Trying to Please Everyone: Or Converting multiple Pop Culture Utopias into a Timeline.

[Marco Incognito]

A Dream of Spring, the Final Book in the series.​

A Song of Ice and Fire​

George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire is completed earlier than OTL. The time skip between Robert's Rebellion and the present is greater as Martin had specific plans for the character's ages here(which OTL he later regretted, leading to the later books taking longer as they needed to be rewritten. Bran in particular is older. Among the additions are Sansa becoming pregnant with Joffrey's child. Benjen became Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, Catelyn taking her children to the Night's Watch for protection, but an anguished Jon and Benjen find themselves unable help their family because of the Watch's neutrality, A Dance with Dragons covers more POV characters and several plot threads are merged, averting a few unresolved climaxes.The 7th and final book being A Dream of Spring.

A Game of Thrones (1996)
A Clash of Kings (1998)
A Storm of Swords (2000)
A Feast for Crows (2002)
A Dance with Dragons (2004)
The Winds of Winter(2006)
A Dream of Spring (2008)

Game of Thrones​

Lady Stoneheart in the Show.​

There were initially talks to adapt a film of A Song of Ice and Fire instead. George RR Martin refused, feeling that the books were too detailed to be condensed into a film's running time. A TV series was decided on as a better format. Apparently ways of condensing the storylines was to do one film focusing on Danaerys, and another on the Starks etc. Martin officially turned the offer down. Changes include Sandor Clegane's hunting dogs in Winterfells(cut OTL because they scared the horses). Brian Cox plays Commander Mormont. Tom Hollander plays Littlefinger. Several book characters appear such as Patchface and Lady Stoneheart(due to the series being done by this time).

The show includes the Jeyne Westerling character, who is a battlefield nurse to make a more budget-friendly adaptation of her and Robb's meeting from the books where she nurses him after he's wounded in battle(being ITTL Talisa Maegyr). Peter Jackson's Weta Workshop actually offered to help animate the Battle of Blackwater and Martin accepted their help.

The series began to diverge when it came to the episode "The Lion and the Rose" (a.k.a. the Purple Wedding episode). The episode settled the question of who was behind the Season 1 assassination attempt on Bran much earlier than OTL, with the same guilty party the books imply: Joffrey. Tyrion realized this when Joffrey said, in response to getting the Valyrian steel sword as a wedding gift, that he was not unfamiliar with the material...and in turn Tyrion made remarks to Joffrey suggesting he'd figured out from this that Joffrey had tried to have Bran killed. As a result Joffrey acted cruel to Tyrion during the wedding scene, and when Joffrey was poisoned(resulting in a gorier than OTL death as the poison makes him cough up blood and claw his face), Tyrion was framed for his murder. While seeing their dead son, Jaime and Cersei Lannister have sex on his corpse, which is made clear to be consensual (which it is meant to be, but comes off as a Rape unintentionally). Tyrion helps Sansa escape with Little Finger(who later marries her to Ramsay Bolton, who ITTL does not rape her). Tyrion was honest with Shae about why she had to leave him if she wants to live, with him warning her rather graphically about how brutally Tywin could have her killed, which actually had the effect of leading her to betray Tyrion to him. Varys informed Tyrion that Tywin knew about Tyrion's relationship with Shae in the dungeons, with Varys appearing as a denizen of the dungeons; clad in leather and mail, an iron helm on his head, heavy boots on his feet, a whip coiled at his side. Even a Beard, suggesting Varys got most his his information under duress.

Prior to the airing of Season 4, producers had to decide which of the two storylines (Dorne and Ironborn) would be in Season 5, meaning the other storyline not chosen would be in Season 6 instead. They decided to focus on the Ironborn Arc first, leading to Jaimie's character arc, being different, more about wanting to claim the Iron Throne for himself after the death of his father. The Dorne Arc got focus in Season 6 instead. Bran's visions became more extensive, seeing the first glimpse of the Night King and setting up the idea of a psychic connection between the Stark children and their direwolves. The penultimate episode of Season 4 ended with a large battle at the Wall in which Grenn and the Nightwatchmen's fight against the giant is shown in "The Watchers on the Wall"(OTL it was cancelled due to the budget). Stannis then arrives at the wall in the next episode. The scene where three of Stannis's underlings are burned alive as punishment shows more directly the hand of the Lord of Light. At a certain point the flames suddenly increased and changed color ... with apparitions of the three dead seen, blissful and younger-looking, briefly above. Melisandre's conversations with Shireen also foreshadows what ultimately happens to the latter in the show. The Watchers on the Wall was directed by Neil Marshall, who also directed Blackwater and Hardhome , some of the series's best episodes containing some of the most intense action sequences. The Season also introduced Jared Harris as the High Sparrow.

Alexander Siddig was contracted for four episodes in Season 6, salvaging the much maligned Dorne arc. Prior to Stannis going into battle against Ramsay, rhe red Priestess Melisandre burns Stannis’s daughter without his knowing. She only told him that she would guarantee his success in battle with a sacrifice, not what that sacrifice would be. As Stannis is in battle, unknown to him, his daughter is burning. Melisandre would killed by Davos Seaworth in revenge during the battle of Winterfell. The Season 6 episode "The Door" has a scene where Sansa teases Brienne about her new Wildling admirer being added in. Season 6 has the iconic episode "The Battle of the Bastards" in which Jon Snow led his forces against Ramsay Bolton, including Snow's Dire wolf Ghost fighting Ramsay's hounds. The episode also foreshadowed Arya's studies with the Faceless Men in the next two seasons. Theon's torture under Bolton was shown to be much worse, with missing fingers and white hairs.

A scene is added of Cersei having a miscarriage during Season 7, explaining her returning to drinking wine by the end of said season and her descent into suicidal delusion. Season 7 had Daenarys travel with Jon and his group to the Wall, to rescue Jon’s uncle and so Daenarys could see the dead for herself. She still swooped in and saved the group, losing a dragon in the process. Jon’s uncle goes with the group. The White Walkers retrieve the dragon but not with giant chains that seem to come out of nowhere. Little Finger is not accused in the same way he is in the season, Sansa accuses him of past deeds but he is able to justify each of them. When Sansa threatens him anyway he demands trial by combat with the Night King as his champion, saying they can ask when he he arrives. Sansa instead brings Little Finger to the same area where Ned executed a man in the first episode and carries out the deed much like Ned did.

In Season 8, The existence of the White Walkers is proven by just a moving hand from a few seasons back. The Wall goes down but those defending it are killed, the Undead Dragon shoots fire, but as the soldiers notice, it burns cool instead of hot, meaning its not real fire, which can hurt the undead. Several popular book characters appear such as Lady Stonheart, an undead Catelyn Stark resurrected by the Night King.

Jaime knights Brien of Tarth during what appears to be a practice fight between them but as he hits parts of her armor with his sword and says the lines for the Knighting, he points out Brien is a better fighter than him and if she’s letting him win its because she wants to be knighted. She finally relents.

The battle of Winterfell is a complete disaster, forcing the heroes to retreat with many being killed. It begins with one army attacking the undead head on while the Dothraki ambush them from the side(as they are known for flanking maneuvers) only to be flanked by the undead themselves. Brien is killed by a undead Lyanna Mormont as a twist on her vows to never harm children. Bran attempts to use is powers to find out how in the past the Night king was killed. He tries to tell Aerys Targaryen in the past to store as much Wildfire as possible under King’s Landing but like with Hodor, he accidentally messes up, drives Aerys insane as he shouts "Fire! Fire!" And becomes “The Mad King”. He goes back to when the Night King was first defeat as the massive army of White Walkers prepare to invade with a small army heavily outnumbered only for the Night King to somehow notice Bran and the entire army to promptly turn around.


Bran then tries to prevent the Night King from ever being created but he ends up possessing the man who would become the Night King just as the Children of the Forest perform the ritual that transforms Bran into the Night King. During the battle, Jon Snow slays the undead dragon. He reached Bran who is able to tell him something that we don’t hear. Jon then runs, Bran is killed by an undead Hodor. The survivors retreat.


Skipping to events in King’s Landing. Battle breaks out as the Night King is revealed to be able to cross water by freezing it, endangering the survivors. The Iron Fleet and the Golden Company put up a valiant fight with countless horses but are overwhelmed. Yara Greyjoy escapes and battles Euron Greyjoy on the shores, killing him. Arya and the Hound sneak into the King’s Landing to settle their respective vendettas. Arya takes on Jaimee’s face and chokes Cersei to death. The Hound discovers the countless barrels of Wildfire placed under King’s Landing and tells Arya to run. The Hound and the Mountain both die in battle. During the battle Jon Snow is knocked out. Jaimee finds Cersei’s body and cries over it. The Wildfire is set off, killing the Night King and destroying King’s Landing and seemingly the Night King. Jon Snow approaches the Iron throne and sees Daenarys sitting on it, untouched by the fire. Daenarys sits on the throne and tells Jon that they won. Jon believes Daenarys has gone mad, something he was warned might happen, and destroyed King’s landing. Jon stabs her. Drogon, the last Dragon, then attempts to burn Jon Snow and then flies away. Jon Snow is discovered to have survived the fire but the Iron Throne has been melted.

The Council begins to decide who shall reside on the Throne. Tyrien is chosen, his marriage to Sansa means Sansa is now the Queen and there is now a balance between unification of the Stark and Lannisters. Jon Snow is banished to the North. Jon is seen walking North holding a baby, Sam Jr. It is then revealed what Bran told Jon about the White Walkers. They cannot have children so there was a system where infants were given to them but when those sacrifices ended they attempted to discover why. The myth of Azor Ahai is then recounted, how he was forced to kill his wife so that her blood would kill the Night King. Jon Snow holds the weapon that killed Daenarys. He walks to the area where the Night King is shown to still exist. He then prepares to give them the baby, only to then stab the Night King with dragon glass. He shatters. They all do. Jon Snow walks out and looks at the sun rising on a new day. He sheds a tear and smiles and looks at the baby.

The End.​

 

[Marco Incognito]

Heir to the Empire
While Star Wars had concluded, the franchise found other ways to continue to survive. West End published the Star Wars roleplaying Game, which required much more of the world to be fleshed out, such as the Aurabesh alphabet to become an actual alphabet when it had previously been only a piece of set design. The Roleplay guide soon became a reference to other Expanded Universe writers. Boba Fett being Han Solo's nemesis was something first brought up in the Roleplay Game. Kurtz prevented the creation of both a Holiday Special and a Droids Animated Series(Any Ewoks material does not come into existence due to the Ewoks not existing ITL). Video Games adaptations did exist of the Star Wars films, though the creation of the Games was held back until the technology reached a level where Kurtz considered Games ready, as a result there are no slow and simple Atari Game. Instead the first Star Wars Games was the Super Star Wars Series, the first installment of which was released in 1992. All Three Games were later released together in a pack. The games were such a success(despite their high difficulty). They received two sequels based on the later two Trilogies but maintaining the "Nintendo Hard" difficulty they were known for.

The 1990's saw the release of the Second Star Wars trilogy adapting Timothy Zahn's Dark Empire Trilogy of novels. Kurtz had become aware of two planned continuations, Timothy Zahn's novel series and Dark Horse's Dark Empire series. Kurtz encouraged them to collaborate. Zahn thus altered his plans for his first book Heir to the Empire. Originally he featured a character called Jorus C'baoth, an evil Jedi cloned by new antagonist Grand Admiral Thrawn and wanting to train Luke in the Dark Side. This was replaced by the return of the Emperor, here a clone with the same motivation as C'baoth in the original concept. Zahn disliked the concept of resurrecting the Emperor, believing it undermined his death in Revenge of the Jedi, but decided to take the request as a challenge. The Emperor Clone in his story is falling apart and unstable, practically a walking corpse, making it clear it would not live long. This allowed the attention to shift towards C'Baoth as the true Dark Side wielder and physical force(played by Toshiro Mifune, and being implied to be a clone of Obi-Wan). This ironically made the Emperor a puppet or figurehead, which is what Lucas originally viewed him as before he was convinced to make rewrites. Luke feigned joining the Emperor to betray and defeat him. The arc also introduced two popular characters in Star Wars, Mara Jade and Grand Admiral Thrawn. Jade was an assassin who would reform and eventually marry Luke over the course of the trilogy. Thrawn was an expert strategist(Based on Nazi Tactician Erwin Rommel with Admiral Ackbar taking a role close to Rommel's Nemesis Patton), leading the Empire to near Victory from the ashes of defeat. Canonically the trilogy took place from 9 to 10 A.B.Y(after the Battle of Yavin). Leia's son Ben is nine years old in the trilogy.

The novel series and trilogy consisted of Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising and The Last Command. It is remembered fondly, excluding some bizarre moments such as a clone of Luke Skywalker which is made by the villains and killed by Mara Jade(technically fulfilling her mission of killing Luke Skywalker)along with C'Baoth, though it does provide a dramatic moment wherein the real Luke arrives while the clone Luke is present and naturally causes the now cliche confusion. On Wookiepedia, he is labeled as simply Luke Skywalker Clone despite fans trying to come up with names for him including Luke 2, Luke Starkiller, and so on. Kurtz prevented the book's release in favor of adapting the series into films and not having it be spoiled. The new trilogy was a success, being adapted throughout the 90's with the books being released after every film installment to avoid spoilers. Kurtz is said to have bought every copy of each book to prevent spoilers(As Hitchcock had done with Psycho). The Films of the Sequel Trilogy were released in 1991, 1994 and 1997(OTL the Zahn Trilogy was released between 1991 and 1994. Star Wars movies with the exception of the OTL Sequel Trilogy, take 3 years apart to make such as 1977,1980, and 1983 for the Original Trilogy and 1999,2002 and 2005 for the Prequel Trilogy).

While there were the inevitable adaptations, including the X-Wing and Tie Fighter games(which were the precursors to the Rogue Squadron series), Kurtz also forbade any new stories involving the Star Wars cast until the Thrawn Trilogy concluded. Once it had, Dark Horse began publishing Tales of the Jedi about the Old republic set 4,000 years before the events of the main series. Not only was Dark Horse allowed to write stories without guidelines or the constraints of movie continuity but this era would rise in popularity, leading to a series of MMORPG games set in that period.

