I watched it the day it was uploaded. Del Toro’s would rank pretty high up there. Easily top 3.
Trying to Please Everyone: Or Converting multiple Pop Culture Utopias into a Timeline.
- Thread starter Marco Incognito
- Start date
Considering how many unmade projects they have, what are Guillermo Del Toro and Neil Blomkamp up to ITTL?
Hard to say yet as Del Toro will end up producing when he doesn't direct. A solid list is in progress but will be kept hidden for now since it will likely be contradicted later on. Though his filmography will include ITTL The Sandkings, Domu: A Child's Dream, Death: The High Cost of Living, Doctor Strange, The Hobbit, a few Harry Potter films, a Haunted Mansion film, A third Hellboy, Nemo: Heart of Ice, Justice League Dark and Silent Hills. Blomkamp is restricted to the Halo Movies and to an Alien Film ITTL. No offense but he's kind of a one trick pony. That one trick is person in futuristic society discovers secret weapon that balances power between the classes that is usually a suit of armor.
Alcion(1990)
You Can(not) Exist.
Alcion(1990)
Studio Daicon had conceived the idea of a stealth sequel to Nadia and the Secret of Blue Water. The film described an alien invasion of large figures from Space in Earth’s past leading to the sinking of Atlantis. This sprouted the fascinating concept in one simple question: “What if They came back?”. This was specifically what if they came back in the present. What would mankind do against them? The answer was invariably, a giant robot. Now the idea had merit but the problem was a sudden drop in talent.
Hayao Miyazaki, began to slow himself down, going from releasing a film every two years to every four. He was at the time acting as a consultant on a Disney show called Tailspin based upon a pig aviator character he had created. Miyazaki was busy. Not only with Porco Rosso but also with Treasure Planet along with Ron Clements and John Musker and he had been offered Only Yesterday, a script rejected by Takahata multiple times. For this reason he had no involvement in the sequel to Nadia: Alcion.
Alcion was wholly the brainchild of Hideaki Anno, who had left Studio Daicon for King Records as he’d become drinking buddies with representative Toshimichi Otsuki. While he had been good friends with most of the Studio Daicon staff, he had also wanted to branch out on his own, though Daicon remained a producer along with Studio M.T. Alcion’s theme was not running away, which was shared with Studio Daicon’s planned sequel to Royal Space Force, which was greatly harmed by Anno leaving production.
As mentioned it’s a sequel to Nadia, though the shift to King led to that fact being disguised. What was once meant to be some giant stone golems now became more abstract beings referred to as Apostolos, and there would, by the end, be 17 of them. While the Stone Golems are depicted in ancient runes, their present forms vary greatly, explained as the entities having “Evolved”. The Nadia versions were basically the Caveman form while the newer Apostolos are modern humans by comparison.
Now for the protagonist. For this, Anno went back to his work on Gunbuster and made the protagonist female. Anno personally recruited Kunihiko Ikuhara due to liking his style, though he was fairly unknown at the time. Ikuhara’s presence is felt via the moments of surrealism within the series. There’s a reason Rei looks a lot like Sailor Mars, and its not just because the character’s popularity led to many similar characters in Anime dubbed “SuReigates”[1].
Time to discuss the plot. It is 2015, a global cataclysm called Second Impact devastated the Earth and teenager Rei Ichijo is recruited by her father Gendo Ichijo into a top secret program NERV in the futuristic city of Tokyo-3. Rei is forced by her father to pilot an experimental EVA mech into battle against the attacking Apostolo. Rei is somewhat distant, usually trying to hide her emotions but she is clearly scared when placed in the EVA. Her demeanor develops cracks with small things such as a faint smile. Gendo treats Rei more like a weapon than a child and coldly states early on that he was disappointed she was not a boy. Despite her fear she overcomes and kills her first Apostolo but in rage. Rei befriends officer Misato Katsuragi afterwards and leaves briefly after killing the second Apostolo before talking with Misato. This insubordination leads to Gendo recruiting Shinji Ikari, a young terrified boy that Rei grows to pity. The two are thrown into a large group of Apostolos to stop their devastation of Earth as Third Impact. They are successful and Rei nearly dies but is saved by Shinji overcoming his fear.
And that is how the first film ended. How did it do? Well it went up against Tetsuo AKA Akira II in the US, where the debate of Alcion vs Akira began over which Apocalyptic Anime film was superior. This was a battle in favor of Tetsuo at the box office. No one really blamed Anno for this since…it was Akira, so it might have just been bad luck. Still the film did well enough to begin a trilogy. Unfortunately while there was seemingly no hard feelings between Anno and his old Studio Daicon comrades, that would be put to the test in 1992, when Alcion’s sequel was put right up against the sequel to Royal Space Force [2].
Notes
[1] Known as the Rei Ayanami Expy OTL, but “SuReigate” here. More prevalent due to Rei being the protagonist ITTL.
[2]Anno did consider leaving Studio Gainax during Evangelion and while it’s earlier. ITTL he does so due to having some freelance work. Alcion was a working title for Evangelion rejected for not having enough Consonance. The change is based largely on original drafts of the series having a female protagonist, including a female Shinji.
Studio Gainax OTL struggled until Evangelion in 1995. Since I helped them out twice by making Royal Space Force and Nadia Hits. I have decided to reverse “Third times the charm” and figured it was time for some bad luck.
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1990 in Anime
1990 in Anime
Team Phoenix(1990-1991)
The passing of Osamu Tezuka led to a shake up which saw several creators led by Osamu Dezaki, Rintaro and Yoshiaki Kawajiri among others nicknamed the Madhouse, into positions of power. There came with this change a desire to honor Tezuka. This led Mushi Productions to be renamed Tezuka Productions in his honor. The second of these plans was the launch of a tribute series that became Team Phoenix. Following up on elements from Tezuka’s own Marine Express, Princess Knight, Sharaku and Jungle Emperor Leo awaken a few year ahead in the Mighty Atom’s time. Robots rule 90% of the universe and the Mighty Atom is missing. The three set out on a quest to find him and restore the universe in a blend of the light Tezuka with the darker sensibilities of “The Madhouse”[1].
Chibi Maruko-chan(1990-)
Based on the Shoko Manga by Momoko Sakura, and based on her own childhood in 1974 Japan. The titular character is named Maruko and is a troublemaker, often having to resolve situations she causes with the help of her friends. The stories began as comic strips which the artist submitted to Shuiesha. Because of its slice and life and long running nature, the Anime adaptation by Nippon Animation aired on Fuji TV, is sometimes compared to Sazae-san, which has been running since the 60’s. Ironically it aired before Sazae-san’s time slot, making both synonymous with each other to young children at the time. It is one off the highest selling Shojo ever and aired on Nickelodeon.
Brave Exkaiser(1990-1991)
A co-production between Sunrise and Takara with the latter producing toys. Sunrise was assigned to animate. The show was a self contained color series with no spinoffs or further installments in the franchise planned. The central theme is seen as “Searching for One’s Treasure”. Takara based the mecha designs on the Transformers, though they combined into large Robots and ranged from complex to simple designs. The series proved immensely successful and Takara described 1990 as their best year sales wise. The series follows Exkaiser, who leads a group of space police against a gang of treasure thieves called the Geisters. Tracking down the gang, the Exkaiser team possesses vehicle on Earth as their bodies are made of energy. Exkaiser himself possesses a car belonging to the Hoshikawa family and befriends the young boy Kouta Hoshikawa[2].
Record of Lodoss War(1990-1991)
Dungeons and Dragons was popular in Japan. The members of Group SNE were all friends who had played the game along with other similar ones. Transcripts of these sessions proved popular at the time, even outside the usual demographic. The Dungeon Master for Lodoss War was Ryo Mizuno, who with the growing popularity, published the series as a set of high fantasy novels, and when it became a series that format was abandoned and it instead became its own game. The plot follows a young boy named Parn, son of a dishonored knight searching to discover what happened to his father and regain his family’s honor. Park is made the defect leader of a group including his friend Etoh, advisor Slayn, and new mentor Him. They are later joined by Slayn’s lover Leylia and Parn’s love interest the high elf Deedlit, and the thief woodchuck.
TailSpin(1990-1991)
Based on Hikotei Jidai or The Age of the Flying Boat in Japanese. The Manga was written in 1989 by Hayao Miyazaki, based on Miyazaki’s love for flying. The Manga covers airplanes of the 1920’s but with a slightly fantastical bent, though all planes have real counterparts. Even writing it Miyazaki included a comment that “ If this was animated I might be able to convey the sheer grandeur of it all but this is a comic, you have no choice but to use your imagination instead of my own.” The Manga was a series of adventures starring pig adventurer Porco Rosso. Japan Airlines, having read the story, asked Miyazaki if he would consider making the film for them. The War in China broke out and led to a darker tone. The setting was made Dalmatia. Miyazaki was strongly against war but was captivated by the power of “The Tiananmen Square man” a picture from 1989 shot from the ground of a man running towards an approaching row of tanks with a Molotov cocktail. The identity of the man being unknown[3].
Miyazaki decided a TV Series worked best for this format, largely because the workload would be smaller and he was had began to be distracted by work on Treasure Planet with Disney. Like the Manga the star was Porco Rosso. Japan Airlines stuck on as a sponsor and liked the idea of playing new episodes, encouraging increased travel to catch the latest episodes. As a result the airline provided subtitles to the work in multiple languages. Miyazaki only worked on a few episodes with the other animators and writers doing their best to imitate his style, likely as a test to see who could succeed him.
On the Disney side, Jymn Magon and Mark Zaslove were hired, largely inspired by Tales of the Gold Monkey, a 1982 adventure tv series in the vein of Raiders of the Lost Ark. They originally proposed using Jungle Book characters but this was shot down in favor of original creations and a setting between the World Wars. Though some Disney characters(drawn Miyazaki style) did appear including Launchbad(who became the Linchpin of the crossovers due to appearing in multiple shows). Don Rosa, famed writer of many classic Scrooge McDuck stories wrote several episodes. The show was firmly set in the 1930’s setting of Duck Tales established by Rosa. The fictional location of a neutral zone named Cape Suzette was created. One of the most celebrated episodes “The Wind Rises” by Miyazaki was especially praised as it followed an animal counterpart of Jiro Horikoshi, the creator of the planes who bombed Pearl Harbor and despised his creations being used for war. This was a sentiment Miyazaki feared as Japan was experimenting on weaponry in case of an attack from China. While nuclear weapons were refused, several horrifying alternatives had been proposed such as an “Oxygen Destroyer” of sorts based on the 1954 Godzilla Film which caused Oxygen to combust, fire starting bats and a potential release of the Bubonic Plague. All of which Miyazaki hated and opposed. There was also, hardly ever serious, talk of unleashing experimental mecha on China, even though the technology was nowhere near that level seriously.
