Trying to Please Everyone: Or Converting multiple Pop Culture Utopias into a Timeline.

[TheDetailer]

Since Bill Cosby will be most likely exposed earlier than IOTL, what happens to the Cosby Show ITTL? Does it have a replacement?

 

[Marco Incognito]

Since Bill Cosby will be most likely exposed earlier than IOTL, what happens to the Cosby Show ITTL? Does it have a replacement?

Not directly though likely a more successful Richard Pryor show.

 

[Marco Incognito]

1987 in Anime

Compilation Movies:
Persia, the Magic Fairy.

Little Women(1987)
Released as part of World Masterpiece Theatre. Based on the Louisa May Alcott novels. It was produced by Nippon Animation and aired on Fuji TV. It is loosely based on the original story. The March family live near Gettysburg. Mr.March is a union officer sent him with a broken arm. He sees a Confederate Scout and leaves to warn the army. The Family is soon forced to deal with Confederate Occupation and help hide an escaped slave. When the Union arrives there is a massive battle which destroys the House and most of their possessions. The family is forced to leave to Newcord and live with a cruel aunt and nephew David. The young girl Jo works towards becoming an author. The March family move into a new home and the Anime now begins to follow the novels more closely. This was largely believed to be due to Toei Animation having adapted the same story in 1981, and so there was a desire to change up the story, resulting. In a sort of original prequel. Several Studio Ghibli staff worked on the Production including Yoshifumi Kondo and the Director of Japan Masterpiece Theater Fumio Kurokawa. Jo shared her voice actress with Princess Sarah from the 1985 production in Eiko Yamada.

Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend(1987)
Based on the erotic horror Manga by Toshio Maeda.Due to its nature, the series was adapted into a DVA Anime, an adaptation which include greater violence, sadomasochism and rape not in the source material. The work is predicted with originating the trope of tentacle rape. The series follows a demon/ human hybrid named Amano Jyaku sent to Earth to find the Chojin, the unbeatable God of the Demon World who is hiding in a human body on Earth. More demons arrive to either help Amano or try and find the Chojin first. Most of Amano’s allies are lecherous.

Campus Special Investigator Hikaruon(1987)
A DVA series produced by AIC. It follows a superhero posing as a transfer student in order to solve a string of mysterious suicides.

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ(1987-1988)
Continuing from Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, this series follows the Anti Earth Union Group (AEUG) battleship Argama as it fights against Axis Zeon, called Neo Zeon. Captain Bright Noa recruits the aggressive teen Judua Ashta as a mobile suit pilot, who is quick to jump to violence and is out for himself and his gang. New Mobile Suits include the titular ZZ Gundam, Zeta Gundam, G Defensor Mk-II, two Gundam Mk-IIIs(one of which is used by Judua). Double Zeta Gundam, Gundam Mk-II, and the Hyaku Shiki. Many previous characters are featured from the previous two show including original protagonist Amuro Ray, Axis leader Haman Karn, Hayato Kobayashi, Kamille Bidan, Fa Yuiry, Wong Lee, Yazan Gable, Mineva Lao Zabi, children Shinta and Qum, Sayla Mass and finally Char Aznable, albeit at the end of the series to set up the film Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack. Char leads a rebellion against Axis leader Kaman Karn.

Fist of the Blue Sky(1987)
A Prequel to Fist of the North Star by Tetsuro Harada and Buronson, the original duo. The series was made to satiate Shonen’s desire for more of the popular series as well as the creator’s desire to end the series with Raoh’s defeat. Naturally it was only a matter of time, given Fist of the North Star’s popularity, that the sequel would be adapted as well[1].

Doraemon: Nobita and the Knights on Dinosaurs(1987)
Nobita begins to see Dinosaurs but they disappear before anyone else sees them and Doraemon’s scan detects no Dinosaurs currently alive. Nobita finally decides to follow one and sees a Knight on a Dinosaur, revealing an underground Society which coexists with the Dinosaurs and due to being underground were not picked up by Doraemon. The Knights are revealed to be lizard men evolved from Dinosaurs and plan to retake the surface from the Mammals. The lizard men reveal they believe an angry God caused the destruction of the Dinosaurs. The group thwart the invasion attempt. The film also includes a scene where Doraemon rebuffs the theories of the society and explains actual scientific theories as to what killed the Dinosaurs.

Bats & Terry(1987)
Based on the Shogakukan Award winning Manga by Yasuicji Oshima. It was adapted as a film by Studio Sunrise and directed by Tetsuro Amino, along with a tie in Video Game release. The Game features the superhero Bats who can hurl baseballs at enemies but will revert to the normal form of “Terry” when hit and can only swing a bat unless he kills enough enemies to regain the Bats form.

Royal Space Air Force(1987)
The film was the most expansive at the time, surpassing last year’s Tale of Ashitaka, only to be surpassed one year later by Akira. The film was presented to Bandai in 1984 following the success of the live action Gundam. It was pitched by Hiroyuki Yamaga and Toshio Okada. Ryuchi Sakamoto provided the soundtrack. Yamaga and Okade were both behind the amateur animation studio Daicon Film, known for their Daicon openings, which effectively pioneered the DVA, which quickly became known as the “Third Medium”, alongside film and television. Most of the staff had worked on Daicon films. This included character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Hideaki Anno, and Kenichi Sonoda. The staff decided not to recycle the use of the name “Studio Gainax” as they did with the previous film, the negatively received “Lupin the Third: Tower of Babel”. Which most of the group worked on. It’s commercial failure had warped much of the young men involved. When that film proved controversial, it was decided to retire the Gainax name, which became a shell company. Their previous failure put even more pressure on their second film to succeed. Bandai was reluctant to fund it but saw it as a potential new franchise to replace the increasingly dwindling change of a Gundam film sequel. There was pressure from the studio to make the film marketable, which clashed with the creator’s wanting to tell an emotional story and serious story. Many predicted that the film would fail to takeoff, crash and burn.

Yamaga had been the director at only age 20 on several episodes of Battle City Megaroad and wanted to create a work that challenged the conventional idea of Anime and to counter the Peter Pan syndrome as most fans of Anime distanced themselves from society. The story was pitched in 1984 using over 30 sketches. Hayao Miyazaki saw the concept film and offered his feedback that the Daicon filmmakers were amateurs but they had potential if they had a solid foundation. Yamaga went to speak with Miyazaki to get his feedback but spent only ten minutes speaking while Miyazaki spoke to him for most of it. Miyazaki criticized the film using science fiction designs in some parts but realistic designs in others, telling them to pick one but Yamaga stuck to his guns. The Production Crew travelled to both the National Air and Space Museum and witnessed a shuttle launch at the Kennedy Space Center for research purposes. The character designs were done by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, later to be praised for his female main characters in Nadia and the Secret of Blue Water and Evangelion. Hiromasa Ogura joined as art director and, his previous experience having been on Miyazaki films. He was surprised by the group acting like College students, due to already knowing each other since school.

The film was praised for one of the greatest examples of World Building. Instead of narrating about the world, Royal Space Force instead organically introduced parts of the world as the story progressed. A young man named Shirotsugh Lhadatt is attending a class that is part of a country’s fledgling space force led by General Khaidenn, who dreams of spaceflight. Shirotsugh meets a woman named Riquinni who takes care of a little girl named Manna and is poor while Shirotsugh lives a middle class life. Shirotusgh decides to volunteer for the space program before the plug is pulled. Riquinni is strongly against the space program as it drains resources and has a strong belief in god. Riquinni’s home is foreclosed and demolished and she rejects Shirotsugh’s offer to pay for a lawyer. Shirotsugh reads the religion Riquinni follows that stats that God is punishing humanity for stealing fire. One of Shirotsugh’s friends, the Chief Engineer, who refers to the Engines he built as his daughters, is killed when terrorists blow up his engines. The Government moves the project to the border of an ally nation which borders another nation they are at war with. The General learns that the Government doesn’t care about the project and want to use it to provoke a war, goading their enemy into attacking to prevent the launch.

Shirotsugh goes AWOL and begins to support Riquinni. One night he snaps and sexually assaults her but realizes what he’s doing and stops himself, allowing Riquinni to knock him unconscious. Shirotsugh apologizes but is disturbed when Riquinni instead asks to be forgiven for fighting back. The two break up, it being clear that they are not compatible.An assassin from the rival nation tries to kill Shirotsugh but after a lengthy chase through the city, he turns the tables and kills his assassin. Shirotsugh asks his friend Marty if someone can be the villain in their own story and is told that a person’s purpose is to serve one another. He also asks the General, who tells him that he wanted to be a historian but became a General because history reminded him that human nature never changes. As the rocket is taking off with Shirotsugh about to become the first man in space, the rival nation attacks and despite a warning to evacuate, Shirotsugh convinces the crew to proceed with the launch. He is launched into space successfully despite a rocky start. From Space, uncertain if anyone can hear him, or is left to hear him, Shirotsugh gives a prayer for peace to all of humanity as the sun rises over the horizon.

While the film received a mix reception, it was praised by Critics and played at Mann’s Chinese Theater due to Bandai’s funding for its screening. The film eventually became the highest grossing film of the Year. Its success would lead to a sequel in the early 1990s: Uru in Blue.

Laughing Target(1987)
Based on the 1983 manga by Rumiko Takahashi. It was adapted into a DVA. The series follows Yuzuru Shiga. Due to the Shiga Clan expiring, Yuzuru is forced to marry his cousin Azusa when they are of age. When Azusa’s mother dies, she fully intends on fulfilling the promise made when they were children. Yuzuru had forgotten the promise and has his own life in girlfriend but Azusa takes the challenge very seriously. Azusa is also partly a demon due to a family curse and begins to target Satomi, hoping to kill off her competition.

Hiatari Ryoko!(1987-1988)
A High school romance manga by Mitsuru Adachi. It was published by Shogakukan from 1979 to 1981. It follows high school student Kasumi Kishimoto, a high school students at Myojo High School. She moved to her aunts boarding house where boys from the High School are staying. While she is determined to stay loyal to her studying abroad boyfriend, she founds herself falling in love with the students of the boarding house, specifically one named Yusaku. The story wad adapted in 1982 with Mink Sawamura in the lead role. It was cancelled after one season but once it concluded, another Adachi series Touch, became a hit when it was adapted from 1985 to 1987. When Touch ended, Hiatari Ryoko was adapted in its timeslot.

Digital Devil Story: MegamI Tensei(1987)
Degital Devil Story: Megami Sensei was the start of a trilogy of novels by Japanese Science Fiction author Aya Nishitana and published by Tokuma Shoten. The novels were a success in Japan. Th series began as a DVA which retold the first novel and it received a tie in video game by Nintendo. The premise follows Akemi Nakajima, a high school student who discovers he is the reincarnation of the deity Izanagi, who creates a computer program that summons demons which he uses to revenge on his school bullies before losing control and unleashed a horde of Demons. The Demon Lucifer resurrects Loki and Set. Izanagi discovers his girlfriend is the reincarnation of the Deity Izanami and the two united to defeat the Demons.The duo fight, the Minotaur, Loki, Medusa, Hecate, Set and finally Lucifer, sealing away the Demons[3].

City Hunter(1987-1988)
Based on the Manga by Tsukasa Hojo that ran from 1985 to 1991. It was adapted by Sunrise Studios. The series follows Ryo Saeba, a “Sweeper” who is a private detective and ladies’ man. His partner Hideyuki Makimura is murdered and her sister Kaori becomes his new partner while trying to find the murderer. Kaori clashes with Ryo Saeba, often hitting him with a giant hammer when he acts perverted.

Akage no Anko(1987-1989)
Based on an older Manga by Fujiko F.Fujio. The series began as an earlier short translated to “Redheaded Anko” or “When Anko Really Gets Angry” following Any Aoyama, a teenage girl, who discovers she has psychic powers due to her family on her mother’s side being witchesl[4].

Boes(1987-1988)
A series produced by the Netherlands based company Telecable Benelux B.V. in association with Saban Entertainment. Animated by Telescreen Japan. The series was a Dutch-Japanese coproduction adapting the Dutch Comic Strip Boes by Will Raymakers and Thijs Wilms. The series follows Ollie the Ox, who runs the Funny Farm with his best friend Jack the Turtle. The farm seems to primarily produce grain and non animal based food with the Animals being the workers. The series contains quite possibly every animal known(or at least one of each type that can be named such as a bird but not every kind of bird).

Zillion(1987)
Several former Tatsunoko employees had founded a studio called M.T. which was founded by Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and designer Takayuki Goto. Zillion is set on the planet Maris in the year 2387. The Empress of the Nohzas civilization starts a campaign of genocide on Earth to lay eggs and reproduce on the planet with three teens being chosen to wield mysterious guns which appear to help them. Streamline Pictures adapted the series into English and parts of the anime were used in Music Videos by Michael and Janet Jackson as well as Del the Funky Homosapien[5].

Wicked City(1987)
An Adult Animated Horror-Action dark fantasy film by Studio Madhouse. It was an adaptation of the first novel in the Wicked City series, Black Guard, by Hideyuki Kikuchi. The film is the directorial debut of Yoshiaki Kawajiri, who did character design, storyboards, animator and animation director. The film takes place in a world where Demons secretly coexist with humans with the secret police called the Black Guard protecting the boundary. Renzaburo Taki is a Black Guard member forced to protect a comedic and perverted 200 year old mystic named Mayart, who is to sign a treaty between the human and demon world. Taki is given a partner in the attractive Makie. Make is abducted by the leader of the Radicals called Mr.Shadow and Taki goes to rescue her. The two fall in love and it is revealed that this was the plan of the Black Guard to create a human-Demon Hybrid and ensure peace. The series contains much sex and nudity, with Makie being raped by many demons before Taki interrupts and saves her.

Yutoden(1987-1988)
Set during the Sengoku Period, Oda Nobunaga is actually an evil demon bent on taking over the world. Three mystical Demon Blades belonging to three different Ninja Clans. A female ninja named Kasumi Ayanosuke sets out to gather the three Demon Blades and kill Nobunaga. It was released as a DVA.

2001 Nights(1987)
Based on the Science Fiction Manga series by Yukinobu Hoshino that ran from 1984 to 1986. It consisted of a series of short science fiction themed stories, drawing from both One Thousand and One Nights and 2001: A Space Odyssey for inspiration.

Battle City Megaroad: Flash Back 2012(1987)
A Collection of Music Videos released for the fifth anniversary of the Megaroad franchise, featuring the singer character Minmay performing in universe. There are story elements woven into the musical segments with no dialogue.

Black Magic M-66(1987)
Based on a Manga by Masamune Shirow(best known or Ghost in the Shell) that was released in 1983. A helicopter carried two M-66 Battle Androids when it Is attacked and crashed in a forest.Both M-66s activate and flee into the forest. Sybel, a freelance journalist investigates, while the military, led by a figure known as “Major”. The M-66s had a dummy program installed to kill the granddaughter of their creator, Ferris. Sybel and the Major then set out to rescue Ferris from the killer machines, resulting in a terminator-esque film.

