Shin Taketori Monogatari Sennen Joô discussion (Queen Millennia)

slerch666 · #1 06-25-2006, 07:48 PM

In keeping with past Matsumoto Leiji properties, I'm creating this Sennen Joô thread for discussion of all things Sennen Joô, though focusing on the TV Anime series for the time being (I don't yet have the movie).

Enough of that, let's get to the show itself.

As I post this, I have JUST finished watching the first episode. When I first began watching the show, the first thing I thought was... "man, I hope this gets louder." I don't know what Toei did to the audio, but it sounds really quiet. It also sounds kind of muffled. This isn't even at the same decibel level as Ginga Tetsudo 999. On GT999 I could watch with my receiver set at -42 DBs. On this I had to pump it up to -35 Dbs, and even then I'm having problems hearing things. One really irritating thing is that some of the music actually over powers and drowns out some of the dialog, making it difficult to hear what is being said.

Which brings me to problem number 2. I don't know if it is the fact that the sound is so quiet, or if it's just that I don't know the vocabulary, but I'm having a difficult time with the dialog in the show. I'm glad littleharlock and Helen Fayle are around to help me through this one, as if this first eps is any indication of what is to come, I'm going to need a lot of help, which I didn't really expect to be the case.

And lastly, the video. Toei remastered it, just as they have done on other Matsumoto (and others) works. The problem here is that the blacks don't seem BLACK, they seem more gray. I don't know if that is the way it was originally intended, but seeing space depicted in a deep shade of gray. Or washed out black. EDIT- after watching the opening to eps 2, I'm thinking I may be overly critical, as the colors seem to be a little better, at least for the opening. I could have just been imagining it in the first eps.

And one more problem (yeah, I lied above)... where is Sasaki Isao! NNNOOOOOO!!! The opening and ending themes just... they just aren't the same without him. It seems weird hearing someone else sing on a Toei Matsumoto project. I could almost cry. OK, so it isn't THAT bad, but it was a bit jarring.

From what I've seen and been able to understand thus far, I have to say I think this may be another good one. After the complete dud that was SSX, it is a welcome change.

littleharlock/Helen, correct me if I am wrong, but this is the last Toei Matsumoto TV series we need to discuss, correct? The only other series not covered here thus far is Space Symphony Maetel, which I have I just want to follow littleharlock's advice and wait until after Sennen Joô.

So here's what I have for the first eps, with questions tossed in for littleharlock/Helen where I need it.

Eps 1- 1999-nen 9-gatsu 9-ka Reiji 9-bun 9-byô or 1999.09.09 9:00 o'clock, 9 minutes, 9 seconds

The episode begins with a young boy looking up at the stars, gazing at the constellations through his telescope. This boy's name is Hajime, as we learn when his mother calls him down from the roof of the house for dinner. As he makes his way from the roof, he notices a man in a trench coat watching him from down the street. He finds it weird judging by his face, that this man is there, and when the man realizes he's been spotted he leaves immediately.

At dinner, Hajime eats like a pig. [img]/images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif[/img] While he is scarfing down his dinner, his father comes in to join Hajime and his mother for dinner. As they are making idle talk (Hajime I believe was asking about a new telescope?), Hajime sees a weird machine pass by the window behind his father,though when his father goes to peer out the window, nothing is there.

We now switch to a different location, an observatory. Inside we learn that there is a planet headed on a collision course with the Earth and that the collision is to take place 6 months from now, on the 9th month of 1999. (guess it didn't really happen, did it? [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]). We see Yukino Yayoi make a phone call to Hajime's father.

The next morning when Hajime awakens, he finds a new telescope sitting on his desk. Elated, he takes it with him down to the breakfast table. On his way out to leave for school, Hajime thanks his father, who is engrossed in his work in his workshop.

As Hajime leaves, he sees the trench coat man from the night before violently swinging a board at a scared and pissed off cat. Hajime asks the man what he is doing, to which he receives no reply as the man drops the board and enters a car that just rides up and drives away.

After the attack, Yukino Yayoi thanks Hajime for saving her cat. Hajime seems to have a thing for Yayoi, as he embarrassedly (is that a word) tells her it was nothing. She then rides off with her cat while Hajime heads towards school. He's so flustered by the encounter he actually rides his bike past the school and has to turn around and come back. [img]/images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif[/img]

Once at shcool, Hajime is yelled at for being late and has to stand in the hall holding buckets of water. Once he IS back in class, we find he is dreaming of saving Yayoi from the trench coat man, and Hajime even manages to sleep past the bell!

