2022 in Review

2022 winds down as catastrophically as most other recent years. The war in Ukraine grinds on. A "tripledemic" rages in the US. Covid has returned to claim its due in China and elsewhere. (Three of our staff members caught Covid this fall.) Pestilence, war, famine, and death ride unchecked. So what else is new?

Orphan Fansubs

Orphan's projects this year included a lot of retreads: rerips of previous releases; dubs added to previous releases; resubs of other groups' hardsubbed projects. I wish we could do more original subs, but translators and other resources are scarce. One stalled project, Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament, was successfully restarted, releasing a further four volumes.

1. A-Girl v3. A new version of the Margaret OVA, featuring much improved video.
   
2. Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament, episodes 10-12. The start of the Exodus story, from the enslavement of the Israelites to Moses' encounter with the burning bush.
   
3. Cherry no Manma. A short OVA, telling a tiny portion of a much larger story.
   
4. Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament, episodes 13-15.  The Exodus story continues with the plagues, the miracle at the Red Sea, and the journey to Mt. Sinai.
   
5. Baby Love. A shoujo romance featuring a very large age gap.
   
6. Choujikuu Romanesque Samy: MISSING 99. A sci-fantasy that makes as little sense as its title.
   
7. The Kitten's Doodles. An early black-and-white Toei cartoon, featuring a mischievous kitten and his even more mischievous mouse friends.
   
8. The Kitten's Studio. Another Toei cartoon, in color, featuring the kitten, his mouse friends, and an automated/robotic movie studio.
   
9. Tezuka Osamu: The Secret of Creation. A documentary about Tezuka Osamu, filmed in his last years. It was included as a bonus in the wonderful art book, "The Art of Osamu Tezuka."
   
10. Kosuke-sama Rikimaru-sama: Konpeitou no Ryuu. A DragonBall ripoff, but fun nonetheless. Kosuke and his younger brother Rikimaru must defend the nearly extinct dragons of Dragon Island from a ruthless collector and his mercenaries.
    
11. Junkers Come Here: Memories of You. A sentimental tale about an adorable talking Schnauzer that can work miracles, and his impact on a distressed family.
    
12. Kakyuusei (1995) v3. A DVD version of the softcore h-anime, which Orphan previously released from a laserdisc source.
    
13. Sotsugyou: Graduation. Five girls who are about to graduate from high school ponder their future plans. Should they do what they want, or what is expected of them?
    
14. King Fang v2. The shounen tale about a wild dog-wolf hybrid and his attempts to find freedom in the wild of Hokkaido. The video, from a streaming source, is a substantial improvement over the first version, which was ripped from a VHS tape.
    
15. Hayou no Tsurugi. A sword-and-sorcery tale about a young half-demon swordswoman battling evil demons, including her brother.
    
16. Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2: Shiroki Ryuu no Miko v2. This OVA, based on the second game in the Haruka Naru Toki franchise, is a somewhat anemic tale that seems to end before it properly gets off the ground.
    
17. Chameleon ep5. Pint-sized wannabe hood Yazawa Eisaku must fend of challenges from precociously violent middle-school students.
    
18. Nana Toshi Monogatari. Sci-fi set in a post-apocalyptic earth where naval warfare dominates because air warfare is not possible.. 
19. Arisa Good Luck. A one-shot OVA about a normal high-school girl, her siscon brother, and an Evil Organization bent on Ruling the World™.. 
20. Shiratori Reiko de Gozaimasu! A shoujo romantic comedy about a rich girl who is completely tsundere about her love interest.
    
21. Kimama ni Idol. Two high school girls from the country win a big lottery prize and come to Tokyo basically to goof off and have fun. They team up with another girl and try to break into the music business.
    
22. Don Dracula. Tezuka Osamu's incomplete comedy series about the legendary vampire, who inadvertently ends up in Japan when his castle is bought up by a local developer.
    
23. Ai no Kusabi (1992) DVD Extras. Short features from a pioneering BL title.
    
24. Chameleon ep6. The end of the road (thank goodness) for Yazawa Eisaku and his gang of friends and enemies.
    
25. Sugata Sanshirou. A well-loved story about the early days of judo, featuring a happy-go-lucky hero out to learn the secrets of martial arts from masters in Tokyo.
    
26. Nemure Omoigo, Sora no Shitone ni. A sci-fi yarn abut a young teenager's unexpected encounter with a replica of her mother.
    
27. Cat-Eyed Boy (1976), episode 2. The second episode of Umezz Kazuo's horror series.
    
28. Nemure Omoigo, Sora no Shitone ni HD. HD version of the show.
    
29. Wolf Guy v2. A sci-fi story about immortal wolf-men fighting to keep their secrets safe from secret societies, governments, and intelligence services alike.
    
30. Kaitei 3-man Mile SD. This was M74's original encode for this Toei movie, which was released last year in HD.
    
31. Hameln no Violin Hiki. A send-up of the "noble band of heroes" trope; a complete riot.
    
32. Maris the Choujo, dual audio. Dub added to last year's release.
    
33. Fire Tripper, single- and dual-audio. Another Rumic World OVA, about a young girl who can teleport through time when faced with danger from fire.
    
34. Laughing Target, single- and dual-audio. Another Rumic World OVA, about a disturbed girl who is determined to claim her place as the fiancee of a typical high school student.
    
