Obscure Anime Corner - Volume 1

Today, I will talk about Windaria and Leda: The Fantastic Adventure of Yohko.

In case you're wondering why I put two anime in here, it's because they're both directed by the same guy, Kunihiko Yuyama. What is he probably best known for? He's directed most things with the word "Pokemon" on it. That's right, you heard me, he's the director of mulitple Pokemon productions.

However, before his days of joining the Pokemon (and even Pocket Monsters) train, he made some pretty artsy stuff back in the 80s.

Leda starts with a girl named Yohko who's in love with a guy, but she's a very shy person, so she decides to write a song for him instead of confronting him with her feelings directly. However, as she passes him by on a street, her song actually opens a gateway between her world and an alternate world named "Ashanti."

In this world, Yohko finds herself being chased by the ruler of this world so he can use her song to travel back to hers and conquer it with his army. Thankfully, Yohko meets someone who helps her escape, and from here she eventually discovers the fortelling of her arrival from a legendary warrior named Leda.

Now, what works so well in this production is the fact that there's an emphasis on showing her will to meet the man she loves in the beginning, and what she has to do to go back to her world and do it over again. It may seem atypical, but the directing insures that you will see the diligent work she put into her song in the beginning, and how she fights for the balance of both worlds by fighting for the power of that song. It's a real intriguing piece of work that shows the strength of an individual's beliefs and wishes to challenge that said character through plenty of trials. The animation is also worth noting, as this production was certainly well put together to say the least, with consideration for the fantasy setting it is mostly placed in.

Leda: The Fantastic Adventure Of Yohko is something of a personal favorite, but that may become a repetitive statement if I continue promoting anime like this. ^_-

And now for Windaria, made not too long after Leda, is a sort of Shakespearean story about two kingdoms and their struggle for power. The story revolves around a couple in the beginning just trying to get by with what they have, their names are Isu and Marin. The male character, Isu, helps the city with a calamity caused by a rogue and saves them from a flood, and in the process becomes a hero. As a result, Isu suddenly realizes he wants more than what he has, while his wife is content and only wishes to be with Isu.

From here, a bitter power struggle emerges between the two kingdoms, and Isu slowly begins to lose his identity as he finds himself wanting to move further and further within the ranks of both kingdoms. That's right, Isu starts to chase his dream without consideration for what he already has, and he finds himself slowly losing the life he once held dear.

There's plenty of other subplots that weave their way in, such as two lovers in the other rivaling kingdom, and the dispute between the peace treaty both kingdoms used to have. The battles are brutal and to the point as this production reaches a sense of tragedy that has me appreciating it right next to some of Shakespeare's best. Seriously, it avoids a lot of cliches, and it has a surprisingly deep cast of characters that should sway anyone who feels like they've seen this all before.

Windaria is another classic example of why I love the 80s, and that's how I'll leave it.

As for director Yuyama, after these two productions he would be on the said "Pokemon Train" and even dabble in a few efforts somewhere in the 90s, like the forgettable Weather Report Girl and decent Kimagure Orange Road: Summer's Beginning. I haven't seen Wedding Peach or his Three Muskateers adaptation on another note, but in either event, these two pieces of 80s anime gave me a glimpse into what could've been another of anime's finest auteurs. Instead, all I can do is wonder what could've been, and appreciate what I have seen already.

Till next time! ^_-