Maps(1987)
Based on the Manga by Yuichi Hasegawa that ran from 1985-1994. The DVA follows a boy named Ben and his girlfriend Yoshimi, who meet a scantily-clad blonde woman named Lipmira from outer space who tells Gen that a map to a great treasure was coded in his genes and all three are taken to search for the treasure, while fighting others looking for the same thing with both robots and spaceships resembling women.

Robot Carnival(1987)
An Anthology DVA with all stories being robot themed dark humor tales. It opens with a boy finding a poster saying “Coming Soon: Robot Carnival” and then runs to try and warn his village, which is destroyed when the Carnival appears, though the carnival is old and rusted. The first story has a scientist create a robot like Frankenstein which imitates his movements. When he trips, the robot imitates this and falls on the scientist, killing him. The second story, possibly based on Rowlf, has an alien invasion of robots attack a city and kidnap a little girl. The Android protecting her then goes on a quest to save her from the evil missions. The third story is about a man in love with a female android over his own wife and family. The Fourth Story is about two friends who are in a robot themed park, one of which discovers her boyfriend is cheating on her with her best friend and is runs into a dangerous ride, leading to a teenage park employee to bravely rescue her, with the two becoming boyfriend and girlfriend. Characters from the then in progress Akira cameo in this segment. The fifth segment is a robot in the past watching the evolution of humanity until the point of a nuclear war destroys everything before an angel makes him human. The Sixth Segment is a parody of Japanese propaganda which is black and white and feature a Japanese piloted Mecha fighting an American Piloted Mecha. The American character speaks English. The seventh and final segment is about a night where all things in a city come to life when only one drunk human sees the whole thing with the robots dancing and celebrating. When the day begins the machines turn back to normal and the rest of the humans see nothing. The Ending segment has the Robot Carnival attempt to get over a hill, only to fall backwards and crash, falling apart due to its age. The credits roll. After there is a segment where a man finds a music box in the remains. He takes it home where a robot ballerina dances to his daughter before the music box explodes, destroying the house.

Crystal Triangle(1987)
A DVA. Koichiro Kamishiro is an assistant professor at a university searching the world looking for various things. He finds a cube shaped stone in the Middle East. This triggers a chase as many spy agencies from various nations try to obtain the object as it will lead to the Ten Commandments and that the Crystal Triangle may contain a message from God in the form of an Eleventh Commandment that could prevent the world from destruction.

Legend of Lemnear(1987)
A Fantasy DVA directed by Kinji Yoshimoto(known for Omega City 23) with character designs by Satoshi Urushihara and produced by AIC. Lemnear is a young warrior girl who lives in a city ruled by a corrupt warlord named Vuan. She seeks revenge on an evil wizard named Gardin who slaughtered her people when she was a child and who is Vuan’s master. Garden did so due to a prophecy of a hero called the Champion of Silver. Lemnear is defeated at first and brainwashed into being part of Vuam’s harem, but breaks free and kills Vuan. Lemnear escaped from Gardin and the true mastermind Bristol. She finds another survivor of her people named Mesh who Gardin believed was the Champion of Silver. She fights and kills Gardin and then fulfills the prophecy by killing Bristol with Mesh’s help.

Lily C.A.T.(1987)
A Science Fiction/ Horror film written and directed by Hisayuki Toriumi(known for directing Science Ninja Team Gatchaman), and fellow former Tatsunoko designer Yoshitaka Amano(Speed Racer, Gatchaman, Tekkaman) and the fairly new Yasuomi Umetsu, who worked on Omega City 23 and Robot Carnival. The plot is based on horror films such as Alien and the Thing. In the 23000rd century, companies search for planets to mine with the Syncam Corporation investigating a new planet by sending the crew of the Saldes there. The President’s daughter Nancy is among the crew and brought her cat on board. The crew enters Cryogenic sleep for the voyage. The ship collects debris on its own and picks something up with the crew realizing that two of their number are imposters. It is revealed there is a sentient bacteria onboard which dissolves human bodies and leaves only their clothes and that it takes the form of its human victims. As the survivors fight the bacteria they discover that an A.I. called Lily C.A.T. has taken over the ship and the company wants to study the bacteria at the cost of the lives of those onboard.

Hi Kitty Furry Tale Theater(1987)
An adaptation of the popular Hi Kitty Character created by Yuko Shimizu. The series was the first major role of now famous voice actor Tara Charendoff. Set in London(reflecting the original character’s nationality as when the Hi Kitty character was created British culture was very popular), Hi Kitty and her friends and family are depicted as putting on plays for the viewer, which are then seen and used to tell stories raging from Fairy Tales such as Pinocchio, Cinderella, Goldilocks, to Movies(Jaws, E.T., Star Wars), to Novels(Dracula, Tarzan, the Phantom of the Opera)[6].

Neo Tokyo(1987)
A science Fiction anthology film produced by “Studio Madhouse” a nickname for a Division of Mushi Productions. Masao Maruyama and Rintaro conceived the idea. It adapted three short stories by Taku Mayumura. The music was provided by Mickie Yoshino of the band Godiego, though several classical pieces are used such as Erik Satie’s Gymnopedies, the Toreador Song from George Bizet’s Carmen, and “Morning Wood” from Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt in an intentionally ironic context. It premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival. The First Film Labyrinth follows a girl named Sachi who plays hide and seek with her cat and accidentally stumbles into labyrinth world. The second film Running Man is about a death race. A. reporter discovers that the top racer has psychic abilities and causes the other racers to crash so he could win. In the next race his psychic powers grow and turn against him and he begins fighting a psychic being personifying himself, which chases after the car before tearing it apart and causing him to crash, resulting in his death. The final story “ Construction Cancellation Order” takes place in a fictional South American country that has just overthrown its government. A company invested in a project there but made a deal with the old government and send a man to cancel the project. It turns out to be fully automated by machines built to continue the project with no interruptions. When the man attempts to shut him down the machines nearly kill him, seeing him as a threat to their mission. Once he finally destroys the machines, he learns that the old government has returned to power and the project is to resume. The first segment was by Rintaro. The second was by Yoshiaki Kawajiri and he immediately began working on Wicked City afterwards. The third segment was by Katsuhiro Otomo, who was working on Akira at the time(being the creator of both the Manga and the Anime)[7].

Dangaioh(1987-1989)
A DVA Series produced by AIC and Artmic. The characters were designed by creator Toshiko Hirano. Designs for the machines were done by Shoji Kawamori, creator of Battle City Megaroad and the Dialcone series, which inspired Transformers and Masami Obari. The series begins when the mysterious Dr.Tarsan gathers four psychic together to united four planes to form the giant robot Dangaioh and fight back the tyrant Captain Galimos and Gil Berg.

To-y(1987)
Adapting a Manga by Atsushi Kamijo which ran from 1985 to 1987. It follows a fictional punk rock band called GASP and their rise, trials and tribulations.

Mister Ajikko(1987-1989)
Based on the Manga by Daisuke Terasawa. The series follows a young boy chef named Ajiyoshi Youichi, who runs a restaurant with his mother until he is discovered and challenged to compete against world famous chefs.

The Three Musketeers Anime(1987-1989)
An Anime adaptation of the Three Musketeers by Studio Gallop.

Tsuide ni Tonchinkan(1987-1989)
Based on the gag manga by Joichi Endo that ran from 1985 to 1989. The title translated to “Anyway it doesn’t matter”.

Bikkuriman(1987-1989)
Bikkuruman was a line of wafer snack cakes created by the South Korean company Lotte. The wafers were released in Japan with stickers and cards of various mythological and religious figures, making them collectibles. The characters were split between Good and Evil. Their success led Toei Animation to produce an animated series based on the cards.

Ultraman: The Adventure Begins(1987-1989)
A joint production between Hannah-Barbera and Tsuburaya Productions with animation by Ashi Productions. Like the Godzilla Hannah-Barbera collaboration it was a joint production to create an American based version of the Japanese icon in the form of a television series[8].

Grimm Fairy Tale Theater(1987-1988)
An animated series adapting many the fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm in their original form.

Lady!(1987-1988)
Based on the Manga written by Youko Hanabusa which ran from 1987 to 1993. The series follows Young Lynn as she travels with her mother from Japan to meet her father Viscount Marble in England. On their way there they are caught in a car accident and Lynn’s mother is killed and Lynn wakes up in the hospital. Lynn’s father hides her mother’s death from her and she has some amnesia from the event. Lynn then goes to stay with her father and his servants. She also finds she has a half sister called Sarah and both have a crush with two different boys who live nearby. Lynn is forced to become a Lady as she becomes accustomed to high society and things get worse such as the mansion being lost to the bank and the sisters being separated.

Violence Jack vs Great Energer(1987)
Violence Jack has remembered his true identity, unfortunately for the world he remembered he was Demon Lord Dante and has returned to plunge the world into hell once more. The previous battle between Demon Lord Dante and Energer Z concluded with both seemingly dead. Now the son of the original Energer Z, Tetsuya Tsurugi must battle his father’s old enemy, back from the dead!

Kaze to Ki no Uta(1987)
A series by Keiko Takemiya that ran from 1971 to 1979 in Shojo Comic. The series was the earliest work to depict a male-male romance and follows the tragic relationship between two men named Gilbert Cocteau and Serge Battoir who attend an all boys boarding school in late 19th century France. At the time of the Manga’s production, a new generation of female manga artists were rising to prominence, referred to as the Year 24 Group which came together under a group under that name due to the difficulties of being women in the industry. The series upon release was a critical and commercial success, winning the 1979 Shogakukan Manga Award for both Shojo and Shonen, though it was also controversial for its themes of sadomasochism, incest and rape.

Keiko Takemiya made her debut in 1967 but receded little attention, favoriting romantic comedy and Cinderella-like female protagonists. The Year 24 Group she joined included Yasuo Aoike, Moto Hagio(They were Eleven), Riyoko Ikeda(The Rose of Versailles), Toshie Kihara, Minori Kimura, Yumiko Oshima(Wata no Kunihoshi), Nanae Sasaya, and Ryoko Yamagishi. The Year 24 Group willingly shared a rented house to influence each other. Takemiya conceived the story in 1970 and wrote the first 50 pages in her sketchbook by January 1971. She had difficulty getting the story accepted due to beginning the story with a scene of the two male leads having sex. Most editors wanted it moved but Takemiya insisted on keeping it in as it told the reader what the story was about in the very first page. She teased it in the magazines telling readers to “remember the name Gilbert. I might use it something later. One hurdle was that she felt she didn’t know enough about the European setting and went on a trip to France Ryoko Yamagashi and Riyoko Ikeda to learn more. The series was eventually adapted and directed by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko(who had been a character designer and animation director for the original Mobile Suit Gundam series) and Sachiko Kamimura(an animator known for her work on City Hunter).Due to the mate content of the story was released a a DVA with Sequels made to continue the story. The story is credited with giving rise to the Yaoi genre[9].

Gall Force 2: Destruction(1987)
The sequel to the previous year’s Gall Force, which concerned two warring races and a ship known as the Star Leaf being stranded in space. After it was rescued with two survivors, one of the survivors Luffy learns about a potential plan to unite both races by force and create a new life form in the process while both sides fight to destroy each other by deploying a weapon that would annihilate an entire solar system.

Twilight of the Cockroaches(1987)
A film combining live action with animation directed by Hiroaki Yoshida. The plot involves a society of cockroaches that live in peace in the apartment of a bachelor named Seito. Seito meets a new girlfriend who begins exterminating the cockroaches, which are depicted in animation while the humans are live action, though the cockroaches are designed as essentially resembling humans dressed up as cockroaches. The Cockroach perspective of the event is essentially an apocalyptic event where the survivors are forced to escape to safety, many dying in the process, like the Day After Tomorrow for Cockroaches. Yoshitaka Amano worked on the film. The film is seen as an allegory for racism and war crimes. It was dubbed into English by Streamline Pictures, who also released Wicked City and Lensman.

Battle Royal High School(1987)
A DVA based on the manga by Shinchi Kuruma that ran from 1986 to 1989. The series follows Riki Hyoudo. a high school parade prodigy who fights challenges but is secretly the vessel to Byouodo, Demon King of the Dark Realm. This leads to several battles between the those seeking to prevent Byouodo’s return and those seeking to ensure it.

Daimaju Gekito: Hagane no Oni(1987)
A DVA directed by Toshiki Hirano with a screenplay by Sho Aikawa, mechanical design by Koichi Ohata and animation direction by Masami Obari. The premise involves two scientists named Takuya and Haruki, who test an experimental weapon which accidentally tears a whole in reality, causing a giant monster to emerge and wreak havoc and the military and character’s attempts to stop it.

Lupin the Third: Green vs Red(1987)
While two of Go Nagai’s greatest creations in Demon Lorde Dante and Great Energer were clashing in theaters. Lupin the Third had a match of his own….Himself! Yes despite the efforts of the Lupin right holders to get Miyazaki back they could not. He considered himself done but he did supervise his version of the character, though Isao Takahata directed instead. The regular cast returned along with composer Yuri Ohno. Despite Lupin creator Kazuhiko Kato being strongly against it, Mamoru Oshii was brought on but not in a directing role but to right his version of Lupin while Miyazaki wrote good Lupin. Another Miyazaki regular Yasuo Otsuka, who had worked with him on the tale of The White Serpent in 1958 also helped on the project having worked on many projects including every Lupin project, Basil of Baker Street, and From the Apennines to the Andes, Pippi Longstocking, the Sun over Chikkisani, the Wonderful World of Puss ’n Boots.

The Film’s plot begins with the green shirt Lupin seemingly being murdered. It is then revealed that “Red Lupin” from Lupin The Third: Tower of Babel is going around killing Lupins in the multiverse until he enters a world with a green jacket hopeful Lupin. He attempts to convince an insane and depressed man to nuke Tokyo and be “Free”. Green Lupin is shocked to discover his counterpart and how insane he is and when he sees him murder innocent people and frame the Green Lupin for it, as well as attempting to force himself on Fujiko Mine, vows to bring him to justice alive. What follows is a fascinating look into Idealism vs Cynicism. It’s therapeutic as Red Lupin tries to points out all the bad in the world and how humans are horrible while Green Lupin remains optimistic and positive and fights back during their battles. In the end, a bomb is about to go off and a portal is opened. Red Lupin is touched by his counterpart’s words and begins to cry tears of joy, apologizing for everything before telling his Green half “There is only one Lupin the Third “ before willingly pulling himself and the bomb into another universe where it explodes harmlessly as Green Lupin fails to save him. The film ends on a hopeful note as Lupin leaves on other adventures.

Red Lupin’s revelation towards the end seems to reflect the mindset of Hideaki Anno, who worked on the project. Working with Miyazaki seemed to lift his cynical spirits and helped aid him in combatting his depression. In short, the film seemed to help both Anno and Lupin in overcoming their personal demons[10].

As for next year, in gratitude and a bit of embarrassment for needing "The Great Miyazaki-san" to undo their actions, Anno and the Daicon staff offered to aid Miyazaki on his next project, the long in development "Nadia and the Secret of Blue Water." to be released alongside Takahata's next planned film: Kiki's Delivery Service. Takahata however is looking more and more distracted with making Borders 1939, a reality by 1989 and Miyazaki may have to step in and take over production of Kiki's Delivery Service.

