Here a info from the newsgroup rec.arts.anime.misc thanks for reading, arigato
Stéphane Dumas ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rob Kelk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime.fandom,rec.arts.anime.misc Sent: Friday, December 01, 2006 5:15 PM Subject: [INFO] The Anime Primer, or "What Anime Should I Watch Now?" (2/6) > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > (continued from part 1) > > BLUE SEED: Momiji is a high-spirited 15-year-old girl who is the > current inheritor of the Kushinada bloodline, and has spent her life > being prepared for the possibility that she may have to be sacrificed > to protect Japan if the Aragami return to the world. The Aragami are > a kind of monster that is mutated by a "blue seed," called a mitama. > One day, Kusanagi, a strange young man who has many mitamas, appears, > tells her a sister she never knew she had is dead, threatens to kill > her, and then apparently protects her from some sort of dragon > creature. Two other people from the TAC (Terrestrial Administration > Center), the group that had raised her sister in preparation for the > return of the Aragami threat, appear and rescue her. Later, after > Momiji's school is attacked by an Aragami, Momiji joins the TAC for > protection and to help them fight for the survival of Japan, and > possibly the world. > Available in North America from ADV. > [Entry by "HiEv"] > > BLUE SONNET: There have been many stories about making a humanoid > "ultimate weapon". This is one of those, in that Sonnet is a cyborg > that has awesome psychokinetic powers. However it is known to her > creator that somewhere out there is an even greater power lying > dormant. In fact the person in question becomes a classmate of > Sonnet's. While this girl discovers her hidden power, Sonnet > discovers her lost humanity in a background of corporate domination. > (USMC) > [Entry by Chika] > > BLUE SUBMARINE #6: The world is at war with aliens. Most of the > world is covered in water. But not everything is as it seems. There > is a lot of action in this series and some interesting twists. It's a > combination of hand drawn and computer animation which in my opinion > worked nicely. The episodes are short and only one episode per DVD. > Still cheaper than the old way of buying a dub and a sub version of > the VHS, but in today's DVD age it seems a bit expensive. An single > disk is also available with the violence edited out. The dub is > alright but is better watched in original. Available from Bandai in > North America, and from Siren in Australia. > [Entry by Shawn Granger] > > BOOGIE POP PHANTOM: This is a sci-fi horror story within a story > involving an urban legend of a cloaked murderer who's turned the city > into a killing field while the inhabitants begin expressing > frightening powers that are beyond their control. The episodes are > connected but in a very loose, convuluted chronology and the series is > done in washed-out, bleak tones so it's not for everyone. Still, what > the series sets out to do, it does extremely well. It disturbs by > presenting the helplessness of humans in the face of unnatural forces > and also in giving a despairing, microscopic view of the uglier side > of life and family. > Licenced by ADV in North America and the UK, and by Madman in > Australia. > [Entry by Michael Lo] > > BOTTLE FAIRIES (a.k.a. BINZUME YOSEI): Based on Yuiko Tokumi's > "reader-participation manga" in Magi-Cu Premium magazine, this > thirteen episode TV series tells the month-by-month adventures of four > tiny naive fairy girls, Sarara, Kururu, Chiriri and Hororo who live in > glass jars on the desk of Sensei-san, a young college student. Each > show covers a month in Japanese life with the fairies learning about > what it is to be human, assisted by Loose Cannon Tama-chan, their > highly-opinionated six-year-old neighbour who is *never* wrong. > In the wrong hands this could have been saccharine beyond belief > but the scripts and storylines belie the basic idea and make each > episode delightful as the girls use their imagination to try and > figure out the world. The equally-delightful ending songs are sung by > the fairy seiyuus, with a different seiyuu and song for the three > shows in each "season". > Licenced by Geneon in North America. > Official manga website: <http://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~hakka-ya/> > Official anime website: > <http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/binzume/> > [Entry by Robert Sneddon] > > BRIGADOON: Marin Asagi is an orphaned outcast living in a tenement > building in 60's Japan. Her life changes when a mysterious glowing > world appears in the sky and a giant machine called a Monomakia falls > from the sky attempting to kill her - she is only saved by a blue > android called Melan Blue that she discovers concealed in a shrine. > Together Marin and Melan need to fend off the continuing Monomakia > attacks - but why are they after Marin, and why has this strange > world - called Brigadoon - appeared? > Brigadoon's deceptively cutesy exterior hides an extremely dark > show - there seems to be no end to the amount of sorrow inflicted on > Marin over the course of the series. This, plus some slight > fanservice which may put off some due to the characters being only 13, > means Brigadoon has become something of a niche show - however, it has > a lot to recommend it, from its stirring Celtic-influenced score to > its excellent animation (the Monomakia fights are particularly well > done, and Marin isn't totally passive either, a refreshing change for > shows of this type) and likeable characters, although the somewhat > erratic switching from hyperactive comedy to dark drama mitigates this > somewhat. > Available in Region 1 from Tokyopop on 6 DVDs. > [Entry by Andrew Hollingbury] > > BROTHER, DEAR BROTHER: see ONIISAMA E > > BUBBLEGUM CRISIS: A classic cyberpunk tale of a corporation gone > rotten and a group of hi-tech vigilantes that seek to bring the worse > elements and deeds of that corporation under control. > Mega-Tokyo is a corporate town built on and around the ruins of > Tokyo which was mostly destroyed some years before the story opens by > an