The first season of Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl is being offered for pre-order by the folks at AnimEigo. And that is significant as it is a classic long running TV series that is being brought to us in the United States
and Canada. I have my order in, and can't wait to get the first release.
Likewise, last year, Anime Classics has offered since last year the first season of Cat's Eye, and Nobody's Boy Remi. (There is a third show that they are offering as well, but that one did not pique my interest enough to purchase it.) I bought them both, and wow! Here are some really excellent stories! Maison Ikkoku was considered "Classic" and "Old" and "Too old to pay much mind to". I was browsing the old conversations Yusaku and Yoiko and Rob Heinbecker used to have with folks who used to say that about MI, and was smiling. Alas, Viz pulled through and finished their job with that. (Whether it stays in print now, is another matter.) Here are two other series that, if one likes a good story, one should go ahead and support these ventures with a purchase. I have, and I am quite impressed with the quality of the story. I can't describe it, but each episode of Nobody's Boy Remi hits me straight in the heart.
What I have also found with these series is that as soon as they were licensed, the folks who had been fansubbing Cat's Eye, and those who were fansubbing Yawara!, ceased and applauded the fact that these series were licensed. As one site put it, "We've done our job."
Apparently, Yawara! was from the same time period as Ranma and in some fashion, the two were like mirrored shows. One showing a boy doing martial arts. One showing a girl doing martial arts. It seems from what I can gather, Yawara! may have been the more well received show, but Ranma made the jump to the states, and Yawara! previously didn't. I think the more realistic notions of Yawara! made it not so viable in the early market, as in those early days anime was considered only a kids thing, and the fantastic powers and odd transformations of Ranma likely interested Viz in Ranma, whereas the more basic story of Yawara! simply didn't. So Yawara! likely suffered similarly to Maison Ikkoku in its early days.
My honest to God hope is that Yawara! will be a success for AnimEigo, and that, encouraged by that success, they will finally bring Touch and Hiatari Ryouko to us. So I'm doing what I can to support that effort. If you like a good story, do indeed support both AnimEigo and Anime Classics in these ventures! Not only will you get a good story, but you will be doing good to the world of anime. These stories and others like them deserve to be brought to America. And you'll be doing your part for it.
Likewise, last year, Anime Classics has offered since last year the first season of Cat's Eye, and Nobody's Boy Remi. (There is a third show that they are offering as well, but that one did not pique my interest enough to purchase it.) I bought them both, and wow! Here are some really excellent stories! Maison Ikkoku was considered "Classic" and "Old" and "Too old to pay much mind to". I was browsing the old conversations Yusaku and Yoiko and Rob Heinbecker used to have with folks who used to say that about MI, and was smiling. Alas, Viz pulled through and finished their job with that. (Whether it stays in print now, is another matter.) Here are two other series that, if one likes a good story, one should go ahead and support these ventures with a purchase. I have, and I am quite impressed with the quality of the story. I can't describe it, but each episode of Nobody's Boy Remi hits me straight in the heart.
What I have also found with these series is that as soon as they were licensed, the folks who had been fansubbing Cat's Eye, and those who were fansubbing Yawara!, ceased and applauded the fact that these series were licensed. As one site put it, "We've done our job."
Apparently, Yawara! was from the same time period as Ranma and in some fashion, the two were like mirrored shows. One showing a boy doing martial arts. One showing a girl doing martial arts. It seems from what I can gather, Yawara! may have been the more well received show, but Ranma made the jump to the states, and Yawara! previously didn't. I think the more realistic notions of Yawara! made it not so viable in the early market, as in those early days anime was considered only a kids thing, and the fantastic powers and odd transformations of Ranma likely interested Viz in Ranma, whereas the more basic story of Yawara! simply didn't. So Yawara! likely suffered similarly to Maison Ikkoku in its early days.
My honest to God hope is that Yawara! will be a success for AnimEigo, and that, encouraged by that success, they will finally bring Touch and Hiatari Ryouko to us. So I'm doing what I can to support that effort. If you like a good story, do indeed support both AnimEigo and Anime Classics in these ventures! Not only will you get a good story, but you will be doing good to the world of anime. These stories and others like them deserve to be brought to America. And you'll be doing your part for it.
