Sanada 10 - The Battle of Sekigahara (Ep 1-3)

Sanada 10 - more formally, Shinshaku Sengoku Eiyuu Densetsu Sanada Juu Yuushi (New Legend of the Warring States Heroes: The Ten Warriors of Sanada) - has an interesting history. First, the story of Sarutobi Sasuke and the Sanada Ten Braves is a well-known folktale that has been made into movies, manga, and anime several times, including the series Brave 10 just three years later. Second, the series was planned for two seasons (24 episodes) in three chapters: Ueda Hen (the special), Kudoyama Hen (this series), and Osaka Hen (the second series, never made). Because the show was planned for 24 episodes, it takes its time getting started, with three episodes devoted to another "prologue," the Battle of Sekigahara. For now, there is no sign of the Sanada Ten Braves, and even Sasuke has only a peripheral role.

The Battle of Sekigahara (1600) was the culmination of the Warring States period in Japan. After decades of indecisive warfare among warlords, two dominant coalitions emerged: the "Western" daimyos, led by Ishida Mitsunari and centered around Osaka and the imperial capital of Kyoto; and the Eastern daimyos, led by Tokugawa Ieyusu and centered around Edo (now Tokyo). The two camps fought it out at Sekigahara. It was a decisive and bloody affair. It established Tokugawa dominance over feudal Japan and led to the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate, which would last without interruption until the Meiji Restoration in1868. When the battle started, Tokugawa's Eastern Army army was almost surrounded by the forces of the Western Army. However, thanks to fog that covered the battlefield, the inactivity of the Western Army's eastern detachments, and the timely defection of critical elements of the Western Army, Tokugawa was able to concentrate his forces and smash his foes.

The opposing armies consisted of many quasi-independent commands. Between the dozens of commanders and the additional heroic vassals who played a role in the fighting, there are an inordinate number of names to keep track of. In addition, unless you're a cinematic genius like Akira Kurosawa, or have a super-widescreen canvas and the services of tens of thousands of extras (as in the film Gettysburg), it's very difficult to portray the ebb and flow of a battle that involved 200,000 men. So the anime resorts to maps - lots of maps. The maps have lots of names on them, representing the various commanders. The maps move, scale, fade, and are overlayed by pictures of fighting to convey some sense of the battle. And did I mention there are lots of them?

When DigitalPanic did the series back in the 'noughts, they rightly concluded that the maps were too difficult for then-current technology and didn't subtitle them. However, I felt that without labels, the maps didn't help very much. To see why, here's a professional map of the start of the battle, from the Museum at Gettysburg:

Now, here's the same map, more or less, in the anime, without the eastern detachments:

The first episode wasn't too bad - only four map styles and 4400 lines of typesetting - but the second episode was a nightmare - eight map styles and close to 40,000 lines of typesetting. The third episode fell in between - about 20,000 lines of typesetting. To put it in context, the third Sangokushi movie, my previous reference point for over-the-top typesetting, is twice as long as these three episodes combined and has about one-third as much typesetting.

Despite the over-reliance on maps, the three episodes provide a good sense of the course of the battle - from Ishida's overconfidence in his numerical superiority, to the back-and-forth nature of the battle during the first few hours, to the overwhelming impact of the betrayal by the Western Army's southernmost forces.

The original DigitalPanic releases were hardsubbed. Fortunately, I had access to a project script archive, so I had at least late-stage, if not necessarily final, scripts for each episode. After verifying the script against the actual release, I shifted the subs over to a new R2J DVD encode. Then the fun began.There were significant timing discrepancies between the TV broadcast that DigitalPanic used and the DVDs. I fine-timed the first two episodes myself before I remembered that I was no damned good at it; ninjacloud fine-timed the third. Then came the endless, or so it seemed, typesetting. Next, editing. As with the Sanada 10 Special, the translation was very stilted, with too many impersonal and passive constructs. I needed multiple passes to make things flow better. Nemesis and Uchuu QCed. The encode was done by an anonymous friend from R2J DVDs.

A few notes:

• Otani Gyobu, perhaps the most level-headed commander in the Western Army, had contracted leprosy and always wore a mask over his face. He was dying as the battle commenced.
• Circumlocutions like "11th day, 9th month" have to be used, rather than "September 11", because at the time, Japan was using the Chinese calendar, and the year started three to seven weeks later than the Western calendar.

As with the Sanada 10 Special, I excised all of DigitalPanic's notes that weren't hardsubbed. They mostly explained the offices that functioned as the middle names for many of the characters. I've reproduced them here:

• Naidaijin: Prime Minister of the Interior Cabinet
• Kozukenosuke: -suke is a prefectoral rank lower than that of -kami.
• Nakatsukasataifu: An official in the Ministry of Internal Affairs which deals with the administration of the royal palace.
• Hyobushoyu: An official in the Ministry of Military Manpower which oversees the recruitment and assignment of soldiers in the capital and non-autonomous prefectures.
• Tokugawa Ieyasu's former name is Matsudaira Motoyasu. It is not uncommon for sons to use the name of an extended clan.
• Gyobushoyu: An official in the Ministry of Punishment, which oversees the judgement, sentencing and punishment of convicted criminals.
• Okurashoyu: An official in the Ministry of Finance, which oversees monetary and currency matters and the collection of taxes.
• Augustinus is Konishi's Christian name. Christianity was introduced by Portuguese missionaries in the late 16th century.
• Akashi is a devout Christian and was baptised as Joao. His other known Christian name is Giovanni Juste.
• Kamonnokami: The head of the Kamon division of the Imperial household, which oversees maintenance and cleanliness.
• Kanpaku: The Imperial Regent. Also known as Sesshou when addressed by members of the royal family.
• Enriedo Gongujodo: A line of Buddhist scripture that means, "Leaving this tainted world, striving for the purer heavens."
• Jiju: The Chamberlain for the Emperor.
• Samanosuke: A secondary official in the Imperial Stable.
• Kurandonotou: Head of the Secretarial Division to the Emperor.
• Kunaishoyu: An official in the Ministry of Palace Affairs, which sees to the running of the palace and also manages tribute from the various prefectures.

