Galaxy Apartment Cosmo Hills

We'll conclude this spate of Young Animator Training Project shows with a relatively recent offering, Galaxy Apartment Cosmo Hills, from the 2025 edition of Anime no Tane; the other shows are:

• Dive-In!, no dialog
• Sora and the Big Tree, subtitled by DmonHiro
• Trust, raw only from a web source

Galaxy Apartment is a joint Inka-Orphan release. Like all the Anime no Tane shows since 2021, it is short - under ten minutes - but it packs a lot into its runtime. It opens with an unknown man dying in a raid of some kind; but before he kicks the bucket, he launches an object into space with the words, "I'm counting on you, Cass." Cut to an apartment house on a small planetoid, where slacker Cass is the only tenant of Galaxy Apartment Cosmo Hills. 

He's desperately trying to make money as a "Nyantuber," but his page, about cute multi-tentacled creatures called Takochu, is getting no views at all. 

His landlord Chami stops by to demand the rent, and his mother calls to nag him about his slacker lifestyle.

Then he receives a package from "Mamazon." He's expecting meat buns from his mom, but instead, it's a baby in a prison uniform, with a spiked iron pacifier, whose sole word is "Da!"

Before Cass can figure out where the baby came from, the apartment house is surrounded by villainous shark aliens sent by the evil Captain Cigar (and the even more sinister Mother Shark):

Cass has no idea what to do, but Da uses his pacifier as a flail and trounces all the sharks (Captain Cigar too). Da is seriously OP.

Chami contributes as well, using her transforming broom against the enemy.

She then transports the apartment house, via warp drive, to Neptune. Cass has recorded all the events. When he uploads his video to Nyantube, he gets millions of views:

He's promptly banned, of course. And then the show ends, with an ominous cliffhanger. Wow!

Galaxy Apartment Cosmo Hills is visually inventive and narratively dense. Nothing is ever explained; for example, I only found out the identity of the unknown man in the opening sequence from the end credits. Unanswered questions abound. Who, or perhaps what, is Da? What are the villains after? Will Cass ever make any money? We'll never know.

The voice cast is first-rate:

• Kobayashi Chiaki (Cass) starred as Asakase in Sonny Boy, Yuiichi in Tomodachi Game, the title roles in Moriarty the Patriot and Ragna Crimson, Hayate in Cool Doji Danshi, Gabimaru in Jigokuraku, Stark in Sousou no Frieren, and many other roles. He played Okuninushi in the first Science Saru x MBS Original Short Anime Daisakusen short, an Orphan release.
• Kuno Misaki (Chami) starred in the title role in Aharen-san wa Hakarenai and as Touko in Hikari no Ou. She played Xialon in Kusuriya no Hitorigoto, Shiori in the Non Non Biyori franchise, Hawk in the Nanatsu no Taizai franchise, and Chie in Chuck Shimezu, an Orphan release.
• Sakamoto Chika (Da) played Campanella in Night on the Galactic Railway, the title role in Tsuruhime, Nonoko in Tobira wo Akete, Tendonman in the Soreike! Anpanman franchise, and Agumon in the Digimon franchise. She appeared as Kijimuna in the Utsu no Miko movie, Miko in Ohoshi-sama no Rail, Yasuda Yumiki in Nine, Kometora in Charapno Land no Bouken, and Suzume's erstwhile love interest, Katagiri-kun, in Stop!! Hibari-kun!, all Orphan releases.
• Ohtsuka Mizue (Cass' mother) played Butaro Tomita in more than 400 episodes of Chibi Maruko-chan, among other roles.
• Iwata Mitsuo (Cass' Father) starred as Tetsuya in Outlanders, Shoutarou in Akira, Kintarou in Golden Boy, Jay in Next Senki Ehrgeiz, and Wataru in Doukyuusei: Climax. The last two are Orphan releases.
• Touchi Hiroki (Captain Cigar) played Takumi in Zipang, Abel Nightroad in Trinity Blood, Ovan in .hack//roots, Baldroy in the Kuroshitsuji franchise, and Heiter in Sousei no Frieren.
•  Kujira (Mother Shark) was best-known roles as Otose in Gintama and Orochimaru in Naruto. She also plays Matsuyo in the Osomatsu-san franchise. 

This was director Aoki Kane's first directing assignment; previously, she had done animation and storyboards.