35. Amon Saga, dual audio. Dub added to the 2020 release.
    
36. Fire Emblem, dual audio. Dub added to the 2017 release.
    
37. Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament, episodes 16-18. The Exodus story ends with Moses' death and Joshua's conquest of Canaan.
    
38. Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3: Kurenai no Tsuki. The Haruka Naru Toki formula applied to the Genpei wars. This part covers up to the battle of Ichi-no-Tani.
    
39. Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3: Owarinaki Unmei. The second part of the story, covering the battle of Dan-no-Ura and the aftermath. This version is 50% longer than any previously released version of the show and includes ten alternate endings.
40. Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament, episodes 19-21. The glory days of the United Kingdom of Israel: the reigns of Kings Saul and David.
41. Star Dust. A sci-fi OVA that's an uneasy mixture of great spaceship action and a clumsy lesson about racism.
    

A personal highlight was Sugata Sanshirou, a wonderfully picaresque saga of late Meiji Japan. Other personal favorites included Toei's Kitten, Nana Toshi Monogatari, Fire Tripper, and Laughing Target. Plus, I was really pleased to be done with Chameleon, at long last, and the Haruka Naru Toki franchise.

A big shout-out to Intrepid and Rezo for their ongoing work in media acquisition, transcription, and encoding. I also want to thank the Arutha foundation, which has hosted all of Orphan's releases on IRC. The timing regulars, ninjacloud and Yogicat, and the QC regulars, Nemesis and Uchuu, continue to carry the bulk of the group's projects in their respective fields. And last, but not least, Iri, tenkenX6, and kokujin-kun keep the group's original translation efforts afloat. But all the staffers, whether called out here or not, have made valuable contributions to the group's work.

The Audio Side

Orphan released some additional music this year. Except as indicated, the source is a CD, ripped by Intrepid.

1. Nana Toshi Monogatari OST (FLAC) 
2. Kyouryuu Daisensou Izenborg Music Collection (FLAC) - LP source
3. Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3: Kurenai no Tsuki OST (FLAC)
4. Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3: Kurenai no Tsuki Vocal Collection (FLAC)
5. Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3: Owarinaki Unmei OST (FLAC)
6. Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3: Owarinaki Unmei Vocal Collection (FLAC)
   

Work for Other Groups

Much the same.

• Frozen-EviL. I continued to edit the slow-moving Blu-Ray version of Yawara!
  
• Saizen. I continued to edit and typeset the slow-moving Laughing Salesman specials. I also started working on the slow-moving series Baby and Me.
  
• Soldado. Eternal_Blizzard has retired from fansubbing, alas.
  
• Inka. I typeset a few shows, to thank that team for their help on our joint projects.
  

With Saizen and Live-EviL involved in several of these projects, is "slow-moving" redundant?

Favorites of 2022

I'm not an anime critic, so I don't try to compile a "best of" list for the anime year. Instead, I'm listing my favorites of the year and why they kept me interested all the way through.

In alphabetical order:

• Aharen-san wa Hakarenai. This deadpan comedy really ticked my funny bone.
  
• Baraou no Suretsu. History rewritten as shoujo psychodrama. Despite terrible animation and plot twists that could not be believed, I couldn't turn awa; I'm a history major, after all.
  
• Dance Dance Danseur. A wonderful character study of a teenage boy wrestling with the conflicting demands of talent and conformity.
  
• Koukyuu no Karasu. Prolix to the max, but the (fictional) historical setting and characters were very engaging.
  
• Kumichou Musume to Segakawari. Yeah, it's sentimental pap, but I'm a grandad, so a show about a young child softening the heart of a closed-off adult is in my sweet spot.
• Mob Psycho 100 S3. Shounen is not normally a genre I like, but this season of Mob Psycho 100 was very good, and the series really stuck the landing.
  
• Ryman's Club. A seinen! And about badminton, the only sport I ever played competitively! I loved the character dynamics and the split emphasis on business as well as sports. However, negi soda... don't think so.
  
• Sabikui Bisco. A fine example of the Wide-Screen Baroque School of sci-fi. Killer 'shrooms! Heroes riding giant crabs! Improbable action and even more improbable coincidences! What more do you need?
  
• Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Sura. It pandered to its audience's fantasies, but the technical details about cosplay, and the interplay between the characters, worked.
  
• Summertime Render. At last, a mystery series that stayed mysterious (and consistent) right until the end.
  
• Yofukashi no Uta. A fascinating character study of introversion masquerading as a vampire story.
  

Isekai Oji-san would have made the list too, if it hadn't been delayed by production problems, as would Mairimashita! Iruma-kun S3, if it didn't continue into next year. I found the second half of Ousama Ranking disappointing.

 

I've really enjoyed two short series, Sekai no Owari no Shiba Inu to and Nights with a Cat. The former has some of the sharp writing that I liked in the Fireball series. The latter has a cat; 'nuff said.

Looking Ahead

In 2023, I intend to complete Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament. In all likelihood, this will be Orphan's last lengthy series. I'd like to do Ambassador Magma and finish up Sanada 10. There are still lots of OVAs and movies stranded on the wrong side of the Digital Divide. It's a race against time - to find, buy, and transcribe analog media before they decay irretrievably, and to get them translated, shaped up, and released before the same happens to me.