As Hajime leaves school, 2 of the boys tell him to come with them to the Ramen shop to meet the girl he saved earlier. He tells them he doesn't have time for that as he needs to setup his telescope. The 2 boys head to the Ramen shop anyway, and carry a note from Hajime to Yayoi (I believe it was a note asking Yayoi if she wanted to look at the stars with him). Skipping back to Hajime, we see him approaching his house, only to see the trench coat man running out of the house quickly and jumping in the car we saw earlier and ride away again. Once Hajime approaches his house, he calls out and his father tells him to stay back. Just then we see sparks in the workshop where Hajime's father is, followed by the house exploding... just as Yayoi rides up to the house.

And there is the end of this episode, left at a pretty nasty cliffhanger. Glad I don't have to wait for next week to see the next eps like those that originally watched it on TV did!

Now for my questions.

Does Yayoi work at the observatory that received the signal? Or is she just a ramen shop worker? EDIT- nevermind, I answered this one myself by watching eps 2. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

What is the phone call about?

Does anyone mention what Prof Amamori (Hajime's father) is working on?

Those are the only questions I have thus far, but I'm bound to have more. Thanks in advance for the answers littleharlock/Hele Fayle (or whoever else chimes in with the answers!)

It is nice to see a Matsumoto series that thus far takes place strictly on the Earth. No space ships (yet lol) and no journeying through space. All the technology thus far, other than perhaps the device Prof Amamori is working on, is technology that could exist. Well, the sattelite in space sending back informaiton may be a little far out into space to give such detailed info in so little lag time, but it isn't like we didn't have craft in space in 1999 capable of observing things in space.

I'm extremely optimistic with this series!

mistressh · #2 06-26-2006, 01:10 AM

[ QUOTE ]
slerch666 said:

[ QUOTE ]
As I post this, I have JUST finished watching the first episode. When I first began watching the show, the first thing I thought was... "man, I hope this gets louder." I don't know what Toei did to the audio, but it sounds really quiet. It also sounds kind of muffled.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh good... it's not my TV that's the problem then!!

No, this one is very quiet... I have to whack the sound right up - though it got better when I ran it through the stereo speakers!!

[ QUOTE ]
Which brings me to problem number 2. I don't know if it is the fact that the sound is so quiet, or if it's just that I don't know the vocabulary, but I'm having a difficult time with the dialog in the show. I'm glad littleharlock and Helen Fayle are around to help me through this one, as if this first eps is any indication of what is to come, I'm going to need a lot of help, which I didn't really expect to be the case.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just "Helen" will do fine... ;-) AndI'll try... I've got extra help for eps 1-25, since these are covered by the Animanga, which I'm using to pick up the bits *I* keep struggling with! <g> After 4 goes through though, I'm a lot better with this one now - though I struggled with it at first!!

[ QUOTE ]
And one more problem (yeah, I lied above)... where is Sasaki Isao! NNNOOOOOO!!! The opening and ending themes just... they just aren't the same without him. It seems weird hearing someone else sing on a Toei Matsumoto project. I could almost cry. OK, so it isn't THAT bad, but it was a bit jarring.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well IIRC he doesn't actually appear on SPCH either - he only gets listed as singer on the Eternal edition CDs, which are re-recorded...

[ QUOTE ]
littleharlock/Helen, correct me if I am wrong, but this is the last Toei Matsumoto TV series we need to discuss, correct? The only other series not covered here thus far is Space Symphony Maetel, which I have I just want to follow littleharlock's advice and wait until after Sennen Joô.

[/ QUOTE ]

Unless you are feeling really masochistic and can endure the artwork on Danguard Ace or Starzinger... ;-)

[ QUOTE ]
(I believe it was a note asking Yayoi if she wanted to look at the stars with him).

[/ QUOTE ]

A note of introduction - seems most of the neighbourhood fancy the a*se off the girl from the ramen shop and just wanted to a) meet her and b) snag some free ramen... hence Yayoi just laughs and says "put it on my tab..." or something similar, IIRC...

Now for my questions.



[ QUOTE ]
What is the phone call about?

[/ QUOTE ]

That's the 1000-nen tozuku calling to warn him off telling him it's too dangerous to continue. Then Yayoi phones to tell him to continue, and, IIRC, to get rid of the blueprints once he's done and handed it over...

[ QUOTE ]
Does anyone mention what Prof Amamori (Hajime's father) is working on?

[/ QUOTE ] Yes, later on...

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I'm extremely optimistic with this series!