The voice cast is stupendously long, with many featured actors only having a line or two. I don't have time or space for my usual capsule filmographies, so I've just included a list of some lead or featured roles:

• Utsumi Kenji (Narrator) - Roah in Fist of the North Star, Kaioh in Fist of the North Star 2, and Senbei Norimaki in Dr. Slump and Arale-chan. Orphan releaes: Nora, Bavi Stock, Stop!! Hibari-kun!, Techno Police 21C, Don Dracula (title role), 15 Shounen Hyouruuki.
• Wakamoto Norio (Sakakibara Shikibutaifu Yasumasa) - title role in The Gargoyle of the Yoshinagas, Cell in Dragonball, Katakuriko in Gintama, Oda Nobunaga in Sengoku Basara. Orphan releases: Apfelland Monogatari, Yamato 2520, Amon Saga, Joker: Marginal City.
• Yamada Keaton (Ishida Jibushoyu Mitsunari) - Orphan releases: Karuizawa Syndrome,  Boyfriend, and Sangokushi 1 and 2. 
• Ogawa Shinji (Tokugawa Naidaijin Ieyasu) - Maestro Stresemann in Nodame Cantabile. Orphan releases:Kasei Yakyoku, Starship Troopers, Junod.
• Nakamura Daiki (Honda Kozukenosuke Masazumi) - the title roles in Dangerous Jii-san Ja and Demon Beast Resurrection, Dayakka in Gurren Lagann, Seiji Date in Ronin Warriors, and Liu Bei in Yokoyama Mitsuteru Sangokushi. Orphan releases: Mikeneko Holmes, Condition Green, AWOL Compression Remix. 
• Yanada Kiyoyuki (Yagyu Mataemon Munenor) - Takenori in Slam Dunk, Gateau Mocha in Bakuretsu Hunter, and Kuroinu the black cat in Chii's Sweet Home. Orphan releases: Nanatoshi Monogatari. Hidamari no Ki, Hayou no Tsurugi, Exper Zenon, Akai Hayate, Nozomi Witches,  Ai no Kusabi.
• Aona Takeshi (Honda Nakatsukasataifu Tadakatsu) - Nurarihyon in GeGeGe no Kitarou through 2007, Billy Bones in Treasure Island, Bookman in D.grayman, Dracule in One Piece, Katsuhiko Masaki in Tenchi Muyo, and Shiro Sanada in Yamato. Orphan releases: A Penguin's Memories, Ginga Tansa 2100: Border-nen, Fire Emblem, Grimm Douwa: Kin no Tori, Hashire Melos!, the three Sangokushi movies,Tales of the Old Testament, Rain Boy.
• Mori Katsuji (Ii Hyobushoyu Naomasa ) - Astro Boy (1980), Cutie Honey, Real Drive, Rose of Versailles.Orphan releases: Cool Cool Bye, Amon Saga, Bagi, Stop!! Hibari-kun!
• Hiyama Noboyuki (Tokugawa Chunagon Hidetada, Matsudaira Shimotsukenokami Tadayoshi) - Madarame in Genshiken;Viral in Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Date in Lime-iro Senkitan, Murata in Gundam Seed, Kouyuu Li in Saiunkoku Monogatari, Shin in Cowboy Bebop, and Kiei in Yu Yu Hakusho. Orphan releases: Fire Emblem,Next Senki Ehrgeiz, Shirokuma Cafe.
• Hashi Takaya (Otani Gyobushoyu Yoshitsugu) - Orphan releases: Tales from the Old Testament, Sanctuary, Oedo ga Nemurenai!, Yuukan Club.
• Horikawa Jin (Ukita Chunagon Hideie) - Bt'x; Musashi TV; Wangan Midnight; Zoids.
• Tomomichi Nishimuri (Natsuka Okurashoyu Masaie) - Yu Yu Hakusho, Slam Dunk, Mobile Suit Z Gundam. Orphan releases: Tales from the Old Testament, Bremen 4, Aoki Honoo, Eguchi Hisashi no Kotobuki Goro Show, Eguchi Hisashi no Nantoka Naru Desho!, Fire Tripper, Fumoon, Hi-Speed Jecy, Prime Rose, Wild 7, Wolf Guy, Yamataro Comes Back.
• Kashi Shouto (Ankokuji Choro Ekei) - REC, Kekkaishi, Monkey Turn, Gunparade March. Orphan releases: Ultra Nyan 2.
• Tahara Aruno (Konishi Settsunokami Yukinaga) - Orphan releases: Apfelland Monogotari, Bremen 4, Chiisai Sensuikau ni Koi wo Shita Dekasugira Kojira no Hanashi. 
• Tachiki Fumihiko (Shima Sakon Kiyooki) - Gintama, Golden Kamuy, High School DxD, Nana, Evangelion. Orphan releases: Jikuu Bouken.
• Nakata Jouji (Akashi Kamonnokami Teruzumi) - Alucard in Hellsing and and the Count of Monte Christo in Gankuutsuou. Orphan releases: Tales of the Old Testament, AWOL Compression Remix, Amatsuki.
• Ebara Masashi (Kuroda Kainokami Nagamasa) - Shakugan no Shana, Nodame Cantabile, Metropolis. Orphan releases: Blazing Transfer Student, Akai Hayate, Eiyuu Banka Koushi-den, Mikeneko Holmes, Apfelland Monogatari.
• Fujimoto Yuzuru (Shimazu Hyogonyudo Ishin - Orphan releases: Al Caral no Isan.
• Matsuo Matsuo (Shimazu Jiju Toyohisa (Nephew of Ishin)) - Dog of Flanders; Read or Die TV; Ryokunohara Labyrinth. Orphan releases: Exper Zenon.
• Fujiwara Keiji (Hattori Hanzo Masanari) - Antique Bakery, Shingeki no Kyojin;Kekkai Sensen. Blue Exorcist, Karas, Magi. Ushio to Tora TV.
• Egawa Hisao (Kani Saizo Yoshinaga) - Banner of the Stars, Fairy Gone, Ghost Sweeper Mikami, Haikyuu!!, Kaiba, LOGH Die Neue Theses. Orphan releases: Sangokushi movie 3, Doukyuusei 2.
• Watabe Takeshi (Fukushima Kiyosu Jijyu Masanori) - Gunparade Orchestra, Maze, Ninku, Oishinbo, Wrath of the Ninja, You're Under Arrest. Orphan releases: Tales from The Old Testament, Condition Green, Twinkle Nora Rock Me!, Sanctuary.
• Ginga Banjo (Goto Matabe Mototsugu (Vassal of Nagamasa)) - 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. Orphan releases: Gude Crest,Oruorane the Cat Player, Amon Saga, Ipponbouchou Mantarou, What's Michael? OVAs.
• Hirano Masato (Ohashi Kamon (Vassal of Mitsunari)) - Aterui, Dog of Flanders, Peter Pan, Slayers. Orphan releases: Blue Sonnet, Sangokushi movies 2 and 3.
  
