Aoi Kioku

Aoi Kioku: Manmou Kaitaku to Shounen-tachi (Blue Memories: Boys, Colonizing Manchuria and Mongolia) is a 1993 movie about the "Youth Volunteer Army" of young Japanese boys. They were part of Japan's colonization of Manchuria (renamed Manchukuo) and Inner Mongolia during World War II. When the Soviets invaded on August 9, 1945, these "youth volunteers" were abandoned by Japan's occupying Kwantung Army and had to try escaping on their own. At first, the movie seems like an apologia for Japanese imperialism again China, with the invading Russians playing the bad guys. But it gradually shows its true colors, demonstrating that the real villains were the Japanese government and military, who used the boys as pawns.

The Kwantung Army was created in 1906 as the garrison for the treaty port of Kwantung, but it gradually grew independent of government control. In 1931, it staged the "Mukden Incident," providing an excuse to occupy Manchuria. In 1937, it staged the "Marco Polo Bridge Incident" to widen the war against China. As the Japanese government was taken over by militarists, the idea of a Japanese empire in Asia, the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity sphere, became official policy. It claimed to be uniting the "five races" of the area - Japanese, Koreans, Han Chinese, Manchurians, Mongolians - into one harmonious economic structure for the benefit of all. In fact, it was pure colonialism, backed by the might of the Japanese army. The non-Japanese groups, particularly the Han Chinese, bore the brunt of it.

The appeal of the colonization project to Japanese boys, especially from rural areas, was land. In pre-war Japan, arable land was owned by large landowners. The boys were promised land of their own if they would help "reclaim" land in Manchuria. That the land was already occupied by the natives and had been expropriated at gunpoint was not explained.

The movie focuses on a group of four boys - Kyota, Kenji, Yusuke, and Junpei - from an unnamed rural town in Nagano prefecture. They are typical adolescents of the time, high-spirited and patriotic, reflecting the propaganda instilled in them in the name of education. 

(Kenji's father, a teacher who tries to get them to think for themselves, is removed from his job as a security risk.) A new teacher, Mori, puts a hard press on them to join the Youth Volunteer Amy, to meet the school's quota. 

Kyota and Yusuke sign up enthusiastically, and Junpei reluctantly. However, Kenji has seen the cost of war first-hand - his elder brother has returned from military service in China minus a leg. 

He refuses altogether, nearly rupturing his friendship with Kyota. Kyota's family are aghast, but he sees Manchuria as an opportunity to get land of his own and support his family. After suitable training, the three boys are sent as "pioneers" to Manchuria. And pretty quickly, the wheels start to come off.

Compared to Japan, the environment in Manchuria is harsh and unforgiving. Kyota sees at first hand that, far from promoting harmony, the Japanese are oppressing the natives and stealing their land. 

Their "pioneering" quickly turns into military training, as threats from the natives and from the Soviet Union mount. Then, on August 9, with Hiroshima and Nagasaki destroyed and the war clearly lost, the Soviet Army invades. The vaunted Kwantung Army collapses, and the boys and the other colonists must flee for their lives.

But the Soviet Army's double pincer movement quickly envelops the province, and the Japanese are caught in a desperate struggle to survive.

As the outlook darkens, Kyota realizes that everything he's been taught - the glory of the youth "volunteers," the "harmony" of the five races, the invincibility of the Japanese military - is a lie.

In fact, the Kwantung Army was always something of a paper tiger. The Soviets had soundly defeated it in the undeclared border war of 1938-1939. This led the Japanese government to bring its renegade soldiers to heel and to sign the Soviet-Japanese Non-Aggression Pact. This in turned allowed the Russians to transfer their best Siberian soldiers eastward for the first Winter counteroffensive in 1941-42. As the war turned against Japan, its government siphoned off the best remaining Kwantung units for duty elsewhere. (Most of the units transferred to the Pacific theater were sunk by US submarines en route to their destinations.) By 1945, the Kwantung Army, although nominally more than 700,000 strong, was a hollow shell, with low-grade manpower and obsolete armor. They were no match for the battle tested Soviet armies, 1.5 million strong, with the latest tanks and artillery. The Soviets sent most of the Kwantung Army to Siberia as prisoners, interned large number of Japanese colonists, looted Manchuria for equipment and machinery, and raped Japanese and local women. Eventually, many of the Japanese were repatriated to Japan, at the insistence of the Nationalist Chinese government before its collapse, but quite a few died first. Young children who had been adopted by Chinese families were repatriated starting in the 1980s but faced discrimination for their accents. Women who had married Chinese men and birthed mixed-race children received the cold shoulder from the Japanese government, even to this day. 

For further reading:

• The Kwantung Army. 
• Resistance to the Japanese occupation of Manchuria (the "bandits" Kyoto mentions as one of the "five races") 
• The undeclared border war of 1938-1939. 
• The Soviet invasion of Manchuria, 1945, with some notes on Soviet war crimes.
• The repatriation of Japanese settlers. 
• Japanese orphans left behind in China. 

For those who really like to geek out about military matters, I recommend selected episodes of the podcast The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War, season 5:

• Episode 501 - the deadly impact of the American submarine campaign against Japanese troop shipments, including on the redeployment of the Kwantung Army to the Pacific theater.
• Episode 502 - the Mukden Incident.
• Episode 503 - the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. 
• Episode 506 - the war in China after 1937. 
• Episode 507 - the crucial battles of the undeclared border war.

The first four seasons are good too, but they're focused on the naval campaigns in the Pacific.