earthquake. The corporation that helped to rebuild the town is > Genom, a multi-national that, among other things, builds "Boomers". > These robotic creatures are used for both good and evil, and where the > latter is involved, the Knight Sabers will tackle them, especially as > their leader, Sylia, has a past connection with these creatures. > Often praised for its musical content and some of the designs, the > show is seen as styled after the US movie "Blade Runner", and > continues to have a following many years after the show was completed, > though it has produced spin off shows including AD POLICE, BUBBLEGUM > CRASH and BUBBLEGUM CRISIS TOKYO 2040. > Available in the US from AnimEigo, in Australia from Madman. > Originally available from Anime Projects in the UK, now licenced to > MVM. > [Entry by Chika] > > BUBBLEGUM CRISIS TOKYO 2040: BGC2040 is a 26-episode TV series > that "borrows" certain elements from the original BUBBLEGUM CRISIS, > but changes them enough to make it an alternative retelling of the > original story. The basic concept is the same: Four women use powered > armor to fight a secret war against renegade androids (Boomers) and > the shady corporation who makes them (Genom). Some things (such as > Priss being a biker chick and singer of a rock band) remain the same > from the original series, but most other aspects are completely > different, ranging from the personalities of the characters to the > nature of the technology they use. As a result, the show has a > different feel than its predecessor - at times it feels more like > EVANGELION than "Blade Runner". Many (but not all) fans of the > original series dislike this show intensely. Much of the criticism > has to do with certain plot twists that strike some as implausible. > However, BGC2040 has its own fans as well. It's probably best to > judge the show on its own, rather than comparing it against its famous > predecessor. Available from ADV Films in North America, and Madman in > Australia. > [Entry by Scott Fujimoto] > > BURN UP W: Surrounding a group of specially selected (female) > police who, when called into action, display special skills (and a lot > more in those inevitable skin tight costumes!) This series runs > through a number of side plots but is essentially concerned with an > underworld plot to control the minds of various powerful folk using an > addictive device. Available from ADV Films in North America, and > Madman in Australia. > [Entry by Chika] > > C > > CAMPUS GUARDRESS: see BAKUEN CAMPUS GUARDRESS > > CARDCAPTOR SAKURA (a.k.a. CARDCAPTORS): A sweet and charming > 'magical girl' show by the popular CLAMP team, built on the framework > of a collectable card game. 4th grader Kinomoto Sakura (renamed to > "Sakura Avalon" in the dub) accidentally releases a number of magical > cards from an ancient book. With the aid of the cards' guardian, > Keroberos, who appears as a winged toy bear, and her adoring > girlfriend Tomoyo (called "Madison" in the dub), Sakura must recapture > the cards and return them to their book, using the captured cards' > powers to help her. Complications ensue with the appearance of other > seekers of the cards. CARDCAPTOR SAKURA is as much about the joys, > vicissitudes and perplexities of growing up, of what friendship really > means, of how to be brave in the face of danger, as it is about its > frame story of the chase after magical cards. As with all CLAMP > shows, the character and costume designs are utterly charming, and as > with all CLAMP shows, there are hints of homoeroticism. > This show is commercially available in the US (from Geneon) in two > formats: CARDCAPTOR SAKURA has Japanese language and English > subtitles only, and has not been edited for content; CARDCAPTORS, with > an English dub only, is the version that was shown on American TV, and > is heavily edited. Only the latter is available in Australia (from > Madman). > [Entry by Slithy Tove] > > CARRIED BY THE WIND: see TSUKIKAGE RAN > > CASE CLOSED: see MEITANTEI CONAN > > CASTLE IN THE SKY: see LAPUTA > > CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO: see the entry for LUPIN III > > CAT-GIRL NUKU-NUKU: see ALL PURPOSE CULTURAL CAT-GIRL NUKU-NUKU > > CHAR'S COUNTERATTACK: see GUNDAM > > CHARCOAL FEATHERS FEDERATION: see HAIBANE RENMEI > > CHILD'S TOY: see KODOMO NO OMOCHA > > A CHINESE GHOST STORY: A naive tax collector is surprised to find > that he was assigned to work in the land of ghosts and spirits. Too > late, he already fell in love with a beautiful ghost who wants to > harvest his soul for her mistress. He can resist her spell and wins > her love, but now the two lovers find themselves in the middle of a > battle between the three best ghostbusters of the land. Loosely based > on the same Chinese fairy tale as the popular live-action Hong Kong > movie of the same name. Beautiful character design and 2D animation, > badly mixed with ugly, overdone 3D computer graphics that brings down > the overall experience. Yet the great (very Chinese) humour and a > cute story save the film. > [Entry by Hanno Mueller] > > CHOBITS: Can a machine be alive? Can it have a broken heart? How > does it change us to have our ideal partner, but with none of the > challenges that a real person brings? CHOBITS can be mistaken for a > shallow seinen (college student) story about a boy who finds a > beautiful "Persocom" girl robot, but this story came from the > all-female Osaka manga team Studio CLAMP, and nothing is ever what it > seems with them. > A country boy, Hideki Motosuwa, moves to the big city to get an > education and comes across Chi, a Persocom left in the garbage. In > this near future, Persocoms are walking personal assistants, PCs and > cellphones, made to look like beautiful humans, and of course people > begin to become obsessed with them. In finding out the history of > Chi, Hideki learns the secret history of Persocoms and that Chi may be > the legendary "chobits" model: a model that has true emotions. And > who is the mysterious author of those children's books that seem to be > talking about Chi and Hideki? > The story works on so many levels. There's the wonderful (and > ultimately platonic) love story of Hideki and Chi, but the