Houkago no Tinker Bell

Houkago no Tinker Bell (After School: Tinker Bell) is a one-shot OVA based on the second in a series of 23 (!) light novels by Hyuuga Shouichirou, all of which riff on a fairy tail, a literary work for children, or a historical figure. (This information comes from Justin Sevakis' excellent article on the show.) The novels are mystery stories, in which high-school students and next-door neighbors Akizuki Kenichi and Watanabe Misako solve puzzles set among their friends and schoolmates. The attraction is as much the byplay between the perpetually horny Kenichi and the somewhat ditzy Misako as it is the mystery itself.

In Tinker Bell, a conflict occurs between members of the Broadcast Club (in the US, it would be the Audio-Visual or A/V Club) and the Disciplinary Committee. The Broadcast Club's DJ, Ryoko, tries to show a tape of the wedding ceremony between two teachers. Keiko, the head of the committee, objects. A fight breaks out, and in the fracas, the tape gets broken. Then, Ryoko disappears. A letter arrives, apparently from a deceased former member of the club, Okazaki Koushin, claiming to have kidnapped and killed Ryoko. Kenichi and Misako must figure out what is happening.

There is some heavy stuff going on: Okazaki killed himself to remain forever young, like Peter Pan. Another member of the Broadcast Club is attacked and knocked out. Kenichi and Misako speculate endlessly on who might be Wendy (Peter's girlfriend) and who might be Tinker Bell (Peter's jealous companion). Despite the serious doings, the tone is mostly light and comedic. The stakes never seem very high, and a happy ending is inevitable.

The voice cast includes:

• Tobita Nobuo (Kenichi) played Lumial in the Angelique franchise, Ken Wakashimazu in the Captain Tsubasa franchise, Randy in Fake, Sinistra in Kiddy Grade, the title role in Locke the Superman, and Dayon in Osomatsu-san. He appeared in Genji, Part 1, Ziggy Sore Yuke! R&R Band, Condition Green, Eien no Filena, Choujikuu Romanesque Samy: MISSING 99, and Ore no Sora, all Orphan releases.
• Mizutani Yuuko (Misako) played Pinoko in all the Black Jack properties, as well as 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, and Dr. Uematsu Kikue in Yume Kakeru Kougen, all Orphan projects.
• Fujiwara Keiji (Okazaki Koushin) took over the role of Dad in Crayon Shin-chan. He played Maes Hughes in Fullmetal Alchemist, Kenchirou in Antique Bakery, Hannes in Shingeki no Kyojin, Shirou in Blue Exorcist, Nue in Karas, Hinahono in Magi, and Shigure in Ushio to Tora TV. He played Hattori Hanzo Masanari in Sanada 10, Gentaku in Hidamri no Ki, Yoshitoki in Genji, Part 1, hostile student Fumio in Mellow, and the title role in Uchuu Neko: Mardock no Bouken, all Orphan releases.
• Kawamura Maria (Miyazaki Ryoko) played Naga the Serpent in the Slayers franchise, the title role in Fujiko Fujio A no Mumako, Eluza in the Gall Force OVAs, Interpreter in the Compiler OVAs, Luna and Tiger Lily in Peter Pan no Bouken, Sakura in Genji, Part 1, Kate in Hitomi no Naka no Shounen: 15 Shounen Hyouryuuki, Shirin in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2 (a repeat of her role in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de: Hachyoushou), and Houjou Masako in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3. The last four are Orphan releases.
• Kikuchi Masami (Yukino Hiro, Ryoko's wannabe boyfriend) starred as the male leads in the Tenchi Muyo, Aa! Megami-sama!, and Comic Party franchises. He played Terayama Suekichi in Asatte Dance, Makoto in Doukyuusei 2, and Taira no Kiyomori the younger in Genji, Part 1, and he appeared in Fukuyama Gekijou, all Orphan releases.
• Iwanaga Tetsuya (Sasamoto Kazuhiro, a classmate) played the male lead, Mizuhara, in the El Hazard franchise, as well as Aida in the Evangelion franchise. He appeared in Yamato 2520 and Tezuka Osamu's Tales of the Old Testament, both Orphan releases.
• Hiramatsu Akiko (Tano Keiko) played Nene Romanova in Bubblegum Crisis and Bubblegum Crash, Mekira in Ninku, Tom Kusanagi in Mikan Enikki, Konoe (the security maid) in Hanaukyo Maid Tai, and Miyuki in the You're Under Arrest franchise. She played Ninomiya, the police chief's reckless daughter, in Every Day Is Sunday, an Orphan release.
• Matsumoto Yasunori (Edogawa Junji, another classmate) starred as 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 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.
• Orikasa Ai (Hanamura) made her debut in Shoukoushi Cedie. She played the title role in Romeo no Aoi Sora, Fee in Planetes, Seguchi Touma (the record company president) in Gravitation, Quatre in Gundam Wing, and Ryouko in the Tenchi Muyo franchise. She also played Hibino Aya in Asatte Dance, Enrico in Dioxin no Natsu, Carrie in Ziggy Sore Yuke! R&R Band, Sara in Eien no Filena, Toryune in Al Caral no Isan, Katchan's mother in Tako ni Natta Okaasan, the narrator in Boku no Boukuugou, Made, Ayuuru's sister, in B.B. Fish, and young Mars in Fire Emblem, all Orphan releases.
• Ono Kenichi (Anamizu) appeared in Akuemon, Bavi Stock, Botchan, Elf 17, Ipponbouchou Mantarou, Wolf Guy, Ziggy Sore Yuke! R&R Band, and Sei Michaela Gakuen Hyouryuuki, all Orphan releases.

