Tsukikage Ran: Carried by the Wind

Director
Akitaro Daichi
Production
Bandai, Madhouse, WOWOW
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Year
2000

Tsukikage Ran - Carried by the Wind

By David Rasmussen
23rd Jan 05

Company - BANDAI
Age - 13 and up
Episodes - 13
Dual Language (Japanese/English dubs) with English Subtitles
Optional Extras? - Linear Notes and more.
Time - 325 minutes total
Screenplay by Akitaro Daichi, Michiko Yokote & Mamiko Ikeda
Planning - Kazumi Kawashiro
Animation Production by Mad House
Directed by Akitaro Daichi
A Production of Bandai Visual

A first for me. An entire series compressed down and reviewed in one shot.
No volume seperation since I think they already have this out in a Collected format (at least in Region 1 format in anycase).

Need more explanation to when this series takes place? Or what's going on? The series itself has lots of notes to help you along with all that so you shouldn't worry about that. Once you get ahold of this (if you can get ahold of this in Region 2) you should have the resources you need to answer all your questions.

In short? It's set in Japan's past but isn't your typical feudal story. In fact it's kind of hip and cool. Too bad it didn't make it past Season 1 (this was originally a TV Series from what I could gather of it) but at least we have these episodes to enjoy.

Episode 1 - She's Tough, for a Woman
Basically this is the first of two episodes which introduces you to Ran and Meow.
Ran's the strong serious samurai type with a sake addiction. Meow's the off-center martial artist who's the wacky part of this duo. They end up meeting near a village ruled over by bad guys, and while there are some who want to kick them out (but too lame to do so), so it'll be up to Ran (who at first joins sides with the bad guys because they have sake) and Meow to clean up the garbage and free the town under siege.
Yeah, this is the introduction... they don't really join up until next episode.

Episode 2 - Sake Made the Tears Sting
What's a worse place for Ran to end up in than a town where sake is outlawed as being devil water?
Can't imagine a worse place, but that's the situation she's found herself in. Seems the way the bad guys in this town run things is different than the bad guys in the last episode. Here they're using badly watered-down sake and that rule about no sake to make a fortune and maintain power.

This is mostly a Ran-type of episode where you'll see just how bad her sake addiction really is, and at one point it is really really BAD! I mean she really sinks to a low right here before she pulls herself right back up and gets to "work". Anyway you'll have to see it for yourself, but in the end she breaks up the bad guys (with Meow showing up to "help") and the two end up partners at the end.

In the "My Imaginary Pink Samurai does not condone my low alcohol tolerance" section - we find out that Meow shares something in common with one Doc Brown (Back to the Future) - no, she's not going to turn a DeLorean into a time machine - it's that she can't handle her liquor very well.

One drink and she's babbling and drunk - well, maybe it's the fact that it's watered down but at least she doesn't faint right away (she does eventually).

When she wakes up? She overhears the bad guys' plans, and confronts them only to be attacked, which she counters by - throwing up. Yeah, that'll stop anyone from attacking.

Episode 3 - Suddenly, I was a Mother
The best episodes, it seems to me, are those which Meow is the lead (instead of Ran though she has some good ones to speak of as well like last episode (#2)).

In this one, someone leaves a baby with Meow and she suddenly finds herself as an unexpected mother.
The baby? Turns out to be the child of one of the local big-shot houses, whose mistress gave birth before the wife. The wife? Being the Cruella de Ville type, she had the baby spirited away by the handmaiden and that's how Meow got it (handmaiden wasn't heartless after all so she kept the baby safe).

Don't expect a completely happy ending, but at least the villains of this plot will get theirs. The wife's (well, you know) gets his at the hands of Ran after he murders the baby's mother and the handmaiden (he gave out two cuts and got two back as he deserves). As for the wife? For all her plots and plans she crumples with one good shot with the flat end of Ran's sword - so much for that.

It's a great episode (up there with Episode 9 with Meow's childhood friend) and great viewing.