White Fang(1990)
An adaptation of the novel by Jack London and adapted as the first collaboration between Disney and World Masterpiece Theater. Disney was at the time looking for a release for the year while Miyazaki and Takahata were busy on their next projects and approached World Masterpiece Theater and agreed to dub the series, promising to do so faithfully as they had the Studio Ghibli films. The only work not adapted was, ironically,
1973’s Fables of the Green Forrest.
1975’s A Dog of Flanders
1976’s From the Apennines to the Andes
1977’s Planet of the Apes
1978’s Nobody’s Girl: Remi and and the first series Nobody’s Boy: Remi
1979’s Anne of Green Gables
1980’s The Wizard of Oz(Walt was especially happy about this one as he loved the original 1939 film and had fought to get the rights to it).
1981’s Heart
1982’ Lucy-May of the Southern Rainbow
1984’s Kattri, girl of the Meadows
1985’s Princess Sara
1986’s The Story of Pollyanna, Girl of Love
1987’s Little Women
1988’s Little Lord Fauntleroy
The following were intentionally not dubbed for various reasons:
The Early works from 1969 to 1973 including 1969’s Moomin and 1970’s Anderson Monogatari were still under contract by Mushi Productions, though for the latter Disney was not afraid of brand confusion since they had also adapted some of the fairy tales contained within or hoped to in the future.
Disney declined to adapt 1974’s Jack and the Beanstalk and instead substituted their own “Mickey and the Beanstalk”.
1983’s Alice in Wonderland due to potential brand confusion.
Peter Pan and the Pirates due to the contract with the Overmyer Network(Disney admitted they would have adapted with the original Peter Pan voice actors or sound alikes when needed).
Something else came from this deal. Tezuka Productions realized they still owned the rights to distribute Moomin and more stories had been released since the 1969 show. This fast tracked the production of a new Moomin series, the popularity of which led to the beginning of a “Moomin Boom” in the 1990’s[4].
The Plot of White Fang follows the novel. A Sled Dog Team carrying a body for burial are ambushed by Wolves which kill one of the men and all the Dogs before a group arrives to rescue the second man Henry. We then follow the Wolves, which split up following a famine, leaving a pregnant she Wolf and her mate One Eye. One Eye dies to a lynx trying to get his pups food while his mate kills the Lynx’s kittens to feed the pups. The Lynx follows them back and in revenge kills all but one pup before being killed by the She-Wolf. The two are then found by a group which includes Grey Beaver, who recognizes the She-Wolf as Kiche, his late brother’s dog who left during a famine and takes them both in. The cub is named “White Fang” and lives a harsh life as the pups don’t recognize him as one of their own due to his wolf heritage while the humans protect him. He is separated by his mother when she is sold off and runs away. He saves Grey Beaver’s son Mit-Sah from a group of boys. He runs away again when a famine occurs and encounters his mother, who has a new litter of pups and has forgotten him. He returns home but Grey Beaver accidentally sells him while drunk to a Dog Fighter and White Fang competes, killing Wolves and a Lynx but nearly dying to a Bulldog. He is rescued by gold hunter Weedon Scott, who buys him. At Scott’s estate an escaped convict attempts to kill Scott’s father for putting him away and White Fang stops him, gaining the love of the family. White Fang then rests peacefully with his new family and a litter of pups he sires with the family’s Collie.
The Film was somewhat more successful than an average entry into the World Masterpiece Theater due to Disney’s input but the original novel was largely kept intact. However Disney’s involvement led Jeffrey Katzenberg, then working at Universal, to greenlit a competing film, which adapted the real life story of Togo, which beat out the World Masterpiece Theater production[5].
Cyber City Oedo 808(1990-1991)
A Cyberpunk DVA by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, author of Wicked City and Vampire Hunter D. The series is set in 2808 in the City of Oedo(an old name for Tokyo). The Cyber Police institute a program of recruiting hardened criminals with explosives implanted within them if they disobey orders. The criminals recruited include Sengoku, Gogul, and Benten, who agree in exchange for time off their sentences. While well received in Japan, it didn’t take off in the US due to the similarities with DC’s Suicide Squad.
Doraemon: Nobita and the Animal Planet(1990)
Nobita awakes to see a Pink Gas and is transported to a planet of talking animals. He then seems to wake up and tells his friends, who assume he was dreaming but he. Finds he brought a flower back with him from the world. The Pink Gas appears again and he is brought there with Doraemon. They meet a dog named Chippo, who introduces them to his family. They discover the pink gas acts as a portal and that the planet is under attack from an alien race called the Nimuge, who kidnapp Chippo’s family, leading Doraemon, Nobita and Chippo to set out to save them. They infiltrate the invaders by knocking out some soldiers and taking their outfits. The Nimuge find out there is a spy and order all the soldiers to line up. Just as Nobita is about to be exposed, another Nimuge is revealed to be a spy for the Space Police Force. The group free him from his cell for him to help them free the family. They learn the Nimuge are actually humans in this alternate universe. They squandered their planet’s resources, rendering it inhospitable. Humanity transported several species to another planet, where they developed a civilization of their own with the hope they would do better than humanity,. Some of Humanity departed to the stars while another part of humanity survived on Earth and became a bitter conquering Empire, using the pink gas to invade other universes. Doraemon and the others help fight off the invasion of the Nimuge. All seems lost until the Galactic Police Force arrives to help turn the tide of the battle. The Galactic Police Force is revealed to be the rest of Humanity, who survived elsewhere in space. With the threat gone, Doraemon and Nobita return home.
Heisei Tensai Bakabon(1990)
A remake of Tensai Bakabon or “The Genius Bakabon” from 1971, now by Studio Pierrot instead of Tokyo Movie Shinsha. The title translates to “Heisei Period Genius Bakabon” referring to the then current Heisei Period.
Lupin the 3rd: Mystery of the Poe Papers(1990)
The First in a series of TV Specials following the “Red vs Green” Trilogy. Intended as a one true “Back to Basics”. Directed by Osamu Dezaki.The Lupin gang split up and went their separate ways. Jigen is first seen in a war zone and is asked to track down a psychotic killer. Goemon is in a monastery where he is tasked to find an uncuttable object. Fujiko is working as a secretary for a wealthy client while Zenigate spies on her. Lupin hears of a secret manuscript written by Edgar Allen Poe and evidence he may have been murdered and the Lupin gang is all brought together due to their shared destiny[6].
Mad Bull 34(1990-1992)
A series of DVAs by Magic Bus directed by Satoshi Dezaki. Based on the Manga by Kazuo Koike(Lone Wolf and Cub, Lady Snowblood, Crying Freeman) that ran in Shueisha’s Young Jump from 1985 to 1991. Japanese-American Police officer Daizaburo “Eddie” Ban is transferred to the 34th New York Precinct and partnered with the violent Cop John Estes, called “Mad Bull” by his enemies but “Sleepy” by his friends. Estes has no qualms with brutally killing criminals and stealing from prostitutes but still has a sense of right and wrong such as using the money he stole to fund charities for domestic violence and sexual health.
Sally the Witch(1990-1992)
Made by Toei to Compete with the remake of Himitsu no Akko-Chan, Sally the Witch was revived as well. It aired 88 episodes. It is actually a sequel to the original series with Sally returning to Earth and reuniting with her friends.
Sol Bianca(1990)
A series of two DVAs by Katsuhito Akitama and Hiroki Hayashi released by AIC. The series follows the titular ship, which is the home for an all female band of pirates. They learn of a treasure from old Earth called the Gnosis, which is in the hands of the dictator Emperor Batros. A Video Game adaptation was released at the same time.
Sword for Truth(1990)
A DVA Series by Osamu Dezaki. Shuranosuke Sakaki is a ronin who wields two scythes. He is hired to rescue Princess Mayu from the Seki Ninja by the Nakura clan. While he succeeds, he is nearly executed for his invovlement with the Princess, but she saves him before coughing up blood, revealing to have been poisoned. Sakaki refused a reward and leaves the Nakura Clan.
A Wind Named Amnesia(1990)
Based on the 1983 novel by Hideyuki Kikuchi, known for Vampire Hunter D and Wicked City. Produced by Tezuka Productions. The film is set in 1999 after a gust of strange Wind took away all human memory such as speech and civility, resulting in chaos. One man named Wataru meets another who was researching a way to expand his memories and kept his memories. He teaches but is weak from government experiments, asking Wataru to explore the world before dying. Wataru meets a girl named Sophia she saves from a unmanned police unit and they travel to New York City, but they instead arrive in Los Angeles and rescue a girl named Sue and her father Little John from a cult. Despite destroying the cult, Sue dies, and her father stays behind. Wataru and Sophia resume their travels and arrive in a city run by a supercomputer running everything and brainwashing two survivors. They free one named Lisa but she remains behind to try and free her brainwashed father. Sophia is revealed to be of an alien race who erased Earth’s memories and vows to bring them back if Wataru can convince someone else to join him on his quest. The two make it to New York chased by police mechs. Wataru nearly dies but is saved by Sophia. The two have sex and this completes the deal as Sophia went with him. She leaves to convince her race to return humanity’s memories.
Art from Short Video Animation by BabyBojanglesJr on Newgrounds.Com
Metroid(1990-1991)
Created as a collaboration between Nintendo and DiC. By this point the Super Mario Bros Series was completing its season with the intent that it would run for one season and then be swapped out. An adaptation of the then recent Super Mario World Game served as the finale. The Koopalings and Bowser were defeated(Bowser dying in lava and become a skeleton for the final fight) before being finally defeated with his children surrendering and the Mushroom Kingdom at peace. Legend of Zelda, being a rerun of an older series, ended with the defeat of Ganon. Nintendo vetoed DiC’s plans to make Samus male in development, but they did go ahead with their plans to make Mother Brain the series antagonist complete with a voiced role. This turned the series into a prequel to Captain N, meaning it ended with Mother Brain teaming up with other villains. The Super Mario Bros Tv Series ended similarly.
Castlevania(1990-1991)
The release of this series along with Metroid led to this particular installment being referred to as “Metroidvania” both in advertising and by fans and replacing Mario and Zelda as the two shows on the Nintendo Power Hour. A Scooby Doo sequel homage revolving around kids running way from monsters was scrapped at Nintendo’s request. The series combined elements from all games released so far and focused on game protagonist Peter Dante[7] traveling Dracula’s castle, facing a monster or a trap in every episode. This led to jokes about there being an eternal night within the series. The show featured a monster of the week style with Dante going up against Frankenstein’s monster in one episode, Medusa in another, The Invisible Man, and so on and defeating them by episode’s end before fighting Dracula in the finale. Some episodes dived into the past and showed Trevor Belmont fighting Dracula as well, diving into some of the villain’s backstory. Unlike Metroid, it was unclear at first when this game took place in the canon of Captain N, until the show finished and Dracula was revived on Captain N, revealing it to be a prequel to that show.
