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 5:16 PM Subject: [INFO] The Anime Primer, or "What Anime Should I Watch Now?" (5/6) > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > (continued from part 4) > > O > > OH MY GODDESS! (a.k.a. AH! MEGAMISAMA): Keiichi is visited by the > lovely goddess Belldandy, who grants him a wish. He wishes that she > become his girlfriend. Her older sister wants their relationship to > progress faster, while her younger sister is dead-set against it. But > why does Belldandy resist them both, insisting that promises must be > kept? Based loosely on the manga AH MEGAMISAMA by Fujishima Kosuke. > The original five-episode OAV series is available from AnimEigo. > The manga is available from Dark Horse. > See also AH! MY GODDESS (Movie), AH! MY GODDESS (TV), and > ADVENTURES OF THE MINI-GODDESSES. > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > OMISHI MAGICAL THEATER: RISKY SAFETY: This quiet show is the story > of an apprentice shinigami (almost, but not quite, a "personification > of Death") named Risky, an apprentice angel named Safety, and a > junior-high schoolgirl named Moé who becomes caught up in the destiny > of the two supernatural beings. Risky and Safety have conflicting > personalities and conflicting orders from their superiors, and usually > work at cross-purposes, which is awkward for them because (for a > reason explained halfway through the series) they share the same body. > But when something goes terribly wrong with their corner of the world, > they have to decide whether they can work together to set things > right ... > This is a 24-episode series from the pen of Rei Omishi (the creator > of SORCERER HUNTERS), with each episode being ten minutes long > including credits. It's a twist on the usual "coming of age" story so > popular in Japan - the supernatural beings do have an effect on the > humans they meet, but the humans have an even greater effect on Risky > and Safety. The story takes quite a while to build to the climax, but > despite appearances none of the episodes are "filler". > Available in North America on three DVDs from AN Entertainment. > R1 official website: > <http://www.animenation.net/anent/riskysafety/>; includes a page where > you can download episode 1 (Quicktime format only). > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > OMOIDE POROPORO (English title ONLY YESTERDAY): A young woman just > starting her first job has a bit of an identity crisis and decides to > travel to the country in search of happiness, and possibly romance. > Interwoven between the lovely scenic shots of rural Japan are > flashbacks to the woman's childhood. Looking back at her past, the > young woman wonders why these memories are so important to her, and > what relevance they have to the present, and the future. > [Entry by Dot Warner] > > ONE PIECE: This is a grand shounen adventure saga, with humor, > action, drama and great characters. It's based upon a long running > and very popular shounen manga. The anime is well over two hundred > episodes and stays amazingly fresh and imaginative. > In a strange world of pirates, that is sort of a funky mix of 17th > Century Spanish Main and today, Luffy, a teen who has eaten the fruit > of a "gumo-gumo" plant, has become a "rubber boy", with super powers. > Which is useful, because he wants to be the king of all pirates in > this world and find the greatest pirate treasure of all time, the "One > Piece". Luffy collects a strange band of associates and they explore > this very baroque world, helping many folks in need (mainly by > fighting the real pirates), but not actually pirating. > Licenced by 4Kids. > [Entry by Dave Baranyi and Catherine Johnson] > > ONEGAI TEACHER! (a.k.a. PLEASE TEACHER!): Kei Kusanagi seems like > an ordinary 15 year old, however he's got an extremely rare condition > where his body goes into a "standstill" when he's under extreme > pressure. One night while stargazing, he witnesses a shooting star > that seems to be more than just interstellar crud entering Earth's > atmosphere. All of the sudden, a mysterious woman appears before him. > Later, his new teacher definitely looks like the mysterious woman, but > how can he explain it without looking like a looney. > When he helps her move into her new apartment, he discovers the > truth, she is an alien, well, half-alien. One of her parents was from > Earth, and she was then ordered to observe Earth by the Galactic > Federation. During a time when her ship computer went wonky, she & > Kei were trapped in the gym supplies shed at the school. After the > Principal ended up letting them out, Kei ends up marrying her, so that > she can keep her job, so that she can stay on Earth, and not have to > report this as a failure. However, since a marriage between a student > and a teacher is very dangerous, they must now keep the marriage a > secret. What's a boy to do when he's married to a gorgeous teacher > and can't tell any of his friends? > Available in North America from Bandai. > [Entry by Bill Martin] > > ONIISAMA E (a.k.a. BROTHER, DEAR BROTHER): Teenage Misonoo Nanako > enters an exclusive private high school, makes new friends, and is > quickly picked to join a snooty sorority. She is caught up in the > emotional whirlwind of the passionate and unstable personalities of > her female classmates: Miya-sama, the wealthy, beautiful, and ruthless > sorority president; Saint-Juste, a brilliant pianist, but prone to > depression and fits of self-destructive violence; the boyish > basketball player Kaoru no Kimi, smart and ethically clear-sighted, > but subject to a mysterious illness, and troubled by an undisclosed > romantic sorrow; and the beautiful, fiercely loyal, but unstable and > obsessed Mariko, the despised daughter of a wealthy writer of > pornography. With innocent Nanako in the middle, the fragile truce > between the other girls begins to break down, and Nanako is carried > with them into a destructive maelstrom of passion, madness, and > unrequited love. > This is the dark side of shoujo, much darker than author Ikeda > Riyoko's best known work, ROSE OF VERSAILLES. It is gothic and > atmospheric, dramatic bordering on melodramatic, and includes sexual > stalking, graphic