Rob Kelk
1st July 2004, 05:09 PM
(continued from Part 3)
M
M66: see BLACK MAGIC M66
MACH GO GO GO: see SPEED RACER
MACROSS: Epic sci-fi space opera, influenced by GUNDAM and YAMATO.
In the year 1999, a deserted alien space warship crash lands on the
Earth. The people on Earth spend the next 10 years refurbishing the
spaceship, christening it the Macross. On the day of the Macross'
launching ceremony, the Zentradi, an alien race of humanoid giants,
appears above the Earth to claim the ship. The crew of the Macross
are forced to perform a space fold to escape, unwittingly taking
50,000 civilians with them to the edges of the solar system. With the
fold system mysteriously missing, the Macross is forced to slowly make
its way back to Earth, while constantly being harassed by the pursuing
Zentradi.
Within the backdrop of this war, personal dramas are played out.
Foremost among them is the love triangle that slowly forms between
fighter pilot Ichijyo Hikaru, singer Lynn Minmay, and bridge operator
Hayase Misa. Hikaru saves Minmay's life during the Zentradi attack,
and falls in love with her when the two are accidentally stranded deep
within the bowels of the Macross. But as Minmay's singing career
blossoms and her star rises, he wonders if their worlds are drifting
apart. Hikaru and Misa begin their relationship with almost constant
arguments, but their time together in the line of duty slowly brings
them closer.
MACROSS comprises 36 episodes, and originally aired on TV in Japan
from 1982 to 1983. MACROSS is generally considered a classic, famous
for its transforming Valkyrie mecha and its idol singer, Lynn Minmay.
In the US, it was altered and incorporated into the 1985 ROBOTECH
series as the Macross Saga.
[Entry by Ray Li]
MACROSS: DO YOU REMEMBER LOVE: Set in the MACROSS universe, this
"film in a film" is a brief and somehow distorted retelling of the
original TV series, SDF MACROSS. Any other description will be only a
list of differences from original story.
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]
MADOX-01: A parody of mecha films in which a young lad gets
trapped inside a metal combat suit. The army wants the suit back, and
the hero just wants to keep his date. Available from AnimEigo.
MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH: Season One: Three junior high school
girls, Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuuzaki, and Fuu Hououji meet for the first
time atop Tokyo Tower on a field trip. Suddenly, they find themselves
swept away to a magical world called Cephiro, where one's belief
becomes reality. They are greeted by Clef, the land's most powerful
magician, and are told they have been summoned and can not return to
their world unless they fulfill a legend - they must become the Magic
Knights and save Cephiro.
Princess Emeraude, the Pillar of this peaceful land, has kept it
together using her willpower. However, High Priest Zagato has
captured the Princess and Cephiro has become a place of fear, monsters
have freely roamed the land, and is beginning to fall apart.
Although the threesome's personalities are different - Hikaru is
persistent and has a caring heart for others, Umi is world wise and
loyal, and Fuu uses her smarts to quickly sum up a situation - they
soon become the best of friends and reaffirm their pledge to become
the Legendary Magic Knights and save Cephiro.
They make friends on their quest including Presea, Cephiro's Master
Weaponsmith, who provides the knights with weapons that evolve as
their skills increase, and Ferio, a swordsman with a mysterious past
and unknown motives. They are guided by a cute and whimsical creature
called Mokona in searching of a huge being with unimaginable power to
help them in their ultimate battle.
At every turn, Lord Zagato's minions are determined to prevent the
Magic Knights from fulfilling their quest. The Magic Knights, who
were strangers before they arrived, find they have become the best of
friends in the many battles and trials they faced.
In the end they must face Zagato - during which the Knights meet an
unexpected turn of events and must look into their hearts to save
Cephiro.
Season Two: Following the startling events of Cephiro's ultimate
battle, the Magic Knights find themselves again swept away from Tokyo
Tower to that magical land.
They discover all that remains of Cephiro, which has continued to
crumble, is an enormous castle created by its people's willpower, as
guided by Clef. The Magic Knights are reunited with old friends and
meet new ones, including a mysterious magic swordsman who has returned
to the land since leaving just before the capturing of the Princess.
The Magic Knights learn a new Pillar must be found to restore
Cephiro to the beautiful place it once was. If the land's
disintegration wasn't enough, it's soon discovered three countries
from nearby planets are on their way to invade. These forces are from
Autozam, a planet of technology and machines; Farhen, a Asian-styled
country whose leaders cast powerful illusions; and Chizeta, an
Arabian-styled country with guardian Genies.
Donning their Rune Gods once more, the Magic Knights face off with
the invading countries. It's eventually discovered one of those
countries has a person with a strong enough will to capture the
Pillar's position and bring Cephiro's downfall.
As great a threat these forces pose, however, a far more dangerous
and sinister force lurks. Unresolved matters from the Magic Knight's
first-season ultimate battle threaten to bring Cephiro's final
destruction.
Available on VHS and DVD from Anime Works
[Entry by Christopher Mattiuz]
MAGIC USERS CLUB: see MAHOU TSUKAI TAI
MAGICAL GIRL PRETTY SAMMY: Sasami Kawai is chosen by Tsunami,
Queen of Juraihelm, to become the title character. With the aid of a
magic wand and her cute animal sidekick Ryo-chan, Sammy rights wrongs
and triumphs over evil, while desperately hoping no one she knows
spots her in her ridiculous costume! Three-part OAV series featuring
the magical-girl spoof character introduced in the TENCHI MUYO TV
series. Entertaining silliness that can be appreciated by fans of
Tenchi as well as an affectionate send-up of the Magical Girl genre.
Watch for the Evil Bill Gates clone in episode two! Available from
Geneon.
[Entry by Dave Menard]
MAGICAL PROJECT S: TV series version of MAGICAL GIRL PRETTY SAMMY
and spoof of magical girl shows in general. Aimed more at children
than the OAV series was. Catchier theme song, too. Suitable for all
ages. Available from Geneon.
[Entry by Dave Menard]
MAHOU TSUKAI TAI (a.k.a. MAGIC USERS CLUB): This series starts
with an alien craft entering the Earth's atmosphere, devestating the
carrier taskforce sent to intercept it, and ... stopping in the middle
of the Pacific. Meanwhile, Sae is trying to make a good impression on
her afterschool club leader Takeo so that he'll notice her, although
it shouldn't be too hard to notice someone in a club that only has
five members, even if it is a club for people who can actually cast
spells (although the rest of the school thinks it's for people who
practice stage magic).
Despite the alien and the magic, this is a coming-of-age story
about five unusual teenagers, told with compassion and humour.
