Two on the Road

 After Heart Cocktail, Watase Seizou released three more anime OVAs based on his stories:

• 1987: Boku no Oldies wa All-Color (My All-Color Oldies)
  
• 1988: Chalk-iro no People (Chalk-Colored People)
  
• 1992: Two on the Road

Like Heart Cocktail, these OVAs never made it across the Digital Divide and are available only on VHS tape and laserdisc. (Oldies and Two aren't even listed in AniDB.) Unlike Heart Cocktail, they have minimal animation and no dialog. Like a silent movie (or A-Girl), they have constant music, and signs or intertitles provide the dialog. The signs conveying the dialog are set as ordinary subtitles; only actual signs have been typeset. 

Two on the Road is the longest of the three. It tells a continuous story about a couple, Akira and Yumi, who are colleagues at work.

They break up and find other partners. 

But something isn't right in the new arrangement, and the original lovers eventually get back together again. 

This happens over a prologue and twelve chapters, mostly titled with riffs on blue and white:

1. Blue White Day
   
2. Blue White Azalea
3. Blue Miss Moon
4. Swing White Fish
5. Lonely Blue Moon
6. Blue Your Back
7. Near and Far
8. Blue Horizon Blues
9. Blue White Christmas
10. Heart Break Road
11. Two on the Road
12. Happy Valentine Day
    

(The English is hardsubbed into the video, mistakes and all.) Each chapter is set to a bluesy ballad by the group BEGIN:

1. Love's Smoke
2. Glider
3. Sea-Roar in the Rear-view Mirror
4. White Fish and Blue Fish
5. Dance on the Sand
6. The Lost Waltz
7. Yearning for You
8. You
9. Blue Snow
10. Born on this Earth
11. In Place of Kindness
12. This Is Just the Beginning
    

Appropriately, much of the "action" is set in a music venue called Jim's Bar. I quite like the music, and the simple story is easy to follow.

Once again, this is a collaboration between DarkWispers, Orphan, and LonelyChaser. Darkonius translated. Yume translation checked. ninjacloud timed, both songs and "dialog." I edited and typeset. Nemesis and Uchuu QCed. The source is a Japanese laserdisc, ripped on the Domesday Duplicator by an anonymous friend and encoded by Rezo. MartyMcflies provided vital coordination.

I must mention that the source is a mess, and it seemed impossible to get a decent raw out of it. One key problem was ringing. When that was stamped out, there were rainbows everywhere. Finally, with enough patience and enough filters, Rezo got a usable raw. It still has some ringing, but it's been tamped down quite a bit. The audio is FLAC from the laserdisc's digital track.

I must also mention that this is the "busiest" of the three shows. Boku no Oldies wa All-Color used English-language songs, which could be treated as background music. Chalk-Colored People had instrumental music. Here, both the songs and the "dialog" required subtitles. I found it a bit distracting to watch the different sets of words pass by at different rates, but I can't think of a better solution.

Two on the Road is the last of Watase Seizou's "musical manga," but it's not the last word on his works. Heart Cocktail Colorful is still out there, and perhaps, In the Fullness of Time™, we'll get to it. Meanwhile, you can get this show from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #new on irc.rizon.net.

Comedy in the Raw

Time for some more raws from the attic. These two are rare comedies that never made it past laserdisc.

Go Go Toraeman is a one-shot OVA from 1986. Based on a manga by Takahashi Haruo, it's a slapstick comedy about baseball, among other things.

Ripped from a Japanese laserdisc on the Domesday Duplicator and encoded by an anonymous friend.

Tsuyoshi Shikkari Shinasai: Tsuyoshi no Time Machine de Shikkari Shinasai is a movie spin-off from a 112-episode 1990s comedy series that has not been translated. According to AnimeNewsNetwork, the plot is:

Tsuyoshi and his friend Tsukasa bumped into a strange machine in a warehouse. They activated it accidentally and it turned out to be a time machine, carrying both to 12 years ago. Not only they met their younger selves, they also discovered who was Keiko's first love interest.