physical violence, multiple suicide attempts, drug > abuse, and lesbian homoeroticism. It is deadly serious, and becomes > unbearably intense as the story passes the midpoint of its 40 TV > episodes. It is not for everyone. Like it or hate it, you will never > forget it. It has an outstanding score which reinforces the show's > emotional tone. Available only as fansubs of the first 28 episodes; > even the original Japanese edition is no longer in print. > [Entry by Slithy Tove] > > ORANGE ROAD: See KIMAGURE ORANGE ROAD > > OROSHITE MUSICAL NERIMA DAIKON BROTHERS: This is one of the most > unique anime series you will ever see. It is an honest-to-goodness 12 > episode musical comedy, done in song and dance, just like a stage > musical. There are great jokes (many bawdy), snappy songs, hot girls, > pretty boys, and even pandas! What more can you ask? > This is the story of two brothers, Hideki and Ichiro, along with > their girl cousin Mako, who make up the Nerima Daikon Brothers singing > group. They have built a stage at one end of their daikon farm in the > Nerima neighborhood of Tokyo and dream of becoming a hit and one day > having a modern arena for their act on the site of their farm. But > they have little money and lots of opposition, not the least of which > are the neighbors who don't like the trio belting out songs in the > middle of the night, as well as secretive forces who want their land. > In the tradition of musical comedies, the trio comes up with all > kinds of crazy schemes, legal or not, in order to try to get some > money. In addition, they are assisted by several other odd > characters. The first is a "daikon panda", a little panda who has > daikon leaves growing out of his head, and who eats daikons instead of > bamboo leaves. There is also Nab (Afro and all), who runs a rental > shop which rents some of the oddest things, but always just what the > trio need. Finally, there is the mechanically-assisted police woman > Yukiko, who sometimes investigates and sometimes helps the trio. And > let's not forget the "Bank Machine Chorus Girls" who provide "Easy > Loans" as required. > So if you like musical comedies and want some fast-paced, > action-packed and imaginative "toe-tapping fun" you may well want to > try out OROSHITE MUSICAL NERIMA DAIKON BROTHERS. The series will be > released on R2 DVD starting in May 2006. > [Entry by Dave Baranyi] > > OTAKU NO VIDEO: A satirical look at the world of the "otaku", the > word used to describe obsessive fans in Japan. Kubo is persuaded to > give up his normal life by his friend Tanaka and his friends to pursue > a life of devotion to anime, manga and so forth. We are introduced to > all forms of otakudom as Kubo and Tanaka start a company or two with > the ultimate goal of the otakunisation of the entire world! Includes > spoof live-action interview segments. Subtitled release, originally > released by AnimEigo in the US and Anime Projects in the UK. > [Entry by Chika] > > OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB: Haruhi Fujioka attends ritzy Ouran > High School as a scholarship student, too poor to purchase the > school's uniform. Searching for a quiet place to study, she happens > on the room where the Host Club meets, a club made of six wealthy > bishounen who cater to the whims of the female students. Through a > series of events, she finds herself in debt to the club, working first > as a gopher and then as a host herself. (Not having a really firm > gender identity, Haruhi is at first mistaken for a male.) > OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB is beautifully and wittily animated, > and possesses a clear ancestor in the form of REVOLUTIONARY GIRL > UTENA. Although many of the episodes are light and frivolous, as > Haruhi learns more about the personal histories of her new friends > (and they learn hers), the story reveals more serious undercurrents. > [Entry by laurie cubbison] > > OUTLAW STAR: The first show in Sunrise's "Toward Stars" universe, > OUTLAW STAR is an old-fashioned space opera writ large. Gene > Starwind, a big fish in the small pond of his home planet, is thrust > into a conflict between the Space Forces, the galactic pirates, and > the "outlaws" who owe allegiance to neither side as they all try to > reach the Galactic Leyline. Helping Gene are his young partner Jim > Hawking, the lovely Melfina, and others who come and go from the plot. > If you like "pulp"-era science fiction, you'll like this show. > OUTLAW STAR is available uncut on VHS and DVD from Bandai in North > America, and an edited version of most of the series has been shown on > US television. The show is available in Australia from Madman. > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > OVERMAN KING GAINER: This is another Tomino Yoshiyuki variation on > his lifetime preoccupation with "giant robot" stories, and to an > extent can almost be considered a continuing evolution from his > previous two series, TURN A GUNDAM and BRAIN POWERD. The story is set > in the far future when, after a world-wide ecological disaster, most > of the remnants of Humanity have moved to domed cities in wastelands > such as Siberia, where the story takes place. > As with BRAIN POWERD, the mechas have some bio-mechanical parts and > characteristics. But in the case of KING GAINER, the mechas acquire > varying powers by the addition of "over skins" to the basic mecha > engine and design. These over skins are interchangeable and if > captured without too much damage can be used by different mechas. > KING GAINER also shares two key similarities with TURN A GUNDAM: a > huge cast of characters, and an odd anachronistic approach to design > of the world. TURN A GUNDAM blended the look of the post-Civil-War US > with mechas and a certain amount of "steam punk" sensibility. KING > GAINER blends the look of 1960's Soviet styles with giant retro trains > and a certain amount of universal "grunge" look for the settings and > characters. > The plot revolves around the effort of an underground group known > as Exodus to take a number of mobile city modules out of their current > domed city to a new "Promised Land". The erstwhile military leader of > Exodus is Gain Bijou, a 28 year old cocky ladies man who likes to > operate a two-legged open mecha with a powerful anti-armor gun in one > arm and an oversized powered-up over skin arm on the other side. He > gets 17-year-old interactive video game "king" Gainer Sanga > unwillingly involved with Exodus and the two of them form an uneasy > alliance after Gainer accidentally reactivates and becomes the pilot > of an extremely powerful old war mecha. Gain is a very unlikely > Moses, and Gainer is an even more unlikely and unenthusiastic Joshua > in this "Exodus". Opposed to Gain, Gainer and Exodus are the forces > of the Siberian Railway Guard, a quasi-governmental body that provides > the main means of connecting the isolated cities in Siberia, along > with semi-feudal rulers of the domed cities. > What differentiates KING GAINER from TURN A GUNDAM and BRAIN POWERD > is the odd humor that exists in many of the details of the story and > design. Strange and goofy but self-consistent things continuously > happen in the background. For example, the story is set in a frozen > wasteland with lots of ice and snow around. Therefore characters will > quite often slip and fall on their faces, particularly if they try to > run on the ice. Gain also has a number of peculiarities, such as > penchant to try make spending money by prize fighting in impromptu > matches in various dome cities. So at one time Gainer is talked into > sitting in drag in the audience to watch Gain fight, which turns out > to be a bad move for both of them. Yet with all this and many, many > other humorous moments, KING GAINER continues to have an underlying > thread of seriousness that underlies the series. > So all-in-all OVERMAN KING GAINER is an entertaining and > interesting 26-part series. The music to the series is quite good, > and it's hard to beat the Go-Go Dancing mechas in the opening > animation. The artwork, particularly the background details, ranges > from good to occasionally spectacular, and there is a great 3DCG eye- > catch that shows up starting in episode 4. The show also has three > "cute mascots", lots of "Tomino Babes" and tons of action. Add to > this the humor and characterizations and you have a series that is > memorable and enjoyable. > [Entry by Dave Baranyi] > > P > > PANDA KOPANDA (a.k.a. PANDA! GO PANDA!): Hayao Miyazaki's first > produced work. It is two half-hour short pieces. The first piece was > made in 1972, the second a year later. The main characters are a > little girl named Mimiko, a large panda (Pa Panda), and his panda son > (Panny). Mimiko (about 5 years old) lives with her grandmother. One > day, her grandmother has to travel out of town for an extended period, > leaving Mimiko alone to take care of things. By chance, a panda > father and his son wander into the town where Mimiko lives, and > attracted by the large bamboo garden, come to her house. Mimiko talks > with them and decides to create a family of sorts, wherein she is the > little panda's mother, and the large panda is her father. This piece > is generally seen as a precursor to TONARI NO TOTORO (MY MEIGHBOR > TOTORO). It is available on DVD and VHS from Geneon. > [Entry by Matt Huber] > > PARADISE KISS: One day, A-student Yukari Hayasaki is approached on > the street by a punk-rock-styled teenager telling her she'd be perfect > as their new model. Thinking he was a nut, she tries to escape, but > trips into the arms of a fashionable young lady called Isabella and > faints. Thus the straight-laced Yukari is brought into the world of > Paradise Kiss, a fashion shoujo anime that describes the kind of > universal painful adolescence that has won this series fans around the > globe. > Everyone can understand the emotions of these characters. It would > be very familiar to anyone who was a teenager. Yukari has a strained > relationship with her overbearing mother who only seems to be > concerned about pushing her to succeed, and this is the story of her > rebellion and trying to find a life for herself separate from what her > mother wants. Characters like George, Miwako and Arashi seem to be > part of everyone's experience, as well as the relationship problems > they go through. Even if you haven't experienced a relationship like > Yukari and George's, you probably know someone who has. The > verisimilitude of the characters makes this series entertaining even > if you don't care about fashion. > Age 14+: Some alcohol consumption and teen sex. > [Entry by Travers Naran] > > PATLABOR: Although PATLABOR TV nominally deals with police using > mecha ("labors") to combat labor crime, the series is no more a mecha > show than a modern-day Western police show is a "car show" or a > "truncheon show"; the majority of episodes are comedy based on > oddities of modern Japanese culture (apart from the mecha, there are > practically no futuristic elements in PATLABOR) or the thoroughly > dysfunctional cast. > The second OVA series is essentially a continuation of the TV > series; but the first OVA series is less well-conceived, and should > probably be watched only if you come to like the TV series. The > movies are very different, being serious works not atypical of Mamoru > Oshii's direction. > Manga Entertainment released the first two movies both theatrically > and on video, but their licence has expired; the licence is currently > held by Bandai Visual USA's Honneamise label. The TV series and OAV > series are being released by USMC. > [Entry by David Damerell] > > PHANTOM QUEST CORPORATION (a.k.a. YUUGEN KAISHA): Hard-drinking, > hard-shopping Ayaka Kisaragi is the head of the "Phantom Quest > Corporation", an eclectic team of ghostbusters whose members include > Ayaka with her magical sword, a huge Buddhist priest, a > flame-summoning schoolgirl, and a brilliant little boy whose financial > acumen is all that keeps Ayaka's shopping from ruining the company. > The animation is beautiful and fluid, and the soundtrack songs catchy > indeed. Four OAVs, available from Geneon on two tapes or one DVD. > [Entry by Antaeus Feldspar] > > PLANETES: In the relatively near future, space debris has become a > problem to mankind's continuing expansion into the stars. PLANETES > follows the adventures of the Debris Section of Technora Corp, a > space-based company, after the arrival of idealistic