.
[Entry by Chika]
ALL PURPOSE CULTURAL CAT-GIRL NUKU-NUKU: The Mishima Heavy
Industries corporation wants its prototype android back, to use as a
war machine. Lady Akiko, head of Mishima, wants to take her son
Ryuunosuke from her ex-husband - preferably by force. Ryuunosuke, on
the run with his brilliant and eccentric father, just wants the
friendly kitten he finds on Christmas Eve. When it all comes
together, the result is "Nuku Nuku" Natsume - the brain of a cat, the
appearance of a lovely schoolgirl, and the raw power of a war machine,
living with Ryuunosuke and 'Papa-san' as Ryuunosuke's sister and the
family's protector.
The original six OAV series is nicely animated, delightful
action-comedy. The TV series that followed kept most of the same
characters but changed the situations heavily, and is reported to have
suffered from a Monster-of-the-Week plot. The later OAV series, "Nuku
Nuku Dash," not only changed the situations but changed Nuku Nuku's
character design and her personality from bubbly and upbeat to teary,
and is generally considered disappointing by fans.
[Entry by Antaeus Feldspar]
[The first OAV series is available from ADV Films. - Rob Kelk]
ANGEL LINKS: The second show in Sunrise's "Toward Stars" universe,
but nowhere near as wide in scope as its sister series OUTLAW STAR,
ANGEL LINKS tells the story of Li Meifon, a teenager who is named heir
to a large interplanetary corporation on the condition that she operate
a pirate-hunting service for free. This seems simple enough on the
surface, but why does Meifon already have a grave marker?
This is science-fantasy space opera, but not quite in the same vein
as its sister show - the scope is much smaller than what's shown in
OUTLAW STAR. It's also half the length of the previous series, mainly
because the writers didn't have to explain everything to the audience.
ANGEL LINKS is available as a four-DVD box set from Bandai in North
America.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
ANGELIC LAYER: Mizaki Suzuhara is moving to Tokyo. Upon arriving at
the train station, she gets lost (it's her first time in Tokyo) and
wanders outside, where she witnesses a battle that wows her on a
gigantic screen. It turns out that the battle was part of Angelic
Layer, a game that's very popular. She gets drawn into the game and
goes on a wild adventure. This series has something for everyone, from
the comedic wiggly-squiggly Icchan, to more heart-felt moments, and even
intense battles. So go out now, and see the series that one of the
voice actresses calls "DRAGON BALL Z for Girls!" Available from ADV
films.
[Entry by Bill Martin]
AOZORA SHOUJOTAI: see 801 T.T.S. AIRBATS
ARJUNA: see EARTH GIRL ARJUNA
ARMITAGE III: In the future, mankind has terraformed and settled
Mars. We've also developed a line of human-like androids with
designations of "first," "second" and "third". Ross Sylabus, a police
detective from Earth with an antipathy for androids, has transferred
to Mars. What he finds there is a political conspiracy that covers
two planets and involves his colleague, the child-like female
detective Armitage. Well drawn and animated, with moments of both
levity and action. Some violence. Four episodes, or one movie which
is the episodes edited together with some omissions. Subbed and
dubbed both available. From Geneon in North America, and Madman in
Australia.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
[There is also a sequel movie ARMITAGE III - DUAL-MATRIX, which
contains spoilers for the original ARMITAGE III story. A review of
this movie is being written. - Rob Kelk]
ARSLAN SENKI (a.k.a. THE HEROIC LEGEND OF ARSLAN): 5 part OAV
running approximately 4 hours total. Slow paced historical fiction.
The kingdom of Pars is overrun by a neighboring kingdom, with inside
help. The king is imprisoned and it's up to the young prince and his
loyal retainers to win the kingdom back. The story is more sword and
political intrigue than it is sword and sorcery, not much fighting, no
comedy, full of shoujo-esque character designs, and is unfinished, the
remainder of the story is available in novel or manga form. Original
novels by the same author as LEGEND OF GALACTIC HEROES. DVD box set
includes all OAVs. By U.S. Manga Corps.
[Entry by MimiE]
ASH WINGS ALLIANCE: see HAIBANE RENMEI
ASTRO BOY (originally TETSUWAN ATOMU / MIGHTY ATOM): The first real
Japanese anime TV series aired in 1963, Astro Boy was made by the
anime "God" Osamu Tezuka. It is a story of a little robot boy, who
ages and becomes mature through the series. It was the first anime
which featured familiar things such as continuous story and plot for
the entire series, character development, and so on. And remember, it
was the first TV anime series!
(This description refers to the original series, not the later
remake.)
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]
AURA BATTLER DUNBINE: Motorcycle racer Show Zama is pulled into an
alternate world where he is drafted as an Aura Battler. An Aura Battler
is a person from Upper Earth (our world) that has the aura power to
control the insect-like mechs this world uses to fight its wars. While
the natives can also drive these things they cannot do so with the
proficiency of Upper Earthers. Show finds himself involved in a war of
conquest led by Drake Luft and soon decides he's on the wrong side.
It's quite an epic from the man who gave the world GUNDAM.
Licenced by ADV Films.
[Entry by Kyle Thomas Pope]
AZUMANGA DAIOH: Popular 26 episode comedy series which follows the
fortunes of seven girls, two teachers, and one dog through the three
years of senior high school. Much of the story centres on Chiyo-chan,
a ten year old genius who has been put in their class and whose
combination of cuteness and superior academic ability inspires
ambivalent feelings amongst her considerably older classmates. Each
character is sharply defined and a lot of the humour arises from our
anticipation of their inevitable behaviour, from the narcoleptic Osaka
who lives in a dream to the manic Tomo whose hijinks go a little too
far. The animation is minimal and at times repetitive, but the images
are beautifully drawn with a refreshing look and equally good background
music.
Note: the AZUMANGA DAIOH "Movie" is actually just a five minute
widescreen short which reworks a few scenes from the series.
[Entry by Shez]
B
BAKUEN CAMPUS GUARDRESS (a.k.a. COMBUSTIBLE CAMPUS GUARDRESS or
CAMPUS GUARDRESS): Girl is sister to boy who is the reincarnation of
a man whom the girl's previous incarnation loved. He died last time
saving the world for evil monsters from another dimension who are bent
on world conquest. And now it's happening all over again. How will
the girl ever manage to save her brother and the world at the same
time, how will she deal with her incestful feelings for her brother,
and how can she deal with her mother making moves on her boy?
This is a bimodal show with characters and input from Hagiwara, the
author of BASTARD! DESTRUCTIVE GOD OF DARKNESS. As such, it is a
combination of the sublime and the profane in a very cute mix. The
attack names are a wonderful throwback to some of the spells in
BASTARD!, and have such names as "Thousand Slices of Radish Attack" or
"Puppy Dog Attack".
If you liked BASTARD!, you'll like this one.
[Entry by Anand Chelian]
BASTARD!: It was an age of lawlessness
Of disorder and Chaos
Blood and steel, flesh and bone
An age of Magic
The four kingdoms are under siege from the evil dark armies of
Chaos. The only one who can save them is the evil wizard who nearly
conquered the world 15 years ago.
BASTARD!!
A tale of sorcery and combat, of scantily clad maidens and a more
scantily clad hero. *High Shonen Fantasy at its most extreme. Enter a
world of action, excitement, danger, and ... laundry.
[Entry by "Akodo Bob"]
BATTLE ANGEL (a.k.a. GUNNM): The Scrapyard is the name given to a
large decaying city that exists due to the garbage dumped from the
floating city above it, named Zalem. Humans, androids and cyborgs
live in this dark and dirty place, all intermingling. Living with
each other, trading with each other, sometime mugging each other.
