[INFO] The Anime Primer, or "What Anime Should I Watch Now?" (7/10)

(continued from part 6)

O

OH EDO ROCKET: In the mid-19th century, there were austerity laws
in Edo which drove makers of luxuries - including fireworks - into
poverty. One day, after an explosion in the sky, a young woman
calling herself Sora approaches fireworks maker Tamaya Seikichi (yes,
*that* Tamaya) and asks him to make fireworks that can reach the Moon.
Meanwhile, Tamaya's neighbour is forced to come to terms with his past
and his unusual abilities when he is recruited to defend Edo from some
very unusual outsiders. And just why was Sora visiting Edo in the
first place, and why does she *always* have stars in her eyes?
Based on a stage play, OH EDO ROCKET is a distinctly non-historical
historical sci-fi drama that focuses on the character's relationships
to drive the story. Sora and Seikichi's relationship is the primary
one, but is not the only important one in the story.
Mind you, OH EDO ROCKET isn't all serious - there are anachronisms
throughout the story, played for laughs (such as previous-episode
recaps shown on TV sets, or a magistrate making records of his
retainers' reports in his blog). Some people find these to be
annoying, while others think they add to the humour.
The score isn't the usual for a period piece, either; it's big
band, jazz, and a hint of flamenco, with not a note of traditional
Japanese music to be heard. It works.
OH EDO ROCKET is not yet licenced in North America.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]

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]

ONE-SHOT INSECT KILLER! HOIHOI-SAN: See HOIHOI-SAN

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.
Licenced in R1 by ADV.
[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]

PERFECT BLUE: What happens to idol singers when they stop being
idol singers? Mima is a popular singer but wants to move on to
something else and lands a part acting in a popular TV drama.
However, idols have otaku, and Mima's otaku seem to be a little more
violent than most. Who is sending the booby-trapped threat letters?
Who is the mysterious deformed man, and who is behind the website
"Mima's Room"? It all nearly drives poor Mima over the edge...
A psychological thriller with a twist at the end that will keep you
guessing as the body count rises. And you won't believe the twist!
Released by Manga Video.
[Entry by Chika]

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]

THE PORTRAIT OF PETITE COSETTE: Kurahashi Eiri works part-time in
his uncle's antique shop. One day, when sorting through a shipment
his uncle sent from Europe, he finds that through a goblet of Venetian
glass he can catch glimpses of the life of a delicate young girl named
Cosette d'Auvergne. With his growing attraction to her, he feels
compelled to draw her over and over again, but at the same rate seems
to more and more lose his grip on reality as he is drawn into the
surreal world where Cosette's spirit is entrapped.
This very dark goth romance is aimed at a mature audience.
LE PORTRAIT DE PETIT COSSETTE is a 3-episode OVA. The license for
North America is owned by Geneon.
[Entry by Ansgar "59cobalt" Wiechers]

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&nbsp;- 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]

(continued in part 8)

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Rob Kelk <http://robkelk.ottawa-anime.org/> e-mail: s/deadspam/gmail/
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