Some translation notes, courtesy of Perevodildo:

• "Iriyama folks" - probably this location in Nagano prefecture. 
• "type of collaboration... called yui" - see this article. 
• "Our Imperial ancestors have founded Our Empire..." - an excerpt from the Imperial Rescript on Education, which was read aloud at important school events.
• "What if the special police or military police overhear you?" -  The Special Higher Police (1911-1945), known as Tokkou; the Military Police, known as Kempeitai (1881-1945). Both worked on stamping out dissent.
• The sign for the Chinese uprising following the invasion is "Heaven and Earth Turned Upside Down!" I have rendered this as "The World Turned Upside Down!", the song supposedly played by the British Army during the surrender at Yorktown. 
• The opening song is Aikoku Kōshinkyoku, a patriotic song composed in 1937.
• The harvest song is Oborozukiyo, a traditional folk song. 
• The song of the "Youth Volunteers Corps" can be found here. 
• The ending song is Mozu ga Kareki de, composed for this movie.

The voice cast includes:

• Yamaguchi Kappei (Suzuki Kyota) played the title roles in the Detective Conan, Ranma 1/2, and Inuyasha franchises, Usopp in the One Piece franchise, Sakuma Ryuichi in Gravitation, and the title roles in the Arslan no Senki OVA series and Mouse, among many others. He played Shibuya in Zetsuai 1989,  Billia in Tottoi, Matsuoka Eiji in Chameleon, Nichol Hawking in Plastic Little, and Tooru in Boyfriend, and appeared in Shin Gakkou no Yuurei, all Orphan releases.
• Kusao Takeshi (Yoshizaki Kenji) played the lead role in Fujilog, the title role in Babel II, Trunks in the Dragon Ball Z franchise, Sakuragi in Slam Dunk, and Lamune in NG Knight Lamume & 40. He also played Ryohei in Junk Boy, the teenaged Tezuka Osamu in Tezuka Osamu Monogatari: I Am Son Goku, Daichi in Singles, the fast talking orca in Sensou Douwa: Chiisai Sensuikau ni Koi wo Shita Dekasugira Kojira no Hanashi, Leedyle/Ranka in Hayou no Tsurugi, Hisamatsu in Bride of Deimos, and the icy director Kurume Kenjirou in Smash Hit!, all Orphan releases.
• Miki Shinichirou (Tanaka Junpei) 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, Arikawa Masaomi in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3, Johnny in Jikuu Bouken Nuumamonjaa, John Bishop in AWOL Compression Remix, and Cyber-X in Hand Maid May, all Orphan releases.
• Ishida Akira (Asakawa Yusuke) 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 Gam in Magma Taishi, brother Oomori in Let's Nupu Nupu, Gordon in Fire Emblem, Takumi in Bakuen Campus Guardress, Abe no Yasutsugu in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2, and Ridvan in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3, all Orphan releases.
• Fukami Rika (Setsuko, a village girl that Kyota likes) played Spoor in the Crest of the Stars franchise, Myung Fang in Macross Plus, and Sailor Venus in the Sailor Moon franchise. She appeared in Gakkou no Yuurei, Raiyantsuuri no Uta, Tobira o Akete, Majo demo Steady, and Ear of the Golden Dragon, all Orphan releases. 
• Yajima Akiko (Shinji, Setsuko's brother) 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, Maijima Karen in Sotsugyousei, and Hikari in Kakyuusei (1995), and she appeared in Gakkou no Yuurei, all Orphan releases.
• Arimoto Kinryuu (Yoshizaki Seizou, Kenji's father) had featured roles in numerous shows, including Psycho-Pass, Tokyo Ravens, Joshiraku, Chihayafuru, Un-Go, and Moonlight Mile. He played Ichijo Yuji in Princess Army and Ogata Kouan in Hidimari no Ki, both Orphan releases.
• Munakata Tomoko (Yoshizaki Chiyo, Kenji's mother) played Trio's mother in Bremen 4, the Narrator and Yamataro's mother in Yamataro Comes Back, Takuto's mother in Zetsuai: 1989, all Orphan releases, Haru in Glass Mask (2005), and Annie Errol in Little Lord Fauntleroy.
• Miyamoto Mitsuru (Yoshizaki Keichi, Kenji's older brother) starred as Ibuki in Hidamari no Ki and played Mike in Tanjou: Debut, both Orphan releases. He also played Chihiro in After the Rain, Maiza in Baccano!, Roger Smith in The Big O, Steven Starphase in Kekkai Sensen, Ougai Mori in the Bungo Stray Dogs franchise, Hideo Tachibana in H2, Mizoguchi in Kaiju No. 8, Keiichi Nakagawa in the Kochikame franchise, Shirakawa in Piano, Itsuki in RahXephon, and Hubb in Wolf's Rain.
• Ikemoto Sayuri (Yoshizaki Fumiko, Kenji's sibling) played Mari in the Project A-ko franchise and appeared in Seikima II Humane Society, an Orphan release.
• Isobe Masako (Suzuki Masae, Kyota's mother) played Tilda Miller in Gozdilla S.P. She appeared in Letter Bee, Koi Sentom, Sensou Douwa: Aoi Hitomi no Onnako no Ohanashu, and Ear of the Golden Dragon. The last two are Orphan releases.
• Taguchi Takashi (Suzuki Tatsuyoshi, Kyota's father) played Harimao in Ashita no Joe 2, Ubito in Sword for Truth, and Coach Yamazaki in Nozomi Witches, an Orphan release.
• Hashi Takaya (Mori-sensei) played Spinx in the Akuma-kun movie, Gerry in Baki Hanma, Froi Tiedoll in D.Gray-man, Mordin in Dances with Dragons, Gustav Honda in Enen no Shouboutai, Tokugawa Sadasada in Gintama, Kagari in Ninja Kamui, Isami Kondo in Peacemaker, Duke Normandy in Princess Principal, Glud in Tide-Line Blue, and Tokai in Sanctuary, an Orphan release.
• Kanao Tetsuo (escape leader Sensei) played played Daishi in Concrete Revolutio, Kokuyo in Dr. Stone, Chad in Gangsta., Kouhei in The Great Passage, Yamazaki in Ghost Talker's Daydream, and Kunisaki in Magma Taishi, an Orphan release.
• Koyama Takehiro (volunteer group leader) played Kousuke in Demon Lord Dante and Kenichirou Senomiya in Robotics;Notes, and he appeared in Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament and Nagasaki 1945: The Angelus Bell, both Orphan releases.
• Mizutani Yuuko (Sumiko, a girl Kenji befriends on the desperate retreat through Manchuria) played Pinoko in all the Black Jack properties, as well as Misako in Houkago no Tinker Bell, Hiromi in Milky Passion: Dougenzaka - Ai no Shiro, Rika in Sei Michaela Gakuen Hyouryuuki, Lila in Eien no Filena, Anna in Inochi no Chikyuu: Dioxin no Natsu, Shoko in Gakkou no Yuurei, volume 1, and Dr. Uematsu Kikue in Yume Kakeru Kougen, all Orphan projects.
• Kagawa Kyouko (Narrator) is a film actress and has no other anime credits.

