Portrait of the Psychopath as a Young Man (Aoki Honoo v2)

Aoki Honoo is a one-shot OVA from 1989, based on a six-volume manga by Yanagasawa Kimio, a prolific mangaka who is almost unknown in the West. It was translated by Random Masters and released by ACR (Anime Classics Review), but the encode was hardsubbed and subsized (240p), which made it difficult to watch. In 2017, Orphan released a sofsubbed, "full SD" version based on a VHS rip. As I noted as the time, "The show has been released on Laserdisc but not on DVD. If we can find the Laserdisc, we'll do a second version." Now, thanks to WOWmd, the laserdisc has been found and encoded. Accordingly, Orphan is releasing a revised version with better video.

Aoki Honoo makes for uncomfortable viewing, for me. It is the story of a heel (viewed kindly) or a psychopath (viewed clinically) who claws his way toward the top over the bodies of his girlfriends. The main character, Kaizu Ryuuichi, is a high-school senior determined to escape from his small-town upbringing, achieve independence from his family, and become a major success. He systematically seduces and extorts money from a series of women, starting with a local hostess, Sayoko, and then the local rich girl, Naito Emi. 

When he gets to college, he continues his cold, calculating conquests. Throughout, he abandons or two-times his current girlfriend, whoever she is, when a more promising opportunity appears. Because Ryuuichi is so cold and calculating, it's difficult to understand why women fall under his spell. Perhaps this screencap offers an explanation: 

He has big hands, too.

One translation note. Ryuuichi's little sister Kaizu addresses him as onii-chan. In the original, this was translated literally, as "brother." But in English, use of a sibling relationship in direct address is uncommon, unless meant sarcastically, so in this version, Kaizu calls him by his name.

The voice actors all appeared in other Orphan releases:

• Horuichi Kenyuu (Kaizu Ryuuichi) played the title role in Guin Saga and Oscar in the Angelique franchise. He also played the title role in Amon Saga, Inlen in Raiyantsuuri no Uta, Jin Akira in Wolf Guy, Nest in Eien no Filena, Kubota in Meisou-ou Border, Lid in Greed, Romus in Choujikuu Romanesque Samy: MISSING 99, Simon in Ai to Ken no Camelot, and the refined son in Eguchi Hisashi no Kotobuki Gorou Show, all Orphan releases.
• Andou Arisa (Naito Emi) starred in the title role of Eien no Filena and as Mako in Doukyuusei: Climax, both Orphan releases. She played Rosa in Makyuu Senjou and appeared in a number of h-anime, including Cream Lemon.
• Ikura Kazue (Kuroeda Keiko, a third-year conquest at university) is best known for the roles of Makimura Kaori in City Hunter, Toraou in Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru, Natsume Ryuunosuke in All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku, and Leni Milchstrasse in Sakura Wars. She played Jiliora in Gude Crest and Hojo Masako in Genji, Part 1, and she also appeared in Sei Michaela Gakuen Hyouryuuki and 15 Shounen Hyouryuuki, all Orphan releases.
• Shou Mayumi (Kaizu Misao, Ryuuichi's little sister) played Minako in Bride of Deimos, Ayako in Kimami ni Idol, Gannet in Hoshi Neko Full House, Peggy in A Penguin's Memories, Yuko Kurita in the Oishinbo movie-length specials, and Baby Boar in Katte ni Shirokuma, all Orphan releases.
• Yoshida Miho (Sumibishi Hisayo, a first-year conquest at university) played "D-cup" Hiroko in Meisou-ou Border and appeared in Kiss wa Me ni Shite and Zetsuai: 1989, all Orphan releases. Her best known role is Afura Mann in the El Hazard franchise. She also appeared in a number of h-anime.
• Sasaki Yuuko (Sayoko, a hostess and Ryuuchi's long-term mistress) played the title role in Desert Rose and Gilbert in Kaze to Ki no Uta SANCTUS. She played Akiko/Keiko in Wolf Guy, Yuki in Sei Michaela Gakuen Hyouryuuki, and Exper Jiff in Exper Zenon, and she appeared in Amaama to Inazuma, Dokushin Apartment Dokudami-sou, and Yousei-ou, all Orphan releases.
• Ono Kenichi (Yamada) appeared in Akuemon, Bavi Stock, Botchan, Elf 17, Houkago no Tinker Bell, Ipponbouchou Mantarou, Wolf Guy, Ziggy Sore Yuke! R&R Band, and Sei Michaela Gakuen Hyouryuuki, all Orphan releases.
• Yokoo Mari (Naitou Fumie) played Battia in Outlanders, Fumio (the dorm mother) in the Shokugeki no Souma franchise, Mantarou's mother, Kayo, in Ipponbouchou Mantarou, Queen Felicia in Dragon Slayer, and Yuriko in Yuukan Club. The last three are Orphan releases.
• Ichijou Miyuki (Kaizu Toshiko, Ryuuichi's mother) played Akane in Next Senki Ehrgeiz, Gizza in Tottoi (both Orphan releases), and Jody Rockwell in the Yawara! properties. She appeared in several Detective Conan movies.
• Nishimura Tomomichi (Ryuuichi's father) appeared as the narrator in YuYu Hakusho, Anzai-sensei in Slam Dunk, Shibaraku Tsurugibe in Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru, and Jamitov Hymem in Mobile Suit Z Gundam. He had a cameo as Don Dracula in Bremen 4 and appeared in Eguchi Hisashi no Kotobuki Goro Show, Eguchi Hisashi no Nantoka Naru Desho!, Fire Tripper, Fumoon, Hi-Speed Jecy, A Time Slip of 10,000 Years: Prime Rose, Tezuka Osasmu's Tales from the Old Testament, Wild 7, Wolf Guy, and Yamataro Comes Back, all Orphan releases.
• Saka Osamu (Emi's father) played Daisuke Aramaki in the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex franchise and Oohara in the Oishinbo properties. He appeared in Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament, Sanada 10, Next Senki Ehrgeiz, Fire Emblem, Kasei Yakyoku, Oz, and the third Sangokushi movie, all Orphan releases.
• Ohtaki Shinya (Emi's brother) played Beat in Scoopers and Chiefson in Wolf Guy, and he appeared in Elf 17 and Hi-Speed Jecy; the last three are Orphan releases. He also appeared in a number of h-anime.
• Nakahara Shigeru (Kirioka, a high school student with a crush on Emi) 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 Hyakutaro in Ushiro no Hyakutaro, 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.

