Reviews

Megu (known as Bia or simply Meg in Western dubs) is a 15-year-old girl who is a contender for the throne of the kingdom. As part of her training, she needs to learn about the human world, and so she moves in with Mammi, a former witch who gave up her own ambitions of being queen to marry and raise a family in the human world. Mammi can still use some magic, and so she casts a spell over her husband and her two biological children (son Rabi and daughter Apo) to make them believe that Meg is the oldest daughter in the family. Meg attends school, experiences her first crush, and goes through all the things that normal teenage girls go through - and many that most teenage girls DON'T go through - while she trains to become queen and grows stronger in the use of her magic. As with many shows in the magical girl genre, Meg has a rival, the cold-hearted Non (Noa), who is also living with a "host family" including another former witch who used to be Mammi's rival. Non is more skilled with her magic than Meg and looks down on her - and actually tries to kill her during their first meeting! (Although, Non sometimes helps Meg out when she's in trouble, more to keep the competition fair than out of friendship.) Meanwhile, she has to put up with voyeurs who are always trying to get a glimpse of her panties - namely her own kid "brother" Rabi and a "dirty old man" named Chou-san (who is assisted by a talking bird and cat). Toei Animation's 72-episode magical girl series of 1974-1975, co-directed by Yugo Serikawa (MAZINGER Z) with episodes written by Masaki Tsuji (DEVILMAN, CAPTAIN FUTURE, CUTEY HONEY, ASTRO BOY), takes a few obvious pages from the Cutey Honey playbook, with all the panty shots and scenes of Meg in her green see-through negligee and some brief, non-explicit nudity. (There's even a cameo by Cutey Honey's singer persona, Misty Honey, in one episode!) This helped make the series a hit with male as well as female viewers in Japan. (One suspects that this may have been a boyhood favorites of some of the guys who grew up to form Gainax, which took the fan service angle and ran with it!) While the fan service may have been one of the series' chief selling points (as evidenced by the original Japanese opening theme song lyrics in which Megu boasts about the size of her breasts and her ways of attracting boys), Majokko Megu-chan is much more than just a never-ending parade of panchira. The series actually teaches some very good lessons, particularly about the importance of friends and family. Meg has a hard time adjusting to life on earth at first, both at home and at school, but in time she comes to understand what family means and why it is so important, and she matures from being essentially a selfish, self-centered brat to a more giving and thoughtful person (though still not without her flaws - which makes her seem all the more real). And there are a lot of elements in this series that foreshadow Sailor Moon and other magical girl series of years to come (one of them being the heroine's short skirt). Very popular in some European countries, especially in Italy, Majokko Megu-chan has never been released in English and I wouldn't expect it to be. It looks very much like a product of the '70s especially in regard to fashions and social conventions, so it has the same kitschy charm as an ABBA song. The quality of the animation is quite good for a 1970s TV anime, though some episodes look better than others in terms of animation quality, particularly the ones with animation by the legendary Shingo Araki. In terms of voices, I've seen parts of both the Japanese and Italian versions (non-subtitled, though it isn't hard to figure out what's going on) and both are good. If you know your '70s anime, you'll recognize Rihoko Yoshida (Natsuko in Cutey Honey, Klara in Alps no Shojo Heidi, Michiru in Getter Robo, Tickle in Majokko Tickle) as the voice of Meg. If you're a fan of the magical girl genre and get a chance to see even one episode of Majokko Megu-chan, grab it. It's interesting as not only entertainment but as a piece of anime history, as a predecessor of fan service anime and of Sailor Moon.

A little clarification here: the film released on video as "Robby the Rascal" in the U.S. and elsewhere actually began life in Japan as a TV series called "Cybot Robotchi." ("Robotchi" was Robby's original name.) "Cybot Robotchi" was produced by the Knack studio and originally aired in Japan in 1982-83 (if you have a copy of the U.S. video and look at the box, you'll see a production credit for "Knack Kikaku"). Knack was the same Japanese animation studio that produced the "Little Prince" anime broadcast on Nickelodeon in the early '80s, as well as the later volleyball-themed hit TV series "Attacker You!" (1984), which used some of the same staff including director Kazuyuki Okaseko and writer Hideki Sonoda. The original creators of the series were Ken Ishikawa (of "Getter Robo" fame) and Tomohiro Ando (known for his work on several classic series for Toei Animation, including 1969's "Himitsu no Akko-chan" and 1974's "Majokko Megu-chan"). With all that said, it seems to me that "Robby the Rascal" was actually a compilation of several TV episodes of "Cybot Robotchi," which would explain why the story seemed sort of disjointed to me when I watched the English-dubbed version I rented from my video store. I still have the theme song in my head all these years later... cheesy but catchy. The dubbing, as I recall, was done by Harmony Gold and was quite bad, as was typical in the early/mid-'80s. And keep in mind the show is over two decades old, so the animation hasn't aged well. Still, younger kids should get a kick out of it, and you might try picking up a copy for them if you can find one. It would seem the Taiwanese release referred to on this page was based on the U.S. edit, as I remember characters in the English dub named Upper Decker (Dr. Deco in the original) and Tiffany (who would seem to be the same character as "Tiffah" perhaps?).

