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Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime,news.answers
Subject: rec.arts.anime: Anime Primer
Keywords: monthly informative posting
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Date: 11 Nov 92 20:45:50 GMT
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Archive-name: anime/primer


                        The Anime Primer
                               or
                  WHAT ANIME SHOULD I WATCH NOW?
                produced by rec.arts.anime gestalt
                    (Edited by Bruce Carlson,
     comments/corrections/additions to [e-mail])
                   last revised January, 1992
          With corrections made March, 1992
            (thanks to Enrique Conty & Steve Feldman)
            and May & July 1992 (by Steve Pearl)

This is intended for those who are new to anime, and looking for some
suggestions of what to watch next.

Anime programs come in three flavors: TV shows, Movies, and Original
Animation Video (OAV or OVA).  The latter were made expressly for the
home video market.  In general, movies have the best animation quality,
while TV shows use less motion, and OAVs vary widely between those.
Entertainment value is where you find it.

The vast majority of Japanese animation is only available in Japanese,
of course (and as with everything else, much of it is crap).  But,
there is a lot of fan-subtitled anime out there.  Naturally, these are
mostly available as dubs from clubs and individuals, tho there are some
commercial products available (later ...).  Getting a subtitled film or a
script is a necessity if you don't speak Japanese and want to actually
understand a film. :)

Most cities of even moderate size have an anime club somewhere.  You
might visit, write, or call.  They probably meet periodically and view
the latest stuff, and probably have a decent library.  A good way to
find your local club is pull a recent issue of Electronic Animation
Velocity from the U-Texas FTP server and look thru the list in the back.

Also, most Science Fiction conventions have an Anime program in a room
someplace these days.  Drop in and sample some stuff.

Recommendations on Anime?  Well, there's an awful lot of it, I haven't
seen even a significant fraction, and tastes vary.  I'll try to
suggest a few of my personal favorites, and mention some shows that
others seem to really like even if their merits escape me.  So, with
those caveats, some thoughts on what to see.

    APPLESEED: A police officer and her cyborg friend confront a
conspiracy in paradise.  An OAV based on the manga (comic book.)
The video has nowhere near the depth of the comic, of course..

     AKIRA, now available in English thru Streamline pictures or from
local comic shops.  Bikers and the Army battle over the mysterious
mutant entity known as Akira in future Tokyo.  Sharp animation but
a muddled plot..

     ANGEL'S EGG - Ethereal film with religious overtones, but neat
animation.  An American scifi film uses a lot of footage from this.

     ARION is a gripping tale of Olympian intrigue which sports terrific
animation, nice characterization, and a score of mythological figures,
though not exactly as the Greeks saw them.  Many love it, some find it
muddled.  Nice score by Jo Hisaishi.  Rousing ending with all manner
of plot twists.

     AURA BATTLER DUNBINE (TV series, OAV series).  Biological mecha
(look like bugs) and parallel dimensions reign.  Good plot, character
development.  Good mecha combat, but the designs are "unique", to say
the least.

     BLACK MAGIC M66 - M66 the Robot Assassin gets loose from the
military and heads after it's test program target: the inventor's
daughter.  Energetic news reporter bulls her way into story.  Sort of
like The TERMINATOR.  Quick action / suspense a la The Terminator.
Available with subtitles from US Renditions.

     BUBBLEGUM CRISIS is a series (not yet complete - 8 videos out
so far) of OAVs set in Megatokyo 2032-?.  A mix of rock & roll,
cyberpunk, and girls with guns & body armor, it is currently a very
popular series in the US. The plot does not seem to be the point.
Best place to start would be episode 1, of course.  After Episode 8
the title (and much staff) changes to BUBBLEGUM CRASH.  BG Crisis &
Crash are available with subtitles from AnimEigo.

     CAPTAIN HARLOCK.  High romance in space as pirate Harlock wages a
secret battle to free the earth from alien control.  English "Vengeance
of the Space Pirate" is almost MY YOUTH IN ARCADIA.  Fan-subtitled
versions exist.