The director, Ishikuro Noboru, had an extensive resume with a focus on sci-fi. His projects included Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Megazone 23, and Tytania.

The original script was by Random Masters. M74 transcribed and timed the subtitles from the ACR release. For this release, Perevodildo translation checked, and ninjacloud retimed. I edited and typeset both versions. bananadoyouwanna and M74 QCed the original. ImAWasteOfHair QCed this version. WOWmd ripped the laserdisc on the Domesday Duplicator and encoded it. The result looks much better than the first version. I cannot say the same of Ryuuichi's actions.

Aoki Honoo is competently made and focuses on a character type that is rare in modern anime. There's a lot of nudity and sex, so it's definitely NSFW. If you're interested in spite of that, or because of that, you can get it from the usual torrent sites or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net

Cat-Eyed Boy Returns! (Episodes 4-6)

Orphan brings you more 1970s thrills and chills: episodes four to six of Umezz Kazuo's 1976 horror series Youkaiden Nekome Kozou (Spirit Legend Cat-Eyed Boy, here just Cat-Eyed Boy).

When we last left our lonely but hopeful half-youkai, we had run out of source material. Only three episodes had been released on DVD. Skr and I got so frustrated about stopping that we chipped in to buy the laserdisc box set of Cat-Eyed Boy. These are the first episodes from that treasure trove.

Now, the laserdiscs are far from pristine. In fact, they look terrible - full of film blemishes and not stabilized. And they don't sound great either, with a lot of static on the audio track. But I think (and Skr agrees) that the roughness of the raws suits the material. After all, this is gekimation - hand-manipulated paper cutouts. A first-class video transfer based on remastered sources just brings out the primitiveness of the whole series. The laserdiscs make Cat-Eyed Boy look like a 50-year-old show, which is what it is, or rather, will be in 2026.

With more episodes to work from, the pattern of the show has become clear. At the start of each episode, Cat-Eyed Boy is continuing his lonely journey to find his mother. Often chased by ignorant country folk, he is befriended by a youngster or a motherly woman and offered kindness, even love. 

When his newfound friends are threatened by an evil youkai, he waxes wroth and defeats or disperses the villain. The youkai are:

• Episode 4 - the Kodama tree spirit, an ancient oak with a black heart that sucks the life out of its victims.

• Episode 5 - the Tear Witch and the Wailing Man, an ancient malevolent witch who lives on her victims tears, and her son, who eats the victims after they've been wrung dry.
  

• Episode 6 - the Beach Skull, the ghost of a deceased person who haunts the one they loved.
  

After defeating the baddies, Cat-Eyed Boy bids a fond farewells to his friends, if they survived. He then sets out on the next leg of his journey. Cue the preview.

