The Evolution Of Animation

HEAD CANON EXCEPTED!

OBSCURE O.V.A.S, *Phantom Quest Corp.

While it does seem like a shameless rip-off of Ghost Sweeper Mikami, this 4-episode OVA series was produced through Pioneer(and later Geneon Entertainment)as part of their line of anime being directly released at the same time as they were in Japan. This anime about a team of professional exorcists in modern day Japan at first gained more of a small following in America since it was released before Ghost Sweeper by over a decade, but since then it has been a little overlooked, mostly because it hasn't been licensed rescued by another company. Even though it did manage to get a single issue of what was supposed to be a 4-part comic book mini-series specifically printed for American readers.

The Phantom Quest Corp. consists mostly of the leggy redhead Ayaka Kisaragi who fights monsters with a lipstick/lightsaber(similar to Mikami), and Mamoru, an apparent orphan that lives with her and acts as the company's secretary and bookkeeper. They employ outside help for special cases like a teenage pyrokinetic, an elderly medium, and a spiritual monk. Most of their cases have them working with Kozu, a detective from the government's "X-Files" division. Ayaka takes on possessed doctors, rival companies, and even Dracula himself. Although each case(along with Ayaka's binge drinking and oversleeping)usually cause Phantom Quest Corp. to keep constantly being in the red.

There's been a lot of debate between this Madhouse production and Ghost Sweeper Mikami, although P.Q.C. is a little more sophisticated with better animation, not to mention slightly subtle in its approach to comedy instead of the hammer over your head style of G.S.M. If it doesn't get picked up by another American licensor anytime soon, you might want to look through some of the used video isles for this one.

OBSURE O.V.A.S, *Amazing Nurse Nanako

While a bunch of OVAs at the turn of the century were focused the fads of nurses or maids as fanbait. Enter this 6-episode OVA, in which the title character Nanako is not only a nurse but also a maid. This was done as one of Pioneer(and later Geneon)'s line of OVAs like Tenchi-Muyo and El-Hazard, so there's a steady balance of sci-fi comedy and fanservice.

Nanako Shichigusa is a voluptuous ditz who works at a specialized clinic under the revered Dr. Omagi. Omagi himself is involved in several projects usually involving cloning and cybernetics. It's speculated that Nanako herself is at first the subject of a cyborg experiment but is in fact the clone of nurse that's been in Ogami's family for generations. Ogami is in co-hoots with both the U.S. military working on alien DNA, and the Vatican who want to use his cloning skills to make a copy of Jesus for them(if that's how the Second Coming was supposed to work!). Nanako is kept under a strict regime of keeping herself in shape as the subject of most of his experiments, although she is blissfully unaware of most of this. Several of her escapades have her dealing with mutant monsters, mad bears, enhanced psychopaths, not to mention the other crazies who work at her clinic.

This OVA was released through Geneon as three separate DVDs, as well as a 3-disc box set, but so far hasn't been picked up for a Blu-Ray release or a license rescue by another company since its original release. It's probably worth picking up if you're seriously into busty anime nurses/maids with wacky characters in it. Although the dub could use some serious work, aside from the main voice actress for Nanako is actually pretty passable despite working in only one other anime dub.

You come into Splinter's place, you better be ready to pay!

MISC. MANGA, *Legends From Darkwood

While being somewhat inspired by the old Tom Cruise movie, Legend, this manga-styled comic takes the old story of a maiden and a unicorn to a whole different level that is sure to irk a few Bronies! This was released through Antarctic Press, who are already pros at American manga, so creators Christopher Reid and John Kantz ran with this dark comedy/fantasy.

Set in an RPG-inspired world, the town of Darkwood has made its main profit by cornering the market in selling of all things...unicorn meat! But unicorns don't just show up for anyone as most of the time they're invisible to mortals. Only a "pure" maiden can gain their favor, so the maiden Raynd acts as the town's official unicorn hunter. The Mayor Moore is most pleased with this business, although his sweet daughter Rose finally learns the truth of her family's business. Rose is an innocent storybook-loving girl who had no idea that her favorite mythical creatures were the source of her father's revenue. Determined to stop this slaughter of the unicorns, she tries hiring assassins to do away with Raynd, but everyone is scared crapless of her. Finally, Rose is told by a raccoon girl that the only reason Raynd is able to hunt unicorns in the first place is because of her virginity, so she hits Raynd with a "love bomb". After waking to the effects of the magical aphrodisiac and a quickie with some guy she met in a bar, Raynd then takes Rose as her new apprentice. All this while a unicorn named Andrew decides he's had enough of having his kind turned into burgers, impales a random adventurer, and eats his flesh. This gives a devil the opportunity to strike a bargain with Andrew to transform him into a large fire-breathing monster, who then goes on a killing spree in Darkwood. After it seems like the unicorn-killing business is kapoot, Raynd gets Rose to tame Andrew, and they all set out into the world to seek their fortune.

This 4-issue mini-series was released into a single "Pocket Manga" collection. There was also a one-shot special(Legends From Darkwood: High Times And Small Crimes)that acted as kind a follow-up and lead-in to the next volume which was never made. There was also another one-shot, Monkeybug Madness, which was showcased some background characters that are small creatures which look like gnomes in crack. I'd recommend getting a hold of the Pocket Manga to look at first, mostly because of a fairy tale that is very self-aware(and not in a crappy Dreamworks kind of way), and some engaging artwork.

SUPRISE, BITCHES!