So Orphan Fansubs will continue to work on The Shows That Time Forgot™. There's no shortage of good material, and interesting raws are more abundant than ever; but qualified staff is in short supply. If you're a translator, encoder, editor, typesetter, or QC with an interest in the back catalog, please get in touch with me on irc.rizon.net. I even show up on Discord occasionally, under duress.

Thanks, everyone - both team members and fans. Have a happy and safe 2023.

Star Dust

Orphan's last release for 2022.

The 1992 sci-fi OVA Star Dust is the brainchild of Itano Ichirou, a well-known action director who worked on Megazone 23, Macross, and other famous series. Most recently, he developed the creatures in the SSSS.* series. It's an odd duck. I wonder if the pitch meeting went something like this:

Itano: Let's do an environmentally-themed sci-fi show set in space, with lots of action.
Producer: Okay:
Itano: And to spice it up, I'll include a heaping side-order of racism!
Producer: Tasty!

Well, maybe not exactly like that, but it's hard to explain Star Dust's mixture of straight-up sci-fi spaceship action with racism in both the dialog and the character designs. Maybe it made more sense 30 years ago.

Star Dust is set in the "distant" future: 2022 (that is, now). The Earth has been totally polluted by its increasing amounts of waste. As Bill Steele's 1971 song said,

Garbage (garbage, garbage, garbage) Garbage!
We're filling up the sea with garbage (garbage...)
What will we do when there's no place left
To put all the garbage? (garbage...)

The solution, according to the show, is to shoot the waste into space via a giant catapult and then transport it to the Sun for incineration (if it's harmless) or to Jupiter (if it's hazardous). Let's ignore the slight problem in orbital mechanics that makes this impractical or impossible and accept the premise. The UN sets up an enforcement mechanism, Cosmo Ecology, to make sure that companies don't cheat and dump hazardous waste in the Sun. Star Dust is about one encounter between a Cosmo Ecology patrol ship and a waste-contraband runner trying to dump radioactive waste into the Sun.

Star Dust opens with two disposal trucks, one filthy and driven by a brown-skinned man, and one immaculate, driven by a Japanese man and a white man, stop at a "filling station" to refuel on water. The Japanese character is drawn like a World War II caricature:

The Japanese man disparages the other truck (and by implication, its driver) as dirty and disgusting. The brown-skin man replies that the yellow and white men are responsible for polluting the Earth. It almost ends in a brawl, but a garbage container launch on the catapult requires everyone to shelter in place. The action transitions to space.

An unarmed space tug is wrestling the garbage container into place on a tanker, the Sandy T. The pilot of the tug is our hero, Saki. Based on data from his homemade sensor, he believes the container is full of radioactive waste. His white female supervisor, Lt. Cresson, berates him for slowing down the transfer. To get more evidence, he scrapes the container and shows his captain that it is a special coating designed to conceal radiation. Cresson dismisses his evidence in racist terms before her superior, Captain Fox, tells her to pipe down. He also doesn't feel the evidence is compelling, but his superior on Earth does and tells them to investigate the tanker.

The tanker is indeed running contraband and refuses to stop when ordered. Captain Fox scrambles his fighters to intercept, led by the all-American team leader, Robert Ryan. Ryan doesn't give a damn about the mission; he's only interested in getting back in time for his date with Lt. Cresson. Ryan calls Saki a "four-eyed, buck-toothed, yellow shrimp" for triggering this incident and beats him up. Saki, who is also drawn like a World War II caricature, then points out the obvious.

Ryan and his team are suckered into an encounter with the tanker's secret weapon, a stealth fighter. Their ships are blown up or disabled. Saki is the only pilot left, and his unarmed tug the only craft still able to fly. Despite the way he's been mistreated, Saki flies out to save the day, with only his wits and his homemade sensor to aid him. He succeeds, Ryan and Cresson learn their lesson (and still get their date), everyone pledges to behave better, and the OVA ends.

I don't have a problem with a Japanese anime portraying Western racism in savagely negative terms while ignoring Japan's own blemished record on the subject. I don't have a problem with the portrayal of Saki as having both superior intellect and superior principles (he's against lethal violence). I do have a problem with the visual caricatures employed - of the Japanese characters, the brown-skinned truck driver, and the impossibly good-looking western spaceship officers. Perhaps, as the translator suggested, the only thing to do is to let that part of the anime just sit there and enjoy the space action sequences, which were Itano's specialty.

I only have a small fraction of the voice cast, because the characters named in the credits are, by and large, never called by name during the show:

