Here a info from 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: Thursday, March 01, 2007 7:48 PM Subject: [INFO] The Anime Primer, or "What Anime Should I Watch Now?" (6/10)
> (continued from part 5) > > MAI-HIME: 16 year old Mai Tokiha and her younger brother Takumi > are transferring to their new school, the Fuuka Academy, by ferry. > After an eventful journey involving mysterious shining red stars and a > frenetic fight between the sword-wielding Mikoto and the gun-toting > Natsuki, Mai discovers that she is a HiME, a girl with special powers > who must defend Fuuka against Orphans, monstrous creatures that menace > the area. As more and more HiMEs are discovered, the stakes hot up > with mysterious prophecies, the consequences of their powers and > several insidious organisations wanting to control the HiMEs - or > destroy them. > Studio Sunrise throws several cliches together - high school comedy > drama, some bishoujo (and occasional bishounen) fanservice, > superpowered action with "mecha" - and surprisingly manage to make > something that sticks together fairly well. MAI-HIME is fairly > unoriginal in execution, but the fact that there's something for > almost everyone, coupled with excellent animation and strong > characterisation, means it's almost bound to be enjoyable in some > respects. > At the time of writing, MAI-HIME is still running in Japan, with 18 > episodes of 26 aired - the Japanese Region 2 release has begun with > the first two episodes on DVD. > [Entry by Andrew Hollingbury] > > MAISON IKKOKU: A young man in love struggles to achieve his > impossible dreams. The widow who can't forget her beloved husband > knows she has to move on. The handsome, worthy tennis instructor vies > for the widow's love. The harpy-like friends keep the young man and > the widow apart. That, in a nutshell, is MAISON IKKOKU: a slice of > everyday life in a seedy suburban Tokyo boarding house. > Real life is the setting for this romantic comedy from Rumiko > Takahashi (RANMA 1/2, INU-YASHA). Godai is a "ronin", a young man who > failed to get into college. While he struggles to pass his entrance > exams, he moves to a boarding house closer to Tokyo and gets > neighbours right out of a wacky sitcom, who drive him to distraction > and tease him mercilessly. The day he swears to leave Maison Ikkoku > forever, the love of his life shows up to become the new manager, > Kyoko Otonashi. > Kyoko is a young widow who hasn't recovered from her loss. Her > father-in-law offers her the resident manager position at this > boarding house he owns until she decides what she wants to do with her > life. So begins the impossible dream for Godai. > This love story is interesting because it breaks the rules. Godai > is *not* the perfect hero. The rival, Shun Mitaka, isn't a complete > jerk. It feels more realistic than other romance stories, yet is also > a very typical one. The story is filled with laughter, touching > moments and wonderful characters. And when the ending unfolds, it is > a wonderful moment that just about breaks your heart. Even guys who > hate romantic stories love this series. Advisory: Mature situations. > Ages 13+. > Available from Viz. > [Entry by Travers Naran, edited by Rob Kelk] > > MAJO-NO TAKKYUBIN: see KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE > > MAMONO HUNTER YOHKO: see DEVIL HUNTER YOHKO > > MAO-CHAN: Aliens have targeted Japan, but they've done their > homework. They know that the cuter the invaders are, the more likely > human public opinion will rise against the defenders if they "bully" > the invaders. What's needed are even cuter defenders ... Thus are > Mao, Misora, and Sylvia - three cute eight-year-old girls - drafted to > defend Japan from the cute aliens. > On the surface, this is yet another entry in the magical girl genre > so popular in anime, and youngsters will happily take the show at that > level. Look deeper, though, and you'll see a parody of the genre and > a satirical look at military inter-service rivalry, along with a > comment on creator Ken Akamatsu's inability to come up with different > character designs (in the crossover episode with LOVE HINA). > Available from Geneon. > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > MARIS THE CHOJO (a.k.a. SUPERGIRL MARIS): Unlike the other RUMIK > WORLD stories by Rumiko Takahashi that have been turned into anime, > this OAV is not at all serious. Maris is a super-strong > troubleshooter who just can't stay out of debt. (She dreams of > getting rich, or at least breaking even, but fate conspires against > her.) One day, she's assigned to track down the kidnappers of one of > the richest eligible bachelors in the galaxy ... This OAV is one of > the few anime to have a Jackie-Chan-style "blooper reel" under the > ending credits. Was available from USMC. > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > MARMALADE BOY: Miki is your typical teenage anime girl, popular in > school, star of the girls' tennis team, happy with her life. Until > the day she came home from school and her parents told her they are > divorcing. Not just divorcing, but also swapping partners with > another couple they met on their recent vacation. And this is just > the first 5 minutes of episode 1! Based on the manga by Yoshizumi > Wataru, MARMALADE BOY follows Miki, Yu, the teenage son of the other > couple in the partner-swap, Meiko, Miki's best friend, Ginta, Miki's > tennis teammate, Arimi, with her ever-present group of male followers, > Suzu, famous teen model, and others through 76 episodes of high school > romantic comedy/drama that often has viewers semi-suicidal with its > unexpected plot twists and turns. > Licenced by Tokyopop. > [Entry by Jeanne Hedge] > > MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO (a.k.a. MOBILE BATTLESHIP NADESICO): > Aliens attacking Martian colonies. Dead parents leaving orphaned > children to defend themselves. Doesn't sound funny does it? How > about a mech pilot who keeps hiding from the fights so he can cook? A > Cyber girl with a deep depression? An anime fanatic who screams > battle cries from his favorite anime? It all makes NADESICO one of > the funniest anime around. There are even some good spoofs on just > about every type of fan. Anime, Manga, and even action figure > collectors are not spared. Stereotypes are used to enhance the humor > and not because the writer was lazy. A space comedy of the best kind. > Available from ADV Films; the "Essential Anime" release has had the > original video readout animations restored. > [Entry by Shawn Granger, edited by Rob Kelk] > > MASTER OF MOSQUITON: (OVA, 6 episodes) This dark comedy set in the > 1920s follows the adventures of 17 year old girl named Inaho > Hitomebore who continues her now two year search for immortality via a > device known as the Opar assisted by the vampire (Alucard von > Mosquiton) she has awakened and his two elemental servants Honoo > (Fire) and Yuki (Ice). Complicating her search is Gregoria Rasputin > who assisted by Mosquiton's old foe Sangermaine want to use the Opar > as a weapon against the Star Lords, and former wife Camille Inaho > Camilla who just wants Mosquiton. > The OVA is full of little references that fans of 30s' and 40s' > horror fans will quickly get (for example Alucard is one of the alias > often used by Dracula in films of the period) The OVA inspired a TV > series called MOSQUITON 99 which is set in 1999 and has Inaho after > the Opar for monetary gain rather than immortality. > Previously released on VHS in North America by ADV; the North > America DVD licence is held by Media Blasters. > [Entry by Bruce Grubb] > > MATANTEI LOKI RAGNAROK (a.k.a. MYTHICAL DETECTIVE LOKI): The > Enjaku Detective Agency is run by the child-like Loki and his > mail-order obsessed servant Yamino - together with the mystery fanatic > Mayura Daidouji they solve any paranormal crime they come across. > However, Loki is not what he seems - banished by Odin, Lord of the > Gods, to Earth in a childlike form, he is hunted down by his fellow > Norse gods, from the maniacal Heimdall to the idiotic Freyr. > MATANTEI LOKI (or MaLOKI) is an odd blend of random slapstick > humour and occasionally dark drama, which never quite gels together. > The episodes (which usually follow a "mystery of the week" format) are > frequently very repetitive, although often pretty funny, highlights > including an "Iron Chef" parody and most of Freyr's antics (he rides > around on a mechanical pig, Gullinbursti, attempting to woo Mayura on > a regular basis). The show is at its best in its dramatic moments, > however, particularly the action-packed confrontations between Loki > and the other gods. Perhaps best described as DETECTIVE CONAN crossed > with a magical girl show (Loki summons his magical staff or casts a > spell with stock footage in most episodes). > MaLOKI is licensed