Presentation PA #66

GEAR FIGHTER DENDOH (THE ELECTRIC KID): JAPAN’S NEW ANIME WAVE? Well, it seems that the Pokemon fever is calming down a bit (but it is still popular and it is still showing on TV). You may wonder what is Japans most popular anime show in 2001? Well, I’d like to introduce you to the top rating anime show [it was No 1 in March, but slipped to third position behind Angelic Layer and Noir in May]: Gear Fighter Dendoh, by Studio Sunrise. Dendoh literally means The Electric Kid and two 11 year-old become its pilots to save Earth from the evil mecha empire Galfer. You may wonder Why is this robot show so popular?” Here-I-Come-To-Save-The-Day stories have been presented so many times in the past, so what makes this show so attractive, aside from the cool mecha and robots? I think it is the new heroine, named Vega, who is, in fact, the mother of one of the two pilots! As Gear Fighter Dendoh's story progresses, Vega becomes more and more attractive. Considering the age of Evangelion's heroine Misato Katsuragi, whos 29, Vega is a bit older and is, in everyday life, a housewife. However, she is one of the most delicious characters that I have ever seen in Japanimation history. She is a warrior, a mother and the Princess of a ruined world. Who is her and the Earth people’s enemy? Her own brainwashed brother and uncle of Hokuto, one of Dendoh's pilots. Her charm is not only physical (well, she is in a rather fetching leotard uniform...), for she also has a caring heart and the courage to defend her loved ones. She shows many dimensions never seen in an anime character. So please enjoy our Gear Fighter Dendoh article and I hope this show will arrive soon in North America!

As for the North American TV releases, have you seen & enjoyed The Big-O? We introduced you to this show in PA #62 and are very happy to see it released on North American TV. This time, we are giving you a more complete coverage of this above standard show.

Are you interested in genealogy? The late Osamu Tezuka created The Tree Under The Sun, based on his great-grandfather Ryoans own story (mixed with that of fictitious characters) which is set in the 1850-60s. His original manga version showed great humanism, but the anime version, made by Studio Madhouse (X: The Movie), gives you even more with its wonderful craftsmanship. So many excellent anime shows to choose from! Arent we lucky?!

Miyako Matsuda

You like what you are reading in Protoculture Addicts? Well, let us know what you think about the magazine (even if you don't like it)! And tell your friends, and the friends of your friends, and the members of your anime club, etc. We are putting lots of efforts into this magazine, to keep you informed of what's happening in the world of anime & manga, but I sometime have the feeling that nobody is reading us. I would not mind continuing to work hard for another twenty-five years (it has already been nearly fourteen years!), but I would like to get a little more feedback! You can send us letters (see address on page 3), you can e-mail us (comments@protoculture.ca) and you can visit our newly updated and redesigned web page (www.protoculture.qc.ca) to get more information and answer our polls! We are doing all this for you, so youÕd better voice what you want in it!

In this issue (you probably have noticed that it is bigger) we are introducing you to an avalanche of new (and old) shows. The main thematic is the Meiji Era, with Rurouni Kenshin (our third and final instalment, covering episodes #63-94) and The Tree Under The Sun (a recent TV series based on a manga by Osamu Tezuka which tells the story of his great-grandfather). There is also a spotlight on the TV series The Big O (which is showing on Cartoon Network and has recently been released on DVD by Bandai Entertainment). It also features "Anime World" articles (Conventions reports, The Modern Japanese Music Database Part 10), short overviews of recent anime shows ("Anime Stories" on BoogiePop Phantom, Gear Fighter Dendoh (the most popular anime in Japan for March 2001!), The Candidate For Goddess (aka Pilot Candidate), Hunter X Hunter, Kochi Kame The Movie, Ghibli's My Neighbors The Yamadas, and The Super Radical Gag Family), the usual Reviews (of the latest Anime videos, Manga, live-action movies and Model Kits), and the latest news! Enjoy!

Next Issue: spotlights on Blood: The Last Vampire, Gundam M.S., the first part of an article on Gatchaman, as well as "Anime Stories" on Argento Soma, Gakko no Kaidan, Genso Maden Saiyuki, Gundress, Tri Zenon, Vandread and more! Another 72-page issue! Don't miss it!

Claude J. Pelletier