Nowadays, you can almost assume that once an anime airs in Japan, it is going to be licensed. Those folks that bring anime out here know you crazy kids like the stuff, so they make sure they get dibs on before anyone else does. Why at the current rate of licensing, by some accounts they’ll be out of anime to license by the end of the year, and this includes anime they haven’t even thought up yet! What’ll happen then? Though licensing folks have babies to feed!
Well, don’t worry. As always, I’m here to get the ninja scoop on the latest and greatest ideas those kooky American and Japanese anime makers come up with. And boy, is their latest one a doozy. Now, I know that in the past few years we’ve been seeing lots of sequels pop up, everything from a remake of Speed Racer to a second season to Gatekeepers. And while sequels are nice at first, eventually they get stale and old, while ending up only telling the same old boring story we saw in episode one. The producers of the fine product known as Japanese animation do not want that. They want new, they want hip, they want inventive, and they want that while still banking on previously established characters and names to actually sell the stuff. So, they looked to America and make a realization. What’s the next best thing to sequels?
Crossovers! Hanna-Barbara did it all the time! Why back in the day you could have Scooby Doo, Jonny Quest, and Yogi Bear all at once and it wouldn’t even have to make sense! They were there, you were watching them, and now it’s time for some crossovers from the Land of the Rising Sun. I’ve manage to worm my way out of some idea summaries, as well a some exclusive images for your enjoyment. So let’s get started!
Ah! My Escaflowne!
Things have been getting hairy in the Keiichi household! Sculd, the youngest of the three goddesses has built a dimension flux tickler that has gone awry! It has tickled a dimension know as Gaea, and Gaea was not amused. The dimension spat out two men, one woman, one man-woman-thing, and one mecha. Hilarity ensues as Sculd tries to make Escaflowne work, while Van sits aside grumbling. Dilandau goes on a crazefest with matches while Belldandy, Keiichi, and Hitomi try to teach him the essentials of fire safety! And while all that happens, who’s to stop Allen Schezar and Urd from getting “too friendly?” Just wait and find out!
.hack//BEBOP
Spike, Faye, Jett, and the rest have decided to seek out a contract on a mysterious hacker named Tsukasa, only to find out that it’s not the real world they must search him out in, but rather the massively multiplayer online role-playing game, The World! Ed sets them up, and just as they get in, they find out that Spike can’t log out! Spike and the gang now search The World, not only to find the elusive Tsukasa but also to find Spike a way back out. And all the while they are watched, and helped by the ever-leering The World-know it all, Bear. Will they make it time, or will some more sinister within the depths of system spell “Game Over?”
Irresponsible Captain Harlock
After the crews of the Soyokaze saved the galaxy time and time again, things were finally starting to settle down. However their rest was a short one, because out of nowhere they were under attack by the mysterious and strangely drawn alien race known as the Mazone! With their previous captain Tyler held up in the Playboy mansion, they are assigned the gruff and seemingly aloof Captain Harlock. The new captain, who seems to take a certain vengeance against these new invaders, quickly throws out their normal wacky atmosphere and instead seems to instill nothing but broodiness. Does he know something they don’t, or is he merely a moody prick? And who are these invaders that have forced away the Soyokaze’s fun? Find out this and more in Irresponsible Captain Harlock!
Saber Marionette GTO
Twenty-two year old bachelor Eikichi Onizuka is your typical teacher teaching at Holy Forest Academy in Japan. Imagine his surprise while during a trip the mountains, Onizuka stumbles upon the ruins of what looked to be called the “Japoness Pioneer History Museum.” Intrigued the young man enters to find three beautiful girls trapped in containment capsules! After releasing them Eikichi and his three newfound companions Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry return back to Holy Forest Academy, merely to find out Hiroshi Uchiyamada, the vice principle is now in league with the another new arrival, the mysterious teacher Faust. What plans could Uchiyamada and Faust have for the Great Teacher and the marionettes, and what could Onizuka cloud have in planned for them? Will he be able to get the alone to teach them something “personal,” or will they teach him something for the heart, instead of the pants?
Black Jack Heaven
Blackjack is a surgeon, but not just any surgeon. He’s one of the best in the land, if not the best, taking on whoever comes to him, and pays his price. He’s also on the lamb, living a life unlicensed, waiting for the next client to pay his handsome fee. The next client happens to be Oji “Gabriel” Tanaka and his band Black Heaven. They’ve been playing gigs and throwing down jams for the good of the planet, but their keyboardist has gotten a nasty case of arthritis. And due to an unfortunate pepper accident, a miscalculated sneeze rendered the keyboardist handless! So in compensation, Blackjack puts his surgeon hands to another skill as he tickles the ivories as the new keyboardist for Black Jack Heaven!
Tribits
Meryl and Milly are two insurance agents who have their work cut out from them! They are on the lookout for the mysterious and mass-destructive Chii the Stampede. The elusive Chii is wanted for A whole MessLoad of $$$’s and has been deemed the first ever Act of Plot, and it is up to two agents to follow the Stampede around to confirm the insurance claims made. But once the two finally find the culprit, but Chii turns out to be nothing like the legends say! Tall, lanky, pacifistic, and of all things female, it turns out that Chii is a Persocom without a cause looking the world over for her master, Hideki. Though this fact goes unnoticed to Meryl and Milly, as the only thing Chii can say is, oddly enough, “Chii!” and stay in odd moments of undress. And lurking in the shadows behind it all, is a mysterious goth Chii-look-alike that is known as Chives. Will they find Hideki before it’s too late, or will the Gung Ho Hackers take them out beforehand?
I’m Gonna Be An Angel Sanctuary!
Setsuna hasn’t had the greatest of days. For one thing, his mom still won’t let him bang his sister. Which sucks, as he really wants to. Not only that, but it turns out he’s actually a reincarnated female angel in a human’s body batting for the other team who happens to be his sister. And his mother still won’t let him get any play! So with these heavy, heady thoughts hand he walks to school where he happens to fall into the path of another angel, literally! This angel, or rather angel-in-training, is Noelle: a cute blonde ditzy girl around Setsuna’s age, who’s been looking for a husband, and Setsuna’s just right! And man, you just can’t angst when you have a bubbly beacon of happiness glomping you! Enter a world of brightness and cheerfulness made by Noelle’s quirky demon family, as they move into Setsuna’s home (much to the delight of his mother)! But watch out Noelle, Lord Dispel wants you for himself and is sending wacky giant robots and pro wrestlers your way, and only Setsuna’s powers of angst and moping can save you! The war between angels and demons has never been this much fun!
And there you have it, just a small peek at what could be coming around the corner. But before we go, here’s something that just had to be made. Yes folks, you know him, you love him, it’s Jango Fett!
(Basil is a humor anime columnist that has didn’t know the Jinzoumai first contest was a similar deal till after he had already started. Curses! Oh well, you can always email him!)