Saber Marionette J
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| Saber Marionette J | |
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| セイバーマリオネットJ | |
| Genre | Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Shounen |
| TV anime : Saber Marionette J | |
| Directed by | Masami Shimoda |
| Studio | Bandai Visual, Emotion, Hal Film Maker |
| Network |  TV Tokyo Locomotion Locomotion |
| Original run | October 1, 1996 – March 25, 1997 |
| No. of episodes | 25 |
| Manga | |
| Authored by | Satoru Akahori (story) Yumisuke Kotoyoshi (art} |
| Publisher | Kadokawa Shoten |
| Serialized in | Dragon Comics |
| Original run | October 1996 – November 1999 |
| No. of volumes | 5 |
Saber Marionette J (セイバーマリオネットJ?) is an anime series from the Saber Marionette franchise about Mamiya Otaru and his three marionettes, humanoid female robots. It is created by Satoru Akahori while the original character designs are from Tsukasa Kotobuki
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The series, seen as a combination of the James Brown song, "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" and the movies Westworld & Mannequin, is set in Terra II, a planet far from Earth. 300 years before the beginning of the story, the human colony ship Mesopotamia suffered a major disaster which killed almost everyone on board. Six men escaped using an emergency pod and managed to land on the surface of the planet. With no means to return or contact Earth, they decided to colonize the planet using genetically modified clones of themselves.
However their equipment was not able to produce female clones from male genetic material, which resulted in an all-male population. To substitute for women, Terra II's inhabitants created marionettes, robots which physically resemble females and fill their role in society, mostly as companions for men. Yet, they are almost completely devoid of personality and sentient behavior, thus they are mostly regarded as objects and status symbols. Marionettes are also used as general-purpose robots, given tasks such as heavy-labor and combat duty.
The main character of the story is Mamiya Otaru, a regular boy from the country of Japoness whose life is changed by finding Lime (and eventually Cherry and Bloodberry). The three of them are radically different from regular marionettes in that they act on their own free will and seem to have their own full personalities. The three of them also become quite infatuated with Otaru and constantly compete for his affection, giving some trouble to the boy who doesn't really know what to do with three so unusual marionettes.
Meanwhile, the leader of Gartland, Faust, puts in motion a plan for world domination by successfully invading the neighboring St. Petersburg. He also attempts to assassinate Japoness' shogun Ieyasu, though this is thwarted by Otaru's marionettes. Otaru and his marionettes are then drafted to infiltrate Gartland and put a damper on Faust's plans to invade Japoness.
Upon a successful return, Ieyasu reveals to Otaru that his marionettes are so special because they are equipped with the otome kairo (or maiden circuit), which gives them a life-like personality. However, the marionettes still need to "grow" in order to gain the full personality of a woman, and Otaru was chosen as their guardian since he could give them the needed experience via his interactions with them.
On the other hand, Faust has his own set of otome kairo marionettes, the Saber Dolls Tiger, Luchs and Panther, which he usually pits against Otaru's. But, unlike Otaru, who loves & cares for his Sabers with all his heart, Faust treats his marionettes as disposable soldiers and abuses them physically, despite their devotion and most importantly, their love to him. Frustrated by the lack of growth on his marionettes, he orders them to steal the otome kairo of the three Japoness' marionettes, yet this only results in Lime's circuit being lost and Tiger's being destroyed.
Without her otome kairo, Lime remains in an emotionless robot-like state, sending Otaru in a desperate search for the circuit. He eventually recovers it from his sensei Soemon Obichii, who intented to use it to make his marionette lover, Koiyuki, a life-like marionette like Otaru's.
Otaru's joy at recovering Lime is short-lived, as Mesopotamia launches an attach against Terra II's populace. It is then revealed that the true purpose of Lime, Cherry and Bloodberry is to act as replacements for Lorelei, the sole female survivor of the original expedition, who was taken hostage by Mesopotamia's main computer. In an act of self-sacrifice, the three marionettes abandon Otaru and offer their fully matured otome kairo, the combination of which duplicates Lorelei's personality, to Mesopotamia, convincing it of releasing Lorelei and stopping the attacks.
Lorelei's descent to Terra II provides the needed genetic material for females to be produced, marking the apparent end of the age of the marionettes. However Lorelei reminds the world to honor them for the role the played in society, particularly those three who willingly sacrificed themselves.
All this falls into deaf ears for Otaru, who has lost everything he held dear. And yet when he has given up hope, something seems to leave Mesopotamia and come back to Terra II...
[edit] Terra II
Terra II is a fictional planet on which most of the events in the Saber Marionette J saga takes place.
It is politically divided into six city-states, each resembling period nations from Earth. Each nation is lead by the clones of the six original survivors from the Mesopotamia disaster.
- Gartland (WWII Germany), lead by Faust.
- Japoness (Feudal Japan), lead by Ieyasu.
- Peterberg (Czarist, Pre-Soviet Russia), lead by Alexander.
- New Texas (modern-day United States), lead by Joy.
- Xi'an (ancient China), lead by Wong.
- Romana (medieval Italy), lead by Vilay.