The 1996 media project Shadows of the Empire was released. Instead of a sequel, it was a midquel, set between both Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back and Empire Strikes Back and Revenge of The Jedi at times. The series was told across media, including a novel, a comic and a Video Game. The protagonist was Kyle Katarn, previously used in the video game series Dark Forces. Katarn was a former Imperial spy mentioned as having helped stolen the Death Star plans(A story mentioned but not told until 2018's Rogue One). In the video game Dark Forces, set prior to Revenge of the Jedi, Katarn battles Jabba the Hutt, Boba Fett and finally the game's antagonist Prince Xicor. Katarn is established as just learning he is force sensitive, a reason to allow Katarn access to both smuggler weapons and force abilities for gameplay purposes. He is seen as a cross between Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, or at least the answer to "What if Han Solo was the force sensitive one instead of Luke?". Many fans even see him as a replacement Goldfish for Han, given Han's death at the end of Revenge of the Jedi. For the Comic and Novel formats of Shadows of the Empire, the original cast are the focus while the game is Katarn's perspective. The Game ends with what appears to be Katarn's death in Xicor's fortress, though a special ending of the game unlocked when obtaining all collectibles results in an extra scene in which Katarn is shown to be alive(Obviously there's been a few composites here due to Kurtz streamlining stories. Namely fusing Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy with Dark Empire and Shadows of the Empire with Dark Forces. As a consequence Kyle Katarn is now a composite of his OTL self and Dash Rendar in addition to having some Han Solo inspiration, which is more welcome in this timeline seeing as how Han Solo is dead).

Prior to the release of the Prequel Trilogy, the Expanded Universe was limited to around the time of the original Series and 4,000 years prior in the New Republic Era. The Prequel Era and therefore most of the backstory of the franchise were forbidden from being written on until their completion unless they were specific official projects. The New Jedi order Series focused on the Jedi being trained by Luke Skywalker and was set 25 to 30 years after the original film. It introduced the Yuuzhan Vong, a race from outside the Galaxy as a new threat. Writer R.A. Salvatore intended to kill off a character to prove the Yuuzhan Vong were a credible threat. Since Han Solo had been killed, the choice was made to kill Chewbacca. In Video Games, nostalgia for the Prequel Trilogy remained strong, with the release of The Star Wars Trilogy Arcade. Elements from the Expanded Universe made their way to the films such as the introduction of Coruscant from the Dark Empire trilogy and Jedi Aayla Secura introduced in the Republic Comic Series.​

 

[Marco Incognito]

This one's a bit of filler as I was touching up the Anime Stuff and realized I needed more detail on the Gundam stuff. Plus I like this format as the limit of 10 images creates an artificial barrier on how much content to cover per entry. Now I myself am not a Gundam fan so for this I've been going with my perception from people online and a few "What Could Have Beens" for the franchise.​

Gundam: 1991-2011​

Mobile Suit Gundam F91(1991-1992)​

In 1991, Gundam Creator Yoshiyuki Tomio wished to launch a new series in celebration of the 10th anniversary and for the occasion teamed up once more with Yoshikazu Yasuhiko and Junio Okawara to design the characters and Mecha respectively, though Yasuhiko agreed to write his story like. Mobile Suit Gundam F91 was released as a television series(OTL it became a movie instead). Unlike OTL, the suits remained large as overtime their designs had been getting bigger and bigger(OTL, the suits were made smaller to cut costs, which ironically had the opposite effect of making them cost more and because the fans had gotten used to larger Gundams, this was disliked).

The movie has a simpler plot, focusing on "Family problems". A new weapon called "Bugs" was introduced. Set 30 years after Char's Counterattack. The story was set in the year U.C. 0123. The Earth Federation colony Frontier IV is attacked by the Crossbone Vanguard, the army of Cosmo Babylonia. Seabook Arno and Cecily Fairchild are caught in the middle of a battle but lead a group of refugees to the lower levels and to a lifeboat. Cecily is abducted by the Crossbone Vanguard and revealed to be Berah Ronah, a member of the royal family of Cosmo Babylonia. Seabook retreats to a lifeboat.

Cecily meets her real father Carozzo and her grandfather Meitzer, who seek to overthrow the Earth Federation and replace it with an aristocracy. Cecily is forced to join them. The lifeboat with Seabook reaches another colony that is also attacked. Seabook finds the Space Ark and an inoperative Gundam F91 and enters it, piloting it to repel the attack. Cecily meanwhile is trained to be a mobile suit pilot and learns about a superweapon codenamed "Bug" which are revealed to be machines designed to hunt humans and intended to be used to attack earth. Seabook and Cecily worked together to destroy the bugs. Carozzo attacks both of them with Cecily being injured but Seabook finishes the fight and both leave for the Space Ark.

The existence of this series butterflies away "Stardust Memory", as there is no need to have two series running at the same time.

Mobile Suit Victory Gundam(1993-1994)​

An entry in the Gundam series meant to appeal to kids(due to SD Gundam now existing). The series is set in UC 0153, after the battle between the Federation Force and the Crossbone Vanguard from the previous series. The Earth is attacked by the BESPA, the army of the Zanscare Empire. A resistance movement called League Militaire battle BESPA. 13-year-old Üso Ewin who lives in Eastern Europe and his childhood friend Shahkti Kareen encounter ace Marbet Fingerhut and the rest of League Militaire and join them in piloting Victory Gundam against BESPA. The series interestingly waited until the fourth episode to introduce the Gundam.

Polka Gundam(1994-1995)​

Polka Gundam focused on a struggle between people on Mars attempting to get back to Earth and the Earthlings on the planet. The Title became a subject of parody, even a similarly named Album by Weird Al Yankovic. Similarly Vtuber Omaru Polka has admitted to being a fan of the series(OTL this series came undone due to Victory Gundam underperforming, here that series did better due to SD Gundam not existing. As such Fighter G Gundam is butterflied away).

Mobile Meteor(1995-1996)​

OTL's Gundam Wing. Meteor is very different as OTL it was based on Mobile Fighter G Gundam. The show focuses more on drama, which led to a Yaoi Fanbase(not as extreme as OTL despite such fandoms rising from less. While this would normally not be a problem, the Yaoi fandom has been shown to be far too psychotic, even sending death threats). Shuko Murase acted as the character designer with an appeal towards a female demographic. The protagonist was Duo Maxwell(OTL he was replaced by Heero Yuy, though Maxwell remained a character in the show).

Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team(1996-1999)​

Unlike OTL, director Takeyuki Kanda does not die in a car crash and lends his assistance to the series. The series is set in Southeast Asia where the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon are fighting a guerilla war. Zeon has an experimental mobile suit and its pilot Aina Sahalin. Ensign Shiro Amada of the Earth Federation became commander of the 08th MS team. Aina and Shiro share a starcrossed lovers relationship while being on opposite sides.

The show is actually a composite of several OTL Gundam shows as rather than creating new shows while one ran and create competition. The elements of the shows were mixed, butterflying away After Gundam X, and Endless Waltz.

Turn A Gundam(1999-2000)​

The Series, while still serving to connect all the Gundam series as OTL, is not set in the distant future and instead closer to the end of the century since most of the Gundam Series are set much closer to each other than OTL. As such it is more condensed, basically helping to resolve plot elements and connect the universe while having many of the cast of characters meet. It is effectively the finale to the franchise.

Mobile Suit Gundam Seed(2002-2003)​

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED was directed by Mitsuo Fukuda with music by Toshihiko Sahashi, who was a long time Gundam fan. Fukuda asked the President of Sunrise for a chance, which resulted in SEED. The concept of the NEwtype Gundam was explored. The series is told from the point of view of Kira before shifting to other characters. An entirely new set of characters was introduced and a new conflict, seeing many years in the future.

Humanity is in the "Cosmic Era" and has been split between normal humans called "Naturals' and the augmented called "Coordinators". The two are at war due to Naturals being jealous of the superhuman abilities of the Coordinators and commit hate crimes, leading all Coordinators to flee into space in a colony called PLANTS. The War breaks out but the Earth forces are not united and fight amongst each other. One of the PLANT Spacestations is deatroyed by a nuclear bomb and PLANTS counter attacks by halting all nuclear reactions and electricity, resulting in Mobile Suits providing the edge.

Five advanced mobile suits are created on the space colony Heliopolis, along with a battleship called the Archangel. The Colony is attacked by ZAFT forces, the military of the PLANTS. Kira Yamato pilots the GAT-X105 strike mobile suit and fights the invaders with the survivors of the damaged base fleeing to Alaska. Kira is seemingly killed by his childhood friend and ZAFT soldier Athrun Zala. Kira survives and stops the battle between the two armies and joins a faction intend on ending the war as both sides have superweapons they intend to use to commit genocide. The war ending in the signing of a peace treaty. Seed was a runaway hit but attempts at a sequel fell through due to creative differences, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny. does not exist ITTL, elements of it going towards a film instead.

Gundam Seed: The Movie(2004)​

While Plans for a Gundam movie had existed for some time, the mixed reception to the Original 1980's Gundam film led to hesitancy to greenlit projects like a Live Action Film titled G Savior. The Film was released in theatres and greenlit due to Gundam Seed being the then most successful entry in the Gundam franchise. It was also the last project scriptwriter Chiaki Morosawa worked on as she left Gundam soon after due to being treated for Brain Cancer.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00(2007-2009)​

Hiroomi Iketani approached Seiji Mizushima, who had worked on the first Fullmetal Alchemist anime series.

The series is set in 2307 AD. As a result of a loss of fossil fuels, humanity had to search for a new source of power. Dyson Rings were discovered, massive arrays that collect solar power. A group known as the Union controls the Americas and the Human Reform Leafue controlling Australia, New Zealand and Japan. The AEU controls Asia and the Middle East. The Advanced European Union controls Europe. Constant war over resources has begun. A movement to unite humanity through the use of four Gundams has begun called Celestial Being. The protagonists include 16-year-old Setsuna F. Seiei.

The three major powers united as the United Nations Army to counter the Gundams with their own which overpower Celestial Being. The United Nations Army then vow to destroy all Gundam.

While a well received series, the first season ended Reservoir Dogs style, which meant that any attempt to continue the story with the same characters would sour the ending to Season one, making the series limited to only one season.

Model Suit Gunpla Builders Beginning G(2010-2011)​

Released for the 30th Anniversary of the franchise. This was a How to Video that served as a guide towards Gunpla(the process of buying and working on Gundam figures). The most surprising part of the video is that it actually had a plot.​

 

[Marco Incognito]

License Revoked(1991)​

The desire to have a film set in China, rather than simply having a Chinese villain emerged during the gradual collapse of the Chinese Communist party. China was explicitly chosen to have a museum and a great wall setting. The theme song was written by Eric Clapton and Vic Flick returned, the two having played the lead guitar for the original 007 theme. The film also had scenes set in Mexico with an action scene on a train. The film involves 007 being framed and being forced to go on the run.

Property of a Lady(1993)​

An Original James Bond plot allowing Paul McGann to grow in the role. The film was released as the next "True " Bond film was taking longer to develop due to being based on then unfurling current events.

The Events in Hong Kong that inspired Tomorrow Never Lies.
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Tomorrow Never Lies(1995)​

At the time of the release of Property of a Lady, there was an ongoing dispute over custody of Hong Kong between the British and Chinese[1}. This event was used as the basis for the Tomorrow Never Dies. In the film, a terrorist group launches several attacks to cause war between Britain and China. Several title songs were made and added in, including "Tomorrow Never Lies" by the Danish band Swan Lee(which removes it from Hitman: Blood Money). The band Pulp and Saint Etienne also included songs. The Cardigans submitted a theme song as well.

The role of Paris Carver was played by Monic Belluci. Anthony Hopkins played Elliot Harmsway( Carver OTL). The character of Stamper is introduced as a character unable to feel pain due to an operation. The film also introduced recurring character Valentin Zukovsky. New characters include Henry Gupta, an inian character, who uses card throwing skills. The film does not shy away from Gupta's thoughts and criticism as an Indian man towards the British. Q also returns in the film, though he is mentioned as being retired as Bond jumps onto his Yacht during a battle in the South China Sea. He is surrounded by beautiful women. Bond joked that he seemed to be enjoying his retirement only for Q to retort that they are his granddaughters.

Screenshot from the Goldeneye video game​

Goldeneye(1997)​

The film begins with a wine auction onboard a high speeding train. The villain is discovered and this results in a chase scene with Bond driving his car on top of the carriages. John Rhys-Davies was set to reprise his role as General Pushkin. Xenia Onatopp(Courtney Cox), unlike OTL is much less psychotic and is instead more subtle, killing her opponents with pressure point and having genuine sex with Bond to feed him false information rather than trying to kill him. Since a mentor figure for Bond had previously been introduced and killed off, it was decided to instead pit Bond against an old friend. Given the continuity, it made more sense to pit Bond against Bond rather than introduce a brand new character. Connery and Billington were out almost immediately, they were beloved and turning them evil and killing them was unthinkable. This only left Sam Neill, who personally disliked playing Bond but was seen as good at it. As such McGann's Bond would battle Neill's Bond on the screen.

The Film depicted the rare Russian antagonist in Zuchovsky, who forced Bond to play Russian Roulette. Bond cooly held the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. Zuchovsky commented that Bond was " the only man I know who can tell the difference between a Walther PPK with one bullet in the chamber and a Walther PPK with no bullet in the chamber, just by the weight." Loelia Ponsonby was introduced fulfilling Miss Moneypenny's old role. John Woo was asked to direct. The title was song was performed by the Rolling Stones and the tank chase scene has a different score and has the Tank go throw a Pepsi Truck at a jab at how capitalism has entered Russia, which was the motivation for Zuchovsky as a villain. The new Q was introduced in this film, played by Dudley Moore due to the old Q retiring.

Special mention goes to the Goldeneye Video Game. A staple of the N64. The Film's delay greatly helped contribute to the Video Game being released at the same time with the most well received aspect being the Game's Multiplayer, including a mode that allows you to play as every James Bond, which given the film's plot it would be weird if such a game didn't have that feature).