Six OAVs and a sequel TV series (which actually *is* a sequel
instead of being a remake), translated by Anime Works.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
MAISON IKKOKU: No aliens, demons, magic hot springs, or mermaids
here, just Godai and his ever-thwarted love for Kyoto. Perhaps Rumiko
Takahashi's finest pure romantic comedy of errors. Available from Viz
Video.
[Entry by Rob Maxwell]
MAMONO HUNTER YOHKO: see DEVIL HUNTER YOHKO
MARIS THE CHOJO (a.k.a. SUPERGIRL MARIS): Unlike the other "Rumik
World" stories by Rumiko Takahashi that have been turned into anime,
this OAV is not at all serious. Maris is a super-strong
troubleshooter who just can't stay out of debt. (She dreams of
getting rich, or at least breaking even, but fate conspires against
her.) One day, she's assigned to track down the kidnappers of one of
the richest eligible bachelors in the galaxy... This OAV is one of
the few anime to have a Jackie-Chan-style "blooper reel" under the
ending credits. Was available from USMC.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
MARMALADE BOY: Miki is your typical teenage anime girl, popular in
school, star of the girls' tennis team, happy with her life. Until
the day she came home from school and her parents told her they are
divorcing. Not just divorcing, but also swapping partners with
another couple they met on their recent vacation. And this is just
the first 5 minutes of episode 1! Based on the manga by Yoshizumi
Wataru, Marmalade Boy follows Miki, Yu, the teenage son of the other
couple in the partner-swap, Meiko, Miki's best friend, Ginta, Miki's
tennis teammate, Arimi, with her ever-present group of male followers,
Suzu, famous teen model, and others through 76 episodes of high school
romantic comedy/drama that often has viewers semi-suicidal with its
unexpected plot twists and turns.
Licenced by Tokyopop.
[Entry by Jeanne Hedge]
MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO (a.k.a. MOBILE BATTLESHIP NADESICO):
Aliens attacking Martian colonies. Dead parents leaving orphaned
children to defend themselves. Doesn’t sound funny does it? How about
a mech pilot who keeps hiding from the fights so he can cook? A Cyber
girl with a deep depression? An anime fanatic who screams battle cries
from his favorite anime? It all makes NADESICO one of the funniest
anime around. There are even some good spoofs on just about every type
of fan. Anime, manga, and even action figure collectors are not spared.
Stereotypes are used to enhance the humor and not because the writer was
lazy. A space comedy of the best kind. Available from ADV Films.
[Entry by Shawn Granger, edited by Rob Kelk]
MASTER OF MOSQUITON: (OVA, 6 episodes) This dark comedy set in
the 1920s follows the adventures of 17 year old girl named Inaho
Hitomebore who continues her now two year search for immortality via a
device known as the Opar assisted by the vampire (Alucard von
Mosquiton) she has awakened and his two elemental servents Honoo
(Fire) and Yuki (Ice). Complicating her search is Gregoria Rasputin
who assisted by Mosquiton's old foe Sangermaine want to use the Opar
as a weapon against the Star Lords, and former wife Camille Inaho
Camilla who just wants Mosquiton.
The OVA is full of little references that fans of 30s' and 40s'
horror fans will quickly get (for example Alucard is one of the alias
often used by Dracula in films of the period) The OVA inspired a TV
series called MOSQUITON '99 which is set in 1999 and has Inaho after
the Opar for monetary gain rather than immortality.
The OVA series is produced on three VHS tapes by ADV Films while
the TV series only exists as fansubs.
[Entry by Bruce Grubb]
MEGAZONE 23: MEGAZONE TWO THREE is a three part mecha anime OAV
series (with some cyberpunk overtones). Part One was one of the first
anime OAVs ever, and helped spark the OAV trend (in which movies were
made directly for video release, instead of first hitting TV or
cinema). Although the MEGAZONE OAVs are numbered Parts One, Two, and
Three, they were actually entirely separate productions, related but
released several years apart (like the first STAR WARS trilogy).
In Part One (aka just plain MEGAZONE 23), a Tokyo teen named Yahagi
Shogo (inexplicably changed to "Johnny Winter" in the Carl Macek dub)
comes into posession of a huge red motorcycle called variously the
Garland, Garand, or Bahamode depending on what source you listen to,
and is chased all over town by the military and government agents who
want to get it back for their own nefarious purposes. In the
meantime, there is a war going on with a hostile alien force, and the
city of Tokyo is not all that it appears to be...
This OAV was redubbed and edited into part of the spectacularly
unsuccessful ROBOTECH cinematic movie, and has more recently been
released to bilingual DVD by Streamline Video.
Part Two picks up where the first part left off, but with character
designs and animation style so dramatically altered that it is
difficult to believe they are the same characters. This OAV follows
the decline and final fall of the Tokyo Megazone as an ancient weapon
of last resort comes into play. Bootlegs of a Macek English dub with
Japanese subtitles can occasionally be found.
Part Three, the most cyberpunk-influenced, picks up decades or
centuries later, with a new generation of rebellious teenagers and new
Garland battle bikes piloted by virtual reality. It is somewhat
difficult to understand the storyline of this part, as no official
English version was ever made (and even fansubs are nearly impossible
to find), but it seems that mankind did not learn its lesson from the
Megazones' past.
The third MEGAZONE 23 was not very successful, and no further
episodes have been made to date.
[Entry by Chris Meadows]
MELLOWLINK: See the entry for VOTOMS.
MERMAID FOREST and MERMAID SCAR: Horror stories released in Japan
as part of the "Rumik World" series by Rumiko Takahashi. Most people
who eat the flesh of a mermaid die. The unlucky ones live forever,
most becoming horrendously malformed in the process of gaining
immortality. Two people were lucky enough to gain immortality without
being changed. Now they wander through Japan, searching for others
who might eat the flesh of a mermaid...
USMC and Viz have released the OAVs, and Viz has collected the
translated manga into three volumes.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
METAL ANGEL MARIE: see MY DEAR MARIE
MIGHTY ATOM: see ASTRO BOY
MOBILE BATTLESHIP NADESICO: see MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: see GUNDAM
MOLDIVER: He has an overdeveloped Sense Of Right And Wrong, an
incredible brain, and not much else to recommend him. So he invents a
superhero suit! Too bad his sister found out and accidentally changed
the design... Now they share the identity of "Moldiver" (although she
gets to use it more often than he does) in battle against their
arch-enemy - but is the arch-enemy evil, or just misunderstood?
Starts as a comedy, but becomes more serious near the end. A six-OAV
series available from Geneon.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
MONSTER RANCHER: Another POKEMON-motivated "monster" kids show.
Energetic young kid Genki is transported to a world populated by
humans and intelligent monsters, where he joins Holly, a young girl
with a mysterious pendant, and a small band of monsters on their quest
to stop Mu by finding the Phoenix, the only monster capable of
fighting him.