The director, Dezaki Satoshi, should be a familiar name to readers of this blog; he directed numerous Orphan releases.

I don't know how I acquired the Aoi Kioku DVD ISO, but it had been sitting around a long time. When I mentioned it to Perevodildo, he was enthusiastic, so I asked a friend to encode it. Perevodildo then translated and timed. Paul Geromini edited. I typeset and QCed; True Noobow Gamer, a new contributor for Orphan, also QCed. The encoder wishes to remain anonymous; they usually do.

The DVD source is a mess. The encoder noted:

"Apart from usual fixes for footage like this (minor derainbowing, deblocking, anti-aliasing, dehaloing), I'm sad to report that whoever authored the disc wasn't paying very close attention. The source is rather severely field blended, meaning after IVTC is performed back to 23.976 progressive, some unsolvable ghosting remains in certain frame sequences, notably panning shots. It's not too distracting during normal playback, but I'd like to see this film with a nice clean remaster with proper gamma/color grading in HD someday, as many of the backgrounds are gorgeous."  

I agree. The existing DVD is badly marred by blending and interlacing issues, visible in every horizontal pan, so a remastered source would be very welcome. But I don't think it's likely. This movie is quite clear about its opposition to the mindless militarism of prewar Japan and its rejection of the Japanese excuses for the war in China. That wouldn't sit well with the increasingly nationalist modern Japanese governments. It would take a lot of courage to release a new version of this film. Courage is in short supply at media companies these days, world-wide.

This blog entry is unusually long, but I hope it's obvious that I, and everyone else who worked on Aoi Kioku, think that it's very good. You can get it from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

Tezuka Osamu Works: Kyoto Animation Theater

An attraction devoted to Tezuka Osamu's anime works opened in Kyoto, Japan in 1999. It featured a theater with a "300 inch" (25 foot) screen that showed newly created shorts as well as full-length theatrical anime movies. After it closed in 2011, the shorts became available on digital and physical media. Eventually, they were collected on a single DVD called Tezuka Osamu Works: Kyoto Animation Theater.  

Orphan is pleased to bring you the first English-subtitled release of this DVD.

Kyoto Animation Theater consists of eleven segments. Four were shown as "twin bills" of a famous Tezuka Osamu character paired with a chapter about the history of Kyoto. The other three were longer and were shown by themselves. All are preceded, and sometimes followed, by a linking commentary from the Hi no Tori (Phoenix), who acts as a mouthpiece for Tezuka's core beliefs in peace, love, and protecting the environment.

1. Astro Boy (Tetsuwan Atom): The Blue Knight. Astro Boy (Atom) tries to save the city from destruction when fellow robot Bluebone goes berserk over the wanton killing of his family.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Shinsengumi. A retelling of the Ikedeya Incident during the late Bakumatsu.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Princess Knight (Ribbon no Kishi). Princess Sapphire must pose as a boy to secure her family's succession to the kingship.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Benkei and Ushiwakamaru. The immensely powerful Genji samurai Benkei tries to protect Minamoto no Yoshitune, known in childhood as Ushiwakamaru (young bull), from the jealous wrath of his older brother Yoritomo. Tezuka's gag mascot, Hyoutan-tsugi, has a cameo in this segment.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Jungle Emperor (Jungle Taitei). Leo the white lion, emperor of the jungle, befriends a human-raised leopard cub named Paola, who has been accidentally freed when his cage falls out of his owners' car. (Despite the name, Paolo is definitely male, using the pronoun boku rather than watashi.)
   
   
   
   
   
6. Honnou-ji. A retelling of the assassination of Oda Nobunaga, known as the Honnou-ji Incident. The epigraph for the episode is from the Kouwakami version of Atsumori; Nobunaga quoted it frequently.
   
   
   
   
   
7. Saving Our Fragile Earth: Unico Special Chapter. Newly-born Unico discovers that the Earth has become uninhabitable, except for a human-tree hybrid named Tsubasa. Together, they must try to reverse mankind's terrible decisions that wrecked the environment.
   
   
   
   
   
8. Black Jack: Old Woman (or Grandma). Black Jack rescues a stranded couple whose mother is forever grasping for money. It turns out she is paying off a debt to another underground doctor. Hyougan-tsugi makes another appearance.
   
   
   
   
   
9. Capital Transfer to Heian. A retelling of the transfer of the Imperial Capital to Heian-kyo, the original name for Kyoto.
   
   
   
   
   
10. Astro Boy (Tetsuwan Atom): The Last Day of the Earth. Atom befriends a scrapped robot named Bem on a planet of junk and brings her back to Earth. When Bem's planet suddenly sets a collision course with Earth, Bem must choose between survival and the needs of her new home.
    