series also > asks interesting questions, like "How do people change when we can > have a relationship with a robot?" and "What happens when we forget > about the humans we used to have relationships with?" From a silly > exploitation premise, CLAMP manages to create an intriguing > philosophical love story. > ADVISORY: Mature content and very suggestive scenes; 16 years and > up. > Licenced by Geneon in North America, and by Madman in Australia. > [Entry by Travers Naran] > > CHRONICLE OF TWELVE COUNTRIES: see JUUNI KOKKI > > CHRONICLES OF THE HEROIC KNIGHT: see RECORD OF LODOSS WAR > > CHRONO CRUSADE (a.k.a. CHRNO CRUSADE): It is the late 1920s, > America is experiencing a boom economy, and the rich keep on getting > richer... and with all that money, they find they have time to pursue > other things, and number one on the list... Devil worship. That's not > jake, so Sister Rosette Christopher, her demon friend Chrono, and the > other members of the Holy Order of Mary of Magdelene must combat this > terrible new menace. Rosette has her own reasons for fighting the > demons, as she searches for her long lost brother, Joshua. This is > definitely not a kid's show, however, the Christmas episode is a heart- > warming one, definitely worth sharing. This series starts off > slightly dark, switches to comedy every now and then, but can and will > get very dark, very fast. So don't be a Mrs. Grundy, go out and watch > this show. > Note: Of all the anime I've seen, this is the one that uses > Christian symbols most closely to their true symbolism, and even > though it seems to be just a Nuns With Guns show, it's much deeper > than that. > Licenced by ADV in North America and the UK, and by Madman in > Australia. > R1 official website: > <http://www25.advfilms.com/titles/chronocrusade/> > [Entry by Bill Martin] > > COMBUSTIBLE CAMPUS GUARDRESS: see BAKUEN CAMPUS GUARDRESS > > COWBOY BEBOP: A jazzy group of bounty hunters meet up and travel > the galaxy. Lots of great individual episodes as well as a main > storyline running through them all. Sharp animation that shows how > well the hand drawn and computer mixed can look. Great music and even > the dub is actually pretty good. Instant classic which appeals to a > wide audience, otaku and non-otaku alike. Available from Bandai in > North America, or Madman in Australia. > [Entry by Shawn Granger] > > CREST OF THE STARS: CotS (a.k.a. SeiMon from Seikai no Monshou) is > a hard sci-fi story set amidst an era of interplanetary empires and > galaxy-spanning war. Humanity has colonized the stars, and the > resulting new order has become one of vast, conflicting empires. The > male lead is the son of a free planet's president who "sold out" his > people to the ABH empire when they came to invade. Now nobility > himself and all but deprived of friends, family, and homeland, Jinto > must enter the ABH military in the hopes of eventually assuming his > rightful place in the nobility. His first contact with the > genetically enhanced ABH is Lafille, a *very* special young woman > whose identity and significance to the political fabric of the empire > becomes only gradually apparent. > The show hits all the bases: politics, deeply imagined culture and > futuristic technology, action both in person and between space > fleets ... and most importantly character development, as Jinto and > Lafille grow up as individuals while growing together as people. The > chemistry between them is the focal point of the animators for this > show, and they pull it off with style. Visuals aren't bad at all > either, as expected of Bandai's frontline animators at Sunrise. > If you want something fluffy, something with major fanservice, > something hyperkinetic, or can't take serious sci-fi, SeiMon is > probably not the anime for you. If the above description sounds > interesting, however, I recommend picking up the first volume and > seeing what you think. > Available from Bandai in North America, and Madman in Australia. > [Entry by Mark L. Neidengard] > > CRIMSON PIG: see PORCO ROSSO > > CROMARTIE HIGH: You know something strange is afoot when the > opening warning of an anime says "Kids, imitating this will get your > thrown in jail" instead of the usual "Step Away from the TV and turn > on the lights". > CROMARTIE HIGH chronicles the misadventures of a delinquent > high-school class whose misfit members more resemble traveling circuis > attractions than students. With a cast that includes a gorilla, a > singing robot, and a student with more than a passing resemblance to > Freddy Mercury, CROMARTIE HIGH is sure to entertain fans of wacky > low-brow comedy. > Available in R1 from ADV. > R1 official website: <http://www25.advfilms.com/titles/cromartie/> > [Entry by Abraham Evangelista] > > CRUSHER JOE: Old-style comic-book action from the writers that > later went on to create DIRTY PAIR: Feature movie and two OAV > episodes available, from the TV series about team Crusher and their > leader Joe, four mercenaries (and one robot) who'll tackle any job in > the galaxy that needs doing, no matter how impossible ... *especially* > if impossible. Available from AnimEigo. > [Entry by Derek Janssen] > > CYBER CITY OEDO 808: In a world dominated by the criminal element, > the forces of law and order turn to setting criminals up to work off > their penalties by becoming unwilling foot soldiers in the march > against crime. Three such criminals are followed in this series, each > with a mission to complete within a given period of time, otherwise a > device locked on their necks will make sure they do not get another > chance. With each successful mission, a portion of their sentences is > erased. (Manga) > [Entry by Chika] > > D > > THE DAICHIS: see EARTH DEFENSE FAMILY > > DAMEKKO DOUBUTSU: Zen-Zen! Dame-Dame! Turning the roles of the > animal kingdom on thier heads, DAMEKKO DOUBUTSU tells the story of > Uruno the cowardly wolf, who moves into the forest of misfit animals. > Befriended by Usahara (a delinquent bunny who smokes), and Chiiko (a > clumsy and slow cheetah), Uruno fits in perfectly with his > not-quite-right neighbors. > Cute and funny, DAMEKKO DOBUTSU's five-minute episodes are perfect > for comedy fans trying to squeeze