Inka did the front-end work, and Orphan the back-end. Perry Dimes translated and did initial timing. Darkonius translation checked and fine-timed. darkcart edited. I typeset; the typesetting is ten times longer than the dialog. Nemesis and Uchuu QCed. The raw is from Gecko and had major flaws in its timecodes. It took a lot of experimentation to get the subbed version to play properly. There was no place to put fansub credits, so this blog post will have to do, commemorating another smooth Inka-Orphan joint project.

I liked Galaxy Apartment Cosmo Hills quite a lot. It's unpredictable, with interesting animation and stand-out characters. It leaves the viewer - at least this viewer - wanting more. You can get the show from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news in irc.rizon.net.

Tooyamazakura Uchuuchou: Yatsu no Na wa Gold (Samurai Gold)

To paraphrase the great Jimmy Buffet, I think this one might be my fault; but darkcart also accepts some responsibility, so this is a joint Inka-Orphan clusterfuck.

The awkwardly named Tooyamazakura Uchuuchou: Yatsu no Na wa Gold (Toyama Sakura Space Chronicles: His Name is Gold), commonly known as Samurai Gold, is a 1988 OVA based on a science fiction novel by Yuuki Kyousuke. It is an homage to the period novel Maragoshi-Bugyo by Jinde Tatsurou, if that helps. It tells the story of a young man named Gold Disasmount (can't make this up), who lives in a peaceful world ruled by a giant computer named EDO. 

Gold is dissatisfied and bored and spends his time gambling (and losing) and pursuing a barroom singer named Midi.

Gold's existence is suddenly upended when his estranged father, Retklaad, is attacked and nearly killed by a "ghost." Gold himself has a narrow escape from an oversized, effeminate assassin and several androids. 

He believes the answer to these sudden attacks lies in the tourist space colony of Fedvar, from which his father had just returned. 

Gold travels to Fedvar, with Midi as an uninvited guest, to meet his snoopy cousin Ritt.

In an endless infodump, Ritt explains that the King of Fedvar, Tonomono Plenmatz, his wife, and their son Prince Ion, had been killed in a spaceship accident. The spaceship had been delivered by none other than Gold's father Retklaad. There are many more twists and turns, most of them pulled out of places where the sun don't shine.

I don't want to spoil the story further. Besides, I'm not sure I understand it.

One translation note. Gold has tattoos on his back that only appear when his blood is circulating vigorously, e.g., after exercise or under stress. They're called 白粉彫り or "white powder engravings." They don't actually exist, but they make for a really convenient plot device.

The voice cast includes:

• Yao Kazuki (Gold Disasmount) played Franky in One Piece, the lead in Makyou Gaiden Le Deus, the title role in Rance, Dark Schneider in Bastard!!, Chivas in Sorcerer on the Rocks, and Yoki in Fullmetal Alchemist (both versions). He also played the title role in Hameln no Violin Hiki,  Morbridge Jr in Nana Toshi Monogatari, K.K. in Elf 17, Date Ikkaku in Akai Hayate, Ryougaku in Wild 7, Ryan in Star Dust, and Sofue Akira in Boyfriend, all Orphan releases.
• Fujii Ichiko (Midi) was an idol. She has no other anmie credits.
• Tsuboi Akiko (EDO) had featured roles in numerous shows, incuding Perrine Monogatari, Heidi Girl of the Alps, Lucy of the Southern Rainbow, Galaxy Express 999, Miyuki, Saint Seiya, and Nausicaa. She played Mensuran in Hayou no Tsurugi, an Orphan release.
• Mori Katsuji (Ion Plenmatz) played Atlas in the 1980 Astro Boy, Seiji Hayama in Cutie Honey, Wolfgang Mittermeyer in LOGH, Haru in Real Drive, Robespierre in Rose of Versailles, Alcan in Amon Saga, Cemen Bond in Bagi, Tanguin in Cool Cool Bye, Ii Hyobushoyu Naomasa in Sanada 10, and Shiina in Stop!! Hibari-kun! The last five are Orphan releases.
• Shioya Yoku (Ritt) played the title roles in Kariage-kun and the Umi no Triton TV series and movies, Ryouta in Slam Dunk, Jinpei the Swallow in Gatchaman, and Cosmo Yuki in Space Runaway Ideon. He played Tsuri in Tenjou Hen: Utsu no Miko, Yuzuru in Laughing Target, Mickey in Milky Passion: Dougenzaka - Ai no Shiro, Mizuki in Nayuta, and Zhuge Jun in the first Sangokushi movie, all Orphan releases.
• Saka Osamu (Retklaad Disasmount) played Daisuke Aramaki in the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex franchise and Oohara in the Oishinbo properties. He appeared in Toraemon, 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.
• Ikemizu Michihiro (Ebota, Retklaad's brother) had numerous featured roles, including the boy in Tsuki ga Noboru made ni, Zhuge Jin in the second Sangokushi movie, Hanezawa in Double Fantasy, Zhuge Jin in the second Sangokushi movie, and Lu Xun in the third Sangokushi movie, all Orphan releases.
• Yara Yuusaku (oversized effeminate man) played the destroyer captain in Zipang. He had many featured roles, appearing in 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.
  

