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.