English dubbed episodes televised, and available on video from ADV.
[Entry by "Royal Orange"]
MOSQUITON: see MASTER OF MOSQUITON
MS TEAM 08: see GUNDAM
MY DEAR MARIE (a.k.a. METAL ANGEL MARIE): Brilliant, nerdy Hiroshi
creates an android replica of his dream girl, but finds things a
little trickier than he'd planned when she turns out to have
self-determination. Some may be turned off by the iffy nature of the
sexual subtext (Android Marie has a definite 'thing' for her creator,
despite him insisting on being her 'brother') but others may be
intrigued by Marie's attempts to deal with her origins and her
feelings. Three OAVs, released on a single tape from ADV Films. The
third OAV is especially hilarious for all the references the sharp-
eyed can spot to other famous anime.
[Entry by Antaeus Feldspar]
MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (a.k.a. TONARI NO TOTORO): Two girls move out
to the country with their father (their mother is in the hospital).
They discover the joys of nature and the power of family thanks to
some unusual new woodland friends. Available dubbed from FOX Video.
[Entry by Catherine Johnson]
MYSTERIOUS CITIES OF GOLD: It is the sixteenth century. From all
over Europe great ships sail west to conquer the New World. The
Americas. The men, eager to seek their fortune, to find new adventure
in new lands. They long to cross uncharted seas and discover unknown
countries. To find secret gold on a mountain trail high in the Andes.
They dream of following the path of the setting sun that leads to El
Dorado and the Mysterious Cities of Gold. (opening theme)
So begins the story of 12 year old Esteban, his new friends Zia and
Tao, and the older sometimes ally/sometimes enemy Mendoza with his
sidekicks Pedro and Sancho. A story of action, adventure, intrigue,
mystery, trust, betrayal, discovery, prophecy, mysticism, and strange
powers. Not to mention a little science fiction.
Esteban is lured to the Americas where he is shipwrecked. The rest
of the story is how he is caught up in navigating his way around the
conquistadors and the various native tribes throughout Central and
northern South America, searching for his origins and the cities of
gold. They are caught several times, but manage to escape to
eventually find the four cities of gold.
Included all through the adventures are mini-history lessons.
Nothing overt, but if you have a smidgen of knowledge of the area it
deepens enjoyment of the story. Our intrepid heroes contact the Inca
at Machu Picchu, the Aztecs at Tenochtitlan (Mexico City), the Maya at
Central America, an Amazon tribe, and other lost civilizations all
while trying to stay one step ahead of the conquistadors.
A 1980's anime serial aimed for a 'tween audience, although the
story and subplots make it interesting for an older audience and
overcomes the dated animation.
The last time I saw this on the shelves it was in the year 2000 on
VHS. I have no idea whether or not it's been released on DVD or what
distributor. My copies are the dubbed version that I recorded from
Nickelodeon in 1986-87 on BETA.
[Entry by D.Eric Wilson]
MYSTERIOUS PLAY: see FUSHIGI YUUGI
THE MYSTERIOUS THIEF SAINT TAIL: see SAINT TAIL
N
NADESICO: see MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO
NADIA (a.k.a. SECRET OF BLUE WATER): Set in 1889 and extremely
loosely based on Jules Verne's 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, NADIA
tells the story of Nadia, a girl who's trying to find out about her
past, Jean, a boy who wants to build a flying machine, and the Blue
Water, a mysterious gem of Nadia's with strange powers. Their world
is home to two shadowy groups in conflict: Neo-Atlantis, who want to
rule the world, and the crew of the submarine Nautilus, who have sworn
to oppose Neo-Atlantis. These two plots are not unconnected ...
ADV has translated this 39-episode TV series and the sequel movie
(which is not as well received as the original).
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND: Probably Miyazaki's most
popular film - a sort of post-apocalypse mystic eco-fantasy, more
notable for plot, character, music and designs than the smoothness of
animation. Excellent Jo Hisaishi soundtrack, too. Based on the comic
(manga) of the same title. A classic.
[A poorly-received translation, "Warriors of the Wind", was
released some years ago but is no longer available. Currently, Disney
has the rights to NAUSICAA. - Rob Kelk]
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION (a.k.a. SHIN SEIKI EVANGELION): Fifteen
years after the Second Impact that wiped out half of humanity, Ikari
Shinji is recruited by his father to fight alongside Ayanami Rei and
Asuka Langley Soryu to save mankind from the invading mechanical
Angels. This pyschological drama amongst a cast of flawed characters
filled with intrigue, deception, and carnage has two vastly different
endings.
ADV Films has released the 26-episode TV series on video and DVD.
The two movies "Death and Rebirth" and "End of Evangelion" (an
alternate ending to the series) are coming early 2002.
Official website: <http://www.gainax.co.jp/anime/eva/evaindex-e.html>
[Entry by Rob Maxwell]
NINJA SCROLL (original title JUBEI NIMPUUCHO): The original title
translates as "Story of wind-ninja Jubei". This epic tells a
semi-historical story about Kibagami Jubei, well known in Japan as a
master swordsman and special agent. Once he was missing for a dozen
years, and it was believed that he was on special duty. There were
many versions, and here is one of them: Jubei was fighting with Eight
Demons of Kimon, evil fighters/sorcerers under command of Hideyoshi
Toyotomi, who was believed to be a demon in Japan.
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo and Terrence Walker]
NO NEED FOR TENCHI: see TENCHI MUYO
NOIR: NOIR is a 26 episode TV series about two female assassins,
and their search to uncover the conspiracy that threatens their lives.
Mireille is a beautiful French professional assassin who is haunted by
a childhood tragedy. Kirika is a Japanese schoolgirl with deadly
skills and no memory of her past. The series takes place in
France/Europe, and features a stunning soundtrack, stylish gunplay, a
twisting plot, and lots of bodies at the end of each episode. Despite
this, the series isn't graphically violent - the fight scenes usually
don't even have blood in them!
The series has received raves for being daring and different, as
the two main characters willingly kill lots of people (this isn't
SAILOR MOON, folks) with minimal angst. The main complaints are that
the pacing is too slow and the show suffers from "main characters gun
down bad guys too easily" syndrome. The pacing and tension do pick up
as the series progresses, with a solid ending that asks whether
killing can ever be justified in the name of good. Some people
dislike the main characters, due to their seeming coldness, but NOIR
has good character development so that you care about these people to
a surprising extent in the end.
Warning: If you're looking for fan service, the show is
surprisingly free of it, considering what a babe Mireille is. C'est
dommage.
Licenced by ADV.
