Ai to Ken no Camelot

Some anime is great; some is awful. And some just leaves you scratching your head, not in confusion (like Genji, Part 1), but in bemusement. What have I just watched? Or Why was it ever made? That was my reaction to the 1990 movie Ai to Ken no Camelot: Mangaka Marina Time Slip Jiken (A Camelot of Love and Swords: Mangaka Marina's Time Travel Adventure). It's another rarity, available only on VHS.

The movie opens like a segment of Yuukan Club. Hibikiya Kaoru, a beautiful and wealthy young woman who dresses as an elegant and wealthy young man, has invited her best friends to her birthday party in Tokyo. As a present, they must being an answer to the question, "What is love?" The invitees include four bishounen:

• Charles de Hardy, a brilliant, and rich Frenchman
• Kazuya Francois Laurencin Kurosu, Charles' childhood friend
• Danjo Toichiro Munekage Shizuka, the 30th head of the famous Danjo family, a swordsman
  
• Kirk Francis Lucas, a police detective
  

And there is one more invitee: Marina Ikeda, a self-admitted "third-rate mangaka." She is short, frumpy, and always hungry, wears big glasses, and has the outgoing personality of an anime genki girl. How she became a valued friend to all these people is not explained in the movie; perhaps you have to read the 13 Hitomi Fujimoto 13 "Mangaka Marina" light novels that precede it.

Just as the friends are starting to answer Kaoru's question, and Marina is chowing down on a poultry leg the size of her head, the lights go out. Marina is pinned down by a gigantic claw, which turns out to be the foot of Logne, the guardian dragon of House Pendragon. Logne begs Marina to deliver a message to her master, Arthur Pendragon, and then drags Marina, with the rest of the crew in tow, through time and space to Camelot in sixth century Britain. The journey is too much for Logne, and she dies, leaving Marina to nurture her egg. Marina promptly drops the egg, and a baby dragon emerges. It imprints on Marina as her mommy. Then Arthur's troops arrive.

Camelot is beset by civil war, because no one has been able to withdraw Excalibur from its stone and claim the throne. Logne's message leads Marina to believe that Arthur will succeed during a forthcoming solar eclipse, provided he has the sword's sheath. She sets out to find it but is waylaid by minions of the evil Lady Dola, who wants the throne for herself. Marina and her friends set out to retrieve the sheath, but Lady Dola, now a demon, shows up during the eclipse, intending to steal the sheath again, kill Marina, and claim Excalibur. Will Dola, doing her best Emperor Palpatine impression, succeed? Can Arthur prevent this dastardly outcome? And will Marina ever get something to eat?

As I said, a real head-scratcher. The relationship between Marina and the bishies; between Kaoru's party and the journey through time; and our world and the events in Camelot; is non-existent or arbitrary or both. Perhaps you had to read the book(s) to fill in the missing pieces; or perhaps you had to be there. But the anime moves quickly, has some good comedy and action sequences, and doesn't outstay its welcome.

The voice cast includes many familiar names:

• Hayashibara Megumi (Marina) was arguably the most famous seiyuu of the 1990s. She starred as Faye Valentine in Cowboy Bebop, Ayanami Rei in Evangelion, Rune Balot in the Mardock Scramble movies, Rebecca in One Piece, Lina in the Slayers franchise, female Ranma in Ranma 1/2, Rihoko in Ninku, and Miyokichi in Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju. She also played a number of feline roles, including the title roles in the All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku and Hello Kitty franchises, as well as "lead cat" Iruinedo in Oruorane the Cat Player, an Orphan release. She played Navi in Izumo (1991) and Clair in Hashire Melos!, also Orphan releases.
• Inoue Kazuhiko (Arthur) starred as Yamaoka Shirou in Oishinbo, Yuki Eiri in Gravitation, the title role in Cyborg 009, Gorou in Moonlight Mile, 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 Ando Shiro in Dioxin no Natsu, Saiki Haruka in Tobira o Akete, 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, Jinpachi Nezu in Sanada 10, Katsuhiko in Hiatari Ryouko, Minamoto no Yoshitsune in Genji (Part One), Hisui in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2, and Kajiwara Kagetoki in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3, all Orphan releases.
• Nanba Keiichi (Kirk) played the title role in Choujin Locke, Lundi in Honoo no Alpenrose: Jeudi & Lund, Uesugi in Touch, Schneider in Captain Tsubasa, and Junta in DNA2. He also starred as Eizawa in Chameleon, Kujou Kazuomi in Oshare Kozou wa Hanamaru, Hongou in Nozomi Witches, and gave an over-the-top performance as Roll the vengeful wizard in Girl from Fantasia, all Orphan releases.
• Toda Keiko (Kaoru) played Hitomi in Cat's Eye, Iczer-2 in Iczer-One, Blinky in Fushigi ga Koala Blinky, Kitarou in Gegege no Kitarou (1985), Nina in High School Agent, Kiki in the Kiki no Lala series, Anpanman in the Anpanman franchise, Karara in Space Runaway Ideon, Sophia in A Wind Named Amnesia, Kate Jackson in Bavi Stock, Non in Karuizawa Syndrome, and Eterna in Hoshi Neko Full House. The last three are Orphan releases.
• Hayami Shou (Charles) 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, Kuya in Genji, Part 1, Aju 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.
• Seki Toshihiko (Bijomaru) played the title role in Izumo, Riki in Ai no Kusabi, Raiel in Hameln no Violin Hiki, the hero Seitarou in Hoshi Neko Full House, the gang leader Hiba in Wild 7, Miroku in Yuukan Club, Chuuta in Satsujin Kippu wa Heart-iro, the fighter Nagase Jun in Akai Hayate, Hayata in Call Me Tonight, Ootsuki in Milky Passion: Dougenzaka - Ai no Shiro, Junichiro in Kasei Yakyoku, Shouji, the guitar player, in To-Y, and the unnamed protagonist of Oruorane the Cat Player, all Orphan releases. He also played Matsuda in the Yawara! properties, Sanzo in the Saiyuuki TV series, Mousse in Ranma 1/2, and the title roles in Alexander (Reign the Conqueror) and Kaiketsu Zorro.
• Matsui Naoko (Lady Dola) played Efera in Guide Crest, Wato-san in Mitsume ga Tooru and Tezuka Osamu ga Kieta?!, and 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.
• Horiuchi Kenyuu (Simon, Dola's henchman) 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, Ryuuichi in Aoko Honoo, 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, and the refined son in Eguchi Hisashi no Kotobuki Gorou Show, all Orphan releases.
  
• Matsuoka Youko (Cologne, the baby dragon) played the title role in Huckleberry Finn Monogatari and the 1990s iteration of GeGeGe no Kitarou. She played Ralph in Eguchi Hisashi no Kotobuki Gorou Show, Kosuke in Kosuke-sama Rikimaru-sama: Konpeitou no Ryuu, and the unnamed boy in Tsuki ga Noboru made ni, all Orphan releases.

The director, Ishii Fumiko, has only one other directing credit, Licca-chan Fushigi na Mahou no Ring.

Iri bought the VHS tape. purpleparrotkin translated. ninjacloud timed. I edited and typeset (not much). Topper3000 and Rezo QCed. Another team member encoded. The movie has never been released on digital media.

So follow mangaka Marina and her elite band of bishies to Camelot, as she searches for love, adventure, and more things to eat. You can get Ai to Ken no Camelot from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.