[edit] Characters
Mamiya Otaru - The main character. He has a personality that resembles Tenchi Masaki's (And for the most part shares Tenchi's "Harem Male Lead" problems). A citizen of Japoness, a country of Terra II which resembles feudal Japan & guardian of the Japoness Sabers: Lime, Cherry, & Bloodberry. He eventually discovers the three marionettes and forms a sort of family with them. Initially, Otaru seems to be very asexual and becomes constantly overwhelmed by the marionettes and their affection, which he returns only platonically, and equally to the three. His weapon is a sai in which the blade can extend to become a sword and the tail of it can be used to reel his friends to safety. Has a distinctive two-color hair-style of light brown on the front and dark brown in the back. Otaru is voiced by Yuka Imai in the Japanese version.
Lime (JSM-01L) - A marionette possessing the otome kairo, a circuit that enables her to act almost indistinguishible from a human girl. She is the most child-like of the main marionettes, with a naive, lively, sunny, peppy and playful personality . ("Yoo-hoo" becomes something of Lime's catchphrase), and thus frequently asks all manner of questions about life to Otaru. The quickest of the three; she has amazing speeds that can even outrival the Hanagata Mitsurugi 3000GT seen in Ep 1. She has long blue hair that is pulled back with a long yellow scarf with a red ornament bubble. Her Clothing consists of a white, yellow trimmed, "jacket" over a black bodysuit. When Walking, Lime's feet make a squeeking sound not unlike a cross between gears squeeking and the squeek of a toy hammer, the other two Japoness otome kairo marionettes share this trait. Lime was voiced by veteran voice actor Megumi Hayashibara in the Japanese version while Maggie O' Harra voiced her for the English dub.
Cherry (JSM-02C) - Another of Japoness' otome kairo marionettes. She is the most maternal of the three & acts like the perfect stereotype of the Japanese wife, excelling at cooking and doing eveything to please "Master" Otaru, who is the subject of her frequent romantic daydreams in which she goes into over-romantic frenzies and loses sight of her current objectives. She is however quite intelligent and equipped with the best sensors of the three. She is often mocked by Bloodberry for being too sweet & mild and is often ridiculed for being flat-chested. Has two long tails of purple hair and usually dresses in a pink kimono. Cherry is voiced by Yuri Shiratori in the Japanese version.
Bloodberry (JSM-03B) - The third of Japoness' otome kairo marionettes. She represents the aggressive side of femininity, being quite loud, boisterous, headstrong, impulsive and even very amorous. She is also the most sexual of the three, often vowing to "make a man" out of Otaru, smothering him with endless amounts of physical affection and pressuring him to marry her. She is very brave & fierce in battle and has the most raw physical power. She dresses in a black and orange bodysuit and her red hair in a high ponytail. Bloodberry is voiced by Akiko Hiramatsu in the Japanese version.
Mitsurugi Hanagata - Initially a wealthy, spolied, prettyboy enemy of Otaru's, later revealed to have gay feelings for him. He despises Otaru's marionettes, seeing them as rivals, and is frequently physically abused by them (especially Bloodberry) for comic relief. Hanagata often tries to seduce Otaru with his underdeveloped, rib-exposing chest. Eventually the five of them settle in a somewhat peaceful coexistance and friendship. Has a younger brother named Yumeji. Hanagata is voiced by Takehito Koyasu in the Japanese version
Yumeji Hanagata - Mitsurugi's younger and in many cases, smarter brother. He becomes real good friends with Lime after she saves him from their burning mansion. Voiced by Urara Takano in the Japanese version.
Lorelei - The only remaining human female in Terra II and its vicinity, thus making her the symbol of "true" feminity. All the otome kairo marionettes are said to be based in some part of her personality. She was held in suspended animation in the Mesopotamia since its arrival to Terra II. Lorelei is voiced by Yuri Amano in the Japanese version.
Tokugawa Ieyasu - Shogun of Japoness, the 15th cloned incarnation of the original. All of Japoness' citizens are genetically engineered descendants of him or one of his ancestors. He has a laid back personality even in times of danger, but he still takes threats to his nation seriously. In love with Lorelei, he created Lime, Cherry and Bloodberry in an attempt to rescue her, but it is unclear whether she returned his feelings. He is assassinated by the Saber Dolls in his own fortress, the Japoness Castle. He is voiced by old-timer Kenichi Ogata in the Japanese version.
Hikozaemon - The trusted personal assistant of Shogun Ieyasu. Appears to be the second in command of the country of Japoness, after the Shogun himself. He is more serious & strict than the Shogun.
Gelhardt von Faust - Leader of Gartland, Generalissimo of the country's military forces, and the 10th clone incarnation of the original Faust is the main antagonist of the series. He is the master of the Saber Dolls: Tiger, Luchs, & Panther. He is bent on conquering all of Terra II and rules his country with an iron fist. It is also notable that Faust's regime resembles Adolf Hitler's and Gartland resembles Nazi Germany. Faust created the Saber Dolls also in an attempt to save Lorelei. He's often called "Führer", by his soldiers. He has a huge personality cult around him as with most dictators. Faust was once a kind, warm-hearted boy until his mind was altered by his "father", Faust the 9th, in order to succeed him as leader of Gartland. As a result, Faust became a ruthless, powermad tyrant. Towards the end of the series, Faust sees the error of his evil ways once he sees Gartland fall into anarchy & seeing Tiger die in his arms. After the Mesopotamia's destruction, He reforms & starts a new life with his Dolls. Faust is voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa in the Japanese version.
