Cartoons have always been a part of any child that was born
in the modern world. In recent times, the likes of Naruto, Bleach and One Piece
are considered the reigning top anime for kids and adults alike. But back in
the 90s, our anime heroes weren’t ninjas or samurais. Instead, we had sailor
girls named after the heavenly bodies and an alien monkey boy who collects
balls to summon a wish-granting dragon.
In this edition of The Nostalgic Pinoy, we will talk about
the anime shows in the 90s that defined our childhood and were the stars of our
sketch notebooks.
Zenki. First
released in 1997 in Japan, Zenki is about a demon child who transforms in a
powerful demon with the help of the young priestess Chiaki and a magical
bracelet. Together with Chiaki and her family, Zenki fights the minions of
Karuma (the Queen of Darkness).
Magic Knight Rayearth.
Magic Knight Rayearth is an anime created by Clamp that features three
young girls from Earth – Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuuzaki and Fuu Hououji. In the
Philippine version of the anime which was first aired in ABS-CBN channel 2, the
three girls’ names were changed to Lucy, Amy and Marina. The plot of the anime
is divided into two arcs, the first arc is about how the girls were first
summoned in the distant planet of Cephiro to rescue Princess Emeraude.
The second arc on the other hand is about the complications
of the events of the first arc, as well as invasion attempts of neighboring
planets – Autozam, Fahren, and Chizeta.
Dragon Ball. The Dragon
Ball franchise is possibly one of the longest running anime in history. It
first aired in December 1984; and it ran for over 10 years, finally ending in
June 1995. Throughout its more than 10 years of airing, the plot of Dragon Ball
has always been the same. First, the alien monkey hero, Son Goku rescuing the
world from perilous situation usually brought about by a powerful villain from
outerspace or some magical or scientific experiment.
And second, the collection of seven dragon balls for a wish
that usually involves raising the dead.
Voltes V and Daimos.
Although these two anime were first aired in the 1970s, they were later revived
and popularized in the mid-90s. The two series feature two mechas that are
piloted by a team (as in the case of Voltes V) or an individual (Daimos) to
fight an alien mechanical robot.
Another prominent feature of the series was the two alien races
that were planning to take over the planet – the Boazanians and the Baams. The
two shows also popularized two phrases: first was Richard’s extended
enunciation of the name Erika. Second was the phrase “let’s vault in” that the
Voltes V team shouts before the formation of the robot.
Sailormoon.
Another 90s classic anime is Sailormoon. This show a group of girls with sailor
costumes and with superhero names derived from the 8 planets of the solar
system. The main protagonist is Sailor Moon/Usagi Tsukino (Bunny in the
Philippine version), while the rest of the girls are as follows: Ami Mizuno
(Sailor Mercury), Rei Hino (Sailor Mars), Makoto Kino (Sailor Jupiter) and
Minako Aino (Sailor Venus).
The remainders of the planets were revealed later on in the
series. These were Haruka Tenoh (Sailor Uranus), Michiru Kaioh (Sailor
Neptune), Setsuna Meioh (Sailor Pluto) and Hotaru Tomoe (Sailor Saturn). Other
notable characters in the series were Mamoru Chiba (Tuxedo Mask) who was
Sailormoon’s love interest, Chibiusa Tsukino (Sailor Chibi Moon) who is Usagi’s
daughter from the future; and the two cats – Artemis and Luna.
Yu Yu Hakusho. Yu
Yu Hakusho or Ghost Fighter is one of the most popular anime in the 90s. The
show talks about a young teenage boy named Yusuke Urameshi (Eugene) who was
killed in an accident that was revived as a spirit detective tasked to capture
underworld criminals.
Other characters of the series include Kazuma Kuwabara
(Alfred), Kurama (Dennis), Hiei (Vincent) and Genkai (Master Jerimaya). The
show’s most famous antagonist is Toguro.
Vision of Escaflowne.
Produced by Sunrise Studios in 1996, The Vision of Escaflowne is a
26-episode anime that is about a girl named Hitomi Kanzaki and her adventures
in the world of Gaea, a mystical planet where the Earth is seen as the moon in
the sky. There she meets a young prince Van Fanel, a descendant of the Atlantians;
and Allen Schezar a knight of Asturia (a country in Gaea).
The three go on an adventure that leads them to the true
nature of the demise of Atlantis, Van and his lineage and the truth on how
Hitomi was brought to Gaea.
Neon Genesis
Evangelion. Neon Genesis Evangelion is a post-apocalyptic anime that aired
in the mid-90s. The main characters of the series are all teenagers, headed by
Shinji Ikari. A huge portion of the series is dedicated to battles between mechas
and monsters which are set in Neo Tokyo.
The show was generally a hit even though the characters
exhibit certain forms of psychological problems and trauma; a fact that even
the show’s creators and directors have surprisingly admitted in the past.
Ranma ½. Ranma ½ is an anime that has one of the weirdest story lines. The anime features a young boy
in the name of Ranma Saotome who fell into a mystical spring that cursed him to
take the physical form of a girl whenever he gets in contact with cold water.
Other characters in the story also suffer the same fate,
like his father and several of his enemies. The show prominently showcases the
intricate relationships in the form of love triangles among the characters,
especially those involving Ranma and his two versions.
Time Quest. Time
Travel Tondekeman or Time Quest in the Philippines was first aired in the first
part of the 90s. The show is about two teenagers – Hayato Shindou and Yumi
Arama who accidentally went back in time because of Tondekeman, a talking
kettle that has the ability to travel through time.
Unfortunately, Tondekeman (or Takure) fell into the hands of
the evil Abdullah moments after their arrival in the past. So in order for
Hayato and Yumi to return home, they need to get Tondekeman from Abdullah who
uses the time machine to kidnap Princess Shalala and offer her as a gift to his
master.
Yaiba. Yaiba is
another series aired in the late 80s to early 90s. The main protagonist of the
anime is Yaiba Kurogane, a young swordsman believed to be the reincarnation of
the Thunder god in Japanese folklore. His arch nemesis is Takeshi Onimaru the
user of the devil wind sword and later the black moon sword.
The entire series is divided into several arcs, with each
arc having a plot independent from each other. The most prominent arc in the
series (at least in the Philippines) is the Kaguya Arc that features an
invasion of bunny people living in the moon.
