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: Thursday, November 01, 2007 5:05 PM Subject: [INFO] The Anime Primer, or "What Anime Should I Watch Now?" (8/10) > (continued from part 7) > > 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 > > SILENT MOBIUS: THE MOTION PICTURE and SILENT MOBIUS: THE MOTION > PICTURE 2: Based on the popular manga series by Kia Asamiya, SILENT > MOBIUS is set in the near future, when creatures from the dark > universe of Nemesis threaten the Earth. Founded to fight this battle, > the Attacked Mystification Police, a special (and all female) police > department is always looking for a few good women who meet their > unique requirements: each member brings her own special power > (physical, cyber, religious, psychic, mystical) to the fight. These > movies are really parts 1 and 2 of the same story - how AMP heroine > Katsumi Liqueur came to join the force (and she's really not this > whiny in the manga or TV series!). > [Entry by Jeanne Hedge] > [Was available dubbed from Streamline Pictures when Streamline was > still in business. - Rob Kelk] > > SILENT MOBIUS TV: In the near future, creatures from the dark > universe of Nemesis threaten the Earth. The battle has been going on > for generations, and now things are coming to a head. Spanning the > course of several years, SILENT MOBIUS is a 26-episode TV series that > follows the adventures of the Attacked Mystification Police, a special > (and all female) police department founded to carry on where their > elders left off. Each member of the force brings her own special > power (physical, cyber, religious, psychic, mystical) to the fight > against darkness - both from without and within. Part action-drama, > part comedy, this is *not* a re-telling of the movies, and it's > alternate-universe to both the movies and the manga series by Kia > Asamiya that both TV and movies were based on (in overall tone, it's > close to the manga than the movies). Available from Bandai/Anime > Village. > [Entry by Jeanne Hedge] > > SLAYERS: Lina Inverse, a self-proclaimed "sorcery genius" (others > call her less-flattering things, like "enemy of all that live"), > explores her corner of the world, rights wrongs, and gets rich (in > ascending order of importance to Lina) while travelling and working > with (and sometimes fighting against) an ever-changing group of > companions. Lina's adventures have her going up against everything > from a handful of bandits to the demon lords Shabranigdo and Gaav. > It's sometimes been said by tabletop roleplaying gamers that while > RECORD OF LODOSS WAR shows a stereotypical Dungeons and Dragons > adventure, SLAYERS shows a stereotypical Dungeons and Dragons > adventuring party. There's quite a bit of humour in the series, and > any number of anachronisms (like Lina's bikini) and parody characters > (like Amelia Wil Tesla Sailoon, the SAILOR MOON wannabe) show up in > the course of three television series, two OAV series, and five > movies. > The three television series (SLAYERS, SLAYERS NEXT, and SLAYERS > TRY) are available in North America from Software Sculptors, while the > OAVs and movies are available in North America from ADV Films. > SLAYERS reference site: <http://www.inverse.org/> > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > SOL BIANCA: Sol Bianca centers around the five woman crew of a > pirate ship of the same name. There are two OVAs, and there should > have been a third. The second OVA sets up the stage for a third quite > nicely, but apparently the series didn't have enough popularity to > merit the third OVA. Which is a shame, because it is a very nice > series. It takes place in the far flung future, where Earth is a > legend, and space travel is commonplace. > In the first episode a fairly standard bit of piracy on the part of > the crew of the Sol Bianca results in them accidentally capturing a > boy who was stowing away on the ship they'd plundered. Events cause > them to take on an entire planetary empire, and show that in addition > to looking very nice the Sol Bianca has a range of rather astonishing > powers (including the mandatory BFG). > The second episode explains more about the ship, and why it has > such extraordinary powers. Unfortunately the explanations are mostly > in the form of rather obscure hints, and this sets up quite nicely for > the third episode, which doesn't exist. > Excellent mecha design, an intriguing cast, and well done animation > and pacing. > The first OVA is available from ADV on VHS in both sub and dubbed > format. The second OVA is available from ADV on VHS in subtitled > format only. The OVAs are not available on DVD. > [Entry by Brad Jackson] > > SOL BIANCA: THE LEGACY: This series shares the ship design, most > of the character designs, and many of the character personalities with > the first two OVAs, but it is neither a sequel nor a prequel. In the > same tradition as the various incarnations of the TENCHI MUYO > universe, we see a different, and in many ways better, version of SOL > BIANCA. > The ship design is mostly the same, and those few changes that > exist are all improvements. The character designs are improved, and > the characters have