Ido, A brilliant cyber-doctor, discovers the wreckage of an
extraordinary cyborg in one of the city's junk piles, and restores it
to full health with his skills. She has no memory of her past, so he
names her Gally and raises her as his own daughter. However, there is
more to her than meets the eye... Good artwork and animation. From
the much-acclaimed manga of the same name by Yukito Kishiro. Contains
violence, gore, nudity. Was dubbed and subbed from ADV Films, but is
no longer available in North America (possibly due to an expired
license). However, BATTLE ANGEL is still listed in the Madman
catalog, so Australians can still obtain this anime.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick, edited by Rob Kelk]
BATTLE ATHLETES VICTORY: BATTLE ATHLETES VICTORY chronicles the
trials of a 15 year old athlete, Akari Kanzaki. Akari's dream is to
become the Cosmo Beauty, the title given each year to the greatest
athlete in the Solar System. The title is fought for at the
University Satellite, a space station that orbits Earth. Akari lives
in the shadow of her mother, Tomoe Midoh, who was widely regarded as
the greatest Cosmo Beauty ever. Akari's journey begins at a training
school in Antarctica, but stretches past the University Satellite ...
Available on DVD and VHS from Geneon.
[Entry by Matt Huber]
BATTLE SKIPPER: A new intake and the usual scrap for the best by
the school hobby clubs, but three young girls end up taking the fast
track into the secret world of one particular club, a cover for some
pretty heavyweight mecha in the usual clash of good bot meets bad
bot... apparently the folk who did PLASTIC LITTLE had much to do with
this title. (CPM/USMC)
[Entry by Chika]
BIGWARS: Man has colonised Mars and an alien race doesn't much
care for that. This is a tale of Man's struggle against the odds as
the alien, who styles itself as a kind of god, uses awesome weapons to
beat back the expansionist humans. It's now down to one last
chance... (CPM/USMC)
[Entry by Chika]
BLACK MAGIC M66: A side story to Masamune Shirow's manga BLACK
MAGIC, this movie tells the story of one of the first combat androids
ever built. Unfortunately, the military scientist who designed it
used his daughter as the test subject for the android to target. Even
more unfortunately, the android has escaped from the aircraft
transporting it from the test facility... If you liked "The
Terminator", you'll probably like M66. The anime is available from
Manga Video, and the collected comic is available from Dark Horse.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
BLACKJACK: He's called Blackjack, and he is a practitioner of
"underground surgery". A Tezuka character of old, in this story he is
caught up in a mystery concerning the appearance of "Super Humans",
and the lethal secret behind it. Blackjack is based around a manga
where he is a character that appears, performs surgery that no
legitimate surgeon would consider, charges high fees for it then
vanishes. Released by Manga in North America, and Madman in Australia.
[Entry by Chika]
BLUE SONNET: There have been many stories about making a humanoid
"ultimate weapon". This is one of those, in that Sonnet is a cyborg
that has awesome psychokinetic powers. However it is known to her
creator that somewhere out there is an even greater power lying
dormant. In fact the person in question becomes a classmate of
Sonnet's. While this girl discovers her hidden power, Sonnet
discovers her lost humanity in a background of corporate domination.
(USMC)
[Entry by Chika]
BLUE SUBMARINE #6: The world is at war with aliens. Most of the
world is covered in water. But not everything is as it seems. There
is a lot of action in this series and some interesting twists. It's a
combination of hand drawn and computer animation which in my opinion
worked nicely. The episodes are short and only one episode per DVD.
Still cheaper than the old way of buying a dub and a sub version of
the VHS, but in today's DVD age it seems a bit expensive. An single
disk is also available with the violence edited out. Available from
Bandai in North America, and from Siren in Australia.
[Entry by Shawn Granger]
BOTTLE FAIRIES (a.k.a. BINZUME YOSEI): Based on Yuiko Tokumi's
"reader-participation manga" in Magi-Cu Premium magazine, this thirteen
episode TV series was fansubbed by the Hikari no Kiseki group. It tells
the month-by-month adventures of four tiny naive fairy girls, Sarara,
Kururu, Chiriri and Hororo who live in glass jars on the desk of Sensei-
san, a young college student. Each show covers a month in Japanese life
with the fairies learning about what it is to be human, assisted by
Loose Cannon Tama-chan, their highly-opinionated six-year-old neighbour
who is *never* wrong.
In the wrong hands this could have been saccharine beyond belief but
the scripts and storylines bely the basic idea and make each episode
delightful as the girls use their imagination to try and figure out the
world. The equally-delightful ending songs are sung by the fairy
seiyuus, with a different seiyuu and song for the three shows in each
"season".
Official manga website: <http://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~hakka-ya/>
Official anime website: <http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/binzume/>
[Entry by Robert Sneddon]
BROTHER, DEAR BROTHER: see ONIISAMA E
BUBBLEGUM CRISIS: A classic cyberpunk tale of a corporation gone
rotten and a group of hi-tech vigilantes that seek to bring the worse
elements and deeds of that corporation under control.
Mega-Tokyo is a corporate town built on and around the ruins of Tokyo
which was mostly destroyed some years before the story opens by an
earthquake. The corporation that helped to rebuild the town is Genom, a
multi-national that, among other things, builds "Boomers". These
robotic creatures are used for both good and evil, and where the latter
is involved, the Knight Sabers will tackle them, especially as their
leader, Sylia, has a past connection with these creatures.
Often praised for its musical content and some of the designs, the
show is seen as styled after the US movie "Blade Runner", and continues
to have a following many years after the show was completed, though it
has produced spin off shows including AD POLICE, BUBBLEGUM CRASH and
BUBBLEGUM CRISIS TOKYO 2040.
Available in the US from AnimEigo, in Australia from Madman.
Originally available from Anime Projects in the UK, now licenced to MVM.
[Entry by Chika]
BUBBLEGUM CRISIS TOKYO 2040: BGC2040 is a 26-episode TV series
that "borrows" certain elements from the original BUBBLEGUM CRISIS,
but changes them enough to make it an alternative retelling of the
original story. The basic concept is the same: Four women use
powered armor to fight a secret war against renegade androids
(Boomers) and the shady corporation who makes them (Genom). Some
things (such as Priss being a biker chick and singer of a rock band)
remain the same from the original series, but most other aspects are
completely different, ranging from the personalities of the characters
to the nature of the technology they use. As a result, the show has a
different feel than its predecessor - at times it feels more like
EVANGELION than BLADE RUNNER. Many (but not all) fans of the original
series dislike this show intensely. Much of the criticism has to do
with certain plot twists that strike some as implausible. However,
BGC2040 has its own fans as well. It's probably best to judge the
show on its own, rather than comparing it against its famous
predecessor. Available from ADV Films in North America, and Madman in
Australia.
[Entry by Scott Fujimoto]
BURN UP W: Surrounding a group of specially selected (female)
police who, when called into action, display special skills (and a lot
more in those inevitable skin tight costumes!) This series runs
through a number of side plots but is essentially concerned with an
underworld plot to control the minds of various powerful folk using an
addictive device. Available from ADV Films in North America, and
Madman in Australia.
[Entry by Chika]
C
CAMPUS GUARDRESS: see BAKUEN CAMPUS GUARDRESS
CARDCAPTOR SAKURA (a.k.a. CARDCAPTORS): A sweet and charming
'magical girl' show by the popular CLAMP team, built on the framework
of a collectable card game. 4th grader Kinomoto Sakura accidentally
releases a number of magical cards from an ancient book. With the aid
of the cards' guardian, Keroberos, who appears as a winged toy bear,
and her adoring girlfriend Tomoyo, Sakura must recapture the cards and
return them to their book, using the captured cards' powers to help
her. Complications ensue with the appearance of other seekers of the
cards. CARDCAPTOR SAKURA is as much about the joys, vicissitudes and
perplexities of growing up, of what friendship really means, of how to
be brave in the face of danger, as it is about its frame story of the
chase after magical cards. As with all CLAMP shows, the character and
costume designs are utterly charming, and as with all CLAMP shows,
there are hints of homoeroticism.
This show is commercially available in the US (from Geneon) in two
formats: 'Cardcaptor Sakura' has Japanese language and English
subtitles only, and has not been edited for content; 'Cardcaptors',
with an English dub only, is the version that was shown on American
TV, and is heavily edited. Only the latter is available in Australia
(from Madman).