Ripped from a Japanese laserdisc on the Domesday Duplicator and encoded by an anonymous friend.

These shows can be picked up from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #new on irc.rizon.net.

 

Ushiro no Hyakutaro

Ushiro no Hyakutaro (Hyakutaro Behind or Hyakutaro in Back) is a two-volume OVA from 1991. Based on a eight-volume manga by Tsunada Jirou, which has not been translated, it's an odd amalgam of supernatural stories and spiritualist bunkum. As one of the QCs said to me, it's scary ghost stories for the first 45 minutes of run time, and then it turns into Happy Science.

The protagonist, Ushiro Ichitaro, is a high-school student with some psychic abilities. His father, Ushiro Kentaro, works at a paranormal research institute, so Ichitaro is attuned to supernatural events. The first episode takes place at school. The teacher, Kobayakawa, is skeptical of psychic abilities in general and of Ichitaro's in particular. To convince the teacher, Ichitaro and his friends play a game of Kokkuri-san (ouji board). 

The board provides clear answers to some questions. When Kobayakawa interrupts the session, the fox spirit driving the board possesses the teacher and turns him into a murdering madman. Ichitaro is only saved by the intervention of his guardian spirit, Hyakutaro, which appears from behind him; hence, Hyakutaro Behind (in Back).

In the second episode, Ichitaro and his father investigate a poltergeist phenomenon. 

When the poltergeist possesses Ichitaro, Hyakutaro does not appear. Another psychic, Funakoshi, has to exorcise the ghost. Ichitaro is distraught and wants to get closer to his guardian spirit. Under the guidance of another mystic, the boy prays to his guardian spirit and promises to lead a virtuous life. Hyakutaro obligingly appears and takes Ichitaro on a guided tour of the afterlife, which is based on the writings and beliefs of "the greatest psychic in history," Emanuel Swedenborg. 

Up to that point, the show had been scary and dangerous spirits; after that, it's light and fluffy spiritualism. Well, to each his own.

Some translation notes: 

• The Hydesville, New York incident, cited by Ichitaro's father as proof of the poltergeist phenomenon, was in fact a famous hoax.
• Charles Richet, cited by Ichitaro's father as the "discoverer of ectoplasm," was a French physiologist who won the Nobel Prize for discovering anaphylaxis. His work as a spiritualist was speculative and a blight on his reputation. 
• Graham Smith, the fictional victim who became the poltergeist, was modeled on foreign victims of attacks from the sonnou joui faction during the late Bakumatsu.
  

The voice cast is quite distinguished:

