Denkyu: Anime Webzine

by Otakuden

Life is a very serious matter, but that doesn’t mean that life is meant to be taken seriously all the time. If it wasn’t for laughter, for outrageous comedic moments, outlandish parodies, and priceless satire, surely humanity would have gone mad eons ago. While the serious moments of our lives give purpose and drive, the laughter and smiles is the glue that holds us all together and makes living possible.

This is nowhere more evident than in the creative genius that is Photon: The Idiot Adventures. Brought to me by Masaki Kajishima, the same creative genius who was behind Tenchi Muyo and Dual, Photon perfectly bridges the gap between the serious tragedies of life and the gut-busting insanity of our day to day reality. What is life but one big cosmic joke in which taking things too seriously is just as detrimental as being too lackadaisical.

Enter our main characters: Photon, Keyne, Aun, Papacha, and Lashara. In the distant past on a remote planet, there was once a spaceship which crash-landed, thus opening our anime, Photon. During its fiery descent, a mysterious object from the ship fell to the ground, landing amidst the primitive people there. Recovered by one of the natives during its descent, this seemingly mystical and sacred object is help aloft for all too see, and in one single instant, the path of evolution and society takes an unexpected turn. Hundreds of years later, the Holy Object has catapulted the original natives to a civilized agricultural state by giving motion and life to various objects and implements: tools, machinery, modern conveniences, and even producing fire.

So, just what is this Holy Object?

A marker.

Yes. None other than a marker, also known as an Aho pen in the civilization it came from. To truly appreciate the double, triple, and sometimes quadruple entendres of this and other linguistic parodies within Photon: The Idiot Adventures, one must first understand what the word Aho means in Japanese.

Translation: moron, stupid, idiot.

In other words, an all around buffoon. The counter-agent to the great power of Aho is Un-Aho, and the center of all Un-Aho is known as the Singularity Point. This would mean that whoever is the Singularity Point is the antithesis to all Aho in the known universe.

Amidst all the silly hijinks unravels a tale of power and corruption, love and heartbreak, promises made and promises kept, and intergalactic conflict. Thrust into this mayhem is our main characters. While there are multiple important secondary characters, the main character in this tale is Photon, our loveable mascot, or man, for whom this particular OVA series is named. Photon, our token idiot with whom we adventure is simple, quiet, and sensibly down-to-earth almost to the point of simpleton. In summary, Photon embodies the basic principles of chivalry which, unfortunately or fortunately, this also makes him an idiot.

I always find it amazing that the Japanese have so perfectly mastered the craft of pairing absolutely outrageous comedy with very real, very taught emotional human drama and circumstance. In one moment Keyne and Aun are having a no-holds-barred showdown to see who can cook a better meal for Photon, thus proving who is more worthy of being his wife. In another, Keyne battles for her life against Papacha and the Galactic Emperor, both of whom wish to utilize her body which is also the Key to unlocking the limitless power of Aho. Through various turns of events, our heroes will have you laughing vigorously in one moment and on the edge of your seat, pillow clenched in hand the next, as they battle to save the universe and each other.

Photon, Keyne, Aun, Lashara, and Papacha have forever endeared themselves to my heart. Whenever I reminisce about the anime Photon, I can’t help but to smile and snicker. Papacha is one of the most selfish, arrogant, and unbelievably stupid villains I have ever experienced. There is no boundary that cannot be crossed and no parody too crazy. From dancing black dots strategically placed in delicate areas to exploding nose bleeds and sake-swilling hot spring mischief, Photon has something for everyone’s funny bone.

Fortunately, Photon: The Idiot Adventures is available domestically from US Manga Corp. Collected on one DVD; Photon delivers three solid hours of Aho hilarity. No matter how much time passes or how many times I revisit Photon and friends, it is always just as good as the last.

