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!!!
Protagonist, Miyako Negishi, or Neko, is a literature major at a private university… whoa, an anime about a college student?! I mean I know they exist, but talk about something different from the usual high school, or junior high standard. She is quite the distant type who at times sits by herself in lecture classes and does not have any interest in hanging out with classmates, or meeting any boys. She garners a secret, which only a select few know about and that she keeps hidden due to past troubles with this hidden trait. Neko can apparently do magic, though I prefer to see her as an esper with psionic abilities. She does have confidants to share these abilities with and with them she comes to life. They include Haruka Saiki, a friendly flirt (though he likes to be called a city boy) who can teleport and a newcomer, one of Neko’s classmates, Keichiirou Yamagishi.
Upon a full moon meetup all three of our cast members soon gets whisked away into an alternate dimension transporting them into a medieval like society where Neko is heralded as the much exalted hero as foretold from prophecy. Here she is given the name of Neryulla who was once the heroic princess who vowed to return to avenge her fallen people at a later date. So the other second coming? The welcomed stranger in a strange land is nothing new to fantasy anime, it’s often labeled as Isekai, but really… another one of these? Why not? Sword and sorcery mixed with a coming of age story is a good combination, particularly if coming to terms with one’s level of comfort in terms of romantic relationships. Neko is asked “Do you believe love always fails?” And her expression is something that hit close to home with me.
Tobira o Akete was one of several releases from the Magic Bus studio in 1986. I know three of them at this moment including this movie as well as Grey: Digital Target and They Were 11. This trio is a choice grouping in terms of well made animated features that are not on the top of the well known charts. A nice selection of dark horse choices for 80s recommendations. Visually Magic Bus aways delivers sharp looking quality so nothing new here. Yet again it is the story and characters that draw me in and in particular our heroine Neko who is quite unsure of herself. And yes she begins to grow as a character and marches forth to save the day by the end, which we have seen many, many times, but this time round it felt a little different. I can’t explain how so, but this is quite an appealing fantasy adventure story.
Now we come to the moment where we pick which door to look behind to see which prize we are going to win! This is no game show here and really there is only one choice because well… there is only one choice. Often there is too much selection and deciding which anime to watch next can be a shot in the dark, but this not a new experience for me. I initially watching Tobira o Akete several years ago when I gave a panel on 1986 in 2016 and it was one of those productions I rushed through, but now I am glad I gave it more space to be in my viewing experience this second time around. Tobira o Akete, Open the Door, the title says it all… it’s a simple invitation.
The Classic Anime Museum 
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