[/ QUOTE ]

Just wait! Gets better!!!

slerch666 · #3 06-26-2006, 08:53 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Helen Fayle said:
Oh good... it's not my TV that's the problem then!!

No, this one is very quiet... I have to whack the sound right up - though it got better when I ran it through the stereo speakers!!

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm running through my surround receiver and it's worked well on all the other older Matsumoto stuff. It's just this series. I'm debating on ripping the DVDs, pumping up the volume on the audio and then burning to a new DVD. The problem is the music though. It can get to a level that is level with say, GT999, yet the voices stay at this ungodly low level. It's kind of annoying actually, but not enough to stop watching. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[ QUOTE ]
Just "Helen" will do fine... ;-) AndI'll try... I've got extra help for eps 1-25, since these are covered by the Animanga, which I'm using to pick up the bits *I* keep struggling with! <g> After 4 goes through though, I'm a lot better with this one now - though I struggled with it at first!!

[/ QUOTE ]
Just Helen from now on then. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

The first episode was pretty bad for me, but eps 2 and 3 seem to have gone a bit better in terms of understanding. Or at least I THINK it has. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] Be sure to correct anywhere I f- up!

[ QUOTE ]
Well IIRC he doesn't actually appear on SPCH either - he only gets listed as singer on the Eternal edition CDs, which are re-recorded...

[/ QUOTE ]
I have the original OST CDs and it is definitely Sasaki Isao. And I'm fairly certain, though I haven't watched in a while, that he does the vocals for SPCH opening and I believe also the ending. Actually, I'm nearly 99% positive he did them. Heck, he even did the vocals on the ancient Uchuu Senkan Yamato.

[ QUOTE ]
Unless you are feeling really masochistic and can endure the artwork on Danguard Ace or Starzinger... ;-)

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm going to pass on those for now. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] I do need to pick up the Sennen Joô movie, but I'm going to worry about that for when I get further into the TV series, since I wouldn't be watching it until after the TV series anyway.

[ QUOTE ]
A note of introduction - seems most of the neighbourhood fancy the a*se off the girl from the ramen shop and just wanted to a) meet her and b) snag some free ramen... hence Yayoi just laughs and says "put it on my tab..." or something similar, IIRC...

[/ QUOTE ]
I think you might be right. I just remember her grabbing the note, saying something I couldn't understand (or couldn't hear, I think it was more the former than the latter. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]) and then leaving the store.

[ QUOTE ]
That's the 1000-nen tozuku calling to warn him off telling him it's too dangerous to continue. Then Yayoi phones to tell him to continue, and, IIRC, to get rid of the blueprints once he's done and handed it over...

[/ QUOTE ]
I kinda caught the gist of what the Sennen tozoku had said, it was Yayoi's bit I wanted the help with. You got both, so it's all good. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[ QUOTE ]
Just wait! Gets better!!!

[/ QUOTE ]
What's pissing me off is the damn cliff hanger endings to the episodes! I'm trying to pace myself, so I can keep up with my synopses/notes before continuing the series on, but I'll be damned if I didn't want to just keep on watching last night! I fought the urge though and stopped it and put in GT999 and watched more of that instead.

Pyocola · #4 06-26-2006, 09:08 AM

[ QUOTE ]
slerch666 said:
[ QUOTE ]
Well IIRC he doesn't actually appear on SPCH either - he only gets listed as singer on the Eternal edition CDs, which are re-recorded...

[/ QUOTE ]
I have the original OST CDs and it is definitely Sasaki Isao. And I'm fairly certain, though I haven't watched in a while, that he does the vocals for SPCH opening and I believe also the ending. Actually, I'm nearly 99% positive he did them. Heck, he even did the vocals on the ancient Uchuu Senkan Yamato.

[/ QUOTE ]
I do believe you are confusing him with Mizuki Ichirou (they both have similar styles, so it's understandable.)

slerch666 · #5 06-26-2006, 10:32 AM

Eps 2 - Hajime yo, Hiroi Uchû o Miro

This episode starts off with Hajime experiencing a nightmare where he sees his mother and father die in the explosion from the previous episode. When he awakens, Yayoi is there and when he asks where is parents are, she reluctantly tells him that they were taken to a different hospital (you can tell from her reaction that she is either lying or knows more than she is letting on). As she is standing near the window, Yayoi sees the mystery car that carried the Trench Coat Man in the events yesterday pull up into the hospital’s parking lot.