• Matsuno Taiki (Saki) played the title role in the second Kindaichi movie (an Orphan release) and every subsequent show in the franchise. He starred in Exper Zenon and appeared in Fukuyama Gekijou and Chameleon, all Orphan releases. He played Kouga in Inuyasha and the title role in The Adventures of the Little Prince.
• Nakamura Hidetoshi (Captain Fox) appeared in Ai no Kusabi, Nana Toshi Monogatari, and Exper Zenon, all Orphan releases.
• Yao Kazuki (Ryan) played Franky in One Piece, the lead in Makyou Gaiden Le Deus, the title role in Rance, Dark Schneider in Bastard!!, Chivas in Sorcerer on the Rocks, and Yoki in Fullmetal Alchemist (both versions). He also played the title role in Hameln no Violin Hiki,  Morbridge Jr in Nana Toshi Monogatari, K.K. in Elf 17, Date Ikkaku in Akai Hayate, Ryougaku in Wild 7, and Sofue Akira in Boyfriend, all Orphan releases.
• Tominaga Miina (Cresson) played Ritsu in Fruits Basket (2002), Persia in Magical Fairy Persia, Rollpanna in the Anpanman franchise, Misaki in Tsuritama, Muuma in Bavi Stock, Kamiya in Tokimeki Tonight, Hikaru in Chameleon, Karen in Yuukan Club, and Eri in Karuizawa Syndrome. The last five are Orphan releases.
• Umezu Hideyuki (Saddam, weapons officer on the tanker) played Akadama-sensei in Uchouten Kazoku and Uranos Corsica in Gangsta. He had featured roles in 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, and Ziggy Sore Yuke! R&R Band, all Orphan releases.
• Sasaki Nozomu (Mars, another fighter pilot) starred as Tetsuo in Akira, Ebata in Genji Part 1, Ushio in the original Ushio to Tora, Urameshi in the Yu Yu Hakusho franchise, and Mello in Death Note. He played Dekiru in Izumo, Taiga in Nagasarete Airantou, Hal in Next Senki Ehrgeiz, Wataru in Blue Sonnet, and Ling Fei-Long in Dragon Fist, all Orphan releases.
  

Who are Jimmy Dean, Terence Young, Dennis Brown, Giancarlo Nini, as identified in the credits? Only the director, Itano Ichirou, who also wrote the story, knows.

Iri translated the show. ninjacloud timed. I edited and styled (no typesetting). Topper3000 and Uchuu QCed; Uchuu provided the link about orbital mechanics. Interpid encoded from a Japanese VHS tape. The show was never released on laserdisc or digital media. One can understand why.

So here's Star Dust. Like the curate's egg, it's good in parts. 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.

Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament Ep19-21

The seventh volume of Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament is the pivot point between the mythic and "historical" parts of the Bible. (Quotes needed, because little of the history of the United Kingdom of Israel can be verified archaeologically.) The Israelites were competing for space in a crowded land and were under increasing pressure from larger political entities. They came to believe they needed more than just God's strength to protect them. Instead of decentralized tribes governed by charismatic local leaders ("judges"), they wanted a centralized kingdom and all that went with it. It worked - for a while.

This is also the point, in my view, where the series' G-rated, "greatest hits" approach to the Bible breaks down. These episodes present the highlights - Gideon's victory over Midian, Saul's selection and subsequent madness, David and Goliath - but they fail to do justice to the highly complex characters in this story. David is presented simplistically as a faithful servant of God. None of the dark notes - Absalom, Bathsheba, Uriah the Hittite - are mentioned. His deep friendship with Saul's son Jonathan, so carefully delineated in the Bible, is  ignored; Jonathan's role in saving David's life is given to Saul's daughter, Michal. David succeeds Saul, conquers Jerusalem, composes songs of praise to God, dies. This is not the compelling figure who captured the imagination of western artists from Michelangelo to Leonard Cohen. But... "you don't really care for music, do ya?"

Episode 19 ("King Saul") relates a few stories from the Book of Judges, specifically Deborah leading the people to victory over the Canaanites, and Gideon leading the chosen 300 (This is Sparta!) to victory over the Midianites. The main narrative tells how the prophet Samuel selected and anointed Saul as Israel's first king. Rocco has a catalytic role in bringing Saul into contact with Samuel.

The Book of Judges is actually far more schematic than this episode indicates. It contains six "cycles." In each of them, the people lapse into idolatry and are threatened by external enemies as God's punishment. A charismatic leader arises to bring the people back to their faith and earn God's forgiveness. The leader, with God's power, defeats the enemy, and the people enjoy forty years of peace. Rinse and repeat. This theme - God punishing the Israelites for lapses of faith via external enemies - will occur again.

Episode 20 ("Saul's Defeat") recounts the downfall of Saul. The king's initial run of victories make him arrogant, and he usurps the priests' role in rituals. He loses God's favor and becomes increasingly morose. Samuel seeks out the house of Jesse and secretly anoints his youngest son, the musically-talent shepherd David, as the future king. Later, Saul's servants send for David to play for the king and soothe his troubled soul. When the Philistines, led by their giant Goliath, challenge the Israelites, David volunteers to face Goliath and brings him down with his slingshot. David becomes instantly famous and wildly popular, and he marries Saul's daughter Michal. However, David's fame excites Saul's jealousy, and the king tries to have his rival killed. David is protected by God's favor. Saul is killed fighting the Philistines, along with his son Jonathan. Rocco is the young David's pet and companion.

At the end, David sings a song of mourning for Saul and Jonathan, but it is very generic compared to David's impassioned words in the Book of Samuel:

Jonathan lies slain on your high places.
I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
very pleasant have you been to me;
your love to me was extraordinary,
surpassing the love of women.

Not likely to make it into this series. How the mighty have fallen, indeed.

 

This episode has an unusually high number of director Dezaki Osamu's trademark detailed still frames or "postcard memories":

 

 

Episode 21 ("King David") starts with David's conquest of the Jebusite fortress of Jerusalem, located on Mount Zion. He calls Jerusalem "the city of David" and begins a massive reconstruction project to make it a beautiful center for his kingdom. He brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and dances in joy, celebrating the Lord. He also starts to build a temple to hold the Ark of the Covenant, but the prophet Nathan, relating God's words, tells David to leave that task to his successor.