The director, Murayama Kiroshi, also directed Jinji and Kirara, as well as individual episodes of many series.

DOMO subbed the show more than a decade ago, using a translation from Conan Twitter. (Tomodachi also subbed it back in the VHS fansub era.) When a laserdisc surfaced in Japan, a new version seemed warranted. Perevodildo translation checked and timed the original subs, which were pretty good, and added the numerous songs, based on official sources. I edited and typeset. Uchuu and Nemesis QCed. The raw is a Domesday Duplicator rip of a Japanese laserdisc, encoded by an anonymous team member. The laserdisc master has a lot of film burn at scene changes.

So here's a new version of Houkago no Tinker Bell. I can't sum it up better than Justin Sevakis did: "There is little going on in After School: Tinker Bell that wouldn't charitably be described as pablum, but it's a fun little OAV nonetheless." You can get the show from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

Dragon Slayer Eiyuu Densetsu: Ouji no Tabidachi

Over the years, many people have asked Orphan to do Dragon Slayer Eiyuu Densetsu: Ouji no Tabidachi (Dragon Slayer Legend of Heroes: The Prince's Journey), a 1992 OVA based on the video game from Nippon Falcom. (My colleague, macros74, called it "a somewhat forgotten little gem of an OVA.") Now it's done, and I don't have the slightest idea why it was in such demand. Dragon Slayer seems like a routine, based-on-a-video-game, sword-and-sorcery fest. What am I missing?

The OVA begins with a portentous voice-over setting the scene. In the land of Israehasa, the small kingdom of Faaren has been overrun by demons under the command of the evil Ackdam and his henchman (henchdemon?) Zagi. They kill the king, Aswell II, and capture the queen, Felicia. Only the heir apparent, Prince Cerrios, seems to escape.

However, then his mentor Raius is killed, and he is captured too. He is rescued by the Resistance; it's not exactly clear how. Coached by Raius' brother Aaron, Cerrios and the outnumbered Resistance army, which includes Aaron's granddaughter Sonya, the sorcerer Roe, and mighty warriors Gale and Ryunan, must take on Ackdam, Zagi, and their horde of demons. 

The outcome is predictable, if not conclusive.

The summary can't convey how strange it all seems, at least to me. The Resistance seems to have come directly out of Top Secret! The second episode is padded out by five minutes of recap, perhaps due to budget constraints. Cerrios is supposed to be a headstrong youth, but he comes across as an impulsive idiot. Ackdam postures and sneers and all but twirls his mustache, but he leaves Cerrios and his mother Felicia alive, and the security at his impregnable fortress is non-existent. Still, I did like the byplay between Cerrios and Sonya. He's a goofball when he isn't slicing villains to pieces, and she remains a teenage girl even after she fuses with and turns into a dragon.