by ADV Films for a Region 1 release - the manga > is already available from them, but only the second season (the > RAGNAROK season) - ADV were unable to license the preceding 8 volumes, > and as such the manga in US release is fairly incoherent. > R1 official website: <http://www25.advfilms.com/titles/loki/> > [Entry by Andrew Hollingbury] > > MEGAZONE 23: MEGAZONE TWO THREE is a three part mecha anime OAV > series (with some cyberpunk overtones). Part One was one of the first > anime OAVs ever, and helped spark the OAV trend (in which movies were > made directly for video release, instead of first hitting TV or > cinema). Although the MEGAZONE OAVs are numbered Parts One, Two, and > Three, they were actually entirely separate productions, related but > released several years apart (like the first "Star Wars" trilogy). > In Part One (aka just plain MEGAZONE 23), a Tokyo teen named Yahagi > Shogo (inexplicably changed to "Johnny Winter" in the Carl Macek dub) > comes into possession of a huge red motorcycle called variously the > Garland, Garand, or Bahamode depending on what source you listen to, > and is chased all over town by the military and government agents who > want to get it back for their own nefarious purposes. In the > meantime, there is a war going on with a hostile alien force, and the > city of Tokyo is not all that it appears to be ... > This OAV was redubbed and edited into part of the spectacularly > unsuccessful ROBOTECH cinematic movie. > Part Two picks up where the first part left off, but with character > designs and animation style so dramatically altered that it is > difficult to believe they are the same characters. This OAV follows > the decline and final fall of the Tokyo Megazone as an ancient weapon > of last resort comes into play. > Part Three, the most cyberpunk-influenced, picks up decades or > centuries later, with a new generation of rebellious teenagers and new > Garland battle bikes piloted by virtual reality. It seems that > mankind did not learn its lesson from the Megazones' past. > The third MEGAZONE 23 was not very successful, and no further > episodes have been made to date. > Available in North America from ADV. > R1 official website: <http://www25.advfilms.com/titles/megazone/> > [Entry by Chris Meadows] > > MELLOWLINK: see the entry for VOTOMS > > MERMAID FOREST and MERMAID SCAR: Horror stories released in Japan > as part of the RUMIK WORLD series by Rumiko Takahashi. Most people > who eat the flesh of a mermaid die. The unlucky ones live forever, > most becoming horrendously malformed in the process of gaining > immortality. Two people were lucky enough to gain immortality without > being changed. Now they wander through Japan, searching for others > who might eat the flesh of a mermaid ... > USMC and Viz have released the OAVs, and Viz has collected the > translated manga into three volumes. > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > METAL ANGEL MARIE: see MY DEAR MARIE > > MEITANTEI CONAN (a.k.a DETECTIVE CONAN or CASE CLOSED): Since > early 1996, Japanese families in great numbers have been tuning their > TVs at 7:30 PM on Monday nights to watch a tiny, bespectacled > detective solve mysteries in a classical detective story manner. No > matter if you call the show MEITANTEI CONAN, DETECTIVE CONAN, or CASE > CLOSED; if you like mysteries of all sorts, but in particular enjoy > mysteries revolving around crimes of greed or passion, Edogawa Conan > is your "man" of the hour. > Brilliant seventeen-year-old rich kid Kudou Shinichi ("Jimmy Kudo" > in the dub) is learning to enjoy his fame as a "great detective" as he > solves crimes that adult detectives can't solve. But fate takes a > hand in his life as Shinichi runs into more than he can handle one > night while he is spying on a mysterious gang. Shinichi is surprised, > knocked out and given a special poison that causes his body to "de- > age" to that of a 7 year old boy. With his faculties still intact but > his body now that of a small child, Shinichi has to try to hide the > knowledge of his survival from that gang in order to protect his > family and friends, and takes on the guise of a not-so-ordinary grade > school kid, Edogawa Conan. > Without revealing his secret, "Conan" convinces his former > girlfriend, Mouri Ran ("Rachel Moore" in the dub), to take him in to > live with her and her father, the not-very-successful private > detective Mouri Kogorou ("Richard