Hajime, wanting to find his parents, begins to get dressed so that he can leave. Just then the room receives a call which Hajime answers. There is no one on the line (you know where this is heading). Yayoi tells Hajime to hide, which he does under the bed, while she hides behind the door with a coat hanger and bed sheet. As the Trench Coat Man opens the door, Yayoi throws the sheet over him and begins to beat him with the coat hanger. The Trench Coat Man fights his way free and tosses Yayoi out the door and begins searching for Hajime. As he is about to locate Hajime, Yayoi screams out, yelling that there is a robber in the hospital room. Frightened, the Trench Caot Man runs out of the room, dropping a flash bomb and high tailing it from the hospital.

After the attack, Yayoi and Hajime introduce themselves (I thought they had done so in the previous eps, but I guess I was incorrect). Hajime is to stay with his uncle (Prof Amamori at the observatory is his uncle… right?). Yayoi helps him get prepared for the trip to the observatory and stops by the rubble of Hajime’s home before hitting the train station. Hajime gets lost in his memories of his family and finally resolves himself to head for the observatory.

Once on the train, Hajime sees a man in a trench coat and attacks him, only to find out that this isn’t THE Trench Coat Man. Yayoi returns home to the ramen shop.

Hajime finall makes it to the observatory where his uncle (or grandfather?), Prof Amamori is waiting for him. Once there, Hajime asks where his parents are. Prof Amamori, a little surprised “that girl” (Yayoi) didn’t tell Hajime, asks Hajime to sit down, where he informs him that his parents both died in the accident. Unable to believe it, Hajime begins to deny they are dead, until Prof Amamori hands him the death certificate. Hajime then runs out of the observatory screaming that it isn’t true and stops outside in a field.

Out in the field, Hajime stares up at the stars. A short while later, a shadow approaches him from behind and when he turns around he sees… Yayoi! She greets Hajime and then apologizes for lying to him at the hospital. Yayoi asks Hajime to come inside as there is something she needs him to hear. Here Prof Amamori plays a cassette tape that recorded the final words of Hajime’s father. His final words were “Hajime, always watch space” (or the universe, or something along those lines). When asked if he would like the cassette, Haime declines, telling the Prof that he has the words in his heart.

After this all comes to light, Hajime asks the Prof about the strange planet that appears to be approaching the Earth, to which the Prof replies that he must keep it a secret and then leads him to the observatory’s control room. In the control room, the Prof shows Hajime the trajectory of the incoming planet and tells him it is set to collide on Sept 9, 1999.

Having finished their talk, Yayoi takes Hajime to his new room, where he lies on the bed and spaces out while she explains how things work in the observatory. Yayoi has to stir Hajime from his remembrance and takes him to dinner, where he proceeds to space out further. Hajime eventually leaves the table and heads outside.

Outside once again, Hajime stares up at the sky again. And a short time later, once again Yayoi finds him outside (I think they recycled the animation LOL). Yayoi then asks Hajime what he is going to do about his father’s final words. Hajime tells her that he will never forget the words and that space is his dream. He wishes to eventually go into space as a pilot (what is it that Yayoi is supposed to do for him while he’s in space?). Before that, however, Hajime swears to get revenge on the ones who killed his parents. Under her breath, Yayoi mumbles about the Sennen Tozoku. Before Hajime can get answers from her on what that means or who they are, the two spot several meteors falling towards the Earth… which then presents us with a cliff hanger ending again!

I actually lied slightly. I was only supposed to watch 2 eps a night, however I decided to go for 3 because I was enjoying it and because I wrote up the first synopsis just after watching it, so I knew I could catch up. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

So Yayoi knows more than she is letting on, yet how much more? I’ve read things about the series, unfortunately, which ruined the surprise a little for me. Surprise simply because I’ve had zero exposure to the series, even if it is ~20 yrs old.

I should have eps 3 ready for this afternoon and hope to watch 4-5 tonight.

I'll have to double check SPCH tonight. Pycola has be questioning myself again. lol

slerch666 · #6 06-26-2006, 11:12 AM

And now for the last of the synopses from my notes, Eps 3!

Eps 3- 1000-nen Tôzoku no Inbô or The Thousand Year Thieves

After the recap of the previous episode, that being just after the shooting stars land on the Earth and cause a rather large explosion, we learn the meteors landed in an uninhabited area and because of this, the observatory staff decide to investigate it tomorrow morning. Off to bed for everyone. 

The next morning, Hajime awakens to find that the party is already departing without him! He excitedly races out of his room and outside and begs the Prof to allow him to go along. The Prof tells him that he needs to go to school and study. The Prof then tells Yayoi that she may bring Hajime to the crash site AFTER he goes to school. So Hajime and Yayoi jump in her jeep and before getting Hajime to school, they stop at the rubble of his house again, where Hajime remembers more of his past in the home.

