Toraemon

In 1985, the victory of the Hanshin Tigers in the Japan Championship, the equivalent of the US World Series, occasioned a one-shot OVA, Toraemon (Tiger Man), celebrating/lampooning the team's success. 

It was based on a manga by Haruo Takahashi that satirized celebrities and current events. Today, it is almost indecipherable to Western audiences and probably to Japanese audiences under 50.

The show is filled with references to real people. To start, the Hanshin Tigers are one of the oldest professional baseball clubs in Japan; they were founded before World War II. Their home field in Hanshin Koshien Stadium, beloved of anime baseball fans as the home of the Japanese high school baseball championships. After Hanshin won the championship in 1985, almost 40 years elapsed before they won again, supposedly because of a curse incurred during the victory celebrations.

The championship team consisted of

• Kafeku Masayuki, third baseman
• Okada Akinobu, second baseman
• Mayumi Akinobu, right fielder
• Kido Katsuhiko, catcher
• Hirata Katsuo, shortstop
• Rich Gale, pitcher (a former US professional baseball player)
• Senko Sano, left fielder
• Kitamura Terufumi, center fielder
• Randy Bass, first baseman (a former US professional baseball player)

The manager was Yoshida Yoshio. Kawato Kozo was a pinch hitter.

Other real-life characters showed up in the story too.

• Happou Tsukite was a rakugo artist and comedian
• Nakano Hajime was the former Hanshin CEO, who died in a plane crash
• Hideyoshi Toyotomi, the Osaka-based warlord defeated by Tokugawa Ieyasu
• Kanbi Fujiyami, a Japanese comedian who resembled Okada
• Egawa Takashi, losing pitcher for the Seibu Lions; his financial difficulties were well known 

Much of the humor stems from Osakans' pride in being the best in Japan (for once).

With so many characters, there's little time for depth or characterization.  The manager, Yoshido Yoshio, is satirized as stingy and money-grubbing. 

The first baseman, Randy Bass, is portrayed as a rich American with more cash than he knows what to do with.

The second baseman, Okada Akinobu, is lampooned as dim-witted, with questionable personal hygiene. 

There's also no through plot, just a series of comic sketches.

1. The climactic game of the Championship.
2. The delirious post-victory celebrations.
3. A New Years' party thrown by Manager Yoshida.
4. Training for the new season, including "joint training" with the JSDF.
5. Final arrangements for 1986.

None of it makes much sense. Some of it could be considered libelous. However, the humor is fairly universal, even if the local and topical references don't register.

The voice cast includes:

• Junko Hori was best known as the voice of the protagonists in three Fujiko Fujio works, Obake no Q-tarou, Ninja Hattori-kun, and Chinpui. She played the title role in Cat-Eyed Boy and appeared in Wan Wan Chuushingura, Taiyou no Ouji: Horus no Daibouken, Rain Boy, Time Slip Ichimannen Prime Rose, and Makoto-chan, all Orphan releases, as well as Moomin, Akage no Anne, Cinderella Boy, and Unico.
• Nagai Ichirou  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 Nijuushi ni Hitomi, Ore no Sora, Nayuta, One Pound Gospel, Rain Boy, Manxmouse, Nora, Hidamari no Ki, Yuukan Club, Amon Saga, Botchan, Ipponbouchou Mantaraou, Tengai Makyou, and Yamato 2520, all Orphan releases
• Aono Takeshi 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 Gakuu no Yuurei, Bride of Deimos, 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), Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament, and Rain Boy, all Orphan releases.
• Saka Osamu played Daisuke Aramaki in the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex franchise and Oohara in the Oishinbo properties. He appeared in Aoki Honoo, Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament, Sanada 10, Next Senki Ehrgeiz, Fire Emblem, Kasei Yakyoku, Oz, and the third Sangokushi movie, all Orphan releases.
• Utsumi Kenji was best known for his roles as Roah in Fist of the North Star, Kaioh in Fist of the North Star 2, and Senbei Norimaki in the Dr. Slump and Arale-chan franchise. He appeared as the village chief in Watt Poe and Alex Louis Armstrong in both versions of Full Metal Alchemist. He played the title role in Don Dracula and appeared in OL Kaizou Kouza, Nora, Bavi Stock, Stop!! Hibari-kun!, Techno Police 21C, Sanada 10, and 15 Shounen Hyouruuki, all Orphan releases.
• Sogabe Kazuyuki played Oda Nobunaga in Black Lion, Rei Ginsei in Vampire Hunter D, Kaei in To-Y, Madison in Nana Toshi Monogatari, and Meyer in Hi-Speed Jecy. The last three are Orphan releases.
  
• Futamata Issei was best known for his roles as Godai Yuusaku in Maison Ikkoku, Akira (Chibi) in Urusei Yatsura, and Saburo in Sazae-san. He starred as Ippei in Ore no Sora and Yoshio in Dokushin Apartment Dokudami-sou, and he played Bouya in Ichigatsu ni wa Christmas, Kouji Tanaka in Okama Hakusho, Ishida, coach's assistant, in One Pound Gospel, the psychopathic brother, Cross, in Hi-Speed Jecy, and mutliple characters in Fukuyama Gekijou, all Orphan releases.
• Hamura Kyouko played John in Peter Pan no Bouken and appeared in Starship Troopers and Hitomi no Naka no Shounen: 15 Shounen Hyouryuuki, both Orphan releases.
• Irokawa Kyouko played Tsubame in Stop!! Hibari-kun, an Orphan release.
• Ikemoto Sayuri played Mari in Project A-ko and Barbara in Robin Hood no Daibouken.

The director, Shibayama Tsutomu, is best known for the Doraemon franchise. He also directed Makoto-chan, an Orphan release, and well-known series including Ranma 1/2 and Chibi Maruko-chan.

I have no idea when or how Orphan acquired the laserdisc for this show, but it was one of the first rips on the Domesday Duplicator. After that, it languished, eventually being released as a raw. Then Perevodildo picked it up, translated it, and timed it. ninjacloud fine-timed. I edited and typeset. (There were too many signs in street scenes, and they were left untranslated.) WOWmd and bananadoyouwanna QCed. The raw was encoded by an anonymous friend.

Toraemon can't be fully understood outside of its time and place, but if you're prepared to let the details slide, along with the players, it's a fun watch, with plenty of weird characters, bizarre situations, and good gags. You can get the OVA from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.