[Entry by Slithy Tove]
CARRIED BY THE WIND: see TSUKIKAGE RAN
CASTLE IN THE SKY: see LAPUTA
CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO: see the entry for LUPIN III
CAT-GIRL NUKU-NUKU: see ALL PURPOSE CULTURAL CAT-GIRL NUKU-NUKU
CHAR'S COUNTERATTACK: see GUNDAM
CHARCOAL FEATHERS FEDERATION: see HAIBANE RENMEI
A CHINESE GHOST STORY: A naive tax collector is surprised to find
that he was assigned to work in the land of ghosts and spirits. Too
late, he already fell in love with a beautiful ghost who wants to
harvest his soul for her mistress. He can resist her spell and wins
her love, but now the two lovers find themselves in the middle of a
battle between the three best ghostbusters of the land. Loosely based
on the same Chinese fairy tale as the popular live-action Hong Kong
movie of the same name. Beautiful character design and 2D animation,
badly mixed with ugly, overdone 3D computer graphics that brings down
the overall experience. Yet the great (very Chinese) humour and a
cute story save the film.
[Entry by Hanno Mueller]
CHOBITS: (Review written after 16 episodes & all 8 manga volumes in
North America) A country boy, Hideki Motosuwa, moves to the big city to
get an education and hopefully one day get into college. Upon arriving
in the big city, he is awestruck by Persocoms. (A persocom is a
computer that looks like a human with weird ears.) However, he is too
poor to be able to afford one, so he struggles and finds a job. One
night after work, he comes across a Persocom wrapped up in bandages and
left in the garbage. He takes it home, and after several hours of
trying to activate it, he finally stumbles on it (definitely in an ecchi
place) and finds out that the only thing it can do is say "Chii", so he
decides to name "her" Chii. He eventually gets help from a computer
expert he goes to classes with named Shinbo (who happens to have a
handheld persocom named Sumomo [Plum in the manga]), and with the help
of Shinbo, Sumomo, and others he comes across he learns that Chii is a
special kind of Persocom, and may even be a legendary Chobit. All the
while Hideki struggles with finances and somehow a book series that Chii
got hooked on somehow tells the story of Persocoms and Humans, and
eventually, even the story of Chii and Hideki. This series is
recommended by Geneon to be for 16 & up, and I agree, since there are a
few moments that are ecchi. However the series is innocent enough as
nothing truly dirty happens in it. Released by Geneon in North
America.
[Entry by Bill Martin]
CHRONICLES OF THE HEROIC KNIGHT: see RECORD OF LODOSS WAR
COMBUSTIBLE CAMPUS GUARDRESS: see BAKUEN CAMPUS GUARDRESS
COWBOY BEBOP: A jazzy group of bounty hunters meet up and travel
the galaxy. Lots of great individual episodes as well as a main
storyline running through them all. Sharp animation that shows how
well the hand drawn and computer mixed can look. Great music and even
the dub is actually pretty good. Instant classic which appeals to a
wide audience, otaku and non-otaku alike. Available from Bandai in
North America, or Madman in Australia.
[Entry by Shawn Granger]
CREST OF THE STARS: CotS (a.k.a. SeiMon from "Seikai no Monshou") is
a
hard sci-fi story set amidst an era of interplanetary empires and
galaxy-spanning war. Humanity has colonized the stars, and the
resulting new order has become one of vast, conflicting empires. The
male lead is the son of a free planet's president who "sold out" his
people to the ABH empire when they came to invade. Now nobility himself
and all but deprived of friends, family, and homeland, Jinto must enter
the ABH military in the hopes of eventually assuming his rightful place
in the nobility. His first contact with the genetically enhanced ABH is
Lafille, a *very* special young woman whose identity and significance to
the political fabric of the empire becomes only gradually apparent.
The show hits all the bases: politics, deeply imagined culture and
futuristic technology, action both in person and between space
fleets ... and most importantly character development, as Jinto and
Lafille grow up as individuals while growing together as people. The
chemistry between them is the focal point of the animators for this
show, and they pull it off with style. Visuals aren't bad at all either,
as expected of Bandai's frontline animators at Sunrise.
If you want something fluffy, something with major fanservice,
something hyperkinetic, or can't take serious sci-fi, SeiMon is probably
not the anime for you. If the above description sounds interesting,
however, I recommend picking up the first volume and seeing what you
think. I find it to be one of the best things to happen to sci-fi anime
in years.
Available from Bandai in North America, and Madman in Australia.
[Entry by Mark L. Neidengard]
CRIMSON PIG: see PORCO ROSSO
CRUSHER JOE: Old-style comic-book action from the writers that
later went on to create "Dirty Pair": Feature movie and two OAV
episodes available, from the TV series about team Crusher and their
leader Joe, four mercenaries (and one robot) who'll tackle any job in
the galaxy that needs doing, no matter how impossible... ESPECIALLY if
impossible. Available from AnimEigo.
[Entry by Derek Janssen]
CYBER CITY OEDO 808: In a world dominated by the criminal element,
the forces of law and order turn to setting criminals up to work off
their penalties by becoming unwilling foot soldiers in the march
against crime. Three such criminals are followed in this series, each
with a mission to complete within a given period of time, otherwise a
device locked on their necks will make sure they do not get another
chance. With each successful mission, a portion of their sentences is
erased. (Manga)
[Entry by Chika]
D
DEVIL HUNTER YOHKO (a.k.a. MAMONO HUNTER YOHKO): Mano Yohko is
your average Japanese High-School girl. However, what she doesn't
know is that she's 108th in the line of Devil Hunters, women who must
battle supernatural demons to keep the world safe. Silly more than
scary, and not without the ecchi (sexual) overtones and occasional
violence, this is a fun but fluffy series. No grand concepts, just
silly, occasionally dramatic fun. However, the sex and violence
prevent it from being ideal for the kiddies. 5 episodes plus one tape
of music videos. Subbed. From ADV Films.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
[Parental Advisory: The first OAV *almost* qualifies for inclusion
in the Anime Hentai Primer, because of one scene that is inappropriate
for younger viewers. - Rob Kelk]
DIGIMON: Seven children are suddenly ripped from summer camp to a
strange land which is in danger from the domination of an evil
creature. Coming to their aid are seven creatures that, upon suitable
stimulus, grow and change and gain all sorts of powers. These are the
Digimon (or Digital Monsters). The series is a little drawn as each
enemy defeated reveals another and, in the course of fighting one
particular enemy, an eighth member is added to the group. This series
was dubbed in a number of languages and is shown on TV in the US, UK
and mainland Europe.
[Entry by Chika]
DIRTY PAIR: Humanity has abandoned Earth and spread across the
galaxy, but that doesn't mean there aren't any problems any more. One
of the most successful troubleshooting teams is the "Lovely Angels",
two teenaged girls who have a near-perfect success record. However,
they also have a reputation of blowing up everything they touch (which
isn't fair - only about a third of their missions end with something
being destroyed, and it's never their fault), which has lead to their
unofficial and hated nickname of the "Dirty Pair". Two action series
(the original DIRTY PAIR and the remake DIRTY PAIR FLASH) and a North
American comic series exist, based on the novels by Takachiho Haruka.
More information about the Dirty Pair is available at the website
"Tea Time in Elenore City", <http://www.elenorecity.com/home.html>.
The North American rights to all DIRTY PAIR anime are now owned by
ADV Films, who have released FLASH, the OAVs, and the movies, and have
plans to release the remaining DIRTY PAIR anime. The comics are
available from Dark Horse.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
DNA^2: Series based on Masakazu Katsura's manga of the same name.
Earth is overpopulated in the future, and that's all because of one
guy - the Mega-Playboy, who was irresistible to women, and was the
father of one hundred children, each of them also was a father/mother of
another hundred... you get the picture. But Karin Aoi, a DNA operator
sent to the past to eliminate that threat, found that the Mega-Playboy,
usual Japanese high-school student Junta Momonari, isn't a Mega-Playboy,
moreover, he throws up every time when he see a women in any state
close to nakedness (bikinis and aerobic leotards included), except for
his childhood friend Ami Kurimoto. But Karin discovers this *after*
she shot Junta with DNA Control Medicine... the *wrong* one. So she
turned Junta to Mega-Playboy with her own hands and should convert him
back... but has fallen to his charm too. Only Ami can resist that
charm. Classical romantic comedy, which Katsura is well known for.
But I didn't recommend seeing the last three eps. Because of low rating
show was stopped and those three episodes were released only on video
to end the story and did it so badly...