The voice cast includes:

• Yamaguchi Kappei (Cerrios) starred as 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, and the title roles in the first Arslan Senki OVA series and Mouse, among many others. He also played Shibuya in Zetsuai 1989 and Bronze: Zetsuai Since 1989, Matsuoka Eiji in Chameleon, and Tooru in Boyfriend, all Orphan releases.
• Miyauchi Kouhei (Aaron) appeared in many Orphan releases, playing Jack Goldman in Condition Green, King Kaiser in Grimm Douwa: Kin no Tori, Eddie in Nozomi Witches, Kogorou Shirachi in Stop!! Hibari-kun, the grandfather in Tsuki ga Noboru made ni, the judge in A Penguin's Memories, and Brigadier Hamilton in Techno Police 21C, and he appeared in the first two Sangokushi movies. He had a recurring role as Kame Sennin in the Dragon Ball franchise and played the mayor of Birdos in Watt Poe.
• Yamazaki Wakana (Sonya) played Mao Lan in Fighting Beauty Wulong, Mouri Ran in the Detective Conan franchise. She appeared in Chameleon, an Orphan release.
• Hori Hideyuki (Ryunan) played Hojo Munetoki in Genji, Part 1, Zach Isedo in Al Caral no Isan, Sid in Ai no Kusabi, Falk Green in Hi-Speed Jecy, Zhao Yun in Sangokushi movie 2, and Baraba in Eien no Filena, all Orphan projects. He played the title role in Baoh, Phoenix in the Saint Seiya franchise, and Tezuka Osamu himself in the Black Jack TV series.
  
• Tobita Nobuo (Roe, a sorcerer in the Resistance) played Lumial in the Angelique franchise, Ken Wakashimazu in the Captain Tsubasa franchise, Randy in Fake, Sinistra in Kiddy Grade, the title role in Locke the Superman, and Dayon in Osomatsu-san. He appeared in Genji, Part 1, Ziggy Sore Yuke! R&R Band, Condition Green, Eien no Filena, and Choujikuu Romanesque Samy: MISSING 99, all Orphan releases.
  
• Ootsuka Akio (Gale, fighter in the Resistance) 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, and Black Jack in Tezuka Osamu Disappears, all Orphan releases.
• Yokoo Mari (Queen Felicia) played Battia in Outlanders, Fumio (the dorm mother) in the Shokugeki no Souma franchise, Mantarou's mother, Kayo, in Ipponbouchou Mantarou, and Yuriko in Yuukan Club. The last two are Orphan releases.
• Sasaoka Shigezou (Ackdam) played the title role in God Mazinger, Jacob in Magma Taishi, King Aleph in Magical Hat, and the villain Mr. X in Scoopers. He appeared in Sanctuary, Sugata Sanshiro, and Tezuka Osamu's Tales of the Old Testament, all Orphan releases.
• Oka Kazuo (Zagi) had featured roles in many shows.
• Oota Shinichirou (Zanji the monster) played Yamaguchi in Kiss wa Me ni Shite, an Orphan release, and had featured roles in numerous shows.

The director, Nakamura Noriyuki, also helmed Mr. Ajikko.

The project started eons ago with a request from a colleague in Beatrice-Raws, but it didn't go anywhere. Up until now, the standard versions have been VHS rips of R1 hardsubs or an R1 dub. When ProxyMan found laserdiscs of the OVA, a new version seemed feasible. The hardsubs resisted OCR, so I appealed for help on Discord. Both TechDamage and -Enishi- transcribed the subs. Yume translation checked, and kokujin-kun filled in one particularly knotty line. Eternal_Blizzard timed. I edited and typeset (just credits). Nemesis, Topper3000, and VigorousJammer QCed. MartyMcflies gets a special thanks for his overall help. Rezo encoded the laserdiscs from a Domesday Duplicator rip. The mastering on the laserdiscs is a mess, but they do look better than the VHS tapes.

Because there's an English dub, Dragon Slayer Eiyuu Densetsu is a dual-audio release. As with Orphan's other composite audio releases, niki provided the audio track and synced it to the raw. The dub did not include the preview in episode 1 or the recap in episode 2, so the Japanese audio has been left in place for those segments. The "signs-only" tracks have English subtitles for the audio portions that are in Japanese.

Both episodes end with a promo for an unrelated OVA, Ys - Tenkuu no Shinden: Adol Christin no Bouken. I've used ordered chapters to edit the promo out. If your player doesn't support ordered chapters, it will play at the end of both episodes. It has not been translated.

So here's Dragon Slayer Eiyuu Densetsu: Ouji no Tabidachi, in a new, somewhat shinier version. 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. Go fight! Oh, wait, that's a different Nippon Falcom property...

Koiko no Mainichi

Koiko no Mainichi (Koiko's Days) is a two episode OVA, released in 1989 and 1990. It is based on a 32-volume manga by George Akiyama; the manga has not been translated into English. The manga is described as a "slice-of-life romance," and that pretty much sums up the anime too - except the leads are a yakuza soldier, Sabu, and his wife, Koiko. So the life being sliced is hardly mundane.