    
    
    
    
11. Phoenix (Hi no Tori): Hagoromo Chapter. Zuku is a vicious bandit, known as the Demon of Mt. Horai for robbing and killing travelers. When he finds a young woman with a beautiful, shimmering cloak, he is moved to spare her and to build a new life with her. But painful circumstances force him back to banditry, and he is consumed by demons. Only then does the young woman learn that the story is not about him, but her.

These shorts were created between 1999 and 2004 and are thus posthumous; Tezuka Osamu died in 1989. Nonetheless, they mostly reflect his characters, values, and animation style. There's some great slapstick in the Princess Sapphire and Jungle Emperor segments. The otherwise preachy Unico segment has some fanservice. On the other hand, the linking animation of the Phoenix was done with "state of the art" CGI and looks like it came out of an 8-bit video game. The same clip is used multiple times, with different narration.

Each episode had its own voice cast and staff, so the credits are complicated:

1. Astro Boy (Tetsuwan Atom): The Blue Knight

• Shimizu Mari (Atom) starred as Atom in Tetsuwan Atom (1963, 1980) and movies, Mars in Jetter Mars, Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island TV, Adam Nasenkopf in Marine Express, Atom in Tezuka Osamu Ga Kieta?! 20 Seiki Saigo no Kaijiken, and Tezuka Osamu's mother in Tezuka Osamu Monogatari: Boku wa Son Gokuu. The last three are Orphan releases.
• Morikawa Toshiyuki (Bluebone) took over the role of dad Nohara Hiroshi in the Crayon Shin-chan franchise. He played lead roles in Gallery Fake, Yami no Matsui, Kyou Kara Maou, and numerous other shows. He's also a regular in Orphan's releases. He played the lead role in Ear of the Golden Dragon, Wolf Guy, and Nozomi Witches, as well as delinquent student Fuwa in Mellow, Kazuma in Bakuen Campus Guardress, and Inspector Kendo in the Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo series. He delivered a scene-stealing performance as Panda Mama in Shirokuma Cafe. He also appeared in Al Caral no Isan, Akai Hayate, Dragon Fist, Kiss wa Mi ni Shite, Blazing Transfer Student, and Wild 7.
• Motoi Emi (Uran) played Kumiko in Dokyuusei and Doukyuusei 2 Special: Sotsugyousei, an Orphan release, little Yamada in Chibi Maruko-chan since episode 1425(!!), and Chouen in the Koihime Musou franchise.
• Katsuta Hisashi (Dr. Ochanomizu) played the same role in Tetsuwan Atom (1963, 1980, 2003), the Tetsuwan Atom movies, Fumoon, and Tezuka Osamu Ga Kieta?! 20 Seiki Saigo no Kaijiken, as well as Dr. Nasenkopf in Marine Express; the last three are Orphan releases.. He also played Louis XV in Rose of Versailles.
• Ootomo Ryuuzaburou (Lamp) played Flatwoods Monster in DAN DA DAN, Suit Man in Himawari Too!!, Crocodile in One Piece, Hakim in Planetes, and Nebuchadnezzr in Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament: In the Beginning, an Orphan release.
• Ooki Tamio (Dr. Ross) played  Aramaki in the GITS movies, the title role in Planetarian: Hoshi no Hito, Dr. Tenma in the 1980 version of Tetsuwan Atom and Tezuka Osamu Ga Kieta?! 20 Seiki Saigo no Kaijiken, Darai Sem in Amon Saga and Ibuya in Hidamari no Ki. The last three are Orphan releases.
• Yamada Miho (Maria) (Narusawa Misako) played Melmo's mother in Fushigi na Melmo, Atosuryua in the Banner of the Stars series, and Minami in Comic Party. She played Narusawa in SotsugyouseiI and appeared in Sanctuary, both Orphan releass.
• Amano Yuri (Tonto) 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 Lady Freeze in Bakuen Campus Guardress, Catherine in Okama Hakusho, Kuzunoha in Akuemon, Angie in Condition Green, Elthena in Eien no Filena, Kitagawa in Nozomi Witches, Noriko in Singles, the teacher in Tanjou: Debut, and Yuko in St. Michaela Gakuen Hyouryuuki, as well as multiple roles in Fukuyama Gekijou and Gakkou no Yuurei, volume 1, all Orphan releases.

Directed by Kuwabara Satoshi, who also directed Black Jack, Black Jack 21, Black Jack Final, Tezuka Osamu Ga Kieta?! 20 Seiki Saigo no Kaijiken, The Cafe Terrace and Its Goddesses, and Adachi and Shimamura.

2. Shinsengumi - no cast credits available, also directed by Kuwabara Satoshi.

3. Princess Knight (Ribbon no Kishi)

• Touma Yumi (Sapphire) played the title roles in Emma: A Victorian Romance and Baby Felix, and Urd in the Aa! Megami-sama franchise. She appeared in numerous Orphan releases, including Sotsugyou: Graduation, Boyfriend, Condition Green, Fukuyama Gekijou, Tezuka Osamu ga Kieta?!, Gude Crest, and Eguchi Hisashi no Nantoko Nareudesho.
• Chafurin (Duke Duralumin) played the title role in Barbapapa Around the World, Inspector Megure in the Detective Conan franchise, Scotch Jii-san in the Hello Kitty franchise, Isono in Sazae-san (since 2014), and Kamoda in Yawara! He also appeared in B.B. Fish, Coluboccoro (2019), Jikuu Bouken Nuumamonjaa, Yamato 2520, Ohoshi-sama no Rail, the Sanada 10 special, and Izumo (1991), all Orphan releases.
• Maruyama Eiji (King) played the Caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland, Steiner in Chrno Crusade, Cao Fusheng in Fighting Beauty Wulong, and Tarueru in Perrine. He appeared in Maris the Choujo, an Orphan release.
• Yamada Miho (Queen): see the first segment.
• Kakegawa Hirohiko (Sir Nylon) played Jody's fiance in Yawara!, Eddie in Armitage III, Moses in The Golden Laws, Hisao Seki in Ningen Kakumei, and Dracule Mihawk in One Piece. He appeared in Izumi 91, the Sangokushi movies, Starship Troopers, and Tomoe ga Yuku!, all Orphan releases.
• Miyata Kouki (Franz) 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, Musashibou Benkei in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3: Kurenai no Tsuki, and Badger, Sea Otter, and Squirrel Mama in Shirokuma Cafe. The last three are Orphan releases.
• Kumagaya Niina (Tink) played Unipuma in New Dominion Tank Police, Tomomi in Doukyuusei 2: Sotsugyousei, and a student in Exper Zenon. The last two are Orphan releases.