• Nakahara Shigeru (Hyakutaro) played the title role in Arion, Trowa Barton in Gundam Wing, Fujiwara no Takamichi in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de: Hachyoushou, and Kurama in Kyousogiga. He also played Fujiwara no Yukitata in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2, Arikawa Yuzuru in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3, and had featured roles in Ziggy Sore Yuke! R&R Band, Ai no Kusabi, Dragon Fist, Dokushin Apartment Doukudami-sou, Chameleon, and Neko Neko Fantasia, all Orphan releases.
• Matsumoto Yasunori (Ushiro Ichitaro) starred as Akira in Mellow, Johnny in Starship Troopers, Kaname in Singles, and Tooru in Every Day Is Sunday, all Orphan releases. He was in numerous OVAs in the 1990s, including Houkago no Tinker Bell, Ziggy Sore Yuke! R&R Band, Seikimatsu: Humane Society, Fukuyama Gekijou: Natsu no Himitsu, and Al Caral no Isan, also Orphan releases. Among his other notable roles were Wataru Akiyama in Initial D, Jean Havoc in Fullmetal Alchemist, Gourry Gabriev in Slayers, Ryou in Sonic Soldier Borgman, and a personal favorite, Dick Saucer in Dragon Half.
• Sawaki Ikuya (Ushiro Kentaro, Ichitaro's father) played Gooley in the Dirty Pair franchise. He also played Samuel Hunter in Wolf Guy, Masayoshi Hotta in Hidamari no Ki, Barry in Joker: Marginal City, Alan in Mother: Saigo no Shoujo Eve, Itakura Shirouemon in Sanada 10, the Kaiser in Apfelland Monogatari, and Gonbei the cat in Satsujin Kippu wa Heart-iro, as well as bit parts in Dallos, Heart Cocktail, and Chameleon, all Orphan releases.
• Shibata Hidekatsu (Funakoshi) Splayed Baron Ashura in Mazinger Z, Kenzou Kabuto in Great Mazinger, King Bradley in both versions of Fullmetal Alchemist, and the Third Hokage in Naruto. He played Sun Quon in the Sangokushi movies, the hero's father in Dragon Fist, and the voice of God in Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament, all Orphan releases.
• Shimaka Yuu (Narrator) played Katagiri in Yawara! He appeared in Bagi, Kosuke-sama & Rikimaru-sama: Konpeitou no Ryuu, Kasei Yakyoku, Apfelland Monogatari, and Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament, all Orphan releases.
• Hisakawa Aya (Yoshiko, a friend) played the title roles in Mamono Hunter Youko, Voogie's Angel, and Iria: Zeiram, Skuld in the Ah! My Goddess franchise, Cerberus in Card Captor Sakura, Sailor Mercury in the Sailor Moon franchise, Yuki in Fruits Basket, Haruka in RahXephon, Youko in The Twelve Kingdoms, and Storm in X-Men. She played Natsuki in Kimama ni Idol, Marine in Nana Toshi Monogatari, Shizuka in Sotsugyou: Graduation, Mishima Misako in Yume Tsukai, Shana in Al Caral no Isan, Sonia in Ziggy Sore Yuke! R&R Band, Tomoko in Sensou Douwa: Boku no Boukuugou, and Koneko in Ear of the Golden Dragon, all Orphan releases.
• Kawashima Chiyoko (Ichitaro's mother) played Fujiko in Yawara!, Clair in Galaxy Express 999, Sailor Pluto in the Sailor Moon franchise, Okiyo in Haguregumo, and Iko in Greed, an Orphan release.
• Umezu Hideyuki (Kobayakawa-sensei) played Akadama-sensei in Uchouten Kazoku and Uranos Corsica in Gangsta. He had featured roles in Asatte Dance, Star Dust, Apfelland Monogatari, Blue Sonnet, Hashire Melos, Hi-Speed Jecy, Hidamari no Ki, Nana Toshi Monogatari, Neko Neko Fantasia, Singles, the What's Michael? OVAs, Yamato 2520, Genji, Part 1, Mellow, and Ziggy Sore Yuke! R&R Band, all Orphan releases.

The director, Hara Seitarou, also directed the original Time Bokan series and Dash Kappei, among other shows.

This is another project that has been languishing for a long time. Macros74 did an initial encode from DVDs years ago, but nothing happened after that. Then, last year, another colleague did a new encode, and Perevodildo translated and timed the show. I edited and typeset. Topper3000 and Rezo QCed. There are two omake, featuring mangaka Tsunada Jirou as a talking head; they have not been translated.

As you can probably tell, I'm not enamored of Ushiro no Hyakutaro. The protagonist is weak and somewhat whiny. He always needs help to escape his paranormal predicaments. The feel-good spiritualism of the last 15 minutes seems totally at odds with the prior 45 minutes of psychic spookiness. But perhaps I missed a connection (or an exit) along the way. In any case, you can get the show from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

Tottoi

Inka and Orphan are pleased to bring you Tottoi, an environmental fable (or fairy tale) from 1992. Based on a novel by Italian writer Gianni Padoan, it tells the story of a young Sardinian boy, Antonio, nicknamed Tottoi. He grew up in West Germany, where his father had moved for work. After the death of his mother, Tottoi, his father Cipriano, and little sister Francesca return to Sardinia and the embrace of Tottoi's extended family and friends. 

