Around 1995, Japanese animation (anime) began pouring into North America, Europe and across the globe in video form. Most of these titles were unknown outside of Japan and never covered by animation journals. Whether a title is highly popular or very obscure, a high-quality theatrical feature or a cheap and unimaginative direct-to-video release, they all look the same on a store shelf. Therefore, Animation World Magazine will regularly review several new releases (including re-releases not previously covered) that have some merit and about which our readers should know.

Life starts to crush, middle-aged Oji's dreams, until he finds out that only his special sound can save the universe in Black Heaven. © 1997 AIC • Pioneer LDC, Inc.

The Legend of Black Heaven. V.1, Rock Bottom. V.2, Space Truckin'.
TV series, 1999. Director: Yasuhito Kikuchi. V.1, 4 episodes, 100 minutes. V.2 - V.4, 3 episodes each, 75 minutes each. Price & format: $24.98 each subtitled or dubbed video; $29.98 bilingual DVD. Distributor: Pioneer. (V.3 & 4 to come.)

This 1999 Japanese prime time TV comedy is notable for two special aspects: its idealization of 1970s/'80s heavy metal music (and the work of popular guitarist Michael Schenker in particular), and a plot designed primarily for an audience a generation older than the usual children and teens.

Oji Tanaka appears to be a typical white-collar salaryman in the Japanese business world. He is actually so apathetic that he is about to be fired. In the early 1980's he was "Gabriel" Tanaka, the lead guitarist in Black Heaven, a hot Japanese band that imitated the latest sounds from such new rock gods as Michael Schenker. But he got married, and traded his dream for a steady paycheck in order to raise a family. Today his family ignores him except as a breadwinner. His wife throws out his prized guitar to make room for their child's toys.

Just as Oji's disillusion is about to become terminal, a new employee, Layla Yuki, claims to be a fan of his music. She lures him through a dimensional portal to an alternate world where Earth is losing a space war. The only hope of defeating the invaders is a new sonic weapon which needs the vibrations of Oji's unique electronic hard-rock playing. Learning that his music is still appreciated brings Oji back to life.

The mysterious woman who calls Oji back to the magic of performing. © 1997 AIC • Pioneer LDC, Inc.

Black Heaven is a funky comedy packed with references to the rock and anime scenes of the early '80s. Layla's repeated weak excuses to drag Oji off to the hidden portal are interpreted by his office workers and neighbors as an illicit affair, especially since she uses sultry phrases like "the stairway to heaven" which sound like risqué double entendres. (Oji recognizes "Stairway to Heaven" as the title of a Led Zeppelin classic. All the episode titles like "Rock Bottom" are named after notable heavy metal hits.) Japanese viewers, and American fans of the 1980s' Robotech TV cartoons from Japan, will recognize the improbable concept of defeating space invaders with rock music as a pastiche of the 1982 anime TV hit in which space invaders were traumatized by the melodies of an interplanetary pop singer. The alternate-world space war subplot parodies the Japanese live-action kids' TV genre that has been Americanized as Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. The main action centers around Oji's attempt to resurrect his dream, to get his band back together and prove that Black Heaven still swings, while avoiding the appearance of a sex scandal that could ruin his marriage and his career. His efforts not incidentally revitalize his relationship with wife Yoshiko and make him a hero to his young son Gen. ("My Dad is helping the UFO Rangers fight the Dark Nebula Demonic Army!? COOL!!!") Some of the Japanese cultural jokes will be over the heads of American viewers (the Black Heaven title is for the American market; the Japanese title is Kacho Oji, Oji the Assistant Section Head, but the popular Japanese name Oji means "prince" and he is gradually revealed as a "disguised prince among commoners"), but there is enough humor that comes through to amuse Yankees satisfactorily.