The World is Not Enough(1999)​

The Film's Cold open is the longest in the series, shifting locations on two separate missions from Havana to Switzerland. The film was directed by Peter Jackson. The Bond girl Elektra survives the film and Bond visits her in the hospital. Following the success of Goldeneye's Video Game Adaptation, an effort was made to take a similar approach. This became 007: Agent Under Fire for Nintendo 64 and Playstation 1 . The opening song was done by Jamiroquai. New characters includes Polynesian insurance investigator Christmas Jones. The villain Claude Zerault(Renard OTL) has several female minions when he appears in Zukovsky's casino. The film also includes a car chase in Instanbul.
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Footnotes​

[1]A Cancelled Bond film was intended to be based on the transfer of Hong Kong from British to Chinese hands. The process occurred too quick and painlessly, though the novel Zero Minus Ten is basically the plot of the Bond story had it been made and the plot of Tomorrow Never Lies here. ITTL in a case of "The Plot writes real life", The transfer occurs earlier and is much more violent. World politics will be tackled elsewhere, but the short description is that ITTL the US And the Soviet Union grew closer and China remained stand offish. By the 1990's, The People's Republic of China is going through a Soviet Union style collapse and an international incident occurs in Hong Kong in a reversal of sorts. Hong Kong Going from Chinese hands to British hands.​

 

[Marco Incognito]

History of the DC Universe: The Iron Age
The comics industry experienced a brief boom in the early 1990s, thanks to a combination of speculative purchasing (mass purchase of the books as collectible items, with intent to resell at a higher value as the rising value of older issues, was thought to imply that all comics would rise dramatically in price) and several storylines which gained attention from the mainstream media. While these storylines were successful, the "Collectable" gimmick didn't last long and was quickly abandoned.

The Poster for the Film Adaptation of Road to Perdition.

DC had introduced other imprints such as Piranha Press, Vertigo(for Mature readers), the short lived Science Fiction imprint Helix, and Impact Comics, the heroes of which were part of their own shared universes. This allowed DC to diversify their content, which they did further with more creator-owned projects. The resulting works were critically lauded, mostly from Vertigo. DC made a deal with Milestone Media that led to a line of more racially diverse Superheroes provided by Milestone such as Static Shock. DC also released Paradox Press to publish multi artist focused stories in individual genres. One Crime Story in this collection, Road to Perdition, would be adapted into a film with other Adaptations of Graphic Novels following.

Monarch's identity revealed

After Legends, in which the villain Darkseid had his minions turns Earth against its heroes, DC's next event was Armageddon 2001 in 1991. This event revealed Captain Atom would become the villain Monarch in one of many possible futures when a time traveller came back and was able to touch people and see their futures. The time traveller became the Superhero Waverider and made contact with several superheroes, glimpsing several possible futures(which are actually stories set in established futures such as that of Dark Knight Returns and Twilight of the Superheroes). Captain Atom fought Monarch when he emerged from his own time following Waverider and sacrificed himself to kill the villain, ensuring that Monarch's future would not come to pass. The event was then largely forgotten. Low sales meant DC was kicked into high gear. They would put out a remarketing of the character Ambush Bug, which would instead be marketed as DC's answer to Deadpool, often using fourth wall breaking humor. Ambush Bug though would eventually fall to the wayside as Harley Quinn was introduced and essentially became DC's Deadpool in his place.

After Gaiman completed his Swamp Thing run in 1993, Fantasy award winning writer China Miéville took over and radically changed the series in his traditional style of subverting Fantasy tropes. His run on Swamp Thing is considered amazing by many and he is often put on the same pedestal as Moore and Gaiman for their quality Swamp Thing runs. As a result, Swamp Thing continued to see publication due to the talented work by the authors[1].

Wonder Woman and the Star Riders Tie in Comic Series.

Wonder Woman and the Star Riders Action Figures

Wonder Woman had an animated TV Show called Wonder Woman and the Star Riders. The series was made by DC and Mattel to sell toys. Diana, Donna and Stephanie were joined by Dolphine and Ice on the show. Other DC Characters such as Amethyst Princess of Gemworld would appear. The show was clearly the Western Answer to Sailor Moon, however, Bruce Timm would incorporate the series into the DCAU when introducing Wonder Woman. In the Comics, a Wonder Woman Crossover with Xena was made and later adapted into an episode of Xena proper, with a cameo from Linda Carter, though a different actress playing Wonder Woman.

Plans were made for the Heroes of the DC Universe to go through changes. Several crossovers occurred at once to preserve the iconic versions of the characters. This resulted in an interesting Crossover with Marvel. While the companies were on good terms and crossed over several times before, this crossover was different, creating an entire new line called the Amalgam Universe, centering on a merged universe containing both heroes.

The sorcerer character Doctor Fate, or rather his series, underwent a transformation, The new direction dived into the darker areas of the Supernatural(this is due to the ideas that became the comic series Scarab originally being planned for a Doctor Fate series), helping to bring the series in line with the popular Image comics at the time. Green Arrow, Oliver Queen lost his arm in his own series, leading to his retirement(an allusion in Universe to his fate in The Dark Knight Returns). He at this time discovered he had a son he didn't know about previously named Connor Hawke, who he would have a good relationship with, training him to be the new Green Arrow. The comic series The Death of Superman killed off the Man of Steel and introduced the new villain Doomsday, and new heroes such as Steel, the Eradicator and Cyborg Superman in the aftermath. The storyline ended with Superman's resurrection(unlike OTL Coast City is not destroyed).

The biggest change however, would occur to Green Lantern, as a young writer named Geoff Johns was given the chance to revamp the character in an event known as Emerald Dawn(avoiding the name Twilight to avoid confusion with the Moore story). The story depicted Sinestro forming his own Corps and attacking the Lanterns with all their enemies to initiate the Blackest Night, a prophecy discovered by Hal Jordan's predecessor Abin Sur about how the Green Lantern Corps would fall at the hands of their enemies(ironically an idea introduced by Alan Moore). The resulting battle was intense. Johns also introduced the villain Parallax as an entity imprisoned with the Green Lantern Power Battery. While the Sinestro Corps are defeated, even leading to Hal Jordan killing Sinestro, in the sequel Blackest Knight, Parallax corrupts the Lantern Power Battery forcing Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner and John Stewart to fight the Corps and destroy it, including blowing up the sentient Green Lantern Planet Mogo with a bomb in his Core as he was creating sentient rings. The act of killing Mogo falls on John Stewart who was placed in a similar situation in the Justice League Story arc Cosmic Odyssey. The strongest Green Lantern Sodam Yat is also slain thanks to the Ring's weakness to yellow. The Lanterns also discover other Lantern Corps exist and recruit their help, each taking on different rings and defeating the Corps. Only one Green Ring survives thanks the Guardian Ganthet. It arrives in the hands of an artist named Kyle Rayner. The next arc War of the Lanterns, introduces the Black Lanterns and to an extent, the White Lanterns. It involves Kyle Rayner having to master each ring to gain access to the White Lantern of Life and defeat an invasion. This event grew to involve the entire DC Universe combatting the undead, becoming an Arc. To add fuel to the event, Superman was believed to be Dead at the time and appeared as a member of the undead. Hal Jordan ultimately sacrificed himself to defeat the Black Lanterns and save the Universe at the end of the event, with Kyle Rayner succeeding him as Earth's Green Lantern.

Not Inked Cover of Alex Ross's Batboy

Alex Ross wrote a series titled Batboy, about an alternate Damian Wayne, and his ally, Superman, Jr. Most of the original heroes had by that point retired save for Green Lantern Hal Jordan with the Teen Titans becoming the Justice League. As the story progressed, Batboy realized his world was too perfect before learning the truth - he was under the thrall of the wish granting parasitic Black Mercy and his family was fighting to save him. This story introduced Damian Wayne, a character previously seen in the debatably canon Batman: Son of the Demon into continuity. He was made the child of Bruce Wayne and Talia Al Ghul born before Bruce and Selina married. The story ended with him going out and finding his father with the intent to become Robin. During his original run of Robin, Chuck Dixon had Tim Drake, the third Robin, move on to become Blue Beetle for a period of time. Dixon had set up foreshadowing by establishing Tim as a fan of Ted Kord, and giving Ted a heart condition that would make it more difficult for him to do strenuous crime-fighting. Tim would then take on the role, while Stephanie Brown would temporarily become Robin in his absence until Damian was ready for it. Tim would then go back to being Robin, and the "Blue Beetle" name would be franchised out, with Ted Kord training other new Beetles.

DC continued the Vertigo line for stories, sometimes welding them into continuity. Christopher Priest introduced a DC original character called the Avenger and in his Run on Triumph, Confirmed the Hero as closeted gay, elements later folded into DC continuity. Neil Gaiman concluded the last Volume of The Sandman with the speeches of Alianore, Odin, and Death in full, as well as Superman(possibly brought there by Death), at Morpheus's eulogy. This would not be the only time Superman appeared outside continuity.

Image from the Superman/Rocketeer crossover

Superman was featured in a Crossover with the Rocketeer ins a three issue story that had the two working together to save Orson Welles when his War of the Worlds broadcast becomes very real. It was written by Dave Stevens(only proposed OTL. Superman: War of the Worlds doesn't exist which has the same plot without the Rocketeer. This story is set on Earth Two in 1938.). Crossovers also occurred with Batman, due to the popularity of the Batman: Animated Series, which received a Comic tie in, some stories of which were later adapted into episodes. "Jolly Ol' Saint Nicholas", one of a series of shorts in The Batman Adventures Holiday Special later adapted in The New Batman Adventures episode "Holiday Knights", had a scene where Barbara Gordon, banking on the panicking crowd seeing Clayface being too busy panicking, changed into Batgirl in front of them. According to Bruce Timm, it was based off of a panel from an issue of Supergirl. A Batman/Gen¹³ crossover was created by DC and Image-Wildstorm, and drawn by Gen 13 artist J. Scott Campbell.

Panel from Kingdom Come depicting the Battle at the end of the original Twilight of the Superheroes.

For the tenth Anniversary of Twilight of the Superheroes in 1997, Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross penned the excellent story known as Kingdom Come. The Story is a prequel and sequels of sorts, as it shows the formation of Superman's own House(and also serves as a less detailed origin for Batman's faction, which is justified given its origin in The Dark Knight Returns). The story then shifts to other focuses during the actual events of Twilight. It does however Retcon the ending and allow Superman and Wonder Woman to survive and help rebuild by revealing they only appeared to die. At around the same time, Jim Lee's Wildstorm imprint was bought by DC. He approached his former coworkers at Image about an idea concerning both the Image and DC heroes by moving some of the Image heroes like Spawn to the DC Universe and this idea was greenlit(OTL this idea never materialized but the creators were enthusiastic for it). DC had acquired the heroes. Many joked that it was time for another Crisis. Ironically Peter David Joke that they'd have to kill Supergirl again. Two versions of the character had been introduced Post-Crisis. The first was Kara Kent, who in the new Universe, now went by Power Woman and was the daughter of Superman and Lois Lane, the two having been married shortly after the Crisis. They had chosen to reintroduce Supergirl aka Kara-Zor El, after Kara Kent had become Power Woman. With so much continuity, many writers were given permission to explore the early days of the heroes such as Jeph Loeb and Paul Smith's sequel to Batman: Year One in 1999, and Trinity, which provided a style take on the early days of DC's Trinity (Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman).

Twilight Superman enters the main DC Universe.

The Kingdom, the sequel to Kingdom Come, focused more on the civilian identities rather than the heroes themselves. Gog, the predecessor of Magog from Kingdom Come, appeared to attempt to murder the New Gods before Magog killed him. Superman of the Twilight Universe would enter the main Universe of DC and would take steps to prevent the dark future of Twilight from coming to pass on the Main Universe. He would then permanently reside in the main DC Universe. Lois Lane was also revealed to have been pregnant with Superman's second child. A Superman/Dirty Pair crossover by Adam Warren occurred at this time as well.

Changes had occurred to Batman as well. He had been crippled by the new villain Bane and briefly replaced by Jean Paul Valley in the role of Batman. Eventually, Bruce would return to the role he created. Jean Paul Valley would meanwhile became close with another of Batman's new apprentices, Cassandra Cain( introduced earlier than OTL due to John Byrne requesting an Asian American Batgirl, which he found fitting since Bats are good luck in several East Asian countries). Outside of the Batman franchise, its most famous alternate version was under attack. Frank Miller began to dislike other artists providing takes on his Universe as Alan Moore had written his own continuation to The Dark Knight Returns by connecting it with Twilight of the Superheroes. DC found Miller harder to work with and Miller angrily quit DC, vowing never to work for them again. He then seemingly retired from Comics for good after injuring his writing hand[2].

After the Crisis. The Team Titans were introduced as future version of the Teen Titans. Their mysterious leader was a grown-up Danny Chase from the future, something which should have been impossible given his death. There was also a team of teenage, alternate universe versions of the Wolfman/Perez Titans that wound up interacting with their current selves. Wolfman also had a Titans group modeled after the original five-member '60s team, but with more modern attitudes to contrast the originals' campy "goody-two shoes" personalities. Phil Jimenez, Wolfman's successor on the book, did a story with Duela Dent (previously shown as an asylum patient in one issue of his run), who was revealed to be a member of the '60s-70s team. Having been stranded in the future and separated from her team, she went insane and stole a special hourglass that allowed her to warp reality. Jimenez also revealed the Team Titans were from an alternate Earth(likely the Twilight future), and revealed the Terra from the future, Terra II, to be a lesbian and an earth elemental-type. He also killed off the character Mirage.

The New Titans had a largely adult cast at the time. The Team Titans series was created and would start with the cast as Decoy Protagonists, only to get rid of them all around issue #12, introduce the alternate universe Wolfman/Perez Titans as the new protagonists, and then finally rename the book Teen Titans. The new versions of the classic Titans were much younger, allowing them to bring back the Teen part of the name without making it an Artifact Title. The series also gave the character of Pantha an origin story, written by Louise Simonson. In it, Pantha was revealed to be a bookish woman transformed into a monstrous creature by the HIVE(OTL, Pantha did not receive an origin story until after she was killed off). Donna Troy would create a new costume after the "Total Chaos" arc, from the villain's cape. Peterson, working as editor, had her husband Terry Long killed off at the hands of a demonic Raven[3]. The Teen Titans continued to grow overtime including adding a character named Split to the team. His name became appropriate as around the same time the Teen Titans team itself split when Marv Wolfman brought Nightwing back to the team only for him to clash with Arsenal(Roy Queen) over leadership, leading to the team being split in two between the Titans West and Titans East teams.

Artist Rob Liefeld was given a spinoff book of the Teen Titans called "The Hybrid" and a team of villains called the Rogue Titans, which an editorial mandate requested be changed to Terror Titans. While Liefeld had his fans, he never gained much popularity, he did later go onto work for Marvel and is known for creating the characters of Deadpool and Cable, the former out of a desire to bring back the deceased Deathstroke. Other teams would take over these characters and give them new life, turning Deadpool into a comedic character and Cable into a hero from the future. Liefeld's design also helped create the modern design for most action figures, allowing them to have more points of articulation at the arms and joints.