They include his uncle and aunt, Stanis and Gizza; his cousin Billia; and Billia's friends Caterina, the local "princess," and Pedro, "the village idiot." Billia works for Captain Marco, who takes tourists to Sea Cow (Seal) Cave. In the past, Mediterranean monk seals gathered there to breed. But the seals are extinct on Sardinia...

While exploring the depths of the cave, Tottoi encounters a seal. No one believes him. His father sends him to go see Nanni Spannu, an artist and potter who has lived in the area a long time. Spannu tells Tottoi that monk seals are extinct on the island, like the antruxu or griffon vulture, which is the symbol of Sardinia. 

When Tottoi insists that he saw one, Spannu agrees to take him back to the cave. They find not only a mature female seal but also her pup. Initially wary of humans, the pup becomes friendly with Tottoi. The boy names the pup Zabaione, after his favorite dessert.

Although Spannu warns Tottoi to keep the presence of the seals secret, the boy can't resist sharing with his friends, who share it with their parents.

Eventually, it comes to the attention of an avaricious (what else) American mogul vacationing on a yacht, who wants to capture the seal for his hotel aquarium. 

Can Tottoi and his friends protect the seals from the greedy visitors? Well, it is a fairy tale.

It's also a fairy tale because the Mediterranean monk seal is, in fact, extinct in the western Mediterranean, including Sardinia, and endangered everywhere else. On the other hand, the antruxu (griffon vulture) is not extinct on Sardinia, which has one of the largest colonies. But I can't imagine an anime in which a boy becomes all close and cuddly with a young vulture. Can you?

Zabaione (sometimes spelled zabaglione) is a simple, delicious dessert. Its only ingredients are egg yolks, sugar, and a sweet wine, usually Marsala, and perhaps some fresh fruit for a topping. Try it!

The voice cast includes:

• Namikawa Daisuke (Tottoi) played Takeru in the Freedom OVAs, Tokunaga in Gurazeni, Tooru in Haikyuu!!, Italy in the Hetalia franchise, Hisoka in Hunter x Hunter (2011), and my personal favorite, the demon-summoning detective Akutabe in the Yondemasu yo, Azazel-san franchise. He also played Mizuki, the Seiseki captain, in DAYS and appeared in Sangokushi 2 and Cosprayers, all Orphan releases.
• Yamaguchi Kappei (Billia) played the lead character in the Detective Conan franchise, Ranma in the Ranma 1/2 franchise, Inuyasha in all the Inuyasha properties, Usopp in the One Piece franchise, Sakuma Ryuichi in Gravitation, Arslan in the first OVA series, and the title role in Mouse, among many others. He played Matsuoka Eiji in Chameleon, Shibuya in Zetsuai 1989 and Bronze: Zetsuai Since 1989, and Tooru in Boyfriend, all Orphan releases.
• Tomiyama Kei (Cipriano) played the title roles in Sabu to Ichi Torimono Hikae, Roppou Yabure, and the original Tiger Mask, as well as Lingham in Genmu Senki Leda, Sir Jogo  in SF Saiyuuki Starzinger, Susumu in the Yamato franchise, and Wen Li in Legend of the Galactic Heroes. He also played leading roles in Michite Kuru Toki no Mukou ni, Grimm Douwa: Kin no Tori, Ginga Tansa 2100-nen: Border Planet, Bremen 4, Sugata Sanshiro, the Sangokushi TV specials, and Yousei Ou, all Orphan releases. He won a posthumous Special Achievement Award in 2007.
• Honda Chieko (Francesca) played Kurumi in Kimagure Orange Road, Marybell in Hana no Mahou Tsukai Marybell, Amy in the Gall Force OVAs, Rullishia in Dragon Century, Meroko in Full Moon o Sagashite, Marie in Soul Eater, and Lea in the Ancient Book of Ys OVAs. She starred as Ruu in Elf 17 and Hiromi in Kakyuusei (1995, both Orphan releases.
• Ogata Kenichi (Stannis) played the put-upon father in Maroko, Suzuki in Kigyou Senshi Yamazaki: Long Distance call, the crooked casino boss in Okane ga Nai!, the Hong Kong chef in Yuukan Club, Chichi's father in Chiisana Koi no Monogatari, the business chief in Okama Hakusho, the lawyer in Asatte Dance, and the Narrator/Lord of Kaga in Oedo wa Nemurenai!, all Orphan releases. He also played Smee in Peter Pan no Bouken and Gran Torino in Boku no Hero Academia. However, he's best known to me as the voice of Ranma 1/2's Sataome Gemna, whose alter ego - the grumpy panda - is my avatar on most anime forums. 
  