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]
DOCTOR SLUMP AND ARALE-CHAN: 1981-86 and 1997-99 series by Toei.
It's all about a loony & pervy inventor named Senbe Norimaki and his
creation Arale; a robot girl who's powerful enough to put a crack in the
world and loves playing with turds. They live in the Penguin Village, a
truly bizarre place populated by anthropomorpic animals, aliens,
superheroes, and other odd characters. Arale gets into a lot of
misadventures with her friends Akane, Taro, Psuke, and Ga-chan (a little
angel that eats anything except rubber, and later duplicates itself).
Based on the manga by Akira Toriyama.
Arale, Senbe, and the rest of the Penguin Village appears in
DRAGON BALL during the Red Ribbon storyline. DR. SLUMP is highly
recommended.
[Entry by Andrew Kieswetter]
DOMINION: Two OVA series (4-part "Dominion", available from US
Manga Corps, and 6-part "New Dominion", available from Manga Video)
tell us how hard the life of a SWAT team member in a big city in
near-future Japan could be... especially if you're piloting huge
battle tanks on the narrow streets of Newport City. Based on Masamune
Shirow's manga of the same name, it is a lighthearted and sometimes
twisted police comedy which is definitely worth seeing, even if the
manga is mush better. Some people, however, says it's a bit too
violent (and it's true: in the first episode, tank cops torture a
drug dealer with hand grenades playing golf around him, and title of
Captain Brenten's favourite book is "How to Kill".)
Note: This may be set in the same city and the same time as
Shirow's GHOST IN THE SHELL manga - the Puma sisters, two cyborg-babe
villains in DOMINION, have a cameo appearance in GitS where they fight
with Motoko's fuchikoma.
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]
DRAGON BALL: The first series concerning the adventures of Son
Goku, a strange child who, in his earliest days, possesses a tail.
When he runs into Bulma (or "Bloomers"), he gets involved in the
search for Dragon Balls, mystical stones that, when collected
together, can be used to call forth a magical dragon who can then
grant your hearts' desire. Heavily involved in martial arts, Goku's
main part in all this is to fight off a variety of monsters and other
opponents to gain these balls while learning his fighting skills.
This series was dubbed into a number of languages and has been shown
on TV in mainland Europe and the US.
[Entry by Chika]
DRAGON BALL Z: Moving on from the original Dragon Ball series,
this series opens when Goku's long lost brother, Raditz, shows up on
Earth during a reunion party and declares that he intends to destroy
the planet. The ensuing battle is the first of many that Goku and his
son Gohan have to deal with, including the discovery of Piccolo's home
planet and the destructive battles with Freeza there as well as the
intervention on Earth by future son Trunks, the android wars and so
forth. Far more violent than the original series, and the Freeza war
in particular is panned by some for being too long. Again, dubbed for
TV in Europe and the US as well as UK, where it started Toonami on
Cartoon Network there.
[Entry by Chika]
DRAGON HALF: Absolutely whacked comedy playing off everything from
fairy tale world to "idol singers". Lots of visual gags, lots of
nuttiness, lots of fun. Note: this is a *very* disorienting title to
many viewers because the style of animation frequently shifts to
punctuate the gags; some people even find it difficult to connect the
character in one frame drawn in 'realistic' style to the same
character in the next frame, drawn in a deliberately crude, cartoony
style. If you want a hilarious hour of goofy humor, however, you
really should check this out. Note: Only two OAVs were ever produced
in Japan, and they are released domestically on a single tape or DVD.
Available from ADV Films.
[Entry by Antaeus Feldspar]
DUAL! PARALLEL TROUBLE ADVENTURE: AIC's parody on Evangelion.
That says it all. "Shinji" who's willing to fight, "Gendo", who is
caring father of... "Asuka", and a very good person himself, dozens of
other related gags, mixed with a parallel world motif and AIC's
special - harem of the main male character. ^_^ On the other side -
an apparently low-budget series with sometimes *very* limited
animation, character designs taken directly from EL HAZARD, and other
bad things. So I can recommend it only to the fans, if you want to
see a good parody and don't mind it's a bit cheap.
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]
(continued in Part 3)
--
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
Subject: 7. Capsule Descriptions of Anime
And now, the descriptions:
3x3 EYES (a.k.a. SAZAN EYES): Pai, the last of a race of three-eye
immortals known as Sanjiyan Unkara, desires to become human. She has
been sent to Yakumo by his late father to obtain an artifact called
the Ningun No Zou or Statue of Humanity which is needed to accomplish
this. Unfortunately, one of her demon friends is let loose and Yakumo
is mortally wounded in the resulting chaos. To save Yakumo she pulls
his soul into her, turning him into a Wu (an undead-like immortal).
To become human again, Yakumo must help Pai become human.
Unfortunately there are others who want the Ningun No Zou, the
immortality of being Wu, or Pai herself. Complicating matters is that
Pai has a totally different personality when her third eye manifests.
The North American DVD release by Geneon combines the two OVAs
"Immortal" and "Legend of the Divine Demon". 3x3 EYES is available in
Australia from Madman.
PARENTAL ADVISORY: The "Immortal" OVA has several violent gorish
scenes - Yakumo gets badly beaten several times and his hand is chopped
off. His girlfriend is used as a hostage during which she is painfully
attacked from the inside by a demon. "Legend of the Divine Demon" is
far
less gory, though there is the death of Yakumo's mentor, a blind Tibetan
priest.
Detailed web page is at <http://www.sazan.net/digest/>
[Entry by Bruce Grubb]
801 T.T.S. AIRBATS (a.k.a. AOZORA SHOUJOTAI): A series based
around a female aerobatic team within the Japanese Air Self Defense
Force, made up of misfits including a gambling addict, an airhead, a
pilot with a major chip stuck on her shoulder and another that is
always at war with her. Oh yes, and one rookie airplane and mecha nut
with whom both of the latter two pilots are besotted with. Available
from ADV Films in North America and Madman in Australia.
[Entry by Chika]
A
ABENOBASHI MAHOU SHOUTENGAI (a.k.a. MAGICAL SHOPPING ARCADE
ABENOBASHI): 11-year-old friends Satoshi "Sasshi" Imamiya and Ayumi
Asahina are bemoaning the fact that their Osaka neighbourhood is now
decaying, and wondering about the animal statues on top of some of the
shops. When Arumi's grandfather accidentally knocks down the pelican
statue on top of his restaurant, things get trippy for the two kids, and
they end up in various re-settings of their neighbourhood, based on a
different theme in each show (i.e. sword and sorcery, China, outer
space), where parodies of examples of the genres follow, frequently at
blur speed. Add dashes of juvenile humour here and there (including a
young woman appropriately named Mune-Mune, who supplies the fan
service), plus the odd touching moment, blend, and serve. A
collaboration between Gainax and scriptwriter Akahori Satoru (SABER
MARIONETTE J, SORCEROR HUNTERS and MON COLLE KNIGHTS, among many
others).
[Entry by David Watson]
AD POLICE FILES: This series chronicles the (mis-)adventures of AD
Police rookie Leon and his colleagues as they defend the near-future
cyberpunk city of MegaTokyo (and sometimes themselves) from boomers -
humanish androids. There are three episodes, each with a different
plot line, but each asking the same question - what happens when the
line between man and machine blurs? Forewarned, this series is
extremely dark, violent, gory and sexual. Therefore I do not
recommend it for anyone under 17 years old unless they are very
mature. Well drawn and animated, and certainly engaging to watch. If
you liked Bladerunner, you might like this series. Three episodes.
Subbed. From AnimEigo in North America and Madman in Australia.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
[NOTE: There is a recent remake titled AD POLICE, that has been
released by ADV Films in North America. The FAQ maintainer has not
yet seen the remake, and nobody else has yet written a capsule
description of the show. - Rob Kelk]
ADVENTURES OF THE MINI-GODDESSES: Loosely based on a series of
four-panel comic strips that themselves were loosely based on Kosuke
Fujishima's AH MEGAMI-SAMA story, this is a series of short (five- to
seven-minute) episodes featuring cute versions of Urd and Skuld as
they have adventures with Gan-chan, a rat that lives in the temple.