Koiko is the pretty and curvaceous wife of Sabu, a young solider in the Menso yakuza group. They've been married six months and live in an inexpensive walk-up apartment. Koiko's daily routine consists of cooking, cleaning, exercising, and enjoying the benefits of married life. Sabu's routine consists of twisting arms, roughing up rowdies, and likewise enjoying married life.

In the first episode, their happy existence is interrupted by various events. Sabu's boss, Hoshinaga, meets and is apparently smitten by Koiko. He gives Sabu a gun to safeguard, warning that Sabu may have to go to prison for possessing it. Is Hoshinaga scheming to get Sabu out of the way so he can "comfort" the stricken Koiko? Sabu in turn entrusts it to his underling, Matsu, who has gotten his sex-worker girlfriend, Kayo, pregnant. When some hoods from the rival Tengenji group beat up Matsu and insult Kayo, Matsu uses the gun on them, threatening to start a fatal gang war. Sabu has to make this right, without getting Matsu (or anyone else) killed.

In the second episode, Koiko unknowingly helps the elderly boss of the Menso group when he's out for a stroll. He's also rather smitten and tries to "run into" her again. The next time, though, the boss is the target of an assassination attempt by the rival Tengenji group.

The intergang rivalries escalate quickly, putting both Sabu and Koiko in danger. But both are up to the challenge.

Despite the heavy-sounding plot, Koiko no Mainichi is actually as much a comedy as anything else. Koiko is a well-intentioned naif, who doesn't initially grasp what a yakuza really does. Sabu is a loving if exasperated husband, loyal to his friends and his gang but always seeking to find a peaceful way forward. Hoshinaga [spoiler alert] is not a devious lech but a stand-up guy. And Matsu is basically a doofus, clearly in the wrong kind of job and unsure how to escape.

Some cultural notes: 

• Hoshinaga makes a big deal of the fact that Koiko is blood type B. This is based on a pseudo-scientific Japanese theory called ketsueki-gata. It claims that blood type shapes one’s temperament. A type B person is supposed to be empathetic, passionate, erratic, and bit selfish. That fits Koiko pretty well. The theory itself is complete bunkum.
• When Hoshinaga offers Koiko the position of "mama-san" in a snack bar, Sabu protests that she isn't cut out for the entertainment business. He uses the term mizu shoubai​ (water trade). That's the traditional euphemism for the night-time entertainment business in Japan, provided by hostess or snack bars, bars, and cabarets. This is in contrast with the sex industry (soaplands, pink salons, massage parlors, and image clubs), where Kayo works.
  

The principal voice cast includes:

• Hirano Fumi (Koiko) starred as Lum in the Urusei Yatsura franchise and Princess Kahm in Outlanders. She also played the title role in Choujikuu Romanesque Samy: MISSING 99,  La Midin Dimida in Tobira o Akete, Lihua in the two Sangokushi TV specials, and Tsugumi in Stop!! Hibari-kun!, all Orphan releases.
• Ishimaru Hiroya (Sabu) gave a bravura performance as the "interpreter" dog Allegro in Bremen 4, an Orphan release. He also played Rodimus Prime in the various Transformer TV shows, Sengoku Shunsuke in Cyber City Oedo 808, and Kabuto Kouji in the Mazinger Z franchise.
• Gouri Daisuke (Hoshinaga) played Yamazaki Hiromi in Patlabor. He had numerous featured roles. He appeared in Condition Green, Bavi Stock I, Hashire Melos, Rain Boy, all three Sangokushi movies, Submarine 707R, Tokimeki Tonight, Wolf Guy, Hi-Speed Jecy, Hidamari no Ki, Okama Hakusho, and Kage, all Orphan releases.
• Yamadera Kouichi (Matsu) played many leading roles, including Spike Spiegel in Cowboy Bebop, Sukeroku in Shouwa Ginroku Rakugo Shinju, Ryouga in all the Ranma 1/2 properties, and the nameless hero of Otaku no Seiza. He played the title role in Hashire! Melos, Benten in Oedo ga Nemurenai!, Almarick Aswaer in Nana Toshi Monogatari, Happyaku in Wild 7, Chiryuu in Bakuen Campus Guardress, and Ryouan in Hidamari no Ki, all Orphan releases.
• Katsuki Masako (Kayo) played Maroko in Gosenzosama Banbanzai and its movie version, Maroko, Mira in Ginga Tansa 2100-nen: Border Planet, Queen Bee in Golgo 13: Queen Bee, and Tsunade (Fifth Hokage) in the Naruto franchise. She also played Arianna Wyszynska in Apfelland Monogatari, Kenbishi Yuuri in Yuukan Club, Hojo's lover in Sanctuary, Itchan's mother in Sensou Douwa: Tako ni Natta Okaasan, Kubo in Milky Passion: Dougenzaka, Yamimama in Megami Paradise, busty PE teacher Utako in Mellow, and Yamazaki's maintenance engineer Kiriko in Kigyou Senshi Yamazaki: Long Distance Call, all Orphan releases.
• Ogata Kenichi (a bit part as the "MHK" TV license collector) 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, Tadinori Tachimi, the Terayama family 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.
• Tatekabe Kazuya (Menso boss) played Gouda Takeshi in most of the Doraemon franchise and Tonzura in the Yatterman franchise, and more recently, Roxander in Ozma.
• Wakamoto Norio (underboss of the rival Tengenji gang) 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 Sakakibara in Sanada 10, 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.

