Heavy

Orphan has done a couple of shows about boxing already: Takahashi Rumiko's 1989 OVA One Pound Gospel and the 1992 three-part OVA Nozomi Witches. We're now releasing another, the 1990 movie Heavy. All three tell the story of the rise of a boxing champion and the unlikely mentors or helpers who started him along his journey. One Pound Gospel and Nozomi Witches have splashes of comedy and romance to lighten the story. Heavy, on the other hand, is unremittingly serious, almost grim..

Heavy is based on an eight volume manga by Murakami Motoka. It has never been translated into English. The protagonist is Guy Hyuga, a karate fighter living with his father in Harlem, New York City. 

The streets are violent, his school is violent, and his neighbors are thugs and whores. Dr. Alex Gordon is a sports physiologist. He's dying of cancer and is haunted by a dream about a champion-level fighter of his creation. 

One night, Gordon is caught up in a swirl of people going to see a "Champion Fight" to settle a dispute between two high schools. Guy is his school's "champion" and promptly demolishes his opponents conventional wrestling moves. Suddenly, Gordon is seeing the champion of his dreams, in the flesh.

Gordon tries unsuccessfully to convince Guy to become a boxer when they witness a local gang raping Lily, a street girl. 

Gordon rushes to help and nearly gets himself killed. Only Guy's intervention, which maims Billy, one of the gang members, saves them all. The gang vows revenge and eventually put Guy's father in a coma. In desperate need of funds, Guy agrees to Gordon's proposition.

Gordon wants to recruit a famous trainer, Lucky Roman, to train Guy. But Lucky is a flamboyant cross-dresser, dying of AIDS, and is ostracized by everyone. He only agrees to help after experiencing Guy's skills at first hand. 

The training regimen is hard, but Guy's a natural athlete and a natural fighter. Gordon draws on past friendships to get guy a boxing license and sets up a debut fight against Don Bailey, a Harlem brawler and neighborhood favorite. 

The odds are loaded against Guy - hostile crowd, devious opponent, no prior experience - but the rest writes itself.

Despite the underdog status of everyone involved - Gordon and Lucky are terminally ill, Guy is a stranger both in this country and his city, Don Bailey is trying to carve out a living for his family - I didn't find Heavy engaging. Gordon's cancer and Lucky's AIDS diagnosis are props, and their characters lack depth. Guy is a Japanese good guy victimized by US discrimination. Lily is primarily there for eye candy. The portrait of African-Americans is more than a little racist. And the denouement, culminating in a heartfelt plea by Don's little sister that soothes the anger of a murderous crowd, is unbelievable. Still, the story moves along briskly, with a mix of melodrama and violence. But it's tonally flat and downbeat.

The voice actors include many of the usual suspects for Orphan releases.