new recruit Ai > Tanabe. The misfit staff - including the slacker Hachimaki, tragic > ferret-obsessed Yuri and the heavy smoker Fee - make the most of their > job, which is laughed at by the rest of the company, but Tanabe's > arrival catalyses changes which will see the Debris Section become > important to mankind's survival in space. > PLANETES is basically PATLABOR in space, where the sci-fi setting > serves mostly as a background to an excellent character drama laced > with wry humour (however, the space aspect is realised more accurately > than in many shows - the ships make no sound in a vacuum, for > example!). Whilst slow - the first half develops the characters > before a real over-arching plot develops about halfway through - the > writing is exquisitely judged, with plot developments relying on the > series as a whole, and generally winning characters (although some may > find Tanabe's optimism wearing at least to begin with). > PLANETES is licensed by Bandai for release in Region 1 around June > 2005, with the manga already available in full from Tokyopop. > [Entry by Andrew Hollingbury] > > PLEASE SAVE MY EARTH: Please Save My Earth is a shoujo anime that > centers on the concept of reincarnation. Based on the original manga > by Saki Hiwatari published in "Dreams and Flowers" magazine, this > story follows seven year old Rin Kobayashi who has dreams of another > life. These dreams are shared by his neighbor Alice Sakaguchi and two > of her high school classmates Jinpachi Ogura and Issei Nishikiyori. > The three of them decide to search for others who may share the same > dreams while Rin sets off on his own agenda. In these dreams, they > all seem to live on a base on the moon. From that base they study the > Earth, its politics, resources, music, wildlife etc. In total there > are seven scientists, each one seemingly gifted in some way. They > feel a fondness for the Earth and wish they could be a part of it. > Full of emotion, complex relationships and a myriad of characters that > the seven who share the "Moon Dreams" encounter, PLEASE SAVE MY EARTH > is one of few anime that will truly make you think and feel. Complete > OVA series available on one DVD from Viz Video. > [Entry by Terrence Walker] > > PLEASE TEACHER!: See ONEGAI TEACHER! > > POKEMON (a.k.a. POCKET MONSTERS): Before you all start gagging, > yes this is a full blown, card carrying anime. The story is loosely > Earth like in its setting, however the world in this case is inhabited > by many different "Pocket Monsters" or "Pokemon", which people trap > and train to compete in fighting competitions. Of course there are > all sorts of rules attached to this, plus the obligatory baddies, in > this case a boy and girl team (Team Rocket) and their pet Pokemon. > Dubbed and on show on TV virtually everywhere, with two films also > released to date. Both the anime and manga are available from Viz. > [Entry by Chika] > > POPOTAN: Three cute sisters travel from place to place with their > maid in a teleporting house, skipping forward in time as they go. As > they do this, they meet people and change lives, often having to > confront losing friends as they continue on in their search for a > certain person who can help them understand why they've been set on > this journey. [Note: "Popotan" is the sisters' term for tanpopo, the > Japanese word for dandelion.] > Licenced in North America by Geneon. > [Entry by "HiEv"] > > PORCO ROSSO (a.k.a. KURENAI NO BUTA or CRIMSON PIG): "A pig who > doesn't fly is just a pig." That's why Porco, a man living out his > life in a pig's body for reasons that are only hinted at during the > movie, spends most of his time in the air, hunting air pirates over > the Adriatic between the two World Wars. The air pirates take > exception to this, and hire a crack American pilot to go up against > Porco ... > PORCO ROSSO is a lightweight but very enjoyable movie from Hayao > Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. But it isn't just a pleasant way to pass > the time; a serious story about love and responsibility hides amongst > the derring-do and spectacle found here, and (as should be expected in > one of Miyazaki's works) assertive women are in abundance in the cast. > Available in North America from Disney. > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > PRINCESS MONONOKE (a.k.a. MONONOKE-HIME): While on a quest to find > a cure for a curse, a young man named Ashitaka finds himself caught in > a war between a mining village and the local forest spirits. Each > side is represented by a strong-willed woman - on the miners' > side is Eboshi, the leader of the village, and on the spirits' side is > San, the Mononoke princess. Ashitaka, Eboshi, and San find themselves > caught up in a search for the Forest God, who is believed to be able > to bestow great gifts upon mortals ... > This was the first film directed by Hayao Miyazaki after Studio > Ghibli signed their now-famous distribution deal with Disney, and it > showed fans that the deal made no difference to the kind of stories > that Studio Ghibli would tell. It was also the first Studio Ghibli > movie released in North America on DVD, setting the standard for > Disney's high quality anime releases. > PARENTAL ADVISORY: PRINCESS MONONOKE is not a film suitable for > pre-teens. There are some graphic depictions of violence, and some > characters die messily. Preview this movie before letting your > children watch it. > Available from Disney. > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > PRINCESS NINE: Ryo Hayakawa is a "natural" at baseball - despite > being in high school, her pitches are faster than some from the pros. > Kisaragi Girls' School forms a team around her in order to be the > first girls' school to win the Japanese high-school series at Koshien, > a tournament that has been restricted to teams of boys only. But > that's secondary to the people on or involved with the team - Ryo and > her rival Izumi Himuro, Kisaragi Boys' School's team's star batter > Hiroki Takasugi (who both Ryo and Izumi have feelings for, but not the > same feelings), Ryo's childhood friend Seishiro, the boisterous Hikaru > and the quiet Yuki who were first to join the team after Ryo, and too > many other