• Ichijou Miyuki (Gizza) played Akane in Next Senki Ehrgeiz, an Orphan release, and Jody Rockwell in the Yawara! properites. She appeared in several Detective Conan movies.
• Matsui Naoko (Caterina) played Efera in Gude Crest, Wato-san in Mitsume ga Tooru and Tezuka Osamu ga Kieta?!, and Lady Dola in Ai to Ken no Camelot, and she appeared in Hi-Speed Jecy and Every Day Is Sunday, all Orphan releases. She played the title role in Compiler, Uru Chie in High School! Kimengumi, Katsumi Liqueur in Silent Mobius, Run Run in Mahoujin Guru Guru, Roux Louka in Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, Suzuki Sonoko in the Detective Conan franchise, Juushimatsu in Osomatsu-kun (1988), Wendy in Peter Pan no Bouken, Marian in Robin Hood no Daibouken, and Matsu in Nobunaga no Shinobi.
• Sawaki Ikuya (Captain Marco) played Gooley in the Dirty Pair franchise. He also played Gonbei the cat in Satsujin Kippu wa Heart-iro, Samuel Hunter in Wolf Guy, Masayoshi Hotta in Hidamari no Ki, Barry in Joker: Marginal City, Alan in Mother Saigo no Shoujo Eve, Itakura Shirouemon in Sanada 10, and the Kaiser in Apfelland Monogatari, as well as bit parts in Dallos, Heart Cocktail, and Chameleon, all Orphan releases.
• Katou Seizou (Nanni Spannu) played Jashinsai in Tengai Makyou, Admiral Putyatin in Bakumatsu Spasibo, Ii Naosuke in Hidamari no Ki, Abraham in Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament, Norbert in Apfelland Monogatari, Hatsutori Juuzou in Kage, Billy Bones in Shin Takarajima, the old stationmaster in Sotsugyou: Graduation, and Jeigan in Fire Emblem, all Orphan releases. He had many other featured roles in the span of a 50 year career.
• Sakurai Toshiharu (Pedro) played Hanson in Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water and Innocentius VII in Arslan Senki TV. He appeared in Asatte Dance, Akai Hayate, Exper Zenon, and Mellow, all Orphan releases.
• Gouri Daisuke (Holt) played Yamazaki Hiromi in Patlabor. He had numerous featured roles. He appeared in Okama Hakusho, Condition Green, Bavi Stock I, Hashire Melos, Rain Boy, all three Sangokushi movies (Xiahou Dun), Submarine 707R, Tokimeki Tonight, Wolf Guy, Hi-Speed Jecy, Hidamari no Ki, and Kage, all Orphan releases.
• Watabe Takeshi (Jack Land) appeared in Gunparade Orchestra, Maze, Ninku, Oishinbo, Wrath of the Ninja, and You're Under Arrest. He also appeared in Tales from The Old Testament, Condition Green, Twinkle Nora Rock Me!, Sanctuary, and Sanada 10, all Orphan releases.
• Yamaguchi Ken (Totorino) appeared in Asatte Dance, Dokushin Apartment Dokudami-sou, Yamato 2520, Hoshi Neko Full House, Shiratori Reiko de Gozaimasu!, and Condition Green, all Orphan releases.
  