[Entry by Scott Fujimoto]
NOW AND THEN, HERE AND THERE: Shu is an ordinary, cheerful Japanese
boy until one day when he meets a mysterious, ethereal girl named Lala
Ru and is accidentally brought to a hellish future. There he must
struggle to survive and keep his ideals through slavery, war, and the
tyranny of an insane would-be conqueror. A deep and powerful but
extremely depressing show, which goes into some detail about the inhuman
brutality created by war. Definitely not for children, as there are
onscreen depictions of torture, some fairly graphic deaths, rape and
other nastiness. 13 episodes, available now from Central Park Media.
[Entry by Blade]
NUKU-NUKU: see ALL PURPOSE CULTURAL CAT-GIRL NUKU-NUKU
O
OH MY GODDESS!: Keiichi is visited by the lovely goddess
Belldandy, who grants him a wish. He wishes that she become his
girlfriend. Her older sister wants their relationship to progress
faster, while her younger sister is dead-set against it. But why does
Belldandy resist them both, insisting that promises must be kept?
Based loosely on the manga AH MEGAMI-SAMA by Fujishima Kosuke.
The original five-episode OAV series is available from AnimEigo.
The manga is available from Dark Horse.
(See also AH MY GODDESS! and ADVENTURES OF THE MINI-GODDESSES.)
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
OMOIDE POROPORO (English title ONLY YESTERDAY): Contemporary
sentimental drama about a yuppie Japanese woman looking back at her
youth and life-choices, brilliantly animated by Miyazaki pro Isao
Takahata. Talky, actionless, and stunningly beautiful. Licenced by
Disney.
ONE PIECE: This is a grand shounen adventure saga, with humor,
action, drama and great characters. It's based upon a long running
and very popular shounen manga. The anime is well over a hundred
episodes and stays amazingly fresh and imaginative.
In a strange world of pirates, that is sort of a funky mix of 17th
Century Spanish Main and today, Rufi, a teen who has eaten seeds of a
cursed rubber plant, has become a "rubber boy", with super powers.
Which is useful, because he wants to be the king of all pirates in
this world and find the greatest pirate treasure of all time, the "One
Piece". Rufi collects a strange band of associates and they explore
this very baroque world, helping many folks in need (mainly by
fighting the real pirates), but not actually pirating.
Licenced by FUNimation.
[Entry by Anthony D. Baranyi]
ONIISAMA E (a.k.a. BROTHER, DEAR BROTHER): Teenage Misonoo Nanako
enters an exclusive private high school, makes new friends, and is
quickly picked to join a snooty sorority. She is quickly caught up in
the emotional whirlwind of the passionate and unstable personalities
of her female classmates: Miya-sama, the wealthy, beautiful, and
ruthless sorority president; Saint-Juste, a brilliant pianist, but
prone to depression and fits of self-destructive violence; the boyish
basketball player Kaoru no Kimi, smart and ethically clear-sighted,
but subject to a mysterious illness, and troubled by an undisclosed
romantic sorrow; and the beautiful, fiercely loyal, but unstable and
obsessed Mariko, the despised daughter of a wealthy writer of
pornography. With innocent Nanako in the middle, the fragile truce
between the other girls begins to break down, and Nanako is carried
with them into a destructive maelstrom of passion, madness, and
unrequited love.
This is the dark side of shoujo, much darker than author Ikeda
Riyoko's best known work, ROSE OF VERSAILLES. It is gothic and
atmospheric, dramatic bordering on melodramatic, and includes sexual
stalking, graphic physical violence, multiple suicide attempts, drug
abuse, and lesbian homoeroticism. It is deadly serious, with scarcely
a trace of humor, and as the story passes the midpoint of its 40 TV
episodes, it becomes unbearably intense. It is not for everyone, and
may appeal to women more than men. Like it or hate it, you will never
forget it. It has an outstanding score, which reinforces the show's
emotional tone. Available only as fansubs of the first 28 episodes;
even the original Japanese edition is no longer in print.
[Entry by Slithy Tove]
ORANGE ROAD: see KIMAGURE ORANGE ROAD
OUTLAW STAR: The first show in Sunrise's "Toward Stars" universe,
OUTLAW STAR is an old-fashioned space opera writ large. Gene
Starwind, a big fish in the small pond of his home planet, is thrust
into a conflict between the Space Forces, the galactic pirates, and
the "outlaws" who owe allegiance to neither side as they all try to
reach the Galactic Leyline. Helping Gene are his young partner Jim
Hawking, the lovely Melfina, and others who come and go from the plot.
If you like "pulp"-era science fiction, you'll like this show.
OUTLAW STAR is available uncut on VHS and DVD from Bandai in North
America, and an edited version of most of the series has been shown on
US television. The show is available in Australia from Madman.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
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 Geneon.
[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 Geneon 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]
PRINCESS TUTU: Once upon a time, Ikuko Ito and Junichi Sato decided
to tell a story about a girl named Ahiru who attends a ballet school.
Ahiru wants nothing more than to bring a smile to the face of her
classmate Mytho. After learning of her true heritage in the first
episode, including just how descriptive her name is, she starts her
adventure as the magical girl Princess Tutu to put Mytho's heart back
together so that he can smile. But Fakir and Rue, Mytho's only
companions, take turns to try to stop Princess Tutu from putting Mytho's
heart together again ...
The pacing and character designs of PRINCESS TUTU are similar to
those in MAGIC USERS' CLUB, which is no surprise since Ito-san and
Sato-san both worked as directors on both shows. The themes of various
classic ballets that are worked into the series, the surreal elements
(such as the ballet teacher who is a cat), and the presence of an
all-knowing supporting character in many episodes, invite comparisons to
shows like REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA. And Ahiru is a classic magical
girl, more interested in helping people than in fighting - in fact, she
often says that she doesn't want to fight. These elements, drawn
together into a consistent whole with strong episodes throughout the
first half and last quarter of the series, make PRINCESS TUTU a show not
to be missed.
Thirteen half-hour episodes, 24 quarter-hour episodes, and one final
half-hour episode, licenced in North America by ADV.
[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
QUIET COUNTRY CAFE: see YOKOHAMA SHOPPING TRIP LOG
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. Available on DVD in
North America and the UK from ADV, and in Australia from Madman.
[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 retrieve 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 released by Manga Entertainment in North
America.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
REAL BOUT HIGH SCHOOL: Your high school wasn't like this, I
guarantee it. The school has a K-Fight system where grudges and
challenge matches settle things. At the top of the rankings is Ryoko, a
rather busty Kendo Club student. Once she finds an amulet, her life
turns upside down. The amulet activates and she finds herself in
another dimension, with enemies that are beyond belief. Also of note,
the final enemy of the series is William Gates (Bill Gates, duh).
Released by TokyoPop in North America.