The director, Umezawa Atsutoshi, also directed some of the Tenjou Hen: Utsu no Miko OVA series, Ghost Sweeper Mikami, and Gokinjo Monogatari, among others. At the beginning of this century, he switched over to planning and producing.

This project started in the fall of 2023, when WOWmd captured a laserdisc of Samurai Gold on the Domesday Duplicator. About a year later, Rezo had made a finished encode. I thought this offered an opportunity to supersede the hardsubbed VHS rip of the ancient R1 release. I advertised on Discord for someone to transcribe the hardsubs. darkcart, Fearless Leader™ of Inka-Subs volunteered, but by the time he finished, I forgot all about the idea. Reminded of my request, I asked Perevodildo to look at the subs. He concluded that were useless and translated the show from scratch. TougeWolf then checked the result, and darkcart did a first edit. However, by the time they had finished, I was having back surgery and forgot all about it again. Reminded (rather more bluntly) for a second time, I edited and typeset. ImAWasteOfHair, timx, and Muzussawa QCed. TougeWolf did a release check. The result is a joint Inka-Subs and Orphan Fansubs release; Inka's final word on the subject is here. You may ask, "Why does Inka use a hyphen in its name and Orphan doesn't?" I'll tell you, "I don't know. It's a tradition!"

Samurai Gold isn't all that bad. It has many lively sequences, and Gold makes a good protagonist in his initial goofball mode. But there are too many infodumps and too many improbable twists, and the prolonged courtroom sequence at the climax is simply unbelievable. It ought to be a stark lesson to me not to initiate a project without at least watching a raw; but because I don't understand Japanese, what good would that do? Anyway, you can get Samurai Gold from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net. And for extra punishment, be sure to check out the YouTube video on the Samurai Gold game. (A tip of the hat, I guess, to darkcart for pointing this out to me.)

Tottoi

Inka and Orphan are pleased to bring you Tottoi, an environmental fable (or fairy tale) from 1992. Based on a novel by Italian writer Gianni Padoan, it tells the story of a young Sardinian boy, Antonio, nicknamed Tottoi. He grew up in West Germany, where his father had moved for work. After the death of his mother, Tottoi, his father Cipriano, and little sister Francesca return to Sardinia and the embrace of Tottoi's extended family and friends. 

They include his uncle and aunt, Stanis and Gizza; his cousin Billia; and Billia's friends Caterina, the local "princess," and Pedro, "the village idiot." Billia works for Captain Marco, who takes tourists to Sea Cow (Seal) Cave. In the past, Mediterranean monk seals gathered there to breed. But the seals are extinct on Sardinia...

While exploring the depths of the cave, Tottoi encounters a seal. No one believes him. His father sends him to go see Nanni Spannu, an artist and potter who has lived in the area a long time. Spannu tells Tottoi that monk seals are extinct on the island, like the antruxu or griffon vulture, which is the symbol of Sardinia. 

When Tottoi insists that he saw one, Spannu agrees to take him back to the cave. They find not only a mature female seal but also her pup. Initially wary of humans, the pup becomes friendly with Tottoi. The boy names the pup Zabaione, after his favorite dessert.

Although Spannu warns Tottoi to keep the presence of the seals secret, the boy can't resist sharing with his friends, who share it with their parents.

Eventually, it comes to the attention of an avaricious (what else) American mogul vacationing on a yacht, who wants to capture the seal for his hotel aquarium. 

Can Tottoi and his friends protect the seals from the greedy visitors? Well, it is a fairy tale.

It's also a fairy tale because the Mediterranean monk seal is, in fact, extinct in the western Mediterranean, including Sardinia, and endangered everywhere else. On the other hand, the antruxu (griffon vulture) is not extinct on Sardinia, which has one of the largest colonies. But I can't imagine an anime in which a boy becomes all close and cuddly with a young vulture. Can you?

