Rob Kelk
1st July 2004, 05:09 PM
(continued from Part 4)
S
SABER MARIONETTE J: The planet of Terra II is populated only by
men, all clones of the six survivors of a crashed colony vessel. To
compensate for the loss of women in their society, robots in female
form, called marionettes, were created. Centuries later, a young man
named Otaru comes into the possession of a trio of marionettes (Lime,
Cherry and Bloodberry) that exhibit some very un-robotlike behavior:
they laugh, cry and argue. Otaru now faces the challenge of teaching
the three marionettes what it means to be human, while struggling with
his own growing feelings for them. (25 episode TV series, from
Bandai, US VHS and DVD release by AnimeVillage.)
[Entry by Karl Merris]
SABER MARIONETTE J AGAIN: In this sequel to SABER MARIONETTE J,
Otaru and the marionettes, Lime, Cherry and Bloodberry, take care of
some unfinished business from the first series and unexpectedly
acquires some new marionette "students" that wish to fully realize
their potential to be human. Dealing with a houseful of lively women,
Otaru learns a few new things himself about being human. As
catastrophe looms over the planet of Terra II, the marionettes find
that a human heart carries a heavy price: it can be broken. (6
episode OAV series, from Bandai, US VHS and DVD release by
AnimeVillage.)
[Entry by Karl Merris]
SABER MARIONETTE R: This OAV feature was released prior to SABER
MARIONETTE J, but is set three centuries after that series. A young
boy, Junior, heir apparent to the throne of the city-state of Romana,
is hunted by his mad brother and his army of warrior marionettes. The
boy's only hope for survival lies with three marionettes, Lime, Cherry
and Bloodberry, who are dedicated to Junior's defense. There's plenty
of action and surprising revelations as Junior struggles against his
brother to determine the fate of Terra II. (3 episode OAV series,
from Bandai, US VHS release by AnimeVillage, 1999, DVD release
expected in 2002.)
[Entry by Karl Merris]
SAILOR MOON: This magical girl show is more suitable for adults than
others in the genre; although it offers the standard transformation
sequences and monsters of the week, it also has a strong sense of humour
that frequently approaches parody of the genre or the show itself, and
presents a more interesting cast of characters than many such shows.
The third season, SAILOR MOON S, is arguably the strongest - both
because of the season's plot and because of the introduction of the
series' best characters - and also readily available in an uncut form.
It's interesting to note that Ikuhara (later responsible for UTENA) was
given more artistic freedom when directing this season.
Sadly, the US dub cuts much of the subtext that makes the show worth
watching, and makes major changes to the personalities of some
characters; in particular, the heroine is presented in a much less
positive light.
This show is now seen as the first of a new subgenre: the
"magical sentai girl" story, drawing equally on the "magical girl" and
"sentai team" (or "fighter team") genres for inspiration. The dubbed
television run from DIC lasted for only the first two of the show's
five seasons, but a subsequent dub from Optimum has covered the third
and fourth seasons. Luckily, Cloverway went to Optimum, the same
dubbing studio that DiC used, for their dubs. ADV Films released the
DIC dubs, and also had the sub rights for the first two seasons - these
are no longer available commercially. Geneon released the dubs and subs
of all three Sailor Moon movies and the third and fourth seasons.
Fansubs of the fifth season exist, but have become very difficult to
find.
[Entry by David Damerell and Rob Kelk, with help from Scott Delahunt]
SAINT TAIL (a.k.a. THE MYSTERIOUS THIEF SAINT TAIL): During the day,
she is Haneoka Meimi, at St. Paulia school, but when there is a need,
during the night she turns into the Magical Girl Saint Tail, with the
help of her friend and classmate Seira, who is a nun in training and is
the only person that knows the identity of Saint Tail. Help to steal
precious objects, but with the objective to return them to their
rightful owners after being stolen by unscrupulous persons. Saint Tail
is chased by Daiki Asuka (Asuka Jr.) who has the mission to catch and
discover the real identity of Saint Tail, and also is Meimi's classmate.
As part of a private deal between Saint Tail and Asuka Jr., she must
tell the young detective when her next attack will occur.
Saint Tail is not the normal magical girl, since must of her tricks
evolve between illusionism and magician tricks, many of them taken from
her father's skills as a professional magician, but is a nice and fun
show, with character development and cute romantic moments.
SAINT TAIL comprises 43 episodes and are available on DVD from
TokyoPop.
[Entry by Gerardo Campos]
SAIYUKI: see GENSOMADEN SAIYUKI
SAMURAI X: see RUROUNI KENSHIN
SAZAN EYES: see 3x3 EYES
SECRET OF BLUE WATER: see NADIA
SEIKAI NO MONSHOU: see CREST OF THE STARS
SERIAL EXPERIMENTS LAIN: Lain is a shy junior-high girl living in
a seemingly normal, not too very far in the future world. And yet,
strange things keep happening. A classmate commits suicide by jumping
off a building ... and the next day, several people receive e-mail
from her. Lain's parents don't behave as you would expect. Lain
starts to become interested in computers and quite naturally and
easily demonstrates startling aptitude for them using them and "the
wired" - the Internet of her day. But the real truth of who Lain is
will be even more startling yet. A trippy, surreal, confusing and in
my opinion very interesting series. Decent art and animation.
Occasional gore, though very little actual violence. 13 Episodes.
From Geneon Entertainment.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
SHIN SEIKI EVANGELION: see NEON GENESIS EVANGELION
SHIN TENCHI MUYO: see TENCHI IN TOKYO
SHINESMAN: SPECIAL DUTY COMBAT UNIT: They're a team of
superheroes, just like the Power Rangers, except for one little
difference: Most of them don't quite understand what a "sentai" team
is supposed to act like. But that's what happens when the team is
corporately funded, and made up of various mid-level office workers
(and an OL as the requisite token female) ...
AnimeWorks has released both OAVs on one tape. Both the sub and
the dub have their strong points - the dub has some funny one-liners
in the dialogue, while the sub makes it quite easy to identify the
voice actors - they're given characters with the same family names.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
SHOUJO KAKUMEI UTENA: see UTENA
SILENT MOBIUS: THE MOTION PICTURE and SILENT MOBIUS: THE MOTION
PICTURE 2: Based on the popular manga series by Kia Asamiya, Silent
Mobius is set in the near future, when creatures from the dark
universe of Nemesis threaten the Earth. Founded to fight this battle,
the Attacked Mystification Police, a special (and all female) police
department is always looking for a few good women who meet their
unique requirements: each member brings her own special power
(physical, cyber, religious, psychic, mystical) to the fight. These
movies are really parts 1 and 2 of the same story - how AMP heroine
Katsumi Liqueur came to join the force (and she's really not this
whiney in the manga or TV series!).
[Entry by Jeanne Hedge]
[Was available dubbed from Streamline Pictures when Streamline was
still in business. - Rob Kelk]
SILENT MOBIUS TV: In the near future, creatures from the dark
universe of Nemesis threaten the Earth. The battle has been going on
for generations, and now things are coming to a head. Spanning the
course of several years, Silent Mobius is a 26-episode TV series that
follows the adventures of the Attacked Mystification Police, a special
(and all female) police department founded to carry on where their
elders left off. Each member of the force brings her own special
power (physical, cyber, religious, psychic, mystical) to the fight
against darkness - both from without and within. Part action-drama,
part comedy, this is *not* a re-telling of the movies, and it's
alternate-universe to both the movies and the manga series by Kia
Asamiya that both TV and movies were based on (in overall tone, it's
close to the manga than the movies). Available from Bandai/Anime
Village.
[Entry by Jeanne Hedge]
SLAYERS: Slayers is a half-comic half-serious take on the fantasy
genre. The series revolves around the underdevoloped, short, small
breasted, ever hungry Lina Inverse, a sorceress that kills bandits and
steals their loot for a living, and her companions, Gourry Gabriev,
the not so bright swordsman possesing the legendary Sword of Light,
Amelia Wil Telsa Sailoon, the obnoxious princess and shrine madien who
believes in justice and that the power of good will prevail, Zelgadis
Greywords, a part human, part golem, and part demon, shy, pessimistic
creation that seeks to return to a human state, and Sylphiel, a shrine
madien who's the only good one of the bunch. Along the way Lina and
company have to face off against the dark lord Shabranigdo, and find
out who put a bounty on their head. Some subplots include dressing
Gourry up like a girl, fighting a dragon, and pretending to be players
in a play. The series remarkably juggles the comedy and drama, often
flipping between both in the same episode. On one hand it's a great
fantasy anime, and on the other it's funny as hell. The animation
starts out not so great, and improves through out the first season,
getting pretty good by the end. The voice acting is great, except for
the original dub voices of Zelgadis and Amelia which are fortunatly
changed after episode thirteen. Available from Software Sculptors.
[Entry by "Sultan Of Swing"]
SLAYERS NEXT: The second, and arguably the best, Slayers season.