Because of its episodic nature, Cat-Eyed Boy's core cast is just two voice actors:

• Junko Hori (Cat-eyed Boy) is best known as the voice of the protagonists in three Fujiko Fujio works, Obake no Q-tarou, Ninja Hattori-kun, and Chinpui. She also appeared in Wan Wan Chuushingura, Taiyou no Ouji: Horus no Daibouken, Rain Boy, Time Slip Ichimannen Prime Rose, and Makoto-chan, all Orphan releases, as well as Moomin, Akage no Anne, Cinderella Boy, and Unico.
• Katsuhiko Ikeda (narrator) has no other voice-acting credits.

The rest of the voice cast varies from episode to episode. Episode 4:

• Koichi Kitamura (Kodama Tree Spirit) played Paolon, the intelligent spaceship in Hi-Speed Jecy, Professor, the wise old cat, in the Ultra Nyan OVAs, Honda Sadonokami Masanobu in the Sanada 10 special, and Coach Naoko in Nine and its sequels, and he appeared in Hidamari no Ki and Dokushin Apartment Dokudami-sou. All are Orphan releases.
• Mitsuyo Tobe (Yukio) appeared in Hoka Hora Kazoku, Teppei, and The Rose of Versailles, among others.
• Reiko Kimura (Yukio's Mother) appeared in several episodes of Cat-Eyed Boy, including episode 6, as Yoshie, and 7, as Katsuzo.
• Keiko Yokozawa (Yae) is probably best known for her starring role as Sheeta in Castle in the Sky. She played the title roles in Charlotte (1977), the Dorami-chan properties, and ESPer Mami, as well as leading roles in Plastic Little and Legend of Lemnear. She also played Pandora in Akuma-tou no Prince Mitsume ga Tooru and Yukari in Karuizawa Syndrome, both Orphan releases.

Episode 5:

• Hisako Kyouda (Tear Witch) played the witch in Adachigara and Minuet in Bremen Four, both Orphan releases. She played Taitsukun in Fushigi Yuugi, Magno Vivan in Vandread, Soukei in Inukami!, the father in Shouwa Monogatari, and numerous other roles in a career that has spanned more than 50 years.
• Reiko Katsura (Kasumi) appeared in Sazae-san and narrated Nichijou, in a career that has also spanned more than 50 years.
• Shin Aomori (Wailing Man) played Solomon in Tezuka Osamu's Tales of the Old Testament and Kurokawa in Meisou-ou Border, both Orphan releases. He played Basque Grand in both versions of Full Metal Alchemist and Gonzo in the currently airing Oi! Tonbo. He appeared in Perrine, Oishinbo, Sousei no Aquarion, the Dragon Ball franchise, and numerous other roles in a career that has spanned almost 50 years.

Episode 6:

• Toshihiko Utsumi (Beach Skull) appeared in Raccoon Rascal and Hit and Run.
• Michiro Okada (Rentaro) appeared in Manxmouse and Kuroi Ame ni Utarete, both Orphan releases. He also played Ru Shako in the Armored Trooper Votoms franchise, the chief in the You're Under Arrest franchise, and the narrator in the Transformers movies.
• Kaoru Ozawa (Noriko) appeared in Raccoon Rascal and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Once again, Skr was the driving force behind this release. He translated, timed, edited, typeset the credits, and encoded the show. kokujin-kun helped with translation checking. I did a little actual typesetting. (Skr thinks the signs should be done as \an8, because of how blurry the raws are, and he may be right.)  Nemesis, Rock_Lee-vk, and Skr QCed.

Cat-Eyed Boy is a long series for the current configuration of Orphan. Skr has a lot on his plate, so I don't know when more episodes will be available. Meanwhile, you can get this release from the usual torrent site or from channels #nibl or #news in irc.rizon.net.  

Kingdom of Chaos: Born to Kill

At long last, another orphan project completed! In this case, it's a four-part OVA from 2003-2004, Kingdom of Chaos: Born to Kill. It is based on an online browser game, Kingdom of Chaos: Spectral Force the Universe. The first two episodes were subbed by Anime-Blitz twenty years ago; then nothing. Orphan is pleased to bring you the complete series.

Reactions to the show have been mixed. The author of The Land of Obscusion blog quite liked it and called it the best of the Idea Factory shows. On the other hand, the translation checker/translator wrote, "I don't think I've ever seen a show whose ambitions were so disparate with its budget. It fits the bill of 'too big for its boots' perfectly." YMMV.

Kingdom of Chaos is set in the mythical continent of Neverland. Fract, the Generalissimo/Leader of the Nazi-like nation of Bjor, has conquered more than half the continent. He now has his eyes set on the agricultural nation of Orthozes, which had resisted conquest once before. Opposing Fract are an outnumbered army of knights and a ragtag band of mercenaries. The latter include an enigmatic stranger, Aide, who has lost his memory; a former Crimson Knight, Mara, who is disillusioned with her regiment; and an immensely strong beast-man, Dino, who is fighting to protect what remains of his family.