TETSUO(1990)
The highly anticipated sequel to 1988’s Akira. The film begins not with the protagonists but by following an American team led by Japanese-American George Yamada, who wished to help his homeland. They arrive in Japan and find the aftermath of Neo Tokyo’s destruction. It is through them we learn of two warring factions. The Cult of Lady Miyako, which provides food and shelter to those who need it, and the Great Tokyo Empire led by Tetsuo and Akira, who are worshipped as Gods. Kei and the Colonel along with others join forces with Miyako and the newcomers to fight off Tetsuo, who does most of the attacking while Akira is usually quiet. An American Naval Fleet arrives near the city. Tetsuo discovers his body is breaking down(in horrific detail as his hands have their skin melt away and fall off to reveal bone and muscle). Tetsuo finds that a certain drug from the old lab site can stop this as it was made for the test subjects. Desperate he goes to confront Lady Miyako alone handbags for help. Miyako reveals the complete history of the project that created Akira to him. She urges him to give up the drugs. The colonel launches an unsuccessful assault on the Great Tokyo Empire which is repealed at the last moment by Akira warping objects from across time and space, hurling tons of debris at the invading forces and demonstrating just how strong he is. Akira also accidentally pulled Kaneda(along with debris from that time) from the moment after the last film ended into the current present, to the relief of Kai as she thought he was dead.
Kaneda reunites with everyone including surviving members of his old gang and his rival gang now working together, including the former leader of the Clowns, Joker. They plan an assault. Scientists on the American ship study the psychic effects and the military conceives a plan to assassinate Tetsuo and Akira which Yamada is fine with but another member, Ryu, dislikes. The battle commences while Tetsuo and Akira are at the unused Olympic Stadium. Their psychic powers prove too much even with military help and they bring their defeated enemies before them. Tetsuo demonstrates his power by flying into space and punching a hole in the moon, bringing it crashing down to Earth, seemingly directly towards them to their horror. However, before it can crash into the surface like an asteroid, it breaks apart, becoming a ring around the planet(Which according to most scientists, would be what would realistically happen if the Moon came crashing down towards Earth as the planet’s gravity would crush the moon and make the pieces orbit rather than a direct collision). The destruction of the Moon causes apocalyptic tidal waves around the world.
As Tetsuo gloats, he begins to feel strange as his power lead him to being to absorb metal into his body. He uses his now greater power to attack the American Ships, which sent fighters and a nuke which fail. Kei, having been training with Miyako to control her psychic abilities since she believed Kaneda was dead, finally confronts Tetsuo in a psychic battle with the aid of Lady Miyako and the other Espers while the others led by Kaneda and their armies fight the great of Tetsuo’s followers. Akira simply watches and reflects any threat to him. Tetsuo’s new powers cause his lost metal arm to be destroyed and replaced with a new organic arm. He kills Yamada and survives an orbital strike from a satellite he then destroys. Kaneda also joins the fight against Tetsuo as the three fight now at the arena. Tetsuo accidentally kills Kaori, a girl he loved and tries to get Akira to revive him but he refuses. Tetsuo then goes to the chamber Akira was kept in and lifts it, taking it to Lady Miyako, who he kills when she says she cannot help. Giving into anguish, triggers a shocking transformation in Tetsuo and he transforms into a fetus like monstrosity absorbing everything and fighting agains the jets sent after him. Kei and Kaneda finally convince Akira to do something and just as Tetsuo explodes in a massive ball of light consuming everything, Akira uses his abilities along with those of the other surviving Espers, to contain the blast and all disappear, leaving Kei as the only Esper. Kei uses her abilities to relate what has happened. That Akira transported them all into another plane of existence. Both Kaneda and Kei hope they have found peace. United Nations peacekeepers arrive to help and the two teens say goodbye to the Colonel, who is shown leading the effort to rebuild. The Epilogue shows Kaneda and Kei driving with the gang through the city as it is being rebuilt. Kaneda thinks he spots the ghostly image of Tetsuo watching but it then vanishes. The gang then drive into the Sunrise and the film ends.
The Film did as well as was expected given the immense popularity of the first part. It would have topped charts as the most expensive Anime Film though technically it was made at the same time as Part II and work had begun immediately upon Part I’s completion. King Records attempted to challenge Akira II with their own film in Alcion, which ended badly for the latter. The Sequel was an immense success. It was dedicated to Osamu Tezuka, who expressed a desire to see the second part before his death.
The Delayed
Moomin. As Mentioned the idea of remaking the series is just now being considered partly due to Mushi Productions owning the rights.
The Hakkenden. An adaptation of the Japanese epic novel Nanso Satomi Hakkeden by Kyokutei Bakin, the longest novel in Japanese literature. The novel continues to inspire works to this day namely Dragonball and Inuyasha, at least when it comes to warriors searching out crystal balls. Its been delayed here because since its such a famous story, I thought I would give it to a more famous studio. In this case Isao Takahata and Studio Ghibli, though not as his next film but either 1994 or 1999.
Daddy Long Legs. An adaptation of the 1912 Jean Webster novel. It was adapted for World Masterpiece Theater but it’s been pushed back due to White Fang.
Butterflied away
Devil Hunter Yohko. Sacrificed to make way for the Osamu Tezuka tribute. Phoenix Team.
NG Knight Lamune & 40. Butterflied away as different TV Guidelines means there’s no real interest in a series based on a popular drink.
Samurai Pizza Cats. This and the original series Kyatto Ninden Teyandee, have been butterflied away due to Tatsunoko collapsing. Of all the Tatsunoko series butterflied, this one hurts the most.
CB Chara Go Nagai World. A Crossover with Go Nagai properties Devilman, Mazinger Z and Violence Jack in Chibi form. Butterflied away as a crossover already happened ITTL with all three and not Chibi form either.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms. An adaptation of the Medieval Chinese Literature. Given the ongoing Chinese Civil War ITTL. It would be in bad taste to adapt it.
SD Gundam Gaiden. The entirety of SD Gundam was butterflied early on.
Transformers Zone. Due to there being no Transformers: Victory.
NOTES
[1] Based on 2021’s Team Phoenix by Spanish comic writer Kenny Ruiz, placed earlier and with a different staff as a direct Tezuka tribute. Butterflies away Devil Hunter Yohko, OTL’s Madhouse Production this year. OTL Tezuka Productions was a separate company but without Mushi Productions going under, that company is simply renamed.
[2] Brave Exkaiser will be even more successful ITTL due to there being no Transformers Anime ITTL, where most of the ideas were reused from.
[3] TTL’s Equivalent to the infamous photo from the Tiananmen Square Massacre. It was either this or one image evoking a cover from Mad Max; Fury Road of Max standing before all of Immortal Joe’s Vehicle and Forces approaching him. The image change from OTL is symbolic. ITTL the Tiananmen Square Massacre was the start of a Chinese Civil War rather than a violent response to protesters that was crushed which makes the single protester seem small in the face of the Chinese tanks. Here the Protester is more defiant and in fact shot in such a way to appear bigger with his fist and the Molotov cocktail in the air, symbolizing the revolution will eventually be successful.
[4] The Moomin Boom occurred with an OTL 1990 series made because the original two series had angered the author. Since they were more faithful ITTL this almost butterflied away the 1990’s “Moomin Boom” in favor of a 1970’s “Moomin Boom” but it was saved due to the choice to get Disney involved with World Masterpiece Theatre, meaning its only a year behind and that decision got Mushi Productions which OTL had went under, to remember they had the franchise and that Disney had just tried and failed to buy it.
[5] The story is closer to the novel as since Disney is only producing it isn’t “Disneyfied” and butterflying away the 1991 Live Action Film as it being Animated means they follow the Dog’s perspective rather than that of the human characters. Togo is TTL’s Balto. One controversy is that Balto stole the credit in real life for the actions of Togo, who pulled the majority of the 1925 Serum run. This extends to the 1995 film adaptation Balto. ITTL Togo gets his due and the film is about him. It helps that his story is much closer to the film than Balto. Balto grew up in basically luxury wile Togo was seen as too weak to be a sled dog, as nearly abandoned, had to prove himself, struggled as a sled dog and saved the lives of the group multiple times. Balto does appear in the film and is depicted as friendly but somewhat arrogant due to his more pampered upbringing without being an antagonist. The Togo Film does better ITTL than the Disney produced film due to not only their direct involvement but the film about saving dying children basd on real life is more appealing than the film about the harsh life of a Wolfdog.
[6] OTL the Lupin TV Specials began the previous year but ITTL that was devoted to the last part of the trilogy finally rectifying the controversial Evil Lupin story so they begin this year. OTL the special is called The Hemingway Papers and concerns Ernest Hemingway and the idea he may have been murdered with a lost manuscript by him being the film’s macguffin. ITTL Hemingway lived longer and so the plot shifted to focus on Edgar Allen Poe and his mysterious deaths, also allowing for Edgar Allen Poe homages like the Pit and the Pendulum as traps, a Maltese Falcon style statue of a Raven, or Lupin dressing up as Red Death.
[7] Simon Belmont’s original planned name. Here is the original Metroid and Castlevania Series concept art.
The passing of Osamu Tezuka led to a shake up which saw several creators led by Osamu Dezaki, Rintaro and Yoshiaki Kawajiri among others nicknamed the Madhouse, into positions of power. There came with this change a desire to honor Tezuka. This led Mushi Productions to be renamed Tezuka Productions in his honor. The second of these plans was the launch of a tribute series that became Team Phoenix. Following up on elements from Tezuka’s own Marine Express, Princess Knight, Sharaku and Jungle Emperor Leo awaken a few year ahead in the Mighty Atom’s time. Robots rule 90% of the universe and the Mighty Atom is missing. The three set out on a quest to find him and restore the universe in a blend of the light Tezuka with the darker sensibilities of “The Madhouse”[1].
Chibi Maruko-chan(1990-)
Based on the Shoko Manga by Momoko Sakura, and based on her own childhood in 1974 Japan. The titular character is named Maruko and is a troublemaker, often having to resolve situations she causes with the help of her friends. The stories began as comic strips which the artist submitted to Shuiesha. Because of its slice and life and long running nature, the Anime adaptation by Nippon Animation aired on Fuji TV, is sometimes compared to Sazae-san, which has been running since the 60’s. Ironically it aired before Sazae-san’s time slot, making both synonymous with each other to young children at the time. It is one off the highest selling Shojo ever and aired on Nickelodeon.