in a quick fix. > [Entry by Abraham Evangelista] > > DEARS: A year ago, an alien spacecraft crashed just off the > Japanese coast. The (humanoid) survivors, calling themselves "DearS", > started to integrate themselves into human society. Now, xenophobic > high-school student Takeya discovers and takes pity on a nearly-naked > girl, and lets her follow him home before he discovers that she's a > DearS with no knowledge of Earth's customs who has decided to become > his property ... > Starting from a cliched and explotative premise, DEARS tells a > story of tolerance, understanding, and finally acceptance of other > people's feelings and lifestyles. The series does spend a lot of time > on the various possible relationships between men and women, and many > of the DearS are depicted as physically desirable, but these parts of > the story are a "bedroom farce" in the style of the old "Carry On" > movies rather than a sex romp. (However, since it *is* a bedroom > farce, you probably don't want to show the series to your pre-teen > children unless your family is very open about sex.) > DEARS is a 13-episode series, available in R1 from Geneon. > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > DETECTIVE CONAN: see MEITANTEI CONAN > > DEVIL HUNTER YOHKO (a.k.a. MAMONO HUNTER YOHKO): Mano Yohko is > your average Japanese High-School girl. However, what she doesn't > know is that she's 108th in the line of Devil Hunters, women who must > battle supernatural demons to keep the world safe. Silly more than > scary, and not without the ecchi (sexual) overtones and occasional > violence, this is a fun but fluffy series. No grand concepts, just > silly, occasionally dramatic fun. However, the sex and violence > prevent it from being ideal for the kiddies. 5 episodes plus one tape > of music videos. Subbed. From ADV Films. > [Entry by Ben Cantrick] > [PARENTAL ADVISORY: The first OAV *almost* qualifies for inclusion > in the Anime Hentai Primer, because of one scene that is inappropriate > for younger viewers. - Rob Kelk] > > DIGIMON: Seven children are suddenly ripped from summer camp to a > strange land which is in danger from the domination of an evil > creature. Coming to their aid are seven creatures that, upon suitable > stimulus, grow and change and gain all sorts of powers. These are the > Digimon (or Digital Monsters). The series is a little drawn as each > enemy defeated reveals another and, in the course of fighting one > particular enemy, an eighth member is added to the group. This series > was dubbed in a number of languages and is shown on TV in the US, UK > and mainland Europe. > [Entry by Chika] > > DIRTY PAIR: Humanity has abandoned Earth and spread across the > galaxy, but that doesn't mean there aren't any problems any more. One > of the most successful troubleshooting teams is the "Lovely Angels", > two teenaged girls who have a near-perfect success record. However, > they also have a reputation of blowing up everything they touch (which > isn't fair - only about a third of their missions end with something > being destroyed, and it's never their fault), which has lead to their > unofficial and hated nickname of the "Dirty Pair". Two action series > (the original DIRTY PAIR and the remake DIRTY PAIR FLASH) and a North > American comic series exist, based on the novels by Takachiho Haruka. > More information about the Dirty Pair is available at the website > "Tea Time in Elenore City", <http://www.elenorecity.com/home.html>. > The North American rights to the OAVs, the movies, and FLASH are > now owned by ADV Films. The comics are available from Dark Horse. > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > DNA^2: Series based on Masakazu Katsura's manga of the same name. > Earth is overpopulated in the future, and that's all because of one > guy - the Mega-Playboy, who was irresistible to women, and was the > father of one hundred children, each of them also was a father/mother > of another hundred ... you get the picture. But Karin Aoi, a DNA > operator sent to the past to eliminate that threat, found that the > Mega-Playboy, usual Japanese high-school student Junta Momonari, isn't > a Mega-Playboy, moreover, he throws up every time when he see a women > in any state close to nakedness (bikinis and aerobic leotards > included), except for his childhood friend Ami Kurimoto. But Karin > discovers this *after* she shot Junta with DNA Control Medicine ... > the *wrong* one. So she turned Junta to Mega-Playboy with her own > hands and should convert him back ... but has fallen to his charm too. > Only Ami can resist that charm. Classical romantic comedy, which > Katsura is well known for. But I didn't recommend seeing the last > three eps. Because of low rating show was stopped and those three > episodes were released only on video to end the story and did it so > badly ... > Licenced by USMC in North America. > [Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo] > > DOCTOR SLUMP AND ARALE-CHAN: 1981-86 and 1997-99 series by Toei. > It's all about a loony & pervy inventor named Senbe Norimaki and his > creation Arale; a robot girl who's powerful enough to put a crack in > the world and loves playing with turds. They live in the Penguin > Village, a truly bizarre place populated by anthropomorpic animals, > aliens, superheroes, and other odd characters. Arale gets into a lot > of misadventures with her friends Akane, Taro, Psuke, and Ga-chan (a > little angel that eats anything except rubber, and later duplicates > itself). Based on the manga by Akira Toriyama. > Arale, Senbe, and the rest of the Penguin Village appears in DRAGON > BALL during the Red Ribbon storyline. DR. SLUMP is highly > recommended. > [Entry by Andrew Kieswetter] > > DOKOKADE NAKUSHITA AITSU NO AITSU: see DNA^2 > > DOMINION: Two OVA series (4-part DOMINION, available from US Manga > Corps, and 6-part NEW DOMINION, previously available from Manga Video) > tell us how hard the life of a SWAT team member in a big city in > near-future Japan could be ... especially if you're piloting huge > battle tanks on the narrow streets of Newport City. Based on Masamune > Shirow's manga of the same name, it is a lighthearted and sometimes > twisted police comedy which