Directed by Nishida Masayoshi, who also directed Allison & Lillia, Jiisan Baasan Wakagaeru, and Kakushite! Makina-san!!

4. Benkei and Ushiwakamaru

• Miyata Kouki (Minamoto): see the third segment.
• Murozono Takehiro (Benkei)  played Antonio in Inochi no Chikyuu: Dioxin no Natsu, an Orphan release, and had featured roles in numerous shows, including the Macross 7 franchise, Vampire Miyu, Fullmetal Panic, Hanada Shounen-shi, Monster, and Tsurune.

Also directed by Nishida Masayoshi.

5. Jungle Emperor

• Tsuruno Kyoko (Leo) played Eris in Gear Fighter Dendoh, Kurusu in Guardian Hearts, Yuka in Kaikan Phrase, and, as Mifuyu Hiiragi, the title role in I Dream of Mimi.
• Ootani Ikue (Paola) provided the voice of Pikachu in in the Japanese, English, Spanish, and German versions of the Pokemon shows. She also played Mitsuhiko in the Detective Conan franchise and Tony Tony Chopper in the One Piece franchise. She appeared as the Fujiwara twins in Haruka Naru Toki no Naka de 2, Ann in Next Senki Ehrgeiz, and Sumire in Kiss wa Mi ni Shie, all Orphan releases.
• Matsuo Ginzou (Tommy) played Doka in Biriken, Danbei in Cutie Honey Flash, Kuwagata in Inspector Fabre, Hemu Hemu in Nintama Rantaro, and Smoker in One Piece.
• Aizawa Masaki (Bubu) played Dragon in Enen no Shouboutai S3, Master in Inukami!, Bob Skylum in Moonrise, Wiper in Once Piece, Shouryuu in The Twelve Kingdoms, and John H Watson in Undead Murder Farce.
• Nishimura Tomohiro (Coco) played IR in Corrector Yui, the tanuki patriarch in Pom Poko, Hess in the Saber Marionette franchise, Amano Jaku in the Urotsukidoji franchise, Namekuji-neko in Alice SOS, Corkus in Berserk 97, Edward T Maclegan in Condition Green, Shibuki in Seirei Tsukai, Gon in Fire Tripper, Bunji in Koiko no Mainichi, and a delinquent in Laughing Target. The last five are Orphan releases.

Directed by Yoshimura Fumihiro, who also directed two Anime Mirai OVAs, Kacchikenee and Kumi to Tulip.

6. Honnoji - no cast credits available. Also directed by Yoshimura Fumihiro.

7. Saving Our Fragile Earth: Unico Special Chapter

• Yajima Akiko (Unico) 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, Maijima Karen in Sotsugyousei, and Hikari in Kakyuusei (1995), and appeared in Gakkou no Yuurei, volume 2, all Orphan releases.
• Takato Yasuhiro (Tsubasa) played Artemis in the Sailor Moon franchise, Gluttony in original Full Metal Alchemist, Russia in the Hetalia franchise, Kase-bake in GeGeGe no Kitarou (2007), and Kusuke the whale in Sensou Douwa: Chiisai Sensuikan ni Koi wo Shita. 
• Banjou Ginga (Yokuno, Desire Spirit) played the title role in 80 Days Around the World with Willy Fog, Baloo in The Jungle Book, and chairman Nakiri Senzaemon in Shokugeki no Souma. He appeared in Tenjou Hen: Utsu no Miko, Gude Crest, Oruorane the Cat Player, Amon Saga, Ipponbouchou Mantarou, Sanada 10, and the What's Michael? OVAs, all Orphan releases.
• Shinohara Emi (Goddess) played B-Ko in the A-ko properties and Sailor Jupiter in the Sailor Moon franchise. She appeared as Yuri Onagara in Blue Sonnet, vulgar daughter Stephanie in Eguchi Hisashi no Kotobuki Gorou Show, Reiko in Akai Hayate, Lady Manthrum in Hayou no Tsurugi, a newscaster in Junk Boy, and Android 1025 in Oz, all Orphan releases.
• Kumagaya Niina (Nishikaze, Time Fairy) played Unipuma in New Dominion Tank Police, Tomomi in Doukyuusei 2 Special: Sotsugyousei, and a student in Exper Zenon. The last two are Orphan releases.
• Kasahara Rumi (Water Fairy) played Shizuka in Dai-Guard, Pastel in Fortune Quest, Nina in Debutante Detective Corps, Kyoko in the Hell Teacher Nube franchise, Misao Amano in Magical Girl Pretty Sammy, Kanako in Princess Nine, and Koumi in Sakura Diaries.
• Asagami Youko (Sphinx) played Saeko Nogami in the City Hunter franchise and its spin-off, Angel Heart, Selene in Queen Millennia, Mrs. Hudson in Sherlock Hound, Mori Yuki in the original Yamato franchise, Amesis in Yamato 2520, and the female lead in Heart Cocktail, volume 4. The last two are Orphan releases.