Moore"). Armed with some high-tech > help from his inventor friend Dr. Agasa, Conan is able to continue his > passion for detective work by enabling Kogorou to unknowingly get the > credit and fame for solving tough crimes and mysteries that Conan > actually solves, all the while hiding the secret of Shinichi/Conan > from all but a few people. > Over the years MEITANTEI CONAN has been able to maintain its appeal > and freshness by having stories that are firmly grounded in the heart > of the traditional detective mystery genre by developing a strong cast > of characters who all add balance to the show, and by having an > ability to alternate smoothly between episodes that are aimed at the > youngest viewers and episodes that are aimed at the adult viewers who > are watching along with their children. There has also always been a > solid, professional sound track and the animation has gradually > improved with time while maintaining its unique style. In addition to > the 400-plus TV episodes there have also been eight theatrical movies. > MEITANTEI CONAN is a must see for all "detective show" fans. > Licenced by FUNimation in North America. Official MEITANTEI CONAN > website: <http://www.ytv.co.jp/conan/index_set.html>. Official CASE > CLOSED website: <http://www.caseclosed.com/> > [Entry by Dave Baranyi] > > MIAMI GUNS: In a city that barely resembles a particular > metropolis in the USA, police officers Yao Sakurakoji and Lu Amano > work to keep the peace. Too bad Yao's no good at the job, except for > the gunfights and car chases, but that's okay - she's rich! > MIAMI GUNS is very much in the EXCEL SAGA style of comedy, but not > nearly so manic or profane; it's safe to show this title to people in > their mid-teens (but not to younger folks). They parody practically > everything, including but not limited to "2001", "Friday the 13th", > "Die Hard", INITIAL D, NEON GENESIS EVANGELION, COWBOY BEBOP, > professional wrestling, beauty pageants, and themselves, so there's > something for practically everyone to enjoy. > 13 episodes, released on 4 DVDs in North America by AN > Entertainment. > R1 official website: <http://www.an-entertainment.com/miamiguns/> > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > MIDORI NO HIBI (a.k.a. MIDORI DAYS or MY DAYS WITH MIDORI): A > fantasy with what is essentially a "dirty joke" as its central point > turns out to be a sweet and funny story of the search for love. > Seventeen-year-old "tough guy" Seiji would really rather have a > girlfriend than another fistfight, but he doesn't know that he has a > silent admirer - Midori - a rich girl from a different high school. > But magic brings their two fates together as one morning Seiji wakes > up to find that his "invincible" right hand has been replaced by a > miniature living version of Midori from the waist up. Now they have > to figure out how to "live together" with this very bizarre situation > without being turned into a freak show. Great pacing and > characterizations together with very sharp comic timing make MIDORI NO > HIBI a minor classic in the realm of fantasy romances. > 13 episodes, available in R1 from Anime Works. > [Entry by Dave Baranyi] > > MIGHTY ATOM: see ASTRO BOY > > MOBILE BATTLESHIP NADESICO: see MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO > > MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: see GUNDAM > > MOLDIVER: He has an overdeveloped Sense Of Right And Wrong, an > incredible brain, and not much else to recommend him. So he invents a > superhero suit! Too bad his sister found out and accidentally changed > the design ... Now they share the identity of "Moldiver" (although > she gets to use it more often than he does) in battle against their > arch-enemy - but is the arch-enemy evil, or just misunderstood? > Starts as a comedy, but becomes more serious near the end. A six-OAV > series available from Geneon. > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > MONSTER RANCHER: Another POKEMON-motivated "monster" kids show. > Energetic young kid Genki is transported to a world populated by > humans and intelligent monsters, where he joins Holly, a young girl > with a mysterious pendant, and a small band of monsters on their quest > to stop Mu by finding the Phoenix, the only monster capable of > fighting him. > English dubbed episodes televised, and available on video from ADV. > [Entry by "Royal Orange"] > > MONONOKE-HIME: see PRINCESS MONONOKE > > MOON PHASE: see TSUKUYOMI MOON PHASE > > MOSQUITON: see MASTER OF MOSQUITON > > MOSQUITON 99: see MASTER OF MOSQUITON > > MS TEAM 08: see GUNDAM > > MY DEAR MARIE (a.k.a. METAL ANGEL MARIE): Brilliant, nerdy Hiroshi > creates an android replica of his dream girl, but finds things a > little trickier than he'd planned when she turns out to have > self-determination. Some may be turned off by the iffy nature of the > sexual subtext (Android Marie has a definite 'thing' for her creator, > despite him insisting on being her 'brother') but others may be > intrigued by Marie's attempts to deal with her origins and her > feelings. Three OAVs, released on a single tape from ADV Films. The > third OAV is especially hilarious for all the references the sharp- > eyed can spot to other famous anime. > [Entry by Antaeus Feldspar] > > MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (a.k.a. TONARI NO TOTORO): Two girls move out > to the country with their father (their mother is in the hospital). > They discover the joys of nature and the power of family thanks to > some unusual new woodland friends. Was available from FOX Video; now > licenced by Disney. > [Entry by Catherine Johnson] > > MYSTERIOUS CITIES OF GOLD: It is the sixteenth century. From all > over Europe great ships sail west to conquer the New World. The > Americas. The men, eager to seek their fortune, to find new adventure > in new lands. They long to cross uncharted seas and discover unknown > countries. To find secret gold on a mountain trail high in the Andes. > They dream of following the path of the setting sun that leads to El > Dorado and the Mysterious Cities of Gold. (opening theme) > So begins the story of 12 year old Esteban, his new friends Zia and > Tao, and the older sometimes ally/sometimes enemy Mendoza with his > sidekicks Pedro and Sancho. A story of action, adventure, intrigue, > mystery, trust, betrayal, discovery, prophecy, mysticism, and strange > powers. Not to mention a little science fiction. > Esteban is lured to the Americas where he is shipwrecked. The rest > of the story is how he is caught up in navigating his way around the > conquistadors and the various native tribes throughout Central and > northern South America, searching for his origins and the cities of > gold. They are caught several times, but manage to escape to > eventually find the four cities of gold. > Included all through the adventures are mini-history lessons. > Nothing overt, but if you have a smidgen of knowledge of the area it > deepens enjoyment of the story. Our intrepid heroes contact the Inca > at Machu Picchu, the Aztecs at Tenochtitlan (Mexico City), the Maya at > Central America, an Amazon tribe, and other lost civilizations all > while trying to stay one step ahead of the conquistadors. > A 1980's anime serial aimed for a 'tween audience, although the > story and subplots make it interesting for an older audience and > overcomes the dated animation. > The last time I saw this on the shelves it was in the year 2000 on > VHS. I have no idea whether or not it's been released on DVD or what > distributor. My copies are the dubbed version that I recorded from > Nickelodeon in 1986-87 on BETA. > [Entry by D.Eric Wilson] > > MYSTERIOUS PLAY: see FUSHIGI YUUGI > > THE MYSTERIOUS THIEF SAINT TAIL: see SAINT TAIL > > MY DAYS WITH MIDORI: see MIDORI NO HIBI > > MYTHICAL DETECTIVE LOKI: see MATANTEI LOKI RAGNAROK > > N > > NADESICO: see MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO > > NADIA (a.k.a. SECRET OF BLUE WATER): Set in 1889 and extremely > loosely based on Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", NADIA > tells the story of Nadia, a girl who's trying to find out about her > past, Jean, a boy who wants to build a flying machine, and the Blue > Water, a mysterious gem of Nadia's with strange powers. Their world > is home to two shadowy groups in conflict: Neo-Atlantis, who want to > rule the world, and the crew of the submarine Nautilus, who have sworn > to oppose Neo-Atlantis. These two plots are not unconnected ... > ADV has translated this 39-episode TV series and the sequel movie > (which is not as well received as the original). > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > NANAKA 6/17: 17 year old Kirisato Nanaka is a somber, serious > student who is so obsessed with becoming an adult that she's alienated > all of her classmates, including her childhood friend (and would-be > romantic interest) Nagihara Nenji. When Nenji gets angry enough to > tell her he never wants to see her again, she faints and falls down a > flight of stairs. When she wakes up, she has no memories after age 6, > and she believes that she, Nenji and her father have been affected by > magic from her favorite "magical girl" anime, "Magical Domikal". > Nenji and Nanaka's father agree to keep her amnesia a secret, but her > romantic rival finds out, and (even though she tries not to be) is > touched by the sweet-natured, friendly, and innocent "6 year old" > Nanaka. Nanaka's new attitude and behaviour puzzles her classmates, > but she wins them over while she tries to fit in as an "adult". But > what happens when her 17 year old memories start to come back? Can > she win over her new romantic rival, her 17 year old self? > [Entry by Captain Nerd] > > NARUTO: Naruto is an orphan growing up in a ninja village. When > he was a baby, the spirit of a demonic nine-tailed fox that had been > destroying his village was sealed up inside him to defeat it. Twelve > years later, our story starts with Naruto struggling not to fail in > his ninja academy class. The head of the village has issued an edict > to the villagers not to discuss the nine-tailed fox incident, not even > to their children. In spite of that, both those who know the story > and those who don't shun Naruto as an outcast. His clownish antics > and miserable academic performance don't make it any easier on him. In > spite of all the strikes against him, Naruto perseveres, and the > outcast becomes the center of attention. > Alternating between comedy and drama, NARUTO is a coming of age > story. We follow him and his friends through school and on their > subsequent adventures and travels. Strong on character development, > it shows memorable people overcoming adversity. Even if you are not > predisposed to like ninja stories, NARUTO is likely to win you over. > If you do like ninja stories, this has everything going for it from > fights to laughs. Of course, every good ninja story must have > top-notch villains and NARUTO delivers in spades. Some of the > villains are defeated, some of the villains are reformed, and some of > the villains are not really villains but souls gone astray. > [Entry by Phil Yff] > > NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND: A thousand years after the > fall of technological civilization, the people of the Valley of the > Wind make their homes in their sheltered valley, near an area where no > human can live unprotected. When the Valley of the Wind is caught > between two warring powers, Princess Nausicaa is forced to set aside > her pacifism and act to save her people from both sides while > discovering one of the greatest secrets of her world. > NAUSICAA was based on Hayao Miyazaki's manga of the same name, and > directed by Miyazaki in the middle of the manga's run. Technically, > this is not a Studio Ghibli film; the success of NAUSICAA provided the > money to found Studio Ghibli and the credibility to get Studio Ghibli > movies into theaters in Japan. > A poorly-received edited translation, WARRIORS OF THE WIND, was > released some years ago but is no longer available. (The edits made > to NAUSICAA to create WARRIORS OF THE WIND are the direct cause of > Miyazaki's insistence of a "no cuts" clause in North American > distribution contracts of his movies.) Disney has released a newer > English translation of NAUSICAA. > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > NEKO TARUTO: see MAHOU SHOUJO NEKO TARUTO > > NEON GENESIS EVANGELION (a.k.a. SHIN SEIKI EVANGELION): Fifteen > years after the Second Impact that wiped out half of humanity, Ikari > Shinji is recruited by his father to fight alongside Ayanami Rei and > Asuka Langley Soryu to save mankind from the invading mechanical > Angels. This psychological drama amongst a cast of flawed characters > filled with intrigue, deception, and carnage has two vastly different > endings. > North American availability: ADV Films has released the 26-episode > TV series, and is re-releasing a "Platinum Edition" of the TV series > with improved video quality on DVD. The two movies "Death and > Rebirth" and "End of Evangelion" (an alternate ending to the series) > were released by Manga Video. > Official website: > <http://www.gainax.co.jp/anime/eva/evaindex-e.html> > R1 official website: <http://www25.advfilms.com/titles/evangelion/> > [Entry