characters (most with hidden depths to them) to name here. > Like many other shows (such as MAGIC USERS' CLUB), PRINCESS NINE is > about growing up and learning who you are, and not what it looks like > it's about at first glance. But the baseball games are interesting, > too, and manage to keep the viewer's attention even after repeated > viewings. And who wins when Ryo pitches against Hiroki? That would > be telling ... > PRINCESS NINE is available from ADV Films. ADV's series website: > <http://www25.advfilms.com/favorites/princessnine/index.html> > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > PRINCESS TUTU: Once upon a time, Ikuko Ito and Junichi Sato > decided to tell a story about a girl named Ahiru who attends a ballet > school. Ahiru wants nothing more than to bring a smile to the face of > her classmate Mytho. After learning of her true heritage in the first > episode, including just how descriptive her name is, she starts her > adventure as the magical girl Princess Tutu to put Mytho's heart back > together so that he can smile. But Fakir and Rue, Mytho's only > companions, take turns to try to stop Princess Tutu from putting > Mytho's heart together again ... > The pacing and character designs of PRINCESS TUTU are similar to > those in MAGIC USERS' CLUB, which is no surprise since Ito-san and > Sato-san both worked as directors on both shows. The themes of > various classic ballets that are worked into the series, the surreal > elements (such as the ballet teacher who is a cat), and the presence > of an all-knowing supporting character in many episodes, invite > comparisons to shows like REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA. And Ahiru is a > classic magical girl, more interested in helping people than in > fighting - in fact, she often says that she doesn't want to fight. > These elements, drawn together into a consistent whole with strong > episodes throughout the first half and last quarter of the series, > make PRINCESS TUTU a show not to be missed. > Thirteen half-hour episodes, 24 quarter-hour episodes, and one > final half-hour episode, licenced in North America by ADV (who for > some unknown reason chose to translate the lead character's name, > which spoiled one plot twist). > R1 official website: <http://www25.advfilms.com/titles/tutu/> > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > PROJECT A-KO: A very powerful girl named A-ko is the friend of a > little girl called C-ko. The supergenius rich girl at school, B-ko, > wants to get rid of A-ko so she can be C-ko's friend and she tries to > do this via a bunch of mecha she designed and built herself. Then a > bunch of female aliens who look like men (they have male voices in the > dub) show up looking for their lost princess. Then things really get > weird. > Filled with 'in jokes' galore, this was followed up by five OVAs. > The two PROJECT A-KO VS OVAs are set in an alternate reality and so > don't follow the continuity of the other OVAs. > Available from USMC in North America, and from Manga in the UK. > A-ko FAQ: <http://www.zuhlcity.com/a-kofaq1.htm> > [Entry by Bruce Grubb, edited by Rob Kelk] > > Q > > QUIET COUNTRY CAFE: See YOKOHAMA SHOPPING TRIP LOG > > R > > R.O.D THE OAV: See READ OR DIE > > R.O.D THE TV: Taking place after the events of READ OR DIE, we > follow the three Paper Sisters - the ditzy Michelle, quiet Maggie and > brattish Anita - as they take on the job of bodyguards for the surly > Nenene Sumiregawa, famous writer and best friend of Yomiko Readman > (the lead character in the OVA series, who has mysteriously > disappeared). Whilst the Paper Sisters take on various side jobs on > behalf of the Dokusensha, the Chinese equivalent of the British > Library forces, there are machinations afoot in the background headed > by the mysterious Mr. Carpenter that mean the world is at peril once > more - and what has happened to Yomiko? > R.O.D THE TV is much more laid back than its OVA counterpart, > thanks to having much longer to flesh out characters - a wildly > convoluted and incredibly gripping plot arc eventually develops at > around episode 10 (try *very* hard to avoid spoiling yourself for it), > but before that point is a string of character development episodes > interspersed with the occasional action-packed mission - your mileage > may vary depending how much you like the leads, who can be fairly > cliched and occasionally extremely annoying. The animation > occasionally leaves something to be desired (although this has been > tightened up for the DVD release) but generally R.O.D is an all-round > excellent production. > The series has been released by Geneon in Region 1, and Madman have > released the first 2 volumes in Region 4. > [Entry by Andrew Hollingbury] > > RAIL OF THE STAR: A Japanese family living in Korea experiences > the end of WWII, told from the perspective of the young daughter. > Supplies and medicine become sparse, simple diseases turn deadly, the > occupied Koreans slowly start being rebellious against the Japanese > oppressors. When the Russian forces take over North Korea, the > Japanese have to flee to the South if they ever want to see Japan > again. Despite an interesting historical backdrop, the actual story > is slow and boring and is painfully naive in its description of > occupied Korea. > Licenced by ADV in North America and the UK. > [Entry by Hanno Mueller] > > RAHXEPHON: Ayato Kamina, a Tokyo high school student, witnesses an > attack in the sky by a huge floating machine. In the ensuing chaos, > he and the mysterious Reika Mishima find their way to an ancient > shrine, where Reika awakens the giant, winged robot RahXephon from > inside an enormous egg. When Ayato escapes from the shrine by somehow > piloting RahXephon, he discovers himself outside the vast dome that > encloses Tokyo Jupiter, where strange beings called Murians rule and > time is distorted. He is enlisted by Haruka Shitow, a feisty special > agent, to help in the fight against the Murians - but what has become > of Reika Mishima? Why does Ayato's mother bleed blue blood? What is > the purpose of the Mu civilisation? This highly complex series has > been compared with EVANGELION, but has a less annihilistic feel, > although the story is dark