Rumik World: Za chojo

I watched this at a recent anime festival at the university. Having never heard of it, I had no idea what to expect, and as it turns out, it's a remarkably funny science-fiction adventure.

Maris is a dirt-poor bounty hunter from a planet that no longer exists, owing largely to the fact that it exploded years ago. Everyone from this particular planet seems to be blessed (cursed?) with extraordinary strength, and Maris is forced to contain this strength by wearing special restraints, lest she accidentally destroy her ship. This time, her mission is to rescue a handsome millionaire who's been kidnapped by mysterious villains.

The movie has a decent plot but its strength lies in its sight gags and original characters. One of the best running gags is how desperately poor both the hero and the villains are; Maris keeps accidentally trashing her spaceships and being downgraded even further, and the villains can only seem to afford an ancient, second-rate fortress that's falling apart.

Anyway, if you have the opportunity to see this slightly old but very unique and funny anime, go for it! 8/10

My only copy is a laserdisk to VHS copy acquired 13 years ago, Japanese language only, and it's STILL one of my favorite anime!

The Rumik World anthology is worth getting. Rumiko is in many ways the Rod Serling of anime, capable of telling humorous, tender, and terrifying tales. If only Cartoon Network would bring her stuff over, instead of the lesser stuff they're showing.

A couple of notes--

The name change was forced by Warner Communications, who thought it too close to their character "Supergirl."

This is the first animated film to feature "out-takes." These were deliberately crafted for the video, as real out-takes are almost impossible. In fact, the closing credits flubs begins with realistic goofs (like hands caught when the frame is photographed, cels left out or reversed, etc.), then progresses to the kind of mistakes that can plague a real film (malfunctioning props, obstinate doors, missed blocking, etc.). These things are hilarious! Obviously the fame of her idea spread, as fake out-takes are now a regular part of productions from studios like Pixar.