The director, Ishiguro Noboru, has many distinguished credits, including Legend of the Galactic Heroes and its two sequel series, Tytania, Hoshi Neko Full House, Aoki Honoo, and Meisou-ou Border. The last three are Orphan releases. The ED, a cool, cynical, compact jazz lyric, was written and composed by George Akiyama himself and fits the show's mood perfectly.

The VHS raws have been floating around for some time, but the project lay fallow until Perevodildo picked it up. He translated and timed both episodes. I edited and typeset. Topper3000 and ImAWasteOfHair QCed. An anonymous staffer encoded the VHS tapes at 60 fps to alleviate the incessant frame blending and interlace effects. WOWmd found a laserdisc for episode 1. He ripped and encoded it a normal frame rate. As a result, episode 1 is sharper and has more typesetting than episode 2; 60 fps plays havoc with motion capture typesetting. Episode 2 also has some tape wear artifacts in the closing credits. It was never released on laserdisc.

Koiko no Mainichi is a lot of fun. Koiko is an engaging heroine and far from a helpless damsel in distress. Sabu is her knight in shining armor, no matter how tarnishing the work he does. I'd like to know how it all turns out, but that's always a problem with OVAs that are teasers for a long manga. You can download a glimpse into Koiko's world from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha at channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

Ore no Sora

Ore no Sora:Keiji Hen (My Skies: Detective Chapter) is a two-episode OVA from 1991-1992. It's based on a best-selling manga by Mitomiya Hiroshi. It spawned multiple sequels and prequels, as well as a film, two TV specials, two TV series, and pachinko games. It tells the story of Yasuda Ippei, heir apparent to the all-powerful Yasuda kairetsu. Rather than take a mundane job as his father's successor, he joins the police to right what he sees as the wrongs in Japan's corrupt society.

The OVAs recount two episodes, of many, from the manga.

In the first episode, rookie cop Ippei sees first hand how the wealthy and powerful work with the yakuza (organized crime) to break the law with impunity. The Kasei yakuza group, under the leadership of up-and-comer Toyoda Yoichi, is staging live-action sex shows in which a young girl is gang-raped for the voyeuristic pleasure of, or outright participation by, an audience of businessmen and politicians. When the investigation into these shows is stopped by higher-ups, Ippei takes matters into his own hands. He recruits a gang of private investigators/intelligence agents. He learns that Toyoda killed his girlfriend and buried her, encased in concrete, in a deep lake. Unable to find the body, he buys the lake and all its surrounding land, drains it, recovers the body, and nails the villain.

In the second episode, Ippei's police district confronts a series of kidnappings staged by Hundred Faces, the nom de plume of a criminal who taunts the police with their inability to solve his crimes or prevent future ones. 

With conventional investigation techniques exhausted, Ippei once again takes matters into his own hands. He gathers the best profilers in the country to make an "image" of the culprit and create a list of possible suspects. 

When one likely name emerges, Ippei publishes it to the mass media and then nabs Hundred Faces in the act.

Now, not one minute of these episodes is believable. Even an all powerful conglomerate could not purchase and ruin a pristine country lake without pushback. Even the world's best profilers could not create a profile so precise that it includes only one person. Further, the themes of the show have been better explored in other anime. For example, Sanctuary delves into the intertwined corruption of politicians and yakuza with greater grit and realism than Ore no Sora.