• Inada Tetsu (Ban Danemon Naoyuki (Vassal of Yoshiaki)) - Shirokuma Cafe, Appare-Ranman, Babylon, Coicent, Gangsta, Kengan Ashur,; Kiddy Grade, LOGH Die Neue Theses, Made in Abyss, Boku no Hero Academa, REC.
• Kawashima Tokuyoshi (Mori Akijijyu (Saishou) Hidemoto) - Shirokuma Cafe, Concrete Revolutio, Emma, Giant Killing, LOGH Die Neue Theses, Monkey Turn, Boku no Hero Academa, Oh! Edo Rocke,; Tetsuko no Tabi.
• Sakaguchi Daisuke (Kobayakawa Chunagon Hideaki) - Ginpachi, Kamen no Maid Guy, Moyashimon, Tokimeki Memorial 4, Welcome to the NHK, Yoiko, Maburaho, Aoyama-kun. Orphan releases: Tales from the Old Testament.
  
• Ogata Mitsuru (Kikkawa Kurandonotou Hiroie) - Chihayafuru, Death Note, High School DxD, Miami Guns. Orphan releases: AWOLCompression  Remix; Nanatoshi Monogatari; Nozomi Witches; Wild 7;.
  
• Houki Katsuhisa (Gamo Bicchunokami Yorisato) - Hand Maid Ma,; Tiger & Bunny, Babylon, Burst Angel, Fire Force, Ghost Talker's Daydream, House of Five Leaves.
• Tsujitani Kouji (Otani Daigakunosuke Yoshiharu) - played the lead role in the Captain Tylor franchise and 3x3 Eyes. Orphan releases Ai no Kusabi, Okane ga Nai, Condition Green, Kasei Yakyoku, Yuukan Club, Sotsugyou: Graduation, Shiratori Reiko de Gozaimasu!
• Kayumi Iemasa (Oda Urakusai Nagamasu) -  Ghost in the Shell. Orphan releases: Condition Green, Bander Book, Sangokushi movie 1.
• Muramatsu Yasuo (Ata Chojuin Moriatsu) - Miss Machiko, Orguss, Christopher Columbus..Orphan releases: Dallos, Hidamari no Ki.
  
• Akagi Susumu (Hosokawa Jiju Tadaoki) - Blue Dragon, Ikkitousen, Musashi.
• Hoki Katsutoshi (Yuasa Gosuke Takasada) - no information.
  

The director, Shimizu Keizou, also did the special.

So here is the first (and hardest) part of the Sanada 10 TV series, covering the Battle of Sekigahara. You can get the episodes from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

 

 

Wan Wan Chuushingura (Full HD)

Another re-release in full HD, courtesy of Ioroid's raws. Wan Wan Chuushingura is a 1963 feature-length cartoon from Toei Douga. It tells the story of Rock, an Akimi pup who lives in a mountain forest. His mother, Shiro, is a fierce defender of the local fauna from the depredations of Killer the tiger and his evil but clever sidekick, Akamimi the fox. (Never mind that tigers live in jungles, not on mountains, and are solitary except when mating.) When Akemimi lures Shiro into a fatal encounter with Killer, Rock vows revenge. However, he is too young and small to achieve much. He sets out for the city to recruit allies and falls in with a rough but lovable gang of street mutts. After many adventures, Rock eventually leads the city dogs into battle against Killer and Akamimi, with predictable results, if not exactly in a predictable way.

