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!
Essentially a retelling of The Fossilized Warrior two-parter, you would at first believe this was simply episodes 12 and 13 spliced together into one. Yet Can You Live Like a Warrior!? has more to tell and includes minute glimpses of other earlier travels. Plus, we get an extensive chunk of the very first episode showing the tragic death of Tetsuro’s mother and the meeting between Tetsuro and Maetel where Maetel presents Tetsuro with an all exclusive pass to ride the galactic train C6250, the fabled Galaxy Express. With all that said if anyone has never seen, or read (can’t forget the manga) any Galaxy Express 999 at all and wants a quick crash course I can recommend this TV special, or the epic 1979 motion picture adaptation, if you want a singular first tasting into the classic Galaxy Express 999 universe.
Upon landing at the next layover stop C6250 runs into a bit of apparent sabotage as the line of track has been covered by many massive stones preventing a smooth stop. Needless to say, Tetsuro and Maetel are trapped! Well why not go in reverse? Science fiction fantasy or not, trains may be able to fly through outer space in Galaxy Express 999, but this space locomotive can only move in a singular direction. Realizing they are trapped for the moment both Tetsuro and Maetel observe a barren lifeless world with only piles of rock, much of which looks rather human, like statues or carvings… too perfect and precise to be just natural erosion.
With the aid of binoculars Tetsuro spots one of these human like rock formations far in the distance, an attractive female form similar to an ancient art scuplture… perhaps this planet’s Venus/Aphrodite? Ever curious he leaves the confines of the train to get a close look. Astonished by the beauty of the figure up close he is soon greeted by a sword wielding young man who proclaims Tetsuro to be a thief and thus attacks him. The fallen Tetsuro exposes his Galaxy Express pass and is thus struck by the young man with the sword. Maetel soon shows up to rescue Tetsuro and tend to his wound, a nasty slice in his back! Tetsuro then realizes his pass is missing and according to rules this makes him ineligible to ride the train. Come hell or high water, Tetsuro vows to get his pass back.
Making my way through the Galaxy Express 999 TV series I am glad to take a break and recapitulate with this TV special as I fondly remembered the original episodes Galaxy Express 999: Can You Live Like a Warrior!? was based from. Leiji Matsumoto’s stories and characters are some of the most cherished in all of anime and manga, endeared by many in Japan and around the world, including this BIG fan writing this post! His stories represent courage and taking a personal stand usually with a bit of fantastic flair that looks and feels like nothing else. Tetsuro must take a stand in this TV special to prove that he, like many other Matsumoto heroes, Can 
Welcome once again to the planet Zola, a world with a western, or steampunk vibe. A world where you have three days to avenge wrong doing then it is forgiven by the law. A world where physics and a sense of humor can be on par to that of the Looney Tunes… <3. This is a cartoon being a cartoon, no need to take everything to seriously because this is anime! A character even says this near the end of the film when attempting to make the giant Iron Gear (explain what this is later) fly even though it more than likely can’t… we can break all kinds of rules 😀
You want to see some mecha battles while surfing the waves of the deep blue sea? You got it! What about a mecha catching an intercontinental ballistic missile bare handed only to toss it off to the side? Heck YES! Even an instruction on how to make your own Xabungle robot… and even a moment of key animation in place of the final cel-shaded artwork… yes indeed! It’s fast paced, seemly appearing random, but it follows the plot of the original TV version almost verbatim just in a trimmed down fashion. And as a note here, this movie is not a substitute for the original! View it more as supplementary. Even the running sequence at the end is included… and expanded. And as a reminder, this anime, or another example if you wish, for many of us, is artwork that brings joy and happiness and can be a comfort during the rougher times of life. That final running sequence expresses this perfectly.
Xabungle Graffiti is, was, as stated before, a compilation movie, so nothing new in terms of plot though there are moments of deliberate addition to help move the plot along faster, like including tons of chapter bumpers usually reserved for commercial breaks to section segments. All the cast are back, especially those aboard the once upon a time trading flagship, the Iron Gear (see I keep my promise), which now serves as our home to our dysfunctional family of heroes. We again have our humble hero Jiron, brash Rag, smart-ass Blume, adorable Chill, bossy and sweet Elchi and even the loyal and sort of mute Fatman (yes that’s the dude’s name) and the ever handsome Arthur Rank (‘Oh Arthur-sama’ scream all the girls) to name a few. The villains are back as well and badder than ever, including the ever vile Timp Sharon.
Commonplace before the invention of the direct to video OVA was the release of longer compilation movies, or shorter, 15–20 minute clip films. Xabungle Graffiti would be part of this trend along with The Ideon movies and the original Mobile Suit Gundam Trilogy. All of which, including Xabungle Graffiti, would be helmed by the infamous Yoshiyuki Tomino. Goes to show Kill ’em All Tomino can actually be funny and lighthearted too! These films are more of a lost aspect of anime now that we have a variety of physical and digital media at our disposal. A different time perhaps, but these films still survive on today, tomorrow and… who knows? I’ll part ways by leaving my personal one word description of Xabungle Graffiti… joy! It’s been fun.
The Classic Anime Museum 
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