Fantasia (The Girl from Phantasia)

We weren't really planning on doing the 1993 one-shot OVA Fantasia (English title, The Girl from Phantasia, possibly to avoid copyright issues with the Walt Disney film), but then Erik ripped the laserdisc of the show, and ics- happened to have a transcription of the English VHS subtitles, and one thing led to another. So here is an improved version of Fantasia, using a laserdisc encode instead of VHS, and with softsubs instead of hardsubs.

Fantasia is based on a five-volume manga of the same name by Nagano Akane, who doesn't have many other credits. It is unknown in the west. The manga came out between 1993 and 1996; the OVA seems to be a promotional piece for the first volume. It tells the story of one Ohtsuki Akihiro, a typically horny high-school student with nothing more serious on his mind than seducing his squeeze Miyuki. One day, he stumbles upon a beautiful discarded rug and takes it home, only to discover that it is the portal to the world of Fantasia (or Phantasia in the English version). The Knight Sentry or guardian of Phantasia is a beautiful, naive girl named Malon, who instantly concludes that Akihiro is the man of her dreams, which rather upsets Miyuki. Akihiro is willing to go along, but Malon's use of magic to get her way makes him angry, and he drives her off. Further complications ensue when the evil wizard Roll (son of Eclair) shows up to destroy Fantasia, while elf knights Short(cake) and Mont Blanc emerge to defend it. After suitable comic mayhem, there is a sort-of happy ending: happy for Malon, at least.

Note that all the Phantasian characters are named for desserts - Malon (or Maron; it's pronounced both ways) means chestnuts. Roll, Eclair, Short(cake), Mont Blanc, and "Brownie wizards" need no translation.

Furumoto Shinnosuke (Akihiro) has a fairly short resume; his best known role was playing Kunimi Hiro in H2. Yayoi Mitsuki (Malon) likewise has a short resume; her best known roles was Aira in Green Legend Ran. She also played Keith Winter's sister Maria in Condition Green, an Orphan release. Nanba Keiichi's, who gave an over the top performance as Roll the vengeful wizard, starred as Eizawa in Chameleon and Hongou in Nozomi Witches, both Orphan releases, as Koujiro in the Fuma no Koujiro OVA series, and as Momonari Junta in DNA^2. The director, Kamiya Jun, also helmed Seiikima II: Humane Society, an Orphan release, as well as Neo Ranga and the majority of episodes in Hikaru no Go.

We've used the R1 subs pretty much as is, although it's clear they're rather liberal. ics- transcribed the VHS subtitles. Sunachan translated the ending song. Yogicat retimed the subtitles. I edited and typeset; editing mostly meant excising the excessive number of exclamation marks. Nemesis did QC and also toned down the most exaggerated parts of the translation. The encode is by Erik of Piyo Piyo Productions, from his own Japanese laserdisc.

So here is Fantasia (The Girl from Phantasia). It's mildly funny, goes by in a flash, and leaves no unpleasant aftertaste. There's plenty of fanservice but no nudity. You can get it from the usual torrent sites or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.