• Yamazaki Takumi (Massimo) had featured roles in Al Caral no Isan and Wolf Guy, both Orphan releases, as well as numerous other shows.
  

The director, Kiyozumi Norifumi, mostly did animation and mechanical design. Tottoi is his only directing credit.

Tottoi was only released on VHS tape, not on laserdisc or digital media. Orphan's media guy found a second-hand tape of the show. I liked the look of the show, so he encoded it. However, no translator was available at the time, and the movie was released as a raw. Eventually, some folks over at Inka became interested. Rugi translated it. TougeWolf timed and translation checked. I edited and typeset. ImAWasteofHair, Perevodildo, and MartyMcflies QCed. After the usual release checking, it was ready to go, as a joint Inka-Orphan release. The raw is a mess, marred by periodic loss of tracking, but no other tapes have been found. If you have one and it's better, or if the movie is released as a web stream, we'll make a new version.

Tottoi never quite swept me away. The story line is predictable, the climax is forced, and Nanni Spannu is a narrative crutch. The background music is jolly, faux-Italian dance tunes. Still, the seal pup in the story is very cute, the interactions among the youngsters seem natural, and some of the artwork is quite striking.

You can get the movie from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

Ryokunohara Labyrinth

Ryokunohara Labyrinth in a 1990 shounen-ai OVA. It centers on two boys, Imanishi Hiroki and Tokino Kanata, who have been best friends (and perhaps more) since childhood. 

One day, Hiroki is struck by a truck and apparently killed, but he then gets up, unharmed. Meanwhile, Hiroki's spirit is looking down on his body, utterly perplexed by what has happened. 

Is he alive or dead? And if he's dead, who or what is possessing his body? Kanata senses that something is wrong and discovers that Hiroki's body is possessed by an "evil spirit" (and a rather fetching one at that), Fare Ruu. 

Fare uses Hiroki's body to try to kill Kanata, and both boys fall into the ocean. Then, after some confusing adventures in other dimensions, Fare surrenders to Kanata's "light" and gives Hiroki back. They emerge from the ocean unscathed, to the amazement of their classmates, chastely holding each other. 

Got that? If it sounds confusing, it is, because it's just one episode from an immensely long series of novels by Hoshino Kana about Hiroki, Kanata, and their high school friends. All kinds of important background information is missing, such as the fact that Kanata is actually an alien. Further, the story is interrupted twice by longish music musical montages. The first traces the boys friendship, from youngsters to high school students. The second shows the boys, their friends, and their high school being transported through the galaxy on graduation day.

If it seems irrelevant, it is: it's taken from a totally different part of the novel series.

At this point, you're probably asking yourself, "Why did Orphan bother with this show?" My involvement with Ryokunohara Labyrinth started when the original fansub was posted on BakaBT back in 2011. The timing and editing so incensed me that I made my own personal resub. (This was years before I realized that trying to correct bad fansubs was an utterly futile effort.) Then, a few years ago, laserdiscs of Ryokunohara Labyrinth surfaced at reasonable cost. I thought that applying my resub to a better quality raw might be a good idea. But the structure of the show - with one isolated line playing over black video long after the show apparently ended - stumped the Domesday Duplicator software of the time, so nothing happened.

Fast forward to 2024. Updates to the DdD software solved the dangling line problem. Perevodildo agreed to translation check my script. ninjacloud timed. I edited again and added some typesetting. ImAWasteOfHair, Topper3000, and Uchuu QCed. The encode, by an anonymous friend, is a stack of three discs, to deal with rot in some of the sources. The digital audio track has been encoded as FLAC. Special thanks to Rezo for contributing a disc to the stack.