is definitely worth seeing, even if the > manga is mush better. Some people, however, says it's a bit too > violent (and it's true: in the first episode, tank cops torture a drug > dealer with hand grenades playing golf around him, and title of > Captain Brenten's favourite book is "How to Kill".) > Note: This may be set in the same city and the same time as > Shirow's GHOST IN THE SHELL manga - the Puma sisters, two cyborg-babe > villains in DOMINION, have a cameo appearance in GitS where they fight > with Motoko's fuchikoma. > [Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo] > > DORAEMON: A robotic cat, Doraemon, travels back in time to help a > lazy and weak 10-year-old schoolboy, Nobita Nobi. Doraemon features a > dimensional pocket from where he can produce a great assortment of > tools and gadgets, which he uses to help Nobita resolve his problems. > Most of the time this causes more problems than the ones he tried to > fix, usually originated by Nobita's misuse of the gadget, but > sometimes caused by Nobita's friends. > This is a lovable and ongoing series that has more than 1090 > episodes, and more are still being produced (now replaced with a new > seiyuu cast after 25 years of being in the air), produced by TV Ahashi. > [Entry by Gerardo Campos] > > DRAGON BALL: The first series concerning the adventures of Son > Goku, a strange child who, in his earliest days, possesses a tail. > When he runs into Bulma (or "Bloomers"), he gets involved in the > search for Dragon Balls, mystical stones that, when collected > together, can be used to call forth a magical dragon who can then > grant your hearts' desire. Heavily involved in martial arts, Goku's > main part in all this is to fight off a variety of monsters and other > opponents to gain these balls while learning his fighting skills. > This series was dubbed into a number of languages and has been shown > on TV in mainland Europe and the US. > Licenced in North America by FUNimation. > [Entry by Chika] > > DRAGON BALL Z: Moving on from the original DRAGON BALL series, > this series opens when Goku's long lost brother, Raditz, shows up on > Earth during a reunion party and declares that he intends to destroy > the planet. The ensuing battle is the first of many that Goku and his > son Gohan have to deal with, including the discovery of Piccolo's home > planet and the destructive battles with Freeza there as well as the > intervention on Earth by future son Trunks, the android wars and so > forth. Far more violent than the original series, and the Freeza war > in particular is panned by some for being too long. Again, dubbed for > TV in Europe and the US as well as UK, where it started Toonami on > Cartoon Network there. > Licenced in North America by FUNimation. > [Entry by Chika] > > DRAGON HALF: Absolutely whacked comedy playing off everything from > fairy tale world to "idol singers". Lots of visual gags, lots of > nuttiness, lots of fun. Note: this is a *very* disorienting title to > many viewers because the style of animation frequently shifts to > punctuate the gags; some people even find it difficult to connect the > character in one frame drawn in 'realistic' style to the same > character in the next frame, drawn in a deliberately crude, cartoony > style. If you want a hilarious hour of goofy humor, however, you > really should check this out. Note: Only two OAVs were ever produced > in Japan, and they are released domestically on a single tape or DVD. > Available from ADV Films. > [Entry by Antaeus Feldspar] > > DUNBINE: see AURA BATTLER DUNBINE > > E > > EARLY REINS: If you love classic bullets-flying-everywhere Western > movies and good-looking anime girls, this one's for you. No steampunk > or any other modern trappings (unless you count one character's short > skirt, and even then, no panty shots). Very reverent (but not without > a sense of humour), very entertaining, very recommended. One OAV. > [Entry by David Watson] > > EARTH DEFENDER MAO-CHAN: See MAO-CHAN > > EARTH DEFENSE FAMILY (a.k.a. THE DAICHIS): A very different take > on the classic "fighting team defending the Earth" theme as the > Daichis, a contemporary and very dysfunctional Japanese family, are > unexpectedly offered the opportunity to turn their lives around by > becoming a team of masked fighters who must defend the Earth against > an alien invasion. But nothing is what it seems - the agreement to > become the "Earth Defense Team" turns out to be a very Faustian > bargain, the family finds out that their own problems don't go away > just because they can beat some alien monsters, and in the end the > divisions within the Daichis threaten the Earth itself. EARTH DEFENSE > FAMILY is masterful and thoroughly entertaining mix of action, comedy > and social commentary. > Available in North America from Geneon. > [Entry by Dave Baranyi] > > EARTH GIRL ARJUNA: Juna Ariyoshi is involved in a mysterious > motorbike accident with her boyfriend Tokio. She awakens to find > herself "dead", and privy to a horrifying vision of the destruction of > Earth's environment by man, and controlled by fearsome worm-like > creatures known as Rajah. She is given a second chance at life by > the apparition of Chris Horken, a crippled telepath, if she agrees to > become the Avatar of Time and protect Earth from the Rajah. But Juna > is not at ease with this role - although she utilises her power to > save Tokio, she is petrified of the monstrous Rajah, and has > difficulty reconciling her environmental awareness and protection with > her modern life - how would you feel if you heard the voices of all > the creatures killed to make your food each time you ate? An > extremely high budget shows through in the detailed character > animation and computer effects - although some rendering doesn't mesh > very well - and another high quality soundtrack from Yoko Kanno > present an extremely polished show. However, the environmental > message can become extremely heavy handed, which aggravates many > viewers - this thought-provoking "magical girl" show tends to polarise > viewers. > ARJUNA is available in North America from Bandai, and in Australia > from Madman. > [Entry by Andrew Hollingbury] > > EL HAZARD: Makoto is your average