This episode illustrates one incident that shows David's humanity. He dances before the Ark of the Covenant, wearing just an ephod (a priestly apron). This causes his wife, Michal, Saul's daughter, to rebuke him for dishonoring the dignity of a king. David disagrees, saying that to praise God, he would make himself even more of a mountebank, if need be. The episode omits, of course, the aftermath: David takes wives and concubines in Jerusalem and fathers eleven more children; he shuns Michal, who remains childless.

Rocco causes his usual fox-like chaos in the marketplace during David's celebration.

These episodes introduce new characters and new voice actors:

• Yoshida Rihoko (Deborah) played Megu-chan in Majokko Megu-chan, Monsley in Future Boy Conan, Maria Grace Fleed in UFO Robo Grendizer, Michiru in Getter Robo, Clara Sesemann in Alps no Shoujo Heidi, Rosalie Lamorliere in The Rose of Versailles, Kurama in Urusei Yatsura, and Machiko in Maicchingu Machiko-sensei. She appeared in numerous other World Masterpiece Theater series, including  Anne of Green Gables, Honoo no Alpen Rose, Katry the Cow Girl, Shoukoushi Cedie, Lucy May of the Southern Rainbow, Marco: 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother, Perrine, and Pollyanna. She played Holy Mother in Gude Crest, Takako in Sugata Sanshiro, and Diaochan in the first Sangokushi movie, all Orphan releases.
• Yamanouchi Masato (Samuel) appeared in Casshan, Future Boy Conan, Hell Liner-0011, Racoon Rascal, and Shounen Santa no Daibouken. 
• Yuuki Hiro (Young David) played the title role in Arc the Lad, Marcel in the Angelique franchise, and Masuo in Yume de Aetera. He also appeared in Neko Neko Fantasia, Nozomi Witches, and Yamato 2520, all Orphan releases.
• Ishizuka Unsho (David) played the title role in a Violence Jack OVA, Jet Black in Cowboy Bebop, Hongou in Rescue Wings, van Hohenheim in the original Fullmetal Alchemist, Dina in Banana Fish, and Bunta in the Initial D franchise.
• Shimaka Yuu (Goliath) played Katagiri in Yawara! He appeared in Bagi, Kosuke-sama & Rikimaru-sama: Konpeitou no Ryuu, Kasei Yakyoku, and Apfelland Monogatari, all Orphan releases.
• Hashi Takaya (Saul) appeared in Sanctuary, Oedo ga Nemurenai!, and Yuukan Club, all Orphan releases. He had featured roles in Blade Runner: Black Lotus, D.grayman, the Fafner franchise, Fire Force, and the Garo offerings.

For this set of episodes, both Moho Kareshi and Skr contributed to the translations. ninjacloud timed. I edited and transposed the typesetting. Nemesis and Uchuu QCed. Skr encoded from R2J DVDs.

You can pick up this batch of episodes from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

What's in a Name?

Today, in honor of the anniversary of the passing of our late colleague, CP, QC extraordinaire for many groups, we have a mass release of ongoing shows: three episodes of the Yawara! Blu-ray series, and no less than six specials from the Laughing Salesman high-definition series. And great episodes they are too. Yawara! is in the heart of the arc about Mitsuba's first judo tournament, where Fujiko finds her footing as a serious competitor (and finds romance as well). The Laughing Salesman specials delve even deeper into the series' dark and sometimes nightmarish humor.

Yawara! is a FroZen-Evil project; Laughing Salesman is a Evil-Saizen project. The hybrid group names obviously meant something back when the projects started - mid-2011 for Yawara!, late 2013 for Laughing Salesman. But what about today? "FroZen-Evil" stood for Frostii, Saizen, and Live-EviL. Frostii shut down shortly after the project started, but the name never changed. Laughing Salesman got started after the Yawara! DVD project finished and had pretty much the same staff. However, Frostii was long gone, so the joint name was shortened to Evil-Saizen.

The decade since then has seen many changes. CP has died; Juggen, Eternal_Blizzard, sangofe, and many others have mostly left fansubbing. Saizen is a shell of its former self. The projects are now staffed by a smorgasbord of people from the back catalog "kairetsu", including Orphan, Saizen, Inka, Live-Evil, and others. But the original project team names remain, as momento mori.

I find it quite sobering that I've been working on Yawara! for almost twelve years, and Laughing Salesman for almost nine. When I started, the prospect of a really lengthy series didn't seem all that daunting. I had all the time in the world. Now, I no longer feel that way, and the leisurely pace of these series is serious problem. In a world threatened by pandemic and war, with friends far younger than me removed from the scene by illness or other circumstances, the prospect of taking another six or seven years to finish these shows seems out of the question. The teams have made tentative steps towards a faster pace. I hope these steps lead to a more rapid cadence for both shows. If Yawara! could release weekly, like the original series team did, it would be done for CP day in 2023. Laughing Salesman needs a 3-4 week cadence. We'll see.

Meanwhile, enjoy watching Fujiko release her Ouchi Gari on unsuspecting rivals

while Fukuzo lures more victims into his increasingly sinister traps:

Happy holidays!

Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3: Owarinaki Unmei

And now the other shoe drops; Orphan presents a new version of the 2010 TV special, Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3: Owarinaki Unmei (In a Distant Time 3: Endless Destiny), the sequel to Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3: Kurenai no Tsuki (In a Distant Time 3: Crimson Moon). Owarinake Unmei was Orphan's first official release, in 2010. It was in desperate need of an update, because I had no idea what I was doing back then (or now, I suppose), so when the limited edition DVD set showed up on a second-hand media site, I jumped at it. I got more than I bargained for.

The box set not only has extras and promotional videos, it also has a set of ten "omake" that provide alternate endings for the show, allowing viewers to pair the heroine off with the bishounen of their choice. But more than that, the main video is thirty minutes longer than any prior version, providing a third and concluding chapter to the show. (The ending credit song is twice as long too.) What was supposed to be a straightforward updating of an old release was suddenly a major project, requiring additional translation of both dialog and songs.

How did this happen? All subbed versions to date were based on captures of the original TV broadcast, which was sixty minutes long. Although it seemed to end conclusively, the last third of the show had been chopped off for broadcast; a rather critical piece, as it turned out. The TV broadcast ended with the heroine swearing that she would settle everything at Dan-no-Ura. The extra chapters are the battle of Dan-no-Ura and its aftermath.

Owarinaki Unmei is not a direct continuation of Kurenai no Tsuki. The latter ended with a "replay" of the battle at Ichi-no-Tani, as the heroine, Nozomi, struggled to change the disastrous fate that befell her friends. As Owarinaki Unmei opens, Ichi-no-Tani is in the rear view mirror, a Genji victory, although how that happened isn't specified. Nozomi and her supporters battle a fearsome, supernatural assassin seeking Kurou's life, as well as various demonic warriors unleashed by all sides. Nozomi is determined to bring the war to a swift and balanced conclusion, but leaders on both sides have very different ideas.

The principal voice cast is the same as the previous show. There are a few new roles:

• Matsuda Yuki (Taira no Koremori) had featured roles in Gintama, Gravitation, Kaleido Star, Mouse, and Soul Hunter.
• Toriumi Kousuke (Fujiwara no Yasuhira) played Akira in Togainu no Chi, Yuuji in the To Heart franchise, Rajendra in the Arslan Senki reboot, Shunsuke in the Yowamushi Pedal franchise, Kenshin in Sengoku Night Blood, Ren in Dies Irae, Cecil in the Uta no Prince-sama franchise, and Hajime in the Hakuouki franchise.

The director, Tsunaki Aki, also directed Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2 and Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de: Hachiyoushou. He did character design and animation direction as well.

The omake are mostly recaps of interactions from the main show, with a bit of original dialog and, in most, a background song. In each, one of the bishounen declares his undying admiration for Nozomi and his hopes that they can be together. Most culminate in a chaste embrace, although HInoe actually kisses her (he was always the lad).

In addition to an ending for each Hachiyou, there's an ending for Hakuryuu, the white dragon god, and even Tomomori, the rather sinister fighter for the Heike. The release also includes some untranslated extras - a live-action set of interviews and three promotional videos.

The original subtitles for the TV special were by EPIC. I revamped them for Orphan's release back in 2010. For this extended release, purpleparrotkin translated all the new dialog in the main show, as well as the new dialog in the ten omake and the additional ending song verse. He also identified the background songs in the omake, which was extraordinarily helpful. Yogicat timed the main show; I timed the omake, with help from ninjacloud. I edited and typeset; there was very little typesetting to do beyond the main title. Nemesis and Uchuu QCed. An anonymous friend encoded, using R2J DVD ISOs that Intrepid ripped. The audio tracks are all FLAC. Intrepid also ripped the OST and vocal collection for the show; they're FLAC too.

So here is a new version of Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3: Uwarinaki Unmei, "complete and unabridged," with all its extras. You can find the release on the usual torrent site or download all the piece parts from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3: Kurenai no Tsuki

The Haruka Naru Toki properties, based on an otome game franchise from Ruby Party, are a persistent theme (or a running curse) running through Orphan's history. Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3: Owarinaki Unmei was Orphan's first official release in 2010. Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 2 followed in 2013, along with two specials from the Hachiyoushou TV series. And now, Orphan is releasing Haruka Toki no Naka de 3: Kurenai no Tsuki (In a Distant Time 3: Crimson Moon), the prequel to Owarinaki Unmei. This 2007 TV special has been available previously only as a hardsubbed release from Oi! fansubs.

Like its predecessors, Haruka Naru Toki 3 features a typical high-school girl transported through time to the distant past, where she gathers support from eight handsome retainers, the Hachiyou (eight leaves). This installment embeds the familiar otome game premise in an actual historical setting, the Genpei war between the Genji (Minamoto) and Heike (Taira) clans. The result is rather odd, as historical events and personalities must be mingled with otome game mechanics and supernatural trappings.

Haruka Naru Toki 3 dispenses with the usual boring "invocation" sequence, in which the modern day high-school girl is transported back in time and gathers the Hachiyou. Instead, Kurenai no Tsuki opens in media res. The heroine, Kasuga Nozomi, is already the Priestess of the White Dragon, as embodied in the handsome but naive Hakuryuu. She is fighting for the Genji with her eight Hachiyou:

• Arikawa Masaomi, the Seiryuu of Heaven; fictional
• Kurou, the Seiryuu of Earth; based on the historical Minamoto no Yoshitsune
  
• Hinoe, the Suzaku of Haven; based on the fictional Fujiwara no Tanzou
  
• Benkei, the Suzaku of Earth; based on the historical Musashibou Benkei
• Arikawa Yuzuru, the Byakko of Heaven, Masoami’s younger brother; fictional
• Kagetoki, the Byakko of Earth; based on the historical Kajiwara Kagetoki. He carries a rifle, which wouldn't be invented for centuries.
  
