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Title (English) Fire Tripper
Title (Japanese) Hono Tripper
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book cover

Fantasy Novel

Notes OVA, 1985. R. Takahashi/Shogakukan/Kitty Film
Full title: "Rumiko Takahashi's Rumic World - Hono Tripper"
This is the first of the "Rumic World" series: unconnected videos based on stories by famous artist storyteller Rumiko Takahashi.
Classification -
Synopsis Schoolgirl is thrown back in time to medaeval Japan.
Review FIRETRIPPER (Manga Video),49 mins, cert 15, £8.99
This is the first of the "Rumic World" series: uncon-
nected videos based on stories by famous artist storyteller
Rumiko Takahashi. It's an intricate time-travel story
which starts with forebodings of danger; after the
dramatic credit sequences, the seventeen year old
schoolgirl heroine, Suzuko, is seen looking after a little
boy, Shu, who has just had an operation. With little
warning, a massive gas explosion occurs and throws her
back in time to a battlefield in medieval Japan. She is
rescued from lecherous bandits by a young warrior, and
brought back to his village where he lives with his
adoptive father and young sister, Suzu.
Suzuko, no fainting cherry blossom she, soon has
Shukumaru searching the battlefield for the missing boy,
while the villagers prepare to repel a bandit raid. After
more dramatic events the circle of time becomes
complete...
Try not to be put of by the embarrassing "rubbish for
the kids" cassette cover (you can easily reverse it).
Manga Video clearly didn't know what to do with the
stylish Japanese original, and have produced a clumsily
dubbed version aimed at their usual mass market.
However it is just about fit for adults and retains plenty
of drama and human interest - and it's cheap. But if
money is no object fans should seek out the superior
American subtitled edition. This has much better
character voicing and should give you a shiver down the
spine as the cart descends towards the medieval village.
I may not be the best person to give an impartial review
of Manga Video's FIRETRIPPER, as unlike the rest of
you I have seen an American subtitled version and also
own a Japanese original tape of it. I was pleased by the
news that Manga Video were releasing FIRETRIPPER,
until I got a copy and played it. The visuals are, apart
from retitling, the same 48 mins, but the English sound-
track is, frankly, awful. And this time I really feel like
complaining.
Japanese soundtracks are produced to very high
standards and the original FIRETRIPPER is quite typical
in having voices by skilled voice actors that sound just
right, the right amount of sound effects and specially
composed music to build up an atmosphere. The voice
actresses are often stars in their own right and the
soundtracks are the result of considerable skill and artist-
ry.
In the English version, Shukamaro sounds like a middle-
class English schoolboy, Suzuko sounds like a convent
schoolgirl and the little boy sounds much too old.
Somebody seems to have thought that the voices ought
to sound funny.
FIRETRIPPER, not being especially violent or
suspenseful depends on other qualities for its appeal. It
casts a delicate spell, a spell that is totally disrupted by
comic English voices. In the original, while Shukamaru
holds his bloody sword aloft after killing the bandits there
is no sound at all. And in the English? Naff sound effects
continue. The original Suzuko, a typical Takahashi
heroine, sounds less wimpish than the English one. That
smirk after she has hurled a rock at Shukamaro is entirely
in character. Now some people may like this release, but
I suspect that they won't like it enough to make it a big
sales success. What a pity that they will never get the
chance to hear it as it was meant to be heard. They might
have liked it a lot better.
In case it occurs to you to wonder, the English cassette
packaging is totally unlike the Japanese, which has a
large picture of a pensive Suzuko on the front.
RUMIC WORLD - FIRETRIPPER, (US. Manga Corps),
50 mins, NTSC, $35.
This is the subtitled version. FIRETRIPPER is a very
satisfying and atmospheric time travel/paradox story, a
little reminiscent of SF such as Heinlein's 'BY HIS
BOOTSTRAPS'. The heroine, a typical 17 yr. old
schoolgirl, is looking after a little boy when she is hurled
back to mediaeval Japan as a huge gas holder explodes.
She finds herself in the midst of the bandit vs. villager
struggles of the period. As well as dramatic action it
espouses such values as love, loyalty, family, courage,
etc.
And in case anyone thinks it's implausible to have three
huge gas holders right in the middle of a built-up area, I
saw them when I was in Tokyo!
Credits
Episodes
Release Jap:VHS, UK:VHS, US:VHS, US:LD
TV Showing See the whole series for free? This series may be syndicated to regional cable, satellite or terrestial TV stations. For Europe click here.
Date 1985
Production
Broadcaster
Animation
References & Help Look up the latest data on this title at:
Richard Llewellyn's Animated Divots, or
Anime News Network (see Encyclopedia section) ,
or in "The Anime Encyclopedia" (Clements & McCarthy, Stone Bridge Press, 2001).
Help & further information.

 

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