     CATS EYE is an old TV series in which 3 young women run a cafe by
day and steal back their father's art collection by night.

     CITY HUNTER is an action-adventure private eye with a powerful lust,
and a flock of women to keep him frustrated.  A long TV
series and a movie (or two.).

     CREAM LEMON.  Series of adult porn-comedy.  Most popular is probably
"Pop Chaser".

     DAGGER OF KAMUI, a sprawling ninja tale set in the 19th century,
even manages to get to Alaska and California before the story ends.
Surprisingly hypnotic, operatic, and textured.  An English version,
"Revenge of the Ninja Warrior", is almost the same film.

     DIRTY PAIR: a book trilogy, a TV series, an OAV series, and a movie
revolve around this SF comedy of two cute female agents of the far-flung
future.  Code-named "Lovely Angels," the duo are better known as the
"Dirty Pair" because whatever the problem, their cure is sure to be
worse.  Best bet would be the movie, a/k/a PROJECT E.D.E.N.

     DOMINION - Action-comedy SF OAV, rather silly at times, about the
Tank Police in a very punk future.  Based upon characters and situations
created by Masamune Shirow.  Now available subtitled from US Renditions.

     DRAGON'S HEAVEN.  A French-Japanese co-production highly reminiscent
of French comics, such as those of Jean "Moebius" Giraud, but also of
manga.  Unique drawing style embellishes tale of two battle robots and
their centuries-old vendetta.  The good robot has a sexy female pilot.

     FIRETRIPPER, LAUGHING TARGET, and MERMAID's FOREST are more serious
works by Rumiko Takahashi (Lum, Ranma, Maison Ikkoku).  In FIRE TRIPPER a
young girl gets moved back in time to feudal Japan.  LAUGHING TARGET is
spooky horror with supernatural turns.  Mermaid's Forest is about the strange
experiments of some folks in a creepy old house on a hill seeking immortality.
These are U.S. Manga Corps release schedule for a subtitled release.

     FIST OF THE NORTH STAR a/k/a HOKUTO NO KEN (TV series and movie).
Very bloody post-apocalyptic martial arts sword & sorcery fantasy.  CONAN
meets THE ROAD WARRIOR starring Sylvester Stallone possessed by the
spirit of Bruce Lee.  ;)  A heavy metal or professional wrestling fan's
dream-come-true.  The TV series is addictive.  The movie has to be seen
to be (dis-)believed.

     FIVE STAR STORIES (OAV based on first book of the manga by the same
name).  Although not authorized by Nagano, this video is animated
beautifully, and features all the nifty characters, plot, and mecha
from the manga.  In a distant galaxy, some folks are bred & raised to
run robots for the Empire.

     GALL FORCE is a series of (7?) SF OAVs about cute girls with
guns and space ships.  All the men of the race died in the everlasting
war with the Evil Paranoids, and there's nothing left but sexy young
women who reproduce by cloning.  But, they have a plan...  Part 1 licensed
by US Manga Corp for subtitled distribution in US.

     GRAVE OF THE FIREFLY.  A very sad tale of two kids trying to survive
amid the wreckage of end-of-WW-II Japan.  Fantastic animation, not often
shown at groups because of the tear-jerk factor.  It is only slightly
less grim than watching The Sorrow and the Pity.

     GUNDAM.  In several series:  GUNDAM, SUPER-DEFORMED GUNDAM, ZETA-
GUNDAM, ZZ-GUNDAM, GUNDAM 0080, 0083, etc. etc.  *The* giant robot (mecha)
series I guess.  Try ZETA-GUNDAM (series) or CHAR'S COUNTERATTACK (movie)
for mainstream action, or War in the Pocket (0080) as an nice self-contained
side-story of 6 half-hour parts.

     ICZER-1.  A three-part SF OAV involving hideous monsters from space,
cute but lethal girls, and two giant robots.  Meant to be taken only
semi-seriously, but has some great slime-monsters that'll make your
skin crawl.  (Not to be confused with ICZER-3, the recent 6-part sequel.)