Zabaione (sometimes spelled zabaglione) is a simple, delicious dessert. Its only ingredients are egg yolks, sugar, and a sweet wine, usually Marsala, and perhaps some fresh fruit for a topping. Try it!

The voice cast includes:

• Namikawa Daisuke (Tottoi) played Takeru in the Freedom OVAs, Tokunaga in Gurazeni, Tooru in Haikyuu!!, Italy in the Hetalia franchise, Hisoka in Hunter x Hunter (2011), and my personal favorite, the demon-summoning detective Akutabe in the Yondemasu yo, Azazel-san franchise. He also played Mizuki, the Seiseki captain, in DAYS and appeared in Sangokushi 2 and Cosprayers, all Orphan releases.
• Yamaguchi Kappei (Billia) played the lead character in the Detective Conan franchise, Ranma in the Ranma 1/2 franchise, Inuyasha in all the Inuyasha properties, Usopp in the One Piece franchise, Sakuma Ryuichi in Gravitation, Arslan in the first OVA series, and the title role in Mouse, among many others. He played Matsuoka Eiji in Chameleon, Shibuya in Zetsuai 1989 and Bronze: Zetsuai Since 1989, and Tooru in Boyfriend, all Orphan releases.
• Tomiyama Kei (Cipriano) played the title roles in Sabu to Ichi Torimono Hikae, Roppou Yabure, and the original Tiger Mask, as well as Lingham in Genmu Senki Leda, Sir Jogo  in SF Saiyuuki Starzinger, Susumu in the Yamato franchise, and Wen Li in Legend of the Galactic Heroes. He also played leading roles in Michite Kuru Toki no Mukou ni, Grimm Douwa: Kin no Tori, Ginga Tansa 2100-nen: Border Planet, Bremen 4, Sugata Sanshiro, the Sangokushi TV specials, and Yousei Ou, all Orphan releases. He won a posthumous Special Achievement Award in 2007.
• Honda Chieko (Francesca) played Kurumi in Kimagure Orange Road, Marybell in Hana no Mahou Tsukai Marybell, Amy in the Gall Force OVAs, Rullishia in Dragon Century, Meroko in Full Moon o Sagashite, Marie in Soul Eater, and Lea in the Ancient Book of Ys OVAs. She starred as Ruu in Elf 17 and Hiromi in Kakyuusei (1995, both Orphan releases.
• Ogata Kenichi (Stannis) played the put-upon father in Maroko, Suzuki in Kigyou Senshi Yamazaki: Long Distance call, the crooked casino boss in Okane ga Nai!, the Hong Kong chef in Yuukan Club, Chichi's father in Chiisana Koi no Monogatari, the business chief in Okama Hakusho, the lawyer in Asatte Dance, and the Narrator/Lord of Kaga in Oedo wa Nemurenai!, all Orphan releases. He also played Smee in Peter Pan no Bouken and Gran Torino in Boku no Hero Academia. However, he's best known to me as the voice of Ranma 1/2's Sataome Gemna, whose alter ego - the grumpy panda - is my avatar on most anime forums. 
  
• Ichijou Miyuki (Gizza) played Akane in Next Senki Ehrgeiz, an Orphan release, and Jody Rockwell in the Yawara! properites. She appeared in several Detective Conan movies.
• Matsui Naoko (Caterina) played Efera in Gude Crest, Wato-san in Mitsume ga Tooru and Tezuka Osamu ga Kieta?!, and Lady Dola in Ai to Ken no Camelot, and she 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.
• Sawaki Ikuya (Captain Marco) played Gooley in the Dirty Pair franchise. He also played Gonbei the cat in Satsujin Kippu wa Heart-iro, 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, and the Kaiser in Apfelland Monogatari, as well as bit parts in Dallos, Heart Cocktail, and Chameleon, all Orphan releases.
• Katou Seizou (Nanni Spannu) played Jashinsai in Tengai Makyou, 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.
• Sakurai Toshiharu (Pedro) played Hanson in Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water and Innocentius VII in Arslan Senki TV. He appeared in Asatte Dance, Akai Hayate, Exper Zenon, and Mellow, all Orphan releases.
• Gouri Daisuke (Holt) played Yamazaki Hiromi in Patlabor. He had numerous featured roles. He appeared in Okama Hakusho, Condition Green, Bavi Stock I, Hashire Melos, Rain Boy, all three Sangokushi movies (Xiahou Dun), Submarine 707R, Tokimeki Tonight, Wolf Guy, Hi-Speed Jecy, Hidamari no Ki, and Kage, all Orphan releases.
• Watabe Takeshi (Jack Land) appeared in Gunparade Orchestra, Maze, Ninku, Oishinbo, Wrath of the Ninja, and You're Under Arrest. He also appeared in Tales from The Old Testament, Condition Green, Twinkle Nora Rock Me!, Sanctuary, and Sanada 10, all Orphan releases.
• Yamaguchi Ken (Totorino) appeared in Asatte Dance, Dokushin Apartment Dokudami-sou, Yamato 2520, Hoshi Neko Full House, Shiratori Reiko de Gozaimasu!, and Condition Green, all Orphan releases.
  