After Lina, Gourry, Amelia, and Zelgadis are reunited they take off in
search of a cure for Zelgadis's condition, a quest that leads them
into the middle of a power struggle between two demon lords,
Hellmaster Fibrizo and the Demon Dragon King Gaav. Also joining them
is the schizophrenic princess Martina who is obsessed with killing
Lina, and the mysterious priest Xellos who shadows the group with his
own ulterior motives. The second season, at least the second half, is
based mostly around the relationship of Lina and Gourry, and the two
of them admitting to their feelings for each other. Of course the
theme is surronded by comic misadventures and tense battles against
powerful opponents. Pretty much the first and third quarters of the
season is mostly comical, while the second and fourth quarters are
mostly serious. The animation is greatly improved over the first
season, but unfortunatly the dialogue seems to be more cut and dry
question and answer stuff, unlike the first season where the
characters would routinely interupt each other and add in odd and
often times ignored comments throughout the episode. Still it
manages to be slightly better than season one with most of the best
episodes being in the second half. Available from Software Sculptors.
[Entry by "Sultan Of Swing"]
SLAYERS TRY: The third, and unfortunatly final, season of Slayers.
Once again Lina, Gourry, Amelia, and Zelgadis are reuinited, but this
time head off into unexplored territory where magic is a lost art.
Shortly after their arrival, Lina and company are hired by Philia, a
dragon priestess who needs them to fulfill a prophecy, and later are
joined by Xellos who once again comes complete with his own ulterior
motives. The third season seems to revolve around the theme that
there is no real good or evil, just what lies between. The animation
and voice acting are great, but the season seems like the worst of the
three, especially in the begining. Still it's a great series and the
second half of episodes really turn out great. Available from
Software Sculptors.
[Entry by "Sultan Of Swing"]
SLAYERS OAVs and movies: These describe Lina Inverse's early
years, before she met Gourry and the others. Travelling and working
with, and sometimes fighting against, the over-endowed and
overly-obnoxious Naga the Serpent (who has proclaimed herself "Lina's
greatest rival"), Lina explores her little part of the world while
turning many sword-and-sorcery cliches on their ear.
The first three OAVs and the first movie are available from ADV
Films, who also have the rights to the remaining OAVs and movies.
SLAYERS reference site: <http://www.inverse.org/>
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
SOL BIANCA: SOL BIANCA centers around the five woman crew of a
pirate ship of the same name. There are two OVAs, and there should
have been a third. The second OVA sets up the stage for a third quite
nicely, but apparently the series didn't have enough popularity to
merit the third OVA. Which is a shame, because it is a very nice
series. It takes place in the far flung future, where Earth is a
legend, and space travel is commonplace.
In the first episode a fairly standard bit of piracy on the part of
the crew of the Sol Bianca results in them accidentally capturing a
boy who was stowing away on the ship they'd plundered. Events cause
them to take on an entire planetary empire, and show that in addition
to looking very nice the Sol Bianca has a range of rather astonishing
powers (including the mandatory BFG).
The second episode explains more about the ship, and why it has
such extraordinary powers. Unfortunately the explanations are mostly
in the form of rather obscure hints, and this sets up quite nicely for
the third episode, which doesn't exist.
Excellent mecha design, an intriguing cast, and well done animation
and pacing.
The first OVA is available from ADV on VHS in both sub and dubbed
format. The second OVA is available from ADV on VHS in subtitled
format only. The OVAs are not available on DVD.
[Entry by Brad Jackson]
SOL BIANCA: THE LEGACY: This series shares the ship design, most
of the character designs, and many of the character personalities with
the first two OVAs, but it is neither a sequel nor a prequel. In the
same tradition as the various incarnations of the TENCHI MUYO
universe, we see a different, and in many ways better, version of SOL
BIANCA.
The ship design is mostly the same, and those few changes that
exist are all improvements. The character designs are improved, and
the characters have deeper and more complex personalities than they do
in their first incarnations. Jun is still the data hack, but Feb is
no longer the captain; that job has passed to April. May's character
is the most changed, instead of being a short mecha freak, she is now
a child.
The computer-generated scenes are ok, but not really worth raving
about. Generally though the animation is much better than it was in
the first OVAs, and the first OVAs had very good animation. The
storyline is engaging, and the characters make you care about them.
The quality of the dub, like many of Geneon's other late-1990's
releases, is surprisingly good. Not Disney quality, but it's actually
enjoyable even to subtitle fans.
There are six episodes to the new SOL BIANCA OVAs.
SOL BIANCA THE LEGACY is available from Geneon in both subtitled
and dubbed versions on VHS. It is also available on DVD with both
Japanese and English audio tracks and an English subtitle track.
[Entry by Brad Jackson]
SORCERER HUNTERS: Carrot Glaice, Tira Misu and Chocolate Misu are
the Sorcerer Hunters, a group comissioned by the goddess "Big Mama" to
hunt down renegade sorcerers. These three particular people are
chosen for their mix of talents. Carrot, in particular, is highly
qualified for reasons I can't tell you without spoiling a major plot
point. However, he's also an amazing letch, so his two companions
have to keep him in line, by tying him up in their sexy outfits, if
need be! This is a TV series, and so the artwork and animation could
be better, though they're not terrible - just not great. Mostly this
is just fun, stupid fluff. Has sexual overtones and occasional
violence. Dub and sub. 25 episodes. From ADV Films.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
SPEED RACER (aka MACH GO GO GO): Based on the 1966 manga MACH GO
GO GO this 52 episode 1967 series by Tatsunako studios shows the
career of Speed Racer (Go Mifune) from beginner racer to world
champion. The dub version is noted for its mixture of interesting
storylines and unintentually campy dialog and numberous bad puns in
regards to character names.
It was considered popular enough that in the 1990s two revial
attempts were tried: One in America under the title NEW SPEED RACER
(1993) [13 episodes] and the other in Japan by Tatsunako studios under
the title MACH GO GO GO (1996) (aka Y2K SPEED RACER) [52 episodes were
planned only 34 made] Neither revial worked partly IMHO due to the
stories not measuring up to the original.
(In North America, FHE and NOW both made VHS taps in the 1980s all
of which are AFAIK out of print though FHE does have a DVD containing
the two part episodes "The Great Plan", "Challenge of the Masked Racer",
"The Secret Engine", "Race Against the Mammoth Car", and the three part
"Most Dangerous Race". Geneon put out a DVD called "Speed Racer Movie"
which contained "Car Hater" and the two part "Mammoth Car" episodes.
Speed Racer Enterprises via Speedracer.com has released limited edition
(1000 copies) VHS and DVD sets. In Australia, Siren releases SPEED
RACER.)
SPEED RACER FAQ: <http://udel.edu/~mm/anime/speed/>
[Entry by Bruce Grubb]
SPELL WARS: see SORCERER HUNTERS
STARDUST MEMORIES: see GUNDAM
STRANGE DAWN: STRANGE DAWN is an intriguingly naturalistic take of
what happens when you drop two ordinary 16 year old girls into a
parallel world populated by constantly warring tribes of knee-high
people who hail them as superheroes: Where are the toilets? Oh no,
we don't have any clean clothes! Do we really want to be saviours, or
should we just keep our heads down and look for a way home? The
attention to everyday concerns may sound comical but actually it makes
the whole thing believable, and heightens the impact of the violence
which punctuates the tale as rival factions fight over the girls. The
story is complex and mysterious: every character has their own
agenda, and neither we nor the girls really know what's going on, and
in their case they are not sure they even want to know.
The series is 13 episodes long, and a nicely blended mix of cel and
CGI. The DVD version is both sub & dub. The dub has a mixed
Anglo-Australian-European sound to it which non-American viewers find
refreshing, but many American viewers can't bear. The voice acting is
good and in keeping with the tone of the original; however the
translation itself is a salutary reminder of the ambiguities of the
Japanese language: where it's possible to translate a sentence in two
different ways, the dub infallibly picks the wrong one. This just
adds to the overall air of mystery though, so the dub is undoubtedly
destined to be a cult classic, especially when you throw in the
complete absence of lip sync.
Being released in North America by Urban Vision.
[Entry by Shez]
SUPERGIRL MARIS: see MARIS THE CHOJO
T
TAIHO SHICHAUZO!: see YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!
TANK POLICE: see DOMINION
TENCHI MUYO: A story about a teenage boy, the pretty alien girl
who loves him, the other pretty alien girl who loves him, the *other*
other pretty alien girl who loves him, and a few other pretty alien
girls (some of whom love him, too). And they all just happen to be
some of the most powerful people in the universe. The plotline varies
between sit-com and space opera, occasionally in the same episode.