Episode 4 - I was a Target before I Knew it
Apparently there really is no honor among thieves. Bunch of thieves kill one of their own (who was trying to get out of the gang and reform before he married his fiancée), and then turn on the guy's fiancée looking for a map he stole (where their ill-gotten loot was hidden by their now-dead boss who the guy who is now dead killed to get the map from). Ran, of course, shows up, and the guys get whipped.

But this is more about Meow, how she accidentally "stumbles" onto the map after she - ah - "accidentally" breaks open a prayer box while at a shrine - and - well - "borrows" its entire contents to buy herself food. It's then she's spotted by two would-be thieves (brothers) already looking for the map.

Everyone? Meet the Abbott and Costello of the Edo Period (1600 to 1868), who bungle their way through the episode, catching up to Meow after "losing" her the first time at the shrine when they spot her at a fancy restaurant. They somehow end up partying with her, get to know her better, get into trouble with her when she can't pay her bill, and it seems they're a lot better working an honest job than being thieves.

In the end one of the brothers delivers the stirring speech of today's episode, both brothers turn good (but won't fight, duh) and the thieves get theirs as a great fight sequence ensues. As for the two brothers? They get honest work at that place where they partied with Meow.

As for Meow? I don't know if she learned a lesson out of all of this but hopefully she did - then again maybe not.
Episode 5 - It Was Pretty Amazing When I Stripped
No, no actual stripping occurs. However, Meow is about to find out that she just wasn't cut out to be a beauty portrait model, especially when the person doing it is a halfwit who can't stay focused, and keeps wandering towards wanting to see Ran's assets more than Meow's.

Also it seems that Meow has picked the wrong place to explore her potential as a model because there's also this problem going on about women disappearing from the village they're in, and she just so happens to be sitting on the dark epicenter of that mess.

Ran finds out about it, and of course once she gets involved it won't take long to clear out the bad guys because she's tougher than they are. In the end? Meow realizes that she just doesn't have a future as a model, especially when the one who wanted to draw her finds new "inspiration" in another woman.
Sheesh, low attention span dude! Snap out of it!

Episode 6 - The Mole Was in the Worst Place
If this was Lupin the 3rd? We'd be talking about an informant in the wrong place.
Since this is Tsukikage Ran? We're talking about the bodily type of mole, and how it's just not a place Ran wants to expose, even if it's to clear her name.

Looks like two copycats of Ran/Meow - one looks like a guy though - but the box says it's two females so - still looks like a guy (I'll let you find out if it's a guy or not for yourself) are committing crimes and Ran/Meow get blamed for it all.

Now it‘s quite easy for Ran to clear her name, all Ran has to do to clear their name is prove she doesn't have a mole on her - say what? Needless to say? She isn't interested in proving THAT! No sir, not at all.
This could get messy if they can't find the real crooks and prove that they're innocent without the unveiling of Ran's - let's move on.

Episode 7 - I Buzzed with Electricity
Never ever chat it up with a guy flying a kite (with a metal thing attached to it) on a windy day - guy might be doing experiments with (say it with me now) ELECTRICITY, E-lec-tricity.
It's just like that old song from Schoolhouse Rock, only 20 minutes longer and with more plot.

Guy in question? He wants to discover practical uses for electricity (e-lec-tricity), but the local gang wants it for themselves. Selfish guys. Why? Probably so they can invent Cable TV before anyone else and charge a fortune to show nothing... since TV programming, let alone TV, hasn‘t been invented yet.
Ah, you'll have to see for yourself why this invention is in "high" demand before people even knew why they needed electricity [e-lec-tricity] so badly.

Episode 8 - There Was No God in This World
There is a day. A day that people dread and nobody particularly likes. That day being simply known as the "Day you wish you stood in bed". And, for religiously themed con artist Master Rokkan, today just so happens to be THAT day.

While conning the masses of a village he's held up in he happens to come into the company of one Meow, who has a crick in her neck and she's in pain--- that is, until she's "healed" by Master Rokkan.
Now, while the box claims that "the hapless Meow, having witnessed a miracle, wants to "join." Rokkan's flock" as if she was conned into it, the truth is far different! Folks? The minute he "cured" her, that was the minute the world stopped making sense to Master Rokkan. And, for the record, she cons her way into his group since, once everyone is behind her joining for the call for her to join, it's not like the guy can say no!