Also directed by Nishida Masayoshi.

8. Black Jack: Old Woman

• Ootsuka Akio (Black Jack) played the title roles in most of the Black Jack properties, Magma Taishi, 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, Gale in Dragon Slayer Eiyuu Densetsu, and Black Jack in Tezuka Osamu Disappears, all Orphan releases.
• Mizutani Yuuko (Pinoko) played Pinoko in all the Black Jack properties, as well as Misako in Houkago no Tinker Bell, Hiromi in Milky Passion: Dougenzaka - Ai no Shiro, Rika in Sei Michaela Gakuen Hyouryuuki, Lila in Eien no Filena, Anna in Inochi no Chikyuu: Dioxin no Natsu, Shoko in Gakkou no Yuurei, volume 1, and Dr. Uematsu Kikue in Yume Kakeru Kougen, all Orphan projects.
• Kyouda Hisako (Yoshiko) played Minuet in Bremen 4, the Witch in Adachigahara, and the maid in Lunn Flies into the Wind, all Orphan releases. She also played  Kiyo in Botchan (1986), Sawa in Mermaid Forest, Tama in Mushishi, Obaba in Nausicaa, Darkness in Peter Pan, Yoshi Tamazaki in Showa Monogatari, Rin in the Stratos 4 properties, and Magno Vivan in Vandread.
• Watanabe Misa (Ritsuko) played Akeginu in Basilisk, Eriko in Gilgamesh, and Mattsu in Mattsu to Yama to Moburi-san. She appeared in Gakkou no Yuurei, volume 4, an Orphan release.
• Suzuki Takuma (Yoshiro) played Hisao in Bad Boys, Fatton in Bottom Biting Bug, Shinjiro in Cromartie High School, Yuu in Daa! Daa! Daa!, and Colbert in the Zero no Tsukaima franchise. She appeared in Nagasarete AirantouI, an Orphan release.
• Kamei Yoshiko (Mrs. Jindai) played the title role in Rerere no Tensai Bakabon, Gema in the Di Gi Charat franchise, and Nyan in Ultra Nyan: Hoshizora kara Maiorita Fushigi Neko, an Orphan release. She has had featured roles in Magical Meow Meow Taruto and Tiger and Bunny.

The director, Okada Kazuo, mostly did art direction, including for Magma Taishi, Black Jack, Akuemon, Harbor Light Story, and other segments in this anthology.

9. Capital Transfer to Heian - no cast credits available. Also directed by Nishida Masayoshi.

10. Astro Boy: The Last Day on Earth

• Shimizu Mari (Atom) - see chapter 1
• Katsuta Hisashi (Dr. Ochanomizu) - see chapter 1
• Tamagawa Sakiko (Bem) Tplayed Natsumi Rumi in Call Me Tonight, Shiori in Akai Hayate, Lar Lipp in Greed, and Shoku the armorer in Genji, Part 1, all Orphan releases. She also played Athena in Appleseed XIII, Tachikoma in GITS SAC, Kanoko in Shouwa Monogatari, Dotta in Sorcerer Hunters, Rouge in Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko, Masaki in the Tenchi Muyo franchise, Natsumi in the You're Under Arrest franchise, and Princess Suurya in Kamasutra.
• Nishimura Tomomichi ("Scrubbing Brush")  appeared as the narrator in YuYu Hakusho, Anzai-sensei in Slam Dunk, Shibaraku Tsurugibe in Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru, and Jamitov Hymem in Mobile Suit Z Gundam. He had a cameo as Don Dracula in Bremen 4 and appeared in Eguchi Hisashi no Kotobuki Goro Show, Eguchi Hisashi no Nantoka Naru Desho!, Fire Tripper, Fumoon, Hi-Speed Jecy, A Time Slip of 10,000 Years: Prime Rose, Tezuka Osasmu's Tales from the Old Testament, Wild 7, Wolf Guy, Aoki Honoo, and Yamataro Comes Back, all Orphan releases.

Also directed by Nishida Masayoshi.

11. Phoenix: Hagoromo

• Kobayashi Tetsuo (Zuku) does not appear in any anime databases.
• Saitou Eri (Toki) played Nikora in Mermaid Melody: Pichi Pichi Pitch, Towa in Super GALS!, and Tiore in Triange Heart: Sweet Songs Forever.
• Tanaka Atsuko (Phoenix) played Mauve in ACCA, Nena Hargen in Aika, Cassandra in Alexander: Reign the Conqueror, Caster in the Fate franchise, Motoko Kusanagi in the GITS franchise, Bynas in Ozma, Claudette in Queen's Blade, and Jagara in Wolf's Rain. She also played the nameless female lead in Heart Cocktail Again, Yuri in Nemure Omoigo, Sora no Shitone ni, new Mamamega in Megami Paradise, and Dana in AWOL Compression Remix, and she appeared in Gakkou no Yuurei, volume 3, all Orphan releases

Also directed by Nishida Masayoshi.

These complications also extend to how Kyoto Animation Theater appears in the standard anime databases. AniDB and ANN have seven separate entries, reflecting how the films were shown in the Kyoto theater, while MAL has eleven separate entries, for the individual episodes.

• Astro Boy: The Blue Knight + Shinsengumi: AniDB, ANN, MAL1, MAL2
• Princess Knight + Benkei and Ushiwakamaru: AniDB, ANN, MAL1, MAL2
• Jungle Emperor Leo + Honnou-ji: AniDB?, ANN, MAL1, MAL2
• Unico Special Chapter: AniDB, ANN, MAL
• Black Jack + Capital Transfer: AniDB, ANN, MAL1, MAL2
• Astro Boy: Last Day: AniDB, ANN?, MAL
• Phoenix Hagoromo: AniDB, ANN?, MAL

They're also classified as movies rather than OVAs, because they originally appeared in a theater. I do not look forward to getting this release listed.