In the title, "wan wan" is Japanese onomatopoeta for a dog's bark, as "nyan nyan" is for a cat's meow. "Chuushingura"  (Treasury of Loyal Retainers) refers to a famous Japanese historical episode, the 47 Ronin, which is frequently dramatized in Japanese movies and plays. Except for the dogs seeking revenge against Killer, the anime doesn't draw on any part of the actual incident. But it's a good ride, fluidly animated, and with few of the saccharine interruptions that wrecked Toei's earlier Saiyuuki. It's also notable for its distinguished staff: original story and series composition by Tezuka Osamu, and the first anime assignment of Miyazaki Hayao, as an in-between animator.

The voice cast is from an earlier era of animation:

• Hori Junko (young Rock, girl at the lighthouse) played the protagonists in three Fujiko Fujio works, Obake no Q-tarou, Ninja Hattori-kun, and Chinpui. She also appeared in 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.
• Konshita Hideo (adult Rock) played Cho Hokkai in Saiyuuki and the title role in Sindbad the Sailor.
• Kamo Yoshihiro (Akemimi) appeared in Gigantor, Perman, and Planet Prince.
• Nishimura Kou (Killer) appeared in Jack and the Beanstalk, Lupin III: The Mystery of Momo, and Nutcracker Fantasy.

The director, Daikuhara Akira, worked on several Toei Douga features. He received a Lifetime Achievement Prize in 2006.

For the original release, Iri translated, M74 timed. I edited and typeset (not much to do there), and Nemesis and bananadoyouwanna did QC. For this release, Uchuu did a release check. Very little needed to be changed. The raw is a full HD web rip from Ioroid. The dimensions (1080 x 800) aren't quite right, but they're close enough. There's no visible distortion, and the images are noticeably less grainy.

Whether that's good or bad is for you to decide. And the opening and closing song ("The Doggie March")  is still an earworm.

I'm not sure Wan Wan Chuushingura needed a full HD release, but it's a fun "all ages" anime, one of the best of Toei's 1960s films. If you missed it before, you should watch it now. You can get the new version at the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

Noel's Fantastic Trip (LD Version)

As I mentioned in my post on the DVD version of Noel's Fantastic Trip, the movie was originally released to home video on VHS tape and Laserdisc. There were considerable differences between the Laserdisc and DVD releases. The Laserdisc was full-frame (4:3); the DVD was wide-screen (1.85:1). The Laserdisc had a stereo soundtrack; the DVD had a mono soundtrack with stereo songs from the OST. The Laserdisc was very shaky; the DVD release was remastered, with image stabilization and better colors.

At first, I thought that Noel's Fantastic Trip had been released as Open Matte, a system in which a movie or anime is made in 4:3 but shown, in theaters, with a matte to create a wide-screen appearance. However, that doesn't appear to be the case. The Laserdisc has much more information at the top and bottom of the frame; but the DVD has more information at the sides. The differences are illustrated in these two screencaps. First, the Laserdisc:

Next, the DVD:

The Laserdisc has more information at the top and bottom; the DVD cuts off most of Kinnosuke's head. However, the DVD has more information on the sides, as illustrated by the door on the left. And the DVD colors are much better; the DVD is distinctly green-ish

Here's the Yellow Submarine sequence. Laserdisc:

DVD:

Again, the DVD loses a lot of information at the top and bottom, but the Laserdisc is cut off at the sides, and the Yellow Submarine is distinctly chartreuse. Pick your poison.

For this release, I shifted the subs and redid the signs; ninjacloud fine-timed the dialog and songs. Orphan's media specialist encoded. Otherwise, the credits are unchanged.

It's a shame that neither the Laserdisc nor the DVD provide a full picture of Noel's Fantastic Trip. I suspect it was originally made in a 5:3 (Vista) aspect ratio, which was the Japanese wide-screen standard at that time.. The Laserdisc chops off the sides to get to 4:3. The DVD chops off the top and the bottom to get to 5:2.7 (1.85:1). Perhaps someday there will be a web stream or Blu-ray release in the proper ratio, with pillarboxing, but I'm not holding my breath. Meanwhile, here's Noel's Fantastic Trip, Laserdisc version. You can get the release from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

UTOPA (Full HD)

Recently, a fellow who goes by the handle Ioroid has been uploading high-quality 1080p webstreams of a number of Orphan's releases. We've already re-released Grimm Douwa: Kin no Tori in full HD. Now, it's the turn of another gorgeous show, UTOPA, one of the OVAs from the 2016 edition of Anime Tamago. It's a sci-fi offering from STUDIO4°C, a veteran company known for adventurous fare like Tekkon Kinkreet and Ani*Kuri 15 as well as utter sellouts like PES: Peace Eco Smile. (Gotta earn a living, I guess.)