The plot of the first OAV series was heavily re-written to become the
basis of TENCHI MUYO TV. The first two OAV series are available from
Geneon under the name "Tenchi Collection" - in fact, this is
Geneon's flagship title - and an edited version has been aired on
U.S. cable TV. The manga (with the translated title "No Need for
Tenchi") is available from Viz.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
TENCHI MUYO: MIHOSHI SPECIAL: A side story to the TENCHI MUYO OAV
series, this is Galaxy Police officer Mihoshi's recounting of her
biggest case ever. The names in the story have been changed to
protect the innocent, of course, but Mihoshi changes them to the names
of her friends! Somehow, the relationships just don't change... This
comedy marks the only undisputed appearance to date of Kiyone in the
OAV continuity, and also shows one of the earliest appearances of
Magical Girl Pretty Sammy. Available (on VHS only) as part of the
"Tenchi Collection" from Geneon.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
TENCHI MUYO TV: Tenchi Masaki is an ordinary schoolboy until
gorgeous alien women (with their little sisters and meowing spaceships
in tow) start to crash-land in his backyard. A little bit of URUSEI
YATSURA and a little bit of RANMA 1/2, with some "Star Wars" homages
thrown in for good measure. The TV series is generally considered a
parallel universe to the version of the story told in the OAV series.
Highly recommended for fans of romantic comedies and sci-fi adventure.
[Entry by Dave Menard]
[Available from Geneon. - Rob Kelk]
TENCHI IN TOKYO (a.k.a. SHIN TENCHI MUYO): This latest installment
of Tenchi fun is yet another parallel universe from the OAV and first
TV series. In this story, Tenchi goes off to school in Tokyo leaving
the girls behind in Okayama. This doesn't sit well with the passell
of alien women, especially since Tenchi's getting awfully close to
that new girl, Sakuya...
[Entry by Dave Menard]
[Available from Geneon. - Rob Kelk]
TENCHI MUYO movies
TENCHI MUYO IN LOVE!: Tenchi and the girls must race back in time
to keep an intergalactic criminal from altering the past. The first
Tenchi movie, based off the TV series continuity. Spectacular
animation combined with a good story make this film in many ways the
best Tenchi feature.
TENCHI MUYO: DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS (a.k.a. MANATSU NO EVE): Known
as "Midsummer's Eve" in the UK and Europe. Tenchi's daughter appears,
but who's the mother? And what does all this have to do with Yosho's
childhood on planet Jurai? Not as well received by fans as the first
Tenchi movie, DoD is nevertheless high-quality animation, though the
story may seem to be a little rushed. This may be due to the
long-circulated rumour that the plotline was originally written for a
third OAV series.
TENCHI MUYO IN LOVE 2 - TENCHI FOREVER: According to Pioneer/AIC,
the *final* TENCHI MUYO TV feature. "Forever" does a fair job of
resolving some of the longstanding conflicts between the two primary
rivals for Tenchi's heart, and the bittersweet ending suggests that
Tenchi has finally made a choice. A languid pace makes this feature
tricky viewing, especially compared to the more frenetic pace of the
earlier films. Worth watching only if you are willing to invest the
attention needed to appreciate this final chapter.
[Entries by Dave Menard]
[Dave's comment about the first movie being the best is his
opinion - some people, including the list maintainer, like the second
movie better. All three movies are available from Geneon. - Rob
Kelk]
TETSUWAN ATOMU: see ASTRO BOY
THOSE OBNOXIOUS ALIENS: see URUSEI YATSURA
TIME STRANGER: An involving variation on THE TERMINATOR, with
slight nods of the head towards TIME BANDITS. The animation is very
good and the story, complex. Feudal Japan is depicted nicely and in
detail, as is the far future. Great plot complications throughout.
TO HEART: A 13 episode slice of life drama about a group of
17-year-old high-school students. The nail-biting climax of episode
one concerns whether or not Akari, a total sweetie with cherry-red
hair, will get to sit next to the boy she likes, and the rest of the
series pretty much follows on at the same tempo. Akari's squeeze is
the sleepy-headed but kind-hearted Hiroyuki, whose ever-helpful nature
causes him to acquire new female friends in each episode. The genius
of this charming series is how its focus on the events of everyday
life manages to elevate them to a level of importance that supplants
any need for magical superheroes or quests to save the world. Having
said that, many of the girls that Hiroyuki befriends have intriguing
quirks: e.g. Serika practices black magic, Kotone is a psychic who
only makes unlucky predictions, and Multi is an incompetent android
sent to the school for field trials.
Rather remarkably for a TV series that is bordering on shoujo, TO
HEART actually started life as a Hentai dating sim. As well as the 13
episodes, there are 6 little "omake" (extras) which were originally
broadcast with some of the episodes. They use super-deformed versions
of the characters and are mostly even more low key than the main
episodes.
[Entry by Shez]
TONARI NO TOTORO: see MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO
TRIGUN: A sci-fi western comedy (mostly) focusing around the
world's most unlikely criminal, Vash the Stampede. The man is
apparently so dangerous that he's worth 60,000,000,000$$ ("double
dollars"), but whenever anyone catches up to him in hopes of snagging
the reward, they're always thwarted: sometimes by his skill with a
gun, but mostly by his inherent goofiness. However, Vash does have a
dark past, so mysterious that even he himself doesn't know what it is!
All in all, a fairly lighthearted show with some serious themes, but a
hilarious watch. (Geneon)
[Entry by KireiSarah]
TSUKIKAGE RAN (a.k.a. KAZEMAKASE TSUKIKAGE RAN, CARRIED BY THE WIND):
Ran, a female samurai, is a self-described "beautiful female drifter"
wandering through feudal Japan, carried only by the everchanging wind
and her eternal thirst for sake. Generally accompanying her is Miao
(Meow), a wandering martial artist from China characterised mostly by
happy-go-luckiness, a good heart, and an utter, frightening lack of
anything resembling forethought or intelligence. Together the two,
rather more frequently than Ran would like, get embroiled in resolving
problems of local corruption or crime. An episodic light-hearted parody
of Japanese "wandering samurai and his sidekick" shows, high points
being likable characters and spectacular fight scenes. 13 episodes,
available now from Bandai.
[Entry by Blade]
THE TWELVE KINGDOMS: see JUUNI KOKKI
U
URUSEI YATSURA (translates as something like THOSE OBNOXIOUS
ALIENS): A slap-stick screwball comedy about Lum, the flying
electro-demon girl from space, Ataru, the earth boy she wants, and a
host of other crazy characters. Popular madness in TV, OAV, and movie
formats by Rumiko Takahashi. This entire series is being released
from AnimEigo in dubbed and subbed formats. (The second movie is
available subbed from USMC. Don't ask...)
[After hearing the fans' opinion of the dub of the first episodes,
AnimEigo decided to release the remainder of URUSEI YATSURA in
subtitled format only. - Rob Kelk]
UTENA (a.k.a. SHOUJO KAKUMEI UTENA, REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA): You
could go off roses! A different twist on the magical girl series in
that the subject here makes no attempt to transform into anything
except by the fact that as a very young girl, grieving her parents'
death, she encounters a "prince" who comforts her and tells her that
they are destined to meet again, giving her a ring. She vows to grow
up as noble as this prince, but takes it too literally, shunning the
usual fuku of her peers for more masculine garb. On her acceptance to
a school with a mysterious club, she finds that not only were there
other people with the same ring as her, but that they regularly fought
for the hand of the "Rose Bride", in the hope that eventually the
lucky winner will gain entry to the strange castle visible from the
duelling ring, though each has a different reason driving them.
Available from Software Sculptors.
[Entry by Chika]
V
VAMPIRE HUNTER D (1985): A.D. 12,090 is a lot like the Old West,
except for the mutants and vampires. When Count Magnus Lee, an
ancient and powerful bloodsucker, sets his sights on a young woman of
the frontier, Doris Lang, she hires a cape-clad, sword-swinging
stranger known simply as D to get rid of a suitor who doesn't
understand "No." D must fight his way past a horde of supernatural
guardians as well as taking on Count Lee himself, and also must
contend with his own unnatural aspects. In addition to being a
dhampir (half human and half vampire), D has in his left palm a
symbiotic creature that exercises weird powers on his behalf but also
taunts him for his shortcomings at every opportunity.
Some fans look down on VHD for its crude animation and cliched
storyline, but it has become a cult classic, perhaps for its stunning
imagery and larger-than-life conflicts. There's romance as well when
Doris starts falling for her half-human savior. VHD is also notable
for its violence, as D's blade slices through nearly anything that
will make a blood splash. Tetsuya Komuro's soundtrack gives a rich
atmosphere to both action and quieter moments.
Available from Urban Vision.
[Entry by Cathy Krusberg]
VAMPIRE HUNTER D (2000): A second Vampire Hunter D movie was
released to Japanese theaters in April 2001 and is slated for American
theatrical release in September 2001. Also titled "Vampire Hunter D,"
it is based on the third novel in Hideyuki Kikuchi's VHD series, "D -
Yousatsukou" (D - Demon Deathchase). D is hired to retrieve a woman
kidnapped by the vampire Meier Link, but his task is complicated by
two factors: a competing set of hunters, and the true love that led
the woman to accompany Meier of her own will. The character designs
in the new movie are much closer to Yoshitaka Amano's vision, and the
animation is top notch.
[Entry by Cathy Krusberg]
VAMPIRE PRINCESS MIYU: A supernatural horror series about a
contemporary "vampire" who stalks wayward demons (Shinma) loose on
Earth and sends them back to Darkness, while pursued by a persistent
exorcist not as enthused about unlife as Miyu. Quiet, moody brooding
chiller, hopeless to follow without understanding the dialog.
