Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament: Batch

So here, four years after we started, is Orphan's final word on Tezuka Osamu's Tales of the Old Testament: In the Beginning. The batch contains four revised episodes: 4, 5, 6, and 12. Two of them are missing a font, one has an incorrect style, and one has an artifact from image stabilization that causes black lines to appear at the top of the screen. Patches are available for all four.

The project was Skr's brainchild, and he did much of the work on the series, including encoding, styling, and credit typesetting, He translated many of the episodes, until Real Life forced him to take a hiatus. His return enabled Orphan to finish the series fairly quickly in 2022 and 2023.

Staff credits:

• Translation: Skr (ep1-10); Nutella (ep10-16); Skr and Moho Kareshi (ep17-26)
  
• Timing: Skr (ep1-6); Skr and Collectr (ep7-9); Yogicat (ep13-16); Skr and ninjacloud (ep17-26)
• Styling and base credit typesetting: Skr (all)
• Editing: Collectr (all)
• QC: Nemesis (all), Topper3000 (ep1-12), Uchuu (ep10-26)
• Encoding: Skr (all)

Skr also provided the R2J DVDs for the series.

In the individual volume reviews, I've already made clear my views (and reservations) about the series. It is entertainment, aimed at a general audience, including children. The unsavory aspects of the Old Testament are simply omitted. The great stories, such as the binding of Isaac, don't achieve the artistic heights and emotional depths they require. The music is pedestrian, with a portentous orchestral opening, a vapid ending ballad, and faux biblical choruses at inappropriate points. Finally, I'm not enamored of ending a series explicitly titled Tales from the Old Testament with tales from the New Testament.

On the other hand, the series bears many of Tezuka Osamu's hallmarks, emphasizing a good story line while mixing in doses of comedy, mostly provided by Rocco the fox. It also shows many of director's Dezaki Osamu's trademarks, which keeps it visually interesting. It won't replace Hidamari no Ki as my all-time favorite Tezuka Osamu series, but it's a notable addition to Orphan's translations of his works.

I'll close with two images from the last episode. First, a tender portrait of mother and child:

And second, the last glimpse of Rocco the fox:

You can get the complete series from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #new on irc.rizon.net. Thanks for watching.

 

Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament Ep25-26

With the return of the Jews (as they were now known) to Jerusalem, the historical narrative in the Old Testament basically peters out. The books of Ezra and Neremiah provide a look at the early years of the Second Temple period, but after that, nothing. Actual historical events, like the revolt of the Maccabees against their Greek overlords, are not included, at least not in Jewish and Protestant versions of the Old Testament. Instead, the Old Testament is filled out with a section known as Ketuvim, the Writings. This contains standalone stories, such as Esther, Ruth, and Daniel; poems, such as Psalms and Lamentations; and philosophical works, such as Ecclesiastes and Job.

So the creators of this series had a choice. They could have shown the Maccabees' revolt. It's an action-packed story with a miracle at the end. They could have done stories from the Writings. Esther and Ruth would have made fine standalone episodes. And I would have loved to see what Tezuka Osamu, creator of Cleopatra and Senya Ichiya Monogatari, would have made of The Song of Solomon. But it was not to be. A series sponsored by the Catholic Church had to drive toward a different conclusion. And so the ninth and last volume of Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament might better be titled "Tales from the Apocrypha and the Gospels."

Episode 25 ("Prophets in the Desert") fast-forwards through more than 300 years of history to the Roman occupation of  Palestine (as it was now called) in 63 BCE. Jewish belief is in ferment. Concepts from other religions, such as the immortality of the soul and the imminence of end times, combined with longing for liberation from foreign masters, merge into belief in the coming of a Messiah. This man would be a descendant of David, would gather the scattered tribes of Israel back to Palestine to be their king, and would lead the world in a new era of justice and peace. As signs and portents gather, Mary, a young woman descended from the line of David, receives a visit from a heavenly messenger, who tells her that she will bear a son, to be named Jesus.

Three wise man from the east see a bright star in the heavens, a sign that a great king will be born in Israel. They set out across the desert for Palestine. Rocco accompanies a nameless prophet who speaks of the immanent arrival of the Messiah.