The voice cast includes several notable seiyuu:

• Futamata Issei (Ippei) is best known for his roles as Godai Yuusaku in Maison Ikkoku, Akira (Chibi) in Urusei Yatsura, and Saburo in Sazae-san. He played the main character, Yoshio, in Dokushin Apartment Dokudami-sou, Kouji Tanaka in Okama Hakusho, Ishida, coach's assistant, in One Pound Gospel, and the psychopathic brother, Cross, in Hi-Speed Jecy, and he appeared in Fukuyama Gekijou, all Orphan releases.
• Nagao Rihoko (Hitomi) appeared in only a few anime, including Project A-ko and Ikenai Boy.
• Nagai Ichirou (Detective Matobe) 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 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.
• Genda Tesshou (Detective Tamura) 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, Mayor Carlo in Inochi no Chikyuu: Natsu no Dioxin, Hebopi in Wild 7, rebel leader Oosukune in Izumo, Miyoshi in Sanada 10, and Rikiishi's trainer Kuroki and Kirishima in Eguchi Hisashi no Kotobuki Gorou Show, all Orphan releases.
• Tobita Nobuo (Nikaido Ryoichi) played Lumial in the Angelique franchise, Ken Wakashimazu in the Captain Tsubasa franchise, Randy in Fake, Sinistra in Kiddy Grade, the title role in Locke the Superman, and Dayon in Osomatsu-san. He appeared in Genji, Part 1, Ziggy Sore Yuke! R&R Band, Condition Green, Eien no Filena, and Choujikuu Romanesque Samy: MISSING 99, all Orphan releases.
• Satou Masaharu (Yasuda) played the villainous Professor Jason in Al Caral no Isan and Oboe in Hameln no Violin Hiki, both Orphan releases. He had numerous featured roles, appearing in the Dragonball, Dr. Slump, and Transformers franchises.
• Ishikawa Ikuo (Honda) had featured roles in Judo Boy, Casshan, Irresponsible Captain Tylor, Shin Tetsujin 28, and Itoshi no Betty Monogatari.

The director, Shirato Takeshi, should be familiar to Orphan viewers; he also directed the searing Kuroi Ame ni Utarete, the poignant Kuro ga Ita Natsu, and the incomplete Yamato 2520, as well as several Kinniukuman and Yamato movies.

The raws knocked around inside the group for several years before Perevodildo translated and timed the show. (Moho Kareshi did an initial version of the scripts.) I edited and typeset. Topper3000 and ImAWasteOfHair QCed. The first set of raws were from VHS tapes and were published as Orphan-raws. In mid-project, WOWmd found and encoded new raws from laserdiscs. The laserdiscs are clearer but have a lot more blended frames. Viewers are welcome to fit the subtitles to the VHS raws, if they prefer. (Good luck with the typesetting.) It may be possible to wrestle a better encode from the laserdiscs. If so, we'll do a v2.

Ore no Sora ranges from the distasteful to the preposterous. Its fawning over its ultra-rich hero is disingenuous, at best, and it spends way too much time ogling the bodies of female victims. Still, it moves along quickly, even if it leaves a negative final impression. You can get the OVAs from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

 

Chuck Shimezou

I'm really fond of the Young Animator Training Project (which has had various name, according to the Wikipedia article) and its OVAs. The shows vary widely in themes, art style, writing, etc.; they're rarely routine and never repetitious. Orphan has done a few, and I'm always hoping to do more. A few months ago, the team released Captain Bal, from the 2019 edition, known as Anime Tamago. Now, here is Chuck Shimezou, one of two unsubtitled episodes from that year. (Toe! Space Attendant Aoi has been subbed by another group.)

Chuck Shimezou posits the existence of small mythical creatures called Zipper Yokai. Their purpose is to close open zippers, thereby sparing humans from loss or embarrassment. Shimezou is a young Zipper Yokai, still in training. While his mother and father are skilled professionals, he has yet to close a zipper successfully. 

Worse yet, he is seen (and captured) by a human child, Hiroki; a terrible fate for creatures that are supposed to be, and stay, invisible. 

He and Hiroki have several small adventures together, along with Hiroki's little sister Chie. Eventually, Shimezou achieves a milestone: his first successful zipper closing.

If the premise sounds crazy, the show itself is utterly charming. The opening sequence shows Mama Yokai daringly closing zippers in a crowded train, transporting herself from zipper to zipper with Mission: Impossible style moves, before triumphantly exiting the train car in the morning rush. 

The parallels between Shimezou, nagged by his mother to learn his craft, and Hiroki, nagged by his mother to watch his little sister, are drawn clearly but not overbearingly. 

