Carried by the Wind: Tsukikage Ran
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| Carried by the Wind: Tsukikage Ran | |
|---|---|
 DVD Cover of Bandai's Vol. 4 |
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| 風まかせ月影蘭 (Kazemakase Tsukikage Ran) |
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| Genre | Chanbara, Comedy-drama |
| TV anime | |
| Director | Akitaro Daichi |
| Studio | Madhouse |
| Licensor |  Bandai Visual Bandai Entertainment |
| Network | WOWOW, Animax Animax |
| Original run | January 26, 2000 – April 19, 2000 |
| Episodes | 13 |
Carried by the Wind: Tsukikage Ran (風まかせ月影蘭 Kazemakase Tsukikage Ran?, lit. Wind-borne Moon-lit Ran) is an animated action comedy written and directed by Akitaro Daichi, and produced by Madhouse Studios. The television series follows Ran and Meow, two wanderers who face all sorts of antagonists in Tokugawa Japan.
The series started airing on WOWOW. Afterwards, it aired as Ran, The Samurai Girl on Animax Latin America and Animax Asia, which also broadcast Bandai's dub across Southeast Asia and South Asia. The series is licensed in North America by Bandai Entertainment.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Tsukikage Ran is comprised of thirteen self-contained stories. The series follows Ran into a new town, where she encounters some kind of wrongdoing. Every episode climaxes with a swordfight featuring the protagonist, sometimes aided by Meow's martial arts prowess.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Main characters
- Ran Tsukikage (月影蘭 Tsukikage Ran?)
- Voiced by: Reiko Yasuhara (Japanese), Mona Marshall (English)
- Ran is a sake-loving ronin who goes "wherever the wind takes her". Ran's skill with the katana makes her unbeatable, but like so many ronin, she is often broke and has Meow pay her (often considerable) restaurant tabs. She tends to say "utterly inexcusable" whenever she's annoyed.
- Meow (ミャオ Myao?)
- Voiced by: Akemi Okamura (Japanese), Michelle Ruff (English)
- Meow is a Chinese martial artist skilled in the Iron Cat Fist (猫鉄拳 Nekotekken?) style. Meow has a heart of gold, but she's extremely bold and not that bright--which means she's often butting into other people's business. Despite her recklessness, Ran respects her for her good intentions, if not her wallet,and bails her out in the end. Although not quite as good as Ran, Meow can handle herself in a fight.
[edit] Other characters
- Tonto Sharakusai
- Voiced by: Yūichi Nagashima (Japanese), David Orosco (English)
- Tonto appears in episode 5. He is an ukiyo-e artist looking for a beautiful woman to model for a portrait. Sharakusai and Meow are taken prisoners by the artist's patrons until Ran rescues them.
- Mei
- Voiced by: Lynn Fischer (English)
- Mei appears in episode 9. She is Meow's childhood friend. Her parents' deaths led Mei to become an opium dealer. In the middle of a fight with Meow, she is fatally stabbed by an opium-addicted swordsman.
- Stefanie
- Voiced by: Julie Ann Taylor (English)
- Stefanie appears in episode 10. The large young woman is a foreigner with a strong interest in Japan and Japanese culture. Convinced the country's population is made up of samurai, ninja and geisha, she travels to Japan in hopes to be trained in the way of the sword.
- Junzaburo Shiina
- Voiced by: Steven Jay Blum (English)
- Shiina appears in episode 13. He taught Ran swordsmanship and also introduced her to sake. At the time of the series, Shiina works as bodyguard (用心棒 yojimbo?) to the head of a martial arts dōjō. He gets his arm broken by Ran and forced to give up the sword for Otsuta, a geisha who loves him.
[edit] Production
Tsukikage Ran is inspired by chanbara series like 1965's Su-ronin Tsukikage Hyogo.[1] While it remains faithful to the genre,[2] it is infused with Akitaro Daichi's distinctive style.[3] The episodes were scripted by first thinking of a title and writing a plot around it. As many ideas were not used, director Daichi notes an unproduced episode where the protagonists "fight over udon or soba" noodles.