Episode 26 ("The Birth of Jesus") retells the Nativity story. The Roman emperor Augustus orders that all residents of Palestine must return to their birthplaces and register themselves and their property, so they can be taxed. Mary, now pregnant, and her husband Joseph set out from their home in Nazareth to Joseph's birthplace, Bethlehem. Meanwhile, the wise men visit Herod the Great, the Roman's client king of Judea, and tell him that a king of the Jews will soon be born. Herod will brook no rival king, and he sends his troops after the wise men with orders to kill the newborn infant. However, a miraculous whirlwind scatters the assassins and prevents them from following the three sages into Bethlehem.

When Mary and Joseph reach Bethlehem, they stop to visit Elizabeth and Zechariah, who are celebrating the recent birth of their son John, the future Baptist. But when Mary and Joseph look for a place to stay, they find that all the inns and lodging houses are full. Because Mary is in labor, they seek refuge in a cave. The star guides the sages to the cave, and its light brings the local shepherds and farmers to its threshold. There they find Mary nursing her newborn child and fall to their knees in awe and thankfulness.

Rocco is a distant witness to the journey of the three wise men and to the Nativity. 

The voice actors in this volume include:

• Goto Tetsuo (Simon) had featured roles in Armored Troooper Votoms, Eureka Seven Ao, Zero no Tsukaima, Kado: The Right Answer, and Squid GIrl.
• Fujiki Seiko (Anna) appeared in Nagaski 1945: Angelus no Kane, an Orphan release.
• Kiyokawa Motomu (prophet) played Fuyutsuki Kouzou in the recent Evangelion movies, Walter Dornez in Hellsing Ultimate, Charles Auclair in the Nodame Cantabile franchise,  and Gouza in the current Ars no Kyojuu. He played Kosuke as an adult in Sensou Douwa: Boku no Boukuugou, an Orphan release.
• Suzuki Katsumi (messenger) appeared in Hi-Speed Jecy, Zetsuai: 1989, and Kosuke-sama to Rikimaru-sama: Konpeitou no Ryuu, all Orphan releases.
• Hayami Shou (angel) reprises her role from earlier episodes.
• Amano Yuri (Mary) played the title role in The Legend of Snow White, Julia in Daddy Long Legs, Kiyone in the Tenchi Muyo franchise, and Moemi in Video Girl Ai. She appeared as Kuzunoha in Akuemon, Angie in Condition Green, Elthena in Eien no Filena, Kitagawa in Nozomi Witches, Noriko in Singles, Yuko in St. Michaela Gakuen Hyouryuuki, Ayuuru in B.B. Fish, and in multiple roles in Fukuyama Gekijou, all Orphan releases.
• Hirata Hiroaki (Joseph) played Kondo Masami in Koi wa Ameagari no You ni,  Benny in Black Lagoon, Itsuki in the Kindaichi movies, Sa Gojou in Saiyuki and its sequels, Sanji in One Peace, Zaki in DearS, Jack in Moonlight Mile, Nantoka in Rita to Nantoka, Tiger in Tiger & Bunny, Vinsmoke in One Piece, Fujimoto in Ao no Exorcist, and Max Lobo in Bananafish. He also played Mishima Jun in Chameleon and the professor in Nemure Omoigo, Sora no Shitone ni, both Orphan releases.
• Koyama Tekohiro (Zechariah) had featured roles in Cowboy Bebop, Demon Lord Dante, Project Blue Earth SOS, Robotics;Notes, and Texhnolyze. He appeared in Nagasaki 1945: Angelus no Kane, an Orphan release.
• Sasaki Seiji (Roman captain) appeared in Howl's Moving Castle, One Piece, Samurai 7, and Inazuma Eleven.
• Masato Sako (Herod) had featured roles in Dotanba no Manners and the You're Under Arrest movie.
• Doi Mika (Elizabeth) previously appeared as Hagar.
• Ishinami Yoshito (wise man) appeared in Arc the Lad, Hikaru na Go, and Legend of the Galactic Heroes.
• Ishikawa Kazuyuki (wise man) appeared in Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock, El Hazard: The Alternative World, Reign: The Conqueror, and Zatch Bell.

I could not identify the actor playing the third wise man.

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.

Batch torrent soon.

Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament Ep22-24

The eighth volume of Tezuka Osamu's Tales of the Old Testament covers the glory days of the Kingdom of Israel, its decline (mostly skipped) and fall, the Babylonian captivity, and the return of the people to Jerusalem.