When Hajime finally makes it to school, the 2 boys who were asking Hajime to go with them for ramen the day before (or was it 2 days) see him arrive at school… WITH Yayoi! The 2 boys, pissed, approach Hajime and ask him what is going on to which he explains that she was just bringing him to school from his uncle’s place of work. They accept it and the 3 enter the school.

Either after school or during some sort of recess, Hajime is bullied by the 2 boys about being at school so soon after the accident. This causes Hajime to get angry and attack them (which was a funny spectacle). After the 2 boys run off, Hajime jumps the school wall and heads down to a local duck pond where he sits depressed. Soon after her hears a twig snap and turns to fin the Trench Coat Man behind him! Hajime grabs a stick and tries to attack him, but winds up falling into the pond, screaming. The 2 boys (what are their names?)here his screams and find Hajime “drowning” in the duck pond. Once they see what is going on, they tell Hajime to just stand up. Turns out the water was only leg deep!

I’m not sure how it happened, but I suppose Yayoi had to pick a wet Hajime up from school as he winds up in her parent’s ramen shop, wrapped in a blanket. The family offers him a bowl of ramen and tells him to not worry about imposing on their kindness. After seeing a picture of Yayoi and her parents where they all seem so happy, Hajime gets depressed further and leaves the ramen shop without anyone knowing. He is followed by Yayoi’s cat (was its name Leiji?).

While watching the water from the bridge, the mysterious black car rides up and Hajime is abducted by the Trench Coat Man! Hajime is taken to a warehouse where the Sennen Tozoku question him, asking him where his parents are (don’t they know they killed them?). Hajime refuses to answer, and while he is being questioned the Sennen Tozoku who was questioning him is told of the meteors and rushes to go after them, leaving Hajime alone in the warehouse.

Soon after the Sennen Tozoku leave, one of the warehouse doors opens, revealing Leiji (the cat), followed by Yayoi. Hajime is overjoyed in seeing her, but quickly switches back to serious mode and tells Yayoi that the team from the observatory is in danger as the Sennen Tozoku know of the meteors and are going after them. As they prepare to leave, they are attacked by the Trench Coat Man, whom Leiji drops into the water while Yayoi and Hajime make their escape.

While Hajime and Yayoi are on their way to the crash site, they spot 2 helicopters also heading towards the crash site. It can only be the Sennen Tozoku! Once they arrive, we learn that all 9 of the meteors appear to be normal (I suppose they are meteorites, now that they’ve landed on the Earth). Not long after Hajime and Yayoi convince the Prof that the approaching helicopters are the press, they are attacked and shot at from the helicopter. And we are then presented with… ANOTHER to be continued!

With the way the cat acts it makes me wonder if he isn’t something special, something more than JUST a cat so to speak. I guess I’ll have to wait and see. They certainly make it seem that way.

Can’t wait to jump into eps 4 and 5 tonight!

mistressh · #7 06-26-2006, 11:13 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Hajime, wanting to find his parents, begins to get dressed so that he can leave. Just then the room receives a call which Hajime answers. There is no one on the line (you know where this is heading). Yayoi tells Hajime to hide, which he does under the bed, while she hides behind the door with a coat hanger and bed sheet. As the Trench Coat Man opens the door, Yayoi throws the sheet over him and begins to beat him with the coat hanger. The Trench Coat Man fights his way free and tosses Yayoi out the door and begins searching for Hajime. As he is about to locate Hajime, Yayoi screams out, yelling that there is a robber in the hospital room. Frightened, the Trench Caot Man runs out of the room, dropping a flash bomb and high tailing it from the hospital.

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL! You know, re-watching this series, I now know that the Trenchcoat man is possibly one of the most patient, even-tempered characters ever to appear in a Matsumoto show! Poor man! Spends so much of the first dozen episodes taking a pasting for no good reason!!

I'd debate the "frightened" though... Discretion being the better part of "not being caught" more like... this guy doesn't scare easy! <g>

However I'm biased... he's one of those characters I'd sell my soul to know more about, dammit! And you've gotta love a guy who wears shades at night or on a spaceship... !! ;-)



H

slerch666 · #8 06-27-2006, 10:31 AM

Eps 4- Kieta Inseki or Missing Meteorite

Continuing from where the previous episode left off, the attack on the team from the observatory looking at the meteorites is being attacked. As they all hop into their vehicles (Yayoi and Hajime in the jeep together), the choppers continue the pursuit. At one point Yayoi diverges from the path the other vehicles take and lures the helicopters into following her. After a few miles (I guess), the jeep enters a cavern which causes the helicopters to lose them. Looking about, Hajime sees that this is a man made structure but he is curious as to what it is and where they are.

