By Steve Ramos

Anime a go-go
Japanese anime, the film adaptations of glossy comic books (manga), remains one of my favorite reasons to wade through a pile of home videos. Since the demise of downtown's The Movies, there are few local opportunities to watch the latest anime releases on the big screen. Luckily, there are specialty distributors like Manga Video, ready to offer anime-deprived film fans a steady diet of video releases. Patlabor 2 continues the futuristic saga about the humanoid-type machines known as labors. Angel Cop is a gory, six-part serial about a team of special agents battling a group of supernatural terrorists. Finally, Rayearth, a fantasy trilogy about three teen-age girls unexpectedly chosen by a fairy to save the world from otherworldly forces, follows in the footsteps of the shôjo tradition. Like shôjo heroines, the girls are thin and wide-eyed. More importantly, their junior-high anxieties are just as important as any battle for humankind's survival. It's just another one of the strange idiosyncrasies of the shôjo world. Personally, such culture shocks have always been key to my anime fascination.Angel Cop Unrated

2000, Manga VideoBursts of blood and gunfire propel this action serial about a team of special security agents with a license to kill and their battles against a team of terrorists known as the Communist Red May. Director Ichiro Itano delivers elaborate action sequences equal to any Hollywood blockbuster. In Angel Cop, however, heads are blown apart in gut-wrenching fashion. By comparison, Hollywood actioners are childlike.

In later episodes, Angel Cop builds its suspense around a supernatural villainess, Lucifer. She's a cackling she-devil in a strapless dress and the perfect opponent for the motorcycle-riding Angel. The film's core drama, a government plot to sell Japan to American companies, has more than its share of clumsy moments. Angel Cop is comfortable enough in its comic-book mythology to allow its hero to say, "Never underestimate the power of Japanese technology, you evil bitch!" It's what one expects from a film that pairs a cyborg cop against an Amazonian-like witch for a climactic battle. Anything else would be too realistic. -- SR (Grade: B)

Patlabor 2: The MovieUnrated

2000, Manga VideoSet three years after the events of the Patlabor 1, the destruction of a United Nations Labor team in Southeast Asia begins a terrorist attempt against Japan's military. Now, Tokyo Police Department's Special Vehicle Division (SVD) and their robot, Patrol Labors -- or Patlabors -- must protect Tokyo against plans for revolution. For one SVD officer, Nagumo, the terrorist attacks quickly turn personal. It appears her ex-lover, Tsuge, is behind the plot to overthrow Tokyo. Director Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Machine) fills his police drama with plenty of futuristic gizmos and military weaponry. The hi-tech drama reaches a dazzling climax when a squadron of dirigibles comes under attack. But Patlabor 2 pushes the boundaries of anime storytelling by balancing its elaborate action with moments of quiet beauty. When a tugboat chugs across a foggy harbor, it's clear that Patlabor 2 is equal to anything in the Disney canon. -- SR (Grade: A)

Rayearth Volumes One-ThreeUnrated

2000, Manga VideoBased on the popular Japanese TV series Magic Knights Rayearth, these three videos capture the entire Rayearth saga in spectacular fashion. Umi, Fuu and Hikaru, three wide-eyes heroines in the shôjo tradition, use the power of friendship to battle evildoers. Transformed into Magic Knights, these girls experience the adventure of a lifetime. Courtesy of Toshiki Hirano's dazzling animation, girl power never looked so good. -- SR (Grade: B)

E-mail Steve Ramos

Into the Woods (October 26, 2000)
An Overdue Spotlight for Film's Excitable Boy (October 26, 2000)
Arts Beat (October 26, 2000)
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