[Entry by Bill Martin]
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]
(continued in Part 5)
--
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
M
M66: see BLACK MAGIC M66
MACH GO GO GO: see SPEED RACER
MACROSS: Epic sci-fi space opera, influenced by GUNDAM and YAMATO.
In the year 1999, a deserted alien space warship crash lands on the
Earth. The people on Earth spend the next 10 years refurbishing the
spaceship, christening it the Macross. On the day of the Macross'
launching ceremony, the Zentradi, an alien race of humanoid giants,
appears above the Earth to claim the ship. The crew of the Macross
are forced to perform a space fold to escape, unwittingly taking
50,000 civilians with them to the edges of the solar system. With the
fold system mysteriously missing, the Macross is forced to slowly make
its way back to Earth, while constantly being harassed by the pursuing
Zentradi.
Within the backdrop of this war, personal dramas are played out.
Foremost among them is the love triangle that slowly forms between
fighter pilot Ichijyo Hikaru, singer Lynn Minmay, and bridge operator
Hayase Misa. Hikaru saves Minmay's life during the Zentradi attack,
and falls in love with her when the two are accidentally stranded deep
within the bowels of the Macross. But as Minmay's singing career
blossoms and her star rises, he wonders if their worlds are drifting
apart. Hikaru and Misa begin their relationship with almost constant
arguments, but their time together in the line of duty slowly brings
them closer.
MACROSS comprises 36 episodes, and originally aired on TV in Japan
from 1982 to 1983. MACROSS is generally considered a classic, famous
for its transforming Valkyrie mecha and its idol singer, Lynn Minmay.
In the US, it was altered and incorporated into the 1985 ROBOTECH
series as the Macross Saga.
[Entry by Ray Li]
MACROSS: DO YOU REMEMBER LOVE: Set in the MACROSS universe, this
"film in a film" is a brief and somehow distorted retelling of the
original TV series, SDF MACROSS. Any other description will be only a
list of differences from original story.
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]
MADOX-01: A parody of mecha films in which a young lad gets
trapped inside a metal combat suit. The army wants the suit back, and
the hero just wants to keep his date. Available from AnimEigo.
MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH: Season One: Three junior high school
girls, Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuuzaki, and Fuu Hououji meet for the first
time atop Tokyo Tower on a field trip. Suddenly, they find themselves
swept away to a magical world called Cephiro, where one's belief
becomes reality. They are greeted by Clef, the land's most powerful
magician, and are told they have been summoned and can not return to
their world unless they fulfill a legend - they must become the Magic
Knights and save Cephiro.
Princess Emeraude, the Pillar of this peaceful land, has kept it
together using her willpower. However, High Priest Zagato has
captured the Princess and Cephiro has become a place of fear, monsters
have freely roamed the land, and is beginning to fall apart.
Although the threesome's personalities are different - Hikaru is
persistent and has a caring heart for others, Umi is world wise and
loyal, and Fuu uses her smarts to quickly sum up a situation - they
soon become the best of friends and reaffirm their pledge to become
the Legendary Magic Knights and save Cephiro.
They make friends on their quest including Presea, Cephiro's Master
Weaponsmith, who provides the knights with weapons that evolve as
their skills increase, and Ferio, a swordsman with a mysterious past
and unknown motives. They are guided by a cute and whimsical creature
called Mokona in searching of a huge being with unimaginable power to
help them in their ultimate battle.
At every turn, Lord Zagato's minions are determined to prevent the
Magic Knights from fulfilling their quest. The Magic Knights, who
were strangers before they arrived, find they have become the best of
friends in the many battles and trials they faced.
In the end they must face Zagato - during which the Knights meet an
unexpected turn of events and must look into their hearts to save
Cephiro.
Season Two: Following the startling events of Cephiro's ultimate
battle, the Magic Knights find themselves again swept away from Tokyo
Tower to that magical land.
They discover all that remains of Cephiro, which has continued to
crumble, is an enormous castle created by its people's willpower, as
guided by Clef. The Magic Knights are reunited with old friends and
meet new ones, including a mysterious magic swordsman who has returned
to the land since leaving just before the capturing of the Princess.
The Magic Knights learn a new Pillar must be found to restore
Cephiro to the beautiful place it once was. If the land's
disintegration wasn't enough, it's soon discovered three countries
from nearby planets are on their way to invade. These forces are from
Autozam, a planet of technology and machines; Farhen, a Asian-styled
country whose leaders cast powerful illusions; and Chizeta, an
Arabian-styled country with guardian Genies.
Donning their Rune Gods once more, the Magic Knights face off with
the invading countries. It's eventually discovered one of those
countries has a person with a strong enough will to capture the
Pillar's position and bring Cephiro's downfall.
As great a threat these forces pose, however, a far more dangerous
and sinister force lurks. Unresolved matters from the Magic Knight's
first-season ultimate battle threaten to bring Cephiro's final
destruction.
Available on VHS and DVD from Anime Works
[Entry by Christopher Mattiuz]
MAGIC USERS CLUB: see MAHOU TSUKAI TAI
MAGICAL GIRL PRETTY SAMMY: Sasami Kawai is chosen by Tsunami,
Queen of Juraihelm, to become the title character. With the aid of a
magic wand and her cute animal sidekick Ryo-chan, Sammy rights wrongs
and triumphs over evil, while desperately hoping no one she knows
spots her in her ridiculous costume! Three-part OAV series featuring
the magical-girl spoof character introduced in the TENCHI MUYO TV
series. Entertaining silliness that can be appreciated by fans of
Tenchi as well as an affectionate send-up of the Magical Girl genre.
Watch for the Evil Bill Gates clone in episode two! Available from
Geneon.
[Entry by Dave Menard]
MAGICAL PROJECT S: TV series version of MAGICAL GIRL PRETTY SAMMY
and spoof of magical girl shows in general. Aimed more at children
than the OAV series was. Catchier theme song, too. Suitable for all
ages. Available from Geneon.
[Entry by Dave Menard]
MAHOU TSUKAI TAI (a.k.a. MAGIC USERS CLUB): This series starts
with an alien craft entering the Earth's atmosphere, devestating the
carrier taskforce sent to intercept it, and ... stopping in the middle
of the Pacific. Meanwhile, Sae is trying to make a good impression on
her afterschool club leader Takeo so that he'll notice her, although
it shouldn't be too hard to notice someone in a club that only has
five members, even if it is a club for people who can actually cast
spells (although the rest of the school thinks it's for people who
practice stage magic).
Despite the alien and the magic, this is a coming-of-age story
about five unusual teenagers, told with compassion and humour.