     KIKI'S / WITCH'S DELIVERY SERVICE is another Miyazaki story for kids
of all ages, about a 13-year-old witch who sets out to make her way in the
world.  Lavishly animated.

     LAPUTA, Castle in the Sky, is a great fast-moving action adventure by
children's film-maker Miyazaki, and features designs Jules Verne would
approve (not to mention Swift.)  Two kids flee pirates, the army, and other
parties in a race to find the legendary Laputa.  Great soundtrack, too.
A Must See.  (Dubbed to English by Streamline, but not available.)

     LEGEND OF GALACTIC HEROES is a far-future SF epic in which two vast
space-faring governments, the Empire and the Federation, vie for
supremacy amid the sea of stars.  Against this backdrop two young
heroes on the opposing sides wage war with each other and politics with
their peers.

     In LOCKE THE SUPERMAN, an intergalactically famous superbeing lured
out of voluntary seclusion helps save Earth from a group of elite ESPers
bent on galactic conquest.  The design sense is rather primitive but the
story line is lean, exciting and propulsive, revolving around the title
character, a powerful female ESPer, and an evil conclave.  Admittedly,
these are simple premises, but the action & storytelling are first-rate.

     LODOSS WAR.  Current OAV series (to be 13 parts?) based exactly on
D&D.  A party of adventurers (the usual fighter, cleric, mage, dwarf,
elf, and thief) wander about opposing evil orcs, wizards & dragons.

     LUPIN III is a semi-modern series of (TV & OAV) stories about a
stylish thief with a heart of gold and his gang.  My personal favorite
installment is CASTLE CAGLIOSTRO (see Miyazaki, above), although PLOT OF
THE FUMA CLAN is one of the most action-packed and entertaining anime
around.  Fan-subtitled versions exist.  Most LUPIN III is not by
Miyazaki, but by a fellow who calls himself "Monkey Punch" (I'm not
making this up, you know).

     MACROSS: DO YOU REMEMBER LOVE is the feature-film version of the
Sci-Fi MACROSS TV Series (part of the ROBOTECH saga in the US), but much
better drawn than the TV show.  A reasonable SF entry.  Fan-subtitled
versions exist.  Minmei sings a lot.  (Note:  Although MACROSS is ROBOTECH,
this is NOT the "RoboTech Movie.")

     MAISON IKKOKU - A delightful contemporary romantic comedy about odd
assortment of people sharing an apartment complex.  From Rumiko Takahashi.
Fan-subtitled versions exist, thanks to Arctic Animation.

     MANIE MANIE: LABYRINTH TALES - an "artsy" film like ROBOT CARNIVAL.
It has three segments, one of which - "Order to Cease Construction" - is by
Katsuhiro (AKIRA) Otomo.

     MEGAZONE 23.  SF.  A bunch of bikers, a sentient world-controlling
computer disguised as a rock singing idol, giant robots, and a rock
soundtrack propel this popular story of folks entirely unaware they
inhabit a giant space ship.  In 3 parts (except part 3 is in two sub-
chapters).  Part 2 is in available in English as well as Japanese.
(It's Megazone Two-Three by the way, not "Twenty Three".)

     MIDNIGHT EYE GOKU.  Futuristic detective fantasy.  Private
investigator Goku has a computerized eye that can interface with any
electric device at will, as well as an expandable baton that enables him
to skewer adversaries and vault across skyscrapers.  Stylish animation
with soft-core sex and bondage motifs.

     NADIA (SECRET OF BLUE WATER).  Recent TV series in 39 parts.
Starts as a Miyazaki-clone light action-adventure about a girl with a
mysterious past and a fantastic amulet, "Blue Water", and the young boy
who takes off with her.  Gets silly for long stretches, ends with a bang.
A 6-hour compilation of the TV series is titled "Nadia: The Nautilus
Adventure". A new Nadia Movie is just released & not well reviewed.
This series is being made available in dubbed format from Streamline Pictures.

     NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND is probably Miyazaki's most
popular film - a sort of post-apocalypse mystic eco-fantasy, more
notable for plot, character, music and designs than the smoothness
of animation.  Excellent Jo Hisaishi soundtrack, too.  Based on
the comic (manga) of the same title.  A classic.

     ORANGE ROAD.  A TV series, many OAVs, and a movie.  Contemporary
high school students work out their love triangles and try to grow up,
even though one has ESP "powers".  A kindly, comic look at the youth
experience, relatively easy to understand.  Recommended.  Fan-subtitled
versions of it all exist, courtesy of Arctic Animation.  AnimEigo is releasing
the OAVs and Movie in subtitled format.

     OUTLANDERS.  Cute but vicious space invader Kahm picks up a human pet,
then tries to help him save Earth from even nastier daddy.  SF/Fantasy from
Manabe.

     PATLABOR - near-future police use mecha to combat criminals who use
"labors" (mecha).  Light action/comedy.  The movie is more serious, and
IMHO is a surprisingly neat action mystery if you can understand the
dialog to follow the plot twists..

     PROJECT A-KO (the 1st film).  Spoof of just about every anime
series, about three school-girls with super-powers and mecha and bad
cooking.  Very, very funny, or very very silly, depending on if you get
the jokes.  Several sequels.  #1 available from US Manga Corp.

     RANMA 1/2.  Current comedy about a boy with a curse that turns him
into a girl whenever s/he gets wet.  (Could be worse - his dad gets
turned into a Panda, and I won't even mention the little piglet or the
cat.).  More slapstick from Rumiko Takahashi.  Fan-subtitled versions
of some episodes exist.

     ROBOT CARNIVAL.  8 separate short pieces by different artists, some
serious, some comedy, almost all very well done.  All involve a robot
somewhere - some more than others.  Some comedy, some pathos.  Artsy.
Streamline dub versions exist (only 2 segments had dialog, anyway.)

     SUPERNATURAL BEAST CITY.  Definitely for adults.  Demon terrorists
resist treaty to separate demons & mankind.  Stylishly drawn.

     SOL BIANCA.  Scifi OAV series about five sophisticated (?) pirate women
and their alien spaceship.  Sort of like a cross between BUBBLEGUM CRISIS
(from the same studio, Artmic) and BLAKE'S 7.  Nice mecha design.

     SPACE CRUISER YAMATO, the SF TV series that turned into STAR BLAZERS
in North America.  Also has several movies (YAMATO, BE FOREVER YAMATO,
ARRIVIDERCI YAMATO, THE NEW VOYAGES, FINAL YAMATO.).

     TIME STRANGER is an involving variation on THE TERMINATOR, with
slight nods of the head towards TIME BANDITS.  The animation is very good
and the story, complex.  Feudal Japan is depicted nicely and in detail,
as is the far future.  Great plot complications throughout.

     TOTORO, MY NEIGHBOR.  Miyazaki's most gentle film is about two kids
who meet an odd-looking forest-spirit (Totoro) in their new rural neighborhood.
In part a celebration of Japan's countryside, with a touch of pure magic.

     TWILIGHT OF THE COCKROACHES.  A mixture of live action and animation
in which a man becomes friends with the tiny inhabitants who share his
apartment, until The Woman arrives.  Funny.  Available from Streamline Pictures
in dubbed (videotape) or subtitled (laserdisc) versions.

     YOTODEN, Legend of the Mysterious Sword, is an historical sword & sorcery
saga in 16th century Japan, with a trio of Ninja opposing the despot and his
demon minions;  (or is the despot the minion of the demons?)  3 parts.
Crisp action.

     YOMA is another historical demon vs ninja tale, but is not on as grand
a scale as Yotoden.  Suppose your brother was possessed and out to kill you?
Told in 2 parts.