Available from AnimEigo in North America, or Madman in Australia.
[There is also a recent VAMPIRE PRINCESS MIYU TV series, which has a
slightly different focus from the OAVs described above. The TV series
is available from TokyoPop in North America, or Madman in
Australia. - Rob Kelk]
VANDREAD: A series with two seasons by Takeshi Mori. A group of men
have lived for generations on a planet without women. The women in this
show are the enemy who are feared as monsters by these men who are
created in genetic labratories. When Hibiki, our young hero, finds
himself stowed away on a ship that is captured by the women and
subsequently cast into deep space by a missile, he and a few others must
learn to work together to return without killing each other in the
process.
The series is frought with wonderful CGI scenes where the man's
mecha-inspired Vanguard fighter merges with the women's
jet-fighter-inspired Dread units to create extremly powerful fighters.
On top of this the sexual tension of two cultures that have never before
encountered each other and so have no concept of "relations" between the
sexes is hilarious to watch.
Available from Geneon.
[Entry by Charlie Smith]
VENUS WARS: A group of racers on Venus and a reporter from Earth
are caught up in the war for the dominance of Venus. A dark film from
the "sand in my spacesuit" view of the future which sees the racers
being turned from a group of stunt racers who defeat a tank by sheer
fluke to hard fighting riders who become instrumental in the war's
conclusion. Available from USMC.
[Entry by Chika]
VIDEO GIRL AI: Youta Moteuchi has a crush on his schoolmate, Moemi
Hayakawa, but she has feelings for his best friend, Takeshi Niimai.
Since Youta is too nice for his own good, he tries to get the two of
them together, despite how sad it makes him. A mysterious new video
store called Gokuraku appears on Youta's path home, and he winds up
renting an adult video entitled "Ai Amano - I'll Cheer You Up." When
he plays it on his defective VCR, Ai pops out of the TV screen into
his life, and promises to help him square things away with Moemi.
There was one thing she hadn't counted on, however: Amongst other
flaws, the broken VCR caused her to eventually fall in love with
Youta, which is forbidden for Video Girls, and causes heartbreaking
complications for both of them. A six-OVA series based on the popular
manga by Masakazu Katsura (who had previously distinguished himself
with WINGMAN). Available domestically from Viz Video, but beware the
over-massaged, over-localized translations, especially in the dub.
[Entry by David Watson]
THE VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE: A sixteen year old girl, Hitomi, who is
magically transported to the land of Gaia, is embroiled in a battle
with the evil Zaibach empire, bent on manipulating destiny. She aids
the boy king Van Fanel, who pilots the mecha Escaflowne, the alluring
knight Allen Schezar, the cat-girl Merle and the willful Princess
Millerna as she discovers latent pyschic powers which may be key to
the fate of Gaia. This 26 episode series mixes romance, magic, mecha
and plot in a pacy, beguiling mix, with above average TV animation and
a musical score widely regarded as one of the best in anime. The dub
is either loved or loathed.
Licensed by Bandai in North America - a commercial subtitle,
unedited and cut (Fox Kids) dub are available on VHS, with the DVDs
containing uncut subtitle and dub. In Australia, ESCAFLOWNE has been
released by Madman.
[Entry by Andrew Hollingbury]
VOTOMS: Old TV series of post-WW3 world. The army controls the
world with their mecha, but not everyone goes along. MELLOWLINK is a
related series in the same universe (set before VOTOMS, made after.)
VOTOMS has been licensed by USMC.
W
WAR IN THE POCKET: see GUNDAM
WEATHERING CONTINENT: A sword and sorcery tale in a land fallen to
ruin. Takes its time and tells a small story of three travelers with a
dark, spooky mood, well supported by a fine musical score.
A WIND NAMED AMNESIA: It happened suddenly. One minute all was as
it should be, the next... everyone on Earth had their memory wiped.
Language, social habit, everything. The story surrounds one boy, who
has been retrained to normality by another boy who escaped erasure by
the fact that he was linked to a computer in a radical new way.
Touring the devastation, he is accompanied by a woman who seems also
to have escaped erasure but will not say how. On their journey they
see what Man has made of himself since his memory was wiped, and view
the consequences, all of which leads to the ultimate questions; who
did it, and why? Available from USMC.
[Entry by Chika]
WINDARIA: A lovely fantasy story of two kingdoms at war, and how
that disturbs two pairs of lovers - one peasant, one royal. A
tragedy. Well worth the watch, IMHO. Nice music, too.
[Was available dubbed from Streamline Pictures while Streamline was
still in business. - Rob Kelk]
WINGS OF HONNEAMISE: See ROYAL SPACE FORCE.
WITCH HUNTER ROBIN: (review written after 15 episodes) In
recession-hit modern Japan, a mysterious group called "STN-J" hunts
and captures criminal magic-users. Into the group is transferred a
young woman named Sena Robin. Coming from Europe, she is dourly
dressed, has a mysterious background, and has powers similar to those
of the people the group hunts. The group could use some help, as
morale is low due to unspoken recent events and ineffective
management. Robin, a surprisingly sweet-tempered 15 year old despite
her harsh upbringing, has some learning to do before she can be of
much use. She may also be fronting for a faction opposed to STN-J.
And just what are STN-J doing with their witches after they are
captured?
The series has a very dark, foreboding, humorless feeling. It is
colored almost entirely in black, brown and gray, without even the
flashes of gleeful saturated color that come through in, for example,
HELLSING. The character cel animation is outstanding, with detailed,
naturalistic designs. Much of the grimy urban cityscape is rendered
in 3D CG. This works rather well - it's vastly better than, say,
VANDREAD, almost on par with HOSHI NO KOE, and blends well with the
cel animation. The writing is subtle and deft. We learn a lot about
the characters of the protagonists through their "normal" daily
interaction, without recourse to contrived explanatory dialog. Most
episodes are focused on dialog and investigation, actual violence is
brief and not especially graphic.
The first third of the series is deceptively episodic. As STN-J
struggles to track its targets the characters grow on us almost
unnoticed, until the second third of the series when the major
story-arc kicks in with a vengeance and the secrets of STN-J - and
Robin herself - begin to play out. This business of witches being
hunted down & killed recalls some bitter episodes in Western history,
and sets an expectation of extreme moral ambiguity upon which the
series is delivering well so far.
Recommended for those who like BLADE RUNNER, Lance Henrickson's
MILLENNIUM, or THE X-FILES. The alt-rock OP and ED by Bana and the
BGM are highly recommended also.
ROBIN, from Sunrise, started broadcast on TV Tokyo in July 2002.
Series website: <http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/robin/>
[Entry by D B Malmquist]
WITCH'S DELIVERY SERVICE: see KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE
X
Y
YOKOHAMA SHOPPING TRIP LOG (a.k.a. QUIET COUNTRY CAFE): This is a
four-volume OAV series based on the manga YOKOHAMA KAIDASHI KIKOU by
Hitoshi Ashinano. It is centred around the character of Alpha, a robot
who runs a coffeeshop in the Japanese countryside many years after some
kind of apocalypse has caused the seas to rise and flood the coasts.
The world is in a slow peaceful decline with a much-reduced population
and houses and roads lie abandoned to Nature.
The anime's bucolic atmosphere is juxtaposed with assorted wonders to
jolt the viewer's expectations: odd new species of plants and animals
grow alongside the unrepaired roads, a giant swan-like aircraft is
occasionally seen high in the sky, a female sea-spirit seeks the company
of children. It is a slow, almost plotless travelogue with visuals and
skyscapes comparable to Miyazaki (IMO) rendered in a watercolour-style
form very similar to the manga. The OAVs have been fan-subtitled and
made available on BitTorrent from Anime Coalition/NewLife Anime and
BakaMX/Oretachi.
[Entry by Robert Sneddon]
YOU'RE UNDER ARREST! (a.k.a. TAIHO SHICHAUZO!): The adventures of
Natsumi Tsujimoto and Miyuki Kobayakawa, two female police officers on
the Bokutoh City police force and their day-to-day adventures. Set in
a more or less present day city. Good animation and artwork. Good
clean fun. Little if any violence or gore, and only some innocent
flirting on the sexual side. Both OVA and TV series has been made.
Based on a manga by Kosuke Fujishima, the same guy who did OH MY
GODDESS! There's also a TV series that hasn't been released yet in
the US. Four OVAs. From AnimEigo.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
[The TV series has been licenced by AnimEigo. There is also an
excellent YOU'RE UNDER ARREST movie, which has a tone somewhere
between the YOU'RE UNDER ARREST OAVs and the PATLABOR movies. The
movie has been licenced by ADV Films, who plan a theatrical release
for it in North America. - Rob Kelk]
YUUGEN KAISHA: see PHANTOM QUEST CORPORATION
Z
ZEIRAM, THE ANIMATION: see IRIA
ZETA GUNDAM: see GUNDAM
ZZ GUNDAM: see GUNDAM
--
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
S
SABER MARIONETTE J: The planet of Terra II is populated only by
men, all clones of the six survivors of a crashed colony vessel. To
compensate for the loss of women in their society, robots in female
form, called marionettes, were created. Centuries later, a young man
named Otaru comes into the possession of a trio of marionettes (Lime,
Cherry and Bloodberry) that exhibit some very un-robotlike behavior:
they laugh, cry and argue. Otaru now faces the challenge of teaching
the three marionettes what it means to be human, while struggling with
his own growing feelings for them. (25 episode TV series, from
Bandai, US VHS and DVD release by AnimeVillage.)