Utopa is set in the far future, as a longish voice-over at the beginning explains. After ruining the Earth's surface with biological and nuclear war, mankind has retreated to cities in the sky. There, for no particularly compelling reason, they have crossbred with the surviving animals to produce intelligent hybrid species. When a seed drifts into the sky city, three youngsters - Kui, a dog boy, Hiruma, a cat girl, and Ruto, a lizard boy - venture down to the Earth's surface in search of more seeds and new adventures. The biosphere has indeed regenerated, in a new, almost alien way:

Giant jellyfish float through the air, zapping potential prey with bolts of electricity. And nothing seems to be edible (except for the three of them). Hiruma befriends or adopts an oversized caterpillar, which is promptly seized as food by a giant talking bird. The three friends challenge the bird to a contest, with the caterpillar as the prize. All's well that ends well, as you might expect.

The voice cast has just five actors:

• Ueda Reina (Hiruma) played Mikan Akemi in Jitsu wa Watashi wa, Ayumi in Bakuten!, Hane in Bakuon, Melfina in Black Summoner, Mira in Dimension W, Ruri in the Dr. Stone franchise, Kisa in the updated version of Fruits Basket, Julia Doma in How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom, Karen in No Guins Life, Peta in Null & Peta, Akane in SSSS.Gridman, and many other recent roles.
• Tanaka Aimi (Kui) played the titular little sister in Himouto! Umaru-chan, Kagami in Mononogatari, Yuri in So I'm a Spider, So What? and Hiyori in the Wasimo franchise.
• Fukaya Yuu (Ruto) was only 12 when UTOPA was made. He also appeared in PriPara and Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso.
• Hoshino Takinori (giant eagle) played Shibuya in Gurazeni, Nobuyuki Kai in the Haiykuu! franchise, Serizawa in the Mob Psycho 100 series, and numerous other roles.
• Maeda Toshiko (narration) had small roles in the original Astro Boy, Ninku, Pollyana, Nobody's Boy Remi, Treasure Island, and other shows.

The director, Tanaka Takahiro, has been a key animator on many projects and animation director on a few; this is his directorial debut, and it's gorgeous.

Iri translated and ninjacloud timed. I edited, and Calyrica and Xenath3297 did QC. For this release, I retimed and Uchuu did a release check. The script is mostly the same, but I did clean up a few lines that were too long. The raw is a webrip from Ioroid.

UTOPA is cliched in a many ways, including the "Everything's better if we work together!" conclusion, but it's very pretty too. 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.

Noel's Fantastic Trip

Iruka (which means "dolphin" in Japanese) is a Japanese folk singer and children's book author. In 1983, she wrote the songs and story for a children's movie called Noel no Fushigi no Bouken (Noel's Fantastic Trip). It was released first on VHS and laserdisc and eventually on DVD. For the 40th anniversary of the movie's release, Orphan and LonelyChaser are pleased to bring you the first English subtitled version of this show.

Noel's Fantastic Trip is part adventure story and part environmental fable. A young girl named Noel lives on an idyllic small planet, also called Noel, with her dog Kinnosuke. One day, she decides to take some ice cream to Mr. Sun, to thank him for his work. Taking off in a small airplane, they encounter other spacecraft and stop at Planet Gaudy (where, as might be expected, everything is very gaudy indeed) before reaching their destination. Mr. Sun is quite grateful but complains about smog arising from an unknown planet. Noel and Kinnosuke fly off to investigate and run into the smog. They escape underwater, but during their explorations, they find that the ocean is horribly polluted. The pollution comes to life and chases them. They're saved by Su(per) the flying whale, who eats the pollution and purifies the ocean. Noel and Kinnosuke then fly to the city producing all the smog. There, they meet a sickly fox-child named Konkichi, who has never seen a blue sky. Once again, Noel calls on Su to combat the pollution, and there is a happy ending, at least for the moment.

Noel's Fantastic Trip is done in the bright, basic colors of a children's book.

The songs are generally soothing or upbeat. The movie is filled with Easter eggs. In space, Noel and Kinnosuke run into the Space Shuttle:

then the space station from 2001: A Space Odyssey:

and then space battleship Yamato:

(The rear turret is the giveaway.) When they approach Planet Gaudy, its control tower plays the five note "aliens" theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Noel responds in kind. Their ocean adventure is a tribute to the Beatles and features the Yellow Submarine itself:

as well as a stylized version of the Fab Four. Su is clearly meant to be Superman and is accompanied by John Williams' famous theme from the first movie.

The voice cast was made up of singers and other non-professionals:

• Iruka (Noel) was a singer and author. Her only other voice acting credit was The Fantastic Adventures of Unico, for which she also wrote and performed the insert song.
• Touma (Kinnosuke) had no other voice acting credits.
• Kamekichi (Advisor) had no other voice acting credits.
• Hachirou Azuma (Cabinet Minister) had no other voice acting credits.
• Yamada Panda (Host 1) was a fellow member of Iruka's folk group, Shrieks.
• Yamamoto Koutaro (Host 2) was a composer and performance. He had no other voice acting credits.
  
• Kobayashi Asei (Mr. Sun) was a composer and performer. His only other voice acting credit was A Journey through Fairyland.
• Nishioka Takashi (elderly Superman) was an anime director.
• Ninuma Kenji (Su the Whale) had no other anime credits.
  
• Shoufukutei Tsurube (Smog boss) was the voice of Felonius Gru in the Japanese versions of the Despicable Me franchise.His only other anime credit was My Neighbor the Yamadas.
  
• Ooba Kumiko (Konkichi) was a singer. Her only other voice acting credit was Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san.

The director, Maeda Tsuneo, did chief animation direction on Eleven Hungry Cats, the first Nine OVA, and the Touch movies. He directed the Tama-chan TV series and the Hashire! Shiroi Ookami movie, an Orphan release.

