"There is so much writing in English on Japanese cinema that can't be accepted at face value — not because the writers are careless, but because the differences in culture and language are just too intricate. When I see August Ragone's name on a piece of writing, it gives me permission to place my faith in it completely. Among Japanese fantasy film historians, he's the best working in English." —Tim Lucas, Video Watchdog

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

2013 IS 1973: "BABLE II"『バビル2世』
January 1, 1973 - September 24, 1973

超能力少年バビル2世!


Rodem, Roporos, and Poseidon join Babel II against the evil Yomi!

Toei Animation's 39-episode series was based on the popular manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, first published in 1971. A seemingly ordinary Japanese schoolboy, discovers the truth that he is the reincarnation of an extraterrestrial being, and the inheritor of latent, but tremendous psychic powers — and the command of three familiars: Rodem, a shape-shifting panther, Roporos, a flying dinosaurian creature, and Poseidon, a titanic, ocean-dwelling robot. Together, they fight the fiendish forces of Yomi. The series was remade as a direct-to-video series in 1992, and as a 13-episode series in 2001. The original 1973 boasts the first theme song from vocalist, and king of anime singers, Ichiro Mizuki.

1 comment:

terebi-kun said...

I've seen some of it, but unfortunately its age shows in the pacing of the episodes. I do love the premise, the OST is awesome, and I would have loved to see Yasuhiro Imagawa's version of it, as teased in the Giant Robo OVAs.