     URUSEI YATSURA (translates as something like "Those Obnoxious
Aliens", I'm told), a slap-stick screwball comedy about Lum, the flying
electro-demon girl from space, Ataru, the earth boy she wants, and a host
of other crazy characters.  Popular madness in TV, OAV, and movie formats
by Rumiko Takahashi.  This entire series is planned for release in subtitled
format by AnimEigo

     VAMPIRE HUNTER 'D'.  Mutants roam the countryside, and a vampire has
set up shop in the castle.  A bite victim sends for 'D' to save her.  D's
a strange one indeed.  Horrors.  Available dubbed from Streamline Pictures.

     VAMPIRE PRINCESS MIYU.  A supernatural horror series about a
contemporary "vampire" who stalks wayward demons (Shinma) loose on Earth
and sends them back to Darkness, while pursued by a persistent exorcist
not as enthused about unlife as Miyu.  Quiet, moody brooding chiller,
hopeless to follow without understanding the dialog.  Available subtitled from
AnimEigo.  Recommended.

     WINDARIA is a lovely fantasy story of two kingdoms at war, and how
that disturbs two pairs of lovers - one peasant, one royal.  A tragedy.
Well worth the watch, IMHO.  Nice music, too.

     WINGS OF HONNEAMISE.  SF.  Man's first trip into space, from the
fictional nation of Honneamise, explores issues of morality, bravery,
and dedication to a cause in first-rate animation.  Some find it slow,
though.


As I said, tastes vary, and if you ask someone else you'd probably get
a different set of shows.  But, maybe that'll help a little bit.  And,
I've certainly not mentioned a lot of shows.  (In particular I left out
any shows that aren't widely available - like TV series not available on
video.  (The existence of fan- subtitling efforts not only means you
might find a version you can understand, it also implies that somebody
somewhere liked it enough to go to the trouble of translating and
subtitling it.  I don't claim to be aware of all fan-subtitling - or
even a noticeable percentage.)

Oh, there are some commercially available, legally licensed anime.  In
fact, there's quite an explosion of it this year, and it's getting hard
to keep track (this list was 4 titles long last year, and empty the year
before.)

Subtitled efforts from AnimEigo include:

    BUBBLEGUM CRISIS (see above) 1-8 and BUBBLEGUM CRASH 1-3.

    MADOX-01 is a parody of mecha films, in which a young lad gets
trapped inside a big metal suit.  The army wants the suit back, and the
hero just wants to keep his date.  Only funny after you've seen too much
other anime, IMHO.

    RIDING BEAN, a contemporary crime story about a crook-with-a-heart-
of-tarnished-gold, well executed with an engaging, twisty plot and fast
action sequences.

    URUSEI YATSURA (see above) Available over the course of three years.

    VAMPIRE PRINCESS MIYU (see above)

Subtitled from US Renditions:

    APPLESEED:  (see above).
    BLACK MAGIC M-66:   (see above)

    DANGIAOH:  Three cute girls and a guy pilot giant convertible
robots to save the world.  (Only part 1 of 3 available.)

    GUNBUSTER:  Cute girls in convertible giant robots save the universe
from evil invaders.  Sort of wobbles between comedy (it starts as a parody,
with robots doing pushups, etc.) and drama (coach falls ill, time-dilated
pilots lose all their friends & family.)  The ultimate Zero-G jiggle anime.
In 3 volumes (6 episodes, 2 per.)

    (Coming soon: Macross II, Guyver)

Subtitled from US Manga Corp:

    DOMINION (see above), part 1 out, 2-4 planned for 1992.
    PROJECT A-Ko  (see above)
    GALL FORCE I (see above)  not yet released.
    HUMANOID

Dubbed in English from Streamline:

    AKIRA (see above.)
    ZILLION (multiple episodes)  Laser Tag Academy goes Japanese.
    NADIA (see above)  First 13 episodes planned.
    ROBOT CARNIVAL
    VAMPIRE HUNTER D
    LENSMAN
    TWILIGHT OF THE COCKROACHES (Also available subbed on LD)
    (Castle Cagliostro, Hokuto no Ken, Lensman series are planned for
home video release.)