MartyMcflies, proprietor of LonelyChaser subs and anime music maven, got the ball rolling. He sponsored a translator, Yume, and found translation checkers, squidlin and Japanese Hoarder. ninjacloud timed. I edited and typeset. Nemesis, Rezo, and Uchuu did QC. Rezo encoded from Iri's R2J DVD.

So here is Noel's Fantastic Trip. It is indeed a fantastic trip, like the voyage in Yellow Submarine, to which Noel is clearly indebted. I found it innocent and charming, and I hope you will too. You can download the movie from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net

Sanada 10 Special

Once upon a time, in the ancient days of the mid-oughts, there was a TV series with the rather long title of Shinshaku Sengoku Eiyuu Densetsu Sanada Juu Yuushi (New Legend of the Warring States Heroes: The Ten Warriors of Sanada), mercifully abbreviated to Sanada 10. A group called DigitalPanic, well known back in the day, picked it up and began subbing it, but they ran out of steam and stopped in 2008. Another well-known group, AonE, picked up the project in 2011, but they disbanded in 2013. The show has been an orphan ever since.

Sanada 10 has been on my Orphan's Dashboard since I started keeping a list, for a very simple reason: I was the last editor on the project, brought in by Daemon404 of AonE to help finish episode 9 before everyone involved turned into pumpkins. That experience left me not only with a strong desire to finish the show but also with the script archive for the first nine episodes - an invaluable asset. In the following decade, I kept trying to get a project off the ground. I even bought the Sanada 10 R2J DVDs. But there were Problems™. 

First, the source was a mess. It had interlacing at fades, 29.97 fps and 23.976 fps material intermixed, and other issues. Daemon404 had overcome the obstacles, but he had retired, and no other encoder would touch it. Second, I had no translator for the last three episodes, and no one was really interested. It's not some lost gem. Rather, it's a routine Sengoku-era drama, with the Sanada clan as the good guys and the Tokugawa as the bad guys. And if you remember your history, the Tokugawa win.

Last fall, the stars finally aligned. Through BakaBT, I found an encoder willing to try his hand at encoding the show. The results aren't perfect, but they're more than good enough. And through Discord, I found a translator willing to do the last three episodes. I was in business.

But how deep in business? Should Orphan just finish the last three episodes? Should the team redo the hardsubbed episodes (1-4 and the special)? Or everything? To get a sense of what was needed, I decided to redo the introductory special. This release is the result.

The nominal hero of the show is Sarutobi Sasuke. He's a foundling, rescued (apparently) from a crashed spaceship and raised by the Sanada clan as one of their ninja.

But he's just one character in an enormous sea of names, places, and events. The show reminds me of the Sangokushi movies, right down to the frequent signs for identifying the "cast of thousands" and the complex maps for the geography.

The special takes place in the days leading up to the Battle of Sekigahara, which secured Tokugawa Ieyasu's mastery over feudal Japan. Tokugawa's son, Hidetada, is charged with securing Ueda Castle before joining his father for the decisive battle. Opposing Hidetada are the much smaller army of the Sanada clan, led by master strategist Sanada Masayuki, prefect of Awa province, and his son, Sanada Nobushige. Can father and son outwit the Tokugawas, save their castle, and delay the opposing army long enough to keep them out of the forthcoming battle? It's a game of cat and mouse, a battle of numbers versus wits, with the fate of Japan riding on the outcome... perhaps.

(By the way, the beige blobs are boiling-hot porridge, in case you were having other thoughts.)

DigitalPanic's subtitles are typical mid-oughts fansubbing: most Japanese terms untranslated, a plethora of translation notes, and inadequate margins on the dialog. I've translated some (but not all) of the terms and excised the on-screen notes, except for the ones representing actual on-screen signs. Some notes on terminology:

• Tozama Daimyo: Non-hereditary feudal lord in Japan during the Tokugawa period. Often regarded as external elements. Translated as "non-hereditary daimyo."
• Awanokami: Prefect of Awa. The "-nokami" suffix denotes that the person holds a rank of Prefect.
• Nyudo: Suffix denoting a Buddhist priest.
• Chunagon: An intermediary official who acts as a bridge between the high court and the other ranks.
• Jibushoyu: An official from the Ministry of Administration, which handles diplomatic affairs, matters relating to the Imperial Tomb, and the refined musical arts.
• Zushu: A shortened form of address for Izunokami.
• Takasago: A Noh-related festive dance of longevity and blessings.
• Shikibutaifu: A senior official from the Ministry of Ceremony, which handles ceremonial rites, court examinations, and the appointment of officials.
• Karita Obiki: Cutting the grain as a goad.
• Hatabugyo: Bearer of the flag. Translated as "flag bearer."
  
• Itto-ryu: A sword style founded by Ito Ittosai Kagehisa.
  

DigitalPanic truncated long vowels to their underlying short vowel, e.g., hatabugyo instead of hatabugyou. This hasn't been changed.