Butterflied Away:
Metal Armor Dragonar. Intended as a starter series for new fans of Mecha Anime and a possible successor to the Gundam franchise, which ITTL is still going strong without the push for comedy, meaning this series does not exist.

Bubblegum Crisis. Was born from the troubles production of techno Police 21, which went a lot smoother ITTL, butterflying away this series.

Twilight Q. Butterflies away as it was conceived as being similar to the Twilight Zone, which ITTL exists as the original idea of Ultra Q was preserved, making this redundant.

Proect A-ko 2: Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group. Butterflied away as Project A-ko never branches outside of being a Creamy Lemon project.

Transformers: the Headmasters. The Japanese Producers of the American Transformers series OTL declined to adapt the three part miniseries “The Rebirth” and instead created “the Headmasters” as a replacement, creating an alternate continuity. ITTL they actually did dub The Rebirth, butterflying away this series.

Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle. An OTL Dragonball film. The plot ITTL was folded into the main show as filler, though its considered a very good filler arc just as the film is fondly remembered, being propped up as an example of Anime filler being done well. The plot fo the film fits more organically since it already features a Devil as the antagonist while TTL’s Dragonball world is plagued by them.

Saint Seiya: The Movie. Due to the creator going in the original direction, he made a Karate kid style series and not a space themed one, butterflying away this film.

Oraa Guzura Dado. Was remade in 1987 for its 20th anniversary. Unfortunately it was a Tatsunoko show, meaning that company’s fall averted its remake. It's also too far back that Production M.T. wouldn't remake it before something like Speed Racer of Gatchaman first. On the plus side you'll be hearing less of me saying "Tatsunoko went under so it doesn't exist" now.

Akakage. Had been a live action series since 1967 with a 1987 Anime being the sole exception. ITTL the 1987 series is released as a live action series instead.

Notes

[1] This prequel to Fist of the North Star was released in 2001 OTL, but pushed earlier due to the creators deciding to do it as a middle ground to meet the request of Shonen to keep the series going but wanting to end it after Raoh.

[2] Royal Space Force: Wing of Honneamise. Was OTL the first film by Studio Gainax and also first film funded by Bandai. ITTL the Gainax staff worked on Lupin III: Tower of Babel due to Hideaki Anno being among that group of friends and bringing them onboard. Gainax was a name intended to be used once and ITTL it is as the company keeps the name Daicon. The film OTL was a financial failure and a pricy one. ITTL there are a few changes which save it. One of which is the remove of the Studio demanded change to the title to add “Wings”. The Film’s failure led to Hideaki Anno falling into further depression and Gainax not making a feature film for quite some time. OTL Doraemon: Nobita and the Knights on Dinosaurs was the highest grossing film of the Year and beat out Royal Space Force. In terms of differences, the animation style is more Miyazaki inspired and the story was touched up. There OTL sequel went unproduced but as a result of this film’s success ITTL it will be.

[3] OTL Shina Megami Sensei was pitched and rejected by Ninendo. ITTL just for fun they accept, likely taking an approach similar to Disney would ITTL and create a division for Mature Games that would appear distinct from the family friendly brand.

[4]Replaces Mami the Psychic, which can be seen as a later version of the same premise as Akage no Anko. One element that has been removed is Anko posing nude for her own father’s art. Family nudity not being as taboo in Japan since families tend to shower together, but removed in international released.

[5] Studio I.G. was made up of former Tatsunoko staff OTL so its existence ITTL is more justified given their collapse. For the heck of it the initials have been swapped so the studio founder names of Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and Takayuki Goto go from leading to the name Production I.G. to Production M.T. which also alludes to the passing of Tatsunoko founder Tatsuo Yoshida and the company’s collapse.

[6] Hi Kitty OTL very nearly became the name for Hello Kitty. Tara Charendoff is now known as Tara Strong but was not known at this time.

[7] A Retcon. Studio Madhouse was founded OTL by Masao Maruyama when Mushi Productions went under. ITTL Mushi Productions survived and so most of the Studio Madhouse founders and most prominent figures such as Rintaro have stuck around as Part of Mushi Productions. The “Studio Madhouse” or just “The Madhouse” is a sort of nickname given to that particular group of people. Them sticking around means they’ve basically taken over the company while Tezuka finishes his Manga. The “Madhouse” ITTL is famous for their work on the Metropolis Film, the Mighty Atom reboot, Planet of the Apes, Nobody’s Boy: Remi, it’s sequel Nobody’s Girl: Remi, and the Aim for the Ace series. When Osamu Tezuka passes away(which he died in 1989 OTL), Maruyama is expected to succeed him.

[8]Ultraman: The Adventure Begins OTL was intended to be a pilot for a television series but was reworked into a film. ITTL it was an animated series. The Hannah-Barbera Godzilla cartoon was made earlier and did better as Toho OTL limited what they could use such as preventing the use of the classic Monsters or iconic Godzilla roar. The series is closer in tone to something like Johnny Quest. Despite the title it includes elements from other ultra Series as well.

[9]First thing is the Year 24 Group was a nickname given to what was not actually a group. ITTL however most of the people who have that label banded together and formed an actual studio under that name. Kaze to Ki no Uta struggled to find a publisher but with Year 24 existing it was much easier while OTL it took seven years to make and lasted from 1976 to 1984 while ITTL the franchise lasts from 1971 to 1979, making it essentially seen as a staple of the 1970’s Manga culture. The Direct to Video Adaptation also gets sequels which were planned but never made OTL, here largely due to Year 24 existing.

[10] replaces the OTL film of the Fuma conspiracy, though the title is from a 2008 film of the same name about two imposter Lupin fighting while here it’s two versions fighting. The Fun Conspiracy OTL had to make budget cuts and removed the voice actors who had played the characters since the beginning, which hurt the relationship with Lupin’s voice actor Yasuo Yamada who played him since the pilot and hurt the relationship he had with Lupin creator Kazuhiko Kato, who thought was responsible despite it not being his fault and formed a wedge between them that was unresolved until Yamada’s death. The series regular Composer Yuri Ohno could also not return due to budgetary reason while ITTL all return.​

 

[TheDetailer]

Cool stuff. What happens to Junji Ito and Akita ITTL?

 

[Marco Incognito]

Cool stuff. What happens to Junji Ito and Akita ITTL?

Junkies Ito has so far a similar career though Uzumaki ends differently. Less anticlimactic and Hellstar Remina ends slightly different. Ito successfully completed Silent Hills with Guillermo Del Toro has Hideo Kojima. I’m not sure who or what you mean by Akita. If you mean the film Akira then well I’d rather keep that a surprise since it will be covered in the next year. Akira Toriyama created Dragonboy and will then do DragonMan. Akira Kurosawa will be covered in film but biggest changes are he played nice and actually directed part of Tora!Tora!Tora! As well as a Godzilla movie in the late 90’s.

 

[TheDetailer]

Ito successfully completed Silent Hills with Guillermo Del Toro has Hideo Kojima.

Yes!

I’m not sure who or what you mean by Akita. If you mean the film Akira then well I’d rather keep that a surprise since it will be covered in the next year.

Yeah I meant Akira.

Junkies Ito has so far a similar career though Uzumaki ends differently. Less anticlimactic and Hellstar Remina ends slightly different. Akira Toriyama created Dragonboy and will then do DragonMan. Akira Kurosawa will be covered in film but biggest changes are he played nice and actually directed part of Tora!Tora!Tora! As well as a Godzilla movie in the late 90’s.

Nice stuff.

 

[Marco Incognito]

Yes!

Yeah I meant Akira.

Nice stuff.

Well i guess I can spill it but Akira will actually be a sort of stealth two parter similar to It chapter one and two or the first Dune film. This is due to the manga still being worked on when the film was made. The main divergence is when tetsuo finds Akira in the film he is dead and dissected. In the manga Akira is still alive and takes over Tokyo with Tetsuo with Kaneda now having to lead a rebellion against two powerful city destroying psychics and not just one.This is basically where part one ends and part two is the final battle. The sequel will likely be titled either Akira Part II or TETSUO(with the trailers dropping the title over audio of Kaneda shouting his name). This is specifically because the OTL film is basically only half the story and the ending is fairly rushed.

 

[TheDetailer]

Well i guess I can spill it but Akira will actually be a sort of stealth two parter similar to It chapter one and two or the first Dune film. This is due to the manga still being worked on when the film was made. The main divergence is when tetsuo finds Akira in the film he is dead and dissected. In the manga Akira is still alive and takes over Tokyo with Tetsuo with Kaneda now having to lead a rebellion against two powerful city destroying psychics and not just one.This is basically where part one ends and part two is the final battle. The sequel will likely be titled either Akira Part II or TETSUO(with the trailers dropping the title over audio of Kaneda shouting his name).

Nice stuff.

 

[unclepatrick]

Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend(1987)

For a real Utopia tied to anime , Have the record store , I worked in the late 80's and early 90's , put the Anime Video tapes elsewhere then next to the Disney tapes and let the workers warn people buying Urotsukidoil , that it was not for Children .
Yes that really happened in this timeline .

 

[Marco Incognito]

For a real Utopia tied to anime , Have the record store , I worked in the late 80's and early 90's , put the Anime Video tapes elsewhere then next to the Disney tapes and let the workers warn people buying Urotsukidoil , that it was not for Children .
Yes that really happened in this timeline .

The way I imagine most VHS or DVD set ups is Anime is its own section which will begin with kid friendly stuff and more adult as it goes down. So you'd have to look for it and there are little tabs showing the Japanese rating and and equal sign next to the American equivalent. DVAs are usually in the adult section since those tend to be works that are either independent, Hentai or works that feature Mature elements anyway. There'd be more of a mindset to blame the parents for not paying attention to the ratings system than the product itself.

 

[Balkanx76545]

When will the page for Jojo be released?

 

[Marco Incognito]

It’s next on the list. It’s had a Manga release with the Fist of the North Star creators collaborating with Araki. Their involvement will help to streamline how Stands work, which are a thing straight from the beginning. Phantom Blood would be getting an adaptation next year. Stay tuned for how the plot changes.

 

[Marco Incognito]

To add onto that while i was writing out the plot I decided that it will most likely be told in parts covered year by year as it was released rather than a dedicated post. Since each part is separate, but it will be receiving an anime adapting part 1 in 1988 while Jojo OTL took a longtime to be adapted into a fairly divisive adaptation.

 

[Marco Incognito]

1988 in Anime
There will be two extra individual posts covering two more Anime released this year: DragonMan, the sequel to Dragonboy due to it being a long runner with a very different plot justifying the longer post, and Jump World, a mega crossover Shonen Jump is doing for their 20th Anniversary. It will be done as a sort of Canon-welding crossover where the characters exist in the same universe rather than a "Portals open characters step through". Shonen Jump will essentially keep adding to this every 10 years with a sequel which will add more series that exist in that world. It's been separated as it also was a Video Games OTL and in this case it would be a cross promotion as well as having to combine so many series together.

1988 is widely considered to have been a good year in Anime and Manga. The two most popular series by Rumiko Takahashi which had run throughout the 80’s came to an end on the page and on the screen. Two new action series that would become staples of the genre itself premiered in Animation. One a sequel and one a new franchise. Both revolutionizing how fighting in Anime was portrayed and transcending boundaries and crossing the ocean. The company responsible for both celebrated its 20th Anniversary in style. Miyazaki collaborated with Disney for an adventure under the Sea, and a film came about that would blow everyone’s mind like they were Neo Tokyo.

Compilation Movies:
Aura Battler Dunbine
Hiatari Ryoko

Little Lord Fauntleroy(1988)
Produced by Nippon Animation in 1988 as part of World Masterpiece Theater. Based on Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1886 book Little Lord Fauntleroy. It was the first World Masterpiece Theater work since 1981’s Heart to feature a male lead. The story follows an American boy named Cedric Errol, who learns he is the sole heir to a British Earldom and leaves New York to return to England with his mother. His grandfather begins forcing him to act more like an aristocrat. The show was a runaway hit in the Philippines. The series also marked the debut of voice actress Ai Orikasa as the lead.

Maison Ikkoku: The Final Chapter(1988)
A theatrical film and finale to the Maison Ikkoku series which ran from 1980 to 1987 in manga form and 1986 to 1988 in Anime form. The film was released concurrently with Urusei Yatsura: The Final Chapter, which fulfilled the same purpose for the more popular series, playing before it in a double feature in theatres. This carried over to DVD and Blu-Ray released where the two films are packaged together.

Urusei Yatsura: The Final Chapter(1988)
The third and final film in the Urusei Yatsura series, adapting the conclusion of the Manga. With Lum’s people threaten to invade, Lum and Ataru must repeat their game of tag from the start of the series to save the Earth. Worse if Ataru loses, Lum will leave Earth forever and everyone’s memories of her will be erased. Lum refuses to allow Ataru to win unless he says the words “I Love You”, which he avoided saying throughout the entire series.

With both of her main series concluding, Both Takahashi and the Studio adapting her works have shifted focus to her latest series: Ranma 1/2.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes(1988-1997)
A series created by science fiction novelist Yoshiki Tanaka. In the distant future of 2801, two nations are at war, a Galactic Empire and a democratic Free Planets Alliance. Two rivals on opposing sides of the conflict are Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wen-li. The novel series which ran from 1982 to 1987. Kitty Films adapted the series into DVAs.

Ultimate Teacher(1988)
Based on the 1981 Manga Series by Atsuji Yamamoto. It was adapted into a DVA directed by Toyoo Ashida and produced y J.C.Staff. Emperor High School does not actually care about education and instead gives the students free rein while the teachers are former convicts just out of prison who keep the violent students in line. A new Teacher named Ganpachi, who was created in a lab, shows up intending to actually to do by the students while also beating up the other students and teachers to take control of the gangs. The DVA is largely criticized for its TV Quality animation, resulting in flat colors with no detail, though animating fighting very well.

Osomatsu-kun(1988-1989)
A remake of the 1966 Anime series based on the manga by Fujio Akatsuka. The remake was produced by Studio Pierrot and instead focused on two individuals, Iyami and Chibita, rather than the sextuplets as a whole. Iyami was likely chosen because a pose by him had become iconic in Anime to the extent where it was imitated by Godzilla in a film and John Lennon and Paul McCartney when they visited Japan in the mid 60’s. While different it proved successful and had a rating of 20%. The opening and ending theme was performed by Takashi Hosokawa.

Sakigake!! Otokojuku(1988)
Based on the manga by Akira Miyashita that ran from 1985 to 1991. The series is set in an all boys school where the students are trained to be as manly as possible, becoming musclebound as a result. The founder is a World War II veteran war hero named Heihachi Edajima, who trains his students to excel in politics, economics and industries so they can be the best at anything they need to be. It was produced by Toei Animation.

Salamander(1988)
Salamander was an adaptation of a video game, which itself was the result of an intense rivalry to surpass side scrolling shooter games. This began with Konami’s Scramble in 1981. Namco assigned Masanobu Endo to create a game to rival it. He came up with a game called Cheyenne based on the Cambodian War(Cheyenne being a type of Helicopter employed in the conflict) which was released in 1982. Since Scramble popularized the genre, Konami fought back with Scramble 2 in 1985, which took a long time to make due to refining the gameplay. Salamander was adapted into a DVA series by Studio Pierrot and directed by Hisayuki Toriumi. The plot of the game was expanded to concern the Bacterians, which captured sentient life and mutated them to serve in their space armada using a dark fog with the Lord British Space Destroyer fighting back the invasion. Noriko Hidaka voiced the protagonist[1].