Tim Drake joined the Teen Titans in Volume 2. Wildcat and Nightwing acted as mentors. Raven and Omen were also members. The group contended with alien hybrid children. Three children were left unaccounted for. One became the villain Sweet 16 while the other two were other wannabe heroes that showed up at a membership drive (Kid Emotion and The Solution). The new series had a spin-off called "Titans LA". It involved Terra II trying to find out the secrets of her past. Jay Faerber wrote a story where Slizzath, nemesis of Tempest, resurrected all the dead Titans as an army to fight the current team. Faerber included Mr. Jupiter(the team's funder) being killed off, with the Titans having to solve the mystery of his murder. Faeber's successor, Barry Kitson did more with specific characters like Bumblebee, Lilith, Terra II, and Risk, Lilith stopped using the Omen codename. Faerber also had Dolphin join the Titans team and become a more active character. The villain Epsilon was introduced and later revealed to be a serial killer that would hop dimensions to murder heroes. He was revealed to be the alternate version of Danny Chase from another Universe where he did not die, revealing he was the leader of the Team Titans.

When Teen Titans volume 3 began, Static Shock was part of the team, as he was coming off of the popular Static Shock TV show at the time. Geoff Johns had his Titans team to fight the Scarecrow in an early arc. Blackfire also appeared. Johns also wanted to use Supergirl but due to the "reign in Hell" arc, couldn't and created Miss Martian as a "Naive, Fun alien Chick". Johns then had Superboy regaining his confidence to fend off the "Titans of Tomorrow" or the Team Titans, who would found a way to attack the present timeline. Johns set up threads for the then-new Aquagirl to join the team. Rob Liefeld's two-issue filler arc with Gail Simone was meant to get his foot in the door at DC. There were plans for Liefeld to do a new Titans East series to help expand the franchise, as well as a possible Teen Titans-based limited series, but the deal fell apart due tension behind the scenes. Liefeld ended up walking away from DC, and had some unkind things to say about the company.

Issue 47 had Duela Dent officially join the volume 3 team, after deciding to stick with them after the "Titans East" arc. Sean McKeever revealed that the villain Sun Girl was pregnant with Inertia's child, upon which she appealed to Bart Allen and the other Titans for help. Kid Devil was resurrected in a story arc sometime after his Heroic Sacrifice. The demon Blaze revived him and used him as her slave, until he was freed by the Titans. JT Krul's run featured the new Aqualad from Young Justice joining the team, as well as the Teen Titans facing off against a new team of Anti-Hero Titans led by Deathstroke(still alive Post Crisis). Eric Wallace's run on Cinder had him finding child molester Nursery Cryme after she'd accidentally set him free, and metahuman Allegra Garcia joining Deathstroke's team. The finale of the Titans series before 2011 had Red Arrow and Jericho rebuilding the team.

In 1998, DC purchased WildStorm, which lived on as a separate imprint and its own fictional universe as was the practice at the time. Wildstorm's imprints also includes America's Best Comics, which included Alan Moore created stories such as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Tom Strong, and Promethea.

Footnotes
[1]OTL it was canceled in 1993 with no Gaiman and Miéville run happening as was originally planned, Gaiman because DC refused his Swamp thing Jesus story for fear of offending christians despite its lack of anything that would conceivably insult them and both Veitch and Gaiman quitting in protest with the series ending before Miéville could write it. Given the prestige of both Gaiman and Miéville, one can assume the runs would have been amazing.

[2]OTL he was present for the September 11 attacks and later wrote the horribly racist Holy Terror, based on his experience. Seeing as most of his works after the event are considered terrible, he does not write again, he retires. The September 11 Terror attacks do not happen due to a Butterfly effect. Namely the song "Baby It's Cold Outside". Was Never written, which was the deciding factor in convincing Islamist Sayyid Qutb to become radicalized against the West since the song comes off as "Date-Rapey" and he was disturbed by the (to him) sexual dances that were made(fairly safe by today's standards). His writings were later read and inspired Osama Bin Laden, who split off from the Brotherhood which Qutb was the Godfather of through his teachings, and formed his own group in Al Qaeda. Without the song existing, Qutb does not start his movement and Osama Bin Laden does not form Al Qaeda meaning there are no September 11 attacks. I gave myself a rule that I could only alter Pop Culture or how it effects thing. While this limits my powers. Preventing 9/11 is one thing I feel I can do.

(Somewhat of a Monkey's Paw effect due to keeping Peterson on ITTL as Peterson wanted to kill him off, though Terry Long ended up dying anyway and was not popular at the time. Marv Wolfman in OTL pitched Donna Troy and Nightwing becoming a couple but this was because both Donna's marriage to Terry and the Nightwing/Starfire Marriage were his ideas that were nixed by DC, since Wolfman at least gets the Nightwing/Starfire Marriage and the Donna/Terry as the status quo for some time, that idea is never pitched).​

 

[Marco Incognito]

FILM

Doraemon: Nobita’s Dorabian Nights(1991)
The 12th Doraemon film. Doraemon, Nobita and friends are experiencing the story of Sinbad in the Arabian Knights firsthand using a device to transport themselves into the story. The story accidentally gets messed up and the two have to find a way back to their own time by fixing the story, but they lose track of Sinbad. Worse, since the story is a story within a story being told by Scheherezade to the Sultan, messing it up may result in her execution. Doraemon’s technology is able to ascertain that the Arabian Nights tale connects to the reign of Caliph Haroun al-Rashid in real life and use that information, meeting the Caliph. They agree to get him to help finish the story and even gives them a genie to do so, which they annoy into leaving. The group run into Cassim, the leader of the 40 Thieves., who robs them of Doraemon’s devices. The film subverts many expectations of the culture, for example, Haroun’s grand vizier Jaffar, truer to his real life inspiration, is actually a nice guy, and finally a dirty but subtle joke about how Nobita expected the Sultan to have a harem(lots of Wives) and Doraemon points out that they idea came about because most Europeans weren’t allowed into these places and only imagined what it must have looked like. The group eventually run into Sinbad again and he helps them defeat Cassim and get the story back on track.

The Tale of Princess Kaguya(1991)
Directed by Isao Takahata and based on the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. Released as a Studio Ghibli Film in collaboration with Walt Disney. Takahata read it in his childhood but didn’t understand it until he reread it as an adult. He nearly adapted it in 1960 for Toei Animation before his departure. The film’s production was merged with an attempted adaptation of the 1989 novel Like the Clouds, Like the Wind. That story was set in China and was about an energetic country girl who volunteered to be the wife of the new Emperor and how her energy gets her in trouble. Some elements of this worked their way into the similar plot of The Tale of Princess Kaguya.

A Bamboo Cutter named Sanuki no Miyatsuko could down a bamboo and is surprised to find a small girl inside. Believing she to e a divine princess, he and his wife raise the child, naming her princess. She grows quickly and is nicknamed “Takenoko” or “Little Bamboo” from the village children. She forms a bond with Sutemaru, one of her friends. Miyatsuko finds fine clothes and gold in the forest and takes it as a sign, moving his family to the capitol. Princess is sad to say goodbye to her childhood friends. She is trained by a governess and how to behave like a noblewoman, which she hates doing, missing her old life in the country.

She comes of age and is named Princess Kaguya. During a celebration held by Miyatsuko, Kaguya hears people mocking her father’s attempt to turn her into a noble and flees the capitol back home, only to find her friends have also moved away. As Kaguya grows in beauty, Noblemen try to court her, comparing her to mystical treasures. She brushes them off by asking them to seek out the mythical treasures they described. She asks to go back home to see the Cherry Blossoms, dancing among the petals as the wind blows them but then sees a child looking at her, pulled away by her parents due to her nobility. Another event happens when from her carriage she sees Sutemaru and shouts to him before being drawn away. Sutemaru tries to follow but is beaten. The Suitors try using counterfeits, one brings a flower which Kaguya was about to accept until his wife appeared, one abandoned the quest, and one die din the attempt. Kaguya becomes depressed and is nearly kidnapped by the Emperor.

Kaguya reveals to her parents she came from the moon and broke a law there so she could be cursed with mortality and sent to Earth. She begged to be taken back by the Moon when kidnapped by the Emperor and it will claim her. Her family turn the mansion into a fortress in order to protect her. She reunited with Sutemaru and the two confess their love. They fly over the countryside and then the Moon seems to causer them to fall. Sutemaru wakes up alone and assumes it was a dream. A Procession of Celestial Beings led by Buddha arrives to claim Kaguya and all efforts to stop them fail. Kaguya is granted one last moment to say goodbye. She says goodbye and disappears into the sky with the others[1].

The Film played alongside Roujin Z the first time a Takahata Film and a Miyazaki Film did not distribute together, due to Miyazaki being busy on Treasure Planet. The Tale of Princess Kaguya was universally seen as the better film.

Roujin Z(1991)
Directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo, known largely for. The “A Tale of Two Robots” segment of 1987’s Robot Carnival. The screenplay was written by Katsuhiro Otomo of Akira fame. Studio Daicon was offered the script and accepted, partly fueled by their efforts to recoup the loss of Hideaki Anno. They turned down another script “Only Yesterday” to work on this film as it appealed to their sensibilities more. Otomo himself was brought into the production. Hisashi Eguchi, creator of Stop! Hibari-kun! Did the character design with his then current wife acting as the model for the protagonist Haruko. Egushi and Takeshi Honda did a good chunk of the animation with Satoshi Kon as art director. The film is set in 21st century Japan. A group of scientists develop a computerized hospital bed with robotics called Z-001 to take care of patients, providing food, medicine, removing waste, bathe, exercise and everything. It is nuclear powered and if its reactor breaks down the bed and patient will seal itself in concrete. An 87 year old widow named Kijuro Takazawa became the first patient but did not “Volunteer” for the treatment as he is invalid, taken care of by a young student nurse named Haruko. Takazawa is somehow able to speak through the machine to Haruko’s computer and cries for help. Haruko helps a group of hackers create a simulation of Takazawa’s late wife. This make him want to go to the beach one last time, causing the Z-001 to begin moving at his command. Haruko and the others learn that the Z-001 is actually an experimental government prototype as they help Takazawa escape to the beach.

Due to Miyazaki being occupied with Treasure Planet, Roujin Z was played as a double feature alongside The Tale of Princess Kaguya, the first time a Miyazaki film had not accompanied a Takahata film like this. Some critics believed there was a strange contrast between the films, as if Akira and Grave of the Fireflies accompanied each other. The two were connected through a theme of wanting to return to happier times in the past but took very different approaches. A common misnomer formed that Otomo directed the film. He didn’t, only wrote the screenplay. The production of the two Akira films left him exhausted from animation and he took a break to direct the live action World Apartment Horror, a film about a Yakuza henchman who fights against a Tokyo apartment full of evil Spirits and tourists he must evict.

Silent Möbius(1991)
Based on the short manga series by Kia Asamiya. Licensed by Bandai Entertainment and based on Blade Runner. The series follows an all female group of police officers protecting Tokyo from extra dimensional monsters calls Lucifer Hawks.The backstory begins in 1999 where Gigelf Liqueur makes contact with the world of Nemesis and plans to exchange Earth’s water and air, which has become polluted, with clean water and air from Nemesis. The project is sabotaged by Gigelf’s old apprentice Ganossa Maximillian, causing the portal to be permanently opened and allow the Lucifer Hawks to enter. In the current day of the series in 2023, Rally Cheyenne, who’s mother was from Earth but her father from Nemesis, joins the Attacked Mystification Police. In the Anime film, Katsumi Liqueur was introduced as the daughter of Gigelf Liqueur and she is brought in to join the AMP. She refuses at first but then Gigelf sacrifices himself to save her. She then joins the team and helped avenge her father by killing Ganossa Maximillian and undoing the merge.

Urusei Yatsura X Ranma 1/2(1991)​

A crossover between Rumiko Takahashi’s two most popular franchises(At the time). There were plans to make films on both but as those ideas fizzled out, the idea to merge the two worlds was proposed. Urusei Yatsura had ended while Ranma 1/2 was still running, resulting in the special turning into essentially a Ranma 1/2 film. The basic premise is that the princess of an alien land named Lychee arrives to settle an old score with Happosai. The old master gave her family a scroll centuries ago that is said would bring a prince for one of them to marry. As soon as she lets go of it the Prince appears, though by unfortunate circumstance it turns out to be Ataru Motoboshi, who is technically a Prince as he and Lum married in the finale. This naturally brings Lychee and Lum into conflict, while the other characters work to find a way to settle things[2]

Lupin III: Steal Napoleon’s Dictionary(1991)
Part of the made for TV Lupin movies. Directed by Osamu Dezaki. Lupin III hatches a plot to steal Napoleon’s dictionary, which will be given to the winner of a car race from Madrid to Paris, to determine whether of not Napoleon really did not include the word “Impossible” from the dictionary. Lupin’s family is also revealed to have had an ancestor who owed a fortune thanks to aiding Napoleon and the G7 members are all after the treasure and Lupin to pay off their national debts.

TV Series

Mobile Suit Gundam F91(1991-1992)
In 1991, Gundam Creator Yoshiyuki Tomio wished to launch a new series in celebration of the 10th anniversary and for the occasion teamed up once more with Yoshikazu Yasuhiko and Junio Okawara to design the characters and Mecha respectively, though Yasuhiko agreed to write the story. Mobile Suit Gundam F91 was released as a television series.

One subject of debate was the size of the Gundams. They had been getting progressively bigger over time. The crew wanted to bring them back to a smaller size, something supported by Bandai who thought it would make them cost less, but current events would lead to a change in the opposite direction.

In the late 1980’s, following the economic bubble burst, Japan had made serious efforts to commit to the space race. This stemmed from a comment from American President John Glenn about how “A communist flag wouldn’t look good on Mars anyway. It’s red on red. It would just blend in. Red, White, and Blue. Now that stands out.” This was followed by a comment from the Japanese Prime Minister that “The Japanese Flag would look good on there too.” Which led to a push for Japan to enter the space race. The country lacked a clear Space program or equivalent to NASA but there were many including the staff of Battle City Megaroad who wanted to become astronauts and when there was no space program, they turned to Anime instead. The result was a bizarre mix in attempts to bring fantasy into reality. One could hardly call it a New Space Race especially when China imploded in to civil war 1989. One of the side projects of this was “Project G”, which was an attempt to build an actual working Gundam. They realized it would actually have to be bigger than depicted so Gundam F91 instead made the Gundams much bigger[3].

Set 30 years after Char's Counterattack in the year U.C. 0123. The Earth Federation colony Frontier IV is attacked by the Crossbone Vanguard, the army of Cosmo Babylonia. Seabook Arno and Cecily Fairchild are caught in the middle of a battle but lead a group of refugees to the lower levels and to a lifeboat. Cecily is abducted by the Crossbone Vanguard and revealed to be Berah Ronah, a member of the royal family of Cosmo Babylonia. Seabook retreats to a lifeboat.