Six OAVs and a sequel TV series (which actually *is* a sequel
instead of being a remake), translated by Anime Works.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
MAISON IKKOKU: No aliens, demons, magic hot springs, or mermaids
here, just Godai and his ever-thwarted love for Kyoto. Perhaps Rumiko
Takahashi's finest pure romantic comedy of errors. Available from Viz
Video.
[Entry by Rob Maxwell]
MAMONO HUNTER YOHKO: see DEVIL HUNTER YOHKO
MARIS THE CHOJO (a.k.a. SUPERGIRL MARIS): Unlike the other "Rumik
World" stories by Rumiko Takahashi that have been turned into anime,
this OAV is not at all serious. Maris is a super-strong
troubleshooter who just can't stay out of debt. (She dreams of
getting rich, or at least breaking even, but fate conspires against
her.) One day, she's assigned to track down the kidnappers of one of
the richest eligible bachelors in the galaxy... This OAV is one of
the few anime to have a Jackie-Chan-style "blooper reel" under the
ending credits. Was available from USMC.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
MARMALADE BOY: Miki is your typical teenage anime girl, popular in
school, star of the girls' tennis team, happy with her life. Until
the day she came home from school and her parents told her they are
divorcing. Not just divorcing, but also swapping partners with
another couple they met on their recent vacation. And this is just
the first 5 minutes of episode 1! Based on the manga by Yoshizumi
Wataru, Marmalade Boy follows Miki, Yu, the teenage son of the other
couple in the partner-swap, Meiko, Miki's best friend, Ginta, Miki's
tennis teammate, Arimi, with her ever-present group of male followers,
Suzu, famous teen model, and others through 76 episodes of high school
romantic comedy/drama that often has viewers semi-suicidal with its
unexpected plot twists and turns.
Licenced by Tokyopop.
[Entry by Jeanne Hedge]
MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO (a.k.a. MOBILE BATTLESHIP NADESICO):
Aliens attacking Martian colonies. Dead parents leaving orphaned
children to defend themselves. Doesn’t sound funny does it? How about
a mech pilot who keeps hiding from the fights so he can cook? A Cyber
girl with a deep depression? An anime fanatic who screams battle cries
from his favorite anime? It all makes NADESICO one of the funniest
anime around. There are even some good spoofs on just about every type
of fan. Anime, manga, and even action figure collectors are not spared.
Stereotypes are used to enhance the humor and not because the writer was
lazy. A space comedy of the best kind. Available from ADV Films.
[Entry by Shawn Granger, edited by Rob Kelk]
MASTER OF MOSQUITON: (OVA, 6 episodes) This dark comedy set in
the 1920s follows the adventures of 17 year old girl named Inaho
Hitomebore who continues her now two year search for immortality via a
device known as the Opar assisted by the vampire (Alucard von
Mosquiton) she has awakened and his two elemental servents Honoo
(Fire) and Yuki (Ice). Complicating her search is Gregoria Rasputin
who assisted by Mosquiton's old foe Sangermaine want to use the Opar
as a weapon against the Star Lords, and former wife Camille Inaho
Camilla who just wants Mosquiton.
The OVA is full of little references that fans of 30s' and 40s'
horror fans will quickly get (for example Alucard is one of the alias
often used by Dracula in films of the period) The OVA inspired a TV
series called MOSQUITON '99 which is set in 1999 and has Inaho after
the Opar for monetary gain rather than immortality.
The OVA series is produced on three VHS tapes by ADV Films while
the TV series only exists as fansubs.
[Entry by Bruce Grubb]
MEGAZONE 23: MEGAZONE TWO THREE is a three part mecha anime OAV
series (with some cyberpunk overtones). Part One was one of the first
anime OAVs ever, and helped spark the OAV trend (in which movies were
made directly for video release, instead of first hitting TV or
cinema). Although the MEGAZONE OAVs are numbered Parts One, Two, and
Three, they were actually entirely separate productions, related but
released several years apart (like the first STAR WARS trilogy).
In Part One (aka just plain MEGAZONE 23), a Tokyo teen named Yahagi
Shogo (inexplicably changed to "Johnny Winter" in the Carl Macek dub)
comes into posession of a huge red motorcycle called variously the
Garland, Garand, or Bahamode depending on what source you listen to,
and is chased all over town by the military and government agents who
want to get it back for their own nefarious purposes. In the
meantime, there is a war going on with a hostile alien force, and the
city of Tokyo is not all that it appears to be...
This OAV was redubbed and edited into part of the spectacularly
unsuccessful ROBOTECH cinematic movie, and has more recently been
released to bilingual DVD by Streamline Video.
Part Two picks up where the first part left off, but with character
designs and animation style so dramatically altered that it is
difficult to believe they are the same characters. This OAV follows
the decline and final fall of the Tokyo Megazone as an ancient weapon
of last resort comes into play. Bootlegs of a Macek English dub with
Japanese subtitles can occasionally be found.
Part Three, the most cyberpunk-influenced, picks up decades or
centuries later, with a new generation of rebellious teenagers and new
Garland battle bikes piloted by virtual reality. It is somewhat
difficult to understand the storyline of this part, as no official
English version was ever made (and even fansubs are nearly impossible
to find), but it seems that mankind did not learn its lesson from the
Megazones' past.
The third MEGAZONE 23 was not very successful, and no further
episodes have been made to date.
[Entry by Chris Meadows]
MELLOWLINK: See the entry for VOTOMS.
MERMAID FOREST and MERMAID SCAR: Horror stories released in Japan
as part of the "Rumik World" series by Rumiko Takahashi. Most people
who eat the flesh of a mermaid die. The unlucky ones live forever,
most becoming horrendously malformed in the process of gaining
immortality. Two people were lucky enough to gain immortality without
being changed. Now they wander through Japan, searching for others
who might eat the flesh of a mermaid...
USMC and Viz have released the OAVs, and Viz has collected the
translated manga into three volumes.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
METAL ANGEL MARIE: see MY DEAR MARIE
MIGHTY ATOM: see ASTRO BOY
MOBILE BATTLESHIP NADESICO: see MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: see GUNDAM
MOLDIVER: He has an overdeveloped Sense Of Right And Wrong, an
incredible brain, and not much else to recommend him. So he invents a
superhero suit! Too bad his sister found out and accidentally changed
the design... Now they share the identity of "Moldiver" (although she
gets to use it more often than he does) in battle against their
arch-enemy - but is the arch-enemy evil, or just misunderstood?
Starts as a comedy, but becomes more serious near the end. A six-OAV
series available from Geneon.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
MONSTER RANCHER: Another POKEMON-motivated "monster" kids show.
Energetic young kid Genki is transported to a world populated by
humans and intelligent monsters, where he joins Holly, a young girl
with a mysterious pendant, and a small band of monsters on their quest
to stop Mu by finding the Phoenix, the only monster capable of
fighting him.