Episode 22 ("The Kingdom of Solomon") portrays the high point of the Kingdom of Israel, the reign of Solomon. As king, Solomon builds a magnificent temple to the Lord, the remains of which are still visible as the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. He is held in high esteem for his wisdom and judgment by the people and by neighboring monarchs, including the Queen of Sheba, who visits him in Jerusalem. 

However, Solomon is corrupted by wealth and power and veers from observance of God's commandments. He marries foreign women, and when they request permission to worship their gods, he permits it. At the end of the episode, a wandering prophet castigates the king and the people for their sins and prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem. Rocco does not appear, for the first time in the series.

This episode omits some of the more interesting tidbits about Solomon (he had 700 wives and 300 concubines, for example). It also telescopes the arrival of the prophets into his reign, when they actually appeared later. Visually, the episode makes heavy use of Dezuki Osamu's trademark, postcard memories  The death of David's favorite son Absalom and the succession of Solomon is shown almost entirely with static shots of postcards.

The series then omits the next 300+ years of Biblical narrative. After Solomon, the kingdom fell into disarray and split into two parts: the northern Kingdom of Israel, centered on Samaria, and the southern Kingdom of Judah, centered on Jerusalem. Israel was destroyed by the Assyrian Empire, and its people were carried off or dispersed. Judah survived for a while as a client state of Assyria, but one of its king chooses the wrong side in an Assyrian-Babylonian conflict. The Babylonians invaded and overthrew the king. Later, they invaded again and destroyed the kingdom of Judah completely. And that brings us to...

Episode 23 ("The Babylonian Captivity"). The Babylonians invade and destroy Jerusalem. They carry off its people to Babylon as slaves and its treasures for King Nebuchadnezzar's coffers. (The people in the surrounding countryside were left alone, as part of the new Babylonian province of Yehuda.) Ezekiel the prophet escapes the city with a boy named Nun. In Babylon, Ezekiel rallies the spiritually bereft slaves. He tells them to return to the ways of God and to obedience to the commandments. He makes sure that the history of the Israelites and the laws of Moses are preserved and remembered, providing the spiritual solace (today we would say, the cultural identity) the people need. Rocco makes repeated appearances as Nun's pet.

The Bible actually has very little to say about the Babylonian captivity: snippets in Jeremiah, 2 Kings, and 2 Chronicles. Ezekiel was there, but his writings are mystical, not historical. Nevertheless, the capture of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple left deep scars on the psyche of Israelites. This is reflected in Psalm 137. The first part is an aching lament of a people exiled and enslaved (beautifully set to music in Godspell):

By the waters of Babylon,
there we sat down and wept,
when we remembered Zion.
On the willows there
we hung up our lyres.
For there our captors
required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
"Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
How shall we sing the Lord's song
in a foreign land?

But the second part is a cry of rage about what has happened, culminating in one of the most bloodthirsty curses in the Bible:

If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget its skill!
Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
above my highest joy! {one verse omitted here}
O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed,
blessed shall he be who repays you
with what you have done to us!
Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
and dashes them against the rock! 

The Old Testament is not for the faint of heart.

Episode 24 ("Liberation from Captivity") portrays the conquest of Babylonia by the Persians under King Cyrus II (Cyrus the Great). Historical sources are scarce and contradictory. The events in the episode - Babylon is betrayed by a disaffected priestly group - are fictional, although some source suggest it fell without a fight. The episode also includes a story from the Book of Daniel, in which the fateful words "Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin" suddenly appear before the baffled Prince Belshazzar. Daniel interprets them as a pronouncement of doom from God, and so it transpires. Cyrus frees the enslaved Hebrews (and other conquered peoples who had been carried off to Babylon) to return to Jerusalem and build a new temple. They renew their allegiance to God and the Laws of Moses and set out. Rocco has a cameo at the end, witnessing their departure.