• Yamazaki Takumi (Massimo) had featured roles in Al Caral no Isan and Wolf Guy, both Orphan releases, as well as numerous other shows.
  

The director, Kiyozumi Norifumi, mostly did animation and mechanical design. Tottoi is his only directing credit.

Tottoi was only released on VHS tape, not on laserdisc or digital media. Orphan's media guy found a second-hand tape of the show. I liked the look of the show, so he encoded it. However, no translator was available at the time, and the movie was released as a raw. Eventually, some folks over at Inka became interested. Rugi translated it. TougeWolf timed and translation checked. I edited and typeset. ImAWasteofHair, Perevodildo, and MartyMcflies QCed. After the usual release checking, it was ready to go, as a joint Inka-Orphan release. The raw is a mess, marred by periodic loss of tracking, but no other tapes have been found. If you have one and it's better, or if the movie is released as a web stream, we'll make a new version.

Tottoi never quite swept me away. The story line is predictable, the climax is forced, and Nanni Spannu is a narrative crutch. The background music is jolly, faux-Italian dance tunes. Still, the seal pup in the story is very cute, the interactions among the youngsters seem natural, and some of the artwork is quite striking.

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.

MAPS: Densetsu no Samayoeru Seijin-tachi

Here's a wonderful example of the "wide-screen baroque" school of anime science fiction, the 1987 movie MAPS: Densetsu no Samayoeru Seijin-tachi (Maps: The Legendary Nomad Star Tribe), or just Maps for short. This first English release of the movie is a joint project between Inka-Subs and Orphan Fansubs.

At the outset, 16-year-old Tokishima Gen is over his head in a high-school soccer game, cheered on (or egged on) by his not-quite-girlfriend Kimizuki Hoshimi. Suddenly, a ginormous space ship shaped like a flying female figure (or a vintage Rolls Royce hood ornament) appears. The ship beams Gen up, as Hoshimi clings to his leg - and other parts of his anatomy - in a desperate attempt to keep him on the ground. Inside the ship, its statuesque captain, Lipmira Gweiss, informs Hoshimi that he is the legendary Mapman - a living map to a treasure, the Surging Light, hidden on Earth 200,000 years ago by the equally legendary Space Nomad Tribe.

While Gen is busy denying any knowledge of a map, Lipmira's ship is suddenly attacked by Captain Abe's "Space Patrol" cruiser. However, Abe is not part of the Space Patrol, but just another treasure seeker pursuing Mapman. After some hair-raising experiences, Lipmira, Gen, and Hoshimi turn the tables on Abe, who meekly accepts a role as cook on Lipmira's ship. Lipmira then reveals that she has deciphered the map, and the quartet set out to find the Surging Light. Of course, their quest will not be unopposed, because the Mythic Breed lurks in wait...

This bare synopsis cannot convey how delightfully goofy Maps is. Gen and Hoshimi are wonderfully mismatched. Captain Abe is basically a flake with a fantastically unrealistic view of his talents and prospects. There's one breathtaking (and often comic) escapade after another, leading to a galvanic final confrontation. And the conclusion is nicely open-ended, which is fitting, because the Maps manga, by Yuichi Hasegawa, filled 17 volumes.

