Shojo, sci-fi, space, espers, an alien invasion and the possibility of reawakening humanity’s long lost potential…now that is a mouthful and a half to digest into a one off OVA. Can you imagine what it would be like to discover latent powers within yourself? Do you want to know the secrets of the universe? Well I can’t grant these wishes to you, but I can recommend an anime as a possible substitute. Let’s check out another half forgotten OVA from the 1980s, 1986 to be exact, as we examine Nayuta this time round.
Nayuta, the character, is yet another example of the average Japanese school girl who realizes she has a greater destiny than the humdrum life she currently knows. Walking home one day from school she encounters a young boy, Kiro, and his mother, both looking in dire straits. The mother is obviously ill, if not close to death, and Nayuta helps out by bringing them to a hospital. Mysteriously the mother would vanish after what seemed like an attempted surgery! Nayuta would then return home and would be visited by Kiro again. She invites him in and instead of using the door he just teleports into the house. Nayuta then learns the secret to his superpower lies within a golden tiara like ring around his head, a Jarun. Curious Nayuta “borrows” it from Kiro’s head while he is asleep to grant herself superpowers so that maybe it can help on her upcoming test (cheater, lol).
After school she is asked to meet up with a teacher to talk about her Jarun, but before this happens she meets a young man, Ryotaro, who helps her escape the clutches of the Azadd, an insect like alien race bent on hunting down those who take and wear the Jarun. They often go about posing as normal humans (Sounds like V, or They Live). Nayuta then meets others espers who also have Jaruns and their leader, Sozu. Over time and tribulations, including losing her family and being kidnapped by a long haired bishounen in league with the Azadd, who she comes to find she has met before ironically, Nayuta would grow and develop her latent powers.
Espers are nothing new in anime, particularly in the 1980s. Ai City, Cosmo Police Justy, Locke the Superman, Toward the Terra and even the original Mobile Suit Gundams all have some theme of of highly developed psychic powers just to name a few. Nayuta, as well as Blue Sonnet, approach this theme from a shojo angle instead and cross genre boundaries exceptionally, though not exactly in the same way. Knowing this, Nayuta has a lot going for it that checks off a lot of boxes that bring a smile to my face: sci-fi, action, character development, romantic leanings, greater human potential and challenging a threat bigger than yourself with triumph. Solid artwork is present as well, but it is the story itself that provides the essential glue… and this of course was sourced from the original manga.
Nayuta expresses one possibility of ultimate transcendence. We go beyond barriers both within and without by watching Nayuta develop out of what could be fated circumstances. Breaking barriers both within the body and the mind, as well as the confines of our Solar System, are up for grabs here. Big themes and concepts, and yet it’s all wrapped up into a singular 75 minute production! Even if Nayuta is not one of the bigger properties of anime that should not dissuade you from possibly tracking a copy down and checking it out… of course this depends on your anime preferences. My only wish is that why was the ending so open ended? Maybe thats how the manga finished?
…oh how I love 80’s one and done OVAs, so many classics to choose from!
Often compared to the live action film Alien, Roots Search would not be my first choice for an anime based on the inspiration of a foreign invader out to massacre a crew on a spaceship. Gall Force: Eternal Story would be my first choice (though the alien invasion was not deadly in the end) and second Lily C.A.T., an anime I abhor due to the violence and misconfiguration towards a certain feline crew member. Both previous examples also have better writing and characters, but I wouldn’t expect anyone of these titles to win a batch of awards for excellence in those categories. Same goes for artwork and design, Roots Search is just downright ugly and sloppy. Of course maybe it could be the VHS transfer quality?… no. Perhaps it was a budget, or timing issue? I can’t say, but this one is not all that pretty to look at.
Roots Search: Shokushin Buttai X, Roots Search: Life Devourer X where to begin? A crew of four aboard a research station encounter a ship that magically came out of warp space and into their general vicinity. Aboard the Green Planet, the name of the ship (for real?… yes) is one surviving human and some kind of a gray alien thing that does not look all that inviting. They soon jettison the alien only to find like a boomerang, it comes back… and with vengeance on its mind. Literally it says to all of them that it plans to take them all out! Of course our stowaway from Green Planet also concours and tells the crew that it prays on their fears and attacks both physically as well as more importantly, psychologically.
Know what this means? Holy crap we got to get out of here? Exactly. Turns out the creature was sent by God to punish humanity and take out each and every one of us as punishment… dude your concept of God sure does not match up with how others see it. Nothing says division like politics and religion. One by one the crew fall prey to the violent attacks of the alien, thing, soldier of God… until we are left with two. The guy from Green Planet and the singular girl character who happens to have some abilities to see and read the future. In the most dire of circumstances these two end up falling for each other, professing love and kissing to seal the deal. After all they have a future together to live happy ever after… but aren’t you two in a life or death situation at the moment. Talk about an awkward date?
Spoilers galore, but I will leave it up to you to experience the last five minutes of this 45 minute OVA. You have total permission from me and maybe even a few others to just fast forward to the end and thank us all later. This is all I will say… talk about a twisted ending with no resolution. Roots Search starts off as a horror sci-fi suspense schlock fest and then suddenly adds a twist of romance into the closing stages, which totally makes sense. If they only included a unicorn into the production I would let Roots Search pass, but of course they didn’t. Um. what did I just watch?… scratch that… never make me watch this again, please! There are many anime classified as ‘bad’ that I think are brilliant and entertaining, The Humanoid, Twinkle Nora Rock Me!… even Odin: Photon Sailer Starlight has a certain charm to it, but Roots Search… not a chance.
Considered a classic in Japan and often read during one’s school days, Botchan was not part of my curriculum here in the States. I got to read The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman, but no Botchan. Thankfully the book is readily available including many public domain sources online… but we get an alternative as anime fans. Actually two! Botchan also exists as an animated TV special from 1980 as well as this 1986 version from the meta series Animated Classics of Japanese Literature. Of the many episodes and stories I have explored from this series, Botchan stands out as one of the few comedic stories. Many of the Animated Classics of Japanese Literature adaptations are dramas in one shape of another and Botchan is definitely a breathe of funny fresh air.
Botchan by the way is our main protagonist. From what I can tell this name is more like a title like ‘young master’ so who knows what his real name is as I never seem to catch anything of it from the two episode run. Kind of like The Dude from the Big Lebowski? Botchan is a recent graduate with an education in physics who has been offered a teaching position at a middle school far off in some backwoods town. He leaves his native Tokyo and his trusted family servant to try out a different life so to speak. He arrives, finds the school’s teaching staff interesting (giving them all nicknames), enjoys swimming in the hot springs when no one is looking and likes eating his share of tempura at dinner all to the dismay of his students who constantly ridicule this rookie teacher. Botchan tries to bring up their shenanigans only to find difficulties with the senior school staff.
Questions arise, who does one trust and why are certain senior staff members extremely unhelpful? Botchan is a great tale of bringing to the light the injustices of nepotism and snobbery. Certain times in life we often wish we could stand up for something that seems very wrong and face those who believe themselves to be worthy of setting the rules to favor certain outcomes. With Botchan we have this played out in a very humerous way. Often times we ask is revenge best served as a cold dish? Sometimes, but enjoying shaved ice with a friend and ally can be better! (it’s part of the story trust me).
The Classic Anime Museum 
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