What comes next is how she eventually finds out that Rokkan is up to no good, and she/Ran take down Rokkan and his little gang of con artists once and for all.

In the "Wait, there IS a God" segment - Color me curious, but the fact that Rokkan (during the last fight) almost gets the drop on Meow if not for the fact that his slipper broke, that sorta might signify some divine intervention. Either that or it just was one of those days he should have stood in and "meditated".

Episode 9 - I Counted on an Enemy
What starts off as a light hearted story will end rather tragically.
I don't know about you but that's a major bummer for me considering this is supposed to be a comedic series. That doesn't mean the episode isn't good, because it is, but still...

It seems Meow has heard of a dear friend who is now living in a nearby village that she and Ran are about to pass, and Meow wants to visit her old friend (Mei) and catch up on old times.

What happens next is a revealing story about what Mei's been up to since the two were together, and while she's doing bad (she's an opium dealer, opium being called "dream essence" in the episode) you can sorta sympathize with her position all the same. By now you must have a clue just how badly this will end, but watch it anyway because it's a good bad ending--- not that there should be such a thing as a "good bad ending" but it's worth watching. Sad but good.

Episode 10 - That European Girl was Huge
First it's Sakura Kinomoto (Card Captor Sakura) and her love of penguins.
NOW it's Tsukikage Ran and her fascination with elephants! Eh... imagine what kind of strange Anime character animal fixation we'll run into next... oh, wait, we have the Ganache (cat) obsessed girl from Taruto. That's next.

Back to this episode. It seems that, despite their size, the large elephants turn out to NOT be the only big things running about as we also run into a large European girl with a fixation to become samurai -- complete with her rather inappropriate and off-key notions of Japan as a whole.
How off key? Let's see. According to her it seems that Japan is loaded with gold, and it's brimming with Samurai, Ninja and Geisha.

Is that it? What about the working people?! Who feeds, clothes, provides housing, and does the tax returns for the Samurai, Ninja and Geisha?! What about the hard working blue kimono class people?! Really!

What comes next is lots of hilarious antics and it's just too good. Watch, wonder and amaze, and ask yourself this : is she really huge, or is everyone else just a bit shorter than her?

Ack! Is this the end? Yeah. But then again all good things must come to an end.

Episode 11 - "Vengeance Made Himself an Enemy"
Put Meow on the road, alone, and watch all the fun things she can get herself into.
Today she runs into a pair of children (boy slash girl) who are out to revenge their father's death and she wants to jump in as their "back-up"--- except the guy the kids are after is quite innocent, and the innocent "passerby" who intervenes is the father in question who should be dead.

What starts as a con job turns into a story of vengeance, but only it's against the father and it looks like Ran is going to do some intervention on his behalf before too long.
Let's see--- a lesson about family, the silliness of vengeance, and a touching story. Not bad.

Episode 12 - "I Was So Crucified I Didn't Know What to Do!"
And no, this isn't denoting the "Theatrical Arts in Sake Houses" stirring revival of "Jesus Christ-Superstar" for it's 10th season of showing theatrical excellence in the better establishments of sake drinking along the roads of Japan (otherwise I can't imagine how Ran would ever see anything of culture!)

Looks like there'll be one order of crucified human, hold the lynching, and that order is being delivered to--- Meow? I know she's a little off centre at times but does she truly deserve to by crucified? There's a ton of characters in Anime who'd have to be put to death before her if that was the case (and yes, would Li Syaoran please step to the front of the line.)

The specifics and how she manages to get out of this one (let alone how she got INTO this one) can be found within this episode. If she doesn't get out and dies? Well--- let's just move on.

Episode 13 - "She Hid a Romance in the Past"
Ah, it's another obligatory thing. The "let's reveal the shocking fact that the star used to have a thing for someone and end the series that way" thing.

