As many of my friends know, I am a big fan of this much overlooked anime.  It is a strange one, considering it was originally intended as a spoof of the shoujo sports anime Aim for the Ace (based off the manga by Ryoko Ikeda). We have high school girls training in giant robots, making them do jumping jacks and push-ups in preparation for the impending alien invasion. All of this seems amazingly silly – the character designer Mikimoto Haruhiko, at a panel at AX2001, even said "When I saw the first two episodes, I didn’t want to have my name in the credits." So far, not a very compelling argument to watch this title; but wait, there is more to see here…

Noriko Takaya is the young daughter of the space-faring Admiral Takaya. Tragedy strikes when the Admiral’s fleet is attacked and decimated by hostile alien forces leaving only one survivor, Lt. Colonel Ohta. In response to this threat, all countries band together to create an Anti Space-Monster Defense Force. Several years later, a sixteen-year old Noriko is struggling to get through the humanoid machine-weapon training regimen of her high school. While seen as clumsy and inept by the general student body, Ohta sees a raw talent in Noriko and teaches her how to polish these abilities through "hard work and courage."

The beauty of this title is to go beyond the normal expectations of a giant robot anime. It starts off as your usual sports-anime with the typical "believe in yourself" theme, but takes a sharp turn away from this silliness and delves deeper into the minds of the characters during the course of the story. A timid young Noriko Takaya finds a strength within herself to win at any cost through a series of very harsh lessons; strong characters like Jung and Kazumi show personal weaknesses. It may, at times, seem like so much melodrama, but it is fun to watch and heart-wrenching.

Additionally, we are treated to some very well animated sequences, and we get to see what is to come from a young company called GAINAX. Many of the mechanical designs and cool analog devices used here can also be seen in later works such as Fushigi no Umi no Nadia and Neon Genesis Evangelion. There are also the nifty pseudo-science lessons at the end of some of the episodes which add to the detail of the series – concepts of time-dilation and the effects of gravity are well-used in this production. These "lessons" were again used in Nadia and spoofed in Martian Successor Nadesico.

If the first two episodes make you wonder about where this series is going, be patient and keep watching. If you don’t watch to the end, you will miss out on one of the finest endings in anime that I have ever seen (I have watched hundreds upon hundreds of titles, so I am not just shooting my mouth off here). I don’t cry much at movies, but this one brought some tears to my eyes.

As a final note, the quote from Mikimoto above has a second part:

"But when I watched the rest of the episodes, I felt that I had watched something worthwhile."

I couldn’t agree more.

History is about to repeat itself, and Kijima Touta is seeking retribution from Chiryuu, Tenkuu, Jinno Hazumi, and Jinno Takumi for thwarting his plans. He was painfully close to opening a gateway to his home dimension, which would’ve allowed his army to invade the earth, when these four heroes put an end to his ambitions, trapping Touta and many of his forces (called Remnants for obvious reasons). While the battle was won, several foresaw the cyclic nature of fate, and prepared the subsequent generations for the eventual battle that would take place in the future. What better way to do this than build a high school campus on top of the gateway and train everyone in the area to fight Touta and his Remnants?

At first glance, this plot sounds like the setup for a serious confrontation between the forces of good (Guardians) and evil (Remnants); however, as you delve into the first episode and witness the battles between these two forces, you realize that something is a bit off. Perhaps the first clue is the fact that Hazumi is nicknamed (to her chagrin) the "Ally Killer". She tends to go a bit overboard in her attacks, doing as much damage to her allies and surrounding property as the enemy à la Dirty Pair. After that, one should start to realize that this series isn’t taking itself completely seriously. One of Chiryuu’s favorite activities is peeking up Hazumi’s skirt. He doesn’t even bother with subtlety, which leads to the usual results. There are also plenty of anime references and parodical advertising, so pay attention. Sailor Mars and Kamen Rider are only the tip of the iceberg.

As if that wasn’t enough, it seems like everyone living in the area of the "Gateway Campus" has some sort of strange attack. For example, one of Hazumi’s attacks is called Hissatsu! Tsukue gaeshi! – "Certain Kill! Desk Flipping!". Hazumi’s mother, Jinno Kasumi, has an attack that throws Tabasco [sic], wasabi, black pepper, and curry. Attacking someone with pachinko balls and porno books (papercuts, ouch!) sounds like it may work, but using baby birds and ramen noodles seems to be stretching it a bit. Of course, I can’t imagine being hit by a "Sexy Dyna Bust"…

I remember watching the final episode of this four part series on LD at a friend’s house in Anchorage back in 1994. I never heard of it, and my friend had bought the LD on a whim because he saw a cool ad in an issue of Newtype. I was initially impressed at the high quality of the animation, but the twisted humor underlying the (melo)dramatic scenes particularly stood out in my mind. It took me over a year to see the rest of it, but it was well worth the wait. It still surprises me that this title has yet to be licensed. It’s sad to see such a good series languish in the depths of obscurity after 10 years, especially since a lot of the stuff that is licensed today is crap. I suppose it’s because the animation and humor seem a bit dated these days, but quality anime lasts.