Cecily meets her real father Carozzo and her grandfather Meitzer, who seek to overthrow the Earth Federation and replace it with an aristocracy. Cecily is forced to join them. The lifeboat with Seabook reaches another colony that is also attacked. Seabook finds the Space Ark and an inoperative Gundam F91 and enters it, piloting it to repel the attack. Cecily meanwhile is trained to be a mobile suit pilot and learns about a superweapon codenamed "Bug" which are revealed to be machines designed to hunt humans and intended to be used to attack earth. Seabook and Cecily worked together to destroy the bugs. Carozzo attacks both of them with Cecily being injured but Seabook finishes the fight and both leave for the Space Ark.

Magical Taruroto(1991-1992)
Based on the Manga by Tatsuya Egawa and published in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1988 to 1992. Adapted as a television series. It follows Honmaru Edojo, a fifth grader and later in the series sixth grader voiced by Minami Takayama. Edoja is a loser In his class who meets a magical being named magical Taruroto, who grants him magic powers to help him in his everyday life.

My Daddy Long Legs(1991-1992)
Part of the World Masterpiece Theater. The production of White Fang delayed its intended release by one year. Based on a 1912 novel by Jean Webster. The plot follows an orphan named Judy Abbott who is given a scholarship and money from a mysterious benefactor which allows her to attend school. She catches a glimpse of only his legs and so nicknames him “Daddy Long Legs” believing him to be her father. She begins writing to him, but not expecting a reply. The identity of “Daddy Long Legs” is never revealed, though the Japanese dub of a later film adaption of Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys has Anansi refer to himself as Daddy Long Legs, possibly as a callback to this.
Getter Robo Go(1991-1992)
A new installment in the Getter Robo series, which last crossed over with Great Energer in 1975. With Go Nagai returning, the new series is set sometime in the 200X. The world has enjoyed a period of peace following the conclusion to both Great Energer and Demon Lord Dante and has largely recovered. The peace is broke by a new enemy in Doctor Rando and his army of metal beasts, who seeks to conquer the world. With normal weapons useless, a new team of teens are chosen to pilot the Getter Robo to combat Doctor Rando.

Mach Go Go Go(1991-1992)
A Remake of the classic 1967 show Mach Go Go Go by the defunct Tatsunoko. The rights were obtained by Sunrise. Entertainment company VAP and the advertising agency Asatsu-DK. It aired on Nippon TV. Directed by Mitsuo Fukuda in his directorial debut. The creative team conceived a “Speed Racer Style show” which led to the rights being obtained by Sunrise. The concept behind it was futuristic formula one racing. There was another reason for choosing Speed Racer. There were talks of a film adaptation at the time which Sunrise, being behind the Gundam film in the 80’s wanted to try again as the film became retroactively popular and the show was a way of testing the waters.

The show was much more cinematic than its predecessor, including shots meant to simulate a camera on a speed car during a race and the intense crashes. This included bringing the animators with camera to ride in Formula 1 and Nascar vehicles during practice races and simulating car crashes during the race. The animators worked hard to simulate elements such as the fumes or the mirages caused by the heat in the air. The races in the series took it to tracks with gravel, Ice and deserts. An F1 boom at the time also contributed to the shift. Red Company also helped produce the series. The toy company Takara wanted to air an episode every week and release the winning toy on Saturday but were convinced this was unfeasibly as not even episode featured a race and one race would last several episodes, but the Toy company did succeed in release a new car every week, some of which were redesigns of cars from the classic series. Another factor was that the toy company found that designing cars was trickier than designing giant robots because with the robots artistic license to make the design appealing was forgivable but with cars, there was an actual science behind the vehicle and many experts would point out the lack of important parts in the car.

Go Mifune was voiced by Jun’ichi Kanemaru in his first starring role after voice bit parts. Kanemaru would go onto become a racer himself as well as voice Sonic the Hedgehog. Shinobu Adachi voiced love interest Michi Shimura. In the US, the series was distributed by DiC entertainment and on Nickelodeon. Among the differences in this version is that Kenichi Mifune, rather than running away from home, appears to die in a fiery explosion. Michi is introduced as a reporter following Mifune and the two flirt and begin dating, resulting in the Mifune family being introduced through her. The chimpanzee is Shanpei is treated like an exotic pet mores in this version, such as being kept In a cage at night, and wearing a diaper. Michi is actually quite alarmed and nervous around it, especially when the Chimpanzee is startled by a loud noise and has to be calmed down. This is possibly attributed to both demands from DiC to prevent people from adopting chimpanzees. The “Monkey Madness” caused by people buying monkeys after the success of Pippi Longstocking in 1974 also played a part in the choice to tone this down. The Mifune family are also shown to be extremely rich and can afford all they need to care for the animal.

This version of the show is set an unknown time in the future(The show bible mentions 2015 but the show avoids this as they wanted a timeless aesthetic to the cars) where technology has advanced, the engines for example are much more eco friendly. Go Mifune goes against his father’s wishes and enters a race, leader revealed to be because his brother Kenichi seemingly died in a car crash and explosion[4].

Matchless Raijin-Oh(1991-1992)
Funded by the Toy company Tomy and produced by Sunrise. The series is more closely aimed at children with elementary school kids being granted command of the Mecca Raijin-Oh by the guardian of light Eldran to defend Earth from the Jaaku Empire. The series was popular enough to spawn several imitators[5].

Dennou Keisatsu Cybercop 2(1991-1992)
A Sequel to the live action 1988 tokusatsu. The original film was set in 1999 in a crime overrun Tokyo. The outmanned Tokyo Metropolitan Police force forms ZAC, the Zero Action Armed Constable, a special task force with its members known as Cybercops.The mysterious young man Shinya Takeda joins ZAC to fight the organization Death Trap and its leader Baron Kageyama. The ZAC usually emerge victorious until they face a new enemy called Lucifer. Lucifer claims to be from the future and that Cybercop team member Jupiter is also from the future. It is revealed that Baron Kageyama also comes from the future and that Lucifer attacked Jupiter believing he had betrayed them in the future, but switches sides when he learns it was Baron Kageyama. The two then defeat Baron Kageyama, who reveals his actions were to take control land stave off an environmental collapse. Lucifer and Jupiter then return to the future to help restore it. The sequel introduces a an alien enemy from the future infiltrating the past with Jupiter and Lucifer returning to the present to help defeat them[6].

High School Mystery: Gakuen Nanafushigi(1991-1992)
Based on Tsunoda’s Jiro’s manga Gakuen Seven Wonders. Directed by Shin Masawa for Studio Comet and airing on Fuji TV. It follows Mizuki Ichijo, a junior student who must solve mysteries involving supernatural elements just as her grandmother did.

Dear Brother(1991-1992)
A Year 24 Group Manga by Riyoko Ikeda, known for The Rose of Versailles and its Sequel “The Glory of Napoleon”. Dear Brother was created during a breather period between the two works. The series follows a 16 year old girl named Nanako Misonoo, who attends a prestigious school while writing letters to her “ brother” which is in reality a Teacher she knew and agreed to write to. Due to a later plot twist, it is revealed that the attraction the two have can be considered incest, an element which led to the Manga being pulled in several countries such as France and Italy, though an English translation became available.Its adaptation was directed by Osamu Dezaki.

The Year 24 Group itself was seen as steadily becoming outdated. At the time of their creation, getting into Manga as a female creator was difficult. Now it had become much easier. Even their name was dubbed outdated, alluding to the 24th Year of the Show Era when most of the members had been born. However in their fight to remain relevant they had found their successors. A group of students in Osaka had began as a group of three friends creating Doujinshi(Fan Manga) for series such as Captain Tsubasa. The three friends consisted of Mokona, Tsubaki Nekoi, and Satsuki Igarashi. After creating several Doujinshi, including one which caught Riyoko Ikeda’s attention, a transplant of the Rose of Versailles characters into the American Revolution which did more than simply copy and paste the plot but went in a vastly different direction. The Group would launch their own original work, RG Veda, based on the Rigveda[7].

Ultimate Muscle: The Kinnukuman Legacy(1991-1992)
Produced by Toei. The Series follows the young son of Kinnikuman, Mantaro Muscle, also known as Kid Muscle, who despite the name is not only scrawny but also normal looking compared to his father(especially in art style). He is sent to Earth from Planet Kinniku for training and to attend elementary school However, the show is essentially stolen by his friend and love interest Rea Kuki, who becomes the main character and has the ambition to conquer the world with an army of monsters and undergoes a transformation into a super-villainess alter ego, being a parody of magical girls like Kiki’s Delivery Service and later Codename: Sailor V[8].

Sangokushi(1991-1992)
A Manga that ran from 1971 to 1987 based on The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. A direct adaptation of the story was ruled out due to the Chinese Civil War at the time and Sangokushi was adapted due to having a degree of separation. However, the creators and especially the designers couldn’t resist drawing parallels with the current neighboring conflict, such as making Dong Zuo, who in the story had his body set on fire and continue to burn for weeks because of how fat and oily he was, resemble Mao Zedong.

Moomin(1991-1993)
A Dutch-Japanese television series produced by the Dutch Telecable Benelux B.V. and animated by Telescreen Japan. The series came about as a result of Disney being unable to secure the rights, leading to a revelation as to who still owned the rights. More Moomin stories had been released since the original animated show in the 60’s. It aired on TV Tokyo. It was dubbed into English and aired on CBBC(Children’s BBC). The series led to a “ Moomin Boom” as the characters rose in popularity. The series is set over the course of three years in universe with the characters meeting new people, beginning with the start of spring and the arrival of Snufkin back in the village. Winter happens several times but several Moomins decide to break their usual hibernation period to enjoy snow for the first time. By the end of the series Winter is once more coming and the Moomins this time go to hibernate while Snufkin leaves again. The series adopts several Moomin books[9].

California Games(1991-1992)
“Well we’ve had Mario, Zelda, Samus, and Simon Belmont, What do you think are we gonna end it on? …..California!”

“I mean those other games had a plot, but this(Holds up California Games). This is just a bunch of Sports games! How do you make a plot out of this[10]?”

“Well they tried….They failed…But they tried. I mean this idea can work, just look at Rocket Power, but this is not that.”

-From a crossover review of the Nintendo Power Hour with the Nostalgia Critic and Angry Video Game Nerd.

Double Dragon(1991-1992)
From DiC. Based on the Video Game. The series follows two brothers separated at birth. Billy was raised by an elderly martial arts master called the Oldest Dragon, and Jimmy was raised by the evil Shadow Master. The two fight each other constantly due to their loyalties until Jimmy is betrayed by the Shadow Master ands witches sides. The series then centers on bringing down Shadow Master and finding the missing father of the boys. Other enemies include the henchman from the game Abobo and Willy as recurring enemies.

21 Emon(1991)
Another series by Doraemon creators Fujiko F.Fujio published from 1968 to 1969. Adapted by Shin-Ei Animation. The anime is set in 2018 and follows 21 Emon, the current in a long line of Emons, who own a space hotel, but he wants to be an astronaut.

Madara(1991)
Based on the Manga series by Fiji Otsuka and illustrated by Shou Tajima thar ran from 1987 to 1994. It follows a teenage boy who fights to his own father, the evil overlord Miroku using his prosthetic limbs. It was adapted into a FAmic video game and is now a DVA directed by Yuki Moriyama

Mischievous Twins: The Tale of St.Clare’s(1991)
By Tokyo Movie Shinsha. It is based on the St.Clare’s children books by Enid Blyton, published from 1941-1945. The titular mischievous Twins are Patricia and Isabel O’Sullivan, who are sent to the new school of St.Clare’s.

DVA

Shakotan Boogie(1991-1992)
An Adaptation of the Manga by Michiharu Kusonoki that ran from 1986 to 1996, about the adventures of two best friends who live as Shakotan, the Japanese equivalent of Lowriders, as they get into trouble, pick up girls, go street racing and so on.

Psychic Wars(1991)
An old psychic woman in Osaka as a surgeon named Dr.Ukyo Rettsu to remove a cancer growth that is killing her. Dr.Rettsu finds it is instead a Demon creature who says a Demonic Invasion is coming. When the old woman dies, her spirit enters Dr.Rettsu and empowers him to fight the invasion, his foretold destiny. Learning the Demons came from the past, Dr.Rettsu and his lover Fuyuko Asahina investigate where they are attacked by a giant demon that Rettsu kills. They then go visit a friend named Dr.Takase, who directs them to ruins from the Jomon Period as they believe the Demon civilization originated there. Rettsu finds a portal and goes back in time, helping to end the Demon invasion in that time period and finding the portal they were using to invade the present. He finds the Demons are acting to save themselves from extinction but still destroys the portal before being sent back. Though he fails to spot the Demon Queen responsible. In the present, he realizes that Asahina is the Demon Queen and assumed a human form but has genuinely grown to love Rettsu. Rettsu refused and Asahina attacks him, Rettsu is nearly killed but is able to defeat Asahina who proclaims her love for him as she dies.

Burn Up!(1991)
In a futuristic Setting, police officers Maki, Remi and Yuka become involved in a police chase to rescue a kidnapped girl. It is discovered there may be human trafficking ring led by the corrupt Samuel McCoy. The suspect is killed and the girls choose to investigate on their now, starting with information on a strip club called the Sartrait 7. They are attacked by a large but agile man named Gonnack, McCoy’s bodyguard who knocks them out and takes Yuka. They awake in a hospital and are told by the Chief of Police they cannot officially investigate McCoy but they take what they like from the armory. They raid McCoy’s main building and rescue Yuka before fighting against McCoy and his forces, emerging victorious.

Sukeban(1991)
A manga series by Shinji Wada. The series follows delinquent school girl Saki Asamiya.

Sweet Spot(1991)
Based on the manga by Yutsuko Chusonji that ran from 1989 to 1992. The series follows an office lady with a passion for golf. The series polarized the term “Oyaji Gals” or young girls with passions for things usually associated with older people such as golf, karaoke, horse betting, chess and other activities.

Hono no Tenkosei(1991)
Translated as “Blazing Transfer Student”. Based on the Manga by Kazuhiko Shimamoto from 1983 to 1985. Adapted by Studio Daicon. Noboru Takizawa transfers to a school where all disputes are settled with fighting and engages the school bully Saburo Ibuki. Ibuki wins a match with “God’s Hall Monitor” over who gets to date the lovely Yukari. Takizawa falls in love with Yukari and agrees to fight Ibuki after he wins be cheating. He loses the first round but after intense training, tries again and this time wins.