Brave Exkaiser(1990-1991)
A co-production between Sunrise and Takara with the latter producing toys. Sunrise was assigned to animate. The show was a self contained color series with no spinoffs or further installments in the franchise planned. The central theme is seen as “Searching for One’s Treasure”. Takara based the mecha designs on the Transformers, though they combined into large Robots and ranged from complex to simple designs. The series proved immensely successful and Takara described 1990 as their best year sales wise. The series follows Exkaiser, who leads a group of space police against a gang of treasure thieves called the Geisters. Tracking down the gang, the Exkaiser team possesses vehicle on Earth as their bodies are made of energy. Exkaiser himself possesses a car belonging to the Hoshikawa family and befriends the young boy Kouta Hoshikawa[2].
Record of Lodoss War(1990-1991)
Dungeons and Dragons was popular in Japan. The members of Group SNE were all friends who had played the game along with other similar ones. Transcripts of these sessions proved popular at the time, even outside the usual demographic. The Dungeon Master for Lodoss War was Ryo Mizuno, who with the growing popularity, published the series as a set of high fantasy novels, and when it became a series that format was abandoned and it instead became its own game. The plot follows a young boy named Parn, son of a dishonored knight searching to discover what happened to his father and regain his family’s honor. Park is made the defect leader of a group including his friend Etoh, advisor Slayn, and new mentor Him. They are later joined by Slayn’s lover Leylia and Parn’s love interest the high elf Deedlit, and the thief woodchuck.
TailSpin(1990-1991)
Based on Hikotei Jidai or The Age of the Flying Boat in Japanese. The Manga was written in 1989 by Hayao Miyazaki, based on Miyazaki’s love for flying. The Manga covers airplanes of the 1920’s but with a slightly fantastical bent, though all planes have real counterparts. Even writing it Miyazaki included a comment that “ If this was animated I might be able to convey the sheer grandeur of it all but this is a comic, you have no choice but to use your imagination instead of my own.” The Manga was a series of adventures starring pig adventurer Porco Rosso. Japan Airlines, having read the story, asked Miyazaki if he would consider making the film for them. The War in China broke out and led to a darker tone. The setting was made Dalmatia. Miyazaki was strongly against war but was captivated by the power of “The Tiananmen Square man” a picture from 1989 shot from the ground of a man running towards an approaching row of tanks with a Molotov cocktail. The identity of the man being unknown[3].
Miyazaki decided a TV Series worked best for this format, largely because the workload would be smaller and he was had began to be distracted by work on Treasure Planet with Disney. Like the Manga the star was Porco Rosso. Japan Airlines stuck on as a sponsor and liked the idea of playing new episodes, encouraging increased travel to catch the latest episodes. As a result the airline provided subtitles to the work in multiple languages. Miyazaki only worked on a few episodes with the other animators and writers doing their best to imitate his style, likely as a test to see who could succeed him.
On the Disney side, Jymn Magon and Mark Zaslove were hired, largely inspired by Tales of the Gold Monkey, a 1982 adventure tv series in the vein of Raiders of the Lost Ark. They originally proposed using Jungle Book characters but this was shot down in favor of original creations and a setting between the World Wars. Though some Disney characters(drawn Miyazaki style) did appear including Launchbad(who became the Linchpin of the crossovers due to appearing in multiple shows). Don Rosa, famed writer of many classic Scrooge McDuck stories wrote several episodes. The show was firmly set in the 1930’s setting of Duck Tales established by Rosa. The fictional location of a neutral zone named Cape Suzette was created. One of the most celebrated episodes “The Wind Rises” by Miyazaki was especially praised as it followed an animal counterpart of Jiro Horikoshi, the creator of the planes who bombed Pearl Harbor and despised his creations being used for war. This was a sentiment Miyazaki feared as Japan was experimenting on weaponry in case of an attack from China. While nuclear weapons were refused, several horrifying alternatives had been proposed such as an “Oxygen Destroyer” of sorts based on the 1954 Godzilla Film which caused Oxygen to combust, fire starting bats and a potential release of the Bubonic Plague. All of which Miyazaki hated and opposed. There was also, hardly ever serious, talk of unleashing experimental mecha on China, even though the technology was nowhere near that level seriously.
White Fang(1990)
An adaptation of the novel by Jack London and adapted as the first collaboration between Disney and World Masterpiece Theater. Disney was at the time looking for a release for the year while Miyazaki and Takahata were busy on their next projects and approached World Masterpiece Theater and agreed to dub the series, promising to do so faithfully as they had the Studio Ghibli films. The only work not adapted was, ironically,
1973’s Fables of the Green Forrest.
1975’s A Dog of Flanders
1976’s From the Apennines to the Andes
1977’s Planet of the Apes
1978’s Nobody’s Girl: Remi and and the first series Nobody’s Boy: Remi
1979’s Anne of Green Gables
1980’s The Wizard of Oz(Walt was especially happy about this one as he loved the original 1939 film and had fought to get the rights to it).
1981’s Heart
1982’ Lucy-May of the Southern Rainbow
1984’s Kattri, girl of the Meadows
1985’s Princess Sara
1986’s The Story of Pollyanna, Girl of Love
1987’s Little Women
1988’s Little Lord Fauntleroy
The following were intentionally not dubbed for various reasons:
The Early works from 1969 to 1973 including 1969’s Moomin and 1970’s Anderson Monogatari were still under contract by Mushi Productions, though for the latter Disney was not afraid of brand confusion since they had also adapted some of the fairy tales contained within or hoped to in the future.
Disney declined to adapt 1974’s Jack and the Beanstalk and instead substituted their own “Mickey and the Beanstalk”.
1983’s Alice in Wonderland due to potential brand confusion.
Peter Pan and the Pirates due to the contract with the Overmyer Network(Disney admitted they would have adapted with the original Peter Pan voice actors or sound alikes when needed).
Something else came from this deal. Tezuka Productions realized they still owned the rights to distribute Moomin and more stories had been released since the 1969 show. This fast tracked the production of a new Moomin series, the popularity of which led to the beginning of a “Moomin Boom” in the 1990’s[4].
The Plot of White Fang follows the novel. A Sled Dog Team carrying a body for burial are ambushed by Wolves which kill one of the men and all the Dogs before a group arrives to rescue the second man Henry. We then follow the Wolves, which split up following a famine, leaving a pregnant she Wolf and her mate One Eye. One Eye dies to a lynx trying to get his pups food while his mate kills the Lynx’s kittens to feed the pups. The Lynx follows them back and in revenge kills all but one pup before being killed by the She-Wolf. The two are then found by a group which includes Grey Beaver, who recognizes the She-Wolf as Kiche, his late brother’s dog who left during a famine and takes them both in. The cub is named “White Fang” and lives a harsh life as the pups don’t recognize him as one of their own due to his wolf heritage while the humans protect him. He is separated by his mother when she is sold off and runs away. He saves Grey Beaver’s son Mit-Sah from a group of boys. He runs away again when a famine occurs and encounters his mother, who has a new litter of pups and has forgotten him. He returns home but Grey Beaver accidentally sells him while drunk to a Dog Fighter and White Fang competes, killing Wolves and a Lynx but nearly dying to a Bulldog. He is rescued by gold hunter Weedon Scott, who buys him. At Scott’s estate an escaped convict attempts to kill Scott’s father for putting him away and White Fang stops him, gaining the love of the family. White Fang then rests peacefully with his new family and a litter of pups he sires with the family’s Collie.
The Film was somewhat more successful than an average entry into the World Masterpiece Theater due to Disney’s input but the original novel was largely kept intact. However Disney’s involvement led Jeffrey Katzenberg, then working at Universal, to greenlit a competing film, which adapted the real life story of Togo, which beat out the World Masterpiece Theater production[5].
Cyber City Oedo 808(1990-1991)
A Cyberpunk DVA by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, author of Wicked City and Vampire Hunter D. The series is set in 2808 in the City of Oedo(an old name for Tokyo). The Cyber Police institute a program of recruiting hardened criminals with explosives implanted within them if they disobey orders. The criminals recruited include Sengoku, Gogul, and Benten, who agree in exchange for time off their sentences. While well received in Japan, it didn’t take off in the US due to the similarities with DC’s Suicide Squad.
Doraemon: Nobita and the Animal Planet(1990)
Nobita awakes to see a Pink Gas and is transported to a planet of talking animals. He then seems to wake up and tells his friends, who assume he was dreaming but he. Finds he brought a flower back with him from the world. The Pink Gas appears again and he is brought there with Doraemon. They meet a dog named Chippo, who introduces them to his family. They discover the pink gas acts as a portal and that the planet is under attack from an alien race called the Nimuge, who kidnapp Chippo’s family, leading Doraemon, Nobita and Chippo to set out to save them. They infiltrate the invaders by knocking out some soldiers and taking their outfits. The Nimuge find out there is a spy and order all the soldiers to line up. Just as Nobita is about to be exposed, another Nimuge is revealed to be a spy for the Space Police Force. The group free him from his cell for him to help them free the family. They learn the Nimuge are actually humans in this alternate universe. They squandered their planet’s resources, rendering it inhospitable. Humanity transported several species to another planet, where they developed a civilization of their own with the hope they would do better than humanity,. Some of Humanity departed to the stars while another part of humanity survived on Earth and became a bitter conquering Empire, using the pink gas to invade other universes. Doraemon and the others help fight off the invasion of the Nimuge. All seems lost until the Galactic Police Force arrives to help turn the tide of the battle. The Galactic Police Force is revealed to be the rest of Humanity, who survived elsewhere in space. With the threat gone, Doraemon and Nobita return home.
Heisei Tensai Bakabon(1990)
A remake of Tensai Bakabon or “The Genius Bakabon” from 1971, now by Studio Pierrot instead of Tokyo Movie Shinsha. The title translates to “Heisei Period Genius Bakabon” referring to the then current Heisei Period.
Lupin the 3rd: Mystery of the Poe Papers(1990)
The First in a series of TV Specials following the “Red vs Green” Trilogy. Intended as a one true “Back to Basics”. Directed by Osamu Dezaki.The Lupin gang split up and went their separate ways. Jigen is first seen in a war zone and is asked to track down a psychotic killer. Goemon is in a monastery where he is tasked to find an uncuttable object. Fujiko is working as a secretary for a wealthy client while Zenigate spies on her. Lupin hears of a secret manuscript written by Edgar Allen Poe and evidence he may have been murdered and the Lupin gang is all brought together due to their shared destiny[6].
Mad Bull 34(1990-1992)
A series of DVAs by Magic Bus directed by Satoshi Dezaki. Based on the Manga by Kazuo Koike(Lone Wolf and Cub, Lady Snowblood, Crying Freeman) that ran in Shueisha’s Young Jump from 1985 to 1991. Japanese-American Police officer Daizaburo “Eddie” Ban is transferred to the 34th New York Precinct and partnered with the violent Cop John Estes, called “Mad Bull” by his enemies but “Sleepy” by his friends. Estes has no qualms with brutally killing criminals and stealing from prostitutes but still has a sense of right and wrong such as using the money he stole to fund charities for domestic violence and sexual health.