New stories mean new voice actors:

• Aomori Shin (Solomon) played Kurokawa in Meisou-ou Border, an Orphan release. He had featured rules in Aquarion, the Dragon Ball franchise, One Piece, and Rowdy Sumo Wrestler Matsutaro!!
• Yanaga Kazuko (Queen of Sheba) played Fyana in Armored Trooper Votoms, Mime in Harlock Saga, and Peggy in Kizuoibito. She appeared in Bavi Stock and Bremen 4, both Orphan releases.
• Ohtsuka Akio (Young Ezekiel) played the title roles in most of the Black Jack properties, Ambassador Magma, Blade, and Montana Jones. He also played Gozo in the Aika franchise, Batou in the Ghost in the Shell franchise, the villain All for One in Boku no Hero Academia, and Nyanko Big in one memorable episode of Tada Never Falls in Love. He played Kenneth Guildford in Nana Toshi Monogatari, George in Condition Green, the narrator in Fire Emblem, Nobunaga the boss crow in Ultra Nyan 2, Zilu in Eiyuu Banka Koushi-den, and Black Jack in Tezuka Osamu Disappears, all Orphan releases.
• Tamio Ohki (Old Ezekiel) played Dr. Tenma in Tezuka Osamu Disappears, an Orphan release, as well as the 1980 version of Astro Boy, Ibuya in Hidamari no Ki and Darai Sem in Amon Saga (also Orphan releases), Aramaki in the GITS movies, and the title role in Planetarian: Hoshi no Hito.
• Ootomo Ryuuzaburou (Nebuchadnezzar) played Sir Crocodile in One Piece and Dabra in Dragon Ball Z. He appeared as Zach in AWOL Compression Remix, an Orphan release.
• Ishikawa Hiromi (Nun) appeared in Maohoujin Guru Guru, Mokke, Shaman King, and other shows.
• Aono Takeshi (Belshazzar) played Nurarihyon in every incarnation of GeGeGe no Kitarou through 2007, Billy Bones in Treasure Island, Bookman in D.grayman, Dracule in One Piece, Katsuhiko Masaki in the Tenchi Muyo franchise, and Shiro Sanada in the Yamato franchise. He also appeared in A Penguin's Memories, Ginga Tansa 2100: Border-nen, Fire Emblem, Grimm Douwa: Kin no Tori, Hashire Melos!, the three Sangokushi movies (as Guan Yu), and Rain Boy, all Orphan releases.
• Ishizuka Unshou, who played David, made a return appearance as Cyrus, King of Persia.

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.

Sotsugyousei Revisited

Back in the airly days (2013), Orphan did a number of projects based on the -uusei eroge franchise, starting with a three episode OVA from the turn of the century, Sotsugyousei (The Graduate). By itself, Sotsugyousei didn't make much sense, so that led us to translate its parent series, Doukyuusei 2; and then on to Doukyuusei Climax, Kakyuusei (1995), and Tenkousei. At that point, I fully expected never to see these shows again.

I reckoned without the determination of an Internet pen pal, ProxyMan. He went on a buying spree to find R2J sources for all of Orphan's hentai (or near hentai) shows that had used Internet raws. Using his sources, Orphan released better versions of Lunatic Night 3 and Beast City 3, a new version of Doukyuusei: Climax, and the first DVD-based version of Kakyuusei (1995). Now, Orphan is releasing a new version of Sotsugyousei, using a modern encode made from the R2Js.

When Orphan released the show, I didn't even attempt a synopsis, because the events and characters were so closely intertwined with the parent series, Doukyuusei 2. For those disinclined to watch or rewatch all twelve episodes of that show, here is a crib for the characters:

• The hero, Sanshirou is a recent graduate of Yasohachi Academy, He now attends Imperial University.
• He is tutoring Mizuno Tomomi, a girl at Yasohachi Academy, but he loves
• Sakakibara Miyuki. She is piano tutor to
• Maijima Karen, an idol who attends Yasohachi Academy. She seems to have a yuri yen for
  
• Narusawa Yui, a girl at Yasohachi Academy, who has a crush on
• Kondou Makoto, who is not a relative but lives at her house. (His name is changed to Ryuunosuke in this sequel, and he never speaks.)
  
• Narusawa Misako, Yui's mother.
• Minamikawa Youko, a red-headed girl.
• Yasuda Azumi, a girl at Karen's racquet club.
• Yousuke, a "yankee" who is Miyuki's former boyfriend.
• "Affection Points Teller", a costumed girl who forecasts Sanshirou's future and gives him relationship advice at key turning points

Sanshirou returns to his hometown on break and promptly falls into the middle of all these relationships and crosscurrents. His interactions with the girls, the girls' interactions with each other, and Yui's propensity for getting herself and other girls into compromising positions, provide frequent excuses for boob, butt, and panty shots, but there is no actual sex. 