[Entry by Karl Merris]
SABER MARIONETTE J AGAIN: In this sequel to SABER MARIONETTE J,
Otaru and the marionettes, Lime, Cherry and Bloodberry, take care of
some unfinished business from the first series and unexpectedly
acquires some new marionette "students" that wish to fully realize
their potential to be human. Dealing with a houseful of lively women,
Otaru learns a few new things himself about being human. As
catastrophe looms over the planet of Terra II, the marionettes find
that a human heart carries a heavy price: it can be broken. (6
episode OAV series, from Bandai, US VHS and DVD release by
AnimeVillage.)
[Entry by Karl Merris]
SABER MARIONETTE R: This OAV feature was released prior to SABER
MARIONETTE J, but is set three centuries after that series. A young
boy, Junior, heir apparent to the throne of the city-state of Romana,
is hunted by his mad brother and his army of warrior marionettes. The
boy's only hope for survival lies with three marionettes, Lime, Cherry
and Bloodberry, who are dedicated to Junior's defense. There's plenty
of action and surprising revelations as Junior struggles against his
brother to determine the fate of Terra II. (3 episode OAV series,
from Bandai, US VHS release by AnimeVillage, 1999, DVD release
expected in 2002.)
[Entry by Karl Merris]
SAILOR MOON: This magical girl show is more suitable for adults than
others in the genre; although it offers the standard transformation
sequences and monsters of the week, it also has a strong sense of humour
that frequently approaches parody of the genre or the show itself, and
presents a more interesting cast of characters than many such shows.
The third season, SAILOR MOON S, is arguably the strongest - both
because of the season's plot and because of the introduction of the
series' best characters - and also readily available in an uncut form.
It's interesting to note that Ikuhara (later responsible for UTENA) was
given more artistic freedom when directing this season.
Sadly, the US dub cuts much of the subtext that makes the show worth
watching, and makes major changes to the personalities of some
characters; in particular, the heroine is presented in a much less
positive light.
This show is now seen as the first of a new subgenre: the
"magical sentai girl" story, drawing equally on the "magical girl" and
"sentai team" (or "fighter team") genres for inspiration. The dubbed
television run from DIC lasted for only the first two of the show's
five seasons, but a subsequent dub from Optimum has covered the third
and fourth seasons. Luckily, Cloverway went to Optimum, the same
dubbing studio that DiC used, for their dubs. ADV Films released the
DIC dubs, and also had the sub rights for the first two seasons - these
are no longer available commercially. Geneon released the dubs and subs
of all three Sailor Moon movies and the third and fourth seasons.
Fansubs of the fifth season exist, but have become very difficult to
find.
[Entry by David Damerell and Rob Kelk, with help from Scott Delahunt]
SAINT TAIL (a.k.a. THE MYSTERIOUS THIEF SAINT TAIL): During the day,
she is Haneoka Meimi, at St. Paulia school, but when there is a need,
during the night she turns into the Magical Girl Saint Tail, with the
help of her friend and classmate Seira, who is a nun in training and is
the only person that knows the identity of Saint Tail. Help to steal
precious objects, but with the objective to return them to their
rightful owners after being stolen by unscrupulous persons. Saint Tail
is chased by Daiki Asuka (Asuka Jr.) who has the mission to catch and
discover the real identity of Saint Tail, and also is Meimi's classmate.
As part of a private deal between Saint Tail and Asuka Jr., she must
tell the young detective when her next attack will occur.
Saint Tail is not the normal magical girl, since must of her tricks
evolve between illusionism and magician tricks, many of them taken from
her father's skills as a professional magician, but is a nice and fun
show, with character development and cute romantic moments.
SAINT TAIL comprises 43 episodes and are available on DVD from
TokyoPop.
[Entry by Gerardo Campos]
SAIYUKI: see GENSOMADEN SAIYUKI
SAMURAI X: see RUROUNI KENSHIN
SAZAN EYES: see 3x3 EYES
SECRET OF BLUE WATER: see NADIA
SEIKAI NO MONSHOU: see CREST OF THE STARS
SERIAL EXPERIMENTS LAIN: Lain is a shy junior-high girl living in
a seemingly normal, not too very far in the future world. And yet,
strange things keep happening. A classmate commits suicide by jumping
off a building ... and the next day, several people receive e-mail
from her. Lain's parents don't behave as you would expect. Lain
starts to become interested in computers and quite naturally and
easily demonstrates startling aptitude for them using them and "the
wired" - the Internet of her day. But the real truth of who Lain is
will be even more startling yet. A trippy, surreal, confusing and in
my opinion very interesting series. Decent art and animation.
Occasional gore, though very little actual violence. 13 Episodes.
From Geneon Entertainment.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
SHIN SEIKI EVANGELION: see NEON GENESIS EVANGELION
SHIN TENCHI MUYO: see TENCHI IN TOKYO
SHINESMAN: SPECIAL DUTY COMBAT UNIT: They're a team of
superheroes, just like the Power Rangers, except for one little
difference: Most of them don't quite understand what a "sentai" team
is supposed to act like. But that's what happens when the team is
corporately funded, and made up of various mid-level office workers
(and an OL as the requisite token female) ...
AnimeWorks has released both OAVs on one tape. Both the sub and
the dub have their strong points - the dub has some funny one-liners
in the dialogue, while the sub makes it quite easy to identify the
voice actors - they're given characters with the same family names.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
SHOUJO KAKUMEI UTENA: see UTENA
SILENT MOBIUS: THE MOTION PICTURE and SILENT MOBIUS: THE MOTION
PICTURE 2: Based on the popular manga series by Kia Asamiya, Silent
Mobius is set in the near future, when creatures from the dark
universe of Nemesis threaten the Earth. Founded to fight this battle,
the Attacked Mystification Police, a special (and all female) police
department is always looking for a few good women who meet their
unique requirements: each member brings her own special power
(physical, cyber, religious, psychic, mystical) to the fight. These
movies are really parts 1 and 2 of the same story - how AMP heroine
Katsumi Liqueur came to join the force (and she's really not this
whiney in the manga or TV series!).
[Entry by Jeanne Hedge]
[Was available dubbed from Streamline Pictures when Streamline was
still in business. - Rob Kelk]
SILENT MOBIUS TV: In the near future, creatures from the dark
universe of Nemesis threaten the Earth. The battle has been going on
for generations, and now things are coming to a head. Spanning the
course of several years, Silent Mobius is a 26-episode TV series that
follows the adventures of the Attacked Mystification Police, a special
(and all female) police department founded to carry on where their
elders left off. Each member of the force brings her own special
power (physical, cyber, religious, psychic, mystical) to the fight
against darkness - both from without and within. Part action-drama,
part comedy, this is *not* a re-telling of the movies, and it's
alternate-universe to both the movies and the manga series by Kia
Asamiya that both TV and movies were based on (in overall tone, it's
close to the manga than the movies). Available from Bandai/Anime
Village.
[Entry by Jeanne Hedge]
SLAYERS: Slayers is a half-comic half-serious take on the fantasy
genre. The series revolves around the underdevoloped, short, small
breasted, ever hungry Lina Inverse, a sorceress that kills bandits and
steals their loot for a living, and her companions, Gourry Gabriev,
the not so bright swordsman possesing the legendary Sword of Light,
Amelia Wil Telsa Sailoon, the obnoxious princess and shrine madien who
believes in justice and that the power of good will prevail, Zelgadis
Greywords, a part human, part golem, and part demon, shy, pessimistic
creation that seeks to return to a human state, and Sylphiel, a shrine
madien who's the only good one of the bunch. Along the way Lina and
company have to face off against the dark lord Shabranigdo, and find
out who put a bounty on their head. Some subplots include dressing
Gourry up like a girl, fighting a dragon, and pretending to be players
in a play. The series remarkably juggles the comedy and drama, often
flipping between both in the same episode. On one hand it's a great
fantasy anime, and on the other it's funny as hell. The animation
starts out not so great, and improves through out the first season,
getting pretty good by the end. The voice acting is great, except for
the original dub voices of Zelgadis and Amelia which are fortunatly
changed after episode thirteen. Available from Software Sculptors.
[Entry by "Sultan Of Swing"]
SLAYERS NEXT: The second, and arguably the best, Slayers season.