and dramatic - Ayato has qualms about > piloting the mysterious RahXephon, yet feels he must to protect > others. An eclectic score by Ichiko Hashimoto (*not* Yoko Kanno, who > provides the theme tune) adds weight to the scenes, and the production > quality is extremely high, with a gripping plot - although some > episodes fall into a "mecha-of-the-week" pattern. Available on DVD in > North America and the UK from ADV, and in Australia from Madman. > R1 official website: <http://www.neorahxephon.com/> > [Entry by Andrew Hollingbury] > > RANMA 1/2: Ranma Saotome is the heir to his family's style of > martial arts. Akane Tendo is the heir to her family's martial arts > style. Their fathers want to unite the two styles, and what better > way (they think) than to have the two heirs marry? But that isn't > Ranma's only problem - while he was training in China, he was cursed > to become a girl whenever he gets wet. Comedy (often slapstick) from > the pen of Rumiko Takahashi. Both the anime and the manga are > available from Viz, the anime being their flagship title. > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > READ OR DIE: Yomiko Readman loves books, so much so that she's > almost always found reading one. She also has the power to control > any piece of paper she touches (which gives her her codename "The > Paper"). When she's sent to retreive a rare book from a scientist who > clones historical figures, she and her partners discover a plot that > could change the world ... If you can imagine a James Bond movie with > low-key superpowers and a naive, kindhearted hero, you'd probably be > imagining something close to this three-OAV series. > READ OR DIE has been released by Manga Entertainment in North > America and the UK. > (There is a sequel series, R.O.D THE TV, which is set some years > after the OAV series and has a substantially different cast.) > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > REAL BOUT HIGH SCHOOL: Your high school wasn't like this, I > guarantee it. The school has a K-Fight system where grudges and > challenge matches settle things. At the top of the rankings is Ryoko, > a rather busty Kendo Club student. Once she finds an amulet, her life > turns upside down. The amulet activates and she finds herself in > another dimension, with enemies that are beyond belief. Also of note, > the final enemy of the series is William Gates (Bill Gates, duh). > Released by TokyoPop in North America. > [Entry by Bill Martin] > > REC: The "spirit" of Audrey Hepburn comes back to the screen in > the anime adaptation of REC, a delightful romantic comedy about the > trials and tribulations of a young couple in modern day Tokyo. > Fumihiko Matsumaru, a frustrated designer in an ad agency, meets Aka > Onda, an aspiring voice actress, by accident one evening after being > stood up by a colleague. The two have an enjoyable time together > without really getting to know much about each other before parting. > But later that evening, after a fire in a nearby apartment building, > Matsumaru again runs into Aka who has lost everything in that fire. > Matsumaru brings Aka back to his apartment, where, thanks to their > mutual attraction and the stress of the evening, they make love. > The situation at first appears to be truly fortunate for Aka and > Matsumaru, because they are both looking for a serious relationship > and they like each other. But things start to become complicated > right away as it turns out that the voice actress agency that Aka > works for does business with the ad agency that Matsumaru works for, > and Aka is chosen to be the spokes-model for a new ad campaign that > Matsumaru has created. Both Aka and Matsumaru are concerned to avoid > the appearance that Aka has been chosen for the position because of > her relationship with Matsumaru, so they agree to hide their > relationship for the time being. > So the story becomes a classic "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy > gets girl back again" romance, with the lead characters being charming > and likeable. One of the underlying themes of the story is the way > that Aka likes to relate her life to the roles of Audrey Hepburn in > romantic comedies such as BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S. Aka realizes that > she isn't Audrey Hepburn, nor the characters in Hepburn's movies, but > Aka never-the-less feels a kinship with the spirit of the characters > in those movies. > The series is done in a very brisk and light-hearted manner. The > episodes are short and well-directed, with no wasted time or fillers. > The voice acting is first rate and suits the snappy dialog quite well. > The animation and music are bright and appropriate for the subject > matter. All-in-all, REC is a memorably enjoyable romantic comedy. > [Entry by Dave Baranyi] > > RECORD OF LODOSS WAR: There are now two series called RECORD OF > LODOSS WAR: the original 13 episode OVA and a 27 episode TV series > called RECORD OF LODOSS WAR: CHRONICLES OF THE HEROIC KNIGHT. The OVA > based is on novels which in turn were based on a D&D game with the > standard class and race types as the heroes (Fighter, Cleric, Wizard, > Thief, Elf, and Dwarf) and the classic villains of orcs, wizards, and > drow elves. Due to time constraints the animators shifted things > around a bit which creates some problems with the HEROIC KNIGHT series > which is set after episode 7 of the OVA but follows the novels far > more closely. > Licenced by USMC in North America. > [Entry by Bruce Grubb] > > REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA: See UTENA > > RIDING BEAN: Ace driver Bean Bandit will deliver anything to > anywhere in Chicago for the right price, no questions asked. But when > he tries to deliver an escaped kidnap victim to her father, he gets > framed as the kidnapper! An action story written by Kenichi Sonoda. > Available from AnimEigo. > (Please note that this OAV *almost* qualifies for inclusion in the > Anime Hentai Primer, because of one scene that is inappropriate for > younger viewers.) > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > RIKUJO BOUEITAI MAO-CHAN: See MAO-CHAN > > RISKY SAFETY: See OMISHI MAGICAL THEATER: RISKY SAFETY > > RIZELMINE: Fifteen year old Tomonori is upset