English dubbed episodes televised, and available on video from ADV.
[Entry by "Royal Orange"]
MOSQUITON: see MASTER OF MOSQUITON
MS TEAM 08: see GUNDAM
MY DEAR MARIE (a.k.a. METAL ANGEL MARIE): Brilliant, nerdy Hiroshi
creates an android replica of his dream girl, but finds things a
little trickier than he'd planned when she turns out to have
self-determination. Some may be turned off by the iffy nature of the
sexual subtext (Android Marie has a definite 'thing' for her creator,
despite him insisting on being her 'brother') but others may be
intrigued by Marie's attempts to deal with her origins and her
feelings. Three OAVs, released on a single tape from ADV Films. The
third OAV is especially hilarious for all the references the sharp-
eyed can spot to other famous anime.
[Entry by Antaeus Feldspar]
MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (a.k.a. TONARI NO TOTORO): Two girls move out
to the country with their father (their mother is in the hospital).
They discover the joys of nature and the power of family thanks to
some unusual new woodland friends. Available dubbed from FOX Video.
[Entry by Catherine Johnson]
MYSTERIOUS CITIES OF GOLD: It is the sixteenth century. From all
over Europe great ships sail west to conquer the New World. The
Americas. The men, eager to seek their fortune, to find new adventure
in new lands. They long to cross uncharted seas and discover unknown
countries. To find secret gold on a mountain trail high in the Andes.
They dream of following the path of the setting sun that leads to El
Dorado and the Mysterious Cities of Gold. (opening theme)
So begins the story of 12 year old Esteban, his new friends Zia and
Tao, and the older sometimes ally/sometimes enemy Mendoza with his
sidekicks Pedro and Sancho. A story of action, adventure, intrigue,
mystery, trust, betrayal, discovery, prophecy, mysticism, and strange
powers. Not to mention a little science fiction.
Esteban is lured to the Americas where he is shipwrecked. The rest
of the story is how he is caught up in navigating his way around the
conquistadors and the various native tribes throughout Central and
northern South America, searching for his origins and the cities of
gold. They are caught several times, but manage to escape to
eventually find the four cities of gold.
Included all through the adventures are mini-history lessons.
Nothing overt, but if you have a smidgen of knowledge of the area it
deepens enjoyment of the story. Our intrepid heroes contact the Inca
at Machu Picchu, the Aztecs at Tenochtitlan (Mexico City), the Maya at
Central America, an Amazon tribe, and other lost civilizations all
while trying to stay one step ahead of the conquistadors.
A 1980's anime serial aimed for a 'tween audience, although the
story and subplots make it interesting for an older audience and
overcomes the dated animation.
The last time I saw this on the shelves it was in the year 2000 on
VHS. I have no idea whether or not it's been released on DVD or what
distributor. My copies are the dubbed version that I recorded from
Nickelodeon in 1986-87 on BETA.
[Entry by D.Eric Wilson]
MYSTERIOUS PLAY: see FUSHIGI YUUGI
THE MYSTERIOUS THIEF SAINT TAIL: see SAINT TAIL
N
NADESICO: see MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO
NADIA (a.k.a. SECRET OF BLUE WATER): Set in 1889 and extremely
loosely based on Jules Verne's 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, NADIA
tells the story of Nadia, a girl who's trying to find out about her
past, Jean, a boy who wants to build a flying machine, and the Blue
Water, a mysterious gem of Nadia's with strange powers. Their world
is home to two shadowy groups in conflict: Neo-Atlantis, who want to
rule the world, and the crew of the submarine Nautilus, who have sworn
to oppose Neo-Atlantis. These two plots are not unconnected ...
ADV has translated this 39-episode TV series and the sequel movie
(which is not as well received as the original).
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND: Probably Miyazaki's most
popular film - a sort of post-apocalypse mystic eco-fantasy, more
notable for plot, character, music and designs than the smoothness of
animation. Excellent Jo Hisaishi soundtrack, too. Based on the comic
(manga) of the same title. A classic.
[A poorly-received translation, "Warriors of the Wind", was
released some years ago but is no longer available. Currently, Disney
has the rights to NAUSICAA. - Rob Kelk]
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION (a.k.a. SHIN SEIKI EVANGELION): Fifteen
years after the Second Impact that wiped out half of humanity, Ikari
Shinji is recruited by his father to fight alongside Ayanami Rei and
Asuka Langley Soryu to save mankind from the invading mechanical
Angels. This pyschological drama amongst a cast of flawed characters
filled with intrigue, deception, and carnage has two vastly different
endings.
ADV Films has released the 26-episode TV series on video and DVD.
The two movies "Death and Rebirth" and "End of Evangelion" (an
alternate ending to the series) are coming early 2002.
Official website: <http://www.gainax.co.jp/anime/eva/evaindex-e.html>
[Entry by Rob Maxwell]
NINJA SCROLL (original title JUBEI NIMPUUCHO): The original title
translates as "Story of wind-ninja Jubei". This epic tells a
semi-historical story about Kibagami Jubei, well known in Japan as a
master swordsman and special agent. Once he was missing for a dozen
years, and it was believed that he was on special duty. There were
many versions, and here is one of them: Jubei was fighting with Eight
Demons of Kimon, evil fighters/sorcerers under command of Hideyoshi
Toyotomi, who was believed to be a demon in Japan.
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo and Terrence Walker]
NO NEED FOR TENCHI: see TENCHI MUYO
NOIR: NOIR is a 26 episode TV series about two female assassins,
and their search to uncover the conspiracy that threatens their lives.
Mireille is a beautiful French professional assassin who is haunted by
a childhood tragedy. Kirika is a Japanese schoolgirl with deadly
skills and no memory of her past. The series takes place in
France/Europe, and features a stunning soundtrack, stylish gunplay, a
twisting plot, and lots of bodies at the end of each episode. Despite
this, the series isn't graphically violent - the fight scenes usually
don't even have blood in them!
The series has received raves for being daring and different, as
the two main characters willingly kill lots of people (this isn't
SAILOR MOON, folks) with minimal angst. The main complaints are that
the pacing is too slow and the show suffers from "main characters gun
down bad guys too easily" syndrome. The pacing and tension do pick up
as the series progresses, with a solid ending that asks whether
killing can ever be justified in the name of good. Some people
dislike the main characters, due to their seeming coldness, but NOIR
has good character development so that you care about these people to
a surprising extent in the end.
Warning: If you're looking for fan service, the show is
surprisingly free of it, considering what a babe Mireille is. C'est
dommage.
Licenced by ADV.