Sally the Witch(1990-1992)
Made by Toei to Compete with the remake of Himitsu no Akko-Chan, Sally the Witch was revived as well. It aired 88 episodes. It is actually a sequel to the original series with Sally returning to Earth and reuniting with her friends.
Sol Bianca(1990)
A series of two DVAs by Katsuhito Akitama and Hiroki Hayashi released by AIC. The series follows the titular ship, which is the home for an all female band of pirates. They learn of a treasure from old Earth called the Gnosis, which is in the hands of the dictator Emperor Batros. A Video Game adaptation was released at the same time.
Sword for Truth(1990)
A DVA Series by Osamu Dezaki. Shuranosuke Sakaki is a ronin who wields two scythes. He is hired to rescue Princess Mayu from the Seki Ninja by the Nakura clan. While he succeeds, he is nearly executed for his invovlement with the Princess, but she saves him before coughing up blood, revealing to have been poisoned. Sakaki refused a reward and leaves the Nakura Clan.
A Wind Named Amnesia(1990)
Based on the 1983 novel by Hideyuki Kikuchi, known for Vampire Hunter D and Wicked City. Produced by Tezuka Productions. The film is set in 1999 after a gust of strange Wind took away all human memory such as speech and civility, resulting in chaos. One man named Wataru meets another who was researching a way to expand his memories and kept his memories. He teaches but is weak from government experiments, asking Wataru to explore the world before dying. Wataru meets a girl named Sophia she saves from a unmanned police unit and they travel to New York City, but they instead arrive in Los Angeles and rescue a girl named Sue and her father Little John from a cult. Despite destroying the cult, Sue dies, and her father stays behind. Wataru and Sophia resume their travels and arrive in a city run by a supercomputer running everything and brainwashing two survivors. They free one named Lisa but she remains behind to try and free her brainwashed father. Sophia is revealed to be of an alien race who erased Earth’s memories and vows to bring them back if Wataru can convince someone else to join him on his quest. The two make it to New York chased by police mechs. Wataru nearly dies but is saved by Sophia. The two have sex and this completes the deal as Sophia went with him. She leaves to convince her race to return humanity’s memories.
Art from Short Video Animation by BabyBojanglesJr on Newgrounds.Com
Metroid(1990-1991)
Created as a collaboration between Nintendo and DiC. By this point the Super Mario Bros Series was completing its season with the intent that it would run for one season and then be swapped out. An adaptation of the then recent Super Mario World Game served as the finale. The Koopalings and Bowser were defeated(Bowser dying in lava and become a skeleton for the final fight) before being finally defeated with his children surrendering and the Mushroom Kingdom at peace. Legend of Zelda, being a rerun of an older series, ended with the defeat of Ganon. Nintendo vetoed DiC’s plans to make Samus male in development, but they did go ahead with their plans to make Mother Brain the series antagonist complete with a voiced role. This turned the series into a prequel to Captain N, meaning it ended with Mother Brain teaming up with other villains. The Super Mario Bros Tv Series ended similarly.
Castlevania(1990-1991)
The release of this series along with Metroid led to this particular installment being referred to as “Metroidvania” both in advertising and by fans and replacing Mario and Zelda as the two shows on the Nintendo Power Hour. A Scooby Doo sequel homage revolving around kids running way from monsters was scrapped at Nintendo’s request. The series combined elements from all games released so far and focused on game protagonist Peter Dante[7] traveling Dracula’s castle, facing a monster or a trap in every episode. This led to jokes about there being an eternal night within the series. The show featured a monster of the week style with Dante going up against Frankenstein’s monster in one episode, Medusa in another, The Invisible Man, and so on and defeating them by episode’s end before fighting Dracula in the finale. Some episodes dived into the past and showed Trevor Belmont fighting Dracula as well, diving into some of the villain’s backstory. Unlike Metroid, it was unclear at first when this game took place in the canon of Captain N, until the show finished and Dracula was revived on Captain N, revealing it to be a prequel to that show.
TETSUO(1990)
The highly anticipated sequel to 1988’s Akira. The film begins not with the protagonists but by following an American team led by Japanese-American George Yamada, who wished to help his homeland. They arrive in Japan and find the aftermath of Neo Tokyo’s destruction. It is through them we learn of two warring factions. The Cult of Lady Miyako, which provides food and shelter to those who need it, and the Great Tokyo Empire led by Tetsuo and Akira, who are worshipped as Gods. Kei and the Colonel along with others join forces with Miyako and the newcomers to fight off Tetsuo, who does most of the attacking while Akira is usually quiet. An American Naval Fleet arrives near the city. Tetsuo discovers his body is breaking down(in horrific detail as his hands have their skin melt away and fall off to reveal bone and muscle). Tetsuo finds that a certain drug from the old lab site can stop this as it was made for the test subjects. Desperate he goes to confront Lady Miyako alone handbags for help. Miyako reveals the complete history of the project that created Akira to him. She urges him to give up the drugs. The colonel launches an unsuccessful assault on the Great Tokyo Empire which is repealed at the last moment by Akira warping objects from across time and space, hurling tons of debris at the invading forces and demonstrating just how strong he is. Akira also accidentally pulled Kaneda(along with debris from that time) from the moment after the last film ended into the current present, to the relief of Kai as she thought he was dead.
Kaneda reunites with everyone including surviving members of his old gang and his rival gang now working together, including the former leader of the Clowns, Joker. They plan an assault. Scientists on the American ship study the psychic effects and the military conceives a plan to assassinate Tetsuo and Akira which Yamada is fine with but another member, Ryu, dislikes. The battle commences while Tetsuo and Akira are at the unused Olympic Stadium. Their psychic powers prove too much even with military help and they bring their defeated enemies before them. Tetsuo demonstrates his power by flying into space and punching a hole in the moon, bringing it crashing down to Earth, seemingly directly towards them to their horror. However, before it can crash into the surface like an asteroid, it breaks apart, becoming a ring around the planet(Which according to most scientists, would be what would realistically happen if the Moon came crashing down towards Earth as the planet’s gravity would crush the moon and make the pieces orbit rather than a direct collision). The destruction of the Moon causes apocalyptic tidal waves around the world.
As Tetsuo gloats, he begins to feel strange as his power lead him to being to absorb metal into his body. He uses his now greater power to attack the American Ships, which sent fighters and a nuke which fail. Kei, having been training with Miyako to control her psychic abilities since she believed Kaneda was dead, finally confronts Tetsuo in a psychic battle with the aid of Lady Miyako and the other Espers while the others led by Kaneda and their armies fight the great of Tetsuo’s followers. Akira simply watches and reflects any threat to him. Tetsuo’s new powers cause his lost metal arm to be destroyed and replaced with a new organic arm. He kills Yamada and survives an orbital strike from a satellite he then destroys. Kaneda also joins the fight against Tetsuo as the three fight now at the arena. Tetsuo accidentally kills Kaori, a girl he loved and tries to get Akira to revive him but he refuses. Tetsuo then goes to the chamber Akira was kept in and lifts it, taking it to Lady Miyako, who he kills when she says she cannot help. Giving into anguish, triggers a shocking transformation in Tetsuo and he transforms into a fetus like monstrosity absorbing everything and fighting agains the jets sent after him. Kei and Kaneda finally convince Akira to do something and just as Tetsuo explodes in a massive ball of light consuming everything, Akira uses his abilities along with those of the other surviving Espers, to contain the blast and all disappear, leaving Kei as the only Esper. Kei uses her abilities to relate what has happened. That Akira transported them all into another plane of existence. Both Kaneda and Kei hope they have found peace. United Nations peacekeepers arrive to help and the two teens say goodbye to the Colonel, who is shown leading the effort to rebuild. The Epilogue shows Kaneda and Kei driving with the gang through the city as it is being rebuilt. Kaneda thinks he spots the ghostly image of Tetsuo watching but it then vanishes. The gang then drive into the Sunrise and the film ends.
The Film did as well as was expected given the immense popularity of the first part. It would have topped charts as the most expensive Anime Film though technically it was made at the same time as Part II and work had begun immediately upon Part I’s completion. King Records attempted to challenge Akira II with their own film in Alcion, which ended badly for the latter. The Sequel was an immense success. It was dedicated to Osamu Tezuka, who expressed a desire to see the second part before his death.
The Delayed
Moomin. As Mentioned the idea of remaking the series is just now being considered partly due to Mushi Productions owning the rights.
The Hakkenden. An adaptation of the Japanese epic novel Nanso Satomi Hakkeden by Kyokutei Bakin, the longest novel in Japanese literature. The novel continues to inspire works to this day namely Dragonball and Inuyasha, at least when it comes to warriors searching out crystal balls. Its been delayed here because since its such a famous story, I thought I would give it to a more famous studio. In this case Isao Takahata and Studio Ghibli, though not as his next film but either 1994 or 1999.
Daddy Long Legs. An adaptation of the 1912 Jean Webster novel. It was adapted for World Masterpiece Theater but it’s been pushed back due to White Fang.
Butterflied away
Devil Hunter Yohko. Sacrificed to make way for the Osamu Tezuka tribute. Phoenix Team.
NG Knight Lamune & 40. Butterflied away as different TV Guidelines means there’s no real interest in a series based on a popular drink.
Samurai Pizza Cats. This and the original series Kyatto Ninden Teyandee, have been butterflied away due to Tatsunoko collapsing. Of all the Tatsunoko series butterflied, this one hurts the most.
CB Chara Go Nagai World. A Crossover with Go Nagai properties Devilman, Mazinger Z and Violence Jack in Chibi form. Butterflied away as a crossover already happened ITTL with all three and not Chibi form either.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms. An adaptation of the Medieval Chinese Literature. Given the ongoing Chinese Civil War ITTL. It would be in bad taste to adapt it.
SD Gundam Gaiden. The entirety of SD Gundam was butterflied early on.
Transformers Zone. Due to there being no Transformers: Victory.
NOTES
[1] Based on 2021’s Team Phoenix by Spanish comic writer Kenny Ruiz, placed earlier and with a different staff as a direct Tezuka tribute. Butterflies away Devil Hunter Yohko, OTL’s Madhouse Production this year. OTL Tezuka Productions was a separate company but without Mushi Productions going under, that company is simply renamed.
[2] Brave Exkaiser will be even more successful ITTL due to there being no Transformers Anime ITTL, where most of the ideas were reused from.