To facilitate viewing the segments as separate films, I have created eleven "play chapter" files, named "nn. <segment name>.mkv". If you place these in the same directory as the complete anime, and if your media player supports ordered chapters, these files will play the named segment and nothing else.

This show has been in the works for seven years or more. The original raw dates back to 2018. Various attempts at translation over the years foundered on lack of expertise or lack of time. This year, at last, Yume created a usable translation for ten of the eleven segments; Iri's previously released translation was modified for the Black Jack segment. Yume and ninjacloud timed. I edited and typeset. Nemesis and Uchuu QCed. M74 encoded the workraw from the R2J DVD before he retired from fansubbing. An anonymous friend did the released encode.

Tezuka Osamu Works: Kyoto Animation Theater shows off the breadth of Tezuka Osamu's style, from slapstic comedy to overt sentimentalism. There's no continuity among the segments, so the viewer can dip in and out as desired for a ten or fifteen minute diversion. I enjoyed the whole thing, although I did find the Unico chapter preachy and the Phoenix' commentary a bit sententious. You can get this release from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

 

 

Magma Taishi, Batch

So here's Orphan's last word on Magma Taishi (Ambassador Magma), the 13-episode 1993 sci-fi OVA based (very loosely) on Tezuka Osamu's 1960's manga and tokustatsu TV series. The batch includes fixes to the first four episodes for a typo in the ED that wasn't noticed until episode five. Patches are available here. The fixes are very minor; you won't miss anything if you skip the updated episodes.

I've already expounded on my issues with Magma Taishi, particularly the way it ended. It should have hewed more closely to Tezuka Osamu's core strengths as an entertainer: strong plotting, good action sequences, and slapstick humor. Instead, it tried to be both a shounen adventure and and an environmental cautionary tale, succeeding at neither. Still, the show has its strong points. It's fast-paced and never stalls out. Even seeming diversions, like Mamoru's interaction with the Imai family, quickly move into action sequences. It has a terrific voice cast. Oohira Tooru's sneering performance as Goa is not to be missed, and Kikuchi Masami makes a suitably emo Mamoru (he is a teenager, after all). And it has a late example of the Star System, with Umemura Sayaka, girl reporter, modeled on Princess Sapphire. Do its virtues outweigh its defects? That's for you, the viewer, to decide.

For dub watchers, the English audio track is basically the same as the US dub release, with one significant exception: the US dub release includes the Japanese lyrics for the OP and ED. In the R2J DVDs, the OP and ED are instrumentals. The US dub also has English language credits and episode titles, rather than Japanese.

I'd like to thank the small team of people who made the show possible:

• Translation and initial timing: Yume
• Fine timing: ImAWasteOfHair 
• Editing and typesetting: yours truly
• QC: Uchuu, ImAWasteOfHair (ep 1-4), Paul Geromini (ep 5-13)
• Encoding: anonymous

I enjoyed working with them on the show to the very end.

I'll close with an image of  Magma at his most imposing:

(Gotta love the hair.) Thanks for watching.

P.S. The 1960s tokustatsu TV show is available on Blu-ray in Japan.

 

 

 

Magma Taishi (Ep 11-13)

With its final three episodes, Magma Taishi (Ambassador Magma) winds itself up, runs at a furious pace, takes a gigantic flying left turn, and jumps over a Megalodon-sized shark. Tezuka Osamu's shounen hero versus big baddie becomes an environmental fairy tale that ends with a whimper, rather than a bang. I'm no fan of the shounen genre, but the concluding episode left me baffled and more than a bit annoyed.

When we last left the good guys, they had been whisked off somewhere unknown. That turns out to be a "pocket dimension" set in some much earlier era, complete with dinosaurs. 

After killing a therapod that was about to devour Mamoru's father, they are confronted by an angry Earth-the-spirit, who asks why they would kill a creature they didn't intend to eat. (Um, self-defense, sir?) He asks what mankind's purpose is, strongly implying they don't have one and are therefore surplus to requirements. After some further Magma versus Udo action, they escape back to Earth-the-planet, only to find that Goa has launched a general offensive. 

Earth's defense forces are helpless against Goa's monsters. Magma and Udo also return.

As they grapple, Goa shoots them both with his "beam ray," inflicting fatal damage. Udo is gone, but so is Magma, and nothing seems to stand between Goa and his goal of obliterating humanity.

After some heartfelt (i.e., emo) interactions, Mamoru and Gam decide to make one last attempt at defeating Goa. With help from Mol, they break into Goa's ship, but there they are stymied by his power. Earth-the-spirit teleports in and tells Goa to back down.

Contrary to what Goa believes, Mother Earth created humans; they are necessary for her purposes. When Goa scoffs, Earth tells Mamoru to summon Magma. Mother Earth not only revived Magma but wipes out all of Goa's monsters.

Goa is enraged and decides to rip Magma into little tiny pieces. Mother Earth, realizing that Goa will never relent, now decides to destroy Earth-the-planet and all living creatures by reverting to the planet's primordial state billions of years ago. When Goa sees he won't be able to have his Big Blue Marble, he gets all huffy and decides to go home. After a few more environmental warnings from Earth-the-spirit, the good guys are left to ponder the destruction of civilization, and the anime ends.

There is only one possible reaction to this: WTF? Admittedly, thirty years had passed since Tezuka Osamu's manga (much of which he didn't write) and this show; and in those thirty years, Tezuka's Buddhist reverence for life and his environmentalism had grown much stronger. But the complete lack of payoff for all the travails and perils that Mamoru and crew had been put through is just laughable. Mamoru was irrelevant; Magma was irrelevant; even Earth-the-spirit was irrelevant. Mother Earth was capable of chasing off the bad guys all by her lonesome. The rest was filler.