[Entry by Scott Fujimoto]
NOW AND THEN, HERE AND THERE: Shu is an ordinary, cheerful Japanese
boy until one day when he meets a mysterious, ethereal girl named Lala
Ru and is accidentally brought to a hellish future. There he must
struggle to survive and keep his ideals through slavery, war, and the
tyranny of an insane would-be conqueror. A deep and powerful but
extremely depressing show, which goes into some detail about the inhuman
brutality created by war. Definitely not for children, as there are
onscreen depictions of torture, some fairly graphic deaths, rape and
other nastiness. 13 episodes, available now from Central Park Media.
[Entry by Blade]
NUKU-NUKU: see ALL PURPOSE CULTURAL CAT-GIRL NUKU-NUKU
O
OH MY GODDESS!: Keiichi is visited by the lovely goddess
Belldandy, who grants him a wish. He wishes that she become his
girlfriend. Her older sister wants their relationship to progress
faster, while her younger sister is dead-set against it. But why does
Belldandy resist them both, insisting that promises must be kept?
Based loosely on the manga AH MEGAMI-SAMA by Fujishima Kosuke.
The original five-episode OAV series is available from AnimEigo.
The manga is available from Dark Horse.
(See also AH MY GODDESS! and ADVENTURES OF THE MINI-GODDESSES.)
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
OMOIDE POROPORO (English title ONLY YESTERDAY): Contemporary
sentimental drama about a yuppie Japanese woman looking back at her
youth and life-choices, brilliantly animated by Miyazaki pro Isao
Takahata. Talky, actionless, and stunningly beautiful. Licenced by
Disney.
ONE PIECE: This is a grand shounen adventure saga, with humor,
action, drama and great characters. It's based upon a long running
and very popular shounen manga. The anime is well over a hundred
episodes and stays amazingly fresh and imaginative.
In a strange world of pirates, that is sort of a funky mix of 17th
Century Spanish Main and today, Rufi, a teen who has eaten seeds of a
cursed rubber plant, has become a "rubber boy", with super powers.
Which is useful, because he wants to be the king of all pirates in
this world and find the greatest pirate treasure of all time, the "One
Piece". Rufi collects a strange band of associates and they explore
this very baroque world, helping many folks in need (mainly by
fighting the real pirates), but not actually pirating.
Licenced by FUNimation.
[Entry by Anthony D. Baranyi]
ONIISAMA E (a.k.a. BROTHER, DEAR BROTHER): Teenage Misonoo Nanako
enters an exclusive private high school, makes new friends, and is
quickly picked to join a snooty sorority. She is quickly caught up in
the emotional whirlwind of the passionate and unstable personalities
of her female classmates: Miya-sama, the wealthy, beautiful, and
ruthless sorority president; Saint-Juste, a brilliant pianist, but
prone to depression and fits of self-destructive violence; the boyish
basketball player Kaoru no Kimi, smart and ethically clear-sighted,
but subject to a mysterious illness, and troubled by an undisclosed
romantic sorrow; and the beautiful, fiercely loyal, but unstable and
obsessed Mariko, the despised daughter of a wealthy writer of
pornography. With innocent Nanako in the middle, the fragile truce
between the other girls begins to break down, and Nanako is carried
with them into a destructive maelstrom of passion, madness, and
unrequited love.
This is the dark side of shoujo, much darker than author Ikeda
Riyoko's best known work, ROSE OF VERSAILLES. It is gothic and
atmospheric, dramatic bordering on melodramatic, and includes sexual
stalking, graphic physical violence, multiple suicide attempts, drug
abuse, and lesbian homoeroticism. It is deadly serious, with scarcely
a trace of humor, and as the story passes the midpoint of its 40 TV
episodes, it becomes unbearably intense. It is not for everyone, and
may appeal to women more than men. Like it or hate it, you will never
forget it. It has an outstanding score, which reinforces the show's
emotional tone. Available only as fansubs of the first 28 episodes;
even the original Japanese edition is no longer in print.
[Entry by Slithy Tove]
ORANGE ROAD: see KIMAGURE ORANGE ROAD
OUTLAW STAR: The first show in Sunrise's "Toward Stars" universe,
OUTLAW STAR is an old-fashioned space opera writ large. Gene
Starwind, a big fish in the small pond of his home planet, is thrust
into a conflict between the Space Forces, the galactic pirates, and
the "outlaws" who owe allegiance to neither side as they all try to
reach the Galactic Leyline. Helping Gene are his young partner Jim
Hawking, the lovely Melfina, and others who come and go from the plot.
If you like "pulp"-era science fiction, you'll like this show.
OUTLAW STAR is available uncut on VHS and DVD from Bandai in North
America, and an edited version of most of the series has been shown on
US television. The show is available in Australia from Madman.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
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 Geneon.
[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 Geneon 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]
PRINCESS TUTU: Once upon a time, Ikuko Ito and Junichi Sato decided
to tell a story about a girl named Ahiru who attends a ballet school.
Ahiru wants nothing more than to bring a smile to the face of her
classmate Mytho. After learning of her true heritage in the first
episode, including just how descriptive her name is, she starts her
adventure as the magical girl Princess Tutu to put Mytho's heart back
together so that he can smile. But Fakir and Rue, Mytho's only
companions, take turns to try to stop Princess Tutu from putting Mytho's
heart together again ...
The pacing and character designs of PRINCESS TUTU are similar to
those in MAGIC USERS' CLUB, which is no surprise since Ito-san and
Sato-san both worked as directors on both shows. The themes of various
classic ballets that are worked into the series, the surreal elements
(such as the ballet teacher who is a cat), and the presence of an
all-knowing supporting character in many episodes, invite comparisons to
shows like REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA. And Ahiru is a classic magical
girl, more interested in helping people than in fighting - in fact, she
often says that she doesn't want to fight. These elements, drawn
together into a consistent whole with strong episodes throughout the
first half and last quarter of the series, make PRINCESS TUTU a show not
to be missed.
Thirteen half-hour episodes, 24 quarter-hour episodes, and one final
half-hour episode, licenced in North America by ADV.
[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
QUIET COUNTRY CAFE: see YOKOHAMA SHOPPING TRIP LOG
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. Available on DVD in
North America and the UK from ADV, and in Australia from Madman.
[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 retrieve 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 released by Manga Entertainment in North
America.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
REAL BOUT HIGH SCHOOL: Your high school wasn't like this, I
guarantee it. The school has a K-Fight system where grudges and
challenge matches settle things. At the top of the rankings is Ryoko, a
rather busty Kendo Club student. Once she finds an amulet, her life
turns upside down. The amulet activates and she finds herself in
another dimension, with enemies that are beyond belief. Also of note,
the final enemy of the series is William Gates (Bill Gates, duh).
Released by TokyoPop in North America.
[Entry by Bill Martin]
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]
(continued in Part 5)
--
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