The Abashiri Family(1991)
Based on the Manga series by Go Nagai that ran from 1969 to 1973.Released by Studio Pierrot. The series follows the Abashiri Family, who are criminals that are feared both by police and other criminals, being virtually unstoppable but only committing minor acts if they so choose and usually are thwarted by their own foolishness. If they are attacked they brutally strike back. As the series progressed it became less serious and more of a gag manga. The series was based on controversy Go Nagai observed from Harenchi Gakuen. Despite its popularity, when Go Nagai started Demon Lord Dante, he felt he needed to drop his workload to focus on that series instead, ending the series in 1972. The series often included graphic violence, which offset the comedy. Characters from the series were recycled into Honey Idol and other Go Nagai series. The Daicon DVA had Kikunosuke, the only daughter in the family, being sent to. A “Paradise School” which turns out to be a school for criminals. She befriends a helpless girl named Yukiko and the entire family gets involved when they learn she is in trouble and rush to save her from the criminal students and all the other crime families.

RG Veda(1991)
Began by a friend group known as CLAMP, RG Veda started life as a Doujinshi which was noticed by the publisher Shinshokan. The group was more familiar with eastern mythology than Western. CLAMP member Mokona had grown up near Hindu and Buddhist Temples, leading to an adaptation of the Rig Veda. The group has a slightly older member named Naoko Takeuchi. Takeuchi was always seen as somewhat of an outsider, for one all the others were born in Kyoto while her family moved there at an early age. She was also the first to really advance. She went on to work on Daddy Long Legs as a script writer, and began to oversee the creation of Codename: Sailor V. She had met Seiya creator Masami Kuramada, at a convention and the two had hit it off. There was no signs of romance between the two, Kuramada more than a decade older, but the two pitched the idea for a a series on Space Warriors. This fled out into two teams, a team of Sailor Scouts named after Planets and a team of armored warriors named after Star Constellations. The other members of CLAMP felt a sense to compete when they launched their first major project as a DVA.

RG Veda begins three hundred years ago. The God of Thunder Taishakuten rebelled agains the Heavenly Emperor and killed him along with his guardian god Ashura-O with the help of Ashura-O’s wife Shashi. The two usurped the throne and began a Crue reign of terror. A Prophecy was made but told to Shisha and Taishakuten separately.

Six Dark stars would fall and defy the Heavens. The one being spoken to must undertake a journey and find the child of a vanished race as he would turn the wheels of destiny. Through that child the Xis Stars shall gather and then someone will appear from the shadows, one who knows the future and can manipulate good and evil. The Wicked will be razed by flame and the Six Stars will overpower all others and the schism will split the Heavens.

The Guardian Warrior of the Northland, Yasha-o, awakens the genderless child of Ashura-O, Ashura, who has slept for three hundred years under a magic seal. Both set out to find the Six Stars and overthrow Taishakuten. The Six Stars ultimately comprise of Yasha-o, Ashura, Soma, Ryu-o, Karura-o andKendappa-O. Ashura is also shown to have a dark side he keeps hidden. The warriors attack Taishakuten’s palace and fight his Four Generals. Kendappa-O is revealed to be one of the generals and betrays the team. The betrayal causes Asura to lose control and his kills his mother Shisha, and the rest of the six stars except for Yasha-o. Taishakuten reveals he and Ashura-O plotted all this to bring out and kill Ashura’s dark half. He fails and Ashura almost kills Yasha-o, but instead kills himself to save his friend’s life. He enters a cocoon like state and Yasha-o promise she will not let him become a monster again when he awakens hundreds of years later.

The 1989 Manga received great reviews. Usually a B Grading. While the art was beautiful many of the characters were criticized as looking to similar, with gender being difficult to distinguish between the characters, something which only really worked with Ashura, who is genderlesss. The first volume was criticized for being too exposition heave but got better and encouraged the reader to keep going. The prophecy was praised for being a unique twist, not implying that anything would be better of worse. The ending was praised but there was a perceived lack of action. In after years the series was praised for its depiction of LGBT character as there are several same sex relationships and Ashura being genderless.

The DVA was released as a film by King Records, who wanted to branch out after Hideakki Anno departed Studio Daicon to release Alcion and formed King Animation, which RG Veda was released under along with a signing for future CLAMP adaptations. This contract was arranged thanks to connections fashioned by Naoko Takeuchi, who wanted to give something back to the CLAMP team.

Slow Step(1991)
A Romantic Comedy, Boxing and Softball Manga by Mitsuru Adachi that ran from 1986 to 1991. The series follows a popular high school girl dealing with unwanted advances from boys and even one teacher. Her ways of escaping her admirers get more and more convoluted, including donning multiple false identities.

Judge(1991)
Based on the Manga by Fujihoko Hosono, known for Crusher Joe, that ran from 1987 to 1991. The story addresses the Japan version of Hell, Diyu, which was largely inherited by Chinese mythology. The DVA begins with a man being shot in a jungle. He is revealed to be the Vice President of a company named Yamanobe, who was sent to South America and killed by local Guerillas. This gets the attention of Hoichiro Oda, a worker who is secretly the Judge of Darkness. A Woman named Yamamoto is murdered, and while it’s ruled a suicide, the Judge knows the man Murakami is responsible and kills him. Oda is confronted by one of his victims who is represented by a supernatural lawyer who acts to protect his target’s soul, leading to an unholy legal battle. Reviews for Judge were positive, calling it better than most DVAs.

3x3 Eyes(1991-1992)
Based on the manga by Yuzo Takada that ran from 1987 to 2002. Translated by Dark Horse Comics. Pai is the last remaining member of a three eyed race and wants to become human by finding an artifact. Her backpack is stolen but a young man named Yakumo stops the thief. Lai learns he is the son of a professor she once met who was searching for her people the Sanjiyans before he died of sickness. He left a letter asking Yakumo to take care of Pai. The loss of Pai’s cane during the theft frees her pet creature named Takuhi, which rips into Yakumo. To save him, Lai revives him but binds him as a servant of hers. The two now seek the Ningen to revive Yakumo while followers of the dead Demon God Kaiyanwang attack them. Streamline pictures dubbed the DVA with Eddie Frierson as Yakumo and Rebecca Forstadt as Pai. Manga Entertainment distributed it in the UK but as a series rather than a DVA. The DVA was. Scene as solid but nothing mind blowing.

Kekko Kamen(1991-1992)
Based on the NSFW manga illustrated by Go Nagai. The series follows the misadventures of a student named Mayumi Takahashi who is forced into a school which tortures and humiliates its students in sexual ways. The school and its corrupt staff are opposed by a practically nude masked superhero Kekko Kamen.

Mermaid’s Forest(1991)
Based on the manga A Mermaid Saga by Rumiko Takahashi that ran from 1984 to 1994. It is much darker than Takahashi’s usually more comedic works. The series was adapted into a trilogy of DVAs. The first was Mermaid’s Forest. In the manga, There is a legend that eating Mermaid flesh can grant immortality, but has a chance of killing the eater o turning them into a horrible creatures called Lost Souls. A young man named Yuta was tricked into eating mermaid flesh by his friends as he didn’t believe the legend. He became immortal while his friends turned into lost Souls and attacked him, forcing him to kill them in self defense. Having lived centuries, he now wants to find another mermaid to remove his immortality. He meets a young woman named Mana, who was forced to eat Mermaid Flesh as well by a cult. It had two other parts released in 1993 and 1995 [11].

The Heroic Legend of Arslan(1991)
A series of DVAS based on the fantasy novel series by Yoshiki Tanaka that ran from 1986 to 2017. It is loosely adapted from the Persian Epic of Amir Arslan. It was adapted into two DVA Films. The first debuted in 1991. The story is set in an alternate version of Persia created to incorporate elements of all of Persia’s history. Limited magic exists, largely due to the presence of monsters. Arlan is the crown prince of Pars, which is taken over by the nation of Lusitania. After a treacherous plot killed his father. Arslan barely escaped and joins his loyal servant Daryun and a handful of others in fighting back against the usurper, another contender for the Pars throne.

Detonator Orgun(1991)
A Japanese DVA by AIC and Artmic. Directed by Masami Obari with character designs by Kia Asamiya. Tomoru Shindo, a college student from City 5. He sleeps with a device that can record dreams. He has a recurring dream involving a girl being attacked by monsters. It is revealed that the device was once the fallen champion Orgun, who was killed on the Moon on his way to Earth. Signals were sent out from the Moon which Earth Defense Force employee Professor Michi Kanzaki investigates. Tomoru learns Orgun was a madman and the alien’s mind begins to overtake him. There is some ambiguity as to Orgun’s intentions, which may not have been heroic, but it is vague due to Orgun’s current insanity. Part 2, sees the Earth Defense Force and Orgun meet the Evoluders, who are discovered to be the descendants of a space mission and now are attempting to take over Earth. Part 3, had the attempt to repel the Evoluder invasion of Earth. While successful, Orgun sacrifices himself. Tomoru then walks off with Kanzaki into the sunset while Orgun’s remains are displayed in a museum.

Otaku No Video(1991)
A DVA by Studio Daicon based on the live of its original creators. It also served as a history of Otaku up until the present.

The Otaku Culture has its origins in Japan’s post war period. The country rapidly industrialized. The old traditions blended with the new. The position of the Salaryman was created in which employees worked practically their entire lives for their companies with the workers viewing each other like family and Sick days were almost never taken out of a sense of obligation. This was encouraged in students as well, who felt there was no escape from the rigorous path. Clubs were formed and required by the school but most of these were sports clubs, which did not hold the interest of all the students. Several students created their own clubs dubbed “Culture Clubs”

“ The unpopular adolescent, bad at sports, introverted, fat, or of delicate constitution, can be found in just about every school around the world, however the structure provided by clubs that systematically encourage unpopular students to pursue interests other than sports is unique to Japan. “
-Taishido Modakawa, “Otaku”

The Unpopular students gravitating towards Anime and Manga caused many to associate these things with the unpopular I.e. the Nerds. Ken Kubo, the film’s protagonist begins by joining one of these clubs along with a group of others. Kubo vows to become the self proclaimed Otaking, or King of the Otaku. Kenbo’s new life leads him to be bullied and also alienates his salaryman father(a real life common event during that time as the changes in the economy in Japan made getting a salaryman job was now more difficult and the previous “Salaryman” generation was now berating the younger Generation for not living up to their expectations). This is made worse when in the late 80’s due to mismanaging from the banks, who simply ignored the potential risk, the economic bubble burst. This led to the rise in Japan of Hikkikomori as many depressed young adults committed themselves to staying at home with their parents. This was not uncommon in Japan, largely until the offspring married but most of these young adults were now reducing themselves to never leaving the house at all, the concept of kicking them out of the house not really existing in Japanese culture. This was largely ignored until a study was conducted and found that the amount of Hikkikomori was massive, about 60% of Japan’s population. It was difficult to ascertain that number normally due to most families hiding those who could be classified as Hikkikomori(haven’t left the House in six Months) out of embarrassment or desire to protect them.

Strangely this ended up normalizing the idea of Otaku when they were found to be so common and in fact encouraged many to step out of their comfort zone and meet others. Companies began attempting to appeal to these groups, leading to the adoption of shy awkward characters granted power fantasies or in some cases becoming magical girls(despite what some would say, a good portion of the Otaku culture was female). This came full circle as the Otaku culture which really took off in the early 70’s thanks to Studio Ghibli’s massive success in the west shattering the view of Anime being kid’s stuff. Most of the Otaku in the 70’s when the fad began were now older and wiser and began creating Anime themselves, which in turn inspired a new generation and in Otaku No Video, inspired the creation of the film’s equivalent to Studio Daicon: Studio Gainax, by Kubo and his friends, however Kubo gets too full of himself and is kicked out of the Team( A reference to Hideaki Anno’s recent departure from Studio Daicon, which was perceived as a betrayal). He eventually becomes humble and apologizes(likely Studio Daicon telling Hideakki Anno they still see him as a friend and will invite him back if he so chooses)[12].

Among the Anime featured include: Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, Asteroid Ship Icarus, Urusei Yatsura, Pippi Longstocking: The Strongest Girl in the World, Mobile Suit Gundam, Lovely Angels, Space Adventure Cobra, Lupin the Third, Phoenix 2772, Silent Moebius, Magical Princess Minky Moto, Battle City Megaroad, Battle City Megaroad: Do You Remember Love?, Genesis Climber Mospeada, Royal Space Force, Gunbuster, and Daicon Opening Animations.

Doomed Megalopolis(1991)
A Sequel to an adaptation of the historical fantasy novel Teito Monogatari, which was released In 1987. The series spans 90 years and depicts a war using mystical forces, diving into the mythology of every country involved quite faithfully and well researched. Its success led to an immediate film adaptation in 1988 as Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis. It was one of the most expensive live action Japanese films ever made, but became the highest grossing film in Japan of that year. However it only adapted the first four volumes. A Sequel, Tokyo: The Last War, was rushed into production adapting the next four volumes, of which there are twelve in total. There were plans to change elements. For example in the original work President Windell Wilkie is killed by supernatural means and President Dewey and the US also uses supernatural means to create the Atomic Bomb. There were plans to make it so that Hitler was killed instead and remove these elements but it was decided against it. Doomed Megalopolis was the final entry in the trilogy in 1991, completing the live action film trilogy[13].

Kyukyoku Chojin(1991)
Based on the manga series by Masami Yuki, which follows a teenage robot named R.Ichiro Tanaka.

Ninja Gaiden(1991)
A DVA Adaptation of the video game series. Adapting the first and second main games.

Here is Greenwood(1991)
Based on a manga that ran from 1987 to 1991 about fort boys at the Greenwood Dormitory of Ryokuto Academy. Published in English by Viz Media. The Anime was produced by Studio Pierrot.

Dark Cat(1991)
Based on the manga by Naomi Kimura that ran from 1987 to 1992. It follows brothers Kagesaki Seki and Chizu Seki fighting against monsters at their school. They have the ability to turn into cats, trained by the evil demon cat Jukokubo, who the brothers now fight.

Galle Force: New Era(1991)
A Sequel set 200 years after the events of the series. A new race of cyborgs called Yumans coexist with humans and all of humanity is linked to a giant computer with minimal interaction and problems with overpopulation. A young scientist named Nova is motivated by Genova, a revolutionary leader, to bring humanity down and activates an artificial intelligence. Called GORN which damages both humans and Humans. The Human Catty leads a team of seen women against GORN to save the world.