deeper and more complex personalities than they do > in their first incarnations. Jun is still the data hack, but Feb is > no longer the captain; that job has passed to April. May's character > is the most changed, instead of being a short mecha freak, she is now > a child. > The computer-generated scenes are okay, but not really worth raving > about. Generally though the animation is much better than it was in > the first OVAs, and the first OVAs had very good animation. The > storyline is engaging, and the characters make you care about them. > The quality of the dub, like many of Geneon's other late-1990's > releases, is surprisingly good. Not Disney quality, but it's actually > enjoyable even to subtitle fans. > There are six episodes to the new SOL BIANCA OVAs. > SOL BIANCA: THE LEGACY is available from Geneon. > [Entry by Brad Jackson] > > SOMEDAY'S DREAMERS: A very understated, sweet and heartwarming > alternate world fantasy about a 17 year old girl named Yume who leaves > her quiet Country life to go to the Big City (Tokyo) to learn to > become a professional mage. This is a world that is much like our > own, only in which magic is real and can be performed by a few special > people. Yume is one of those special people and SOMEDAY'S DREAMERS > tells of Yume's discovery of the true meaning of her powers. The > detailed backgrounds of Tokyo in the summer add to the overall sense > of "reality" to the story and the characters and their stories charm > the audience from beginning to end. > [Entry by Dave Baranyi] > > SORCERER HUNTERS: Carrot Glaice, Tira Misu and Chocolate Misu are > the Sorcerer Hunters, a group commissioned by the goddess "Big Mama" > to hunt down renegade sorcerers. These three particular people are > chosen for their mix of talents. Carrot, in particular, is highly > qualified for reasons I can't tell you without spoiling a major plot > point. However, he's also an amazing letch, so his two companions > have to keep him in line, by tying him up in their sexy outfits, if > need be! This is a TV series, and so the artwork and animation could > be better, though they're not terrible - just not great. Mostly this > is just fun, stupid fluff. Has sexual overtones and occasional > violence. Dub and sub. 25 episodes. From ADV Films. > [Entry by Ben Cantrick] > > SPEED GRAPHER: A near-future sci-fi anime from Gonzo, SPEED > GRAPHER is at times lurid, perverted, nihilistic, gory and vulgar, but > that's all part of its deliberate "charm". What we have here is a > "chase, capture, escape" action thriller that has been given the sort > of glossy superficial trashiness that we haven't seen much of since > sci-fi magazines of the 70's, while at the same time the story is, at > its heart, an odd mix of romance, lust and longing. > Tatsumi Saiga, a famous but now burned-out war photographer who has > recently recovered from near fatal wounds from his last assignment, > stumbles upon a true "den of iniquities" in Tokyo where the rich and > powerful in Japan get to taste the most forbidden of pleasures, and if > they are chosen, get to have their innermost dreams made real by a > kiss from a "goddess". Saiga unintentionally gets kissed by the young > "goddess", who tearfully asks Saiga to save her. That kiss changes > Saiga into a "Euphoria", a monstrous being whose innermost wish has > now turned into a terrible reality. In Saiga's case, his "wish come > true" means that now when he "shoots a photo", his camera truly > "shoots" the target with varying amounts of destructive power. > Saiga is not the only person to have been transformed into the > "Euphoria" state. There are many others out there who now have > unimaginable powers of cruelty and destruction and they are sent after > Saiga after he becomes obsessed with answering the plea for help from > Kagura, the young "goddess", who is the powerless pawn of her > fabulously wealthy and powerful mother Shinsen and her mother's > right-hand-man and lover Suitenguu. Add to this set-up a slew of > baroquely conceived characters, animation that occasionally approaches > a dreamlike quality, and a jazzy sound track and you have a dark and > sometimes subtly humorous bit of fast-action brain candy that doesn't > take itself too seriously and is consistently entertaining. > Never-the-less, SPEED GRAPHER is not for all tastes and this is a case > where "viewer discretion" is definitely advised. > [Entry by Dave Baranyi] > > SPEED RACER (a.k.a. MACH GO GO GO): Based on the 1966 manga > MACH GO GO GO, this 52 episode 1967 series by Tatsunako studios shows > the career of Speed Racer (Go Mifune) from beginner racer to world > champion. The dub version is noted for its mixture of interesting > storylines and unintentionally campy dialog and numerous bad puns in > regards to character names. > It was considered popular enough that in the 1990s two revival > attempts were tried: one in America under the title NEW SPEED RACER > (1993) [13 episodes] and the other in Japan by Tatsunako studios under > the title MACH GO GO GO (1996) (aka Y2K SPEED RACER) [52 episodes were > planned, only 34 made]. Neither revival worked partly IMHO due to the > stories not measuring up to the