by Rob Maxwell] > > NERIMA DAIKON BROTHERS: see OROSHITE MUSICAL NERIMA DAIKON > BROTHERS > > NEW CUTEY HONEY: This is an eight part OAV that is based on the > 1970 TV series CUTEY HONEY (sometime romanized as Q-TEY HONEY). In > the TV series, Cutey Honey is a high school girl, the only daughter of > an elderly single-parent scientist. When her father is murdered, she > finds out that she is not human but an android that he created. She > has the ability to transform herself into different superheroes, each > with her own special abilities and equipment. She avenges her > father/creator's death and defeats an extensive crime syndicate. > The OAV takes place many years after Cutey Honey has graduated from > High School. Being an android, she has not aged. Because she had > lost her memory, she had not been active as a superhero. When the > powers of evil resurface, she recollects who she once was and, as > before, battles a monolithic crime syndicate that employs the dark > arts to subjugate the city. Some of the characters from the TV series > resurface. Unlike Cutey Honey, they have aged considerably. > To a western audience, the OAV is very risqué. There is brief > nudity and suggestive sexual innuendoes. To a Japanese audience, this > aspect is much less pronounced. The OAV was marketed in such a way as > to capitalize on viewer nostalgia; in many ways, it was just a > grown-up form of a show that men and women had watched as children. > The TV show (which catered to all ages) had some brief nudity itself, > although it was much more subdued in comparison to the OAV. The OAV > mixes light-hearted action with cutting satire. It makes extensive > in-jokes, assuming that the viewer is familiar with the TV series and > with a wide range of anime and manga (especially the magical girl, > superhero, and mecha genres). However, if the non-Japanese viewer is > able to accept the cultural differences, CUTEY HONEY has a certain > charm and can be appreciated for its entertainment value if not for > its satire and wit. > [Entry by Phil Yff] > > NIEA_7: Meet Mayuko, a poor, introverted, hard-working student who > lives in a rented room above an old-style Japanese community bath. > Her roommate is an "under 7" category alien called Niea who freeloads > off of Mayuko while doing nothing really. In this alternate version > of our world, an alien spacecraft crash-landed near Tokyo almost a > decade ago and brought humanity's first contact with aliens, but the > series isn't even really about that. > The series is kind of odd, because there is no major arc or plot > through the series. It's just a look into a year in the life of > Mayuko and Niea and a particular period of change for both of them. > Even the supposed back story of the alien crash is barely mentioned; > aliens are part of modern-day Japan and people just accept it. The > main thrust of the series is observing the people of this small ward > somewhere in Tokyo's sprawling suburbs. > There are two surprising things about this show. The first is the > way it examines changes in Japanese culture over the last 50 years > almost allegorically, and the subtle way it develops of the > characters. The aliens' arrival on Earth and their integration into > Japanese society seems to reflect Japan's experience with a flood of > foreign people and culture after WWII. A lot of the issues in the > series are familiar to foreigners living in Japan: alien registration, > culture clashes, aliens trying to out-assimilate the locals, > multi-culturalism, trying to increase the status of aliens in society, > etc. It's also just looking into the lives of some very normal > characters. Mayuko is introverted and painfully shy, but so is her > childhood friend who would like to confess his feelings for her, but > can just never say them. Even Kaana, an alien, finds herself > attracted to the same boy. But this entire subplot is done without > dialog. It's just watching people's reactions to each other and > situations, something you very rarely see in anime. > With NIEA_7, don't expect a lot of action. It's very > "Seinfeld"-like in being a show about "nothing". There is no grand > arc or exciting payoff. It's just the passing of life and enjoying > the journey. > [Entry by Travers Naran] > > NINJA SCROLL (original title JUBEI NIMPUUCHO): The original title > translates as "Story of wind-ninja Jubei". This epic tells a > semi-historical story about