[continued from previous message]
X: Kamui Shirou returns to Tokyo after a long absence to seek out a
mystical sword, a bitter, cold young man almost unrecognisable to his
childhood friends Kotori and Fuuma Monou. All three will become caught
up in a war for the future of the Earth between two factions of
supernaturally powered men and women - the Dragons of Heaven and the
Dragons of Earth - a war in which Kamui is the most important factor.
It is destiny that he should choose one side - but whichever he chooses
will produce the most dire consequences.
Based on the classic (yet currently unfinished) shoujo manga epic
from CLAMP (CARDCAPTOR SAKURA, CHOBITS), X is a grandiose, morbid tale
of dark shoujo angst with super powers, where every character has an
in-depth, depressing backstory to go with their incredible magical
fights. There is little levity throughout, but it hardly matters given
the calibre of the production - the animation is simply fantastic for a
TV show, and most episodes put you through the emotional wringer. There
are some recurring characters from CLAMP's previous work TOKYO BABYLON
which it may help to have some familiarity with, although it's not
entirely necessary.
The TV series is available on 8 discs from Geneon in Region 1 (there
are now 2 4-disc sets available at a slightly lower price-point), and an
inferior Region 4 release on 6 discs from Shock.
(This entry deals with the X TV series - there is also an older movie
version available from Manga Entertainment which, despite excellent
animation, attempts unsuccessfully to compress 18 volumes or so of manga
into an hour and a half of film, and thus fails quite spectacularly.)
[Entry by Andrew Hollingbury]
Y
YOKOHAMA SHOPPING TRIP LOG (a.k.a. QUIET COUNTRY CAFE): This is a
four-volume OAV series based on the manga YOKOHAMA KAIDASHI KIKOU by
Hitoshi Ashinano. It is centred around the character of Alpha, a robot
who runs a coffee shop in the Japanese countryside many years after some
kind of apocalypse has caused the seas to rise and flood the coasts.
The world is in a slow peaceful decline with a much-reduced population
and houses and roads lie abandoned to Nature.
The anime's bucolic atmosphere is juxtaposed with assorted wonders to
jolt the viewer's expectations: odd new species of plants and animals
grow alongside the unrepaired roads, a giant swan-like aircraft is
occasionally seen high in the sky, a female sea-spirit seeks the company
of children. It is a slow, almost plotless travelogue with visuals and
skyscapes comparable to Miyazaki (IMO) rendered in a watercolour-style
form very similar to the manga.
[Entry by Robert Sneddon]
YOU'RE UNDER ARREST! (a.k.a. TAIHO SHICHAUZO!): The adventures of
Natsumi Tsujimoto and Miyuki Kobayakawa, two female police officers on
the Bokutoh City police force and their day-to-day adventures. Set in
a more or less present day city. Good animation and artwork. Good
clean fun. Little if any violence or gore, and only some innocent
flirting on the sexual side. Both OVA and TV series has been made.
Based on a manga by Kosuke Fujishima, the same guy who did OH MY
GODDESS! There's also a TV series that hasn't been released yet in
the US. Four OVAs. From AnimEigo.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
[The TV series has been released by AnimEigo. There is also an
excellent YOU'RE UNDER ARREST movie, which has a tone somewhere
between the YOU'RE UNDER ARREST OAVs and the PATLABOR movies, and a
series of "Mini-Specials" that are almost completely humourous - these
have been released by ADV Films. - Rob Kelk]
YUUGEN KAISHA: see PHANTOM QUEST CORPORATION
Z
ZEIRAM, THE ANIMATION: see IRIA
ZETA GUNDAM: see GUNDAM
ZZ GUNDAM: see GUNDAM
--
Rob Kelk robkelk -at- gmail -dot- com
"I'm *not* a kid! Nyyyeaaah!" - Skuld (in "Oh My Goddess!" OAV #3)
"When I became a man, I put away childish things, including the fear of
childishness and the desire to be very grown-up." - C.S. Lewis, 1947
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
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