on his way home from > school because his young homeroom teacher, who he has a big crush on, > has just announced her engagement. But things are only just starting > to get bad for Tomonori; because as he steps into the house he finds > that he has essentially stepped into a remake of URUSEI YATSURA. In > the doorway of his house waits 12 year old Rizel, a pink-haired > product of a Secret Government Project, who says that she is > Tomonori's wife, and has the papers from the Government to prove it. > Tomonori is in no mood for this, but Rizel cries tears of nitro- > glycerine, so Tomonori soon learns that it is dangerous for Rizel to > be sad. > RIZELMINE is T&A comedy, with the first half of the series being > suggestive rather than explicit because it was on broadcast TV, while > the second half is aggressively less conservative because it was on > satellite TV. Each episode is half the usual length, so the series > goes by breezily, with plenty of brain and eye candy to entertain > viewers in the mood for belly laugh humor. > [Entry by Dave Baranyi] > > ROBOT CARNIVAL: A movie, featuring 8 unrelated animated shorts > about, some more, some less, robots. Each segment has its unique > style and music with only two segments featuring some dialog. The > stories cover scary sequences, fast-paced action, dark, comedy and > drama. The beautiful, timeless animation is done in a fine and > artistic way and successfully keeps the viewer's attention. > Since the segments are so short, providing a synopsis or additional > comments would spoil the movie. > VHS and Laserdisc versions were available in 1993. Currently, > there is no news if a DVD release will be produced. > [Entry by Gerardo Campos] > > ROSE OF VERSAILLES: A historical fantasy based on the manga by > Riyoko Ideda, set in France in the years leading up to the French > Revolution, and including many real historical figures and events in > its story of romance and intrigue. The central character is Oscar > Francois de Jarjeyes, a fictional swordswoman who becomes the head of > Marie Antoinette's bodyguards. Raised as a man by her father, she > initially keeps her own feelings buried beneath a mask of duty and > honour. The series portrays Oscar's journey both personal, as she > strives to reconcile her upbringing with her own passionate nature, > and political, as she ultimately must choose between the good of the > country and her lifelong loyalties. Produced as a 40 episode TV > series in 1978, the animation may not be up to modern standards, but > this is easily compensated for by the beautiful artwork. > [Entry by David Simmons] > > ROUJIN-Z: The very near future. A new fully automated healthcare > robot, integrated in a sickbed, starts taking way too much care of its > senile patient when it takes on the personality of the patient's > deceased wife. A silly cyberpunk parody with lots of punches about > the generation gap and the lack of interest in the problems of the > elderly. Senior citizens hacking into government computers from their > daycare facility! Strange humour that may not appeal to everybody, > though. > Licenced by CPM in North America, and by Madman in Australia. > [Entry by Hanno Mueller] > > ROYAL SPACE FORCE (a.k.a. WINGS OF HONNEAMISE): 1987 anime > blockbuster of all ages, which never busts anything, including the box > office. The first Studio GAINAX feature film, it is a story about the > first spaceman of some abstract planet (alternative Earth, because > Honneamise is much like Japan, and the Republic resembles the United > States very much). That astronaut, Colonel Shirotsugh Lhadatt, is a > complete loser all his life, and the staff of Honneamise space program > is a bunch of misfits and weirdos led by some space maniac, but > somehow they succeeded in their goal, launching the rocket directly > from a battlefield, during a war! Despite all said above, it's a kind > and heartwarming story, with brilliant graphics and talented > direction. And box office? Who cares about it, especially after 1990, > when it returned its budget. > Previously available from Manga Video; the licence has expired. > [Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo] > > ROZEN MAIDEN: Made by a splinter group from Madhouse, this show > reflects that dedication to quality animation that Madhouse is noted > for. A modern fable about a young drop-out who comes in possession of > a beautifully crafted living doll that binds him to her, the show > presents some of the most accurate slice of contemporary life in Japan > that I've seen (including the rise of lacrosse amongst girls, the > presence of European-influenced bakeries, and a very honest depiction > of the hikkimori phenomenon). ROZEN MAIDEN, while not as erotically > charged with sex and death as the gothic/neo-gothic stories that > influenced it, does contain a surprising element of burgeoning > sexuality. > [Entry by Michael Lo] > > RUIN EXPLORERS (a.k.a. FAM AND IHRIE): Based on the original manga > by Kunihiko Tanaka, this is a light-hearted sword & sorcery series. > Somewhat reminiscent of SLAYERS in tone and basic plot, it stands > firmly on its own as a great story with characters that you can't help > but love, even if some of them are a bit cliche. The animation is > very good, although some of the fan-service is a little overdone at > times. The series opens with a scene of Fam & Ihrie in the middle of > exploring a dungeon, so don't think that you've mistakenly gotten a > later volume when you start watching. One of the funniest and cutest > aspects of the show is Ihrie's curse - she has a *little* problem with > casting spells. The one real complaint that most people have about > the series is that it is too short - four episodes for a total of > about two hours viewing time. > Released in North America by ADV. > [Entry by Paul Lepant] > > RUNE SOLDIER (a.k.a. LOUIE THE RUNE SOLDIER or RUNE SOLDIER LOUIE): > Three female adventurers (Merrill the thief, Genie the swordswoman, > and Melissa the priestess of Mylee, God of Battle) need the help of a > magician to explore an old ruin, however the only magician they find > that's willing to go is Louie, the adopted son of the head of the > Magician's guild. On the trip to the ruins, Louie proves