• Atsumori, the Genbu of Heaven; based on the historical Taira no Atsumori
  
• Ridvan ("Sensei"), the Genbu of Earth, possibly a tengu; fictional
  

Many of the other characters are also based on historical figures: 

• Yoritomo - Minamoto no Yoritomo, older half-brother of Yoshitsune (also called Kamakuro-dono)
• Masako - Houjou Masako, wife of Yoritomo
• Tomomori -Taira no Tomomori, son of Taira no Kiyomori, the head of the Taira clan
  
• Tsunemasa - Taira no Tsunemasa, older brother of Atsumori
• Koremori - Taira no Koremori
• “His Lordship” - Emperor Antoku, grandson of Kiyomori
• “Her Eminence” -Taira no Tokiko, wife of Kiyomori and grandmother of Antoku

But there's trouble ahead. Nozomi has joined the Genji because the Heike are using onryou (resurrected demons) to fight, but her retinue includes (incognito) Heike supporters and members of the influential and devious Fujiwara clan. Further, the Genji leaders are more than willing to betray their own supporters to consolidate their power. Events climax at the (real) battle of Ichi-no-Tani, where Nozomi's powers are put to a severe test.

There's no point in critiquing Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3: Kurenai no Tsuki as history (it's nonsense), and not much point in critiquing it as drama. Its otome game roots mean that the cast is overstuffed with bishounen mostly distinguished by their hair color. Character traits are delineated in a few broad strokes, if that. The show does improve on previous offerings in the series by making its heroine much more capable. Nozomi is not the usual helpless waif but a strong leader and a competent swordswoman. There's no point asking where she learned her skills; kendo club, maybe?

Because of the large cast of characters, the voice cast is huge. All of them appear in the second episode, Owarinaki Unmei, and many of them appeared in other installments of the franchise.