Tsurupika Hagemaru(1988-1989)
Translated to “Little Baldy Hagemaru”. Based on the manga by Shinbo Nomura that ran from 1985 to 1995. It was published in CoroCoro Comic and won the Shogakukan Manga Award in 1987. It follows a young boy named Hagemaru and his efforts to save money. It is a slice of life series. It was produced by Shin-Ei Animation

F(1988-1989)
Based on the manga by Noboru Rokuda that ran from 1985 to 1992. The series is about a country boy who achieves his dream of being a Formula One racer. The adaptation was done by Fuji TV and Kitty Film. Atsuko Nakajima worked as animation director.

Harbor Light Story Fashion Lala Yori(1988)
This series acted as a magical girl retelling of Cinderella while based on Creamy Mami. Miho dreams of becoming a fashion designer She lives with her aunt and three cousins who exploit her, though the youngest cousin is nice to her. A local disco holds a contest to find the Disco Queen. Miho is too young but designs a dress for her cousin. When her aunt finds out, she tears up the dress. A crying Miho is approached by Fairies who transform her into Fashion Lala, a sixteen year old and she enters with the repaired dress. Now she can transform into a magical girl but only at night[2].

Doraemon: The Record of Nobita’s Parallel visit to the West(1988)
The 9th Doraemon film. Based on Journey to the West. The last of the Showa Era. The film begins with Nobita waking up from a dream where he impersonates a stone monkey and Doraemon as a traveller from another land. This turns out to be because he fell asleep during a school play performing Journey to the West. Nobita wants to travel back in time and see the real Sun Wukong. He does so but they accidentally bring monsters back with them, one of which impersonates the school teacher to rewrite the Journey to the West play so that the. Main characters die and are eaten. The group tries to get Sun Wukong to help but he is easily distracted, leading them to largely stop the monsters themselves. They then learn that some of the monsters stayed behind to attack Tang Seng and the group goes to the past, impersonating the story’s regular cast to help protect Tang Seng so he can reach India and spread Buddhism(The film frequently pokes fun at the original story and how often Tang Seng gets tricked by monsters and needs to be rescued, with the main characters complaining as they keep having to rescue him and that the original story is so long that the main characters don’t remember all of it and forget about certain parts, and the play greatly condensed and changed the story). In the present, Sun Wukong, after being distracted by modern day things, finally begins to fight the Demons. Nobita and Doraemon’s group succeed in overthrowing the Demon King while Wukong wins in the present and is returned to his own time.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack(1988)
Char's Counterattack was based on the original idea pitched by Tomino titled Beltorchika's Children[3]. In UC 0093, Char Aznable has returned as the leader of Neo Zeon with a new Mobilt Suit known as the Nightengale.

The Nightengale

Despite the efforts of the task force Londo Bell, including Amuro Ray, Kamille Bidan and Bright Noa, Char succeeds in causing an asteroid to crash into Tibet. Federation Prime Minister Adenaur Paraya and his daughter Quess barely survive. Amuro is given a new mobile suit known as the HC-Gundam or the "Hi-C-Gundam”[4], which amplifies his psychic abilities, to combat Char and begins a romantic relationship with Beltorchika Irma[5] Bright reunites with his son Hathaway. Quess begins to fall in love with Amuro while Hathaway develops a crush on Quess. Quess ends up leaving with Amuro. Adenaur secretly meets with Char to sign a treaty which would hand over the asteroid axis. Amuro recognizes Char. Quess is discovered to be a psychic new type and mobile suit pilot, with Char manipulating her into becoming a weapon. Neo Zeon ambushes the Federation during the treaty and the Asteroid Axis is sent towards Earth. A nuclear strike on the Asteroid only splits it in half. A battle begins while Quess goes insane piloting a Mobile Suit. Hathaway confronts her in a mobile suit to try to calm her down only to accidentally kill her. Amuro and Char have their final battle, in which Amuro finally wins. He then attempts to stop the Asteroid while having captured Char. The Federation and Zeon work together to try and save Earth. The HC Gundam Amuro was using pushes his psychic abilities far beyond anything he used before. While the Asteroid is pushed away, Amuro and Char both vanish into a white light.

The Burning Wild Man(1988)
Based on the Manga by Takashi Sato that ran from 1987 to 1991. It was adapted by Studio Pierrot and aired on Nippon Television. The series follows Kenichi Kokuho, who as a child was lost in the mountains and raised by a foster father before leaving to return to civilization at age 15.

Armored Trooper VOTOMS: Origin of Ambition(1988)
A Prequel in the VOTOMS series which covers Chirico’s time in the Red Shoulder and history with General Pailsen.

Treasure Island(1988)
A Joint-Soviet(Ukrainian) Japanese production. It is an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel and was ordered by the USSR and it was created by the studio Kievnauchfilm. It combines Animation with live action segments used in flashbacks. The film was a cult classic immediately upon its release and continues to be until this day, so much so that an attempt to ban the film in Russia on the basis of it depicting alcohol and tobacco was fought back, with many pointing out the main characters never drank or smoke, only the villains did. The film’s joint Japanese production became the subject of memes. One meme pointed out that 1988 is a good year of Anime followed by shots of Anime such as Nadia, Kiki, Akira, Dragonboy, Jojo’s, and finally Treasure Island, usually represented by Treasure Island. There are also memes alluding to The 1988 Treasure Island being an Anime[6].

Kiteretsu Daihyakka(1988-1996)
Translated to Kiteretsu Large Encyclopedia. Based on the Manga by Fujiko Fujio, creators of Doraemon, which ran from 1974 to 1977. It was adapted by Fuji TV. The series was licensed in Spain under the title “Kiteretsu, Nobita’s Smarter Cousin.” The creators liked this idea and eventually incorporated this into the series proper. Eiichi Kite aka Kiteretsu is the descendant of a great inventor who built a companion robot named Korosuke. He has friends such as a girl named Miyoko Nonohana and a bully named But a Gorira. Korosuke is revealed to built a time machine.

Dragonboy(1988)
A Live action film starring Jackie Chan, a fan of the series. Chan has expressed interest in adapting Dragonboy into live action, but admitted it would require a great deal of special effects. When interviewed about this Akira Toriyama expressed his support that nobody could play Tangtong but him. Chan was further motivated by his idol Bruce Lee playing Kenshiro in 1986’s adaptation of Fist of the North Star. In an interview, Chan revealed he was approached to appear in an adaptation of City Hunter in 1987 but declined due to clashing with the director. It is theorized that most of the film productions of live action films began because the Gundam film was expected to be a success. When it wasn’t the films were already in production and so were not cancelled, causing a mini boom. The Dragonboy film condensed the plot, something easily done by instead having it be that Demon King Piccolo had resided in the former castle of the Princess, removing much of the other figures and killing him off in this film. This means that Tangtong, Bulma and Pingyao are ambushed when they arrive and Tangtong is injured, being trained by Muten Roshi to defeat Demon King Piccolo. Roshi is killed in a Surprise attack, leading Tangtong to fight Demon King Piccolo and defeat him[7].

Cubitus(1988-1989)
An Anime based on the Belgian comic strip of the same name. It was the first work created by J.C.Staff, a new company formed from the remains of Tatsunuko. The show aired on the Family Channel in 1989 and was produced by Saban Entertainment. Cubitus lives with his masters sailor named Semaphone and next door to Senechal, a black and white cat who is Cubitus’s nemesis.

Sonic Soldier Borgman(1988)
A science fiction anime airing on Nippon TV. Set in 1999, the series follows a Super Sentai style three member team fighting against the GIL Crime organization from the Demon World, which destroyed Tokyo in 1999. The three leads, Chuck, Ryo and Anime are teachers as their day job fighting against the villains in 2030.

Mashin Hero Wataru(1988)
A series created by Sunrise and Red Entertainment, which took the 17:00-17:30 timeslot. “Hajime Yatate” is credited but this is a pseudonym given to the Sunrise animation staff. Shuji Iuchi directed the series.The series is fairly comedic in tone. It follows a 9 year old boy named Wataru Ikusabe who is transported to a magical land by a dragon named Ryuijinmaru, known as Soukaizan. The series includes RPG Elements such as dungeons, levels and magical objects and the land is made up of platforms floating above each other where the “boss” of each floor must be defeated before fighting the final villain. With each level beaten, the color of the Soukaizan rainbow is restored. Along the way, he recruits allies. The series became a huge hit in Japan and in Asia, including being popular in China.

Nadia and the Secret of Blue Water(1988)
Originally pitched to Miyazaki by Toho in the mid 1970’s as a television series. Miyazaki refused as he preferred to adapt it into a film, but the idea never left him, though elements entered Castle in the Sky. After their collaboration on Lupin the Third: Green vs Red, Daicon became involved along with NHK and Group TAC. Involved in the pitch were Yoshiyuki Sadamoto and Mahiro Maeda, who had done concept art for Studio Ghibli films before. Had it not been for Ghibli, used to Miyazaki’s productions constantly breaking records for production costs every year, Daicon would not have been able to handle the workload and would have collapsed under the weight. Then partly through a third party, the English distributor Disney became interested and threw out ideas, namely a desire to explore Atlantis in a Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea adaptation, an alive Atlantis rather than the ruins depicted in the original story. Disney’s research brought in the ideas of clairvoyant Edgar Cayce such as healing crystals. They also paid for trips to New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns for inspirations, which Miyazaki sketched. Disney and Miyazaki both wished to avoid the stereotypical depiction of a crumbled greek city. Mayan architecture was looked at as well as Southeast Asian. Marc Okrand, known for turning the fictional Klingon language into an actual learnable language, was brought in to create the Atlantean language.

The film is set in 1889, Nadia, a 14 year old girl meets a boy named Milo(originally named Jean), a young French inventor, who becomes fascinated with studying Atlantis and its technology. Nadia does not remember her origins. The two are chased by jewel thieves, due to Nadia having a blue gem around her neck. They are rescued by Captain Nemo and his ship the Nautilus when the boat they are on sinks. Here it is explained that, there was once one Earth Civilization but that it collapsed(implied by the visuals that Laputa from Castle in the Sky was a remnant of this same civilization). The Nautilus heads under the sea to find Atlantis. They are followed by an American General Lyle Rourke and his mercenary group, who intend to take control of the Atlantean technology and use it to conquer the world. Nadia is revealed to be the Princess of Atlantis.

The Film was released alongside Takahata’s Kiki’s Delivery Service and the two were often grouped together as Nadia & Kiki with the two appearing side by side on covers, leading to fan art depicting them as friends for this reason, despite the two never meeting.

The success of the film led to demand for a sequel in some form. If the three chefs of Ghibli, Daicon and Disney had barely kept together during production, this was where they bickered. Miyazaki had no desire for a sequel and already had mixed feelings on Studio Daicon, seeing Royal Space Air Force as heavily flawed. Daicon were mostly interested in the backstory of the “Adams”, or large robots which arrives on Earth long ago and devastated Atlantis to the extent it splintered and specifically what if these “Adams” returned in the present. Fans already theorized that the Adams would return and devastate the world, resulting in the world seen in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Fortunately, this idea, which was set in the future, could be fairly largely divorced from the initial concept. Daicon would turn this idea into Alcion. Disney would reap several rewards from this partnership, which included a retheming of the theme park ride Captain Nemo’s Submarine voyage to reflect the film instead, and also a sequel series called Team: Atlantis, which was used to feature both Victorian Era figures, from other Jules Verne stories especially, it also included a mystery about the Society of Explorers and Adventures, a group with stories running through most Disney theme park rides. The characters from the show even crossed over with the later show Gargoyles. Also in case you’re wondering this film takes the place of Oliver and Company in Disney Canon.

While Miyazaki disliked Daicon, he did like Disney, so much so that he was approached with an interesting idea soon after two individuals at the company had which most of the company had been putting off. An idea they summed up as “Treasure Island in Space”[8].

Kiki’s Delivery Service(1988)
Based on the 1985 novel by Eiko Kadono. The rights to adapt were bought in 1987 with the intent of either Miyazaki or Takahata directing. Miyazaki was busy at the time on Nadia and Takahata was working on Border 1939 with the intent of 1989 release date, and so was more free. Katsuya Kondo did the character design. The Film was a success and was released alongside Nadia and the Secret of Blue Water in a double feature and enjoyed success. There would many years in 2014, be a sequel depicting the characters as teenagers and in a different art style[9].

Appleseed(1988)
A Cyberpunk DVA series adapting the manga of the same name by Masaune Shirow, best known for Ghost in the Shell. It was produced by Studio Daicon. The plot is set in the 22nd Century after a Third World War with several governments like the US, Great Britain and China weakened but surviving. Deunan Knute and Briareos Hecatonchires are former LAPD SWAT Members are found in the ruins of a city and invited to join the ESWAT(extra Special Weapons and tactics), organization in the Utopian city of Olympus.

Patlabor: The Early Days(1988-1989)
Mobile Police Patlabor(a portmanteau of “Patrol” and “Labor”) is a franchise created by Headgear, a group which included manga artist Masami Yuki, director Mamoru Oshii, screenwriter Kazunori Ito, mecha designer Yutaka Izubuchi, and character designer Akemi Takada. The series is set from 1998-2002. Robots are used in everyday work as “Labors”. The Tokyo Police use a fleet of Patrol Labors or “Patlabors”. Noa Izumi is the main character and works in Division 2. The Manga ran from 1988 to 1994. Notably, because the Anime was made by the same group as the mangas, The Anime is essentially a prequel to the manga, set before the adventures depicted there without contradictions.

Hello!Lady Lynn(1988-1989)
The Sequel to 1987’s Lady!! The series was produced by Toei Animation for 36 episodes. Lynn has started a new life separate from her family. Her sister Sarah lives with her grandfather while her father works to earn money to buy back the Marble Mansion. Lynn studies at Saint Patrick Academy, a school for horseback riding. While there she makes friends and rivals and gains the title of The Lady Crest.

Mahjong Hisho-den: Naki no Ryu(1988-1990)
Translated to “Mahjong Soaring Tale: Sobbing Ryu:. A Mahjong themed Manga and Anime by Junichi Nojo. The manga ran in Takeshobo’s Bessatsu Kindai Mahjong, which is itself a magazine focused on Mahjong. It was released as a series of DVAs.

Dominion(1988)
Based on a manga by Masamune Shirow that ran from 1985 to 1986. In the future, a bacteria has polluted the air so badly people must wear gas masks to survive outside. The protagonists are a police squad who use Tanks. It was released as an animated miniseries.

Ironfist Chinmi(1988)
Based on the manga by Takeshi Maekawa published by Kodansha. The plot follows a young Chinese Martial artist. Due to the popularity of the similar “Seiya.” Series. This show was seen largely as a cheaper copy of that much better series.