Eventually, Sanshirou gets together with Miyuki and true love triumphs, as in all the other -uusei series.

Sotsugyousei has basically the same cast as Doukyuusei 2:

• Kishio Daisuke (Sanshirou) played Ryou in Final Approach, Tsukune in Rosario to Vampire, Jouslain in Tytania, Komatsu in Toriko, Teshima Junta in the Yowamushi Pedal franchise, and Kanamori (Venus) in Heaven's Design Team.
• Kumagaya Niina (Mizuno Tomomi) had featured roles in Demon Warrior Koji, Heli-tako Pu-chan, and New Dominion Tank Police.
• Mizusawa Jun (Sakakibara Miyuki) appeared in Android Ana Maico 2010.
• Yajima Akiko (Maijima Karen) played the title role in Idol Densetu Eriko, Lemon in VS Knight Ramune & 40 Fresh, Takami in Geobreeders, Dorothy in The Big O, Pino in Ergo Proxy, Kogitsune in Natsume Yuujinchou, Mipple in the Futari wa Precure franchise, and the title roles in Shin-men and of course Crayon Shin-chan. She played Lesser Panda (Red Panda) in Shirokuma Cafe and Hikari in Kakyuusei (1995), both Orphan releases.
• Murai Kazusa (Narusawa Yui) had featured roles in Boys Be..., Devil Lady, and the Hamtaro franchise.
• Yamada Miho (Narusawa Misako) played Melmo's mother in Fushigi na Melmo, Atosuryua in the Banner of the Stars series, and Minami in Comic Party. She appeared in Sanctuary, an Orphan release.
• Kitou Satoko (Minamikawa Youko) appeared in Attacker You!, Vampire Hunter D, and Tobira o Akete, an Orphan release.
• Kikuchi Izumi (Yasuda Azumi) appeared in Goal FH and Mirmo Zibang!
• Sekai Tatsuya (Yousuke) had small parts in various series and movies.
• Koyama Kimiko (Affection Points Teller) played Oushi in the Lime-Iro Ryuukitan series, Uzuki in the Happy Lesson franchise, Hifumi in Koi Koi 7, Fuuka in the Mahou Sensei Negima franchise, Komoe in the Toaru no Index franchise, and Wakaba in Yume Tsukai, an Orphan release.

The director, Sakai Akio, mostly did character design and animation.

The original Sotsugyousei script bristles with names from Orphan's past. ElyasRay translated. laalg checked the scripts. I timed, edited, and typeset. CP and Saji did QC. The raws came off the Internet. For this release, Yogicat and I retimed the scripts. I updated the styling and typesetting. Rezo encoded from ProxyMan's R2Js and did a release check. The DVDs are a mess of blended frames and bleeds, but this encode looks cleaner than the original DivX5 raws.

So here's an improved version of Sotsugyousei, but the improvement is relative to an atrocious-looking original. The show is still very hackneyed, but it has lots of eye candy and no sex, if that's the mix you're looking for. 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.

Doukyuusei: Climax v2

And now for something completely different. Orphan's next release is a revised version of the 1995 OVA Doukyuusei: Climax. The original release, done nearly ten years ago, used random Internet raws that were just terrible. This release is based on the R2J DVDs, provided once again by ProxyMan. It's still an interlaced and blended mess, but at least there's no video corruption.

Doukyuusei (Classmates) Climax is a sequel to the first Doukyuusei OVA, Doukyuusei: Natsu no Owari ni (Classmates: The End of Summer). For those who haven't watched or prefer to skip the original, here's a list of the key players as they appear in Climax.

• Mooroka Wataru, the horny protagonist.
• Suzuki Miho, "infatuated and juvenile".
• Tanaka Misa, "tomboy".
• Kurokawa Satomi, "sarcastic". She works with Wataru at a coffee shop
• Nishina Kurumi, "naive".
• Shimamoto Kyouko, chairwomen of the Cultural Festival. She wears glasses and is very serious.
• Aihara Kenji, a rich snob.
• Sakagami Kazuya, Wataru's best friend.

The OVA continues the story of Wataru and his harem of girls (Miho, Misa, Satomi, Kurumi). 