• Matsumoto Yasunori (Guy Hyuga) starred as Ichitaro in Ushiro no Hyakutaro, Akira in Mellow, Johnny in Starship Troopers, Kaname in Singles, and Tooru in Every Day Is Sunday, all Orphan releases. He was in numerous OVAs in the 1990s, including Houkago no Tinker Bell, Ziggy Sore Yuke! R&R Band, Seikimatsu: Humane Society, Fukuyama Gekijou: Natsu no Himitsu, and Al Caral no Isan, also Orphan releases. Among his other notable roles were Wataru Akiyama in Initial D, Jean Havoc in Fullmetal Alchemist, Gourry Gabriev in Slayers, Ryou in Sonic Soldier Borgman, and a personal favorite, Dick Saucer in Dragon Half.
• Takayama Minami (young Guy) starred as the title roles in Kiki's Delivery Service and Space Girl Yamamoto Yohko, and, most famously, played Conan Edogawa in the more than 1000 episodes, OVAs, movies, and specials of the Detective Conan franchise. She played Kuroyanagi Meiji in Chocchan Monogatari, Yuu in Cosmic Fantasy, and Emi in Genji, Part 1, all Orphan releases.
• Naya Gorou (Dr. Alex Gordon) played Koichi Zenigata in Lupin III, Juzo Okita in Space Battleship Yamato, Shocker in Kamen Rider, Yupa in Nausicaa, Schott in Hashire! Shiroi Ookami, King Magma VII in Kaitei 3-man Mile, Weedon Scott in White Fang, and Yamaarashi in Botchan; the last four are Orphan releases. His deep voice provided the narration in Shinzou Ningen Casshern, Vampire Miyu, Golden Boy, the original Dororo, and other shows.
• Tsuru Hiromi (Lily) debuted as Perrine in Perrine Monogatari. She went on to play Kashima Miyuki in Miyuki, Madoka in Kimagure Orange Road, and Mikami Reiko in Ghost Sweeper Mikami. She also played Sawamoto Aki in Junk Boy, Sara in Mother: Saigo no Shoujo Eve, Sonnet Barge in Blue Sonnet, Fengji in the third Sangokushi movie, Keiko in Hiatari Ryoukou, Nozomi in Nozomi Witches, Jill in A Penguin's Memories, UFO-chan in Dokushin Apartment Dokudami-sou, Milk in Karuizawa Syndrome, Kiyomi, the motorcycle rider, in Sotsugyou: Graduation, Asuza in Laughing Target, Sister Angela in One Pound Gospel, and big sister Shizuka in Tomoe's Run!, all Orphan releases.
• Ikeda Masaru (Ryuu Hyuga, Guy's father) had major roles in Yatterman and Sakura Taisen. He appeared in Utsu no Miko, Don Dracula, Bagi, Greed, Kasei Yakyoku, Every Day Is Sunday, Bakumatsu no Spasibo, Techno Police 21C, Tobira o Akete, and the first Sangokushi TV special, all Orphan releases.
• Genda Tesshou (Don Bailey) played Colonel Muto in Joker Game, Moloch in Yondemasu Azazel-san, Rei in the Urusei Yatsura franchise, Moguro Fukuzou in New Laughing Salesman,  and "Oyaji" in Mitsuboshi Colors. He also played Tyler in Michite Kuru Toki no Mukou ni, Tamura in Ore no Sora, Akauma in Fire Tripper, Jin Kiryu in Blue Sonnet, Zigong in Eiyuu Banka Koushi-den, Paul Rusch in Yume Kakeru Kougen, Jim Hyatt in AWOL Compression Remix, Galbreath in Next Senki Ehrgeiz, Baguda in Greed, the narrator in Akai Hayate and Meisou-ou Border, Dog McCoy in Dallos, Mayor Carlo in Inochi no Chikyuu: Natsu no Dioxin, Hebopi in Wild 7, Oosukune in Izumo, Miyoshi in Sanada 10, and Kuroki and Kirishima in Eguchi Hisashi no Kotobuki Gorou Show, all Orphan releases.
• Yara Yuusaku (Lucky Roman) played the destroyer captain in Zipang. He had many featured roles, appearing in Tooyamazakura Uchuuchou: Yatsu no Na wa Gold, Kimu no Juujika, Kimama ni Idol, Hayou no Tsurugi, Eguchi Hisashi no Kotobuki Gorou Show, Eguchi Hisashi no Nantoko Narudesho, Next Senki Ehrgeiz, Eien no Filena, Hidamari no Ki, Nozomi Witches, both Sangokushi OVAs, Prime Rose, the second Sangokushi movie, and both What's Michael? OVAs, all Orphan releases.
• Yajima Akiko (Mary Bailey) 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 Unico in Tezuka Osamu Works: Kyoto Animation Theater, and she appeared in Gakkou no Yuurei, volume 2, all Orphan releases. 
• Umezu Hideyuki (boxing license clerk) played Akadama-sensei in Uchouten Kazoku and Uranos Corsica in Gangsta. He had featured roles in Shibuya Honky Tonk, Asatte Dance, Star Dust, Apfelland Monogatari, Blue Sonnet, Hashire Melos, Hi-Speed Jecy, Hidamari no Ki, Nana Toshi Monogatari, Neko Neko Fantasia, Singles, the What's Michael? OVAs, Yamato 2520, Genji, Part 1, Mellow, Ushiro no Hyakutaro, and Ziggy Sore Yuke! R&R Band, all Orphan releases.  
• Sawaki Ikuya (referee) played Gooley in the Dirty Pair franchise. He also played Kentaro in Ushiro no Hyakutaro, Samuel Hunter in Wolf Guy, Masayoshi Hotta in Hidamari no Ki, Barry in Joker: Marginal City, Alan in Mother: Saigo no Shoujo Eve, Itakura Shirouemon in Sanada 10, the Kaiser in Apfelland Monogatari, Gonbei the cat in Satsujin Kippu wa Heart-iro, and multiple role in Shibuya Honky Tonk, as well as bit parts in Dallos, Heart Cocktail, and Chameleon, all Orphan releases.
• Ono Kenichi (Jack Redman, Guy's training opponent) played Toujirou in Mikan Enikki, Shiro Shirota in Dai-Guard, Asurada in the Future GPX Cyber Formula franchise, and Touma in Dirty Pair Flash. He played Abe no Yasuna in Akuemon and Sugawara in Kindaichi movie 2, and he appeared in AWOL Compression Remix, Bavi Stock, Seikima II Humane Society, Wolf Guy, Shibuya Honky Tonk, and Ziggy Sore Yuke! R&R Band, all Orphan releases.
• Hirose Masashi (Jack's trainer) appeared in Tengai Makyou, Al Caral no Isan, Dallos, Nora, Kage, Shibuya Honky Tonk, Wolf Guy, Junkers Come Here: Memories of You, and Kageyama Tamio's Double Fantasy, all Orphan releases.
• Shioya Kouzo (Billy, gang member) appeared in GeGeGe no Kitarou since 1985, as well as dozens of featured roles. He also played Kumada in Princess Army, Wildcat B in Grimm Douwa: Kin no Tori, Tsunaga in Blue Sonnet, the Announcer in Nora, Kaji in Stop!! Hibari-kun!, a policeman in Dallos, a bodyguard in Elf 17, and multiple roles in Hi-Speed Jecy, all Orphan releases.
• Kojima Toshihiko (Commissioner Gaston) appeared in Laughing Target and Eiyuu Banka Koushi Den, both Orphan releases.
• Narahashi Miki (Ronnie) played Hanako in the Chibi Maruko-chan franchise and Misae in the Crayon Shin-chan franchise. She appeared in Asatte Dance and St. Michaela Gakuen Hyouryuuki, both Orphan releases.

The director, Ishiguro Noboru, was an industry veteran who directed several episodes of Animated Classics of Japanese Literature. He also worked on Mushishi (another Artland property), Hoshi Neko Full House, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, and Tytania.

An internet raw for Heavy had been banging around the Orphan archives for years, but the project didn't really get started until WOWmd encoded a new raw. Perevodildo translated and timed, Paul Geromini edited, I typeset, VigorousJammer and I QCed. WOWmd's encode is based on his Domesday Duplicator rip of the Japanese laserdisc.

So here's another "all Discord" Orphan project - all the contributors hang out on Discord rather than IRC. Although Heavy didn't resonate with me, I'm glad that it's now available to an English-speaking audience. You can get the movie from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net