The score was composed by Toshihiko Sahashi, while the opening theme song ("Leave it to the wind") is an enka ballad performed by Akemi Misawa.[4] The ending theme ("Leave it to the wind 2") is performed by Reiko Yasuhara.
[edit] Staff
- Original creator and director: Akitaro Daichi
- Directorial advisor: Hiroaki Sakurai
- Character design: Hajime Watanabe
- Chief animation director: Takahiro Yoshimatsu
- Art director: Hidetoshi Kaneko
- Director of photography: Hitoshi Yamaguchi
- Music: Toshihiko Sahashi
- Sound director: Kazuya Tanaka
- Animation production: Madhouse
- Production: Bandai Visual
[edit] Media
[edit] Episodes
| # | Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "She's Tough for a Woman" "Onnadatera ni Kyokatta" (女だてらに強かった) |
2000-01-26 |
| 2 | "Sake Made the Tears Sting" "Sake ni Namida ga Shimiteita" (酒に涙がしみていた) |
2000-02-02 |
| 3 | "Suddenly, I was a Mother" "Ikinari Haha ni Natteita" (いきなり母になっていた) |
2000-02-09 |
| 4 | "I Was a Target Before I Knew It" "Shiranai Aida ni Nerawareta" (知らない間に狙われた) |
2000-02-16 |
| 5 | "It Was Pretty Amazing When I Stripped" "Nuidara Kekkō Sugokatta" (脱いだら結構すごかった) |
2000-02-23 |
| 6 | "The Mole Was in the Wrong Place" "Hokuro no Ichi ga Chigatteta" (ホクロの位置が違ってた) |
2000-03-01 |
| 7 | "I Buzzed with Electricity" "Ereki de Biribiri Shibireteta" (エレキでビリビリしびれてた) |
2000-03-08 |
| 8 | "There Was No God in This World" "Kono Yo nya Kami Nado Inakatta" (この世にゃ神などいなかった) |
2000-03-15 |
| 9 | "I Counted on an Enemy" "Ate ni Shitetara Tekidatta" (当てにしてたら敵だった) |
2000-03-22 |
| 10 | "That European Girl was Huge" "Nanban Musume wa Dekakatta" (南蛮娘はデカかった) |
2000-03-29 |
| 11 | "Vengeance Made Himself an Enemy" "Kyū ga Teki ni Natteita" (仇が敵になっていた) |
2000-04-05 |
| 12 | "I Was So Crucified I Didn’t Know What to Do!" "Haritsukerarete Komatteta" (磔られて困ってた) |
2000-04-12 |
| 13 | "She Hid a Romance in the Past" "Kako ni Romansu Kakushiteta" (過去にロマンス隠してた) |
2000-04-19 |
[edit] Drama CD
Kazemakase Tsukikage Ran CD-neta ni Tottoita (VICL-60545) is an audio drama released May 24, 2000 by Victor Entertainment. If features Ayako Kawasumi as the voice of Princess Tama.
[edit] Manga
A Tsukikage Ran manga, illustrated by Suezen, was published on November 2000. (Kadokawa Shoten: ISBN 4-04-713372-8)
[edit] References
- ^ Director Akitaro Daichi's Latest Work: Kaze Makase Tsukikage Ran. Anime News Service (12-11-99). Retrieved on 2007-07-01.
- ^ 2004 Excellence Prize: Makasete Iruka!. Japan Media Arts Festival. Retrieved on 2007-07-01.
- ^ Tei, Andrew. Anime Expo New York 2002: Akitaroh Daichi Panel. Anime on DVD. Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
- ^ Yung, John. Anime Reviews: Tsukikage Ran. Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
[edit] External links
- Carried by the Wind: Tsukikage Ran (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- Carried by the Wind: Tsukikage Ran at TV.com