high-school kid. A bit of a > nebbish, he likes Nanami and is constantly hounded by her big brother > Jinnai, though not about Nanami per se. Makoto and several of his > classmates get sucked through a portal to another world where he and > his friends each seem to manifest a superpower. There is a war going > on between the human people of the world and the insect-like Bugrom. > Makoto and his friends try to help the humans, aided by the three > priestesses of Muldoon, while Jinnai ends up on the wrong side, > helping the Bugrom. Hilarity, action and adventure ensue, including > the discovery of an ancient evil power, a woman named Ifurita who only > Makoto can defeat. Good art and animation. Silly and fun. This > summary applies only to the OVA version; there is also a TV series > with the same characters. Comedic violence only. Seven OVAs. From > Geneon. > [Entry by Ben Cantrick] > [PARENTAL ADVISORY: Some characters in this OAV series have what > has come to euphemistically be called "alternative lifestyles", and > not all of them are villains. If this bothers you or your children, > watch the TV series EL HAZARD: THE WANDERERS instead of the OAV > series. - Rob Kelk] > > ELFEN LIED: The series begins with Lucy's escape from a maximum > security facility, a bloody, violent escape that begins a > heart-wrenching 13 episode series. After her escape, Lucy ends up on > a beach to be found naked and bleeding by Kouta and Yuka. However, > she no longer has Lucy's adult personality - it has been replaced by > Nyu, a naive child-like personality. Kouta and Yuka take Nyu in to > Kouta's home (an old Japanese inn), setting the stage for an unfolding > love story with unimaginable pain. > Lucy's escape brings a wide cast to the stage. One of the most > lovable is Nana. From the beginning, her arc is one of unimaginable > pain. She has spawned a following of web comics called "Nana's > Everyday Life" that are a must-see for fans of the anime. Nana > befriends a runaway, Mayu, who is also befriended by Kouta and Yuka, > bringing them all together under the same roof. The relationships > between Kouta, Yuka and Lucy are unraveled over the 13 episodes. At > times it is shocking and disturbing; the revelation of Mayu's past is > possibly the worst one to watch. > ADV has released a fine four-DVD set with a good English dub of the > series. They did, however, leave out an episode that was not shown on > Japanese TV, but included in the last Japanese DVD as an extra. That > episode is available as a fansub and worth watching when you complete > the series; it has a good bit of context for Lucy/Nyu. The DVD > edition has more gore than the TV version. When the anime ended the > series was still appearing in Young Animal; it finished its run in > December 2005 and is now available in 14 bound volumes in Japan. > [Entry by Bobby Clark] > PARENTAL ADVISORY: Definitely *NOT* for children. This series has > gruesome, bloody death scenes, violent dismemberments, and nudity in > non-consensual sexual settings. > R1 official website: <http://www25.advfilms.com/titles/elfenlied/> > > EMMA: In Victorian England, a young nobleman, William Jones, pays > a visit to his old governess' house in central London, where he > becomes captivated by her maid, Emma, and vice versa. However, > William's family is pushing for him to marry a girl of his own > ranking, Eleanor Campbell, and William's friend (and Indian prince) > Hakim also takes an interest in Emma. Can any kind of relationship > flourish between William and Emma across such a cultural divide? > EMMA is a short yet sweet period romance, not exactly typical anime > material. Unfortunately, due to budget problems, it only lasts for 12 > episodes, thus not finishing the manga storyline (the ending is a good > stopping point, however). That said, the short length of the series > means that it's extremely polished - the attention to period detail is > exquisite (there's no mangling of English whatsoever, which must be a > first for anime!), and animation and music are top notch. It is quite > slowly paced and entirely character and dialogue-focused, so not a > series for action junkies, but <cite>Emma</cite> is a very well > crafted romantic drama. > All 12 episodes are available fansubbed. EMMA is currently > unlicensed in Region 1 - the first 6 episodes are currently available > on DVD in Japan. > [Entry by Andrew Hollingbury] > > ENDLESS WALTZ: see GUNDAM WING > > ESCAFLOWNE: see VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE > > EVANGELION: see NEON GENESIS EVANGELION > > EXCEL SAGA: This anime is an example of insanity in motion. Each > episode is a parody of different styles of anime, and in the first > episode the heroine, Excel Excel dies several times, then goes off to > kill her manga artist (talk about breaking down the 'fourth wall'). > In later episodes you meet others that get involved in the story, and > she's joined by Hyatt, a girl that dies about as much as possible, but > she keeps on getting back up. Not to mention the fact that she keeps > a stray dog named Menchi as an emergency food supply. Released by ADV > in North America. > [Entry by Bill Martin] > [PARENTAL ADVISORY: ADV Films quite properly rated this show at > "17+". Many episodes have a high violence quotient, some of the > language is inappropriate for minors, and the final episode should be > listed in the Anime Hentai Primer. Definitely NOT for children. - Rob > Kelk] > > EYESHIELD 21: This is a traditional sports anime about a kid who > learns to believe in himself and become a winner, but at the same time > it is also a comedy with a bizarre twist - it's about a group of > misfit Japanese high school kids forming a team to play "American > Football" in their Japanese high school. So you not only have all of > the usual "Gambatte! Gambarimasu!" ("Do your best! I'll do my best!") > sort of stuff, but also an attempt to give a Japanese youth audience a > crash course in American-style football. The result is a > spectacularly funny comedy, both deliberately - due to the wacky cast > of misfits - and also unintentionally, because of the ongoing attempts > to explain the rules and concepts of American football during the > eyecatches and off-and-on during the story line. > First year high school student Sena has always relied upon his > older female friend Mamori to protect him. And when Mamori isn't > around, Sena has learned to run away from trouble because he is > smaller than most of the bullies that bother him. But now that Sena > is in high school he no longer wants to be "protected by a girl" and > allows himself to be talked into joining his high school's American > Football team, which has few players, never wins, and is almost > unknown in the high school. But Sena's "running away" has developed > him into a phenomenon - he can out-run most pursuers and can thread > his way through most obstacles, including football defensive teams. > Because of that, the fanatical and demonic captain of the high school > football team, Hiruma, decides to rebuild the team around Sena, with > Sena disguised as the mysterious running back "Eyeshield 21". > What results from this is a fast-paced, unpretentious story with > surprisingly adept character development and smart, consistent comedy. > Add to this reasonably good animation and a lively soundtrack and you > have a nice bit of old-fashioned fun done in a thoroughly up-to-date > manner. So forget about anything you ever knew about American High > School Football, sit back, grab a bottle of "sports water", and enjoy > the action. > Official Japanese website: <http://jump.shueisha.co.jp/eyeshield/> > [Entry by Dave Baranyi] > > F > > FAKE: A very gay detective story with young man and woman in care > of the officers in an alternate version of NYC. > The senior detective, who is in love with the younger who is > Japanese-American, sets up a vacation for both in England. He bribes > the young man to stay behind so that he and the object of his > affection can enjoy a truly romantic weekend. > Too bad the hotel they have chosen is the scene of a mystery which > has attracted the attention of a senior officer of the NY State > Police. A woman vanishes and then the kids show up to prevent > seduction. > Well the vacation is already spoiled when a flaming fellow officer > insists on following them to the site and they get a harsh suprise on > their return to the station house. > Very amusing! > One 60 minute OAV, from Anime Works > [Entry by bobbie sellers] > [PARENTAL ADVISORY: FAKE does touch on male/male romantic > relationships, but it's clean. There isn't even any nudity in it past > the occasional male chest. - David Watson] > > FAM AND IHRIE: see RUIN EXPLORERS > > FANCY LALA: FANCY LALA is the story of a girl and her magic > sketch book. I think that cleared all of the DBZ heads out. For the > rest of you, no, there are no magical princesses fighting evil by > moonlight, nor are there any convoluted love polygons. What we have > here is a simple show about how a young girl, Shinohara Miho (all > names in Japanese name order) obtains the power to grow just a bit > older from some 'funny dinosaurs' (Pigu and Mogu, her wise helpers ... > yea right, they spend more time arguing and eating all the food than > helping) and her not so meteoric rise to stardom. Her alter ego's > name is Lala, for short (Fancy Lala in full). She's got powers that > every little girl would want: growing older, drawing all the cool > clothes you could ever want with a magic pen (just say Dabu Dabu and > the clothes become real!) and meeting all your favorite stars (in > Miho's case it's the fabulous male idol, Aikawa Hiroya). > However, this show's best aspect is its unusual realness. Lala's > rise to stardom is no instant success. It's a lot of hard work full > of bright lights, pushy stars, and time spent away from friends. Her > time as Miho isn't all sugar sweetness wrapped in a candy cane either. > Miho's a rather real little girl, genki or not, and she gets > frustrated and tired. An interesting point is the depth of character > is actually accentuated by Miho having two forms. Seeing how > characters react to each form shows their characters in more detail > than otherwise would be possible. That's it, except for maybe that > mysterious guy ... (Fushigi-san, called 'Mystery Man' in the > commercial version). Maybe he has something to do with Miho's > spectacular transformation? This 26 episode series was on Japanese TV > in 1998, and now is released in the US by Bandai Entertainment. An > extra note: it's a homage to CREAMY MAMI, a 1983 magical girl show > along the same lines (both done by Studio Pierrot). > [Entry by Hana no Kaitou] > > FIGURE 17: Some young anime girls get wands or pens that let them > transform into powerful fighters. Tsubasa got a twin sister. > This anime takes place in rural Hokkaido, a quiet place just right > for slow character development, quiet childhood life, and the > occasional fight against an alien menace that could destroy the > planet. And shy, out-of-her-element Tsubasa is caught in the middle > of it all when her father moves there and an alien spacecraft crashes. > After getting that "twin sister" (actually an alien AI), who names > herself Hikaru, Tsubasa spends most of her screen time learning how to > open up to her new classmates, and about close friendship. However, > there's still the alien menace to be dealt with, and it seems that > only Hikaru and Tsubasa, working together as "Figure 17", are up to > the challenge. > FIGURE 17 will seem familiar to old-school anime fans; the show was > originally presented as one 50-minute episode every month, so the > pacing is very much like the original OAV anime series of the 1980s. > (However, the anime was first released to cable television, not to > video.) The production values are state of the art for the turn of > the millennium, though. The show also doesn't pigeonhole into > convenient genres; it's roughly equally a "coming of age" story and an > "intense battle" story. > [PARENTAL ADVISORY: There is some violence, and people do die. > Please preview the show before letting pre-teens watch it.] > 13 episodes, available in North America on six DVDs from Anime > Works. > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > FIRE TRIPPER: One of the more serious of the "Rumik World" stories > by Rumiko Takahashi. A young woman gets sent back in time