The mercenaries discover that Aide bears an uncanny resemblance to Fract. They formulate an audacious plan to utilize Aide's appearance in order to slip into Fract's camp and assassinate him. However, they do not realize that all of them are caught up in the even more outrageous plan of a powerful demon, Mugen (Infinite), to punish Fract for his misdeeds in this life, and the next... forever.

When I first edited the show, I found the visuals very off-putting. The palate is drear, the lighting is dark. A lot of CGI is used, and it's pretty obvious. The DVDs are letterboxed, so a lot of screen real estate is lost. But the lack of budget forces the show to concentrate on the mercenaries, their backstories, and their interactions. I found that quite interesting, and I liked the show better when I watched it during release checking..

A few notes:

• The lengthy prologue, repeated in all four episodes, states that Fract had tried to conquer Orthozes at the start of his career but had failed. As the story makes clear, it was Fract's father who tried and failed. Fract was strongly motivated by a desire to succeed where his father did not.
• Fract's title in Japanese is soutou, which can be translated as leader, supreme commander, generalissimo, or fuhrer. I've used generalissimo throughout.
• In the fourth episode, the demon introduces himself by saying "I am infinite." Mugen means infinite in Japanese, so it may be his name, his attribute, or both.
• The website for the game, shown in the title sequence, has vanished. Not even the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine has any of it.

The voice cast is small; the show is basically a three-hander (Mara, Dino, Aide/Fract).

• Suwabe Junichi (Aide/Fract) played Bonten in Amatsuki and Jae-ha in Akatsuki no Yona, both Orphan releases. He also played the titles roles in Cuticle Detective Inaba and Space Dandy, Fuuma in the later X properties, Archer in the Fate Stay/Night franchise, Ren in the Uta no Prince-sama franchise, Yaichirou in Uchouten Kazoku, Worick in Gangsta, and Hayama in the Shokugeki no Souma franchise.
• Nakai Kazuya (Dino) played Zapp Renfro in Kekkai Sensen, Ryuuji in the Ao no Exorcist franchise, Date Masamune in the Sengoku Basara franchise, Shizuki in the xxxHoLiC franchise, Zoro in One Piece, Hijikata in Gintama, Mugen in Samurai Champloo, and Moses Sandor in Tales of Legendia.
• Matsuoka Yuki (Mara) played Senoo Aoki in the Ojamajo Doremi franchise, Ayumu in Azumanga Daioh, Kanaka in Shigofumi, Evangeline in the Mahou Sensei Negima franchise, Lisa in Girls Bravo, Nana in Elfen Lied, and Inoue in the Bleach franchise.
• Shimomura Tomoharu (Mugen) appeared in Air Master and Sakura Taisen.
• Shindou Naomi (Leo, a ragamuffin who recruits Aide) had featured roles in Mai Hime, No Game, No Life, Appleseed XIII, Asobi ni Ikuyo, Driland, and Gaiking. She played Rappi in Minna Atsumare! Falcom Gakuen SC and Hiroki's Grandmother in Chuck Shimezou, both Orphan releases.
• Mannaka Yukiko (Kanon, Fract's squeeze) appeared in Scrapped Princess and Green Green.
• Hirotsu Yukiko (Dino's daughter) appeared in Air Master and Blue Drop.
  
• Ryuutani Osamu (narrator) appeared in Air Master and Persona 4.
• Saitou Kimiko (Cerona, Mara's former commander) played the title role in Snack Basue, Rem in Death Note, Marie in Dimension W, Sofia in Golden Kamuy, Muugi in Made in Abyss, Micchan in Migi & Dali, and Chieko in Princess Jellyfish.
  

The director, Katou Taisuke, also directed RUN=DIM, Generation of Chaos Next, and Kingdom of Chaos The Universe.

This project actually started as a result of a comment in the blog post for Nayuta. (Yes, boys and girls, I do read your comments, but don't expect any more requests to be filled.) I thought that finding a good set of raws might encourage someone (else) to finish the project. An anonymous friend found the ISOs, and a different anonymous friend encoded them. The result was published as an Orphan-raw. Then, Perevodildo took an interest in the show. techdamage transcribed the old fansubs for the first two episodes. Perevodildo checked them and translated the last two. He timed all four episodes. I edited and typeset (not much). Topper3000 and Uchuu QCed. The release includes 16 (!) untranslated extras and promos, all of them about the game rather than the OVA itself.

So Orphan has finished another orphan series, and it feels pretty... pretty good! Whether Kingdom of Chaos itself deserves that label is up to you, Dear Reader. You can get the show from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #new on irc.rizon.net.

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.