It’s four episodes of solid entertainment that ends with a bang. It was also the first time I can remember seeing a girl in an anime have her nose bleed from being… "stimulated".

That, alone, should be enough of a reason for you to watch this show…

Alternate Earth – In a small library located in an unpopulated mountain, there is a quiet and kind girl, a strong-minded girl, and a girl who has the same name as the library. These three sisters, Iina, Aruto, and Kokoro, (ask someone who knows Japanese to tell you what Kokoro aru to ii na means) have inherited this library from their parents and are entrusted to taking care of this place where miracles are supposed to occur…

At first, this may seem like an utterly boring premise, but, despite slow-paced scenes, there is an undeniable amount of heart infused into this particular anime. Kokoro is old enough to become a librarian, so she trains under her sisters. Despite the fact that no "users" seem to come to the library, this does not stop the three from dutifully carrying out all of their chores. One cannot help but be impressed with the effort that Kokoro puts into her work. We watch Kokoro enthusiastically train, and, in the process, the audience is given glimpses of the small miracles that occur at this mysterious library. What could be so special about this place? Ah, but that would be giving away too much. The episodes slowly reveal the secret behind Kokoro Library, and when you finally witness the events that led up to the founding of this miraculous place.

The animation, characters, and scenes combine to create a work that warms the soul and helps one feel better about oneself and the world in general. The music is especially noteworthy since it is good enough to stand on its own, which you can’t say about most anime OSTs. I liked it so much that I imported it from Japan. Worth every penny. The melodies are solid and simple, creating a synergy with the animation. Unfortunately, most people won’t get to hear it since they might be put off by the anime. Give Kokoro Library a try and find out how to create miracles in your own life…

During Anime Expo 2001, I went to the Meet the Guests reception, and I met Masunari Koji, the director of Kokoro Library and Read or Die. The creator of Read or Die, Kurata Hideyuki, was also there, and most of the questions were directed to him regarding Read or Die. When it came to my turn, I asked Masunari some questions about Kokoro Library; he seemed quite happy to talk about it. It was sad to see that most of the other people at the table had no idea what we were talking about (Kurata seemed bored during my questions since he didn’t work on it). Finally, I thanked them both for Read or Die and Kokoro Library.

Kurata then asked everyone around the table, "Which do you like better? Read or Die or Kokoro Library?"

I was the only one who said Kokoro Library. Masunari smiled and gave me the "thumbs-up". I gave it back.

Kurata rolled his eyes.

Darby: We shall wager our SOULS!
Jotarou: Hey, Abdul, I’m short.  Can I borrow yours?
Abdul: Are you on Crack?  HELL NO!

Skeptical Reader: "JoJo’s What?!"

England, Late 1800′s – Jonathan Joestar encounters an orphan boy named Dio Brando and takes him into the family. Unfortunately for the wealthy Joestar, Dio aspires to take over his family fortune, which includes a mysterious stone mask. Jonathan learns of this betrayal after Dio tries to poison his father, Josh, and tries to stop him. In his quest to finish his job, Dio dons the stone mask covered with the spilled blood from Josh, and becomes an immortal vampire. Johnathan then learns about Hamon, an inner power fueled by the sun, which he uses to defeat Dio. In their final battle, both Johnathan and Dio go down with a sinking ship on its way to America.

Nearly 100 years after that battle, Josef Joestar (grandson of Jonathan) senses the resurrection of Dio whose body is discovered by treasure hunters. Dio managed to kill Jonathan and attach his head to Jonathan’s body and survive. His reawakening triggers the release of a new psychic power called Stands. Stands are psychic projections that can only be seen by other stand users. When a user’s Stand is injured (only possible by another Stand), the user is injured as well. The Stands themselves vary in strength, power, and distance in which they can be utilized. This power manifests itself in Jotarou’s mother, Holly, but she is unable to cope with her new powers and is dying. Josef and Jotarou only have a short time in which to save Holly’s life by defeating Dio once and for all.

But enough with the summary – if there is one word to sum up the feeling of this anime, it’s TESTOSTERONE. We have several manly men strutting around busting things up with their psychic projections. Although, JoJo’s goes beyond the usual violence and adds a very realistic measure of suspense and thoughtfulness to the story. Jotarou and his friends may look like rejects from The Village People, but the situations are quite thrilling and engaging. My favorite part is where Josef Joestar and company do battle with Darby the Gambler. He plays any type of game, but his one requirement is that you wager your soul! The tactics in the third episode, both physical and psychological, are simply amazing to behold. For these people, "raising the ante" is at a whole new level…