Shimezou and Hiroki rescue each other from a few predicaments, as buddies should. 

And the ending, in which both receive long-sought praise from their mothers, is suitably heart-warming.

The voice cast include, some notable names, including Kugimiya Rie as the main human character.

• Kaneda Tomoko (Shimezou) played Chiyo in Azumanga Daioh, Fuku in Techni Muyou! GXP, Cynthia/Grace in the Hanaukyo Maid Tai properties, Aoito in the Lime-iro Senkaiten series, Miss Badger in Shirokuma Cafe, and the twins In and You in Cosprayers. The last two are Orphan releases.
• Kuno Misaki (Chie) 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, and Hawk in the Nanatsu no Taizai franchise.
• Kugimiya Rie (Hiroki), the lengenday KugiRie, starred in the title roles for Lotte no Omocha, Sahkugan no Shana, Rizel in Rizelmine, and the Hidan no Aria franchise. She also starred as Koto in Kyousougiga, Nagi in Hayate no Gotoku!, Aisaka Taiga in Toradora! and Louise in the Zero no Tsukaima franchise. She played Alphonse Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist (both versions), Hina in Guardian Hearts, Daisuke in Major, Rose in Dragon Crisis, Momo in the Shokugeki no Souma franchise, Atsumi in Recorder to Ransel, Yukimura in Hyakka Ryouran, Cure Ace in the Precure franchise, Happy in Fairy Tail, and Kagura in Gintama. She also appeared as Techni in Waza no Tabibito and Rena in Hand Maid May, both Orphan releases.
• Horikoshi Mami (Kobayashi-san,the next-door neighbor) had featured roles in Fortune Dogs, From North Field, Hero Hero-kun, and Weiss Kruez. She played Onaka in Hidamari no Ki and appeared in Aoi Hitomi no Onna no Ko no Ohanashi and Wild 7, all Orphan releases.
• Shouji Umeka (Hiroki's Mother) played Camilla in the Spy x Family franchise, Sara in Bihada Ichizoku, and Neko Musume in GeGeGe no Kitarou (2018). She had featured roles in Reikenzan, World Trigger, and Kusuriya no Hitorigoto.
• Hirano Fumi (Shimezou's Mama) starred as Lum in the Urusei Yatsura franchise, Koiko in Koiko no Mainichi, and Princess Kahm in Outlanders. She also played the title role in Choujikuu Romanesque Samy: MISSING 99,La Midin Dimida in Tobira o Akete, Lihua in the two Sangokushi TV specials and Tsugumi in Stop!! Hibari-kun!, all Orphan releases.
• Uoken (Shimezou's Papa) had featured roles in the Ultraman OVAs, Ayakashi Triangle, Bullbuster, and Basilisk.
• Shindou Naomi (Hiroki's Grandmother) had featured roles in Mai Hime, No Game, No Life, Appleseed XIII, Asobi ni Ikuyo, Driland, Gaiking, and Kingdom of Chaos. She played Rappi in Minna Atsumare! Falcom Gakuen, an Orphan release.

This show is Nishiyama Eiichirou's only directing credit to date.

Perevodildo translated and timed. I edited and typeset. Nemesis and Uchuu QCed. Skr captured the show from HDTV, and an anonymous friend encoded it. A few notes:

1. Perevodildo transliterates long Japanese vowels as their English counterparts; so yokai rather than youkai. However, Shimezou has its trailing 'u' in all major databases, so it has been included. Consistency, hobgoblin, etc.
2. "Chakku" (Chuck) is the Japanese word for zipper. "Shime" means closer or closing. Chuck frequently adds "zou" to the end of his sentences. So Chuck Shimezou is his name and his function.
   
3. Many of the signs are repeated in the ending credits. However, they are often under the scrolling credits. I have no way of masking them for the credits, so they have not been typeset.

If you can't tell, I really liked Chuck Shimezou. It has some wonderful animation sequences, notably the opening, and a heart-warming story. You can get the show from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net

Buried (Status)

I'm halfway through my enforced hiatus for cataract surgery, but something remarkable has happened. Instead of Orphan's work grinding to a halt, there has been an avalanche of activity, notably from my Discord friend Perevodildo. He took the size of Orphan's translation/translation check backlog as a personal affront and basically demolished it. In addition, another Discord colleague, WOWmd, found laserdiscs for properties I thought had only been released on VHS tape and encoded them. Other team members and Discord colleagues have been busy too. As a result, Orphan's backlog of active (as opposed to wished for) projects has never been larger.