The cast is enormous:

• Takase Akimitsu (Sanada Izunokami Nobuyuki/Genzaburou) appeared in Next Senki Ehrgeiz, AWOL Compression Remix, Shirokuma Cafe, and Hidamari no Ki, all Orphan releases, as well as Natsume Yuujinchou and Hikaru no Go.
• Gouda Hozumi (Sanada Saemonnosuke Nobushige/Genjirou) played Cuvie in the Votoms franchise, Gouza in Hunter x Hunter (1999), and Satomi in Akai Hayate, an Orphan release.
• Hiyama Nobuyuki (Tokugawa Chuunagon Hidetada) played Madarame in the Genshiken franchise, Viral in Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Date in Lime-iro Senkitan, Murata in the Gundam Seed series, Kouyuu Li in Saiunkoku Monogatari, Shin in Cowboy Bebop, and Kiei in the Yu Yu Hakusho franchise. He also played Kain in Fire Emblem, Roddy in Next Senki Ehrgeiz, and King Penguin in Shirokuma Cafe, all Orphan releases.
• Hoshi Souichirou (Sarutobi Sasuke) played Kira Yamato in the Gundam Seed series, Sanada Yukimura in the Sengoku Basara franchise, Eisen in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de: Hachiyoushou, Kei in Onegai Teacher, Maebera in the Higurashi franchise, Tomoki in the Soro no Otoshimoto franchise, Son Goku in the Saiyuki franchise, Shinji in the Symphogear franchise, Nagi in Tenjou Tenge, Minamoto no Motomi in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2, and Taira no Atsumori in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3. The last two are Orphan releases.
• Taniguchi Takashi (Sanada Awano-kami Masayuki) played God in the Yondemasu Yo, Azazel-san series and Kouchin, the final boss, in Ninku. He appeared in The Green Cat, an Orphan release.
• Genda Tesshou (Miyoshi Harumi Nyudo) 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 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, the loyal lieutenant Galbreath in Next Senki Ehrgeiz, the dragonman Baguda in Greed, the narrator in Akai Hayate and Meisou-ou Border, Dog McCoy in Dallos, Hebopi in Wild 7, rebel leader Oosukune in Izumo, and Rikiishi's trainer Kuroki and Kirishima in Eguchi Hisashi no Kotobuki Gorou Show, all Orphan releases.
• Chafurin (Yazawa Tajimano-kami Yoriyuki) 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, and Izumo (1991), all Orphan releases.
• Orikasa Fumiko (Kaede) played Oseki in Hidamari no Ki and the narrator in Sensou Douwa: Chiisai Sensuikau ni Koi wo Shita Dekasugira Kojira no Hanashi, both Orphan releases, Kuchiki Rukia in all the Bleach properties, Mikan in Atashinchi, Yuzuki in Chobits, Karin in the Stratos 4 properties, Ikuku in the Massagu ni Ikou OVAs, Aoba in Jinki Extend, Seras Victoria in both versions of Hellsing, Nicoletta in Restaurant Paradisio, Riza Hawkeye in the original Full Metal Alchemist, Lotte Yanson in Little Witch Academia, and the heroine Okonogi Yuuko in Dennou Coil.
• Tanaka Hideyuki (Unno Rokurou) played Terryman in the Kinnikuman franchise and Rayearth in Magic Knight Rayearth. He also played Harmer in Al Caral no Isan, Sammy in Bavi Stock, Sawamura in Nozomi Witches, Ronron in Greed, Aoto in Oedo ga Nemurenai!, Katze in Ai no Kusabi, Minowa Takanari in Karuizawa Syndrome, Kazuhiko, Chiko's father in Ohoshi-sama no Rail, and Ma Su, Fengji's lover, in Sangokushi movie 3, all Orphan releases.
• Kosugi Jurouta (Mochizuki Rokurou) played Utsubushi in Amatsuki, Aizman in Bavi Stock, Takanesawa in Hiatari Ryouko, Daisuke in Sei Michaela Gakuen Hyouryuuki, Gisuke in Shadow, Dr. Bayfam in Joker, and a bit part in Hi-Speed Jecy, all Orphan releases, as well as Krest in Ariel, Fernand in Gankuutsou, Hertz in Marie and Gali, and Touji in Ninku.
• Inoue Kazuhiko (Jinpachi Nezu) starred as Yamaoka Shirou in Oishinbo, Yuki Eiri in Gravitation, the title role in Cyborg 009, 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 Saiki Haruka in Tobira o Akate, 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, Hisui in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2, and Kajiwara Kagetoki in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3, all Orphan releases.
• Kitamura Koichi (Honda Sadonokami Masanobu) played Paolon, the intelligent spaceship in Hi-Speed Jecy, Professor, the wise old cat in the Ultra Nyan OVAs, and Coach Naoko in Nine and its sequels, and he appeared in Hidamari no Ki and Dokushin Apartment Dokudami-sou, all Orphan releases. 
• Ishii Kouji (Miyoshi Isannyudo) played Fujisawa in the El Hazard franchise, Taiga in the GaoGaiGar franchise, Mitsukake in the Fushigi Yuugi franchise, John Blade in Sin: The Movie, Tanaka in Kachou Ouji: Hard Rock Save the Space, and Garterbelt in Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt. He also appeared as Henry Hellgate in Alice in Cyberland, Hyman in Fire Emblem, and Minamoto no Tokitomo in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2, all Orphan release.
• Wakamoto Norio (Sakakibara Shikibu-naifu Yasumasa) played the title role in The Gargoyle of the Yoshinagas, Vicious in Cowboy Bebop, Cell in the Dragonball franchise, Katakuriko in the Gintama franchise, Oda Nobunaga in the Sengoku Basara franchise, Guren in Ushio to Tora TV, Shining Saotome in the Uta no Prince-sama franchise, and Oskar von Reuenthal in Legend of the Galactic Heroes. He also appeared as Noa in Choujikuu Romanesque Samy: MISSING 99, York Denman in Apfelland Monogatari, Major Thrauza in Yamato 2520, Denon in Amon Saga, and the Narrator in Joker: Marginal City, all Orphan releases.
• Tarusuke Shingaki (Honda Minonokami Tadamasa) played Abraham Fran in Big Order, Nathaniel H in the Bungo Stray Dogs franchise, Kariya Matou in Fate/Zero, Togusa in the Ghost in the Shell franchise, Shinichi in Love All Play, Mirio in Boku no Hero Academia, Eishiro in the Prince of Tennis franchise, and Raymond Hardy in AMAIM: Warrior at the Borderline.
• Akimoto Yousuke (Ookubo Sagaminokami Tadachika) appeared in Apfelland Monogatari and Wild 7, both Orphan releases, as well as Stratos 4, Sisters of Wellber, Princess Lover, The Sacred Blacksmith, and Black Summoner.
• Kenji Utsumi (Narrator) is 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 Nora, Bavi Stock, Stop!! Hibari-kun!, Techno Police 21C, and 15 Shounen Hyouruuki, all Orphan releases.