After Lina, Gourry, Amelia, and Zelgadis are reunited they take off in
search of a cure for Zelgadis's condition, a quest that leads them
into the middle of a power struggle between two demon lords,
Hellmaster Fibrizo and the Demon Dragon King Gaav. Also joining them
is the schizophrenic princess Martina who is obsessed with killing
Lina, and the mysterious priest Xellos who shadows the group with his
own ulterior motives. The second season, at least the second half, is
based mostly around the relationship of Lina and Gourry, and the two
of them admitting to their feelings for each other. Of course the
theme is surronded by comic misadventures and tense battles against
powerful opponents. Pretty much the first and third quarters of the
season is mostly comical, while the second and fourth quarters are
mostly serious. The animation is greatly improved over the first
season, but unfortunatly the dialogue seems to be more cut and dry
question and answer stuff, unlike the first season where the
characters would routinely interupt each other and add in odd and
often times ignored comments throughout the episode. Still it
manages to be slightly better than season one with most of the best
episodes being in the second half. Available from Software Sculptors.
[Entry by "Sultan Of Swing"]
SLAYERS TRY: The third, and unfortunatly final, season of Slayers.
Once again Lina, Gourry, Amelia, and Zelgadis are reuinited, but this
time head off into unexplored territory where magic is a lost art.
Shortly after their arrival, Lina and company are hired by Philia, a
dragon priestess who needs them to fulfill a prophecy, and later are
joined by Xellos who once again comes complete with his own ulterior
motives. The third season seems to revolve around the theme that
there is no real good or evil, just what lies between. The animation
and voice acting are great, but the season seems like the worst of the
three, especially in the begining. Still it's a great series and the
second half of episodes really turn out great. Available from
Software Sculptors.
[Entry by "Sultan Of Swing"]
SLAYERS OAVs and movies: These describe Lina Inverse's early
years, before she met Gourry and the others. Travelling and working
with, and sometimes fighting against, the over-endowed and
overly-obnoxious Naga the Serpent (who has proclaimed herself "Lina's
greatest rival"), Lina explores her little part of the world while
turning many sword-and-sorcery cliches on their ear.
The first three OAVs and the first movie are available from ADV
Films, who also have the rights to the remaining OAVs and movies.
SLAYERS reference site: <http://www.inverse.org/>
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
SOL BIANCA: SOL BIANCA centers around the five woman crew of a
pirate ship of the same name. There are two OVAs, and there should
have been a third. The second OVA sets up the stage for a third quite
nicely, but apparently the series didn't have enough popularity to
merit the third OVA. Which is a shame, because it is a very nice
series. It takes place in the far flung future, where Earth is a
legend, and space travel is commonplace.
In the first episode a fairly standard bit of piracy on the part of
the crew of the Sol Bianca results in them accidentally capturing a
boy who was stowing away on the ship they'd plundered. Events cause
them to take on an entire planetary empire, and show that in addition
to looking very nice the Sol Bianca has a range of rather astonishing
powers (including the mandatory BFG).
The second episode explains more about the ship, and why it has
such extraordinary powers. Unfortunately the explanations are mostly
in the form of rather obscure hints, and this sets up quite nicely for
the third episode, which doesn't exist.
Excellent mecha design, an intriguing cast, and well done animation
and pacing.
The first OVA is available from ADV on VHS in both sub and dubbed
format. The second OVA is available from ADV on VHS in subtitled
format only. The OVAs are not available on DVD.
[Entry by Brad Jackson]
SOL BIANCA: THE LEGACY: This series shares the ship design, most
of the character designs, and many of the character personalities with
the first two OVAs, but it is neither a sequel nor a prequel. In the
same tradition as the various incarnations of the TENCHI MUYO
universe, we see a different, and in many ways better, version of SOL
BIANCA.
The ship design is mostly the same, and those few changes that
exist are all improvements. The character designs are improved, and
the characters have deeper and more complex personalities than they do
in their first incarnations. Jun is still the data hack, but Feb is
no longer the captain; that job has passed to April. May's character
is the most changed, instead of being a short mecha freak, she is now
a child.
The computer-generated scenes are ok, but not really worth raving
about. Generally though the animation is much better than it was in
the first OVAs, and the first OVAs had very good animation. The
storyline is engaging, and the characters make you care about them.
The quality of the dub, like many of Geneon's other late-1990's
releases, is surprisingly good. Not Disney quality, but it's actually
enjoyable even to subtitle fans.
There are six episodes to the new SOL BIANCA OVAs.
SOL BIANCA THE LEGACY is available from Geneon in both subtitled
and dubbed versions on VHS. It is also available on DVD with both
Japanese and English audio tracks and an English subtitle track.
[Entry by Brad Jackson]
SORCERER HUNTERS: Carrot Glaice, Tira Misu and Chocolate Misu are
the Sorcerer Hunters, a group comissioned by the goddess "Big Mama" to
hunt down renegade sorcerers. These three particular people are
chosen for their mix of talents. Carrot, in particular, is highly
qualified for reasons I can't tell you without spoiling a major plot
point. However, he's also an amazing letch, so his two companions
have to keep him in line, by tying him up in their sexy outfits, if
need be! This is a TV series, and so the artwork and animation could
be better, though they're not terrible - just not great. Mostly this
is just fun, stupid fluff. Has sexual overtones and occasional
violence. Dub and sub. 25 episodes. From ADV Films.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
SPEED RACER (aka MACH GO GO GO): Based on the 1966 manga MACH GO
GO GO this 52 episode 1967 series by Tatsunako studios shows the
career of Speed Racer (Go Mifune) from beginner racer to world
champion. The dub version is noted for its mixture of interesting
storylines and unintentually campy dialog and numberous bad puns in
regards to character names.
It was considered popular enough that in the 1990s two revial
attempts were tried: One in America under the title NEW SPEED RACER
(1993) [13 episodes] and the other in Japan by Tatsunako studios under
the title MACH GO GO GO (1996) (aka Y2K SPEED RACER) [52 episodes were
planned only 34 made] Neither revial worked partly IMHO due to the
stories not measuring up to the original.
(In North America, FHE and NOW both made VHS taps in the 1980s all
of which are AFAIK out of print though FHE does have a DVD containing
the two part episodes "The Great Plan", "Challenge of the Masked Racer",
"The Secret Engine", "Race Against the Mammoth Car", and the three part
"Most Dangerous Race". Geneon put out a DVD called "Speed Racer Movie"
which contained "Car Hater" and the two part "Mammoth Car" episodes.
Speed Racer Enterprises via Speedracer.com has released limited edition
(1000 copies) VHS and DVD sets. In Australia, Siren releases SPEED
RACER.)
SPEED RACER FAQ: <http://udel.edu/~mm/anime/speed/>
[Entry by Bruce Grubb]
SPELL WARS: see SORCERER HUNTERS
STARDUST MEMORIES: see GUNDAM
STRANGE DAWN: STRANGE DAWN is an intriguingly naturalistic take of
what happens when you drop two ordinary 16 year old girls into a
parallel world populated by constantly warring tribes of knee-high
people who hail them as superheroes: Where are the toilets? Oh no,
we don't have any clean clothes! Do we really want to be saviours, or
should we just keep our heads down and look for a way home? The
attention to everyday concerns may sound comical but actually it makes
the whole thing believable, and heightens the impact of the violence
which punctuates the tale as rival factions fight over the girls. The
story is complex and mysterious: every character has their own
agenda, and neither we nor the girls really know what's going on, and
in their case they are not sure they even want to know.
The series is 13 episodes long, and a nicely blended mix of cel and
CGI. The DVD version is both sub & dub. The dub has a mixed
Anglo-Australian-European sound to it which non-American viewers find
refreshing, but many American viewers can't bear. The voice acting is
good and in keeping with the tone of the original; however the
translation itself is a salutary reminder of the ambiguities of the
Japanese language: where it's possible to translate a sentence in two
different ways, the dub infallibly picks the wrong one. This just
adds to the overall air of mystery though, so the dub is undoubtedly
destined to be a cult classic, especially when you throw in the
complete absence of lip sync.
Being released in North America by Urban Vision.
[Entry by Shez]
SUPERGIRL MARIS: see MARIS THE CHOJO
T
TAIHO SHICHAUZO!: see YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!
TANK POLICE: see DOMINION
TENCHI MUYO: A story about a teenage boy, the pretty alien girl
who loves him, the other pretty alien girl who loves him, the *other*
other pretty alien girl who loves him, and a few other pretty alien
girls (some of whom love him, too). And they all just happen to be
some of the most powerful people in the universe. The plotline varies
between sit-com and space opera, occasionally in the same episode.