Kibagami Jubei, well known in Japan as a > master swordsman and special agent. Once he was missing for a dozen > years, and it was believed that he was on special duty. There were > many versions, and here is one of them: Jubei was fighting with Eight > Demons of Kimon, evil fighters/sorcerers under command of Hideyoshi > Toyotomi, who was believed to be a demon in Japan. > The movie is licenced by Manga Entertainment in North America and > the UK, and by Madman in Australia. The TV series is licenced by > Urban Vision in North America, and by MVM in the UK. > [Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo and Terrence Walker] > > NO NEED FOR TENCHI: see TENCHI MUYO > > NOEIN: At the start of the summer holidays in present-day > Hakodate, Japan, Haruka Kaminogi seems to be an ordinary 12 year old > girl, with ordinary problems like her best friend Yuu Gotou being > forced into studying to go to Tokyo by his mother. However, all this > changes when a mysterious group of super-powered beings called > Dragoons appear in Hakodate, claiming to be from a parallel universe > 15 years into the future called Lacrima; and while one of them, > Karasu, claims to be Yuu in Lacrima, Haruka herself manifests the > "Dragon's Torque", a mysterious neck bracelet that can control space > and time. > Confused? That's not the half of it. NOEIN's plot twists and > turns all over the place, incorporating simple stories of first love > with complex quantum psychobabble and parallel universe theories. > While the slightly bug-eyed character designs (from the same man who > did LAIN and ARJUNA) and the rough, experimental animation choices are > an acquired taste, the incredibly kinetic action sequences (thanks to > Kazuki Akane, director of ESCAFLOWNE) and the amount of imagination > that goes into the show more than make up for any possible flaws. > While the series has finished airing, only the first 20 episodes > are currently available on fansub; the DVD release in Japan is > ongoing. > [Entry by Andrew Hollingbury] > > NOIR: Noir is a 26 episode TV series about two female assassins, > and their search to uncover the conspiracy that threatens their lives. > Mireille is a beautiful French professional assassin who is haunted by > a childhood tragedy. Kirika is a Japanese schoolgirl with deadly > skills and no memory of her past. The series takes place in > France/Europe, and features a stunning soundtrack, stylish gunplay, a > twisting plot, and lots of bodies at the end of each episode. Despite > this, the series isn't graphically violent - the fight scenes usually > don't even have blood in them! > The series has received raves for being daring and different, as > the two main characters willingly kill lots of people (this isn't > SAILOR MOON, folks) with minimal angst. The main complaints are that > the pacing is too slow and the show suffers from "main characters gun > down bad guys too easily" syndrome. The pacing and tension do pick up > as the series progresses, with a solid ending that asks whether > killing can ever be justified in the name of good. Some people dislike > the main characters, due to their seeming coldness, but NOIR has good > character development so that you care about these people to a > surprising extent in the end. > Warning: If you're looking for fan service, the show is > surprisingly free of it, considering what a babe Mireille is. C'est > dommage. > Licenced by ADV. > R1 official website: <http://www.projectnoir.com/> > [Entry by Scott Fujimoto] > > NOW AND THEN, HERE AND THERE: Shu is an ordinary, cheerful > Japanese boy until one day when he meets a mysterious, ethereal girl > named Lala Ru and is accidentally brought to a hellish future. There > he must struggle to survive and keep his ideals through slavery, war, > and the tyranny of an insane would-be conqueror. A deep and powerful > but extremely depressing show, which goes into some detail about the > inhuman brutality created by war. > DEFINITELY NOT FOR CHILDREN, as there are onscreen depictions of > torture, some fairly graphic deaths, off-screen rape, and other > nastiness. > 13 episodes, available now from Central Park Media. > [Entry by Blade] > > NUKU-NUKU: see ALL PURPOSE CULTURAL CAT-GIRL NUKU-NUKU > > (continued in part 7) > > -- > 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 > 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! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