Belldandy sometimes gets in on the fun, too (although not as often,
because her original seiyuu was unavailable when the earliest episodes
were made). While some of the episodes have educational content, most
are simply excuses to tell silly stories from the four-panel comic
strip (such as the "Let's Make a Band" storyline), or parodying
popular Japanese culture (such as the "Gan-chan becomes Godzilla"
stories).
There's little if any serious meaning to this series, but it's
ideal for the times when you're too tired or rushed to watch something
that takes itself too seriously.
Geneon has released this series on DVD in North America.
(See also OH MY GODDESS! and AH MY GODDESS!)
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
AH! MY GODDESS: Set later in the AH MEGAMI-SAMA storyline than the
OH MY GODDESS! OAV series, this movie tells the story of Belldandy's
mentor Celestin and his attempt to go against the will of Kami-sama
for the sake of love. One of the side-effects of Celestin's actions
causes Belldandy to lose her memory, so the goddesses and Keiichi have
two problems to solve at the same time.
This is quite possibly the best animated AH MEGAMI-SAMA story yet.
All of the characters are shown as they are in Kosuke Fujishima's
manga, as opposed to the caricatures of Belldandy and Keiichi in the
OAV series, and the plotline is reminiscent of Fujishima's best work.
(The only real problem some people have with the movie is that Mara
once again doesn't make an appearance, but, given the subject matter,
there's really no logical way for her to have been in the story.)
This movie is available in North America on DVD from Geneon, and
in Australia from Madman.
(See also OH MY GODDESS! and ADVENTURES OF THE MINI-GODDESSES.)
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
AH MEGAMI-SAMA: see OH MY GODDESS!, AH MY GODDESS! and ADVENTURES
OF THE MINI-GODDESSES.
AIM FOR THE TOP!: see GUNBUSTER
AISHITERUZE BEIBE (a.k.a. LOVE YA BABY): Kippei is a lackadaisical
high-schooler, popular with the girls but not ready for commitment. One
day he arrives home to find his young cousin, five-year-old Yuzuyu-chan
there. Her mother has abandoned her and the family decide Kippei should
be the one to look after her. Thus begins a story of responsibility and
maturity on Kippei's part and a chance for stability and happiness for
Yuzuyu-chan.
Like fungus, this anime grows on you. Yuzuyu behaves like a real
five-year-old, scared by her mother's disappearance, comforted by
Kippei-onii-chan, making friends at the kindergarten. There is a little
drama; Kippei becomes the focus of a stalker and Yuzuyu gets caught up
in the action, but mostly this is Kippei learning that actions have
consequences and Yuzuyu learning that she is still loved and her
mother's disappearance was not her fault.
Kuzuhara Miyu, Yuzuyu's seiyuu, makes her sound like a real
five-year-old. The animation quality is not very high but carries the
story adequately. The OP and ED songs are catchy and addictive,
matching the upbeat mood of the series.
This series is still unlicensed and is being fansubbed by Lunar anime
and a.f.k.
[Entry by Robert "nojay" Sneddon]
AKIRA: An adaptation of a longer manga work, the story (as far as
the anime is concerned) surrounds a gang, in particular the leader,
Kaneda, and his friend, Tetsuo, and a secret government/military project
to tap the psychic abilities of children. Tetsuo encounters a "child"
from these experiments and soon after starts to exhibit some abilities
of his own following his abduction by the military. Kaneda is caught up
in the events that follow as first he tries to find his friend and find
out what has happened to him, then has to battle with Tetsuo as his new
found powers start to run out of control. Who is Akira? A question
that runs through the whole convoluted plot but, to find out, Tetsuo
risks himself, his friends and the whole city.
The production was masterminded by Katsuhiro Otomo, and has been
touted as one of the best productions of its type, having won awards
around the world. However people that are fans of the manga series
should be aware of the compacted nature of the production. There is
also one attempted rape scene.
Originally released in the US by Streamline Pictures, later licenced
to Geneon (aka Pioneer). In Australia this is available from Madman, in
the UK it is available from Manga Video.
[Entry by Chika]
ALL PURPOSE CULTURAL CAT-GIRL NUKU-NUKU: The Mishima Heavy
Industries corporation wants its prototype android back, to use as a
war machine. Lady Akiko, head of Mishima, wants to take her son
Ryuunosuke from her ex-husband - preferably by force. Ryuunosuke, on
the run with his brilliant and eccentric father, just wants the
friendly kitten he finds on Christmas Eve. When it all comes
together, the result is "Nuku Nuku" Natsume - the brain of a cat, the
appearance of a lovely schoolgirl, and the raw power of a war machine,
living with Ryuunosuke and 'Papa-san' as Ryuunosuke's sister and the
family's protector.
The original six OAV series is nicely animated, delightful
action-comedy. The TV series that followed kept most of the same
characters but changed the situations heavily, and is reported to have
suffered from a Monster-of-the-Week plot. The later OAV series, "Nuku
Nuku Dash," not only changed the situations but changed Nuku Nuku's
character design and her personality from bubbly and upbeat to teary,
and is generally considered disappointing by fans.
[Entry by Antaeus Feldspar]
[The first OAV series is available from ADV Films. - Rob Kelk]
ANGEL LINKS: The second show in Sunrise's "Toward Stars" universe,
but nowhere near as wide in scope as its sister series OUTLAW STAR,
ANGEL LINKS tells the story of Li Meifon, a teenager who is named heir
to a large interplanetary corporation on the condition that she operate
a pirate-hunting service for free. This seems simple enough on the
surface, but why does Meifon already have a grave marker?
This is science-fantasy space opera, but not quite in the same vein
as its sister show - the scope is much smaller than what's shown in
OUTLAW STAR. It's also half the length of the previous series, mainly
because the writers didn't have to explain everything to the audience.
ANGEL LINKS is available as a four-DVD box set from Bandai in North
America.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
ANGELIC LAYER: Mizaki Suzuhara is moving to Tokyo. Upon arriving at
the train station, she gets lost (it's her first time in Tokyo) and
wanders outside, where she witnesses a battle that wows her on a
gigantic screen. It turns out that the battle was part of Angelic
Layer, a game that's very popular. She gets drawn into the game and
goes on a wild adventure. This series has something for everyone, from
the comedic wiggly-squiggly Icchan, to more heart-felt moments, and even
intense battles. So go out now, and see the series that one of the
voice actresses calls "DRAGON BALL Z for Girls!" Available from ADV
films.
[Entry by Bill Martin]
AOZORA SHOUJOTAI: see 801 T.T.S. AIRBATS
ARJUNA: see EARTH GIRL ARJUNA
ARMITAGE III: In the future, mankind has terraformed and settled
Mars. We've also developed a line of human-like androids with
designations of "first," "second" and "third". Ross Sylabus, a police
detective from Earth with an antipathy for androids, has transferred
to Mars. What he finds there is a political conspiracy that covers
two planets and involves his colleague, the child-like female
detective Armitage. Well drawn and animated, with moments of both
levity and action. Some violence. Four episodes, or one movie which
is the episodes edited together with some omissions. Subbed and
dubbed both available. From Geneon in North America, and Madman in
Australia.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
[There is also a sequel movie ARMITAGE III - DUAL-MATRIX, which
contains spoilers for the original ARMITAGE III story. A review of
this movie is being written. - Rob Kelk]
ARSLAN SENKI (a.k.a. THE HEROIC LEGEND OF ARSLAN): 5 part OAV
running approximately 4 hours total. Slow paced historical fiction.
The kingdom of Pars is overrun by a neighboring kingdom, with inside
help. The king is imprisoned and it's up to the young prince and his
loyal retainers to win the kingdom back. The story is more sword and
political intrigue than it is sword and sorcery, not much fighting, no
comedy, full of shoujo-esque character designs, and is unfinished, the
remainder of the story is available in novel or manga form. Original
novels by the same author as LEGEND OF GALACTIC HEROES. DVD box set
includes all OAVs. By U.S. Manga Corps.