Accordingly, I want to give our fans (all ten of them now) a status update on the new projects.

1. Ore no Sora. Orphan already released a VHS rip as a raw. It is now translated, and WOWmd has done a new encode from laserdiscs. Done.
2. Koiko no Mainichi. Orphan already released a VHS rip as a raw. It is now translated, and WOWmd has done a new encode of the first episode from a laserdisc. (The second was only released on VHS.) Encoded, translated, timed, typeset. Done.
3. Houkago no Tinker Bell. Encoded, translation checked, timed, typeset. At QC.
4. Chuck Shimezou. Orphan already released this as a raw. It is now translated. Done.
5. Dragon Slayer Eiyuu Densetsu. Encoded, transcribed, translation checked, timed. Done. Will include the English dub.
   
6. Michite Kuru Toki no Mukou ni. This was absolutely #1 on my wish list. Orphan already released a laserdisc rip as a raw. It is now translated. Encoded, translated, timed, edited, typeset, QCed. Done.
7. Nemurenu Yoru no Chiisana Ohanashi. Ep 1-3: encoded, translated, timed, edited, typeset: Done.
   
8. Nijuushi no HItomi. Encoded, translated, timed, edited, typeset, QCed. Done.
9. Princess Army: Wedding Combat. Encoded, transcribed, translation checked, timed, edited, typeset, and QCed. Done.
   
10. Ryokunohara Labyrinth. I made a personal resub of this, to clean up the editing. That has now been translation checked, timed, edited, typeset and QCed. Done.
    
11. Tottoi. Orphan released a VHS rip as a raw. It is now translated. Encoded, translated, timed, edited, typeset, QCed. Done. This is a joint project with Inka.
12. Ushiro no Hyakutarou. Encoded, translated, timed. Done.
13. Heart Cocktail Colorful. Encoded, translated, timed. In editing and typesetting. This is a joint project with DarkWispers and LonelyChaser.
14. Doc Typhoon. Encoded, translated, timed. Returned to Saizen for further work.
15. Two on the Road. Encoded, translated, timed, edited, typeset. Done. This is a joint project with DarkWispers and LonelyChaser. 
16. Ichigatsu ni wa Christmas. Encoded, translation checked, timed. In RC.
17. Junk Boy. I've always wanted to redo the Erobeat hardsub release. Encoded, translated, timed. In editing and typesetting.
18. Magma Taishi. A new (old?) Tezuka Osamu project. Encoded. Ep1-4: translated, timed. In editing and typesetting. Ep5-13: In translation and timing.

See what I mean? Every one of those editing and typesetting comments is assigned to me. I'm utterly buried, and this doesn't even count freelance work on Yawara!, Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko, and other outside projects. Further, colleagues and staff aren't done yet. There might be more to come.

So I'd like to thank everyone on IRC and Discord for their hard work while I've been sidelined. And if anyone would like to help with the mountain of typesetting, please let me know.

[Updated 10-Dec-2024]

Hiatus, Involuntary (Again)

I'm giving advance warning that my fansubbing activities, and releases from the Orphan team, will be curtailed for a few months. This time, it's not Covid but cataracts: I'm having surgery in each eye, separated by four weeks. Until both eyes heal and my vision settles into a "new normal," I won't be able to do much work on a computer. 

Cataracts are very common in someone my age. (I'm 77.) I've complained repeatedly in this blog about my inability to see fine details in anime encodes. However, I never realized that this was a result of my cataracts "progressing" (i.e, getting worse) until my eye doctor told me I couldn't put the operation off any longer. The good news is that the operation is completely routine, and afterward, I will see better than I have in a more than a decade.

Without new releases to entertain you, there's a plethora of old releases to look through. Here's a dozen of my personal recommendations:

• A Penguin's Memories
• Grimm Douwa: Kin no Tori
• Hidimari no Ki
• Hoshi Neko Full House
• Izumo
• Katte ni Shirokuma
• Ourorane the Cat Player
  
• Sanctuary
• Shirokuma Cafe
  
• Tengai Makyou
• Tezuka Osamu's Lion Book OVAs
• Tezuka Osamu's Love Will Save The World TV specials

But the list could easily be twice as long. Look through the Releases page and read the release posts, and I'm sure you will find a many more.

So as they say on the morning news shows, "Back after this break..."

Post-op summary: cataract surgery went smoothly, and I'm back in business with new glasses and an improved sense of color. Let the Releases flow!