Although this film was released on home video in the U.S. in 1984 as "Taro the Dragon Boy" (five years after it appeared in Japanese theaters), not many people seem to remember it, which is a shame, as it is one of the best anime films I've ever seen. I rented the English-dubbed version, helmed by the legendary Peter Fernandez (also worked on the English dubs of "Speed Racer" and "Superbook"), on video from my video store on several occasions as a child, and was awestruck. Taro is a remarkable young man - he possesses immense strength and an enormous appetite, but he also has a heart of gold, and the object of his quest is to find his mother who was changed into a dragon many years ago. (One scene which made a big impression on me is the scene in which Taro and the villagers are feasting after Taro defeated a demon who was threatening the village, and Taro can't enjoy the celebration because he keeps thinking of the folks back in his home village who have nothing to eat. That shows what a pure, good heart he has.) This film holds up very well even to this day. The animation is remarkably fluid given that the film is now over a quarter-century old, and the music is also very well-done. There are even vocal songs, which were dubbed into English for the U.S. release, and they're also pretty good, even in English. The dubbed voices are also quite good, as I recall. The ending will absolutely have you in tears. If you can find a used copy of this film on VHS, by all means pick it up. It's a real classic. (Incidentally, despite the Japanese title, "Tatsu no ko Taro," this animation was NOT produced by Tatsunoko Production, but by Toei Animation, which later became internationally famous for "Dragonball," "Sailor Moon," and "One Piece.")

Animation studio Sunrise ("Gundam," "Cowboy Bebop," "Outlaw Star") struck gold in 2000 when their animated adaptation of Rumiko Takahashi's popular manga, "Inuyasha," debuted. The show was a big hit, not only in Japan where it still gets double-digit ratings four years after its premiere there, but here in the States, where the show is top-rated on Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" block. I won't go into the plot as others have already talked about it, but let me say that this show scores in all areas. The animation is superb. If you haven't seen the series and are apprehensive that it's Sunrise and not Kitty Films (Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2) animating one of Takahashi's works this work, don't be. Sunrise does a terrific job with the animation, which is gorgeous. (Those scenes with the computer-animated floods of demons are just breathtaking to watch.)

The whole thing has a real Japanese atmosphere (duhhh) that is truly delightful. The character designs are faithful to the manga (which I also own several volumes of) but add a little something to the characters. Speaking of the characters, as others have commented, the characters are all very multi-dimensional, and there's much more to even the villains than meets the eye. The character of Kagome in particular is a breath of fresh air: it's nice to see a teenage anime girl who isn't a clumsy ditz, a la Sailor Moon, or a mysterious enigma, a la Evangelion's Rei Ayanami. Kagome is a sweet, normal, nice girl who really has it all together (or at least did until her "double life" - part in modern times, part in the warring states era - began), and if she weren't Japanese, could be called all-American. The plot isn't too simple but also not too complicated, and pretty easy to follow. There are frequent bursts of humor that sweeten the serious storyline. One scene I was watching just the other night: Inuyasha has sent Kagome back to her own time because he doesn't want her to get hurt, and it's obvious that he misses her. Suddenly he sees Kagome sitting right next to him, telling him to rest and let his wounds heal... and then realizes that Kagome has a fox tail! Turns out it's really Shippou who transformed himself into Kagome... and Inuyasha is NONE too happy about it.