The voice cast for the series is even larger. The director, Simizu Keizou, mostly did character design, but he also directed Cobra the Animation.

The original translation was by CelesAurivern of DigitalPanic. Yogicat transcribed the hardsubs, and ninjacloud timed them. Iri translated all the maps. I edited and typeset. Like Sangokushi, it's very sign-heavy, but the signs are straightforward except for the damned maps. Nemesis, Topper3000, and Uchuu did QC. An anonymous friend encoded from R2J DVDs.

The Sanada 10 special is a necessary introduction to the series. (Whether the series itself is necessary is tbd.) It provides background on the main non-historical characters, namely Sasuke. This version has better video, softsubs, more typesetting, new styling - in short, everything one would expect of an update to a 18-year old fansub release. If you liked Sangokushi, you might like this, but if you didn't, you definitely won't. You can get the release from the usual torrent site for from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #new on irc.rizon.net.

Late breaking news. Wrong script muxed; fixed in v2 with this patch. Sorry.

Junkers Come Here v2 (Laserdisc)

In my original blog post for the 1994 OVA Junkers Come Here:Memories of You, I wrote, "The show was never released on laserdisc, let alone DVD." Well, I was wrong. The OVA was released on laserdisc and, thanks to the generosity of a colleague, WOWmd, Orphan is releasing a new version with much better visuals.

This fortuitous event is entirely due to my involuntary presence on Discord. As a technology Luddite and a social media-phobe, I refused to use Discord for a long time, preferring to stay with tried-and-true (that is, ancient and obsolete) Internet Relay Chat (IRC). Discord has voice chat, group meetings, graphics, and other features that I dislike; IRC is text only, which is as it should be. (I stopped playing computer games when text adventures like Zork went out of fashion in the 1980s.) But one of Orphan's newer team members refused to use IRC. He said he'd be on Discord and sent me an invite, so I could get in touch with him. And Inka Subs, with which we did several joint projects, only works on Discord. So now I'm in both worlds.

Discord has allowed me to meet a new generation of fansubbers interested in the back catalog, not just from Inka but from other teams as well (DarkWisper, LonelyChaser, etc.) Some of them have their own Domesday Duplicators and rip their own laserdiscs. They're happy to share, and this project is the result.

Junkers Comes Here: Memories of You centers around the four sisters of the Arimura family. Their mother disappeared on a trip to Paris, and their father died of a broken heart soon afterward. Now, eldest sister Haruka, 30, is the head of the household, having put her own hopes and plans on hold to raise her sisters. Next in line is Natsuno, an office lady in her 20s, obsessed with romance. Third is the nominal protagonist, Akimi, in middle school, undergoing the trials and tribulations of adolescence. Youngest is Fuyuko, 10, an elementary school student with no memories of her mother at all.

Akimi is trying to escape the constant teasing she gets at school when she encounters Junkers on a riverbank. When the dog starts a conversation, Akimi is gobsmacked. She takes the dog home to her sisters, who are skeptical or disinterested, until Junkers miraculously fixes a broken tree and swing. Natsuno wastes one of Junkers' miracles on her love life, and the family starts squabbling about the last one. Then, a TV news program reports about a "mysterious Asian fashion designer" in Paris. It's clearly their mother Misako, and the girls set off to France, Junkers in tow, to find her. There will indeed be one more miracle, although not the obvious one.

The improvement in visual quality is significant and obvious. New:

Old:

The original blog post includes the voice credits, so I won't repeat them here. For the original release, Iri translated, ninjacloud timed, I edited and typeset, and Nemesis, Topper3000, and Uchuu QCed. For this release, WOWmd ripped his own laserdisc on the Domesday Duplicator, as well as the digital audio track, and Orphan's media maven encoded.(in honor of the digital origin, the audio track is FLAC.) I shifted the subs and release-checked. Almost nothing had to be changed. Even the typesetting simply worked.

Junkers Come Here: Memories of You is straightforward and heartfelt. It's a welcome dose of positive feelings in the midst of our daily horror show. Dogs are good for the soul, Junkers especially. The new version has substantially better video than the original release, so whether you've seen Junkers Come Here: Memories of You already or are new to the show, you should download this version. You can get the it from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net. No, Orphan doesn't have Discord-based distribution.