The voice cast includes two famous seiyuu as the leads:

• Seki Toshihiko (Imanishi Hiroki) played the title role in Izumo, Riki in Ai no Kusabi, Raiel in Hameln no Violin Hiki, the hero Seitarou in Hoshi Neko Full House, the gang leader Hiba in Wild 7, Miroku in Yuukan Club, Chuuta in Satsujin Kippu wa Heart-iro, the fighter Nagase Jun in Akai Hayate, Hayata in Call Me Tonight, Ootsuki in Milky Passion: Dougenzaka - Ai no Shiro, Junichiro in Kasei Yakyoku, Shouji, the guitar player, in To-Y, Bijomaru in Ai to Ken no Camelot, and the unnamed protagonist of Oruorane the Cat Player, all Orphan releases. He also played Matsuda in the Yawara! properties, Sanzo in the Saiyuuki TV series, Mousse in Ranma 1/2, and the title roles in Alexander (Reign the Conqueror) and Kaiketsu Zorro.
• Yamaguchi Kappei (Tokino Kanata) starred in the title roles of the Detective Conan franchise, the Ranma 1/2 franchise, the Inuyasha properties, the Arslan Senki TV series, and Mouse. He played Usopp in the One Piece franchise and Sakuma Ryuichi in Gravitation, among many others. He also played Cerrios in Dragon Slayer Eiyuu Densetsu, Shibuya in Zetsuai 1989 and Bronze: Zetsuai Since 1989, Matsuoka Eiji in Chameleon, and Tooru in Boyfriend, all Orphan releases.
• Nishihara Kumiko (Fhalei Rue) played Iris in the Sakura Wars franchise and Renko in Kujibiki Unbalance, both OVAs and TV series. She appeared in Kakyuusei (1995), Kosuke-sama Rikimaru-sama: Konpeitou no Ryuu, Zetsuai 1989, Dragon Fist, Tenkousei, and Blazing Transfer Student, all Orphan releases.
• Tsukui Kyousei (Ijima Masayoshi, a friend) appeared in Nana Toshi Monogatari, Cherry no Manma, Meisou-ou Border, and Call Me Tonight, all Orphan releases.
• Shinohara Emi (Kiriko Olulora, a friend) played B-Ko in the A-ko properties and Sailor Jupiter in the Sailor Moon franchise. She appeared as Lady Manthrum in Hayou no Tsurugi, Yuri Onagara in Blue Sonnet, vulgar daughter Stephanie in Eguchi Hisashi no Kotobuki Gorou Show, Reiko in Akai Hayate, and Android 1025 in Oz, all Orphan releases.
• Anbe Atsushi (Takahashi Shuuchi, a friend) appeared in Ano Ko ni 1000% and Cherry no Manma, an Orphan release.
  
• Kimura Maki (Yoshikawa Fueko, a friend) also sings the ending theme. Ryokunohara Labyrinth is her only voice-acting credit.

The show is Kakinouchi Narumi's only directing credit. She is much better known as a mangaka (Vampire Princess Miyu) and a character designer (this show, among others).

This release also includes a short omake, "Special Appearance," that documents the stages of making the show. Part of it is set in Helsinki, Finland, and is called "Searching for Kunimoto," the composer of the songs and the score; no explanation why.

Ryokunohara Labyrinth is both innocuous and baffling. The shounen-ai content is very mild and amounts to little more than a bromance. The plot makes no sense. Hiroki and Kanata's friends are name-checked but have no real parts in the show. Still, this version looks a lot better than the VHS version that's been available up till now. You can get the show from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channel #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

Nemurenu Yoru no Chiisana Ohanashi

Here's a charming all-ages OVA from 1992, Nemurenu Yoru no Chiisana Ohanashi (Little Stories for Sleepless Nights). It's based on a column by Hara Yuuko that ran in Monthly Kadokawa magazine. Hara is better known as the keyboard player/vocalist with the Southern All Stars.