[Entry by MimiE]
ASH WINGS ALLIANCE: see HAIBANE RENMEI
ASTRO BOY (originally TETSUWAN ATOMU / MIGHTY ATOM): The first real
Japanese anime TV series aired in 1963, Astro Boy was made by the
anime "God" Osamu Tezuka. It is a story of a little robot boy, who
ages and becomes mature through the series. It was the first anime
which featured familiar things such as continuous story and plot for
the entire series, character development, and so on. And remember, it
was the first TV anime series!
(This description refers to the original series, not the later
remake.)
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]
AURA BATTLER DUNBINE: Motorcycle racer Show Zama is pulled into an
alternate world where he is drafted as an Aura Battler. An Aura Battler
is a person from Upper Earth (our world) that has the aura power to
control the insect-like mechs this world uses to fight its wars. While
the natives can also drive these things they cannot do so with the
proficiency of Upper Earthers. Show finds himself involved in a war of
conquest led by Drake Luft and soon decides he's on the wrong side.
It's quite an epic from the man who gave the world GUNDAM.
Licenced by ADV Films.
[Entry by Kyle Thomas Pope]
AZUMANGA DAIOH: Popular 26 episode comedy series which follows the
fortunes of seven girls, two teachers, and one dog through the three
years of senior high school. Much of the story centres on Chiyo-chan,
a ten year old genius who has been put in their class and whose
combination of cuteness and superior academic ability inspires
ambivalent feelings amongst her considerably older classmates. Each
character is sharply defined and a lot of the humour arises from our
anticipation of their inevitable behaviour, from the narcoleptic Osaka
who lives in a dream to the manic Tomo whose hijinks go a little too
far. The animation is minimal and at times repetitive, but the images
are beautifully drawn with a refreshing look and equally good background
music.
Note: the AZUMANGA DAIOH "Movie" is actually just a five minute
widescreen short which reworks a few scenes from the series.
[Entry by Shez]
B
BAKUEN CAMPUS GUARDRESS (a.k.a. COMBUSTIBLE CAMPUS GUARDRESS or
CAMPUS GUARDRESS): Girl is sister to boy who is the reincarnation of
a man whom the girl's previous incarnation loved. He died last time
saving the world for evil monsters from another dimension who are bent
on world conquest. And now it's happening all over again. How will
the girl ever manage to save her brother and the world at the same
time, how will she deal with her incestful feelings for her brother,
and how can she deal with her mother making moves on her boy?
This is a bimodal show with characters and input from Hagiwara, the
author of BASTARD! DESTRUCTIVE GOD OF DARKNESS. As such, it is a
combination of the sublime and the profane in a very cute mix. The
attack names are a wonderful throwback to some of the spells in
BASTARD!, and have such names as "Thousand Slices of Radish Attack" or
"Puppy Dog Attack".
If you liked BASTARD!, you'll like this one.
[Entry by Anand Chelian]
BASTARD!: It was an age of lawlessness
Of disorder and Chaos
Blood and steel, flesh and bone
An age of Magic
The four kingdoms are under siege from the evil dark armies of
Chaos. The only one who can save them is the evil wizard who nearly
conquered the world 15 years ago.
BASTARD!!
A tale of sorcery and combat, of scantily clad maidens and a more
scantily clad hero. *High Shonen Fantasy at its most extreme. Enter a
world of action, excitement, danger, and ... laundry.
[Entry by "Akodo Bob"]
BATTLE ANGEL (a.k.a. GUNNM): The Scrapyard is the name given to a
large decaying city that exists due to the garbage dumped from the
floating city above it, named Zalem. Humans, androids and cyborgs
live in this dark and dirty place, all intermingling. Living with
each other, trading with each other, sometime mugging each other.
Ido, A brilliant cyber-doctor, discovers the wreckage of an
extraordinary cyborg in one of the city's junk piles, and restores it
to full health with his skills. She has no memory of her past, so he
names her Gally and raises her as his own daughter. However, there is
more to her than meets the eye... Good artwork and animation. From
the much-acclaimed manga of the same name by Yukito Kishiro. Contains
violence, gore, nudity. Was dubbed and subbed from ADV Films, but is
no longer available in North America (possibly due to an expired
license). However, BATTLE ANGEL is still listed in the Madman
catalog, so Australians can still obtain this anime.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick, edited by Rob Kelk]
BATTLE ATHLETES VICTORY: BATTLE ATHLETES VICTORY chronicles the
trials of a 15 year old athlete, Akari Kanzaki. Akari's dream is to
become the Cosmo Beauty, the title given each year to the greatest
athlete in the Solar System. The title is fought for at the
University Satellite, a space station that orbits Earth. Akari lives
in the shadow of her mother, Tomoe Midoh, who was widely regarded as
the greatest Cosmo Beauty ever. Akari's journey begins at a training
school in Antarctica, but stretches past the University Satellite ...
Available on DVD and VHS from Geneon.
[Entry by Matt Huber]
BATTLE SKIPPER: A new intake and the usual scrap for the best by
the school hobby clubs, but three young girls end up taking the fast
track into the secret world of one particular club, a cover for some
pretty heavyweight mecha in the usual clash of good bot meets bad
bot... apparently the folk who did PLASTIC LITTLE had much to do with
this title. (CPM/USMC)
[Entry by Chika]
BIGWARS: Man has colonised Mars and an alien race doesn't much
care for that. This is a tale of Man's struggle against the odds as
the alien, who styles itself as a kind of god, uses awesome weapons to
beat back the expansionist humans. It's now down to one last
chance... (CPM/USMC)
[Entry by Chika]
BLACK MAGIC M66: A side story to Masamune Shirow's manga BLACK
MAGIC, this movie tells the story of one of the first combat androids
ever built. Unfortunately, the military scientist who designed it
used his daughter as the test subject for the android to target. Even
more unfortunately, the android has escaped from the aircraft
transporting it from the test facility... If you liked "The
Terminator", you'll probably like M66. The anime is available from
Manga Video, and the collected comic is available from Dark Horse.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
BLACKJACK: He's called Blackjack, and he is a practitioner of
"underground surgery". A Tezuka character of old, in this story he is
caught up in a mystery concerning the appearance of "Super Humans",
and the lethal secret behind it. Blackjack is based around a manga
where he is a character that appears, performs surgery that no
legitimate surgeon would consider, charges high fees for it then
vanishes. Released by Manga in North America, and Madman in Australia.
[Entry by Chika]
BLUE SONNET: There have been many stories about making a humanoid
"ultimate weapon". This is one of those, in that Sonnet is a cyborg
that has awesome psychokinetic powers. However it is known to her
creator that somewhere out there is an even greater power lying
dormant. In fact the person in question becomes a classmate of
Sonnet's. While this girl discovers her hidden power, Sonnet
discovers her lost humanity in a background of corporate domination.
(USMC)
[Entry by Chika]
BLUE SUBMARINE #6: The world is at war with aliens. Most of the
world is covered in water. But not everything is as it seems. There
is a lot of action in this series and some interesting twists. It's a
combination of hand drawn and computer animation which in my opinion
worked nicely. The episodes are short and only one episode per DVD.
Still cheaper than the old way of buying a dub and a sub version of
the VHS, but in today's DVD age it seems a bit expensive. An single
disk is also available with the violence edited out. Available from
Bandai in North America, and from Siren in Australia.
[Entry by Shawn Granger]
BOTTLE FAIRIES (a.k.a. BINZUME YOSEI): Based on Yuiko Tokumi's
"reader-participation manga" in Magi-Cu Premium magazine, this thirteen
episode TV series was fansubbed by the Hikari no Kiseki group. It tells
the month-by-month adventures of four tiny naive fairy girls, Sarara,
Kururu, Chiriri and Hororo who live in glass jars on the desk of Sensei-
san, a young college student. Each show covers a month in Japanese life
with the fairies learning about what it is to be human, assisted by
Loose Cannon Tama-chan, their highly-opinionated six-year-old neighbour
who is *never* wrong.
In the wrong hands this could have been saccharine beyond belief but
the scripts and storylines bely the basic idea and make each episode
delightful as the girls use their imagination to try and figure out the
world. The equally-delightful ending songs are sung by the fairy
seiyuus, with a different seiyuu and song for the three shows in each
"season".