Akira(1988)
Akira began life when Kodansha asked Katsuhiro Otomo to write a series for Young Magazine He did several series for them. Two works essentially served as “Prototype Akiras”. The first was 1978’s Fireball, which concerned a futuristic society under the control a supercomputer called ATOM. A resistance fighter is kidnapped by the government when he is discovered to have latent psychic abilities. His brother, another freedom fighter, attempts to save him and the psychic abilities of the abducted activate to save his brother and becomes a destructive sunlike orb, the titular Fireball[10]. Otomo then worked on a new series called Domu in 1980. Otomo has seen the Exorcist and wished to add horror to one of his stories. He combined this with an apartment complex in Tokyo known for a high number of suicides. The result was the Manga Domu: A Child’s Dream, which included a psychic named Old Cho using his powers to cause people to commit suicide and a young girl discovering she has psychic powers as well and facing him. In the 1990’s Following the success of Akira, Bandai would work to adapting this story and get Otomo to approve the film script and David Lynch to direct. It was released in 1999[11]. After the Domu manga concluded Otomo began work on Akira, intended to be his most ambitious work to date. The names came from Tetsujin028-go, which was homaged in the idea of a weapon developed during wartime. Elements of the Showa Era also influenced the story such as the preparations for the Olympics and the student protests of the 1960’s. Otomo also found that while there are a post apocalyptic stories, there aren’t many stories which have the apocalypse occur in the middle. When writing the title with the story Otomo kept disliking how the title appeared and it would change fonts per chapter, such as appearing as a Neon sign or made out of rubble. Archie Goodwin of Marvel Comics handled the translation into English, but this was much harder than normal due to elements such as sound effects and word balloons being used with elements like words made out of objects that needed to be changed as well as the story structure of left to right instead of right to left. Otomo made adjustments and retouches for the English version. The American version also colorized the work with Otomo approving and sending he own colored drawings, they were then colored by Steve Oliff, who was handpicked by Goodwin with Otomo’s approval. Marvel used computer coloring, given it a much different look beyond the capabilities of Japanese technology at the time, revolutionizing how comics were colorized. Because Otomo began working on Steamboy, another project, it took until 1994 for the coloring and the comic to be released.

Otomo did not intend to adapt the series but as it went on he saw the potential. He negotiated to retain creative control due to his experience on Genma Wars. Bringing it to screen was a huge endeavor and required multiple companies, making it one of the highest budgets for a film at the time 700 Million yen or 5.5 Million Dollars. Companies involved included Kodansha, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Bandai, Hakuhodo, Toho, LaserDisc Corporation, Sumitomi Corporation, and Tokyo Movie Shinsha. Makiko Futaki was one of the key animators, having worked on many Studio Ghibli films. The film’s dialogue was recorded and the animation made to match, something rare eve now. The Voice actors had Animatics in front of them as they recorded their lines. One problem stemmed from the Manga not yet being finished and it would end in 1990. After a conversation with Alexander Jodorowsky, Otomo knew how the film would end.

In 1988 in the film’s world, the Third World War is triggered by a nuke suddenly destroying Tokyo. It is eventually rebuilt as Neo Tokyo by 2019. It is a city plagued with corruption, terrorism and gang violence. Shotaro Kaneda leads a biker gang. During a battle with a rival gang, Kaneda’s best friend Tetsuo Shima sees a kid on the street and swerves to avoid him, crashing. The child is shown to be an Esper, possessing psychic abilities and is on the run from the government. He is recaptured by Colonel Shikishima, who also takes Tetsuo. Government experimenting on Tetsuo reveals he is gaining psychic abilities as well. Kaneda meets a girl names Kei, who is a member of the resistance that tried to free the child. He also learns that the first Esper created: Akira, destroyed Tokyo in 1988. Tetsuo breaks himself out, killing many with his new psychic powers as he escapes just as Tetsuo and his gang are fighting to save him. Tetsuo attempts to flee with Kaneda’s girlfriend Kaori but an ambush by a rival gang injures him and he returns to custody. After this, Tetsuo is forced to work with the resistance to try again. Fearing Tetsuo’s power, the Espers working with the government try to kill him with a psychic attack but being much older than the children, his more fearsome mind scares them away with terrifying images and he learns about Akira and how he is buried under the Olympic Stadium. Breaking out of the hospital he goes on a rampage heading to where Akira is.

In order to stop Tetsuo, Kaneda and Kei meet with Colonel Shikishima and an older Esper called Lady Mariko, who believes Kei has Esper potential while Kaneda refuses to even learn if he does out of fear of becoming like Tetsuo. Shikishima stages a coup and takes control of the government to stop Tetsuo, who begins taking drugs due to the pain of his abilities. Kei and Kaneda fight Tetsuo before he can reach Akira. They are defeated but not killed as Tetsuo still cares for Kaneda. As one last final attempt to stop Tetsuo, Colonel Shikishima fired an orbital space laster, which Tetsuo destroys at the cost of his own arm, which he then quickly created a metal replacement. Tetsuo then lifts a Chamber from the ground and opens it. Inside is…Akira….He is alive[12].

The Film ends there, but a trailer plays for the second part, showing several devastating scenes and ending with the name TETSUO in bold font over the sound of Kaneda screaming the name. The second part would be released in 1990 at the same time as the manga. The first part however, was the big event of the year and a massive success, considered one of the greatest works in animation ever made. Its legacy persists into the present day with it continuing to be praised for its effects. It receives homages in animation fairly commonly with several works of animation replicating what has become known as the “Akira Slide” mimicking a motion Kaneda makes on his bike.

Vampire Princess Miyu(1988-1989)
A Horror series of the manga by the same creators of Narumi Kakinouchi and Toshiki Hirano. It was licensed by AnimEigo as a DVA series. A human world and a Demon Underworld exist with a space between them. A young irl named Miyu is the daughter of a human and a demon and is born as a vampire that becomes the guardian tasked with keeping balance and slaying evil demons.

Fair, then Partly Piggy(1988-1989)
Based on the picture book series by Shiro Yadama. The book focus on a boy named Noriyasu Katakeyama, who decides to write his journal entries on what will happen tomorrow instead of what has happened and finds that what they wrote comes true(though sometimes in a twisted way like saying that he gets the power to fly resulting in him getting plane tickets). It was adapted into a series by Oh!Production and Gakken.

Crying Freeman(1988-1994)
Based on the Manga by Kazuo Koike(known for Lone Wolf and Cub and Lady Snowblood), and illustrator Ryoichi Ikegami. The series follows a Japanese assassin named Yo Hinomura, who is captured and hypnotized by the Chinese Mafia called the 108 Dragons. He sheds a tear after every kill as a sign of regret and fighting against his programing. When he is sent to kill a woman named Emu Hino, who witnessed the murder of a Yakuza boss, she continue to asks for last requests which he resists enough to gain more control, finally ending in the two making love. Since the Yakuza is after Emu, Yo takes her to the 108 Dragons for protection and she becomes a member. The leader of the 108 Dragons wants to make Yo his successor, but his granddaughter Bai-Ya-Shan plots against him. It was adapted into a DVA Series.

Bride of Deimos(1988)
A DVA by Rintaro and “The Madhouse”. A Fantasy horror manga by Etsuko Ikeda and Yuuho Ashibe that ran from 1974 to 1997. It premiered in the magazine Princess. ComicsOne distributed the series in North America. The series follows high school girl Minako Ifu. Minako appears to be the reincarnation of Deimos’s lover the Goddess Venus. Deimos tries to take Minako to the underworld so Venus can possess her body while Minako herself opposes this idea and uses her magical abilities to fight Deimos[13].

Gunbuster(1988-1989)
A DVA Series produced by Bandai, Victor, and Daicon. It was the directorial debut of Hideaki Anno, later known as the creator of Neon Genesis Evangelion. The series deals with an alien invasion by an insect race, leading humanity to develop fighting robots piloted by teenagers to fight in the war. The protagonist is Noriko Takaya, son of a famous admiral who went missing. She has a father figure in instructor Koichiro Ota. She is clumsy and is nicknamed “The Daughter of defeat.” Noriko admires another pilot Kazumi Amano. Both, being the best students in the class, are selected for a special mission and enter a program with the advanced students. Noriko is bullied into a deadly exercise with live fire but Ota its secretly there watching in case someone is hurt. Noriko realizes her problem was sensory overload from the many devices and turns off her targeting computers, which is seen as an insult and a rival student attempts to kill her only for her to demonstrate a difficult maneuver she was not taught to win. Noriko and Amano engage in the aliens in a battle in which the Earth fleet is devastated and they are traumatized while barely surviving. The pilots return after a battle to discover time dilation means 10 years have passed on Earth and many of their old friends have changed. They try to readjust but are forced to go back into space when an alien threat of unprecedented size is detected approaching Earth. They prepare to make a jump to drop a massive bomb on the fleet. Amano, having a crush on Ota is saddened to learn he is dying of radiation and is reluctant to jump again but is convinced by Noriko to keep going and complete the mission while returning after only half a year in Earth Time where Amano marries Ota. The aliens return 15 years later and Earth is prepared with a black hole bomb, which will create a black hole that will head towards the location the aliens have been approaching. Noriko and Amano carry out one last mission, Ota having died. This last mission destroys the aliens and their homeworld but the jump home and the time dilation means they arrive 12,000 years into the future and see signs of there being no life on Earth. They then spot a message saying "WELCOME HOMƎ!" Written in simplified Japanese with the last letter reversed, implying that the current civilization has not perfectly recreated what is it them an ancient language.

Oishinbo(1988-1992)
Based on the manga that has been running since 1983. Translated as “The Gourmet”. The name is a portmanteau of Oishii, the Japanese word for delicious, and Kuishinbo, which means someone who loves to eat. The series follows culinary journalist Shiro Yamaoka and his partner and later wife Yuko Kurita. Shiro dreams of making the ultimate menu while he father Yuzan Kaibara tries to sabotage his dream. Published by Shogakukan. It is the 10th longest manga and 11th best selling manga in history. It won the Shogakukan Manga Award[14].

Demon City Shinjuku(1988)
A DVA Based on the 1982 novel by Hideyuki Kikuchi(Vampire Hunter D, Wicked City). It was directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri. The film depicts a battle between former friends the evil Rabi Ra and the hero Genichirou. Remi Ra plans to summon a demon army and defeats Shinjuku, turning it into a Demon land. Ten years later, the World President is attacked by Rebi Ra. Genichirou had a son who inherited his powers named Kyoya Izayoi who hears the pleas of the President’s daughter and jumps in to save the President when he is abducted and taken to Shinjuku to be sacrificed to bring back the Demons to Earth. Basically its Escape from New York with Demons.

Starship Troopers(1988)
A film based on the 1961 novel by Robert A.Heinlein and dedicated to him as he died before the first part was released but saw a rough version of it and loved it. The series is fairly faithful to the novel including the use of Mecham which Daicon, the makers of the DVA, had previously depicted their version of in the Daicon Openings, and the protagonist being part Filipino and being named Juan “Johnny” Rico[15].

Dragon Century(1988)
A two episode DVA Animated by the Anime International Company, also released on VHS and Laserdisc and subtitled in English by U.S. Renditions. Set in the near-future of Hokkaido in 1990. A series of murders take place around the world and a dragon appears in the sky each time. The Dragon is believed responsible and the Japanese Self-Defense Force shoots and kills it. A young girl named Riko finds and raises the dragon’s egg. She names the Dragon Carmine. The second part is set 300 years later where Dragons are now more common. Carmine is fully grown and a young girl similar to Riko named Rulishia finds him and becomes his master, using him to e enter a dragon fighting tournament to get revenge on the team that killed her father and his dragon. To complicate things, the demons truly responsible for the murders 300 years ago return.

Tama and Friends(1988-1990)
Produced by Sony Music Entertainment Japan and animated by Group TAC. Based a cute animal franchise created by Sony Creative Products in 1983.

Project Zeorymer(1988-1990)
Based on the manga series that ran from 1983 to 1985, written by Yoshiki Takaya under the pen name Chimi Moriwo(which he used when writing Hentai). It was published in the manga Lemon People that published adult material. The series was released as a DVA. In the near future, a secret society named Nematoda hires three men, Professor Akitsu, Professor Himuro and Professor Wakatsuki to build a G Class Giant Robot called Zeorymer to conquer the world. On his deathbed, Professor Akitsu tells his son that Zeorymer must not awaken. Soon after, a new student transfers to Masaki’s school named Miku Himuro. She introduces him to her adopted father Professor Himuro and Masaki begins to investigate his late father’s project. To silence him Nematoda’s General Golshid sends a G Robot to kill them but Himuro, his daughter and Masaki escape and infiltrate the base to steal Zeorymer. Masaki and Mike pilot the robot while Himuro guides them. The city is devastated and General Golshid sends other G Class robots. Himuro dies of a disease. Masaki learns he is a clone of the dead evil Professor Wakatsuki taken by Professor Professor Akitsu. Miku is a clone of Himuro’s dead wife. Wakatsuki’s personality begins to take over and plans to destroy Nematoda but take over the world himself. Masaki is forced to fight Nematoda, finally destroying their base and their minions as well as their own Zeorymers prototypes but when a bomb capable of destroying the world is about to go off, the Zeorymer is destroyed stopping it but Miku and Masaki survive. The spirit of Wakatsuki fades away both due to Masaki’s will and Zeorymer’s destruction depriving him of his chance at world domination. The Four episode DVA by AIC toned down the hentai elements(which there was very few of anyway).

One Pound Gospel(1988)
A DVA based on the manga by Rumiko Takahashi that ran sporadically from 1987 to 2007. The series is a mix of a boxing and romantic comedy series. The series follows boxer Kosaku Hatanaka, who struggles with gluttony, leading him to change weight class. A nun named Sister Angela helps him deal with his eating habits and stay in shape and the two begin to fall in love.

Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01(1988)
A DVA produced by AIC and Pony Canon, directed by Shin Aramaki and distributed by AnimEigo. The plot follows a young man named Koji Sugimoto, a young man who works as a mechanic. He accidentally gets stuck in a power suit called MADOX-01 which he can’t get out of due to a software bug. He goes to his girlfriend for help while the Military tries to kill him in the process of getting back the suit. An American soldier with a grudge against MADOX-01 tries to kill him and he finds the developer of MADOX-01, who helps him defeat Kilgore in battle before helping him get out.

Machine Robo: Wolf Sword Legend(1988)
At the conclusion of Machine Robo: revenge of Chronos. The protagonists are pulled into an alternate universe where they go form being robots to being humans and are separated. The characters eventually meet each other and find they must fight the villains, who have safely passed through as robots.

Peacock King(1988)
Based on the Manga by Makoto Ogino that ran from 1985 to 1989. Kujaku is a buddhist monk who carries out exorcism and devil hunting as part of the Ura-Koya secret organization that hunts demons while fighting an evil organization called Rikudoshu seeking to revive the deity known as the Peacock King(Mahamayuri in Chinese mythology). Kujaku and his allies defeat the organization and thwart their plans. It was adapted into a film by Lam Ngai Kai, a Hong Kong filmmaker, starring Japanese actor Hiroshi Mikami as Kujaku and Hong Kong actor Yuen Biao as Kongque. Gloria Yip plays Ashura and Gordon Liu and Philip Kwok in supporting roles.