The voice cast has many well-known veterans of 1980s anime, even in the smaller roles:

• Tsuru Hiromi (Lipmira Gweiss) debuted as Perrine in Perrine Monogatari. She went on to play Kashima Miyuki in Miyuki, Madoka in Kimagure Orange Road, Barge in Blue Sonnet, and Mikami Reiko in Ghost Sweeper Mikami. She also played Keiko in Hiatari Ryoukou, Nozomi in Nozomi Witches, Jill in A Penguin's Memories, Milk in Karuizawa Syndrome, UFO-chan in Dokushin Apartment Dokudami-sou, and big sister Shizuka in Tomoe's Run!, all Orphan releases. 
• Tanaka Mayumi (Tokishima Gen) made her debut at age 10 in Kimba the White Lion. She's probably best known for her roles as Pazu in Castle in the Sky, Giovanni in Night on the Galactic Railway, Kuririn in the original Dragonball, and of course, Monkey D. Luffy in every incarnation of One Piece. She also played Flene in Cool Cool Bye, Mit-sah in White Fang, Rocco the fox in Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament, and Son Gokuu in I am Son Gokuu: Tezuka Osamu Monogatari, all Orphan projects. 
• Minaguchi Yuuko (Kimizuka Hoshimi) is best known for Yawara!, her breakout and defining role. She debuted as Kii in Greed, an Orphan release, and starred in numerous other shows, including Bosco Adventure, Dragon Ball Z and GT, Sailor Moon, One Piece, and Alexander (Reign: The Conqueror). She played Frieda in Apfelland Monogatari, Saki in Singles, and Felicia in Oz, also Orphan releases. 
• Kamiya Akira (Abe Edinburgh) is best known for the title roles in the City Hunter properties, the Kinnikuman franchise, and Babel II. He played Kazamatsuri in Yawara!, Roy Focker in Macross, and Mendou in Urusei Yatsura. He also played Sergent Zim in Starship Troopers and Musakato Taira in Elf 17, and he stole the show as the lecherous robot Chiraku in Hoshi Neko Full House. All three are Orphan releases. 
• Watanabe Naoka (Tsukime) played the title role in Vampire Miyu and the Jungle wa Itsumo Hare Nochi Guu properties, Puar and Chichi in the Dragon Ball franchise, and Catty in the Gall Force series. She appeared in Neko Neko Fantasia, Yousei Ou, and Aoko Honoo, all Orphan releases. 
• Shibata Hidekatsu (Mibarihan) has been in anime almost fifty years. He played Baron Ashura in Mazinger Z, Kenzou Kabuto in Great Mazinger, Count Mecha in Galaxy Express 999, General Shadow in Kamen Rider Stronger, King Bradley in both versions of Fullmetal Alchemist, Backbeard in the 2007 iteration of GeGeGe no Kitarou, Nigira in Ushio to Tora (TV), and the Third Hokage in Naruto. He played Sun Quan in the second and third Sangokushi movies, Toujo in Tomoe's Run!, and Ling Changpu in Dragon Fist, all Orphan releases. 
• Onosaka Masaya (Calion) played Kubota Kazuhi in Nineteen 19, Shuntaro in Aika, Mihara Ichirou in Angelic Layer, Isaac in Baccano!, Zelos in Tales of Symphonia, J.D. in Neo Angelique, Leeron in Tenga Toppa Gurren Lagann, Takeshi in the Prince of Tennis franchise, Vash in Trigun, and a personal favorite, Azazel in the Yondemasu yo, Azazel-san series. He also played Calion in the 1994 Maps OVAs.
  

The director, Nishizawa Sususu, also helmed Hikaru no Go and Ouran Koukou Host Club, as well as the two most recent Nanatsu no Taizai series.

Maps was remade as a four-part OVA in 1994, and as is often the case, that version completely superseded the original. As a result, the 1987 movie was hard to find; it was only issued on analog media. For years, the standard raw was a VHS rip. The laserdisc rarely came up for sale and always at exorbitant prices. So this project happened through a series of fortuitous coincidences.

On one track, an old-anime fan who goes by the handle GouNoKen got in touch with Orphan about trying to do Maps. He bid on and won a used Japanese laserdisc of the movie and had it shipped to Intrepid, who ripped it on the Domesday Duplicator and encoded it. There it sat, for lack of a translator. On the other track, Yume in Inka Subs had started to translate the movie, using the available VHS raw. When TougeWolf of Inka began freelancing on Orphan projects, he brought the separate tracks together. Everyone rapidly agreed to a joint project, and this release is the result.

The staff credits reflect the interrelated work of the two groups:

• Translation - Yume
• Translation check - TougeWolf
• Timing - Yume, Yogicat
• Editing - TougeWolf, Collectr
• Typesetting - Collectr
• QC - Programming Dragon, Nemesis, Uchuu
• Encoding - Intrepid
• Laserdisc provider - GoNoKou

A harmonious and fun project it has been.

I hope you can tell that I like Maps: Densetsu no Samayoeru Seijin-tachi quite a lot. It's playful and exciting, and it doesn't take itself too seriously. 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.