Over its three volumes, Nemurenu Yoru tells twelve stories about a cat (named Cat) and his friends, also named generically: Rabbit, Bandit Cat, Bird, Squirrel, Star, Mr. Moon, etc. 

They have small adventures or just enjoy the pleasures of the days and nights.

1. Cat and Star
2. Bandit Cat's Clumsiness
3. Night of the Full Moon
4. The Flying Blanket
5. Riding the Whale
6. Gomotan
7. Ice Cream Souvenirs
8. Singing to Mr. Moon
9. Lovely Christmas Eve
10. Cat Man
11. Why Cat Has a Cat's Tongue
12. A Snow Spirit on a Snowy Day
    

It's pointless trying to provide a plot summary, because there is none, or even to summarize the individual stories. 

It's soothing and enjoyable, like a children's bedtime story (which it is), with simple animation and character designs. 

Voice-over narration by the original author, also very soothing, provides the framework for all the stories.

Translation notes:

• When Cat addresses the moon, Cat always calls him hisakata-sama, which is very respectful, so Mr. Moon.
  
• The bird that sleeps in Cat's guitar is a brown-eared bulbul (hiyodori in Japanese), even though the bird is colored green.
  

The seiyuu are not well known. Most have no other credits than the sequel Tomodachi de Iyou ne (Let's Be Friends), which itself only shows up in a few anime databases. I suspect that several of them are children; for example, Kikuchi Yuumi was eight years old when the show was made.

• Suzuki Hiroshi (Cat).
• Hara Yuuko (narrator) is a keyboard player, vocalist, and author.
  
• Inoue Aya (Rabbit).
• Aikawa Rikako (Bandit Cat) appeared in many children's series, including Doraemon, Kaiketsu Zorori, Pokemon, and Hamtaro.
• Kikuchi Yuumi (Star, Squirrel).
• Ezaki Reina (Bird) appeared in Pom Poko.
• Meguru Yuuichi (Moon) played Banana in Okama Hakusho and appeared in Izumo, both Orphan releases. She appeared in several h-anime as well.

The director, Oguma Kimiharu, also directed the Hiatari Ryouko movie, an Orphan release.

The origins of this project are lost in the haze of the past. Erik of PPP-Raws encoded the first two volumes from laserdiscs in his collection, but the third volume proved elusive. About four years ago, all three volumes showed up on Japanese second-hand media sites. They were purchased, ripped on the Domesday Duplicator, and encoded. Last year, ninjacat (ninjacloud) pretimed the first episode, but again, the project languished. Then Perevodildo picked up the project, translated all three episodes, and timed the second and third. I edited and typeset. ImAWasteOfHair, Nemesis, and Uchuu QCed. The encoding was done by an anonymous friend based on Domesday Duplicator laserdisc rips. The audio is FLAC, taken from the laserdiscs' digital audio tracks.

Nemurenu Yoru no Chiisana Ohanashi is not going to set the world on fire. As the title implies, it's bedtime stories for children - and for adults needing relief from the stress and angst of daily life. Either its charm works on you, or it doesn't (and you're probably spending too much time doomscrolling or on social media). It works for me. You can get the OVAs from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

Seeding Bonanza!

Here's something extraordinary.

 

[M]-V is Orphan's one-man distribution team. He provides Orphan|Arutha, the IRC bot that serves (and stores) Orphan's entire output. His other bots serve dozens of other groups, including Saizen and SubsPlease.

 

Recently, after switching to new servers, [M]-V laboriously reseeded all the Orphan torrents on nyaa (and a few others of mine too). Thus, for the first time EVER, every visible Orphan torrent on nyaa is seeded. Thanks, [M]-V!

 

So, Orphan fans (all ten of you - our fanbase has grown!), if there are holes in your collection of Orphan releases, now's the time to fill them. The shows are all waiting. Get 'em while they're hot! And thank [M]-V by sending him some crypto to support his servers.