Meeting back up with everyone, Hajime stands in front of what appear to be telescope lenses, questioning why they are there. This is when the Prof tells him to watch and see. After the flip of a switch, the area begins to flip over, revealing that this is actually the observatory, only that the telescopes are hidden underground when the building is flipped (considering the area showing to the world when flipped was a slab of rock, how the heck do they use the telescopes at all?).

After the incident the Prof, Yayoi and Hajime sit down for some tea and some small talk. The Prof asks why the Sennen Tozoku are after the meteorites and them, which has Hajime apologizing as he believes he is the reason for the chase (though the look on Yayoi’s face let’s us know there is more to the story). (SPECULATION ON MY PART – could it be that Hajime’s father hid the blueprints in his telescope? It seems to be the only thing that survived the accident that Hajime still has, and he DID receive it before the accident…). They then decide to go and check out the investigation on the meteorites.

In the lab, numerous tests on the meteorite take place. The first test they break the meteorite into smaller pieces, then they focus a laser beam on it. During the laser test Yayoi seems a little nervous about something (shown by her look and the swear beads). She definitely knows something we don’t yet. Just after this display by Yayoi, the meteorite explodes, taking the test area with it.

In a bit of the funny, I chuckled when I saw Yayoi applying the band-aids to the wounded Prof. Turns out Hajime needed a little help as well. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] 

It is now that the Prof asks Hajime what he wants to be when he grows up. His reply, is of course, the same thing he told Yayoi before: he wants to be a space battleship pilot! It’s here that we are presented another little bit of humor, as in Hajime’s imagination he is a captain on his own ship. Not long after we see Yayoi in her crew member uniform giving Captain Hajime his tea. [img]/images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif[/img]

Now equipped with Hajime’ s answer, the Prof tells him that if that is really his goal he needs to study more. The Prof then has a HUGE load of books delivered to Hajime’s room and Hajime begins his studies.

Not long after opening the first book, Hajime gives up and decides to try and sneak outside with his telescope for some star gazing. On his way out, he sees a shadowy figure (clearly Yayoi) heading towards where the meteorites are being stored so he follows. Much to Hajime’s surprise, when he enters the room where the shadow entered, he is caught by the laser alarm system installed for security. Once he is taken to the Prof room, two of the observatory workers enter, informing them that the meteorites have been stolen! At first blame is placed on the Sennen Tozoku, until they bring up the security system they have installed as only observatory personnel have access, which means it had to have been someone who works in the observatory. The only person not accounted for? You guessed it… Yayoi! When the idea of Yayoi stealing the meteorites is floated, Hajime tries to sink it, telling them that there is no way Yayoi would do such a thing.

A short while later we cut over to the Sennen Tozoku “leader” (not sure what else to call him at this point) who is being informed by the Trench Coat Man that the meteorites have been stolen. So this tells us it wasn’t the Sennen Tozoku.

The next day, before heading to school, Hajime stops by the ramen shop and asks Yayoi’s parents if they have seen her or heard from her. They tell him that isn’t unusual for her to stay and work overnight at the observatory and not to worry as she is sure to turn up when her work is finished. Not wanting to tell them their daughter is missing, Hajime agrees and leaves.

Hajime then goes to school where the 2 boys from earlier (anyone know their names?) who were using Hajime as an excuse to talk to Yayoi are questioning Hajime during class on her whereabouts. After getting into trouble for talking during class, the trio head out to a pay phone after school and call the observatory, where we learn Yayoi still hasn’t been found. The 2 boys decide they are going to the ramen shop and before leaving, Hajime has them promise not to spill the beans on Yayoi being missing.

Arriving at the ramen shop the 2 boys begin asking Yayoi’s parents about where she is. After the questioning gets to be too much, the couple attack the boys, forcing them to tell them what has happened to Yayoi. Learning that Yayoi is missing, Yayoi’s father calls the Prof who he proceeds to rip into for letting his daughter disappear. This is when the three boys decide to make their get away.

Hajime returns to the observatory and attempts to slink past the Prof room. Unfortuantely as he passes the Prof’s room, the door opens and he is caught, where he then apologizes for the little mishap with Yayoi’s parents and that the only reason he bothered is because he is worried about Yayoi. During the conversation they are interrupted by one of the observatory’s staff who informs them that they’ve found someone collapsed in the the forest (?). Hajime, thinking it has to be Yayoi, high tails it out of the Prof’s room and out of the observatory into the woods, right off into a…. TO BE CONTINUED!