(Streamline also released dubbed, LUPIN III: Castle Cagliostro with
subtitles, and Hukoto no Ken dubbed, thru theaters, but not on home
video at least not yet. )

In addition, RoboTech and StarBlazers are found in many video stores,
as are the FHE Just-for-Kids English (heavily edited) versions of popular
anime that have had their names changed so that:...

 Macross '84: Do You Remember Love  becomes  ATTACK OF THE BIONOIDS  (US)...
                                    or       SUPER-DIMENSIONAL FORTRESS MACROSS
(Aust)
 Locke the Superman                 becomes  LOCKE THE SUPERPOWER
 Windaria                           becomes  ONCE UPON A TIME
 Dagger of Kamui                    becomes  REVENGE OF THE NINJA WARRIOR
 Famous Detective Holmes            becomes  SHERLOCK HOUND
 Captain Harlock                    becomes  VENGEANCE OF THE SPACE PIRATE
 Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind     becomes  WARRIORS OF THE WIND

... and others I've forgotten.  Most folks will tell you the editing
makes these worthless.  (Or maybe they don't find them so much fun
when they can understand the plot? :)

If you want more on recommendation, you might pull the copies of
electronic anime "magazines" like "Anime Stuff" (from the UCSD FTP
server (128.54.16.3) anime/anime.stuff/AS_issues) or Electronic
Animation Velocity (EAV) from the ix1.cc.utexas.edu FTP server
(128.83.1.21) and see what they said about some programs.

Also, you can find several publications on anime at most comic book
shops:  Animag, Protoculture Addicts, and Animenominious (I refuse to
try to pronounce the latter :)  If your comic shop doesn't carry
these, demand they do!  (Seriously, it's worth asking about - many
shops don't carry extra copies of low-volume stuff, but can get it for
you if you want.)

You can find many comic books in the US translated from the Japanese
Manga that either spawned the anime or vice versav.  Current stuff
includes: Appleseed, Dirty Pair (a US-drawn version), Sazan 3x3 Eyes,
Silent Moebius, Midnight Eye Goku.  Older titles that might be in back
issues include Nausicaa, Lum & Firetripper.


What you want to see will depend on you tastes:

 Fantasy:               Nausicaa, Laputa, Windaria, Nadia, Angel's Egg.
 Sword & Sorcery:       Yotoden, Yoma, Dagger of Kamui, Lodoss War,
                        RG Veda, Wizardry, Emblem of Gude, Madara.
 SciFi:                 Macross, Bubblegum Crisis, Gundam,
                        Crusher Joe, Megazone 23, Harlock,
                        Yamato, Wing of Honneamise, Akira,
                        Galaxy Express 999, Queen Millenium
 Contemporary Action:   Lupin III, Riding Bean, City Hunter, Goku
 Rock Music:            Bubblegum Crisis, Megazone 23
 Comedy:                Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, Maison Ikkoku
                        Orange Road, Patlabor TV, Assemble Insert.
 Horror:                Vampire Hunter D, Vampire Princess Miyu,
                        Yoma, Yotoden, Harmagedon, Iczer-1, Sazan 3x3 Eyes,
                        Mermaid's Forest, Supernatural beast city.
 Girls with Guns:       Dirty Pair, Gall Force, Bubblegum Crisis
                        Gunbuster, Dangaio, Iczer-1, Iczer-3, Sol Bianca
 Tear Jerkers           Grave of Firefly, Windaria, Nausicaa
 Mecha (robots):        Bubblegum Crisis, Gundam, Macross, Southern
                        Cross, Gunbuster, Dangaio, Dancougar, Megazone 23,
                        Patlabor, Mellowlink, Votoms.
 Gods at War:           Arion, Saint Seiya, Shurato, RG Veda.
 Porn:                  Cream Lemon, Wandering Kid
 Mystery:               Etranger, Urban Square, Patlabor movie, Lupin III
 Romance:               Orange Road, Maison Ikkoku, Slow Step.
 Sports:                Slow Step.
 Children:              Totoro, Kiki, Laputa, Nadia, Sherlock Holmes, Granzort
:)
 Blood 'n Guts:         Baoh, Devilman, Hukoto no Ken, etc.
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