• Kawakami Tomoko (Kasuga Nozomi) played the titles roles in Revolutionary Girl Utena, Hikaru no Go, and Chiccha na Yuki Tsukai Sugar. She also played Akane, the heroine, in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de: Hachyoushou (TV and movie), Chiriko in Fushigi Yuugi, Kamio Misuzu in Air, Soi Fon in Bleach, Rosette Christopher in Chrno Crusade, Yura in Futari Ecchi, Kazuma in Detective Academy Q, Youko in Tactics, Linen in Lime Iro Ryuukitan Cross, Sumi in Amaenaide yo!!, and a personal favorite, Elise the irate personal assistant in, Nodame Cantabile. She also played Takakura Karin, the heroine, in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2, Carrot in Waza no Tabibito, and Rinko in Kigyou Senshi Yamazaki: Long Distance Call, all Orphan releases.
• Miki Shinichirou (Arikawa Masaomi) played Kojiro in Pokemon, Fujiwara Takumi in Initial D, Urahara Kisuke in Bleach, Minamoto no Yorihisa in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de: Hachyoushou, Shintarou in Lime-iro Senkitan, Bruce Wayne in Batman: Gotham Knight, Roy Mustang in Full Metal Alchemist (2009), Katze in Ai no Kusabi (2012), and Gintarou in Gingitstune. He also played Minamoto no Yoritada in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2, Johnny in Jikuu Bouken Nuumamonjaa, John Bishop (the sharpshooter) in AWOL Compression Remix, and Cyber-X in Hand Maid May, all Orphan releases.
• Nakahara Shigeru (Arikawa Yuzuru) 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 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.
• Okiayu Ryoutarou (Hakuryuu) starred as the title roles in Gambler Densetsu Tetsuya, Toriko, and Keppeki Danshi! Aoyama-kun, Mitsui Hisashi in Slam Dunk, Matsura Yuu in Marmalade Boy, Jinnai Katsuhiko in the El-Hazard franchise, Nueno Meisuke in the Hell Teacher Nube series,Samejima Ranmaru in Kizuna, Souma Shigure in Fruits Basket (2003), Berserker in Fate/Zero, Hideyoshi in Sengoku Basara, and Atsushi in Recorder to Ransel. He also played Takao-san in Let's Nupu Nupu, Abel in Fire Emblem, Gion in Okane ga nai!, and Akram in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2 (a repeat of his role in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de: Hachyoushou), all Orphan releases.
• Takahashi Naozumi (Hinoe) played Bunta in the Prince of Tennis franchise, Inori in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de: Hachyoushou, and Isato in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2, an Orphan release.
• Kawamura Maria (Houjou Masako) played Naga the Serpent in the Slayers franchise, the title role in Fujiko Fujio A no Mumako, Eluza in the Gall Force OVAs, Interpreter in the Compiler OVAs, Luna and Tiger Lily in Peter Pan no Bouken, Kate in Hitomi no Naka no Shounen: 15 Shounen Hyouryuuki, and Shirin in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2 (a repeat of her role in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de: Hachyoushou). The last two are Orphan releases.
• Inoue Kazuhiko (Kajiwara Kagetoki) starred as Yamaoka Shirou in Oishinbo, Yuki Eiri in Gravitation, the title role in Cyborg 009, Tachibana no Tomomasa in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de: Hachyoushou, and my favorite role, the irascible, sake-swilling Nyanko-sensei in the Natsume Yuujichou franchise. He also played Saiki Haruka in Tobira o Akate, Iori in Tomoe's Run!, Kanuma Hayate in Akai Hayate, Ryousuke in Daishizen no Majuu Bagi, Kitten Smith in Starship Troopers, Liu Bei Xuande in both Sangokushi TV specials, Ayako in Lunn Flies into the Wind, Nakatsugawa in Boyfriend, and Hisui in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2, all Orphan releases.
• Kuwashima Houko (Kajiwara Saku) starred in the the title roles in Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne and Arete-Hime and played Sango in Inuyasha, Aoi in Infinite Ryvius, Marlene in Blue Gender, Morimura Ran in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de: Hachyoushou, Margaret in Madlax, Kou Shuurei in the Saiunkoku Monogatari series, Yuuko in Dennou Coil, Chizuru in the Hakuoiki properties, and Warp in Kaiba. She played Taira no Chitose in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2 and appeared in The Girl with Blue Eyes and Yume Tsukai, all Orphan releases.
• Seki Tomokazu (Minamoto no Kurou Yoshitsune) played Keisuke in the Initial D franchise, Kenji in the original Pokemon, Ken in Weiss Kreuz, Kyou in the original Fruits Basket, Rentarou in Futakoi Alternative, Tanaka in Genshiken, Ryuuki in Saiunkoku Monogatari, Dee in Fake, Shinya in the Psycho-Pass properties, GIlgamesh in the Fate/Stay franchise, Morimura Tenma in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de: Hachyoushou, and Suneo in many Doraemon movies. He also played Taira no Katsuzane in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2 and Yamaoka Tetsutarou in Hidamari no Ki, both Orphan releases.
• Miyata Kouki (Musashibou Benkei) played Suzaku no Rei in Saint Beast, Daisuke in Major, Ken in Kyou Kara Maou!, Kouta in the Baka to Test franchise, Shimon in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de: Hachyoushou, Akifumi in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2, and Badger, Sea Otter, and Squirrel Mama in Shirokuma Cafe. The last two are Orphan releases.
• Ishida Akira (Ridvan) starred as Sasuke in Samurai Deeper Kyou, Chrno in Chrno Crusade, Howard in Uninhabited Planet Survive, Rion in Galerians: Rion, Komugi in Hen Zemi, and Arima in Princess Lover. He played Abe no Yasuaki in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de: Hachyoushou, Gaara in the Naruto franchise, Shinichi in Nana, Athrun Zala in the Gundam Seed Destiny properties, Cho Hokkai in the Saiyuki franchise, Xellos in the Slayers franchise, Natori in the Natsume Yuujinchou franchise, Tsukasa in the Shokugei no Souma franchise, and Kuchiki in the Genshiken series. He played brother Oomori in Let's Nupu Nupu, Gordon in Fire Emblem, and Abe no Yasutsugu in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2, all Orphan releases.
• Hoshi Souichirou (Taira no Atsumori) played Kira Yamato in the Gundam Seed series, Sanada Yukimura in the Sengoku Basara franchise, Eisen in Haruka Naru Toke no Nake de: Hachiyoushou, Kei in Onegai Teacher, Maebera in the Higurashi franchise, Tomoki in the Soro no Otoshimoto franchise, Son Goku in the Saiyuki franchise, Shinji in the Symphogear franchise, Nagi in Tenjou Tenge, and Minamoto no Motomi in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2, an Orphan release.
• Hanawa Eiji (Taira no Tsunemasa) played Chikage in Antique Bakery, Daryl in Ai no Kusabi (2012), Niccolo in Shingeki no Kyojin: Final Season, and Sabato in Blade of the Immortal. He appeared in Kage (Shadow), an Orphan release.
• Hamada Kenji (Taira no Tomomori, Shirogane) has had numerous featured roles, including Dobu in Odd Taxi, Brooz in Ishuzoku Reviewers, Sabruou in Angolmois, and Tigre in 91 Days. He appared in Nagasaki 1945: Angelus no Kane, an Orphan release.

The director, Shinohara Toshiya, also helmed the Inuyasha movies, the Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de: Hachyoushou movie, the Gunparade Orchestra properties, Kuroshitsuji, Red Data Girl, and Shiroi Suna no Aquatope.

In addition to the main show, this release includes a comic extra, the Onsen Special, depicting the main characters in chibi form, relaxing at a hot spring, as well as the non-credit OP and ED. It also includes live-action extras and promotional videos, which have not been translated.

The original subtitles for the main show were by Oi! (Otakaru Island); for the special, by EPIC. Yogicat transcribed and timed the subtitles. I edited and typeset; the only real typesetting is the title sequence. Nemesis and Uchuu QCed. The raws are from an R2J DVD, encoded by an anonymous friend. The video is an enormous improvement over the original Oi! release, which was a TV rip, and the original EPIC release, which had the wrong aspect ratio. The subtitles are far easier to read. To that end, the original's colored subtitles, coded to match the characters' hair colors, had to be sacrificed. Sayonara, 2008.

So here is a much improved version of Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3: Kurenai no Tsuki and all its extras. You can find the release on the usual torrent site or download all the piece parts from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.