Space Family Carlvinson(1988)
Based on the Manga that ran from 1986 to 1997. The Series is set in 4001 and follows a group of aliens who's ship crashes onto an asteroid, killing a couple but their daughter survives. The Aliens decide to raise their infant daughter despite not knowing anything about humans. It was adapted into a 45 minute animation.

Phantom Blood(1988)
An adaptation of the 1987 manga series created by Hirohiko Araki with the assistance of Fist of the North Star creators Yoshiyuki Okamura and Tetsuo Hara. Both were assigned to help Araki as Shonen saw potential in the mangaka but found thought his style was not quite refined and it was “not quite”on the level of Dragonboy and Fist of the North Star. Araki was reluctant with this set up but Fist of the North Star had been an inspiration to him so working with the creators was an honor. Despite Tatsuo’s presence, Araki insisted on drawing himself(though Tetsuo provided some covers), this was one of the elements that didn’t work for Shonen as his style borrowed heavily from Hisashi Eguchi(known for Stop!!Hibari-kun!) and Shonen called it derivative, because of this a compromise was reached, the female characters in Araki’s world resembled Eguchi’s female characters while thanks to assistance from Tetsuo in teaching his style, the male characters resembled Tetsuo Hara’s. It was a strange blend, as if characters from two different mangas were dating. Araki after some time reached an in between style that served as a homage to both.

The series was largely inspired by the popularity of action film stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone at the time, leading to male characters with muscular body types and inspired by a trip to Rome Araki took to study the Greco-Roman sculptures in great detail. The plot follows the Ji-Sho-Ten-Ketsu structure, essentially the Japanese equivalent to the Hero’s Journey which follows Introduction(Ki), Development(Sho), twist(ten) and Resolution(Ketsu), however Araki turned this around as it is the villain Dix who goes through the structure of the Hero’s Journey in Phantom Blood and not the main character of Jonathan Joestar. One complaint in the early manga was Jonathan always lost, making him seem pathetic. To rectify this, Yoshiyuki and Tetsuo wrote in some scenes to give him some wins. Araki always had a plan to end the series with a death and the Joestar line continuing. Araki also needed a power for his series. He wanted to draw something “Invisible” to human eyes yet still conceive it. Sitting down with Yoshiyuki and Tetsuo, the three came up with the concept of “Stands” or invisible beings which fought on their wielders behalf. All three have insisted it was Araki’s idea and he just needed some pushing before he came up with it. It was also Araki’s idea to have each stand be named after music somehow, be it an artist or a song. This also applied to some of the characters.

The story begins in 19th Century England, George Joestar is in a carriage accident. Dario Brando stops to try and loot Joestar, believing him to be dead when George wakes up, he falsely believes Dario was trying to save his life and promises him a favor. Dario goes home to tell his son Dio about this so they can rob the place. Did instead poisons Dario and arranges to be adopted by the Joestars, becoming a step brother to Jonathan Joestar, George’s son. Did intends to kill George and Jonathan and take the fortune for himself. Jonathan beats Dio in a fist fight and Dio gets revenge by burning Jonathan’s pet dog Danny alive after wiring his mouth shut in one of the most horrific scenes in both the manga and Anime. Their rivalry continues into adulthood when George Joestar reveals a Stone Mask in his presence belonging to the the Aztecs said to grant great power. In 1888, now of age to take the Joestar Fortune, Dio begins to slowly poison George Joestar so that the poison wouldn’t be detected. Jonathan follows Dio. Did decides to test the Stone Mask on a random bystander. This causes the man to gain powers but be unable to control them and be crushed by them. The man in question was a friend of street thug named Robert Speedwagon. Speedwagon then begins to seek Dio out for revenge, attacking Jonathan due to believing he and Dio are working together before learning the truth. With Speedwagon’s help, Jonathan finds the antidote to Dio’s poison and cures his father. When Did returns, believing George to be dead, Dip brags about his victory and is about to kill Jonathan before it is revealed to be a ruse. With nothing left to lose, Dio attempts to stab Jonathan with George taking the knife instead. Did then takes the stone mask before being shot at by police and begins to brutally kill them. Jonathan pushes him out of a window and onto the metal spikes of a fence but when he looks again, Dio’s body has disappeared. The battle started a fire which burns the mansion down.

Sometime later Jonathan is walking with his love Erina Pendleton and approached by a man named Will A. Zeppeli, who reveals that Dio Brando is alive and creating superpowers minions with the Stone Mask. Zeppeli demonstrates his own ability, called a Stand. Zeppeli explains that one must be physically strong enough to survive the stand or be destroyed by it and believes that Jonathan could survive but begins training him to be certain. Zeppeli refuses to use his Stand “Stairway to Heaven.” As its ability is to open a portal to the afterlife which threatens to hypnotize the user and individual into enter the afterlife, including Zeppeli’s. Dio had a plan to weaponize Stairway to Heaven and killed Zeppeli’s wife so that he would attempt to use it, leading Zeppeli to escape and plot against him. Speedwagon steals the Stone Mask at the cost of his life and Jonathan uses it, nearly dying but gaining a Stand, called Hermit Purple that activates just in time to save Jonathan from a bullet. Jonathan then begins to take on Dio’s followers including a transformed Jack the Ripper, using a Stand called Mack the Knife. When Jonathan nearly dies, Zeppeli goes on his own to face Dio but oddly keeps finding himself at the bottom of the same flight of stairs. He realizes too late that Dio’s Stand, which he kept hidden, is to stop time. Dio mortally wounds Zeppeli just as Jonathan arrives, though Zeppeli reveals Dio’s ability. A battle ensues between Jonathan and Dio where it is revealed Jonathan’s stand can resist duo’s time manipulation as Hermit Purple can shoot out vines that can manipulate anything including tear at time itself. Jonathan uses this to stop his own heart and wound Dio in an ambush when he thinks he is dead but is wounded himself. The two crash into the River Thames and descend into the water, with Jonathan holding Dio down with Hermit Purple's vines. Both appear to drown. Erina finds a dying Zeppeli, who uses his stand to show both his spirit and that of Jonathan Joestar going into Heaven. In the epilogue, Erina is revealed to be pregnant with Jonathan’s son, who is born and named Jorge Joestar. Jorge keeps reaching for something revealed to be a stand's hand, which Erina cannot see.

And of course, we move onto Jorge Joestar's own adventure where he fights Vampires in World War I…[16]

<—To be Continued

The Delayed:

Himitsu no Akko-Chan. A Remake of the magical girl series released in 1988. ITTL it will be released in 1989 instead. Closer to the character’s 20 year anniversary. Ironically an adaptation of Sally the Witch will follow as per the two magical girl’s long history(Akko-Chan was released before Sally the Witch but Sally the Witch was adapted into Anime before Akko-Chan and used to promote that show when it came out with Sally the Witch calling Akko-Chan a friend of hers in ads. The rivalry continues as Akko-Chan is now first to get a remake with Sally the Witch not far behind.

Butterflied Away:
Mobile Suit SD Gundam. Due to Tomino having more control of the franchise and its greater popularity making this idea more of a risk. It is butterflied away.

Robotech II: The Sentinels. The Robotech series itself was a reworking of other series which ITTL were adapted faithfully and The Sentinels was an attempt at creating an original series which was never released. Since the original series were adapted faithfully there is no Robotech.

Ronin Warriors. Created by Sunrise OTL to capitalize on the popularity of Saint Seiya, a series which is a martial arts series ITTL, butterflying this away.

Transformers: Super-God Masterforce. Butterflied away due to the distributors of Transformers choosing to dub the rest of the series rather than make their own.

Topo Gigio. An Italian mouse character usually depicted as a puppet. He received an Anime series OTL but ITTL the character remains A puppet.

Project A-ko 3: Cinderella Rhapsody. The original A-ko started off as part of a hentai series and it remained so, butterflying away the sequel.

Anpanman. Sort of…A 1988 Anpanman series was created OTL and continues to run to this day, but ITTL Anpanman was created in 1970, three years earlier as the creator had to write a story for Mushi Productions and the story he wrote OTL was too close to Tezuka’s Jungle Emperor Leo, so he created Anpanman instead. Not impossible as the character was based on his childhood experiences.

Ten Little Gall Force. A Mockumentary style recapping of the Gall Force series. Butterflied away due to its odd tone seen as ill fitting in this context.

Armor Hunter Mellowlink. A part of the Armored Trooper VOTOMS. Butterflied away as the plot is essentially very similar to the original story but with a different person. A Soldier who’s united is sacrificed on the battlefield for reasons unknown and he becomes a target of a conspiracy while seeking revenge.

Violence Jack: Evil Town. Due to Violence Jack returning to villainy as Demon Lord Dante and a Great Energer crossover. No sequels to Violence Jack ensue.

Notes

[1] Ok a few things. First there is Cheyenne. OTL the game was known as Xevious and the game started off as Cheyenne, a Vietnam set shooter before becoming a space set shooter game. ITTL it stays a War shooter, though the fact that its set in Cambodia and not in Vietnam gives a pretty clear hint at how one event went down. Blue Skies Over Camelot gets credit for that idea. The US does not get involved in Vietnam, and actually win in Cambodia but the shellshocked war veterans and television coverage paint a dark picture of the war. Back to games, Namco released Gradius to compete against Xevious OTL while ITTL Gradius keeps its original title of Scramble 2.

[2]Fancy Lala began as an 1888 OVA before it was rewritten into a 1998 series. ITTL it is made into a TV Series instead from the beginning.

[3]Beltorchika's Children was Tomino’s original pitch for Char’s Counterattack. ITTL it was chosen rather than being rejected with Tomino rewriting it, due largely to Gundam’s bigger overseas success.

[4] The Hi-C-Gundam is TTL's name for the Nu-Gundam, it's name means "The Gundam that surpasses Char", the second name of Hi-C Gundam is mocked ITTL largley due to an ill thought out cross promotion with the Hi-C juice drink.

[5] Due to Beltorchika’s Children being use, Beltorchika takes the role of Chan Agi ITTL.

[6]Replaces The Adventures of Lolo the Penguin, an OTL Japanese-Soviet co production. Yes I am evoking a meme. I imagine a “Dr.Livesey best Anime character” or “Treasure Island is best Anime” meme similar to the Cory in the House is an Anime meme.

[7] OTL Jackie Chan expressed interest in 1995 when Dragonball Z had concluded in starring in an adaptation but admitted it would take a huge budget for special effects. Toriyama was later asked who’d he want to play Goku in a live action movie and said he wasn’t Sure but “Maybe Jackie Chan when he was younger.” Chan did star in a city Hunter film in 1993 which was a bad adaptation but a good action flick. It contains an odd scene in which a Street Fighter arcade game is destroyed and the characters turn into Street Fighter characters with Jackie Chan appearing as Chun Li. See here.

However, this is butterflied away. Chan and the director of the OTL film Wong Jing hated each other and Jing went onto make High Risk in 1995, which involved Jet li playing bodyguard to an actor parodying Jackie Chan due to his dislike of him during City Hunter. Neither City Hunter nor High Risk exist ITTL.

[8] Nadia and the Secret of Blue Water was pitched to Miyazaki as a tv show in the early 70’s OTL before Ghibli was formed. After Ghibli was formed, Miyazaki only did movies and never did shows again. It was passed to Studio Gainax, who released it in 1991. Its production and failure nearly bankrupted the studio until the success of Evangelion saved them. The film’s success ITTL thanks to Miyazaki’s involvement averts this, which also means Royal Space Air Force is getting a sequel in 1992 which was cancelled OTL. Evangelion was actually conceived as a sequel to Nadia, and will loosely be that ITTL. As for Disney’s involvement we that came about as a nod to the controversy when Atlantis: The Lost Empire came out and people compared it to Nadia. Despite fan pressure, Gainax wasn’t crazy enough to sue Disney. ITTL with Anime being more popular and Miyazaki involved, they wouldn’t have that excuse so they become involved sooner for the sake of it and Ghibli and Disney being distribution partners. There were many cancelled plans for an Atlantis sequel, a film called Shards fo Chaos with an unknown plot, and a TV Show with some episodes released as a film called Milo’s Return as well as Team Atlantis.The Gargoyles crossover was also planned as was rebranding the Captain Nemo Submarine Voyage around Atlantis: The Lost Empire, which ironically makes more sense given Nemo’s involvement in the plot.

[9] Kiki’s Delivery Service really only became a Miyazaki film unintentionally, he began to intervene on the project to the extent where he finally shrugged and decided “might as well direct it”, before that it was a toss up between Miyazaki and Takahata, both busy on My Neighbor Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies, both of which came out in 1984 ITTL. As a result of Takahata instead of Miyazaki the film is more slice of life as Miyazaki added stakes like crows making Kiki fall and break her broom, losing her powers and the airship, with some of these elements like the power loss being used in Miyazaki’s Pippi Longstocking film. The bit about the sequel is a nod to a Cup O’ Noodles commercial for April fools featuring Kiki in a new art style, making it appear to be a sequel. ITTL it is its own film, replacing a live action Kiki’s Delivery Service Film released in 2014 OTL. Japan has a history of excelling in April Fool's Jokes. ITTL this is likely a cross promotional ad for the existing animated sequel

[10]Otomo would regret ending Fireball early as he couldn’t use the Finale he wanted. ITTL he does. While Akira was born from his frustration for not finishing Fireball how he wished, he also insists it was going to be its own work regardless, and the fact that Otomo made Domu: A Child’s Dream as a similar concept supports this idea. so Akira is not butterflied.

[11] OTL the attempt to adapt Domu: A Child’s Dream fell through due to the producer Propaganda films not wanting to work with Lynch. It went to Guillermo Del Toro who was prevented from making it by lawyer problems such as negotiating the rights with Japanese Lawyers. Del Toro has a lot of cancelled films while Lynch only has a few so I’m giving him this one.

[12] OTL the Manga and Anime diverge at this point. In the Manga Akira is alive but dissected in the film. What determined this was the conversation with Jodorowsky. ITTL Jodorowsky made his version of Dune. It was a bomb. So instead of changing the ending, Otomo sticks to his original hesitance and doesn’t end the Anime before finishing the Manga, making this a stealth sequel in the vain of IT: Chapters One and Two and Denis Vileneuve’s Dune. As for if a Live Action Akira is coming…well we’d have to wait and see on that one but at some point, though Taika Waititi might not be the one to make it since it was in development hell for so long.

[13] Bride of Deimos ran in Princess Magazine until it went defunct in 1990. ITTL it does not. It did come back later but went on a long hiatus in 2014. So the run date is an additional 7 years.

[14] OTL Ishinbo was put on hiatus after the author wrote a story in the series criticizing the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster in 2014. ITTL the disaster never happens and so neither does the controversy forcing the series to enter permanent hiatus in 2014.

[15] Robert A.Heinlein put Strange in a Strangeland on Hold to make Starship Troopers which was intended as a young adult novel, known as the time as a Juvenile Novel but it was rejected and he rewrote it. ITTL Heinlein finishes Stranger in a Strangeland first under its original title The Heretic and makes Starship Troopers in 1961. Partly because his OTL motivation was his anger at Eisenhower for stopping production of nuclear weapons while the USSR continued to increase their own. ITTL a Democrat George Patton became President and occupied Eisenhower’s OTL Term. Naturally he increased the US stock pile out of his hatred for the USSR and in 1960, Richard Nixon became President, decreasing the nuclear weapons, which led to Heinlein writing the novel. OTL he wrote the original version of the story fairly quickly and does so here, hence its release the same year Nixon becomes President in 1961.