Official manga website: <http://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~hakka-ya/>
Official anime website: <http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/binzume/>
[Entry by Robert Sneddon]
BROTHER, DEAR BROTHER: see ONIISAMA E
BUBBLEGUM CRISIS: A classic cyberpunk tale of a corporation gone
rotten and a group of hi-tech vigilantes that seek to bring the worse
elements and deeds of that corporation under control.
Mega-Tokyo is a corporate town built on and around the ruins of Tokyo
which was mostly destroyed some years before the story opens by an
earthquake. The corporation that helped to rebuild the town is Genom, a
multi-national that, among other things, builds "Boomers". These
robotic creatures are used for both good and evil, and where the latter
is involved, the Knight Sabers will tackle them, especially as their
leader, Sylia, has a past connection with these creatures.
Often praised for its musical content and some of the designs, the
show is seen as styled after the US movie "Blade Runner", and continues
to have a following many years after the show was completed, though it
has produced spin off shows including AD POLICE, BUBBLEGUM CRASH and
BUBBLEGUM CRISIS TOKYO 2040.
Available in the US from AnimEigo, in Australia from Madman.
Originally available from Anime Projects in the UK, now licenced to MVM.
[Entry by Chika]
BUBBLEGUM CRISIS TOKYO 2040: BGC2040 is a 26-episode TV series
that "borrows" certain elements from the original BUBBLEGUM CRISIS,
but changes them enough to make it an alternative retelling of the
original story. The basic concept is the same: Four women use
powered armor to fight a secret war against renegade androids
(Boomers) and the shady corporation who makes them (Genom). Some
things (such as Priss being a biker chick and singer of a rock band)
remain the same from the original series, but most other aspects are
completely different, ranging from the personalities of the characters
to the nature of the technology they use. As a result, the show has a
different feel than its predecessor - at times it feels more like
EVANGELION than BLADE RUNNER. Many (but not all) fans of the original
series dislike this show intensely. Much of the criticism has to do
with certain plot twists that strike some as implausible. However,
BGC2040 has its own fans as well. It's probably best to judge the
show on its own, rather than comparing it against its famous
predecessor. Available from ADV Films in North America, and Madman in
Australia.
[Entry by Scott Fujimoto]
BURN UP W: Surrounding a group of specially selected (female)
police who, when called into action, display special skills (and a lot
more in those inevitable skin tight costumes!) This series runs
through a number of side plots but is essentially concerned with an
underworld plot to control the minds of various powerful folk using an
addictive device. Available from ADV Films in North America, and
Madman in Australia.
[Entry by Chika]
C
CAMPUS GUARDRESS: see BAKUEN CAMPUS GUARDRESS
CARDCAPTOR SAKURA (a.k.a. CARDCAPTORS): A sweet and charming
'magical girl' show by the popular CLAMP team, built on the framework
of a collectable card game. 4th grader Kinomoto Sakura accidentally
releases a number of magical cards from an ancient book. With the aid
of the cards' guardian, Keroberos, who appears as a winged toy bear,
and her adoring girlfriend Tomoyo, Sakura must recapture the cards and
return them to their book, using the captured cards' powers to help
her. Complications ensue with the appearance of other seekers of the
cards. CARDCAPTOR SAKURA is as much about the joys, vicissitudes and
perplexities of growing up, of what friendship really means, of how to
be brave in the face of danger, as it is about its frame story of the
chase after magical cards. As with all CLAMP shows, the character and
costume designs are utterly charming, and as with all CLAMP shows,
there are hints of homoeroticism.
This show is commercially available in the US (from Geneon) in two
formats: 'Cardcaptor Sakura' has Japanese language and English
subtitles only, and has not been edited for content; 'Cardcaptors',
with an English dub only, is the version that was shown on American
TV, and is heavily edited. Only the latter is available in Australia
(from Madman).
[Entry by Slithy Tove]
CARRIED BY THE WIND: see TSUKIKAGE RAN
CASTLE IN THE SKY: see LAPUTA
CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO: see the entry for LUPIN III
CAT-GIRL NUKU-NUKU: see ALL PURPOSE CULTURAL CAT-GIRL NUKU-NUKU
CHAR'S COUNTERATTACK: see GUNDAM
CHARCOAL FEATHERS FEDERATION: see HAIBANE RENMEI
A CHINESE GHOST STORY: A naive tax collector is surprised to find
that he was assigned to work in the land of ghosts and spirits. Too
late, he already fell in love with a beautiful ghost who wants to
harvest his soul for her mistress. He can resist her spell and wins
her love, but now the two lovers find themselves in the middle of a
battle between the three best ghostbusters of the land. Loosely based
on the same Chinese fairy tale as the popular live-action Hong Kong
movie of the same name. Beautiful character design and 2D animation,
badly mixed with ugly, overdone 3D computer graphics that brings down
the overall experience. Yet the great (very Chinese) humour and a
cute story save the film.
[Entry by Hanno Mueller]
CHOBITS: (Review written after 16 episodes & all 8 manga volumes in
North America) A country boy, Hideki Motosuwa, moves to the big city to
get an education and hopefully one day get into college. Upon arriving
in the big city, he is awestruck by Persocoms. (A persocom is a
computer that looks like a human with weird ears.) However, he is too
poor to be able to afford one, so he struggles and finds a job. One
night after work, he comes across a Persocom wrapped up in bandages and
left in the garbage. He takes it home, and after several hours of
trying to activate it, he finally stumbles on it (definitely in an ecchi
place) and finds out that the only thing it can do is say "Chii", so he
decides to name "her" Chii. He eventually gets help from a computer
expert he goes to classes with named Shinbo (who happens to have a
handheld persocom named Sumomo [Plum in the manga]), and with the help
of Shinbo, Sumomo, and others he comes across he learns that Chii is a
special kind of Persocom, and may even be a legendary Chobit. All the
while Hideki struggles with finances and somehow a book series that Chii
got hooked on somehow tells the story of Persocoms and Humans, and
eventually, even the story of Chii and Hideki. This series is
recommended by Geneon to be for 16 & up, and I agree, since there are a
few moments that are ecchi. However the series is innocent enough as
nothing truly dirty happens in it. Released by Geneon in North
America.
[Entry by Bill Martin]
CHRONICLES OF THE HEROIC KNIGHT: see RECORD OF LODOSS WAR
COMBUSTIBLE CAMPUS GUARDRESS: see BAKUEN CAMPUS GUARDRESS
COWBOY BEBOP: A jazzy group of bounty hunters meet up and travel
the galaxy. Lots of great individual episodes as well as a main
storyline running through them all. Sharp animation that shows how
well the hand drawn and computer mixed can look. Great music and even
the dub is actually pretty good. Instant classic which appeals to a
wide audience, otaku and non-otaku alike. Available from Bandai in
North America, or Madman in Australia.
[Entry by Shawn Granger]
CREST OF THE STARS: CotS (a.k.a. SeiMon from "Seikai no Monshou") is
a
hard sci-fi story set amidst an era of interplanetary empires and
galaxy-spanning war. Humanity has colonized the stars, and the
resulting new order has become one of vast, conflicting empires. The
male lead is the son of a free planet's president who "sold out" his
people to the ABH empire when they came to invade. Now nobility himself
and all but deprived of friends, family, and homeland, Jinto must enter
the ABH military in the hopes of eventually assuming his rightful place
in the nobility. His first contact with the genetically enhanced ABH is
Lafille, a *very* special young woman whose identity and significance to
the political fabric of the empire becomes only gradually apparent.
The show hits all the bases: politics, deeply imagined culture and
futuristic technology, action both in person and between space
fleets ... and most importantly character development, as Jinto and
Lafille grow up as individuals while growing together as people. The
chemistry between them is the focal point of the animators for this
show, and they pull it off with style. Visuals aren't bad at all either,
as expected of Bandai's frontline animators at Sunrise.
If you want something fluffy, something with major fanservice,
something hyperkinetic, or can't take serious sci-fi, SeiMon is probably
not the anime for you. If the above description sounds interesting,
however, I recommend picking up the first volume and seeing what you
think. I find it to be one of the best things to happen to sci-fi anime
in years.
Available from Bandai in North America, and Madman in Australia.
