Several anime have the theme of college preparatory as part of the major plot line of the main protagonist. Sometimes comedic, sometimes serious, it is a common practice for many students, Japanese or anyone else, to want to get into a great school. Have you ever asked yourself why this is so? I am sure many of you went through this rights of passage… I did for sure. Was a college education worth that much trouble, pressure and sometimes, heartache? Not really, but in a way it was mine, or our decision. It was and still is a form of social conformity many of us had to endure. Let us return again to what was once called Student Days.
Masao Kume was from some minor research, a well known and popular author, playwright and poet. The adaptation of his story Student Days would become part of the large omnibus show Animated Classics of Japanese Literature, except this narrative would be broadcast a year after the initial season of the show as a special follow up. Spanning only one episode we follow Kenkichi, a young man looking to give his second attempt to apply to Ichiko. For him a lot is on the line, he must get into this school which includes impressing a friend of his sister, Sumiko, who he has a crush on, who seems to have taken a liking to him. With so much encouragement what could go wrong?
Well… one of Kenkichi’s friends we find out decided to take the entrance exam for another school which is easier to get in to… bummer. Another friend is just squandering his family’s money because all he has to do is just take the test, no strings attached here to succeed… grrr. And finally we arrive at the nail in the coffin, the arrival of younger brother, Kenji, who plans on taking the Ichiko test as well. Yet Kenji has no expectations, it’s only practice, a trial run… no strings attached. Even Sumiko has shown some interest in Kenji. What is Kenkichi to do? Give everything he has for duty, a hope that getting into Ichiko will solve his problems and lead to happiness.
Student Days takes the obsession of college entrance perfectionism to a logical extreme, which by the end made me ask, how did it all come to this? What began as a hope for the future would eventually turn sour. Kenkichi’s blind ambition towards a goal out of a duty to look acceptable to others instead of following something more sincere is such a common occurrence in the human experience. What we do for an occupation, or the manner in which we move up the social ladder, in the end is not truly who we are, but in youth we often don’t realize this. Be careful for what you think you desire, it may do more harm than good.
Call me ignorant, but I have never heard of the Romantic Masterpiece Theater. World Masterpiece Theater oh yes, I love those shows, but the previous moniker is our current interest and I don’t have much to say on it except I can guess (and I mean guess!) that Isabelle of Paris was labeled in this category as this was one of four shows released by a studio not usually seen on our radars, DAX International in 1979/80. These four shows could have been the Romantic Masterpiece Theater? By the way I want to thank Helen McCarthy’s research as this is what helped me come to this conclusion. Now this means I need to check out the other three shows: Julie the Wild Rose, Golden-Haired Jeannie and Wandering Girl Nell. … What I do know is that we get a pre-intro to Isabelle for Romantic Masterpiece Theater which features cats… I love cats and it’s a short, simple and a cute sequence, but anyway… on with the show!
Isabelle of Paris always begins with a few seconds of recap before the start of the official intro, but when that intro comes, I am excited. It’s not the most technically advanced in terms of animation and it always outlines the main cast, which by the end of episode one you should have a good handle on. My joy is that it features the music of Frédéric Chopin (the real Piano Man). Fantaisie-Impromptu in C♯ minor to be exact, a very bold choice, but somewhat fitting as well. Chopin’s work is often heard throughout the series including one of my personal favorites, Nocturne in B flat minor, Op. 9 No. 1. 
Set during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, during the reign of Napolean III, we find the backdrop to Isabelle of Paris. Isabelle is a carefree 15 year old noble French girl who gets caught up in the social-political climate of that era. France has been defeated and the Prussian Army has laid siege to Paris much to the delight of many crooked Parisian nobles and politicians. Being of the upperclass she witnesses first hand the toil this situation has put onto the Rostain family. Her brother is an officer in the army, her sister is in love with a commoner (the piano teacher!) who like many others aims to defend Paris as the army and government cannot and her parents are set on upholding tradition of the family name and prestige. 
Though a short series for the time (40–50 episodes was the norm), Isabelle of Paris told an effective story which when you look at it from a glance is really a reflection on the evolution of the Rostain family from privileged nobility to defenders of the common man. Isabelle of Paris portrays a solid, dramatic and adventurous tale full of strength that also occasionally threw in a monkey wrench that made me go, “What, the…?”… like being chased by a guy who looks like Frankenstein and the main ‘evil’ politician having green skin, lol. Yet the conclusion was a definite surprise as I was not expecting such a tragic downfall… prepare a few tissues. This was a happy find as of recent and is without question a welcome break from much more drawn out series which sometimes can be a haul getting through. May I add yet another fun shojo series to my collection. YES!!!
What if you mixed the premise of The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman with The Incredibles? Or maybe the senate fighting of Gatchaman with warmth of My Neighbor Totoro? That’s how I see Bionic Six, a show I have not seriously watched since it was first on syndicated broadcast back in 1987. Oh sure I caught an episode from time to time, but as far as fandom all I know was that I really remembered this show as a favorite of mine way back then. Yet ironically I did not follow up much after that. I forgot a lot of the plot line, the premise, etc. All I remembered were a couple of the characters names, the title of the show and it was for an 80s cartoon, animated extremely well. Sadly, most of the video footage I find of Bionic Six is in poor shape.
Have you seen the intro for Bionic Six? Perhaps one of the best examples of short animation from the 1980s? To no surprise the name of TMS, or Tokyo Movie Shinsha, is credited as a co-producer of the show. I have numerous times gushed my love for this studio and for one of it’s star directors who happens to appear in the credits, Osamu Dezaki. Every episode is A-Grade beautiful, no cheapening out for visual budget. Bionic Six may not officially be anime, but like Galaxy Rangers (which was also animated by TMS), this was the closest thing we got here in the West that could pass in many ways as anime with the look and feel. A half-anime, or distant cousin could be the categorization. 
Remember I mentioned this is a family show as well as a superhero title? The family in question that are the heroes of Bionic Six are the Bennetts. A mixed family including dad, Jack; mom, Helen; and kids Eric, Meg, J.D. and Bunji (the last two being adopted), they are via the help of Professor Sharp and the “miracle of modern science” the ultimate sentai squad, the Bionic Six. BIONICS ON! With the help of cybernetic technology the family becomes Bionic-1, Mother-1, Sport-1, Rock-1, IQ and Karate-1 respectively. After all isn’t stopping bad guys the ultimate family bonding experience?
Their main nemesis are the followers of one Dr. Scarab, including the corrupt Doctor himself… “HAIL SCARAB!” They are an oddball collection with names like Glove, Mechanic, Klunk, Chopper and the elusive Madame-O, they are fun in terms of being “the bad guys”, but they are way too monster-like in a cartoonish way. I often wonder if this ‘evil’ group was recycled later into shows like Captain Planet and the Planeteers? Many toy related shows of the era were very similar in terms of plot and tone, basic good guys vs. bad guys, but I think the inclusion of a family dynamic makes Bionic Six stand out. It was perfect for television and if production was was tweaked slightly, this could have been great for primetime as after all… bad cartoons only appeal to blind consumption of products and great cartoons can often times tell a visual story better than anything live action… just my opinion. 
The Classic Anime Museum 
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