[3] TTL’s Equivalent to the infamous photo from the Tiananmen Square Massacre. It was either this or one image evoking a cover from Mad Max; Fury Road of Max standing before all of Immortal Joe’s Vehicle and Forces approaching him. The image change from OTL is symbolic. ITTL the Tiananmen Square Massacre was the start of a Chinese Civil War rather than a violent response to protesters that was crushed which makes the single protester seem small in the face of the Chinese tanks. Here the Protester is more defiant and in fact shot in such a way to appear bigger with his fist and the Molotov cocktail in the air, symbolizing the revolution will eventually be successful.
[4] The Moomin Boom occurred with an OTL 1990 series made because the original two series had angered the author. Since they were more faithful ITTL this almost butterflied away the 1990’s “Moomin Boom” in favor of a 1970’s “Moomin Boom” but it was saved due to the choice to get Disney involved with World Masterpiece Theatre, meaning its only a year behind and that decision got Mushi Productions which OTL had went under, to remember they had the franchise and that Disney had just tried and failed to buy it.
[5] The story is closer to the novel as since Disney is only producing it isn’t “Disneyfied” and butterflying away the 1991 Live Action Film as it being Animated means they follow the Dog’s perspective rather than that of the human characters. Togo is TTL’s Balto. One controversy is that Balto stole the credit in real life for the actions of Togo, who pulled the majority of the 1925 Serum run. This extends to the 1995 film adaptation Balto. ITTL Togo gets his due and the film is about him. It helps that his story is much closer to the film than Balto. Balto grew up in basically luxury wile Togo was seen as too weak to be a sled dog, as nearly abandoned, had to prove himself, struggled as a sled dog and saved the lives of the group multiple times. Balto does appear in the film and is depicted as friendly but somewhat arrogant due to his more pampered upbringing without being an antagonist. The Togo Film does better ITTL than the Disney produced film due to not only their direct involvement but the film about saving dying children basd on real life is more appealing than the film about the harsh life of a Wolfdog.
[6] OTL the Lupin TV Specials began the previous year but ITTL that was devoted to the last part of the trilogy finally rectifying the controversial Evil Lupin story so they begin this year. OTL the special is called The Hemingway Papers and concerns Ernest Hemingway and the idea he may have been murdered with a lost manuscript by him being the film’s macguffin. ITTL Hemingway lived longer and so the plot shifted to focus on Edgar Allen Poe and his mysterious deaths, also allowing for Edgar Allen Poe homages like the Pit and the Pendulum as traps, a Maltese Falcon style statue of a Raven, or Lupin dressing up as Red Death.
[7] Simon Belmont’s original planned name. Here is the original Metroid and Castlevania Series concept art.
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Much better ITTL since around 1969 when dubs started coming in. They mostly try to be as faithful as possible but sometimes change the name. Though you have to actually seek out most DVAs but usually they get someone to dub them.
AWESOME!
I have lots of ideas for this TL. Can I invite you and some of the other people here into a PM?
And what's DVAs?
Sure. DVA is direct to Video. Used in this timeline in place of OVA which is Original Video Animation which is basically the same thing.
Anime Distributors as of 1990
I made this some time back but here's a tentative list of the main distributors of Anime in the West.
Hal Roach Studios: One of the earliest, beginning both OTL and ITTL with The Wonderful World of Hans Christian Anderson. Hal Roach was known for creating comedies like Abbott and Costello and Our Gang, However OTL he also got into Anime and tried bringing films over to America. At the time coloring was rare but Hal Roach offered to colorize the Animation and since the process was available in America but expensive in Japan, most companies there looked to him. OTL he left the company and his son ran it into the ground. He came back to try and save it but it was too late and it collapsed in 1961. However, he was still very fit even at the time of his death at 100 in 1992 and so ITTL never left. Colorizing is cheap now so there's no real need for that but the company now has a history of producing with Roach Sr being more fond of older stuff. He also offers the service of colorizing old Anime, but his main focus is usually producing comedies. He offers colorized and non colorized versions of Anime. Because of his longevity, age and spry nature, he is often nicknamed "The Roach" due to his joking refusal to die.
Leisure Concepts: of which 4kids was a part of OTL though it doesn't exist yet and may not exist at all. Best known for Thundercats and licensed The Legend of Zelda series ITTL.
Sleepy Kids: A UK based company founded by husband and wife Martin and Vivien Schrager-Powell, originally created to produce the Hannah Barbera show Midnight Patrol in 1990, making them very recent.This was because the BBC objected to a show promoting kids staying up until Midnight and so it was changed ITTL to Dream Patrol while OTL it was changed to Potsworth & Co. They are partnered with Hannah Barbera and will likely accept shows that are family friendly while also dubbing them to be more suitable for British audiences, such as removing words considered foul language in the UK. OTL they were later bought out in 1999 and became Entertainment Rights. Anime has a history of never quite breaking through to the UK, Akira succeeded but Sleepy Kids did not produce it due to its graphic content.
Lion's Gate: Not OTL Lionsgate, notice the different spelling. No OTL they went under but survive here due to working on an OTL Live Action Gundam Movie that was actually made in 1984 ITTL. Since their big break was an Anime adaptation its safe to say they'd dub some already have a partnership with Sunrise.
RKO Pictures: Sort of...OTL they were sold off after a rough period, but ITTL kept themselves afloat like Marvel did by selling parts of it. Universal owns the IPs, hence King Kong, Psycho and others in their theme Parks. Desilu owns the lot and lends it out to studios, and international distribution rights went to the company Japan LTD. well those rights work the other way around. RKO can distribute pictures from Japan though due to RKO's pedigree, its usually "Iconic" films that the rights aren't already bought up for. It's basically something of a "Signature" collection or Criterion Collection of iconic Japanese films that aren't tied down by rights issues.
Saban Productions: OTL switched to Saban Entertainment in 1988. Power Rangers was released earlier ITTL as Galaxy Rangers and is a staple to 80's kids, boosting the company. They still dub anime but usually fight to dub recent shows as opposed to OTL where they dubbed older Tatsunoko shows.
ZIV International: OTL went defunct in 1986. Mostly dubs Kid's shows from Japan and Europe, such as Gumby, Candy Candy and so on. Some butterflied shows that ere huge hits for them OTL including Captain Harlock being live action ITTL mean they are hanging from a thread and could be bought out by Lorimar like OTL, Lorimar being behind shows like The Waltons, Eight is Enough, Dallas, and others but wants to enter the Anime market. Both are on a list of Studios Warner Bros wants to buy up though in ZIV's case to get a foot into the market and license their characters out to Anime. OTL Warner Bros did buy them out.
Mattel: Known for Barbie, Hot Wheels, He-Man and others. Since they are a toy company. Their first question concerning a license will inevitably be "How many Toys can we make out of this?"
Bandai: A Japanese Toy company local to Japan. Since the new CEO in 1983, the young son of the original founder, Bandai has been sticking to what's popular including funding the Gundam Movie and the Royal Space Air Force films with the second coming. Because of that film's success they distribute Studio Daicon productions. They have secured major toy rights and are usually the ones to make the toys of anything with a giant robot. They also tend to fund independent creators by releasing DVAs. They currently proudly own the Ultraman and Gundam franchises.
Disney: Had a deal with Tezuka early on to release Metropolis in the 1970's but now is solidly in the Studio Ghibli Camp. They have the Hyperion imprint for darker material, and recently bought some of the catalogue of World Masterpiece Theater. Disney himself is at least for the moment still kicking. While he does have his company on his mind, he also sympathizes with the creators and their fears of selling out due to his own experience an reluctance to sell Mickey Mouse as a kid, so he will do his best to support the creator and their ideas having been on the receiving end of the worst of it.
Harmony Gold: Founded in 1983, adapted Dragonboy, currently its sequel DragonMan, Magical Princess Minky Momo, the shows that made up Robotech OTL, Arale-Chan, Big City Megaroad, and others. They have a reputation of being as faithful to the original show when dubbing as possible, leading to the nickname of "The Gold Standard" in the industry.
Henson International Television!: Or Hit! for short. A UK Company created by Jim Henson. When Henson planned to sell his company to Disney, he was convinced by the head of HIT! Peter Orton to allow them to go independent and Jim agreed so they now act as an independent UK company with the name born of Henson's love of puns. OTL Shows by them include Bob the Builder, Thomas & Friends,Fireman Sam, Pingu, and Barney & Friends. So they have an affinity for stop motion children's programming which is understandable given the Henson connection.
Family Entertainment Network: Founded in 1983 and based in Texas. Originally dubbed Bible Stories until OTL 1993 when they absorbed Richard Rich's company and later were used to make his dream adaptation of the Swan Princess, saving them from debt. ITTL that will not happen since Richard Rich hasn't left Disney yet and FEN will likely go bankrupt, being remembered only for those animated bible stories.
Nihon AD Systems: An Anime company which partnered with an advertising agency Asatsu DK, helping to give them a leg up on distribution and advertising. The AD standing for Animation Development. They have a good relationship with the other studios including Toei,Sunrise and TMS Entertainment, shows produced by them include High School! Kimengumi, Tsuide ni Tonchinkan, and Dragon Quest.
Scholastic: Known for distributing Children's Books such as Clifford: the Big Red Dog, Captain Underpants, and others. They often look for Japanese Children's books that could be adapted into English and only after this will they consider adapting them to animation depending on their success and if they are deemed appropriate for children.
Young Productions: Founded by Husband and Wife Mike and Liz Young along with Simpsons Writer Bill Schwartz. Accepts Animation of any kind and usually regardless of vulgar or immature content. Making them a good match for shows with more adult humor. They also greatly respect the art, since the three founders are themselves animators.
VIZ Media: Founded by Japanese immigrants to California beginning in 1975. with the goal of sharing Japanese culture. Expanded around 1979, but 1985 OTL when Anime really began to takeoff. They also sold Manga and unlike OTL where it sold poorly, here it sells well as there was already a market for it. They notably sold Legend of Kamui and Ranma 1/2. Due to being essentially a Japanese Company in America, they tend to get the most traffic from those looking to distribute Anime or Manga which includes a partnership with Shonen Jump and Shueisha to distribute their content and since most of the employees are Japanese these translations are more faithful than most.
Warner Bros Animation: Created by Warner Bros specifically for their animation department. Includes The Looney Tunes and currently Batman: The Animated Series among others. Intended to sell Animation based on their licensed properties.
World Events Productions: Was teetering on the edge of Bankruptcy due to Voltron not going to them OTL. They also tend to take a lot of liberties in adapting which has become less favorable over time. As a result they are usually the last resort for an Anime getting a Dub. They eventually saved themselves by making an All American Version of Voltron without redubbing over an existing Anime and that's why they haven't gone under like Sandy Frank Entertainment ITTL.