[Entry by Mark L. Neidengard]
CRIMSON PIG: see PORCO ROSSO
CRUSHER JOE: Old-style comic-book action from the writers that
later went on to create "Dirty Pair": Feature movie and two OAV
episodes available, from the TV series about team Crusher and their
leader Joe, four mercenaries (and one robot) who'll tackle any job in
the galaxy that needs doing, no matter how impossible... ESPECIALLY if
impossible. Available from AnimEigo.
[Entry by Derek Janssen]
CYBER CITY OEDO 808: In a world dominated by the criminal element,
the forces of law and order turn to setting criminals up to work off
their penalties by becoming unwilling foot soldiers in the march
against crime. Three such criminals are followed in this series, each
with a mission to complete within a given period of time, otherwise a
device locked on their necks will make sure they do not get another
chance. With each successful mission, a portion of their sentences is
erased. (Manga)
[Entry by Chika]
D
DEVIL HUNTER YOHKO (a.k.a. MAMONO HUNTER YOHKO): Mano Yohko is
your average Japanese High-School girl. However, what she doesn't
know is that she's 108th in the line of Devil Hunters, women who must
battle supernatural demons to keep the world safe. Silly more than
scary, and not without the ecchi (sexual) overtones and occasional
violence, this is a fun but fluffy series. No grand concepts, just
silly, occasionally dramatic fun. However, the sex and violence
prevent it from being ideal for the kiddies. 5 episodes plus one tape
of music videos. Subbed. From ADV Films.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
[Parental Advisory: The first OAV *almost* qualifies for inclusion
in the Anime Hentai Primer, because of one scene that is inappropriate
for younger viewers. - Rob Kelk]
DIGIMON: Seven children are suddenly ripped from summer camp to a
strange land which is in danger from the domination of an evil
creature. Coming to their aid are seven creatures that, upon suitable
stimulus, grow and change and gain all sorts of powers. These are the
Digimon (or Digital Monsters). The series is a little drawn as each
enemy defeated reveals another and, in the course of fighting one
particular enemy, an eighth member is added to the group. This series
was dubbed in a number of languages and is shown on TV in the US, UK
and mainland Europe.
[Entry by Chika]
DIRTY PAIR: Humanity has abandoned Earth and spread across the
galaxy, but that doesn't mean there aren't any problems any more. One
of the most successful troubleshooting teams is the "Lovely Angels",
two teenaged girls who have a near-perfect success record. However,
they also have a reputation of blowing up everything they touch (which
isn't fair - only about a third of their missions end with something
being destroyed, and it's never their fault), which has lead to their
unofficial and hated nickname of the "Dirty Pair". Two action series
(the original DIRTY PAIR and the remake DIRTY PAIR FLASH) and a North
American comic series exist, based on the novels by Takachiho Haruka.
More information about the Dirty Pair is available at the website
"Tea Time in Elenore City", <http://www.elenorecity.com/home.html>.
The North American rights to all DIRTY PAIR anime are now owned by
ADV Films, who have released FLASH, the OAVs, and the movies, and have
plans to release the remaining DIRTY PAIR anime. The comics are
available from Dark Horse.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
DNA^2: Series based on Masakazu Katsura's manga of the same name.
Earth is overpopulated in the future, and that's all because of one
guy - the Mega-Playboy, who was irresistible to women, and was the
father of one hundred children, each of them also was a father/mother of
another hundred... you get the picture. But Karin Aoi, a DNA operator
sent to the past to eliminate that threat, found that the Mega-Playboy,
usual Japanese high-school student Junta Momonari, isn't a Mega-Playboy,
moreover, he throws up every time when he see a women in any state
close to nakedness (bikinis and aerobic leotards included), except for
his childhood friend Ami Kurimoto. But Karin discovers this *after*
she shot Junta with DNA Control Medicine... the *wrong* one. So she
turned Junta to Mega-Playboy with her own hands and should convert him
back... but has fallen to his charm too. Only Ami can resist that
charm. Classical romantic comedy, which Katsura is well known for.
But I didn't recommend seeing the last three eps. Because of low rating
show was stopped and those three episodes were released only on video
to end the story and did it so badly...
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]
DOCTOR SLUMP AND ARALE-CHAN: 1981-86 and 1997-99 series by Toei.
It's all about a loony & pervy inventor named Senbe Norimaki and his
creation Arale; a robot girl who's powerful enough to put a crack in the
world and loves playing with turds. They live in the Penguin Village, a
truly bizarre place populated by anthropomorpic animals, aliens,
superheroes, and other odd characters. Arale gets into a lot of
misadventures with her friends Akane, Taro, Psuke, and Ga-chan (a little
angel that eats anything except rubber, and later duplicates itself).
Based on the manga by Akira Toriyama.
Arale, Senbe, and the rest of the Penguin Village appears in
DRAGON BALL during the Red Ribbon storyline. DR. SLUMP is highly
recommended.
[Entry by Andrew Kieswetter]
DOMINION: Two OVA series (4-part "Dominion", available from US
Manga Corps, and 6-part "New Dominion", available from Manga Video)
tell us how hard the life of a SWAT team member in a big city in
near-future Japan could be... especially if you're piloting huge
battle tanks on the narrow streets of Newport City. Based on Masamune
Shirow's manga of the same name, it is a lighthearted and sometimes
twisted police comedy which is definitely worth seeing, even if the
manga is mush better. Some people, however, says it's a bit too
violent (and it's true: in the first episode, tank cops torture a
drug dealer with hand grenades playing golf around him, and title of
Captain Brenten's favourite book is "How to Kill".)
Note: This may be set in the same city and the same time as
Shirow's GHOST IN THE SHELL manga - the Puma sisters, two cyborg-babe
villains in DOMINION, have a cameo appearance in GitS where they fight
with Motoko's fuchikoma.
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]
DRAGON BALL: The first series concerning the adventures of Son
Goku, a strange child who, in his earliest days, possesses a tail.
When he runs into Bulma (or "Bloomers"), he gets involved in the
search for Dragon Balls, mystical stones that, when collected
together, can be used to call forth a magical dragon who can then
grant your hearts' desire. Heavily involved in martial arts, Goku's
main part in all this is to fight off a variety of monsters and other
opponents to gain these balls while learning his fighting skills.
This series was dubbed into a number of languages and has been shown
on TV in mainland Europe and the US.
[Entry by Chika]
DRAGON BALL Z: Moving on from the original Dragon Ball series,
this series opens when Goku's long lost brother, Raditz, shows up on
Earth during a reunion party and declares that he intends to destroy
the planet. The ensuing battle is the first of many that Goku and his
son Gohan have to deal with, including the discovery of Piccolo's home
planet and the destructive battles with Freeza there as well as the
intervention on Earth by future son Trunks, the android wars and so
forth. Far more violent than the original series, and the Freeza war
in particular is panned by some for being too long. Again, dubbed for
TV in Europe and the US as well as UK, where it started Toonami on
Cartoon Network there.
[Entry by Chika]
DRAGON HALF: Absolutely whacked comedy playing off everything from
fairy tale world to "idol singers". Lots of visual gags, lots of
nuttiness, lots of fun. Note: this is a *very* disorienting title to
many viewers because the style of animation frequently shifts to
punctuate the gags; some people even find it difficult to connect the
character in one frame drawn in 'realistic' style to the same
character in the next frame, drawn in a deliberately crude, cartoony
style. If you want a hilarious hour of goofy humor, however, you
really should check this out. Note: Only two OAVs were ever produced
in Japan, and they are released domestically on a single tape or DVD.
Available from ADV Films.
[Entry by Antaeus Feldspar]
DUAL! PARALLEL TROUBLE ADVENTURE: AIC's parody on Evangelion.
That says it all. "Shinji" who's willing to fight, "Gendo", who is
caring father of... "Asuka", and a very good person himself, dozens of
other related gags, mixed with a parallel world motif and AIC's
special - harem of the main male character. ^_^ On the other side -
an apparently low-budget series with sometimes *very* limited
animation, character designs taken directly from EL HAZARD, and other
bad things. So I can recommend it only to the fans, if you want to
see a good parody and don't mind it's a bit cheap.
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]
(continued in Part 3)
--
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