to be more > capable of using his fists than his magic and breaks his magic wand > when he uses it like a club. This is the start of the many various > misadventures of Louie, the Rune Soldier! > Available in R1 from ADV. > [Entry by Bill Martin] > > RUMIK WORLD: See FIRE TRIPPER, LAUGHING TARGET, MARIS THE CHOJO, > and MERMAID FOREST > > RUPAN III: See LUPIN III > > RUROUNI KENSHIN: The adventures of Himura Kenshin and his friends > in 1870's Japan, 10 years after the civil war. A former assassin, > Kenshin now uses a sakabattou (reverse-bladed sword) so as to protect > those he loves while keeping his promise to never kill again. This > long series hits its stride during the season long "Kyoto Arc" (eps > 28-62), becoming darker and more serious than the previous season. > The OVA, made after the series but set before it, is much darker > and more violent than the series itself. > Commercially available through ADV (movie and OVA, as SAMURAI X) > and Anime Works (series) > [Entry by Catherine Johnson] > > S > > SABER MARIONETTE J: The planet of Terra II is populated only by > men, all clones of the six survivors of a crashed colony vessel. To > compensate for the loss of women in their society, robots in female > form, called marionettes, were created. Centuries later, a young man > named Otaru comes into the possession of a trio of marionettes (Lime, > Cherry and Bloodberry) that exhibit some very un-robotlike behavior: > they laugh, cry and argue. Otaru now faces the challenge of teaching > the three marionettes what it means to be human, while struggling with > his own growing feelings for them. (25 episode TV series, from > Bandai, US VHS and DVD release by Bandai.) > [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 Bandai.) > [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 Bandai, US DVD release by Anime Works.) > [Entry by Karl Merris] > > SAILOR MOON: The first of the "mahoshoujo sentai" genre, taking > inspiration equally from the "magical girl" and "fighter team" genres, > SAILOR MOON is about a team of (mostly junior-high-school) girls who > are reincarnated from the Silver Millenium (a time of magic), reborn > to protect Earth from a series of evil invaders. > This show is more suitable for adults than others in the genre; > while it offers the standard transformation sequences and monsters of > the week, it also has a strong sense of humour that frequently > approaches parody, and presents a more interesting cast of characters > than many such shows. The US dub of the first two seasons cuts much > of the subtext that makes the show worth watching, and makes major > changes to some characters' personalities; in particular, the heroine > is presented in a much less positive light. Despite that, the airing > of SAILOR MOON on North American television started the latest cycle > of popular-culture awareness of anime. > ADV released edited-for-television dubs and uncut subs of the first > two seasons, while Geneon released uncut bilingual versions of the > third and fourth seasons and all three SAILOR MOON movies - these are > no longer available commercially. The fifth season was never licenced > in North America. > [Entry by David Damerell, Scott Delahunt, and Rob Kelk] > > 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 CHAMPLOO: The end of the Edo Jidai as you've never seen or > heard it before. Two young master swordsmen - one a drop out from a > prestigious dojo and the other a former pirate - become unwilling and > unlikely guardians to a teen-aged waitress who wants to find a > mysterious samurai who "smells like sunflowers". As the three > strangers travel across Japan and slowly become friends the audience > is treated to a brilliant collage of action, visual poetry, side- > splitting humor and an occasional slice of powerful human drama. If > you liked COWBOY BEBOP you'll love SAMURAI CHAMPLOO. > Licenced by Geneon in North America, and by Madman in Australia. > [Entry by Dave Baranyi] > Official Japanese website: <http://www.samuraichamploo.com> (poorly > designed; *requires* Flash) > > SAMURAI X: See RUROUNI KENSHIN > > SAZAN EYES: See 3X3 EYES > > SCRAPPED PRINCESS: Pacifica Casull is the "Scrapped Princess" > prophesied to destroy the world on her 16th birthday. Thus she > travels the world with the protection of her adopted siblings, the > droll swordsman Shannon and the ditzy mage Raquel, fending off those > who seek to kill her. However, it seems as though the prophecy may be > only partly true, but there are forces that really don't want the > truth revealed. > One of the better recent fantasy anime, SCRAPPED PRINCESS features > the usual high standards of production one comes to expect from Studio > Bones (RAHXEPHON, ANGELIC LAYER). The vast cast of characters are > generally seen as the strong point of the show, with most getting at > least a modicum of decent development - however, Pacifica herself has > a tendency towards irritating brattishness, and the writing itself is > occasionally rather clunky, with a central plot twist you can see > coming a mile away that's been slightly overused as of late. Yet > while SCRAPPED PRINCESS is hardly revolutionary or massively deep, > it's great fun to watch and simply enjoy - what more could you want? > SCRAPPED PRINCESS is licensed by Bandai, and begins its DVD release > in April 2005 in Region 1. > [Entry by Andrew Hollingbury] > > SECRET OF BLUE WATER: See NADIA > > SEIKAI NO MONSHOU: See CREST OF THE STARS > > SEN TO CHIHIRO NO KAMIKAKUSHI: See SPIRITED AWAY > > 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] > > SGT. KERORO: See KERORO GUNSOU > > 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 > > (continued in part 6) > > - -- > Rob Kelk <http://robkelk.ottawa-anime.org/> e-mail: s/deadspam/gmail/ > Any Usenet message claiming to be from me but posted from any server > other than individual.net is a forgery. Please filter out such > messages if you have the capability. > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > Version: PGP 7.0.4 > > iQA/AwUBRXCpLQKYYCCCxJ/PEQI3ZQCgkyay99g0YF42voJJvG2A2WoHcvsAoIkB > ueBATJ0wQSEn/LuRQ2VN3+j3 > =WmhP > -----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! 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