Hal Roach Studios: One of the earliest, beginning both OTL and ITTL with The Wonderful World of Hans Christian Anderson. Hal Roach was known for creating comedies like Abbott and Costello and Our Gang, However OTL he also got into Anime and tried bringing films over to America. At the time coloring was rare but Hal Roach offered to colorize the Animation and since the process was available in America but expensive in Japan, most companies there looked to him. OTL he left the company and his son ran it into the ground. He came back to try and save it but it was too late and it collapsed in 1961. However, he was still very fit even at the time of his death at 100 in 1992 and so ITTL never left. Colorizing is cheap now so there's no real need for that but the company now has a history of producing with Roach Sr being more fond of older stuff. He also offers the service of colorizing old Anime, but his main focus is usually producing comedies. He offers colorized and non colorized versions of Anime. Because of his longevity, age and spry nature, he is often nicknamed "The Roach" due to his joking refusal to die.
Leisure Concepts: of which 4kids was a part of OTL though it doesn't exist yet and may not exist at all. Best known for Thundercats and licensed The Legend of Zelda series ITTL.
Sleepy Kids: A UK based company founded by husband and wife Martin and Vivien Schrager-Powell, originally created to produce the Hannah Barbera show Midnight Patrol in 1990, making them very recent.This was because the BBC objected to a show promoting kids staying up until Midnight and so it was changed ITTL to Dream Patrol while OTL it was changed to Potsworth & Co. They are partnered with Hannah Barbera and will likely accept shows that are family friendly while also dubbing them to be more suitable for British audiences, such as removing words considered foul language in the UK. OTL they were later bought out in 1999 and became Entertainment Rights. Anime has a history of never quite breaking through to the UK, Akira succeeded but Sleepy Kids did not produce it due to its graphic content.
Lion's Gate: Not OTL Lionsgate, notice the different spelling. No OTL they went under but survive here due to working on an OTL Live Action Gundam Movie that was actually made in 1984 ITTL. Since their big break was an Anime adaptation its safe to say they'd dub some already have a partnership with Sunrise.
RKO Pictures: Sort of...OTL they were sold off after a rough period, but ITTL kept themselves afloat like Marvel did by selling parts of it. Universal owns the IPs, hence King Kong, Psycho and others in their theme Parks. Desilu owns the lot and lends it out to studios, and international distribution rights went to the company Japan LTD. well those rights work the other way around. RKO can distribute pictures from Japan though due to RKO's pedigree, its usually "Iconic" films that the rights aren't already bought up for. It's basically something of a "Signature" collection or Criterion Collection of iconic Japanese films that aren't tied down by rights issues.
Saban Productions: OTL switched to Saban Entertainment in 1988. Power Rangers was released earlier ITTL as Galaxy Rangers and is a staple to 80's kids, boosting the company. They still dub anime but usually fight to dub recent shows as opposed to OTL where they dubbed older Tatsunoko shows.
ZIV International: OTL went defunct in 1986. Mostly dubs Kid's shows from Japan and Europe, such as Gumby, Candy Candy and so on. Some butterflied shows that ere huge hits for them OTL including Captain Harlock being live action ITTL mean they are hanging from a thread and could be bought out by Lorimar like OTL, Lorimar being behind shows like The Waltons, Eight is Enough, Dallas, and others but wants to enter the Anime market. Both are on a list of Studios Warner Bros wants to buy up though in ZIV's case to get a foot into the market and license their characters out to Anime. OTL Warner Bros did buy them out.
Mattel: Known for Barbie, Hot Wheels, He-Man and others. Since they are a toy company. Their first question concerning a license will inevitably be "How many Toys can we make out of this?"
Bandai: A Japanese Toy company local to Japan. Since the new CEO in 1983, the young son of the original founder, Bandai has been sticking to what's popular including funding the Gundam Movie and the Royal Space Air Force films with the second coming. Because of that film's success they distribute Studio Daicon productions. They have secured major toy rights and are usually the ones to make the toys of anything with a giant robot. They also tend to fund independent creators by releasing DVAs. They currently proudly own the Ultraman and Gundam franchises.
Disney: Had a deal with Tezuka early on to release Metropolis in the 1970's but now is solidly in the Studio Ghibli Camp. They have the Hyperion imprint for darker material, and recently bought some of the catalogue of World Masterpiece Theater. Disney himself is at least for the moment still kicking. While he does have his company on his mind, he also sympathizes with the creators and their fears of selling out due to his own experience an reluctance to sell Mickey Mouse as a kid, so he will do his best to support the creator and their ideas having been on the receiving end of the worst of it.
Harmony Gold: Founded in 1983, adapted Dragonboy, currently its sequel DragonMan, Magical Princess Minky Momo, the shows that made up Robotech OTL, Arale-Chan, Big City Megaroad, and others. They have a reputation of being as faithful to the original show when dubbing as possible, leading to the nickname of "The Gold Standard" in the industry.
Henson International Television!: Or Hit! for short. A UK Company created by Jim Henson. When Henson planned to sell his company to Disney, he was convinced by the head of HIT! Peter Orton to allow them to go independent and Jim agreed so they now act as an independent UK company with the name born of Henson's love of puns. OTL Shows by them include Bob the Builder, Thomas & Friends,Fireman Sam, Pingu, and Barney & Friends. So they have an affinity for stop motion children's programming which is understandable given the Henson connection.
Family Entertainment Network: Founded in 1983 and based in Texas. Originally dubbed Bible Stories until OTL 1993 when they absorbed Richard Rich's company and later were used to make his dream adaptation of the Swan Princess, saving them from debt. ITTL that will not happen since Richard Rich hasn't left Disney yet and FEN will likely go bankrupt, being remembered only for those animated bible stories.
Nihon AD Systems: An Anime company which partnered with an advertising agency Asatsu DK, helping to give them a leg up on distribution and advertising. The AD standing for Animation Development. They have a good relationship with the other studios including Toei,Sunrise and TMS Entertainment, shows produced by them include High School! Kimengumi, Tsuide ni Tonchinkan, and Dragon Quest.
Scholastic: Known for distributing Children's Books such as Clifford: the Big Red Dog, Captain Underpants, and others. They often look for Japanese Children's books that could be adapted into English and only after this will they consider adapting them to animation depending on their success and if they are deemed appropriate for children.
Young Productions: Founded by Husband and Wife Mike and Liz Young along with Simpsons Writer Bill Schwartz. Accepts Animation of any kind and usually regardless of vulgar or immature content. Making them a good match for shows with more adult humor. They also greatly respect the art, since the three founders are themselves animators.
VIZ Media: Founded by Japanese immigrants to California beginning in 1975. with the goal of sharing Japanese culture. Expanded around 1979, but 1985 OTL when Anime really began to takeoff. They also sold Manga and unlike OTL where it sold poorly, here it sells well as there was already a market for it. They notably sold Legend of Kamui and Ranma 1/2. Due to being essentially a Japanese Company in America, they tend to get the most traffic from those looking to distribute Anime or Manga which includes a partnership with Shonen Jump and Shueisha to distribute their content and since most of the employees are Japanese these translations are more faithful than most.
Warner Bros Animation: Created by Warner Bros specifically for their animation department. Includes The Looney Tunes and currently Batman: The Animated Series among others. Intended to sell Animation based on their licensed properties.
World Events Productions: Was teetering on the edge of Bankruptcy due to Voltron not going to them OTL. They also tend to take a lot of liberties in adapting which has become less favorable over time. As a result they are usually the last resort for an Anime getting a Dub. They eventually saved themselves by making an All American Version of Voltron without redubbing over an existing Anime and that's why they haven't gone under like Sandy Frank Entertainment ITTL.
Its been a while so i have a lot to catch up on but looking good.
what;s happened to doctor who since 1991?
what;s happened to doctor who since 1991?
Well I switched to a year by year format and am going through Anime. Currently working on 1991, but the current plan is that Tim Curry is the 8th Doctor, then Hugh Grant as the 9th. Not sure on 10 yet. David Tennant is my favorite Doctor and I’m tempted to keep him as 10 just because he has it in his name.
You had me at Tim Curry.
I Cant wait to see. Now to catch up properly.
keep up the good work!
Start at Anime. Up to 1960. When I catchup I’ll delete the old ones that cover whole decades. A few entries have their own posts like Pippi Longstocking, Rowlf and Gundam. I like this way better as it helps me keep track of butterflies going year by year.
Probably not as Nighy turned down the part for having “too much baggage”.
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Berserk(1989-2021)
Berserk(1989-2021)
A man wearing a black cloak with an eye patch of his right eye walks along a road with skeletons impaled alongside it. It is here we meet Guts. Inside his satchel is a frightened small creature named Puck. On the Road a young white haired girl named Frikka is cornered by bandits. Suddenly one is impaled by an arrow between his eyes, with the rest quickly being killed by arrows. Guts walks past the girl to scavenge the wagon. Another bandit attacks him from behind and he casually grabs his sword and with one swift motion cuts the man in half with the massive blade, revealing it to the reader for the first time. Guts leaves after finding nothing in the wagon. Frikka brings him home to reward him with food. On the way there the girl is impressed by his Iron prosthetic hand and is startled when the tiny elf Puck pops out of the satchel. Guts and Puck bicker and the girl comes to belief that Guts isn’t as scary as he pretends to be.
Frikka’s family rewards Guts for saving her and tell hi about the cruel warlord who has enslaved the: Vlad Tepes, who impaled the bodies and steals girls to be his maids who are never seen again. The village asks Guts to kill Tepes but he refuses[1]. Puck tries to encourage Guts to help as he leaves. Frikka, knowing she will be taken to Vlad, asks for something to remember Guts by and he gives her his eyepatch. As Puck and Guts argue, we learn that Guts saw his mother torn apart by demons as a child.
Guts notices a symbol on the carriage taking Frikka away and follows. Frikka is brought towards Vlad Tepes, who smells like he is rotting and is seemingly not human. Guts then shoots an arrow into Tepes’s eye. Tepes causes the metal weapons on the walls to fly and impale guts before departing. Guts is shown to have remarkably survived this and gives chase. When Guts finds him, Tepes transforms into a Demon Hog and Bull Hybrid and manages to rip Guts’s shirt off.
Just as he gets close, Guts reveals a hidden cannon in his mechanical arm which blows off part of Tepes’s face, allowing Guts to break free and cut Tepes in half with his giant sword. As Tepes lays dying he sees a mark on Guts’s chest he recognizes as the Mark of Vuana, before dying. Guts, Puck and Frikka escape the collapsing castle and Guts says farewell[2].
