Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi (2002)
Animation Production: Gainax
Released by: ADV Films
Official Website: ADV's Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi Website
Episodes: 4
By Jeffrey Couto

Introduction

I love Gainax, I really, really like their projects; from Nadia: Secret of Blue Water, to Gunbuster, Otaku no Video, FLCL and beyond. No other Japanese animation studio grabs my attention like these guys can. They have that very rare ability to constantly put out great products that can attract not only the hardcore fans’ attention, but also (and more importantly) the attention and consumer dollars of the mass market. That’s a hard feat to pull off.

So what’s the point to this whole rant? Simple! Today’s subject, Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, and boy, what a treat it was!

Story

"Bein' human, havin' your health…that's the most important thing." -Arumi Asahina

Whoa! Hold on to your hats and get ready for one wildly wacky, frenetically funny ride as reality takes an extended vacation in Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi!

Arumi Asahina and Sasshi Imamiya seem to be normal, 12-year-old kids living in Osaka. But in Abenobashi, we soon find out that nothing is what it seems! Suddenly, Arumi and Sasshi find themselves in a world like their own…only not. And as they try to fight their way back to the real world, they’ll face menacing mushrooms, big-breasted space pirates, killer kung-fu fighters, a tripped-out transvestite, a sorcerer who seems to be in some sort of midlife crisis…and that’s just the beginning!

They say there's no place like home, but this ain't exactly Oz, and it sure as heck ain't Kansas! Put the kids to bed, leave Toto with the neighbors and get ready to dive into the madcap, whacked-out world of Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi!"-- ADV's Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi Website

Review

This series starts off on a rather low-key tone as we are introduced to it two main protagonists, Arumi Asahina and Sasshi Imamiya, and the world they inhabit. We learn that Sasshi just returned from Summer camp only to find that his family not only moved away, but that they got rid of his collection of geek memorabilia and collectibles. To add to his misery he also learns that his best friend, Arumi, will soon be moving away from the area with her father.

We then begin exploring the Abenobashi Shopping Arcade alongside them and start learning more about its past, the cast of colorful characters who make it their home, and its imminent future, as plans to redevelop the area move forward, much to the detriment of our young characters. An interesting tour to say the least as it sets up what will be the base for all the settings Sasshi and Arumi will be visiting.

As the first episode nears its end, things that were set in motion earlier start setting off several strange occurrences, all of which lead to the bizarre travels our adventurers are about to endeavor on. After the first episode, the series then becomes a true magical adventure as our heroes traverse a series of different worlds, all based on different genres of entertainment, such as video games, super robot anime, martial arts films & shows, etc.

As they enter each world they are faced by alternate versions of the same cast of characters we met in the first episode and different realities of the Magical Shopping Arcade. They must figure out the rules of each world they visit in order to survive and get another chance at being sent back to their own reality, which is typically accomplished by defeating that world’s boss.

The parody aspect of this series was a lot of fun for me personally as many of the jokes and references within these episodes harkened back to older shows, that might not necessarily be familiar to younger fans like Gaiking for example (Someone who worked in Abenobashi must be a big fan of that series BTW. There were a couple of very specific references to it in the 2nd episode). I thought this was great as it balanced out all the references to more recent programs like Gainax’s own Evangelion. In short, there is something for all fans, young or old, to find here.

Aside from the great parody aspects of this program I also have to commend it for its visual realization! The characters designs are amazing and noteworthy and the way in which each world they visit is achieved is nothing short of perfect. Episode two, which takes place in the sci-fi world of super robots and space operas is particularly noteworthy in this respect. While there are some very obvious jokes and references throughout there is also a very subtle layer, which is made up by the style of the drawings and backgrounds that is used for different scenes. The best of these (IMO) was the use of the classic Super Robot anime drawing style whenever we see Sasshi piloting his giant robot. The angles, the pencil lines, the colors, everything was a direct play on how these shows used to be made. Very nice indeed!

Atop of all this greatness there is also a cherry on top, the DVD itself! What does it come with? Let’s see, with volume 1 you get episodes one through four, a small booklet that is formatted to look like a miniature newsletter with full-color pages and some great information on the show, characters, etc. The DVD itself comes with some really neat extras which include clean versions of the opening and closing, a commentary audio track featuring the two lead actresses, and AD Vid-notes, which are basically small popping windows that point out what the heck some of the things in each episode are parodying or referencing to (should point out, that several references were missed in a couple of episodes, especially the SF one; boy, now I’m worried! I sound like the comic book guy from the Simpsons!). Great package, ADV should be commended for putting so much detail into it.

Final Thoughts

Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi is a can’t-miss anime series! What can I say? I really loved this one from beginning to end! All seasoned anime fans (especially the older ones) will get a real kick out this one. Go buy it!

Jeffrey Couto