The music is simply stunning, especially the opening and ending themes -V6's opening theme "Change The World," in particular, is unlike any other anime song I've heard. (Cartoon Network cuts out the opening theme in their broadcasts, but you owe it to yourself to check it out if you haven't already.) And the English dub, done by Canada's Ocean Group, is very well done for the most part. Richard Ian Cox's portrayal of Inuyasha deserves all the raves it has gotten, and David Kaye's Naraku is also great. Miroku is voiced by Kirby Morrow (Trowa from "Gundam Wing"), Sango by Kelly Sheridan (Hitomi in "Escaflowne"), and the cute fox-demon Shippou by Jillian Michaels, and they all do a good job too. The only voice that seemed a little weak to me was Moneca Stori's Kagome, which thankfully, got better as the series progressed and she apparently got a little more into the character.

Overall, a very enjoyable series and one that really does live up to all the hype. A mix of action, romance and more than a little humor that has all the bases covered.

Judge Judy used to be my favorite television judge, but that position has now been usurped by the very honorable - and very beautiful - Marilyn Milian. Pooh-pooh to you, pooh24, I don't know which court show you're watching, but I think Judge Milian is the exact opposite of what you make her out to be. Not only is she easily the most eye-friendly and photogenic judge on TV, she's also the most fair. She can be funny, wise and sarcastic when she wants to be, but she is also caring and compassionate toward her litigants. Unlike Judge Judy, she won't fly off the handle at someone who doesn't deserve it. When she does go a little ballistic, it's only because the litigant she's yelling at is acting like a jerk. And she sure is fun to watch when she does go ballistic - especially when the throws in some of the trademark Spanish phrases she's become known for. It's very nice to see a Hispanic television personality who isn't a Speedy Gonzales-esque stereotype or caricature and who is very proud of her heritage. Also, Judge Milian is not sexist in her judgments, at least not as sexist as Judge Judy can be. If the plantiff is a female and is obviously behaving like a jerk or taking advantage of the defendant (for example, a woman I saw the other day who sued her former friend, who had bestowed upon her all kinds of gifts, including a nose job, and was suing him for not paying for her trip to Texas - her case was dismissed, incidentally), she will tear into her as well as she would a male plaintiff. On top of it all, she's not as cold and businesslike as Judge Judy can be - she'll ham it up with the litigants sometimes, and once when disco singer Carol Douglas was on the show as a plaintiff, the judge had her sing a little of her biggest hit, "Doctor's Orders." Overall, she has made this a very fun show to watch. I'd bring a case before Judge Milian before I'd bring it in front of any other judge on TV. Ten out of ten stars!

This was the show that started me on the road to becoming the otaku I am today. The Japanese anime artwork style of "Superbook" and its companion series, "The Flying House," immediately grabbed me because it was so different from the American animation I was used to watching. I wasn't aware until years after I first watched it that the show was Japanese in origin, or that it was created by one of Japan's most famous animation studios: Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd., also known for "Speed Racer," "Samurai Pizza Cats" and "The Littl' Bits," among others.

The show is about two young children named Christopher (a.k.a. Sho in Japanese, Luis in Spanish) and Joy (Azusa in Japanese, Anita in Spanish) who are transported back in time by a magical talking Bible (the titular "Superbook") to witness the stories of Adam and Eve, Jonah, Noah's Ark, and other Biblical legends. Accompanying them is Chris's wind-up toy robot, Gizmo (Zenmaijikake), who is brought to life by Superbook. The Bible stories featured in this series were mostly from the Old Testament; "The Flying House," another series created by Tatsunoko, dubbed by CBN and featuring different lead characters but the same premise, handled the New Testament, including the life and teachings of Jesus. The animation style is extremely primitive by today's standards (it's 20+ years old, remember), and if you hate anime it won't convert you into an otaku. Nevertheless, the show has a cuteness and charm that is impossible to deny. Christian conservatives hated the show, claiming it would confuse and disappoint children who were disappointed not to find time-traveling children in the *real* Bible, but I found it very entertaining and educational and watched it regularly. Remember that the show was made in Japan, where there are few Christians, and was intended as an adaptation of stories from the best-selling book in the history of the world, not to proselytize or preach. It would be the same if Disney were to do an adaptation of a piece of Japanese literature such as the Tale of Genji - chances are they wouldn't get everything 100% accurate, but you'd be able to get the gist of the story, and that's what "Superbook" is all about. It's also worth noting that the series has a huge following among missionaries who have used it to help introduce the Christian faith to newcomers.

In the U.S. this series was aired on CBN's cable network (which later became The Family Channel and is now ABC Family, with almost entirely sectarian programming), which is where I watched it faithfully through the '80s. Nowadays it can be seen early Saturday mornings, along with "Flying House," on TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network), and episodes are also available on video.