To check out all of Otakuden’s reviews, check out her blog at http://otakudenreviews.livejournal.com/

by Otakuden

From an early age I was instilled with a love of books and the written word. There was an authority, majesty, mystery, and mystique in the artfully composed word. Capable of tearing down walls, crushing dynasties, and creating fantastic new worlds as real as the view outside our windows, the pen was the sword. For all of humanities accomplishments and triumphs, we would be nothing were it naught for the word of wisdom, most often immortalized in the book.

Toshokan Sensou is the latest creative work to praise the irreplaceable power of books, of art, human freewill and expression. In a world as outrageous as a bestselling fiction, our characters live in a society with a hard-line drawn between freedom of expression and the suppression of dangerous thoughts for the safety of her citizens.

The Media Improvement Act.

In the face of thought suppression, the Libraries were left with no option but to unify and arm themselves to protect books and the rights of those who want to read them. The Media Improvement Act and the new Branch of government which regulated it were also armed. After an early confrontation which ended in bloodshed, the various Media Improvement Act committees left the Libraries no choice but to arm themselves. All out war had been declared and battles were being fought on all fronts, whether it is through the power of politics or military tactics.

Thrust into this reality at a young age, our heroine, Iku Kasahara, vows to protect the books she loves and those who have the desire to read them. Not too long after the Media Improvement Act was passed, the final book in her favorite fantasy series which she had waited 10 years for was finally released. Marked as a dangerous item, Iku clung stubbornly onto her copy which she had stopped by the bookstore to purchase. Refusing to let go, Iku stands defiant in the face of armed officers. Just as the situation was to take a turn for the worse, an officer of the Kantou Library Corp stepped into her life, saving both Iku and her book from future despair. Glimpsing only his highlighted outline in the blaze of the setting sun her “Prince Charming” inspired Iku to join the Kantou Library Forces, becoming the first ever female Forces officer.

Tall and naturally athletic, Iku excels at the training, though she does struggle at times with her instructor and the more academic side of her Library Corp training. Overall, she is quickly accepted and gains the respect of her fellow corp-mates and library staff. The first female member of the Kantou Library Forces, Iku has little trouble living up to expectations, though she does keep her acceptance a secret from her parents whom she fears will not approve of her decision and try to force her to return home. Her instructor and troop commander, Atsushi Dojo, can be gruff at times and they clash often, but one can glimpse a deeper growing sense of support, respect, concern, and maybe even more than a professional interest.

Her roommate and best-friend Shibasaki is Iku’s rock of reason and sanity and quite the amazing individual herself. Shibasaki aims to be the first female Library Corp Commander, and with her natural skills and intelligence network, it is a valid possibility.

While each episode deals with the usual character development and sometimes humorous situations, at the heart of Toshokan Sensou is the very serious matter of freedom. Freedom of speech. Freedom of thought. Freedom of expression. Freedom of the written word. In a free society, these are easy to take for granted, but what if they were suddenly taken away from you for the supposed protection and betterment of you and society. Does anyone have the right of absolute authority over you?

It’s not an all-too-uncommon issue when one looks at history and history often repeats itself, albeit it under various guises. Book burning. Censorship. Arrests, violence, social and civil unrest. At what point do society and/or the government cease protecting our freedom and start suppressing it? To regain and protect those rights, what steps should be taken and to what extremes? Iku, Shibasaki, Dojo and all the other characters of Toshokan Sensou embody the very ideals and conflicts we fought for in the past and continue to hold dear. Even now, is the battle truly over?

A short yet well scripted package, Toshokan Sensou runs for 12 episodes. Much as in real life, solutions to such complex issues don’t come easily and at the end of the day, while progress was made, the road remains long. The difference is in those who give up and those who keep up the good fight for the freedom they believe in.

Toshokan Sensou is currently unlicensed, though it is a prime target for a domestic license. With the success of similarly veined anime such as Read Or Die, Toshokan Sensou already has a ready and willing audience. As an avid otaku, reader, poet, and writer myself, Toshokan Sensou touches very personal issues and reminds me of what is precious no matter what day and age.

To check out all of Otakuden’s reviews, check out her blog at http://otakudenreviews.livejournal.com/