Now, this show is not, in fact, the Master's work; it's posthumous. Without strong source material, post-Osamu Tezuka Productions had a tendency to lapse into preachiness. But Tezuka himself, even in his most discursive material like some of the Love Will Save the Earth specials, never failed to give the story a conclusion directly related to the protagonists. The ending of Magma Taishi feels like the scriptwriter failed to grasp the fundamentals of storytelling and the audience's need for closure. Enough.

The staff remains unchanged for this final group of episodes. Yume translated. ninjacloud timed. I edited and typeset. Paul Geromini and Uchuu QCed. The encoder wishes to remain anonymous. As before, these episodes are dual audio, with a signs-only subtitle track for the dub viewer. I've also included the non-credit OP and ED, just in case you haven't heard those songs enough. I have.

Magma Taishi, like the curate's egg, is good in parts; not just these parts. Still, I'm glad that it's finally subbed. You can get this last set of episodes from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

There will be a batch torrent in a few days. It will include some changes, so please don't torrent the episodes released to date as an "informal batch." 

Magma Taishi (Ep 8-10)

In this next set of Magma Taishi (Ambassador Magma) episodes, things look increasingly bleak for the good guys. Goa's monsters continue to hunt for Murakami Mamoru, and only Magma and Gam can save his bacon from increasingly difficult predicaments. Goa goes from strength to strength. He is fully recovered, and his minion, the oni Udo, has as well. While some of the agents in National Agency have wised up about Goa's intentions, the higher-ups persist in their delusions of negotiating, even when Goa's warships are in the sky all over the world.

And then, Mamoru makes a heart-breaking discovery. Our heroes have truly entered the Slough of Despond™.

The arc opens with Mamoru and his mother Tomoko once again pursued by a super-powerful pseudo-human. 

Rescued by chance, they end up at the home of Imai Kazuo, a typical family man with a wife, Yuki, and a daughter, Midori. But something is off. Midori is actually a pseudo-human, who took the real Midori's place when the latter died of illness. (Who arranged this? Goa was still a disembodied spirit back then.) Pseudo-Midori immediately recognizes what the viewer has suspected for some time: that Tomoko is also a pseudo-human, real name Altemira. Both have developed feelings for their human families, compromising their missions. 

And when Hilda, the blonde pseudo-human that bamboozled the Intelligence Agency back in episode 5, shows up to kill or capture Mamoru, those compromised loyalties are tested to the breaking point.

Meanwhile, Murakami Atsushi, his family, his sidekick Junya, and girl reporter Umemura return to investigate the restricted area around Mount Onitono.

In a long flashback to "ancient" times, an oni called Udo is shown terrorizing local villages until he is defeated by the first Asuka Miki. (Udo presents as female normally but as male in battle mode.) 

In modern times, Udo reawakens just as the gang, and the Intelligence agents under Kunisaki, discover its lair. They all barely escape with their lives when Goa teleports Udo to his spaceship. Udo has only one request: to settle the score with Magma before Goa conquers the planet.

But to get to Magma, Udo needs the flute (whistle) that Mamoru uses to summon Magma. The craven higher-ups at the Intelligence Agency have the same idea. Both sides are willing to kill Mamoru to get what they want. 

Artemila rescues her "son" from a threatening Intelligence agent, but at the cost of revealing her true identity.

Then Udo tries to get the flute by torturing Atsushi and his cohorts. In the ensuing struggle, Artemila is killed, and Gam is knocked out of action. Mamoru summons Magma, but then suddenly the whole group, and the land they stand on, is transported into some sort of gateway or black hole. Now what?

New seiyuu play the Kazuo family:

• Hikita Yumi (Imae Yuki) played Mirei in Condition Green, Android 1026 in Oz, and appeared in Zetsuai: 1989, all Orphan releases.
• Mitsuishi Kotono (Imai Midori) played the title roles in Excel Saga, Birdy the Mighty, and the Maze TV and OVAs, Mink in Dragon Half, Katsuragi Misato in the Evangelion properties, Rosalia in the Angelique franchise, Kagura in the original Fruits Basket, Eri in Love Get Chu, and of course, Sailor Moon in the Sailor Moon franchise. She played the leads in Mother: Saigo no Shoujo Eve and Oshare Kozou wa Hanamaru, as well as  Watanabe Yumi in Tsuyoshi Shikkari Shinasai: Tsuyoshi no Time Machine de Shikkari Shinasai, Oshina in Hidamari no Ki, and appeared in Gakkou no Yuurei volume 1, Blazing Transfer Student, Nagasarete Airantou, and Yamato 2520, all Orphan releases.
• Tsuji Tsutomu (Imai Kazuo) appeared in Next Senki Ehrgeiz, an Orphan release.

The voice actors who play Hilda, female Udo, and male Udo, are not identified. This is odd, because the show is normally quite scrupulous about identifying even small roles ("man", "alien"). 

The staff is unchanged. Yume translated. ImAWasteOfHair timed. I edited and typeset. Paul Geromini and Uchuu QCed. The encoder was an anonymous friend. As before, this is a dual-audio release, with a signs-only subtitle track to go with the English dub. Please note that I've put essentially no effort into the signs-only track, except to cut out the song lyrics and dialog. Accordingly, it shows the translated versions of episode titles, rather than the versions spoken in the English dub track.

Magma Taishi is now past the three-quarters mark, and the endgame is less clear than ever. Goa seems to hold all the cards. The forces of good are totally outclassed. Can they emerge victorious? You'll have to continue watching to find out. Meanwhile, you can get this set of episodes from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net