Dark Warrior(1991)
Based on the novel series that ran from 1986 to 1989. Takashi Takagami is a Japanese computer genius living in Silicon Valley when he finds that his girlfriend Judy doesn’t recognize him. Joe hacks into the Pentagon security system and discovers he is a robot and his memories are fake, waging a one man war against the company that employed him: Rockford corporation.

Vampire Wars(1991)​

A DVA Series produced by Toei Animation. Licensed by Manga Entertainment. The protagonist Yuki Kosaburo learns Vampires are real and hold a dark secret that can change both Vampire and Humans forever. He is falsely framed for a woman’s murder and forced by the government to fight against the Vampires due to his military experience.

The Delayed
Trapp Ikka Monotatari. Based on the story of the Von Trapp family as famously told in the Sound of Music. Has been pushed back a year due to the release of White Fang under Disney’s acquiring of World Masterpiece Theatre.

Butterflied Away

Only Yesterday. Takahata had no reason to accept it due to Border 1939 being made and its not really the thing TTL’s Studio Gainax would really make.

Dragonball Z: Lord Slug and Dragonball Z” Cooler’s Revenge. Butterflied away as Lord Slug was folded into the show’s filler while Cooler was made canon.

Magical Taruruto-kun. Still exists but this particular film does not.

Anpanman. The first of 27 films which follow the same general plot. Will not exist ITTL, partly due to the earlier release of Anpanman under Mushi Productions.

The Brave of Sun Fighbird. Butterflied away due to Brave Exkaiser only getting one series as intended.

Armored Police Metal Jack. The Anime was originally intended to be a live action sequel to 1988’s Dennou Keisatsu Cybercop, which was itself a live action tokusatsu but was delayed, becoming Animated instead and a separate franchise. Here it is made into a live action sequel.

City Hunter ’91. Due to having a longer run originally in Anime form there’s no seen need to launch a sequel series.

Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai. The last series adapted Dragon Quest III, which this series loosely did. While this series was a huge hit and successful for Anime, much of this was transferred to the 1989 series.

Okama Report. A Manga that ran in 1989. It follows a straight student named Shinya Okama wh works at a cross dressing gay bar. The title refers to the “Gay Report” published by the Association for the Lesbian and Gay Movement or OCCUR, an LGBT rights group. This group criticized Okama Report due to enforcing stereotypes such as not distinguishing gay men and transgender or crossdressers. This resulted in the series being pulled and ITTL it never gets an Anime adaptation.

Mobiel Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory. Butterflied away due to F91 becoming a television series instead, removing the need for two.

Bubblegum Crash. Butterflied away due to the entirety of the Bubblegum Crisis series not existing.

The Guyver: Bio-Booster Armor. A 1991 DVA. Butterflied away largely due to the underperforming 1986 film.

Goldfish Warning! Butterflied away as OTL most of the staff left for Sailor Moon after that show ended. ITTL Sailor Moon has been accepted earlier as Sailor Voltes V, meaning that production also begins earlier.

Notes
[1] Takahata had this idea for a while before it being his last directed film in 2013. Placing it here is a combination of both there being a film to replace Only Yesterday which he had no reason to accept and also Geekis Khan’s A Hippie in the House of Mouse having it be made at around this time.

[2] OTL the Urusei Yatsura film Always My Darling was released. It is about an alien princess named Lupika who wants to marry a tofu seller, who is reluctant because of her status, is released. She kidnaps Ataru as there is a love potion that can only be retrieved by the most lecherous man in the universe, which turns out to be him. The others including Lum set out to rescue him. This is considered by fans of the show to be the worst entry in the series, killing the franchise until a 2008 revival. Naturally I needed to butterfly this away. It was released alongside the first of several Ranma 1/2 films. ITTL the series has a less bizarre and more direct finale. It also doesn’t override “The Final Chapter” title of the last one technically as its considered part of Ranma 1/2. The plot is mostly taken from the Ranma 1/2 film Ranma ½: Big Trouble in Nekonron, China

[3] Gundam F91 was intended to be a series but turned into a movie instead. ITTL it became a series. Just about everyone in production wanted the Gundams to be smaller, especially Bandai as they thought it would make the toys cheaper, but it turned out to be the opposite and smaller toys were more expensive. It also received backlash from fans. The part about the Battle City Megaroad staff wanting to originally be astronauts is true OTL and Japan did design life size Gundams, though not fully functioning ones. ITTL they actually try to do just that. This butterflies away Stardust Memory as there is no need for another series.

[4] OTL the show Future GPX Cyber Formula was pitched and was planned to be like Speed Racer. Here with Speed Racer rights being up in the air due to Tatsunoko’s downfall, they can afford to just make a Speed Racer series.

[5] Due to Brave Exkaiser and Gundam SD not existing as a series, Raijin-Oh will be more successful as Sunrise’s kid aimed series.

[6] OTL this was animated but here is a Tokusatsu, or Live Action like the series it is a sequel to.

[7] OTL the named successors of the Year 24 Group are known as CLAMP collectively. Year 24 was not a real studio but a nickname given to a group of female Mangaka during the 70’s era. ITTL they are an actual group, and most of the group began to slip out of popularity after the 70’s, hence the CLAMP group rising to replace them.

[8] OTL this was known as Genji Tsuushin Agedama, and had no relation to Kinnikuman. Onyokimo shares a voice actress with OTL’s Sailor Moon in Kotno Mitsuishi, which is fitting given the character is essentially an evil parody of magical girls.

[9] About a year later than OTL as part of the reason why it was mad was the first Moon series being unfaithful while it was faithful ITTL.

[10]Actually planned by DiC OTL. The Double Dragon series by contrast was actually made.

[11] OTL The last part of the Mermaid Trilogy was never released.

[12] Naturally since Otaku no Video is based on OTL’s Studio Gainax, the different experiences has led to a different plot. I decided to include later developments such as the bubble burst and the discovery of Otaku earlier than OTL since I felt this turned Otaku no Video into a history of Otaku itself.

[13] OTL this film was animated and all adaptation stuck mostly to the same first few volumes while here they cover the entire series.​

 

[Marco Incognito]

Image
Marvel had new talent coming in, the more experienced artists holding art classes to the new talent. As a result of this, Marvel books looked good and read good. Shooter decided it was time to do another major event like with Secret Wars. This event would become known as Infinity War, Beginning in 1992. Infinity War concerned The Mad Titan Thanos assembling the Infinity Gems. Despite the efforts of the Marvel Heroes, Thanos succeeded and as a show of force, wiped out half the universe, before the heroes were able to undo the snap. Ironically, Marvel itself would find itself split in half.

Jim Lee's Punisher: War Journal Wolverine Cover

Jim Shooter is a divisive figure, he can be a hero or villain. Regardless of how one feels, Marvel was in its heyday when he was running the ship. He worked to keep creators happy, seeing them as the company's lifeblood. Shooter even defended John Byrne when someone complained to Stan Lee about his work. Shooter was also an artist and occasionally carried his own weight, even when he gave advice that contradicted Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's own rules on creating comics. The Position Artist-Editor was created by Stan-Lee for creators who were seen as not needing editors. This didn't work and it was removed by Shooter, but Byrne could occupy it well. Byrne was famous for his Marvel Superman story during the superhero exchange program and his work on Fantastic Four and X-Men. After the Phoenix Saga, Byrne wanted to bring back Jean Grey. Something Claremont was against. Shooter needed to mediate between Byrne and Claremont when Byrne introduced an apparently alive Jean Grey in Fantastic Four, who was retconned as a clone. Byrne left after Shooter rejected multiple requests to bring back Jean Grey. This left Peter David and Todd McFarlane to take up the Hulk title that Byrne had been writing. McFarlane was moved to Spider-Man, introducing Venom and turning the book into a big seller. Marvel also recruited two new artists in Jim Lee and Wilce Portacio. Lee was given The Punisher: War Journal. Lee's image of the Punisher's shirt with Wolverine's claws poking through became as Iconic as Todd McFarlane's cover depicting the Hulk reflecting on Wolverine's claws. Lee got to draw Wolverine even more when he was moved to Uncanny X-Men. Marl Silvestre was also becoming Popular. McFarlane was succeeded by Erik Larsen on Spider-Man. Louise Simonson was given a new artist on The New Mutants named Rob Liefeld, a controversial figure. Self taught. Known for drawing normal humans as deformed mutants , big guns, and big pouches. Liefeld was seen as everything wrong with the 90's, a self parody with all sincerity. Despite his faults, Liefeld revived The New Mutants by introducing Cable and Deadpool, which Simonson fleshed out into full characters. Liefeld was often called "The Idiot" by his fellow coworkers, but he was about to receive his first big break. McFarlane wanted to draw his own book. Shooter allowed this and even offered words of encouragement and suggestions. McFarlane was given his own original character: Spawn. Liefeld, who had also rebooted New Mutants into X-Force, wanted a similar deal. These artists were having their rise fueled. Everything was perfect. Then Liefeld made a bad move.

Rob Liefeld

Todd McFarlane

Liefeld was offered a job at Malibu Comics and accepted, failing to convince anyone else to leave with him.. He announced that he was making a new series for them called The Executioners. The first character he created was based on himself, led a Superhero team and was named Shaft. Executioners was similar to New Mutants. Liefeld was threatened by a lawsuit and backed down. McFarlane had a desire to leave start his own company anyway to allow himself full control of his creations. Shooter was famous for trying to keep his talent happy. When Chris Claremont complained about a trip to the Midwest, Shooter asked him where they wanted to go. Claremont as a joke said Paris and Shooter arranged a trip to Europe with the X-Men staff. It was an all expense paid trip to London, Paris and Rome, paid largely by Foreign Companies like Marvel UK happy for the promotion. Jim Lee was asked to fly to New York and Shooter paid for Lee's wife to fly there as well. However, even Shooter couldn't stop the massive egos of what the other members of the Marvel Bullpen called "The Rebel without a Cause" and "The Rebel without a Clue" and despite his efforts both Liefeld and McFarlane would depart for Malibu Comics. McFarlane would later post on twitter the hundreds of rejection letters he received, and at the very last, one from Shooter suggesting where he could improve and who he could talk to in order to improve himself. McFarlane gave a heartfelt goodbye and a hug. Liefeld's goodbye to Shooter was to come to the office with a brown box. Shooter would pick up his coat and be bitten by something. He found a rat giving birth in his coat pocket.

Steven Massarsky

Shooter had another rat in his office, Steven Massarsky. A Lawyer and then investor, it was Massarsky who convinced Shooter to publish Mario Comics and Wrestling Comics as he had licensing rights with Nintendo and WWF. Massarsky was in a relationship with Melanie Oakin, who was one of the chief controllers of Triumph Capital. Shooter was aware of this but had ignored it, not thinking it would effect the company. Unfortunately, Massarsky was now making plans to sell Marvel to Triumph Capital behind Shooter's back. This led to the company attempting to cut off all ties to Massarsky and losing a large chunk of their funding. Massarsky switched sides to kick Shooter out when he had previously been the one protecting Shooter. Shooter fought back as he believed several of the artists under him would lose their jobs as soon as he left. What he feared happened and Shooter was kicked out along with the artists and writers he'd defended, most of which were only given boxes of their belongings thrown onto the sidewalk. Things seemed bleak for Shooter, fired from his own company. This was the lowest point, but then again, that's usually when the Hero shows up, but this was the 90's, who showed up instead were the anti-heroes.

Hearing of the plight of Shooter and the writers, McFarlane, along with several other writers, including those which had quit from Marvel as a result of Shooter's firing such as Mark Silvestre, Wilce Portacio, Erik Larson, and Jim Valentino formed their own company. McFarlane hated Valentino's inclusion but saw this as a necessary team up. This seemed to be because Valentino was not a big name writer, having written the largely forgotten original Guardians of the Galaxy, far different from the more popular version introduced later, and was not an artist while the other members of the party were both Writer and Artist, even Liefeld who was seen as bad at both and Shooter, who was willing to draw an issue himself and had a formula for how to write Marvel stories akin to the Hero's Journey, but made for self contained stories. Shooter was offered a chance to join the growing group. McFarlane had risen in the ranks of Malibu and was soon to be running the company, planning on renaming it after himself, but he still thought they could takeover Marvel and hand Shooter the keys back. The entirety of the assembled writers stormed into Massarsky's office at Marvel and demanded the company back, threatening a lawsuit. The Conversation is vague as there are different accounts by each person there. Tom DeFalco was editor-in-Chief at the time and he was walking by and was invited in. Some say he was eavesdropping and they opened the door. Liefeld and only Liefeld says he did a pratfall when the door opened. DeFalco says he simply opened the door and entered, not realizing the meeting was occurring. At the meeting, Shooter and McFarlane made a list of demands that were refused and Marvel was taken to court. The Incident was known as the Marvel Civil War hereafter. Rumors are Liefeld left the most important meeting of his career to go to the bathroom, loudly declaring this to everyone.

Valiant Comics Logo

Despite the chaos behind the scenes, publication of the Comics continued almost unabated. Shooter and McFarlane formed the Valiant Comic Company to create works and keep the creators. Shooter hated Liefeld for the rat prank and wanted him fired. According to Liefeld, Shooter told him "There's always someone else to pick the cotton." Shooter denies ever saying this. McFarlane kept Liefeld around, referring to him as "The Court Jester", because the whole running their own comic company thing was Liefeld's idea. McFarlane had made something bigger out of it, similar to other creators transforming Cable and Deadpool, Liefeld's most popular creations, into Unique characters in their own right. McFarlane had improved on the original idea, in his own words.

Valiant did surprisingly well, growing to rival the big two as a potential third option. There was also Dark Horse Comics which boasted Mike Mignola's Hellboy and Frank Miller's Sin City among other creators such as John Byrne. Shooter set out to obtain obscure Golden Age heroes he fondly remembered from his childhood owned by Gold Key Comics such as Magnus: Robot Fighter, Solar: Man of the Atom, and Turok: Dinosaur Hunter. Shooter scooped them up and retold them, setting Turok in the distant past, Magnus in the distant future, and Solar: Man of the Atom set in the Present. Under Valiant, 7 studios were formed. Jim Lee's Wildstorm, Silvestre's Top Cow Productions, Larson's Highbrow Entertainment, which had the Flagship character of Savage Dragon, seen largely as Hulk with a fin on his head since Peter David had made the Hulk intelligent at that point due to falling sales on that book, managing to revive it as a megahit, Valentino's Shadowline Ink, McFarlane's Todd McFarlane Productions and Liefeld's EXTREME Studios. Portacio stayed with Shooter to give him another big name creator to keep Valiant alive. It was already difficult to do art and writing due to the bigger level of quality demanded.

