What! Another column? Yes dear friends and neighbors, I am not only a gamer, but also a Japanese animation freak. But rather than bore you with list after list of anime titles coming soon (end of the column for that), I will discuss a favorite of mine, and hopefully soon, yours too.

I speak of none other than Kenritsu Sakyuu Booeigun, or Prefectural Earth Defense Force. This little known manga (comic) and even lesser known anime was produced in the mid 1980s, and discusses the exploits of the three young people assigned to protect the Earth from the dreaded dominion of the Phone Pole Team.

OK. So the protectors are a bunch of high school students with delusions of mediocrity and the evil empire is composed of villains with really lame powers and a horde of inept but well-intentioned underlings.

Take the first battle (comic) for example: Takei, Morita and Akiko are faced by a master of telekinesis, who can levitate anything, as long as it's a yam. Any number of yams, but only yams. It ends with a yam farmer and the villain, Markalite embroiled in a battle royal with, you guessed it, yams. (FYI, a markalite was the name for all of those radar dish guns in the Godzilla films.)

I recommend you check your local fan club for a copy of this delightful anime flick, and if you can snag a copy of the 4 issue run of the manga, more power to you.

Now for the upcoming anime events. Everyone is awaiting the advent of Bastard!, a story about a young man who faces down all of the evils in a fantasy world under the dominion of Dark Schneider. What a cool name for a villain.

The El Hazard TV series II will be starting soon, also from Pioneer, so keep your eyes peeled. The big news from Right Stuff is that the Irresponsible Captain Tylor has finally finished the TV run, and what an ending. Of you enjoya good comedy, with a good point for living tagged on the end, check it out.

Random Quote:

"First we take Manhatten, then we take Berlin."

--Leonard Cohen

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Copyright © 1999 Craig Gaddis

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