Plastic Little (プラスチックリトル,Purasuchikku Ritoru) is a Japanese original video animation film and a manga series created by Satoshi Urushihara. It was released in North America on VHS by ADV Films in July 1994. It was released on DVD in February 2002. [2] Along with Burn-Up Excess, it is one of two ADV titles to include the trademarked "Jiggle Counter". [3] [4]
The main character of Plastic Little is Tita Mu Koshigaya,a young woman who captains a ship,the Cha-Cha Maru,whose business is capturing exotic creatures in the 'sea of clouds' of the planet Ietta,apparently a gas giant of some kind,and selling them to collectors and zoos. By chance,she saves Elysse Aldo Mordish,a young woman of her own age,from a rogue faction of Ietta's own military forces,led by the armored commander Guizel,who already killed Elysse's scientist father. As the military conducts a vicious chase for Elysse,it becomes apparent that she holds the key to a secret that could determine the fate of the entire planet's independence.
Although the anime's overriding goal is of course that of saving the world,an almost equal amount of time is spent on character interaction. Much of Tita's crew once served under her father,and Tita has inherited much of the respect and devotion that he earned from them. Tita and Elysse's relationship is the focus of much screen time;Tita risks life and limb for Elysse seemingly on a whim,later explaining that she felt it was impossible to stand by and watch her capture. In a small heartfelt speech delivered during a sunrise breakfast,Elysse speaks of feelings for Tita that could be interpreted as being "like love at first sight". Tita has also shown some fondness for Nichol Hawking,a somewhat bumbling young man on her crew who has a long-term crush on her. Tita's feelings for Nichol are shown in much less detail,restrained to a small,chaste kiss on his forehead after Nichol has fallen asleep beside her sickbed. Tita never makes romantic feelings clear for either of the possible love interests.
In a short miniseries of comics that followed the OVA,this tendency to use action and adventure mostly as a vehicle for character interaction continues. Elysse and Tita are not together physically,but apparently keep in very regular communication via videophone. (For which communications,Tita does not seem particularly inclined to wear clothes.) Other issues see Tita searching the Cloud Sea in the vain hope her father might somehow still be alive,and helping Nichol to win a race he has been attempting for years. Much is made of a family dynamic among the crew,with Balboa an obvious father figure for Tita,Mei as mother,and Mikhail as gruff grandfather.
Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi is a Japanese anime television series created by Gainax,with animation produced by Gainax and Madhouse,and directed by Hiroyuki Yamaga. It was broadcast for 13 episodes on Kids Station from April to June 2002. The series was licensed for English release in North America by ADV Films.
City Hunter is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tsukasa Hojo. It was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1985 to 1991,with its chapters collected in 35 tankōbon volumes. The manga was adapted into an anime television series by Sunrise Studios in 1987. The anime series was popular in numerous Asian and European countries.
Chrono Crusade,originally known in Japan as Chrno Crusade,is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Daisuke Moriyama. It was originally published by Kadokawa Shoten in Comic Dragon,then a special issue of the Dragon Magazine. A 24-episode anime television series by Gonzo based on the manga ran from 2003 to 2004 on Fuji TV. The series was released in North America by ADV Manga and ADV Films,titled Chrono Crusade.
Those Who Hunt Elves is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yu Yagami. The plot revolves around three travelers,the eponymous "Elf Hunters",and the elven sorceress Mistress Celcia. The anime was released in North America on VHS and DVD by ADV Films and later re-released by Sentai Filmworks.
Prétear,also called Prétear - The New Legend of Snow White,is a manga series written by Junichi Sato and illustrated by Kaori Naruse. Spanning four volumes,the manga series was originally published in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten from May 2000 through July 2001. It was published in English in North America by ADV Manga.
Akazukin Chacha is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Min Ayahana. It was serialized in Shueisha's shōjo manga magazine Ribon from 1992 to 2000 and collected in 13 bound volumes. The series is loosely based on the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood and follows the adventures of a fumbling student magician named Chacha,who habitually wears a red hooded cloak.
Tiffany Lynn Grant is an American voice actress and script writer who is known for her English-dubbing work for anime films and television series as Neon Genesis Evangelion,in which she voiced the character Asuka Langley Soryu.
Burn-Up Excess is a Japanese anime television series directed by Shinichiro Kimura and animated by Magic Bus. It aired from 1997 to 1998 for a total of 13 episodes. Four volumes were released on VHS and DVD in North America by ADV Films.
Cromartie High School is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiji Nonaka. It was serialized in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine from August 2000 to May 2006,with its chapters collected in 18 tankōbon volumes. It follows the everyday life of Takashi Kamiyama and his odd classmates at Cromartie High School,an infamous school for delinquents. The series is a parody of Japanese yankii manga of the 1970s and 1980s. The style of art resembles Ryoichi Ikegami's works such as Otoko-gumi and Otoko Ōzora.
Buzzer Beater is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takehiko Inoue. The series debuted as a webcomic in 1996 and it was also serialized in Shueisha's Monthly Shōnen Jump shortly after its introduction on the web. An anime television series adaptation produced by TMS Entertainment,released in 2005,followed by a second season in 2007.
Jinki:Extend is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by ShirōTsunashima. The story revolves around two girls who end up piloting giant humanoid robots called "Jinki" and the manipulation behind the scenes that drew them inexorably together in a final battle. It takes place in two parts,in Venezuela during 1988 (Jinki),and in Tokyo,Japan in 1991. An anime television series adaptation animated by Feel aired from January to March 2005. The 13th episode never aired on television and was released as an OVA. This title was picked up in North America by ADV Films for $91,000,who released the series in three volumes and box set. However,in 2008,the title along with over thirty other ADV titles were transferred to Funimation.
Yumeria (ゆめりあ) is a Japanese anime series and a PlayStation 2 video game created by Namco. The video game and anime were both initially released in Japan in 2003. Studio Deen produced a 12-episode anime television series broadcast on TBS in Japan in 2004. The series was originally licensed in North America by ADV Films who initially released the series in three English language DVD volumes in 2005 and 2006.
The World of Narue is a Japanese manga series by Tomohiro Marukawa. The series follows Kazuto Izuka,an alien girl named Narue Nanase and the trials and tribulations of the young couple as they get to know each other. The title is taken from A. E. van Vogt's The World of Null-A.
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Kemeko Deluxe! is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by manga artist Masakazu Iwasaki. The manga began serialization in the monthly shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Comic Gao! on October 27,2005,and is published by MediaWorks. The first episode of the anime adaptation was broadcast on October 4,2008.
Say I Love You is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kanae Hazuki. It was serialized in Kodansha's shōjo manga magazine Dessert from February 2008 to July 2017,with its chapters collected in 18 tankōbon volumes. An anime adaptation by Zexcs aired from October to December 2012. A live action film adaptation premiered in July 2014.
Non Non Biyori (のんのんびより) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Atto. The series was serialized in Media Factory's Monthly Comic Alive magazine from September 2009 to February 2021 and is licensed in North America by Seven Seas Entertainment. The story is based on the same setting as Atto's former work,Toko-toko &Yume no Yume. A 12-episode anime television series adaptation produced by Silver Link aired in Japan between October and December 2013 and has been licensed by Sentai Filmworks. A second anime season aired between July and September 2015. An anime film premiered in August 2018,and a third anime season aired between January and March 2021.