Wataru still pursues everything in a skirt, including Narusawa Yui, the heroine of Doukyuusei 2, who makes a cameo appearance. The girls in his harem all know about each other and don't seem terribly bothered about his antics. Meanwhile, Kazuya continues his seemingly fruitless pursuit of love, trying to escape from his stereotyped role as a "fun guy" and permanent resident of everyone's friend zone. 

Like all the Doukyuuseis, Climax is a soft-core h-anime, with sex scenes that require no censoring due to careful camera angles and conveniently placed sheets and blanket.

This release includes an AMV of the ED song, Wake Up to Your Love; it's basically a compilation of sex scenes from The End of Summer and Climax. It also includes two unsubtitled extras: a preview for Doukyuusei 2, and a strangely animated short subject.

The voice cast is fairly distinguished for a routine h-anime:

• Iwata Mitsuo (Wataru) starred as Tetsuya in Outlanders, Shoutarou in Akira, Kintarou in Golden Boy, and Jay in Next Senki Ehrgeiz, an Orphan release.
• Asami Junko (Suzuki Miho) appeared in numerous classic h-anime, including 1+2 = Paradise, Adventure Kid, Battle Team Lakers EX, Countdown Akira, Demon Beast Invasion, Dragon Knight, Midnight Panther, Nightmare Campus, Rance, Twin Angels, Twin Dolls, Urotsukidoji II, and Venus 5. She also appeared in Every Day Is Sunday, Gude Crest, and Eien no Filena, all Orphan releases.
• Koorogi Satomi (Tanaka Misa) played Chi in all versions of Chii's Sweet Home, Himawari (the baby sister) in Crayon Shin-chan, Menchi (the food pooch) in Excel Saga, and Kuki-sama in the Limeiro properties. She also played Yahoi in Sei Michaela Gakuen Hyouryuuki and Keiko in Sensou Douwa: Tako ni Natta Okaasan, both Orphan releases.
• Takada Yumi (Kurokawa Satomi) played Yoshinaga-sensei in many of the Crayon Shin-chan movies and Ayeka in the Tenchi Muyo franchise. She played Saya and Monmo in Cosmic Fantasy, Purinpurin in Hoshi Neko Full House, Atover in Exper Zenon, Yumi the barkeep in Dokushin Apartment Dokudami-sou, Kumaba in Body Jack, and bit parts in Cool Cool Bye and Nora, all Orphan releases. She appeared in many classic h-anime, including Adventure Kid, Angels in the Court, Balthus: Tia's Radiance, Bizarre Cage, Black Widow, La Blue Girl, Countdown, the Demon Beast and Darkness series, Dragon Knight, F3, Fencer of Minerva, Lyon Flare, Trouble Evocation, Twin Dolls, and Venus 5.
• Oikawa Hitomi (Nishina Kurumi) played Ami in the Cream Lemon franchise, Katri in Katri the Cow Girl, and Yasuko in Miyuki.
• Yamaguchi Yuriko (Shimamoto Kyouko) played Ritsuko Akagi in the Evangelion franchise, Nico Robin the One Piece franchise, and Yuarisia in Dragon Pink. She also appeared in many classic h-anime, including  La Blue Girl, Beast City, Cool Devices, Countdown, Masquerade, Midnight Panther, Tournament of the Gods, and Variable Geo.
• Futamata Issei (Sakagami Kazuya) is best known for his roles as Godai Yuusaku in Maison Ikkoku, Akira (Chibi) in Urusei Yatsura, and Saburo in Sazae-san. He played the main character, Yoshio, in Dokushin Apartment Dokudami-sou and the psychopathic brother, Cross, in Hi-Speed Jecy, and he appeared in Fukuyama Gekijou, all Orphan releases.
• Hayami Shou (Aihara Kenji) starred as Nanjou in Zetsuai: 1989 and Bronze: Zetsuai since 1989, and Kushinige Hodaka in Oshare Kozou wa Hanamaru. He also played an angel in Tezuka Osamu's Tales of the Old Testament, Aji in Hayou no Tsurugi, Exper Kain in Exper Zenon, Iason's friend Raoul in Ai no Kusabi, Hojo in Sanctuary, Pat Leivy in Starship Troopers, Junoichi in Blazing Transfer Student, Shargan in Gude Crest, and Seichii in Mikoneko Holmes. All of these shows are Orphan releases.