ITTL the film Bug Hunt at Outpost 7 is realized as its own film and isn’t composited with Starship Troopers to better sell the idea, which OTL resulted in a divisive film. A Great film but a bad adaptation which added additional themes relating to fascism and propaganda. Because of this, the Starship Troopers DVA enjoys greater popularity than OTL among fans of the book.

[16] The Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Manga is far gorier than the Anime, which tones it down. ITTL thanks to the crew from Fist of the North Star being involved, the Anime is far closer to depicting its Manga counterpart in this regard. Zeppeli's stand is based on a Led Zeppelin's most iconic song as he is named after the band and Jonathan's Stand is actually used by Dio in the OTL series but implied to have been Jonathan's and Dio got it when he took over his body. Hermit Purple basically works by summoning vines that can tear up anything, even the Time that Dio's Stand freezes like its paper. The sequel will be very different, following Jonathan’s son Jorge Joestar. It will change two criticisms of the OTL series. The first is that Jonathan’s son despite his symbolic survival was not important and killed offscreen, making him unremarkable in an otherwise remarkable family while ITTL he is a protagonist. The second part will also feature Rudol Von Stroheim. One of the more off-putting elements of Part 2 is how Stroheim is depicted extremely positive for a Nazi. Due to the period changing, Stroheim is now a World War I old Prussian style German and not a World War II Nazi.​

 

[Nintendogamemaster]

Fun thing, I just got into Jojo´s Bizarre Adventure, just in time for the Post of Pop Culture Utopia to talk about Jojo
So in this universe, Araki wouldnt skip a generation and thus part 2 would be about Jorge Joestar? I wonder what will his arc be about or which will be his personality, likely it will have some events of OTL´s Battle Tendency, which leads me to wonder what will Joseph´s arc be about then.

 

[Marco Incognito]

Fun thing, I just got into Jojo´s Bizarre Adventure, just in time for the Post of Pop Culture Utopia to talk about Jojo
So in this universe, Araki wouldnt skip a generation and thus part 2 would be about Jorge Joestar? I wonder what will his arc be about or which will be his personality, likely it will have some events of OTL´s Battle Tendency, which leads me to wonder what will Joseph´s arc be about then.

I got into Jojo’s for this project. For the order there is a bit of a shift. Part 2 is Jorge Joestar vs the pillar men in world war 1 with Jorge Joestar getting some of OTL’s Joseph Joestar.Part 3 is in 1938 and is Dio back versus Joseph Joestar(basically OTL’s Jotaro Kujo) and is basically a retelling of Dracula as Araki originally planned but with Nazis thrown in with Dio working alongside them. Part 4 is a serial killer in a small town story but set in either the 50’s or 60’s and with Josuke not being illegitimate. Part 5 is a gangster story fittingly set in the 70’s when The Godfather came out. Part 6 is set in 1889 and features Giovanna Giorno. After that I won’t say it the franchise gets rebooted, keeps going or if Araki moves onto something else. That will be a surprise for when we get there.

 

[TheDetailer]

Akira ITTL sounds awesome. Also, neat that Disney is joining forces with the world of Anime ITTL.

 

[Marco Incognito]

Akira ITTL sounds awesome. Also, neat that Disney is joining forces with the world of Anime ITTL.

So far they collaborated with Tezuka and Rintaro on an adaptation of Metropolis though that was released under the Hyperion imprint, basically like if it was released under Touchstone. But they did work with Miyazaki to make Basil of Baker Street or TTL’s the Great Mouse Detective which is a Disney animated canon film and now Nadia and the Secret of Blue Water. OTL Miyazaki’s output started to decrease from a film every two years to every four years or so but TTL’s Treasure Planet is on the list.

 

[Marco Incognito]

DragonMan(1988-1995)
Dragonboy had a rough start but found its footing when it began focusing on the fighting aspect of the series. In-Universe, the protagonist Tangtong had grown up. He was no longer a Dragonboy. So this warranted a name change into DragonMan to mirror the character’s adulthood. At the conclusion of Dragonboy, Tangtong had defeated Demon King Piccolo in battle, but he had spat out an egg which became Piccolo Jr. Our hero went onto marry Princess Bulma.

The Saiyan Saga
It is now four years later, and a mysterious being arrives in a pod from Space. He is there searching for someone named Kakarot. He encounters Piccolo first and they briefly fight but he easily defeats the Demon. He then senses and arrives at the Castle of Princess Bulma. Without efforts he defeats the army guarding the palace and stops before Tangtong. We learn he has a four year old son named Goku. Radtiz explains that Tantong was sent to prepare the planet for invasion, which he does not remember, though he realizes he bumped his head as a child. Raditz easily defeats him and abducts Goku as a hostage to force Tangtong to conquer the planet. Tangtong assembles his old friends including Kururin, Tien, Chiatzou, Yamcha and Yajirobe. Piccolo approaches Raditz to form an alliance, warning about the group who eventually arrive. Raditz easily overpowers the group but avoids killing them as he wants to convince Tangtong to join him in taking the planet. While Tangtong is defeated he refuses to give up and this allows the group to defeat Raditz using strategy but Tangtong is mortally wounded. To make matters worse, he fails to kill Raditz. They then discover that Piccolo took Goku during the fight and while Raditz was barely defeated, two more Saiyans are coming to Earth. Raditz, knowing he will be killed for his defeat, decides to throw in his luck with the warriors on Earth for his own survival.

Now let me make something clear. Something which shocked everyone when it occurred and many were still in denial for some time afterwards. Tangtong is dead. He can come back thank to Fortuneteller Baba but this lasts for 24 Hours. He will not be resurrected. Akira Toriyama has just done the unthinkable and killed off the main character in what is essentially the first five minutes of the sequel[1]

Now Tangtong doesn’t disappear from the story and this helped mitigate the impact as he was soon after shown in the afterlife where Kami, convinced the deity King Yemma to let him train in the spirit world with the master King Kai. He intends to train to become stronger and use his one day Fortuneteller Baba can bring him back to fight the Saiyans when they arrive. On Earth, Tangtong’s friends search for Piccolo and Goku. Raditz actually joins forces with Piccolo, preferring his methods and begins to train them. Not only he does become a nicer person from establishing a genuine friendship with the two but he also begins to indoctrinate Goku into being a bloodthirsty killer. Piccolo also begins to think Raditz is pushing the boy too far. One night, Goku looks at the moon and turns into a Dragon, which Saiyans can do. Raditz easily subdued and removes his Dragon tail. Raditz nearly kills Piccolo but he prevents Raditz from killing by revealing the Dragonballs exist. They cannot bring back the dead but they can grow in power depending on who holds them. Due to their connection, Kami knows the two villains are coming and takes the heroes of Earth to train in the Room of Spirit and Time only to be interrupted by the two villains and defeated. Raditz grabs a Dragonball and the power of the Dragon spikes, causing him to take it, but his outburst of power inadvertently freed a being Kami imprisoned long ago called Garlic.

The Moment of truth finally came as the Saiyans arrived, vaporizing a city immediately upon arrival. Raditz and Piccolo intentionally hold off on interfering and prevent Goku from doing so, intending to let everyone else die weakening the group. The two Saiyans are revealed to be Nappa and Vegeta and they plant a seed which causes a tree to grow which begins draining the planet of life. Garlic approaches the two Saiyans and reveals he can grant them immortality if they give him the Dragonballs. Raditz and Piccolo have two, one that Tangtong had, one that Goku had. Kururin,Tien, Yamcha, Chiatzou, and Yajirobe each have one.

Garlic’s presence leads Kami to intervene which brings in Piccolo since he is afraid of fading away if Kami is “Stupid enough to get himself killed”. This in turn leads Raditz to reluctantly get involved due to his friendship with Piccolo and also the young Goku seeing his two mentors leave despite their orders to stay behind. Raditz intervenes and saves Yamcha from an exploding creature called a Saibaman the tree is sprouting. He explains to the group that the tree absorbs energy from the Earth. Hearing this, Tangtong asks Fortuneteller Baba to revive him now and he begins creating the Spirit Bomb, stealing energy from the Tree so that it shrivels and dies. In order to help lift the tree so it isn’t absorbing energy from the ground, Raditz fires an artificial moon and transforms into his Dragon form. Realizing what he is doing, Nappa also transforms but Vegeta avoids doing so willingly by not looking at the sky. Nappa and Raditz begin fighting in their dragon forms with the other fighters following Raditz’s instructions and cutting off Nappa’s tail. The world ending Tree is set on fire. Raditz tells the others to distract Nappa while he lifts the Tree only for Vegeta to cut off his tail, reducing him to his normal form. Nappa easily defeats Yamcha, Chitazou, Kururin, Piccolo and Tien, who loses an arm. To save the life of his friends, Tantong hurls the Spirit Bomb at Nappa and everybody moves out of the way except for Chiatzou, who uses his telekinesis to hold Nappa in place. Nappa’s power allows him to resist enough to reach Chiatzou and he forces several Saibaman seeds down Chiatzou’s throat. The Spirit Bomb makes contact and a blast consumes the entire area.

To everyone’s horror, Nappa is still alive but collapses in exhaustion. Chiatzou senses that the Saibaman within his body are preparing to grow out of him and explode and he says goodbye to Tien before flying directly into the Tree of Might, which then explodes as Kururin and Yajirobe and the others are cutting the roots. Vegeta, who willingly stayed out of it, joins the battle. He kills a weakened Nappa for his failure and takes Chitazou’s Dragonball. With the rest of the heroes exhausted, Raditz, and Tangtong jump into fight Vegeta while Piccolo and Kami help fight Garlic. Kami reveals that Garlic used the Dragonballs to grant him immortality, forcing Kami to exile him, but this was before Kami split himself from his other half. Piccolo and Kami argue over whether or not they should become one being once more as Piccolo fears he will die but Kami says the strongest half will survive. They finally decide to fuse and to his surprise Piccolo is the dominant personality. With this new power, he easily overpowers and vaporizes Garlic. The Fusion and disappearance of Kami causes the Dragonballs to disappear, which angers Vegeta. He sees Goku arriving and fires a blast at him which Raditz takes, being mortally wounded. Raditz says goodbye to Goku and Tangtong, apologizing for his actions and thanking them before he dies. His last act is to bring back Goku and Tangtong’s tails. Tangtong begins to spark in rage as if about to transform but Vegeta knocks him out before he could do anything[2].

Goku transforms and battles Vegeta in his own Dragon form and gives Tangtong enough time to remove Vegeta’s tail. Vegeta is seemingly killed when he is crushed but Goku goes on a rampage which forces everyone to work together until Tangtong calms him down. In the chaos, Vegeta escapes in a pod. Tangtong spends the last of his time saying goodbye to his son while teaching him the Spirit Bomb. He finally says farewell and vanishes[3]

The Namekian Saga
Most of the other fighters recover in hospital. Piccolo reveals his new memories after fusing with Kami and explains that some long forgotten memories indicate a planet called Namek that is home to it’s own Dragonballs said to be able to revive the dead. Goku, Kururin and Piccolo head there with Bulma. They arrive and find that the planet is being invaded by the tyrant Lord Frieza, Vegeta has also arrived there. An enemy of his in the Frieza Force named Cui follows him, intending to kill him now that the Frieza Force has labelled him a fugitive. Piccolo picks a fight with Frieza to save a Namekian village but struggles against Frieza’s servant Dodoria. Until the fight between Vegeta and Cui enters the village. Piccolo and Vegeta unintentionally join forces to fight Frieza’s henchmen, Dodoria, Zarbon, and Cui. Kururin and Goku save a child Namekian named Dende and on his request take him to the elder of Namek, who summons a warrior named Nail to join the fight and he commands them to flee in different directions to draw out the forces. Vegeta reveals he is far stronger than he was on Earth thanks to a Zenkai boost and kills Cui. Piccolo is overpowered by Zarbon while Nail kills Dodoria. Frieza decides to call the mercenary Ginyu Force for backup. Kururin and Goku had their potential unlocked by the grand elder. Vegeta battles Zarbon but is defeated and brought back to the ship. This was a plan to break out and steal the Namekian Dragonballs in Frieza’s posession. Zarbon engages Vegeta again but due to his Zenkai boost, Vegeta kills him and rejoins the heroes. He intends to fight them when he sees the Ginyu Force arriving. A battle ensues.

Vegeta, Piccolo, Nail, Kururin and Goku fight the Ginyu Force but struggle against them. When a ship containing the recovered, Tien, Yamcha and Yajirobe arrive. The Ginyu Force are one by one defeated by the Heroes using strategy with Yajirobe decapitating Guldo, Jeice and Burter being defeated by Tien and Yamcha, and Vegeta defeating Recoome after gaining a Zenkai boost. Frieza realizes that a Namekian is needed to activate the Dragonballs and heads towards Guru, Piccolo and Nail head to defend him. They do well against the Ginyu, but he reveals his ability to switch bodies and possesses Nail. Piccolo fights Ginyu in Nail’s body and needs to head to Guru to get his potential unlocked, which he had refused before. Ginyu blows up Guru’s home just as Piccolo reaches him. Frieza arrives and becomes angry at Ginyu until Piccolo emerges. Guru is revealed to have been killed which causes the Dragonballs to stop working. In rage, Frieza violently shoots Ginyu in Nail’s body several times. Ginyu tries to switch bodies with Frieza but the tyrant avoids this attack. The beam turns to attack Piccolo, who is able to throw a Namekian frog in the way. Ginyu possesses the frog, which is promptly vaporized.

Piccolo fights Frieza and is struggling against him when he sees that Nail, now no longer possessed, is still alive and fuses with Piccolo to grant him power. This power boost allows him to begin to win and Frieza reveals he can transform and does so. Vegeta, now with a Zenkai arrives with the others and this forces Frieza to transform again. Goku has the idea to use the Spirit Bomb, which the surviving Namekians contribute to. The others distract Frieza until the Spirit Bomb is launched. The attack appears to succeed and everyone is about to celebrate until Piccolo is shot. Frieza reveals the planet is collapsing. Frieza reveals to Vegeta that he destroyed Planet Vegeta, killing most of the Saiyans. This causes Vegeta to spark in anger and transforms into the Legendary Super Saiyan. A fight ensues, which gives everyone else time to escape.

During the battle, A flashback is shown that follows Tangtong’s father, Bardock. Bardock is sent to conquer a planet for the Saiyans. His son Tangtong was born with a power level of 2, which he considers a disappointment. His wife Gine, insists he can get better. She scans other babies with weak levels and finds one that reads 10,000 though Bardock dismisses this as a joke(it turns out to be foreshadowing for Broly). Bardock leaves to decimate a planet with his group, to clear his mind he goes off alone and encounters an alien who claims that he saw the future but no one believed him. He tries to warn Bardock that Frieza will betray the Saiyans. Bardock dismisses this but his last act is to transfer his powers to Bardock shortly before he is killed. Bardock begins to experience future visions and returns to find his squad killed by Dodoria. He tries to warn the Saiyans but fails. He dies making his last stand against Frieza. Toriyama later stated he had nothing to do with the story but he liked it so much that it was decided that it would go in-between the Vegeta and Frieza fight as Toriyama needed time to finish the manga. It lasted two episodes, but the fight was finished the next episode[4]. Rather than flee when the Planet exposed Vegeta held Frieza down so that both seemingly perished in the explosion of the planet. Goku brings the Namekians to Earth, where they make formal contact with Earth.