original. > In North America, Geneon put out a DVD called SPEED RACER MOVIE > which contained "Car Hater", the two part "Mammoth Car" and a > commentary; Speed Racer Enterprises released limited edition (1000 > copies) VHS and DVD sets. FHE is putting out a limited edition DVD > set at the rate of one volume a year with 11 or 12 episodes per > volume; at this rate, the set should be complete in 2006. In > Australia, Siren releases SPEED RACER. > SPEED RACER FAQ: <http://udel.edu/~mm/anime/speed/> > [Entry by Bruce Grubb] > > SPELL WARS: see SORCERER HUNTERS > > SPIRITED AWAY (a.k.a. SEN TO CHIHIRO NO KAMIKAKUSHI): Once upon a > time, a girl named Chihiro and her parents were driving to the > father's new job in a new city when they stopped to explore a strange > tunnel. This tunnel lead to the spirit world, where Chihiro's parents > were turned into pigs and Chihiro had to work at a bathhouse while she > looked for a way to turn her parents back into people. Chihiro met a > lot of strange people while she worked at the bathhouse, and learned a > lot about herself at the same time ... > This may be the closest that Hayao Miyazaki has come to telling a > European-style "fairy tale", although there are more than enough > Japanese elements in the story to make it strange to western eyes. > Other than the parents' transformation sequence, there is nothing in > this story that a young child would find frightening, although there > are a few things that may start them asking questions that some > parents aren't ready to answer. As always, please preview this movie > before letting your children watch it. > Available from Disney. > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > STARDUST MEMORIES: see GUNDAM > > STARSHIP OPERATORS: The space warship Amaterasu returns home from > its shakedown cruise only to discover that its home planet has been > invaded by, and surrendered to, a vastly superior force. The officers > abandon ship, but the cadets who were on board use a legal loophole to > take possession of the Amaterasu and continue the war against their > foe. The only problem is that they have no way to re-supply ... until > they sign a deal giving a television network exclusive rights to > broadcast their battles. > In the hands of a lesser writer, this could have become a bad > parody of reality shows in space. But STARSHIP OPERATORS was written > by Ryo Mizuno (RECORD OF LODOSS WAR), and he turned this premise into > an exploration of doing what you think is right even when everyone > else has abandoned you, the role of embedded journalists in wartime, > the packaging of news as entertainment, the self-serving concerns of > some people in high political office, and, above all, the importance > of choosing your allies carefully. And he does all this around and > within the action-packed space battles people have come to expect in > a space opera. > Thirteen episodes, released in North America on three DVDs by > Geneon. > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > STEEL ANGEL KURUMI: On a dare, a boy priest named Nakahito enters > a "haunted" house, surrounded by the military, in 1920's Japan. He > knocks over what looks like a female mannequin, which falls on him and > "kisses" him by accident. This kiss awakens the second generation > prototype battle droid Steel Angel Kurumi (a bold, pink-haired, > upfront "girl"), who bonds with her new master, Nakahito. The madly- > in-love Kurumi refuses to obey orders from her creator or the > military, and easily defeats their attempt to capture her. > Faced with this, they decide to forcibly activate the second > prototype, Saki, and send her to retrieve Kurumi. After a fierce > battle between the two prototypes, Saki's energy runs out and she goes > dormant. After a little thought, Nakahito and Kurumi realize that > Kurumi was activated by the kiss and its decided to active Saki the > same way, but a suddenly jealous Kurumi pushes Nakahito aside and > kisses Saki herself. Saki (an average sized brown-haired "girl") > bonds to her new master Kurumi, but her lesbian love is frustrated by > Kurumi's love of Nakahito. She decides to make Kurumi happy by > obeying Nakahito, and the two never realize who Saki's real master is. > After a few first generation Steel Angels fail to capture Kurumi > and Saki, Karinka, a new experimental model with a double "heart", is > sent to capture them. Karinka (a petite blonde flat-chested > loli-droid) battles both prototypes, eventually joins them, and even > steals a kiss from Nakahito. Frustrated by their failures, the secret > organization who is behind the battle droids activates their ultimate > Steel Angel for a final battle. > Currently available in North America as a seven-DVD set from ADV, > "Steel Angel Kurumi Complete Collection", that includes the original > series, a four-episode OVA series, and an inferior second series. > Parental Advisory: Brief partial nudity (fully exposed breasts). > R1 official website: > <http://www25.advfilms.com/favorites/kurumi/index.html> > [Entry by Rob Maxwell] > > (continued in part 9) > > -- > 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. 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