I was only able to watch 1 episode last night as other things came up, so this is the only synopsis for today. I will say it is pretty difficult to stop after these cliffhangers. Lol

Since there are only 3 more eps on this disc, I may break my rule again and watch through them tonight and post about them tomorrow if time permits.

slerch666 · #9 06-29-2006, 01:35 PM

Eps 5 Chitei ni Fune ga... or The Underground Boat is…

Picking up where eps 4 left off, we see Hajime heading off to the forest in search of this person who collapsed. Hajime is concerned the collapsed person may be Yayoi, but what he finds is Prof Jyumonji, an acquaintance of Prof Amamori, dying. His dying words are in regards to something called the Underground Boat. Just before the man dies and speaks of the boat, Yayoi reappears at the scene and apologizes for causing worry. When questioned about the theft of the meteorites she tells Hajime she knew of the theft and was actually following a shadowy figure she saw when he saw her. Prof Amamori appears and tells them that Prof Jyumonji was an acquaintance of his and that his body should be taken back to the observatory.

Back at the observatory the body is laid on a table and Prof Jyumonji’s daughter is notified. Jyumonji’s daughter, Yuri, arrives and when she sees the body, immediately begins crying and saying how she has now been left all alone. This causes Hajime to begin to tear up, which causes what appears to be a little concern on Yayoi’s face. Hajime then tells Yuri to come to his room where he has something he’d like to show her. (that’s a heck of a come on! LOL)

Yuri travels to Hajime’s room where he shows her his telescope. After a little bit of adjustment he trains it on the object he really wants to show her, the Star of Hope. Yuri tells Hajime that he is strong, to which he replies that he is merely strong enough to survive. This is around when the Prof comes in and questions Yuri about the death of her father and learns that the circumstances weren’t all that different from the death of Hajime’s parents.

After taking their leave of Yuri, the Prof tells Yayoi she must go home for her worried parents’ sake. Hajime tells Yayoi she should go home alone as he doesn’t want to intrude. In the background we see the Trench Coat Man listening intently on the conversation, overhearing some information on the underground boat. Yayoi convinces Hajime to go with her to the ramen shop (she has ulterior motives we learn about in a later episode).On the way to the ramen shop, Hajime begins to remember his parents. I believe he mentions to Yayoi that his mother taught him about kindness and taight about hardship from his father. Hajime believes his parents were amazing. After he once again vocalizes his vow for revenge for his parents, Yayoi seems a little saddened by the comment.

Only a small surprise, when Hajime and Yayoi arrive at the ramen shop the two friends from school are there awaiting news on Yayoi’s welfare. Once in the shop, Yayoi’s mother welcomes her back while her father ignores her. Yayoi is then told to sit down where her father offers her some ramen he just made. Around this time Hajime decides he is going to leave and Yayoi offers to go with him. Hajime tells her no, that she should stay with her parents. Yayoi then tells her cat, Leiji, to follow Hajime and keep him out of trouble (I knew there was something about this cat!).

Walking down the street and being followed by Leiji, Hajime is set upon by the Trench Coat Man who attempts to kidnap him. The attempt is foiled however when Leiji presses an attack. During the attack Leiji glows brightly, preventing himself from being caught onto by Hajime. The Trench Coat Man is chased off and Leiji disappears into the night.

Cutting back to the ramen shop, in the ramen shop Yayoi’s father goes to her room. He apologizes for treating her the way he did and asks her to stay with them forever. Her reply is a gentle, not too convining, “OK.”

Back at the observatory Hajime proceeds to tell an disbelieving Prof about the glowing cat that saved his life. Once he’s finished telling his story, the Prof tells him that he can no longer go to school for his own safety. Hajime protests, not because he wants an education but because he will not be with his friends!

In Hajime’s room we watch him begin to pack his stuff. Once he’s packed, running away from the observatory, he proceeds to try and leave but is distracted into following Leiji. When Hajime sees Leiji he wonders how he got there and where Yayoi is. He follows Leiji into an abandoned area of the observatory where he… falls into a pit and we are given a…. you guessed it, to be continued!