The Cyborg Saga
The next part was delayed as Toriyama didn’t want to begin the new arc with filler, namely the plan to bring back Garlic. Instead, a subplot was introduced revealing the Vegeta was alive and gathering his own forces to battle Frieza’s brother Cooler. Piccolo has also left with a group of Namekians and intends to kill Vegeta if he can. Vegeta and Coolor meet and begin a battle. Where Vegeta reveals his Super Saiyan form. Cooler counters with a form of his own which Frieza lacked. Piccolo intervenes hoping to bring down both but is swat aside. He provides a distraction that saves Vegeta and allows him to kill Cooler. Piccolo returns to Earth with Vegeta arriving after him soon after. Both are surprised when Frieza and Cooler’s father King Cold is felt approaching Earth for revenge. Upon arriving he is confronted by a mysterious teenager, who reveals himself as a Super Saiyan, shocking Vegeta. Vegeta and the mysterious stranger work together to kill King Cold. After which the Stranger refuses to reveal his origins but warns of two androids which will appear in three years and that they should prepare. He then vanishes into a machine.

Three years pass. Vegeta and Bulma have had a son. The androids finally appear and are a white faced large android and an old man. The fighting begins and Vegeta as a Super Saiyan struggles against them with the White faced Android 19, nearly killing him by unleashing a deadly plague. Most of the heroes are nearly killed. The mysterious stranger arrives and reveals that he is from the future. In his time, the Virus devastated the Earth but he did not know the Androids had released it. He reveals himself as the son of Vegeta and Bulma from the future and with his time machine, sends Vegeta to the future devastated by the Androids where Bulma found a cure. Vegeta is cured and has the situation explained to him. He immediately plans to go fight the Androids in this time despite just losing to them, thinking his Zenkai boost is enough. Bulma refuses to let him go out of fear of losing him again but he promises to come back and leaves. As he confronts the Androids, he is nearly killed and the Androids taunt him with their memories of already killing him. He is saved by another Super Saiyan revealed to be and adult Goku, who in a flashback, went Super Saiyan when the Androids kills Piccolo. The two begin working together to fight the Androids and are struggling against them until suddenly Android 20’s head explodes. This is revealed to be a sniper shot from Bulma, who has donned a mechanical suit rather than sit on the sidelines. Android 19 panics and attacks everyone but the two Saiyans work together to destroy the Android. They then prepare to send Vegeta back to his own time only for a mysterious figure to steal the time machine.

In the “Present”, Goku and Trunks decide to enter the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to train a year’s worth in a day. Piccolo finds that Garlic has regenerated from being seemingly vaporized due to his immortality and makes a deal for the two to fuse to defeat the Androids. He reluctantly does so and manages to defeat Android 19 on his own, forcing Android 20 to flee but Bulma is able to track him with the others to his lair. Android 20 is revealed to be the creator of the Androids Dr.Gero and awakens Androids 13,14, and 15, but does not activate Androids 16,17, and 18, seemingly out of fear. They head out and fight the Heroes but are defeated due to being weaker models until Androids 13 fuses with the remains of 14 and 15, becoming much more powerful. Goku and Trunks arrive and Goku uses the Spirit Bomb despite the protests of everyone about how the Androids absorb energy. Goku instead absorbs the energy and uses it to destroy Android 13. With no other options, Gero activates Androids 17 and 18, two teenager, who kill Gero. They then activate Android 16. The Heroes burst through but to their surprise, the Androids do not want to fight. Android 16 was built to kill Tangtong for his role in bringing down the Red Ribbon Army but he is dead. The Androids then decide to leave despite the protests of Trunks, resulting in a fight between Goku and Trunks where Goku refuses to back down and supports the idea of the Androids being free to determine their own destiny.

Bulma contacts the group and reveals the discovery of the ruins of a Time Machine, akin to the one that Trunks has. He decided to go back and check on his own time. He reveals the existence of other Androids to Vegeta, and Goku and all three head out to find Gero’s lab. Trunks claims the Androids were evil so that Goku could destroy them. They attack and destroy most of the Androids but in their search, discover a broken container, implying one escaped. Trunks tries telling Vegeta that they should destroy the Androids but he sides with Goku as he believes they would be good opponents if they live. He therefore fights Trunks. When the remaining Cyborgs of 17 and 18 are woken up, Trunks attacks them, triggering a fight. Its revealed that Gero removed the minds of Cyborgs 17 and 18, making them mindless killing machines. A fight ensues and Vegeta’s arm is broken while Goku is killed saving Trunks, causing him to go Super Saiyan for the first time. Trunks blames himself and willingly agrees to return to the present with Vegeta to find a way to destroy the Cyborgs

In the present, Bulma discovers a strange creature in Gero’s lab and decides not to kill it but experiment on it. Piccolo investigates a decimated town, finding a creature calling itself Imperfect Cell which is absorbing people. It escapes from Piccolo and goes after the Cyborgs. Bulma also turns Yamcha and Kururin, both heavily injured by the Cyborgs, into Cyborgs themselves, making them stronger. They are both initially angry at this but calm down as it was the only way to save their lives. Kururin gets to know Cyborg 18 and tries to defend her. When Cell comes for her 17 is absorbed as the heroes try to stop him. Bulma is able to invent a remote to shut off the Cyborgs. It is used in the future and used by Bulma to kill Cyborgs 17 and 18, appearing before them in a lab coat and standing up to them for killing her friends. She hesitates to do the same to Android 16 as he appears to be much kinder and she lets him live. He is later shown assisting Bulma in repairing civilization.

When Trunks and Vegeta return to the “Present” they prepare to use the remote but Kururin hesitates and smashes the remote after refusing to kill Cyborg 18 and she is absorbed. Cell therefore becomes Perfect Cell. Toriyama later commented that his editor continued to be disappointed in the look of the final boss, calling the original two androids “A Geyser and a Fatso”, and then disliking Cyborgs 17 and 18, followed by Cell, who received different forms when the editor was not satisfied.

Perfect Cell decided to hold the Cell Games, vowing to destroy the Earth if no one can challenge him in that time and creates an arena when he easily defeats the Heroes. The Heroes train but Vegeta receives a visitor in the Saiyans Paragus and Broly. This turns out to be a trap and Vegeta is taken to a planet to fight Broly the Legendary Super Saiyan. Vegeta struggles but as he is about to die, he has an epiphany and destroys the devices Paragus was using to control Broly and Broly swears loyalty to Vegeta but asks to have Paragus spared. Vegeta agrees and goes with them back to Earth. When the time for the Cell Games arrive, Cell creates three smaller clones of himself with different DNA elements including one for Saiyan, Namekian and Human. Tien Shinhan takes down the Human DNA Cell Jr with his tri-beam but nearly dies in the process. The Namekian Cell Jr is killed when Piccolo realizes he can read its mind due to the Namekian telepathy and learns of a weakness Cell has in the form of a nucleus, which he destroys with his special beam cannon. The Saiyan Cell Jr is defeated by Broly and Vegeta.

With Perfect Cell being the only one left. Vegeta chooses Broly to go first. The fight is pretty evenly matched. Paragus explains that Broly’s power is linked to his anger. Hearing this, Perfect Cell kills Paragus with a beam and blames Vegeta for it, causing Broly to attack Vegeta. Goku is left the last one standing after everyone is defeated. Android 16, attempts to blow himself up to take Cell with him but is decapitated. He gives Goku words of encouragement before Cell crushes his head. Goku snaps and his anger triggers his transformation into a Super Saiyan for the first time. Everyone gives Goku their energy and though he loses an arm. He continues fighting. Realizing he is losing, Cell attempts to absorb Kururin since he is now an Android and appears to succeed. Vegeta finally convinces Broly of Cell’s action and he jumps into help. With all their beams combined, Cell begins to be vaporized. Kururin is able to fight his way out of Cell, saving 18 and escaping by bursting out of Cell. This provides an opening which allows Cell to be vaporized by the combined attack.

With the threat over, Kururin and Cyborg 18 begin dating, and Trunks returns to his own time. A Professional Wrestler called Hercule Satan who was swatted aside when he tried to fight Cell is falsely thought to have defeated him. Nervous about keeping up the facade, he tracks down the actual fighters responsible including Tien Shinhan and asks to be trained by him.

The Majin Saga
Seven Years after the events of Cell Saga. Goku is now going to High School and is acting as a Super hero called the Great Saiyaman. He meets Videl, the daughter of Mr.Satan, who learns his secret identity and makes him promise not teach her how to fly. Another tournament is coming up and several of the fighters join. Mr.Satan, Cyborg 18, the young Trunks and Cyborg 21(this timeline’s Imperfect Cell reprogrammed by Bulma[5]) are among the newcomers. The Supreme Kai arrives on Earth and competes. He defeats Piccolo in the tournament but is impressed by the power of the heroes enough to explain that he is there because the Wizard Babidi seeks to awaken the ancient evil of Majin Buu, sealed away long ago and has recruited the Demon Dabura, and the Space Pirate Bojack with his crew. Most of the heroes leave to find Babidi and only Cyborg 18, Cyborg 21,Mr.Satan, and Trunks stay behind. Cyborg 18 brutally attacks Cyborg 21, out of anger towards Perfect Cell before calming down. She then steps out, leading Mr.Satan to win by default. Meanwhile the heroes fight Dabura and Bojack. Dabura turns many to stone and fights Goku on even footing. Broly fights Bojack and they are also similarly matched. Kururin is nearly killed by Bojack’s minion Zangya before he is rescued by he arrival of Cyborg 18, who arrives with Cyborg 21. 21 helps Goku fight Dabura but ends up accidentally absorbing him and transforming into a Perfect Form with Dabura fighting to control him from within. Babidi succeeds in mind controlling Vegeta despite his efforts to resist and he attacks Goku. This allows for enough energy to free Majin Buu, who is shown to be childlike. This allows Mr.Satan, who arrives shortly after to talk Buu down and he murders Babidi. Mr.Satan nervously befriends him after he slaughters a city full of people.

The threat is seemingly resolved as Mr.Satan works to reform Majin Buu but two men, angry at their loved ones kill by Majin Buu attack him and shoot both Mr.Satan and a puppy that Majin Buu had adopted. This angers Buu and he kills them and several people in collateral damage. He asks for Mr.Satan to help him. He is taken to Piccolo, who explains the technique of splitting your good and evil selves. They plan to trap the evil hand by either the Mafuba or in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. They go through the technique but Majin Buu’s evil half turns his good half into Candy and eats him. He is trapped in the room of Spirit in Time but his scream tears a hole in reality and he escapes. Goku and Vegeta both fight him. Supreme Kai reveals a technique which would allow them to fuse and they do so, creating Gogeta. They fight fairly evenly but come up with a plan to be absorbed but protect themselves with their energy. This allows them to enter and free the people absorbed by Majin Buu including the good Buu, causing him to revert back to only his evil half, who nearly destroys the world. As this is going in Dabura possesses Perfect 21 and tries to attack Goku in revenge and the others to fight him including Cyborg 18. The villain is split in half and regenerates into two beings, allowing Perfect 21 to fight Dabura and destroy him. To defeat Majin Buu, Goku begins to power up the Spirit Bomb while Vegeta holds him off. To fuel the Spirit Bomb, Mr. Satan publicly reveals he is not Earth’s hero and encourages the people to support Goku, earth’s real hero who defeated Cell. Vegeta, realizing he won’t make it, says goodbye to Trunks and attacks Majin Buu by holding him down. Majin Buu kills Vegeta but this distraction allows the Spirit Bomb to destroy Majin Buu[6].

The series ends with the world recovering. The Good Buu is alive in secret. Videl and Goku continue dating A time jump shows the world still at peace. Goku and Video now have a daughter named Pan while Bulma had another child named Bra, presumably conceived before Vegeta’s death. The two children square off in the World Martial Arts Tournament, each taking fighting stances similar to Tangong and Vegeta in their first battle. The Spirits of Tangtong and Vegeta are seen watching. And with that the series ends.

When the series ended there was much talk of a sequel. Toriyama considered the series done but Toei animation wanted a sequel due to its popularity. Toriyama wanted to be finished but it seemed the series would go on without him. Toriyama wanted to own the franchise and had previously turned down attempts to make stand alone films with original villains and instead worked towards adding those villains into the series proper as best he could. With Toei wanting to make a film with original villains, Toriyama got involved once more to veto this idea, but then got to thinking. While he considered the series done he was not oppose to creating a series of sequel films[7].

Notes
[1] One aspect of Dragonball Z that has been criticized is the Dragonballs being able to wish people back to life making death in the series meaningless. ITTL since the Dragonballs work differently and summon a dragon who’s strength depends on the user. This means that death is much more permanent without that feature…unfortunately the amount of deaths has stayed the same.

[2] Another somewhat of a monkey’s paw element as most fans expected or wished Raditz featured more. ITTL he does but dies in the place of Piccolo OTL. ITTL it is a common theory that Tangtong would have gone Super Saiyan at this point had Vegeta not knocking him out as Vegeta ITTL is a different character from OTL Vegeta and has no problem knocking someone out mid transformation.

[3] A twist on two OTL elements. The first is the fans comment that Goku does everything. Tangtong stays dead so his son Goku becomes the protagonist, except he’s also been composited with Gohan, thus indirectly alluding to the fan wish and expectation that Goku would pass the role of hero of the story to his son Gohan.

[4]OTL this was an infamous situation where the battle was supposed to last 5 minutes but lasted 5 episodes, making it the longest fight in anime history as Toriyama was still making the fight. ITTL they moved Episode of Bardock to a filler chapter as something Frieza recalls.

[5] Android 21 was an unofficial name for Cell. Later on the game Dragonball FighterZ introduced an original character named Android 21, though no one either in universe or ITTL in the 90’s would know that Android 21 would exist and they are likely Cyborg 22 instead.The name is a bit tricky as the term in Japanese is “Artificial Human” which applies to androids and Cyborgs, both of which are used in the series.

[6] There is no Uub ITTL as while it is in character for OTL Goku to wish for a strong enemy to be reincarnated as someone good, it’s less in character for Goku ITTL due to being partly Gohan.

[7] Yeah here’s the tricky part as Toei is likely to at least try to make some equivalent to Dragonball GT even without Toriyama’s influence, so ITTL while he wanted to end the series, he’s reached a compromise. The end result will be a series of films combining elements of Dragonball GT with Dragonball Super, though obviously resurrecting Frieza is out of the question.

Some elements were taken from several stories in Masako X's What if series, mostly for Raditz's characterization if they survived and Cyborg 21, and to an extent the fanfiction Bringer of Death where Vegeta went Super Saiyan.​

 

[Nintendogamemaster]

I havent watched DBZ, but this is a good idea to make stakes more permanent and not something easily handwaved.