Actually, for my two bits, the screenwriters hid a plot point to end the series and, well, it‘s Sakura/Tomoyo all over -- oh, wait, that would imply that Ran and Meow -- and that‘s about as unlikely as things could be so forget I said that! Not happening. Can't see it happening. It ain't happening. Forget about it.

Anyway, what kind of thing is this to end a series with?!? All of a sudden Ran is reunited with someone she either loves to death or hates and wants to kill to death and yet loves, or loves yet hates yet loves and has to kill and yet loves and----that's that!! Forget it! I'm stopping the review here! Throw the reviewer off the train cause‘ I‘m done! I won't say what happens here, since this is the end so you might as well find out for yourself when you watch it!

And, as the series ends, Meow gives Ran her bar tab from all those episodes she leeched off of her and demands her money back (by now it's enough to purchase the rights to the moon or at least the country of China) as they close the sake bar where everyone knew Ran's name and---
Oh, wait, that's the ending to Cheers ("NORM!!")...

Just watch the end for yourself and see how it all comes to closure.
Otherwise let's close this review out.

Region 1 Optional Extras
- Linear Notes Section
There's a whole section devoted to explaining the details about some of the Japanese cultural references and so forth made during the episodes.

That's a good thing, mind you, because then your ahead of the game in terms of knowledge you have after you see these episodes. It's best to read the extra information after you've seen the episodes since the information contains some spoilers about what the episodes contain content wise.

- Production Art Gallery
For those who like to look at the pictures.

- Commercials
First available in DVD Volume 1 of the series, this shows the ads that ran on WOWOW (the Japanese station that originally showed Tsukikage Ran).
The ads pretty much repeat themselves and there isn't much here, but it's a nice small addition. If I had a choice, however? I'd have opted for a behind-the-scenes making of clip or an interview, but this is nice nevertheless. I haven't seen any other DVD do this yet so it's a nice bonus.

- Booklets
A hidden "extra" is the little booklet that comes with each DVD that has something cute and funny.
I don't know if they gathered all this up for one booklet in the Collected version, but that'd be nice.

Tsukikage Ran Breakdown
What's Hot? - I like it, I really like it. It's a nice solid series despite the fact it wasn‘t universally loved... it only lasted 13 episodes for a TV Series so it couldn‘t have had much fans.

Still, that doesn't make it a bad series in my opinion. It's funny, it's interesting, and it's even touching in parts -- no not THAT kind of "touching" --!
It's something I fully recommend as a nice change of pace, and a nice change of pace is always called for, right? Right.

What's Not? - It's over already? Dammit! I was just getting into this series! It can't be over!
Now that, more than anything, is a "Not" in my book! Over? Not in my backyard! I--- wait, wrong "Not".
I guess it just didn't synch with viewers. Go figure.
Still, 13 episodes is way too short for me--- uh--- sorry, started ranting all of a sudden.
Look, is there any "Nots" in here? Just the short run I guess, but nothing major. After all I get into this series and it's over already? Next thing you know Fancy Lala is going to end with DVD 6 and I just got into it and -- oh, great, that's exactly what happens. Sorry.

Moments to Remember? - Way too many to list here. Even with only 13 episodes it has quite abit to remember about it! Good work.

What to Ignore? - Alright. One thing. Episode 9? After the harsh ending why is Meow over it so fast?
I mean one minute she's crying her eyes out, the next it's the following day and she's her happy-go-lucky self again as if the events of the episode didn't even happen! Ignore it!

Now I suppose it just had to be that way, if you think about it that is.
If Meow didn't get over the events of the episode she'd be a shattered wretched shell of the girl she was and the series would never be funny again. Period. So I guess the real ignore is NOT as much to ignore her reaction one day later as it is to ignore the urge to question why she recovered so quickly.
It just had to be done. Period. Don't stress the details.

Overall? - It's short, but that doesn't make it a bad thing even if it's short.
It's good viewing and I hope you give it a shot because it's definitely worth some space in your collection!
It's sad, and probably even more sad if it never made it to Region 2 yet, but if you'd like to see something different with some good humor in it this is a series to consider for your collection!

-- David Rasmussen 23rd Jan 05

Tsukikage Ran: Carried by the Wind Images