Kentaro Miura had conceived ideas for Berserk in 1984 when he was 18 and had the illustrations of the giant swordsman in his portfolio. He submitted manuscripts to Shonen Jump, who accept. He originally wanted a Shonen Series but Shonen Jump moved him to Seinen, which was for more adult material as they believed he fit that better. This is one of the contributing factors why the series lacked representation in the 1989 Jump World anniversary event. Miura’s pedigree grew as he worked for Buronson on many classic Shonen series such as Fist of the North Star and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, essentially as an in between illustrator. The two initially protested but were impressed by his heart and allowed him to continue once they actually saw his art. Both claimed that Miura commented that the workload of a mangaka could be hazardous to your health and he wanted to help make the two’s jobs easier. Miura had considered publishing Berserk at either Shonen Jump or Hakuensha[3], which eventually went under. Given the popularity of the series, one wonders if the publication of Berserk would have saved it. Regardless, it was the good word from Buronson and Araki that led to his approval. Miura commented that because he was making what was essentially Shonen’s only Sienen series, he was not bothered by editors asking him to tone things down.
Miura has commented on his influences from real history, Mad Max, Conan the Barbarian, Elric of Melnibone, The Lord of the Rings, Dragon Quest, Fist of the North Star, Gundam, Violence Jack, Star Wars, and others, though he commented that Osamu Tezuka’s Dororo was his favorite.
Miura pitched the pilot with the synopsis above to Shonen and it was approved. Leading to a further series, while the synopsis was written in 1988, the turnover for series approval meant it premiered the next year and was excluded from the 20th Anniversary event Jump World. The true reason for its exclusion despite comments on the internet.
“Why isn’t Berserk in Jump World?”
“I don’t think it was out yet?”
“It was probably too mature.”
“Remasters of the Game added Guts.”
“You have to unlock him. They thought kids wouldn’t be able to do it, but kids found a way.”
“Does that mean I can cleave a Horse in Half?”
“You have to go to a special part of the internet if you want to see Horse Cleavage.”
“…I walked right into that one.”
“For real though, Guts does have a move that if you kill an enemy with it, it cuts to shadow and the enemy is indeed cut in half. Doesn’t work on bosses though so there’s no bisecting Over Heaven Dio.”
“Guts is in the later games. He has a great move where he surprises an enemy with his hidden arm cannon and they react to it, complete with Jorge Joestar’s “OH MY GAWWWD!!!”
“Old man should have used the time he had saying that to dodge.”
"Dio tries saying Ze Waru-but is cut off by being shot in the face."
-Internet Discussion on Berserk Forum
And now to discuss the rest of the series. We learn some of Guts’s backstory about how his father, Gambino, had a Behelit, a type of weird red thing with eyes and a mouth on it. Gambino’s Behelit somehow transformed him into a Demon and he…umm…did the nasty to Guts and his mom with a bunch of Demons before killing the mom and Guts tried to save her as a kid, but lost an eye and an arm to do it. The eye was gouged out while a Demon pinned him down to make him watch while he cut his own arm when it got trapped in the Hellish mounds of flesh. Still as hard as he tried he was just a kid, and he would’ve died if the mysterious Skull Knight didn’t save him. Gambino is transformed into Vuala. After this he is shown meeting Puck as an adult after killing bandits who captured him.
Back in the present after the pilot, Guts meets a mercenary group called the Band of the Falcon, led by the charismatic Griffith. While the band saves him he insists on leaving. Griffith makes a deal with Guts that they will fight and if he wins then Gus will join the Band of the Falcon. Griffith wins, even standing on Guts’s sword during the fight before disarming him. Guts reluctantly joins the Band. He meets and gradually falls in love with Band member Casca, who he initially dismisses for being a girl. The Band is hired by the Kingdom of Midland to protect them from the Demons and end their war. On a mission they encounter Nosferatu Zodd, who attacks Guts while also helping him at times like throwing him his sword. This aded to the mystery surrounding Zodd, with many speculating Zodd was Gambino reborn as a Demon. Zodd actually warns Guts that Griffith is dangerous. This comes to a head when Guts and Griffith work together to defeat Zodd. Unseen to Guts, Griffith finds Gambino’s Behelit and hides it.
Guts enters a relationship with Casca which is contrasted with the more abusive relationship Griffith has with Midland’s Princess Charlotte, culminating in him raping her. The love between Guts and Casca is depicted as genuine, passionate, and respectful while Griffith and Charlotte are the opposite. Guts feels he is too attached and decides to leave. Griffith tries to stop him but in a reversal of their first fight, Guts easily defeats Griffith before departing. Because of Griffith’s rape of the Princess. Guts learns of Griffith being captured and comes back to help the band of the Falcon rescue him. They find Griffith an anemic skeleton, barely able to move. As broken as a man could be, unable to even feed himself and unable to speak. There’s a subtle detail where When Guts hugs him after finding him, Griffith appears to hug him back but in hindsight it seems that Griffith is actually trying to strangle Guts but is too weak.
Guts and Casca make love as unknown to them, Griffith watches and becomes bitter. They are attacked and their caravan falls over. Having lost everything, Griffith gives in and uses the Behelit during an eclipse, transporting the Band of the Falcon to a hellscape. Griffith is transformed into the new Vuala and demons descend and kill the entire band except for Casca, Guts and Rickert, a young boy the Band adopted who was sent away on a mission before the Band was pulled into Hell. Griffith rapes Casca in front of a restrained Guts before both are rescued by the mysterious Skull Knight. Guts awakes being cared to by Rickert and Puck. Casca has been traumatized to the extent she has the mind of a child. Guts sets out to kill Griffith in revenge along with Puck[4]
Griffith establishes a conspiracy to turn the city of St.Albion into one large sacrifice as his human body is still weak and his Demon Body cannot yet crossover onto Earth. Guts is framed as a murderer and Holy Knights are sent after him. Farnesse, the Captain of the guard discovers the truth when Guts saved her from demons, including in a particularly disturbing scene, attempted rape by a Demonically possessed Horse. Guts learns that Casca was taken and the church intends to use her as a sacrifice to fulfill Griffith’s transformation by killing the surviving members of the band. Guts is also attacked by the demonic child of Griffith’s own rape or Casca, though the child is actually that of Guts corrupted by Griffith’s rape. Guts saves Casca with the help of Farnese, her bodyguard Serpico, and the young thief Isidro. Isidro is depicted as much closer to the typical Shonen protagonist but rather than subverting the tropes by having him die, be useless or be broken, his optimism and positive attitude helps shine a light due to the bleak world he inhabits. Guts also kills the demonic child of Griffith and Casca but this sacrifice proves enough to revive Griffith as a Demon on Earth. Griffith learns that the child had an effect on him and starts to feel more and more conflicted, feeling a desire to protect Casca.
Guts and the new group decide to travel to Puck’s homeland of Elfhelm. Griffith assembles a new band of the Falcon which includes Zodd and other Demons to chase after them. Guts’s group encounter the Witch Flora, who gives them several gifts including dampening the Demon attracting effect go Guts’s brand and giving him the Berserker Armor, which makes him much stronger at the risk of losing his humanity. This is demonstrated when Guts easily kills a Dragon that he was nearly killed by earlier with one swing only for the group to struggle to bring him back to normal. Flora is killed when Griffith’s Demonic band of the Falcon attack but the rest of the group escape. This leaves Guts with the risk of never coming back if he uses the Berserker armor. Griffith’s band defeats another Demonically endowed ruler in the Emperor of Ganishka, the longtime enemy of Midland. The battle causes the Demon and Human realms to overlap. Griffith builds a city housing the surviving humans from the Demons, which he leads, no one being aware that he is responsible for the merging.
Guts gang reaches Elfheim, where Casca’s mind is healed and they reunite with the occasionally seen but mysterious Moon Boy, a ghostly child which appears during a full moon. He is revealed to be their formerly demonic child and can control Griffith during a full moon. The Skull Knight tells Guts his time is at an end and reveals his history and confirms Zodd is indeed Guts’s father. The healed Casca convinces Guts to give up on killing Griffith and reside in Elfheim which he agrees to but Griffith then abducts Casca and devastates Elfhelm in a surprise attack. Griffith and Zod escape to Midland with Casca[5].
Art by CirenK
Guts and his team make a plan to rescue Casca after Elfhelm is devastated. The group sneaks into Griffith’s Kingdom and a battle ensues. The Skull Knight and Zod have their final battle in which both are killed. Griffith taunts Guts, killing his friends in front of him. It is then revealed by the Behelit that Guts was always intended to be the one to obtain it and become a Demon and Griffith was chosen simply to lead him down the path. This breaks Griffith mentally. Guts is left broken and in a similar position to Griffith when Guts rescued him. The Demons then offer the same deal they did to Griffith only for Guts to tell them to go to hell. Shocking Griffith and angering him as it proves that Guts is stronger than him. With no other options, Guts uses the Berserk Armor to fight back and destroy the Behelit, sending the Demons back to their own realm. Griffith is left a broken human and tries to fight Guts with what little power he has left. Both are too weak to continue fighting but Griffith nearly gets the upper hand until the moon child possesses him at the last moment, proving an opening for Casca, whom Farnesse sacrificed herself to heal, to stab Griffith, killing him.
In the Epilogue, the Moon Child is found and adopted by Guts and Casca and the two live in the countryside. A young girl who earlier in the series promised to kill Guts for killing her Demonically possessed father arrives, having trained with a sword to kill him. Guts says he will not resist but asks her to hear his story first. She listens and is last seen looking at her sword on the ground when the Manga ends[6].
Berserk suffered many hiatuses, usually over a period of 6 to 8 months. Miura finally completed the series on May 6,2021[7].
Notes
[1] An English translation error occurs here as Guts says “I could care less.” Which means He does care at least a little. While this was criticized at the time and corrected by Viz Media later on, in the age of the Internet it is now considered to be possibly intentional as Guts is later shown to indeed care, which means the statement could be implying Guts actually does care at least a little, though if this is the case the intention does not exist in the original manga.
[2] This is where the original Prototype” Manga ended and where we’re assuming the series will follow complete with all the differences in that pilot sticking around, such as where the brand is, Guts’s backstory and there only being one member of the Godhand named Vuala.
[3] OTL Berserk did go to Hakuensha which was facing bankruptcy at the time and ITTL does go under without Berserk.
[4] OTL this is largely where the series was before Miura’s tragic death.
[5] Hits different ITTL. OTL we know something is going to go wrong as the story is a prequel so we know how Guts will end up but dread it will not happen as we get to know the Band of the Hawk. ITTL we don't and genuinely think Guts found a family and we a supporting cast so Griffith's betrayal is more of a complete shock and punch to the gut.
[6] Kentaro Miura did talk about ending the series on a happier note to offset all the darkness. A theme of the series as a whole is persevering through the darkness. In general there are two perceived endings and fans know this. The Happy ending where Guts kills Griffith or the Miura ending which is much darker, usually a victory with a huge cost. Given Miura’s statement is actually a mix of both.
[7] The OTL date that Miura sadly died of an acute Aortic dissection, leaving the work unfinished.
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