Kobayashi Takashi directed episode 1. He later directed the original JoJo's Bizarre Adventures. Fukumoto Kan directed episode 2. He also directed Kakyuusei (1995), Advancer Tina, Yesterday Once More, Enbo, and other h-anime.

For the original release, the translator preferred to remain anonymous (who can blame him/her?). archdeco timed. I edited and typeset. CP and Saji QCed. For this release, I styled and typeset the show again, with many more signs properly set and actually tracked. Rezo encoded and did a a release check. ProxyMan provided the R2J ISO.

So here's a new version of Doukyuusei: Climax for your viewing(?) pleasure. You can get the show from the other usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

Tengai Makyou

Our 300th release, or at least that's what is says on the release page.

Orphan starts out 2023 on the right note with the first English-subtitled release of Tengai Makyou: Ziria Oboro Hen (Far East of Eden: Ziria's Dreamlike Chapter). This two episode OVA from 1990 is based on the first of the popular Tengai Makyou RPG and fighting games, published by Red Company. The games were extremely popular in Japan but were never published in the US. The OVA tells a standalone story but was clearly intended as a promotion for the video games.

Tengai Makyou is set in a fantasy Japan, Zipang (Marco Polo's term for Japan). It is loosely based on the folktale Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari; the hero's name has been deliberately misspelled, in line with the fantasy setting. Our protagonist, Ziria, is a former ninja and an accomplished thief, so good at his trade that he wants to find newer and bigger challenges (i.e., more loot). Ziria tells his boss, Kumokiri, that he's going to Hidaka, where the two castles of Shirotaka and Kurotaka offer the prospect of bigger treasures. Kumokiri warns Ziria not to go after the treasure known as Hiruko. Their argument is interrupted by a police raid. Kumokiri, Ziria, and their head goon Daiboke all try to escape in a contraption built by eccentric inventor Koboke. When it inevitably breaks down, Ziria uses his ninja skills to fly away. And this is just the opening act!

Meanwhile, nefarious doings are afoot in Hidaka. The villainous demon lord, Jashinsai, has infiltrated Kurotaka Castle and taken over the body and soul of its lord, Mikage Taizen. Now disguised, he tries to persuade Princess Yurihime of Shirotaka Castle to marry his "nephew" (actually his disciple), the devious Tsukimaru. She refuses. As a gesture of conciliation, they all go to see a performance by the kabuki actor Orochimaru, who is More Than He Seems™. Ziria also sneaks into the performance, where he encounters "Lord" Orochimaru's greatest fangirl, Tsunade, who is also More Than She Seems™. When Taizen's henchmen break into the theater to kidnap Yukihime, Ziria spirits her away with Orochimaru's help. But Ziria's (and Orochimaru's) interest in Hirako disgusts her, and she returns home. She is almost kidnapped again, but Ziria and Orochimaru, now allies, rescue her and escape underwater on another of Koboke's inventions, a submersible, where they encounter the ruins of another castle, the original Shirotaka.

Hirako, it turns out, is the propulsive force underlying the machines and weapons of war of the ancient but now supposedly extinct Fire Clan. Jashinsai wants to use Hiruko to reanimate an ancient machine soldier, which will then lay waste to all of Zipang. (Well, he is a demon lord.) Ziria, Orochimaru, Tsunade,and the rest of the gang must now stop Jashinsai's plans from coming to fruition, which will require delightfully preposterous chases, fights, coincidences (Ziria, Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Yukihime are all member of the "extinct" Fire Clan), and deus ex machina. It's no spoiler to say that everything turns out fine; the journey is all the fun.

The voice cast is excellent:

• Mitsuo Iwata (Ziria) starred as Tetsuya in Outlanders, Shoutarou in Akira, Wataru in Doukyuusei and Doukyuusei Climax, Kintarou in Golden Boy, and Keshikaru in Keshikaru-kun. He also played Jay in Next Senki Ehrgeiz, an Orphan release.
  