Tiger - One of, & the first of Faust's "Saber Dolls", and thus equipped with the otome kairo. She is the de facto leader of the Dolls. Has short red hair and uses a whip-like weapon. Is roughly the equivalent of Lime, though not nearly as naive. Her cap is a gift from the current incarnation of Faust when he was a child. Of the 3, she shows a fiercer devotion and love for Faust and would die for him. When Faust was a child, he saw Tiger as almost a mother to him, but was taken away from her to satisfy his "father's" desire to rule Gartland. She witnessed first hand at seeing Faust become a blackhearted, cold-blooded devil, but she remained loyal & still loved him; hoping that he would return to the Faust she knew from back when was a boy. It's worth noting that Tiger resembles Chocolate Misu in her dominatrix form from the Sorcerer Hunters series. Tiger is voiced by Urara Takano in the Japanese version.
Luchs - Another of Faust's "Saber Dolls", equivalent to Cherry. Uses projectile weapons and is not above manipulating and deceiving her comrades for her own benefit. She has a very mysterious and aloof personality but has been known to act silly on certain occasions. Has short blue hair and her uniform contains a short, cut miniskirt. She also has the same kind of advanced sensors as Cherry. Her name means Lynx in German. She also was the first of the Sabers that Otaru "kissed". He did this in order to shut down Gartland's main computer. Luchs is voiced by Yuuko Mizutani in the Japanese version.
Panther - The third of Faust's "Saber Dolls", counterpart of Bloodberry. Of the Dolls, she is seen as Faust's pitbull and is the most ambitious; always ready to defend his honor & pride at all costs. Has tall, blonde hair which she wears in a frontside ponytail and an eyepatch with covers a star-shaped laser, though she mostly fights bare-handed. Like all the "Saber Dolls", has a tall, voluptous build and shows it off in a military-inspired black and white uniform & wears what looks to be genie pants a la MC Hammer. In the OVAs, Panther has her hair cut real short. Panther is voiced by Kikuko Inoue in the Japanse version.
Tamasaburou - A marionette part of the elite imperial guard of Japoness, uses a naginata as a weapon. She is not stated to have the otome kairo, but behaves remarkably life-like compared to other regular marionettes. After the death of the Shogun, she is revealed to contain his memories and personality, but it is not clear if this was the case previously. Tamasaburou is voiced by Maria Kawamura in the Japanese version.
Baiko - The other half of the imperial guard, using two sword beams as a weapon. Like Tamasaburo, she is later revealed to contain the personality of the Shogun's second-in-command, Hikozaemon. Baiko is voiced by Ai Orikasa in the Japanese version.
Mesopotamia - Refers to both the ship which carried Terra II's original colonizers and the main computer of said ship. Designed by Lorelei, it fell in love with her and boycotted the mission, taking her captive and killing all but six of the colonizers. The Mesopotamia is the final antagonist of the series.
Gennai - Japoness' resident elder & mad scientist/inventor. Helps Otaru & his marionettes in some of the most ingenious & absurd ways. He's usually called "Grampa", by Lime & "Gennie-Poo", by Bloodberry.
Soemon Obiichi/Ruebens - Martial artist & swordsman extrodanaire; also Otaru's sensei. Obiichi took Otaru in when he was a little boy after seeing him being bullied by other boys. He almost never opens his eyes, but he harbors a dark secret. He was the first man to love a marionette as if it were a real woman; the marionette's name was Koiyuki. Ostracized by the citizens of Japoness, Obiichi took Koiyuki & fled to Gartland, where he noticed Tiger smiled at him. He realized that this was the first time a marionette showed human emotions & he needed the maiden circuit for Koiyuki to do the same. He swore his allegiance to Faust & changed his name to Ruebens. He is solely responsible for stealing Lime's maiden circuit attempting to use it on Koiyuki. Otaru confronts his sensei & hears his sad story in the process. A Gartland marionette soldier was sent to kill Obiichi for his disobedience to Faust, but kills Koiyuki. He is voiced by Nobuo Tobita in the Japanese version.
Dr. Hess - The chief scientist of Gartland. Served Faust with great pride & was resposible for most of the nation's weapons & vehicles. When Faust was overthrown, he turned on him. In Saber Marionette J to X, he would become the main antagonist & was also revealed in this series to be the first man on Terra II.
Gattel - One of Faust's generals. Faust places him in charge of the Saber Dolls when they failed him. However, he despises the Dolls & they, in turn, despise him.
Alexander - Leader of Petersburg, a country on Terra II resembling Russia. Mimicking WWII, his country is successfully invaded by Gartland, thus his fate is uncertain.
[edit] External links
- Saber Marionette J (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