The plot of the first OAV series was heavily re-written to become the
basis of TENCHI MUYO TV. The first two OAV series are available from
Geneon under the name "Tenchi Collection" - in fact, this is
Geneon's flagship title - and an edited version has been aired on
U.S. cable TV. The manga (with the translated title "No Need for
Tenchi") is available from Viz.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
TENCHI MUYO: MIHOSHI SPECIAL: A side story to the TENCHI MUYO OAV
series, this is Galaxy Police officer Mihoshi's recounting of her
biggest case ever. The names in the story have been changed to
protect the innocent, of course, but Mihoshi changes them to the names
of her friends! Somehow, the relationships just don't change... This
comedy marks the only undisputed appearance to date of Kiyone in the
OAV continuity, and also shows one of the earliest appearances of
Magical Girl Pretty Sammy. Available (on VHS only) as part of the
"Tenchi Collection" from Geneon.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]
TENCHI MUYO TV: Tenchi Masaki is an ordinary schoolboy until
gorgeous alien women (with their little sisters and meowing spaceships
in tow) start to crash-land in his backyard. A little bit of URUSEI
YATSURA and a little bit of RANMA 1/2, with some "Star Wars" homages
thrown in for good measure. The TV series is generally considered a
parallel universe to the version of the story told in the OAV series.
Highly recommended for fans of romantic comedies and sci-fi adventure.
[Entry by Dave Menard]
[Available from Geneon. - Rob Kelk]
TENCHI IN TOKYO (a.k.a. SHIN TENCHI MUYO): This latest installment
of Tenchi fun is yet another parallel universe from the OAV and first
TV series. In this story, Tenchi goes off to school in Tokyo leaving
the girls behind in Okayama. This doesn't sit well with the passell
of alien women, especially since Tenchi's getting awfully close to
that new girl, Sakuya...
[Entry by Dave Menard]
[Available from Geneon. - Rob Kelk]
TENCHI MUYO movies
TENCHI MUYO IN LOVE!: Tenchi and the girls must race back in time
to keep an intergalactic criminal from altering the past. The first
Tenchi movie, based off the TV series continuity. Spectacular
animation combined with a good story make this film in many ways the
best Tenchi feature.
TENCHI MUYO: DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS (a.k.a. MANATSU NO EVE): Known
as "Midsummer's Eve" in the UK and Europe. Tenchi's daughter appears,
but who's the mother? And what does all this have to do with Yosho's
childhood on planet Jurai? Not as well received by fans as the first
Tenchi movie, DoD is nevertheless high-quality animation, though the
story may seem to be a little rushed. This may be due to the
long-circulated rumour that the plotline was originally written for a
third OAV series.
TENCHI MUYO IN LOVE 2 - TENCHI FOREVER: According to Pioneer/AIC,
the *final* TENCHI MUYO TV feature. "Forever" does a fair job of
resolving some of the longstanding conflicts between the two primary
rivals for Tenchi's heart, and the bittersweet ending suggests that
Tenchi has finally made a choice. A languid pace makes this feature
tricky viewing, especially compared to the more frenetic pace of the
earlier films. Worth watching only if you are willing to invest the
attention needed to appreciate this final chapter.
[Entries by Dave Menard]
[Dave's comment about the first movie being the best is his
opinion - some people, including the list maintainer, like the second
movie better. All three movies are available from Geneon. - Rob
Kelk]
TETSUWAN ATOMU: see ASTRO BOY
THOSE OBNOXIOUS ALIENS: see URUSEI YATSURA
TIME STRANGER: An involving variation on THE TERMINATOR, with
slight nods of the head towards TIME BANDITS. The animation is very
good and the story, complex. Feudal Japan is depicted nicely and in
detail, as is the far future. Great plot complications throughout.
TO HEART: A 13 episode slice of life drama about a group of
17-year-old high-school students. The nail-biting climax of episode
one concerns whether or not Akari, a total sweetie with cherry-red
hair, will get to sit next to the boy she likes, and the rest of the
series pretty much follows on at the same tempo. Akari's squeeze is
the sleepy-headed but kind-hearted Hiroyuki, whose ever-helpful nature
causes him to acquire new female friends in each episode. The genius
of this charming series is how its focus on the events of everyday
life manages to elevate them to a level of importance that supplants
any need for magical superheroes or quests to save the world. Having
said that, many of the girls that Hiroyuki befriends have intriguing
quirks: e.g. Serika practices black magic, Kotone is a psychic who
only makes unlucky predictions, and Multi is an incompetent android
sent to the school for field trials.
Rather remarkably for a TV series that is bordering on shoujo, TO
HEART actually started life as a Hentai dating sim. As well as the 13
episodes, there are 6 little "omake" (extras) which were originally
broadcast with some of the episodes. They use super-deformed versions
of the characters and are mostly even more low key than the main
episodes.
[Entry by Shez]
TONARI NO TOTORO: see MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO
TRIGUN: A sci-fi western comedy (mostly) focusing around the
world's most unlikely criminal, Vash the Stampede. The man is
apparently so dangerous that he's worth 60,000,000,000$$ ("double
dollars"), but whenever anyone catches up to him in hopes of snagging
the reward, they're always thwarted: sometimes by his skill with a
gun, but mostly by his inherent goofiness. However, Vash does have a
dark past, so mysterious that even he himself doesn't know what it is!
All in all, a fairly lighthearted show with some serious themes, but a
hilarious watch. (Geneon)
[Entry by KireiSarah]
TSUKIKAGE RAN (a.k.a. KAZEMAKASE TSUKIKAGE RAN, CARRIED BY THE WIND):
Ran, a female samurai, is a self-described "beautiful female drifter"
wandering through feudal Japan, carried only by the everchanging wind
and her eternal thirst for sake. Generally accompanying her is Miao
(Meow), a wandering martial artist from China characterised mostly by
happy-go-luckiness, a good heart, and an utter, frightening lack of
anything resembling forethought or intelligence. Together the two,
rather more frequently than Ran would like, get embroiled in resolving
problems of local corruption or crime. An episodic light-hearted parody
of Japanese "wandering samurai and his sidekick" shows, high points
being likable characters and spectacular fight scenes. 13 episodes,
available now from Bandai.
[Entry by Blade]
THE TWELVE KINGDOMS: see JUUNI KOKKI
U
URUSEI YATSURA (translates as something like THOSE OBNOXIOUS
ALIENS): A slap-stick screwball comedy about Lum, the flying
electro-demon girl from space, Ataru, the earth boy she wants, and a
host of other crazy characters. Popular madness in TV, OAV, and movie
formats by Rumiko Takahashi. This entire series is being released
from AnimEigo in dubbed and subbed formats. (The second movie is
available subbed from USMC. Don't ask...)
[After hearing the fans' opinion of the dub of the first episodes,
AnimEigo decided to release the remainder of URUSEI YATSURA in
subtitled format only. - Rob Kelk]
UTENA (a.k.a. SHOUJO KAKUMEI UTENA, REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA): You
could go off roses! A different twist on the magical girl series in
that the subject here makes no attempt to transform into anything
except by the fact that as a very young girl, grieving her parents'
death, she encounters a "prince" who comforts her and tells her that
they are destined to meet again, giving her a ring. She vows to grow
up as noble as this prince, but takes it too literally, shunning the
usual fuku of her peers for more masculine garb. On her acceptance to
a school with a mysterious club, she finds that not only were there
other people with the same ring as her, but that they regularly fought
for the hand of the "Rose Bride", in the hope that eventually the
lucky winner will gain entry to the strange castle visible from the
duelling ring, though each has a different reason driving them.
Available from Software Sculptors.
[Entry by Chika]
V
VAMPIRE HUNTER D (1985): A.D. 12,090 is a lot like the Old West,
except for the mutants and vampires. When Count Magnus Lee, an
ancient and powerful bloodsucker, sets his sights on a young woman of
the frontier, Doris Lang, she hires a cape-clad, sword-swinging
stranger known simply as D to get rid of a suitor who doesn't
understand "No." D must fight his way past a horde of supernatural
guardians as well as taking on Count Lee himself, and also must
contend with his own unnatural aspects. In addition to being a
dhampir (half human and half vampire), D has in his left palm a
symbiotic creature that exercises weird powers on his behalf but also
taunts him for his shortcomings at every opportunity.
Some fans look down on VHD for its crude animation and cliched
storyline, but it has become a cult classic, perhaps for its stunning
imagery and larger-than-life conflicts. There's romance as well when
Doris starts falling for her half-human savior. VHD is also notable
for its violence, as D's blade slices through nearly anything that
will make a blood splash. Tetsuya Komuro's soundtrack gives a rich
atmosphere to both action and quieter moments.
Available from Urban Vision.
[Entry by Cathy Krusberg]
VAMPIRE HUNTER D (2000): A second Vampire Hunter D movie was
released to Japanese theaters in April 2001 and is slated for American
theatrical release in September 2001. Also titled "Vampire Hunter D,"
it is based on the third novel in Hideyuki Kikuchi's VHD series, "D -
Yousatsukou" (D - Demon Deathchase). D is hired to retrieve a woman
kidnapped by the vampire Meier Link, but his task is complicated by
two factors: a competing set of hunters, and the true love that led
the woman to accompany Meier of her own will. The character designs
in the new movie are much closer to Yoshitaka Amano's vision, and the
animation is top notch.
[Entry by Cathy Krusberg]
VAMPIRE PRINCESS MIYU: A supernatural horror series about a
contemporary "vampire" who stalks wayward demons (Shinma) loose on
Earth and sends them back to Darkness, while pursued by a persistent
exorcist not as enthused about unlife as Miyu. Quiet, moody brooding
chiller, hopeless to follow without understanding the dialog.