I finished disc 1 the other night but haven’t had time to post the synopses for them. I hope to get the next 2 knocked out tonight or tomorrow and get back into watching the series tomorrow evening.

slerch666 · #10 06-30-2006, 08:26 AM

Eps 6 Chitei no Daidanchi or Underground Apartment Complex

Hajime continues to fall into the secret passage, falling through a tunnel, into a sky and falls into what appears to be a jungle/forest. When he awakens, he wonders how he went from the observatory to a forest. A UFO then circles and lands in the nearby forest, and an unknown female voice urges Hajime to board. Not knowing what else to do, Hajime follows the order and is flown through a town, landing on the outskirts near a large apartment complex. Once landed, the UFO’s hatch opens and lets Hajime run free.

On a little chuckle moment, there is a bird in the trees as he flies off that looks like… you guessed it, Tori-san from Herlock. [img]/images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif[/img]

Hajime then runs around town, yelling for people which receives no reply. He then proceeds to the closest apartment complex and starts pounding on doors, only to be met once again with silence. Hajime then really starts to panic and tries to open a door finding it isn’t locked and looks abandoned on the inside. He then proceeds to run up the stairs of the buildings, eventually reaching the roof of the building where he meets the administrator of the city, Danchu (?). I didn’t catch all the conversation here, so if people are still reading and have insight on what is said, please post it. After a heated conversation Danchu pulls a gun and shoots Hajime as he begins to run (it was a shorter series than I thought!). As she approaches the still body to finish the job she started, Danchu is stopped by a female voice that tells her to stop and not to kill the boy. This new voice still has questions she wants answered. Just then Hajime looks up at the figure silhouetted before the sun and speaks the person’s name… Yayoi! He then falls into unconsciousness where we then see him sitting in weird chair with a weird device on his head as what seems to be Yayoi turns on the switch.

The next morning Yayoi is visiting the Prof who tells her that Hajime is missing. Yayoi then asks what he is talking about, as she just saw Hajime and he is sleeping in his bed. The two run to Hajime’s room only to find Yayoi was correct. The Prof awakens Hajime and then yells at him for making him worry. It seems however, that Hajime cannot recall the details of the night before. He remembered packing up his stuff and going to leave, but everything else is missing. When he does begin to recall a part of the evening after putting on his coat and finding a weird leaf in his pocket, Yayoi forcefully tells him and the Prof that it WAS just a dream, whatever it was. Hajime decides to go investigate the leaf in the forest, assuming that this leaf must have come from the nearby forest.

As Hajime goes to investigate Yayoi follows after him. When Hajime realizes the leaf doesn’t seem to be from any plant in this forest (with such a short investigation, I’d come to that conclusion as well!), Yayoi laughs at him, telling him that the leaf could have come from anywhere. Evidently she wants him to forget the night before pretty badly. Abandoning the search, Hajime throws the leaf on the ground and decides to head back to the observatory. Just then the Trench Coat Man, who was watching from the shadows, picks up the leaf and discusses this curious leaf with his leader. This is also where we learn that Hajime may be strong enough to shake off the brainwashing, though the Sennen Tozoku leader doesn’t seem to think this young boy would be capable of something like that at all. We then see one of the observatory workers who appears to be driving into work, stop to help a stranded motorist (guess he doesn’t know that black car is owned by the Sennen Tozoku) when he is attacked and has some weird device concealed on the back of his ear.

Cut back to the observatory and we see Hajime in a different device. This time it turns out they are trying electroshock therapy to try and restore his memory, much to the dismay of a nervous Yayoi. Yayoi is extremely persuasive in her arguments against the therapy but unfortunately for her, Hajime’s curiosity at what he is missing is greater. After receiving a rather large jolt of electricity, Hajime regains his memory, recalling the fall into the other world and the interference Yayoi provided to save his life. When the Prof asks if he has remembered anything, Hajime looks at the worried Yayoi and tells the Prof that no, he still doesn’t remember anything. This also works out pretty well since the man (Aoki I believe) with the device on his ear is there unknowingly spying for the Sennen Tozoku. Yayoi realizes something is strange with Aoki when he confronts them and realizes he is being controlled. She chases Aoki down and removes the device from his ear.

In her thoughts, Yayoi knows that Hajime knows about her but doesn’t yet know everything about her. She decides to tell him the truth. She uses Leiji to lure Hajime to the ramen shop that night, where she takes Hajime to her room. Once in the room, Hajime is told to open the closet and that Yayoi will follow 10 minutes later and she leaves. When Hajime opens the door, he is surprised to see… a tunnel! And with that we have… a to be continued!

So the only question I have in all that is, what does the conversat ion between Hajime and Danchu (or whatever her name was) entail? I heard something about 9-9-1999 (I guess they knew the Dreamcast was launching LOL), but didn’t understand much of it. Assistance by Helen or littleharlock is appreciated (or anyone else who has seen the series)

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