• Sakuma Rei (Yukihime) played Batako in Soreike! Appanman, April in Sol Bianca, Peorth in Ah! My Goddess, the title role in Aika, Shampoo in Ranma 1/2, Vena in Dragon Half, Kitty White in Hello Kitty, and Mii in Muumin. She also played Naru in Blue Sonnet, Carmencita in Starship Troopers, and Belga the pirate in Cosmic Fantasy, all Orphan releases.
• Shiozawa Kaneto (Orochimaru) played the title role in To-Y, Shin in Hiatari Ryoukou, Iason in Ai no Kusabi, Rock Holmes in Fumoon, Shiina in Chameleon, Sanzou in I am Son Goku, Kouhei in Karuizawa Syndrome, and Kurahashi Eiji in Nine, all Orphan releases. He also played Joe in Tokimeki Tonight, Yoshio in Miyuki, Takeshi in Touch, D in Vampire Hunter D, Narsus in the Arslan Senki OVA, Rosario in Dragon Half, and Abriel senior in Crest of the Stars.
• Emori Hiroko (Tsunade) played Chaozu in the Dragonball franchise, Slightly in Peter Pan no Bouken, Mika in B.B,. and Meichan in the second Sangokushi special. The last two are Orphan releases.
• Katou Seizou (Jashinsai) played 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.
• Horikawa Ryou (Tsukimaru) played Shutendou in Shuten Douji, Vegeta in Dragon Ball, Naoto in Slow Step, Anthony Brown in Candy Candy, Reinhard in Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Tadao in Ghost Sweeper Mikami, Kai in Kizuna, Shinya in Okama Report, and Andromeda in Saint Seiya. He also played Naoto in Kimama ni Idol and appeared in Nana Toshi Monogatari, Chameleon, Hi-Speed Jecy, Lunn Flies into the Wind, and the first two Sangokushi movies, all Orphan releases.
• Nagai Ichirou (Kumokiri) starred in numerous shows, playing grandfather Jigoro in Yawara!, the off-the-wall narrator in Gosenzosama Banbanzai!, Professor Hajime in Queen Millennia, and Happosai in the Ranma 1/2 franchise. He appeared in Rain Boy, Manxmouse, Nora, Hidamari no Ki, Yuukan Club, Amon Saga, Botchan, Ipponbouchou Mantaraou, and Yamato 2520, all Orphan releases.
• Tanonaka Isamu (Koboke, the inventor) was best known for voicing the character Medama Oyaji (Daddy Eyeball) in the first five GeGeGe no Kitarou anime, as well as Sindbook in the original Magical Princess Minky Momo and Igor in the Persona franchise. He played Nodaiko in Botchan, an Orphan release.
• Sugawara Masashi (Daiboke, the bruiser) played Jean Valjean in Les Misérables: Shoujo Cosette, Hanazono in Yawara!, and Ray Lovelock in the Macross 7 franchise. He appeared in B.B.Fish, an Orphan release.
• Kitamura Koichi (Karo, the princess's chief minister) played Coach Nakao in the Nine OVAs, Paolon, the intelligent spaceship, in Hi-Speed Jecy, Professor, the wise old cat, in the Ultra Nyan OVAs, Professor Lenholm in Apfelland Monogatari, and appeared in Hidamari no Ki, Lunn Flies into the Wind, and Dokushin Apartment Dokudami-sou. All are Orphan releases.
• Hirose Masashi (Tsume) appeared in Al Caral no Isan, Dallos, Nora, Kage, Wolf Guy, Junkers Come Here: Memories of You, and Kageyama Tamio's Double Fantasy, all Orphan releases.
• Shoya Yoku (Denji, a police informer) played Yuzuru in Laughing Target, Mickey in Milky Passion: Dougenzaka - Ai no Shiro, and Zhuge Jun in the first Sangokushi movie, all Orphan releases. He also played Triton in the Umi no Triton TV series and movies, Ryouta in Slam Dunk, Jinpei the Swallow in Gatchaman, Cosmo Yuki in Space Runaway Ideon, and the title role in Kariage-kun. He also . He was a sound director for many series.

The director, Takeuchi Yoshio, helmed many shows, including Cat's Eye, Space Cobra, Oishinbo and its two specials, Ipponbouchou Mantarou, and The Mother Who Became a Kite.

tenkenX6 translated. ninjacloud timed. I edited and typeset (very few signs). Nemesis, Uchuu, and VigorousJammer all QCed. Intrepid encoded from an R2J DVD that was included with a limited edition re-release of the game in Japan. I don't know how the DVD came into our hands, but it's readily available on second-hand media sites in Japan.

So here is Tengai Makyou, is all its hare-brained glory. You'll probably have a smile on your face as you watch it through; I certainly did. 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.