Available from AnimEigo in North America, or Madman in Australia.
[There is also a recent VAMPIRE PRINCESS MIYU TV series, which has a
slightly different focus from the OAVs described above. The TV series
is available from TokyoPop in North America, or Madman in
Australia. - Rob Kelk]
VANDREAD: A series with two seasons by Takeshi Mori. A group of men
have lived for generations on a planet without women. The women in this
show are the enemy who are feared as monsters by these men who are
created in genetic labratories. When Hibiki, our young hero, finds
himself stowed away on a ship that is captured by the women and
subsequently cast into deep space by a missile, he and a few others must
learn to work together to return without killing each other in the
process.
The series is frought with wonderful CGI scenes where the man's
mecha-inspired Vanguard fighter merges with the women's
jet-fighter-inspired Dread units to create extremly powerful fighters.
On top of this the sexual tension of two cultures that have never before
encountered each other and so have no concept of "relations" between the
sexes is hilarious to watch.
Available from Geneon.
[Entry by Charlie Smith]
VENUS WARS: A group of racers on Venus and a reporter from Earth
are caught up in the war for the dominance of Venus. A dark film from
the "sand in my spacesuit" view of the future which sees the racers
being turned from a group of stunt racers who defeat a tank by sheer
fluke to hard fighting riders who become instrumental in the war's
conclusion. Available from USMC.
[Entry by Chika]
VIDEO GIRL AI: Youta Moteuchi has a crush on his schoolmate, Moemi
Hayakawa, but she has feelings for his best friend, Takeshi Niimai.
Since Youta is too nice for his own good, he tries to get the two of
them together, despite how sad it makes him. A mysterious new video
store called Gokuraku appears on Youta's path home, and he winds up
renting an adult video entitled "Ai Amano - I'll Cheer You Up." When
he plays it on his defective VCR, Ai pops out of the TV screen into
his life, and promises to help him square things away with Moemi.
There was one thing she hadn't counted on, however: Amongst other
flaws, the broken VCR caused her to eventually fall in love with
Youta, which is forbidden for Video Girls, and causes heartbreaking
complications for both of them. A six-OVA series based on the popular
manga by Masakazu Katsura (who had previously distinguished himself
with WINGMAN). Available domestically from Viz Video, but beware the
over-massaged, over-localized translations, especially in the dub.
[Entry by David Watson]
THE VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE: A sixteen year old girl, Hitomi, who is
magically transported to the land of Gaia, is embroiled in a battle
with the evil Zaibach empire, bent on manipulating destiny. She aids
the boy king Van Fanel, who pilots the mecha Escaflowne, the alluring
knight Allen Schezar, the cat-girl Merle and the willful Princess
Millerna as she discovers latent pyschic powers which may be key to
the fate of Gaia. This 26 episode series mixes romance, magic, mecha
and plot in a pacy, beguiling mix, with above average TV animation and
a musical score widely regarded as one of the best in anime. The dub
is either loved or loathed.
Licensed by Bandai in North America - a commercial subtitle,
unedited and cut (Fox Kids) dub are available on VHS, with the DVDs
containing uncut subtitle and dub. In Australia, ESCAFLOWNE has been
released by Madman.
[Entry by Andrew Hollingbury]
VOTOMS: Old TV series of post-WW3 world. The army controls the
world with their mecha, but not everyone goes along. MELLOWLINK is a
related series in the same universe (set before VOTOMS, made after.)
VOTOMS has been licensed by USMC.
W
WAR IN THE POCKET: see GUNDAM
WEATHERING CONTINENT: A sword and sorcery tale in a land fallen to
ruin. Takes its time and tells a small story of three travelers with a
dark, spooky mood, well supported by a fine musical score.
A WIND NAMED AMNESIA: It happened suddenly. One minute all was as
it should be, the next... everyone on Earth had their memory wiped.
Language, social habit, everything. The story surrounds one boy, who
has been retrained to normality by another boy who escaped erasure by
the fact that he was linked to a computer in a radical new way.
Touring the devastation, he is accompanied by a woman who seems also
to have escaped erasure but will not say how. On their journey they
see what Man has made of himself since his memory was wiped, and view
the consequences, all of which leads to the ultimate questions; who
did it, and why? Available from USMC.
[Entry by Chika]
WINDARIA: A lovely fantasy story of two kingdoms at war, and how
that disturbs two pairs of lovers - one peasant, one royal. A
tragedy. Well worth the watch, IMHO. Nice music, too.
[Was available dubbed from Streamline Pictures while Streamline was
still in business. - Rob Kelk]
WINGS OF HONNEAMISE: See ROYAL SPACE FORCE.
WITCH HUNTER ROBIN: (review written after 15 episodes) In
recession-hit modern Japan, a mysterious group called "STN-J" hunts
and captures criminal magic-users. Into the group is transferred a
young woman named Sena Robin. Coming from Europe, she is dourly
dressed, has a mysterious background, and has powers similar to those
of the people the group hunts. The group could use some help, as
morale is low due to unspoken recent events and ineffective
management. Robin, a surprisingly sweet-tempered 15 year old despite
her harsh upbringing, has some learning to do before she can be of
much use. She may also be fronting for a faction opposed to STN-J.
And just what are STN-J doing with their witches after they are
captured?
The series has a very dark, foreboding, humorless feeling. It is
colored almost entirely in black, brown and gray, without even the
flashes of gleeful saturated color that come through in, for example,
HELLSING. The character cel animation is outstanding, with detailed,
naturalistic designs. Much of the grimy urban cityscape is rendered
in 3D CG. This works rather well - it's vastly better than, say,
VANDREAD, almost on par with HOSHI NO KOE, and blends well with the
cel animation. The writing is subtle and deft. We learn a lot about
the characters of the protagonists through their "normal" daily
interaction, without recourse to contrived explanatory dialog. Most
episodes are focused on dialog and investigation, actual violence is
brief and not especially graphic.
The first third of the series is deceptively episodic. As STN-J
struggles to track its targets the characters grow on us almost
unnoticed, until the second third of the series when the major
story-arc kicks in with a vengeance and the secrets of STN-J - and
Robin herself - begin to play out. This business of witches being
hunted down & killed recalls some bitter episodes in Western history,
and sets an expectation of extreme moral ambiguity upon which the
series is delivering well so far.
Recommended for those who like BLADE RUNNER, Lance Henrickson's
MILLENNIUM, or THE X-FILES. The alt-rock OP and ED by Bana and the
BGM are highly recommended also.
ROBIN, from Sunrise, started broadcast on TV Tokyo in July 2002.
Series website: <http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/robin/>
[Entry by D B Malmquist]
WITCH'S DELIVERY SERVICE: see KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE
X
Y
YOKOHAMA SHOPPING TRIP LOG (a.k.a. QUIET COUNTRY CAFE): This is a
four-volume OAV series based on the manga YOKOHAMA KAIDASHI KIKOU by
Hitoshi Ashinano. It is centred around the character of Alpha, a robot
who runs a coffeeshop in the Japanese countryside many years after some
kind of apocalypse has caused the seas to rise and flood the coasts.
The world is in a slow peaceful decline with a much-reduced population
and houses and roads lie abandoned to Nature.
The anime's bucolic atmosphere is juxtaposed with assorted wonders to
jolt the viewer's expectations: odd new species of plants and animals
grow alongside the unrepaired roads, a giant swan-like aircraft is
occasionally seen high in the sky, a female sea-spirit seeks the company
of children. It is a slow, almost plotless travelogue with visuals and
skyscapes comparable to Miyazaki (IMO) rendered in a watercolour-style
form very similar to the manga. The OAVs have been fan-subtitled and
made available on BitTorrent from Anime Coalition/NewLife Anime and
BakaMX/Oretachi.
[Entry by Robert Sneddon]
YOU'RE UNDER ARREST! (a.k.a. TAIHO SHICHAUZO!): The adventures of
Natsumi Tsujimoto and Miyuki Kobayakawa, two female police officers on
the Bokutoh City police force and their day-to-day adventures. Set in
a more or less present day city. Good animation and artwork. Good
clean fun. Little if any violence or gore, and only some innocent
flirting on the sexual side. Both OVA and TV series has been made.
Based on a manga by Kosuke Fujishima, the same guy who did OH MY
GODDESS! There's also a TV series that hasn't been released yet in
the US. Four OVAs. From AnimEigo.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
[The TV series has been licenced by AnimEigo. There is also an
excellent YOU'RE UNDER ARREST movie, which has a tone somewhere
between the YOU'RE UNDER ARREST OAVs and the PATLABOR movies. The
movie has been licenced by ADV Films, who plan a theatrical release
for it in North America. - Rob Kelk]
YUUGEN KAISHA: see PHANTOM QUEST CORPORATION
Z
ZEIRAM, THE ANIMATION: see IRIA
ZETA GUNDAM: see GUNDAM
ZZ GUNDAM: see GUNDAM
--
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