to feudal > Japan, but how? And what happened to the young boy that was with her? > Was available from USMC. > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > FLCL: What makes a boy a man: older women, baseball and rock and > roll. FLCL is a hilarious, surreal comedy from GAINAX (NEON GENESIS > EVANGELION, KARE KANO). > Naota is a 12-year old boy in a boring town that has the steam-iron > shaped Medical Mechanica factory as its most distinguishing feature. > He lives in the shadow of his older brother, a local baseball star who > went to America, and his life is going nowhere. He spends most of his > time hanging around with his brother's ex-girlfriend, Mamimi, and > being manipulated by Ninamori, the class president. > Then *she* comes to town, Haruko Harurura. Riding an Italian Vespa > scooter and carrying a wicked electric guitar she starts like a > chainsaw, she enters Naota's life and turns it and the town upside > down. Just what is it she wants with Medical Machinica and why do > robots keep bursting from Naota's head!? > Visually, it is as if Chuck Jones decided to make anime. It's > wild, frenetic and full of hilarious sight gags, but it's also a > coming of age story. It will remind you of your awkward "tween" years > as you discovered the opposite sex, feeling cynical about adults and > the question, "Where do you want to go with your life?" > Available in North America from Synch-Point. > [Entry by Travers Naran] > > FRUITS BASKET: This is a shoujo story about an orphaned girl who > is taken in by a wealthy clan that has been cursed to transform into > animals from the Chinese zodiac. While there are the usual tropes of > growing up in the face of loss and dealing with being an outsider, > FRUITS BASKET treats it with a wry sense of humour, an excellent cast > of characters and genuine warmth. But despite the overall cheeriness > of the series, there are darker undercurrents to the story and some > powerful moments when the characters utterly break down in the face of > something they can't deal with. > Licenced in North America by FUNimation. > [Entry by Michael Lo] > > FULL METAL ALCHEMIST: In a world where Alchemy developed as a > science, Ed and Al Elric, sons of a powerful but shadowy and vanished > alchemist, set off on a quest to find the secret for creating the > Philosopher's Stone in order to attempt to right a terrible mistake > that they made. But this is a dangerous land in turmoil, with > rebellious factions, military government and mysterious puppet masters > all conspiring to unknown ends. FMA is a grand fantasy adventure- > drama of, on one hand hubris and Faustian bargains, and on the other > hand love and loyalty. Great characters, intricate and intelligent > plotting, humor interspersed with drama, a classic sound track and a > powerful conclusion make this one of my all time favourite anime. > Licenced in North America by FUNimation. > [Entry by Dave Baranyi] > > FULL METAL PANIC: Popular high school girl Chidori Kaname, > unbeknownst to her, is one of a group of people called the Whispered. > The Whispered are people who have buried in their memories knowledge > of Black Technology, military technology so advanced and powerful that > the nations of the world will go to any extreme to get their hands on > it. To protect Kaname from falling into the wrong hands a covert > anti-terrorist organization called Mithril assigns a bodyguard to > watch over and protect Kaname without her knowledge. Unfortunately > the person they select for the job is Sagara Sousuke, a teenager who > has spent his entire life on battlefields and military camps. > Consequently he has no concept of how to cope with ordinary civilian > life. Needless to say Sousuke's reactions to even the merest > perception of a threat are extreme. As a result he proceeds to turn > Kaname's life completely upside down while defending her against some > of the nastiest terrorists ever to appear in anime. This has the > apparent effect of having Kaname start to fall in love with him. > Anyway Sousuke's military skills are unparalleled and he is expert in > this world's preferred combat mech, the Arm Slave. > Licenced by ADV Films; trailer available at ADV's Trailers page > (<http://www.advfilms.com/cool_stuff/trailers.asp>). > [Entry by Kyle Thomas Pope] > R1 official websites: > * First series: <http://www.full-metal-panic.com/> > * Sequel series: <http://www25.advfilms.com/titles/fumoffu/> > > FUSHIGI NO UMI NO NADIA: see NADIA > > FUSHIGI YUUGI (a.k.a. MYSTERIOUS PLAY): One of the most emotional > anime of all time, truly heartwrenching, though it does delve into sap > a little by the end. The anime focuses on a young girl, Miaka, who > gets pulled into an ancient Chinese text and becomes a part of the > story - a priestess, in fact, of one of the book world's four gods, > Suzaku. When she tries to get out, her best friend Yui is taken in > her place! Miaka goes back in after her, but things have happened > since Miaka returned to the real world ... With her guardians, the > Suzaku Shichiseishi, and her love Tamahome, Miaka must go through many > trials in order to regain both peace for her warring kingdom, and her > best friend as well. (Geneon) > [Entry by KireiSarah] > > (continued in part 3) > > - -- > Rob Kelk <http://robkelk.ottawa-anime.org/> e-mail: s/deadspam/gmail/ > "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 > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > Version: PGP 7.0.4 > > iQA/AwUBRXCpGwKYYCCCxJ/PEQIknACfY95TnXmPIAOZj3cObztHZGsyoTsAoKiX > 19UYqGtyqE5baHIJkOeJ5mBr > =cXlG > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- > Group email addresses: Post message: Sailor_Uranus@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] List owner: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Shortcut URL to Yahoo! Groups' SUML page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sailor_Uranus For further info, please visit the list's web site at http://haruka.nu/suml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sailor_Uranus/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sailor_Uranus/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! 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