Rob Liefeld's Youngblood
Liefeld tried and failed to get his series Youngblood off the ground, due to it being a ripoff of his previous titles. He then incorporated ideas of the series into his brief stint on Teen Titans, which was ill received(Comic Reviewer Lewis Lovhaug has commented that Liefeld Ruined Teen Titans for him and committed to reviewing every issue). Liefeld, now that he could create his own characters, created a Thing-like character called Bedrock, with his catchphrase "Yabba-Dabba Doom". Naturally Hannah-Barbara, owner of the Flintstones, sued. Not wanting to be dragged down by this stupidity, Shooter cut Liefeld loose. He was on his own now, sink or swim.

Spawn
Todd McFarlane started his own Spawn series, continuing the the tale of an undead hero losing his powers overtime. Other creations was Lee's Wildcats, Silvestre's Cyber Force, Valentino's Shadowhawk, Larson's Savage Dragon and others boosted company's credit. Most of these books had schedule slips, leading to readers falling back on the Valiant line as it kept stable.

Perlman, after failing to buy Marvel, continued his practice of buying failing companies, such as selling New World to Rupert Murdoch for 2.5 Five Million Dollars. Perlman believed Marvel could become a new Disney and was determined to buy it. With Shooter gone, he saw his chance to try again and was coming close. He planned to replace Massarsky with Bill Jemas, who bribed Stan Lee, tripling his salary. Realizing that if Marvel had the potential to be its own Disney, then Stan Lee was Mr. Walt Disney. Stan Lee was the brand even though his role was honorary at this point. Perlman also knew that the characters Marvel owned had potential for films. Lee had tried a few times to get movies made of the Marvel Heroes, selling the film rights of the various characters to multiple companies but Perlman thought he could have pulled it off. Marvel Comics were beginning to rise in popularity. Perlman had Marvel sell multiple versionss of Todd McFarlane's first Spider-Man story Torment in multiple covers. These sold well and the gimmick was repeated, again and again. This was the birth of Cover Gimmicks, to appeal to collectors. Tom DeFalco was given the order to continue the prophets. This was hurting Marvel by appealing largely to collectors. Valiant did not fall into this. Most Comic Book would, especially comic shops at risk of closing down constantly. The process was so lucrative, that Silver Sable #1 was released and sold half a million copies. This was seen as a disaster due to the massive amount of sales at this time.

Shooter realized all the gimmicks were hurting the company and made plans to either buy Marvel back and avert the disaster, or buy it after its fall and restore it. When the price went up and people stopped buying and the sales were shown to be dropping, the gimmick was quickly wearing off. The Market was shrinking. Then one day, Perlman went to see the Danny DeVito 1991 film "Other People's Money". DeVito in the film made a speech commenting that the quickest way to go broke was getting an increased share of a shrinking market. The realization hit Perlman hard and he demanded a drop in the Cover Gimmicks. The X-Men titles were condensed as the X-Men spinoffs were no longer selling well. Valiant, DC, and others were still carrying on the Cover gimmicks. Then DC announced that Superman was going to die. The event helped saved Superman and DC. Sales grew while the market shrank and very soon the bubble would burst. Shooter and his group were allowed back into the company in the face of the declining sales.

The 30th Anniversary was approaching for many Marvel mainstays from the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, and Spider-Man. Spider-Man had multiple titles. An old idea pitched by Stan Lee called Marvel 2099 was launched. Prior to this the big Limited series invents had been Secret Wars and Infinity War. Both were successes but planned sequels to Infinity War never materialized. Instead Marvel wanted to push new events rather than sequels to existing ones(This butterflies away the OTL Infinity War, which means the character of Doppleganger does not exist). Special issues for Spider-Man's 30th anniversary were released. One plot point had Peter's parents appear to be alive, later revealed to be robot duplicates. At around the same time the character of Venom was turned into an Anti-Hero, and an evil counterpart to Venom was introduced in Carnage. This led to the event Maximum Carnage(known by the Marvel staff as Maximum garbage). Carnage in the story goes on a rampage, killing innocent civilians and forcing Spider-Man and Venom to team up. Harry Osborn was also killed off after mentally snapping and donning the Green Goblin suit for a final time. While saddened by Harry's death, Spider-Man did not brood for long, as Tom DeFalco saw this as a disservice to the character.

Th Avengers had an event known as the Kree-Shi'ar Wa(Operation: Desert Storm not existing to inspire Avengers: Galactic Storm). The X-Men had Executioner's Song with Jim Lee and Wilce Portacio and then other planned X-Men events. Peter David disliked the crossovers, comparing them to mandatory dental work, and was able to convince them the higher ups to cancel several planned events such as Fatal Attractions and the Phalanx Covenant. The Storylines were successful but were seen as transparent attempts to inflate the number of books. Taking the approach of Less is more, a big single event was planned in X-Men: Age of Apocalypse. In that story, Professor X's son travels back in time to kill Magneto but travels to a time when Xavier and Magneto were friends and Xavier takes the bullet for Magneto. This causes the assassin to disappear and Magneto to form the X-Men in memory of his late friend. Apocalypse rises up and takes over the world. The Status quo would be restored. The event was a critical and financial success, cementing the position of Bob Harras at the company.

At Valiant, things had changed, Shooter was back in Marvel but had passed ownership of the company to Jim Lee as Editor-in-Chief. Lee happened to be good friends with Steve Massarsky. Ironically their companies were fierce competitors, but a deal was made, speculated to have been planned by Shooter, but this is unlikely as Shooter would not trust Massarsky again. Todd McFarlane, taking too long on Spawn brought in veteran comic writers and legends in their own right to write the series instead. This included Alan Moore, Dave Sim(known for the series Cerebus the Aardvark, which crossed over with Spawn), Frank Miller(who crossed over his run with Batman), and Neil Gaiman. Each legend wrote one issue. Gaiman naturally wrote about what it was like to be Spawn and the Cosmic scope of the Universe and introduced two beloved Spawn characters, Angela and Cagliostro, as well as the idea that there had been many Spawn throughout history. McFarlane loved this as it expanded the franchise. Gaiman was happy because this meant that due to the way Valiant was run, all royalties would go to him. McFarlane had specifically enforced this as he had suffered with characters he created. McFarlane had drawn a scene of Marvel and DC characters in Hell, trapped because they couldn't enjoy the freedom that Spawn and his creator did. It would be hypocritical for McFarlane to not allow Gaiman to keep the rights to his characters, and yet that is exactly what McFarlane did.

McFarlane argued that Gaiman was a work for hire and that since he had drawn the characters, they belonged to him. The two sued each other and the likes of Lee and Shooter backed Gaiman on this. Since there was now bad blood between Gaiman and McFarlane, it was decided to let McFarlane go. Gaiman was seen as far more worth keeping on, having penned The Sandman, considered one of the greatest comics of all time. Gaiman didn't feel comfortable continuing the story of Spawn, so for awhile it would be tossed about, eventually landing in the lap of Mike Mignola(leading to a crossover with Hellboy). Gaiman at least had permission to write Cagliostro and Angela.

Image Comics Logo
Lee and Shooter had a plan to gather up all the looser companies, most of which had a problem with scheduling. It was discovered that Valiant saw story as the most important thing while most of the artists that split off to form their own companies saw Art as the most important element. Massarsky was a businessman. Lee was an artist, so they saw their craft as being the most important element. Massarsky wanted the sales Valiant had and Lee wanted to draw beloved Marvel characters. The two were curious about the thoughts other creators had and a meeting of the creators was called which included Liefeld due to his company being represented. A conversation with Rob Liefeld revealed that to him Story was an afterthought. McFarlane, present at the meeting is said to have mumbled under his breath that it was more like an afterbirth(or something that sounded like that when mumbled). Liefeld thought that he was being called an afterbirth and believed Shooter had made the comment(he was sitting beside McFarlane). Liefeld left the meeting and shortly after McFarlane was let go for his feud with Gaiman. It was no secret Liefeld and Shooter hated each other, but now McFarlane and Liefeld had both left once again. Malibu Comics was happy to have them. Shooter was finally convinced from this experience that there was no pleasing everyone and let them leave, making no effort to keep them onboard. The two returned to McFarlane's owned Malibu Comic Company, rebranding it to Image Comics.

Deathmate Prologue

Massarsky and Lee began to collaborate on potential crossovers behind Shooter's back. Lee also collaborated with McFarlane to create an event known as Deathmate. Valiant writers hated working with Image because they carefully ran the company while Image was still new and fresh. Lee was able to get Liefeld, Wilce Portacio and Mark Silvestre onboard with his storyline. The pitch involved The Valiant character Solar and the Wildstorm character Void engaging in a battle that accidentally merged both universes. Rather than numbers, the crossover was individual stories held to a single issue. Two for Valiant, Two for Image, one written by one writer, Lee would write one and reluctantly asked Shooter to have a hand in the writing process, being surprised when he said yes. Shooter would write the other volume of the crossover event. McFarlane and Liefeld each wrote one on the Image side. Bob Layton also did some writing when Liefeld fell behind. When it became evident that Liefeld couldn't finish his work on schedule, Layton went to Liefeld's house and stayed there, being overall rude to Liefeld and refusing to leave until Liefeld finished his work. Layton inked his project soon after in his hotel room. Liefeld was booted off the project but since McFarlane had no one to replace him with, the cracks in Image began to show and so it became a fully Valiant book, while released on time it showed the incompetence of Image and their chronic lateness, a recurring problem that would only get worse.

Among the books that executive order was provided to in order to finish was the 1963 Annual and 1963 #½ The 1963 annual was drawn by Jim Lee and pitted the Marvel Silver Age expies from his series against the more morally ambivalent characters from the Image partners. Moore also contributed to Youngblood: Judgment Day. Alan Moore reshaped the Youngblood universe to bring back the spirit of the Silver Age, such as turning Allies into a modern-day Justice League and Youngblood into an equivalent of Teen Titans. He also wrote the magical adventure with Glory and Maxi Mage. Moore also introduced a relationship between Suprema and Big Brother and introduced a stand in for Martian Manhunter(Thus butterflies away Promethea, which OTL involved the unused ideas). Alan Moore in particular, took a liking to the Superman Expy Supreme and requested he write a solo series for the character. Many expected he would turn it into a jaded and cynical take on Superheroes. Instead Moore wrote the character as a return to the Silver Age lighthearted and hopeful stories of Superman. A breath of fresh air. Alan Moore weaved a massive multiversal conclusion to the story. Moore's run was followed by Alex Ross, who went onto pen the storyline "Supreme: World War Infinity" a tribute to Crisis events.

A Popular Statue of Supreme and his Supreme Dog Radar.

Other Image series to be completed were Darker Image #1-4, Doom’s IV #2 and the “Doom’s IV Sourcebook”. During the "Images of Tomorrow" event, Bloodstrike and Brigade were given their full run to issue #25. Image also created licensed comics based on Power Rangers Zeo, which crossed over with Youngblood. Of course, one wonders if any of this was possible without what happened to Liefeld.

Stan Lee was campaigning as the face of Marvel, trying to, since the late 80's, get Marvel projects out there. A Daredevil Animated series and a live action Black Widow TV Series were the latest examples brought into the world thanks to his efforts. New World had sold Captain America and the Punisher to Cannon films, resulting in films. Still there was money to be made in expansion. Junk Bonds were introduced by the Marvel company. New World had begun to crank out films and that led to their collapse as it was clearly quantity over quality. Marvel also bought several sticker companies and began to eye Toybiz for buying out. All this to become something as big as Disney. Perlman would buy companies just to balance out the rest of the money he owed. One sticker company Panini, signed a deal with Disney to produce exclusive sticker books for them. A baseball strike occurred that was just barely resolved by the time of the World Series, which would have endangered Marvel's ownership of several Baseball card companies, namely Fleer, which was also bought.

There was just one problem, Valiant's success, Comics Crossovers selling extremely well, the sales of Actions Comics #1 for Millions of Dollars fueled the idea that novelty and gimmick covers were the way to go. Speculators bought them up. The problem was large amounts of Comics were not being sold. Comic companies did not want competition and so the two biggest Comic distribution Companies: Diamond and Capitol(who owned all the Comic Shops between them) shut the door on competition, preferring to keep the competition small. The number of Retailers got so big and many were in it for the money, threatening the entire industry. Demand for the products wanted began to fall and so the Gimmick was abandoned when it became clear what was causing this. Hit the hardest by this was Image, which could never meet the deadlines. Publishers cut down on the number of books.

The industry was hit quite hard and Marvel nearly collapsed. Marvel had been the chief force behind the cover gimmick and now it was about to nearly destroy the company. A phone system was set up when the industry began to collapse as a result of the Comic companies rapidly losing money. So many calls came in to the Marvel server that the computers and servers, kept in a room without ventilation, caught fire, burning almost the entire building down. Diamond, one of the chief Comic book store companies signed a deal with DC for exclusive distribution rights. Their rival Capitol, appealed towards the other companies Dark Horse, Image and Valiant and convinced them to sign exclusive rights to their books, helping to balance the industry. Perlman tried to buy another company that made Basketball cards and mixed it with Fleer, hoping to somehow balance out the mess. This didn't balance out the company and instead things got worse. Perlman announced Marvel Mart to sell exclusive Marvel merchandise but this threatened to worsen the crisis. It was Capitol who proposed a solution. They suggested that Capitol become the main distributor of Marvel just as Diamond did with DC. Capitol would willingly give up control of Valiant, Image and Dark Horse to Hero's World, a smaller distributor in the midwest, who could handle the smaller load compared to the big two. A full on monopoly would actually hurt business so a tense balance was achieved instead. It wasn't much and things were about to get so much worse. This was beginning of what is often erroneously called the Bronze Age Collapse.​

 

[Marco Incognito]

The DC Animated Universe

Poster for Batman: The Animated Series
​

Batman: The Animated Series was able to gain extraordinary talent behind it. Gaining Al Pacino as Two Face, and Christoper Lee returning to voice Ra's Al Ghul. Kevin Meaney served as a guest star. Characters that appeared in the series that did not OTL included the Creeper, Black Mask, Anarky, a genderbent version of Calendar Man, Gentleman Ghost, Bronze Tiger, Dr. Tzin-Tzin, Victor Zsasz and Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Gentleman Ghost appeared as the antagonist in "Zatanna(OTL it was meant to be but shot down, leading to the creation of the forgettable Montague Kane). Zsasz has his serial killer elements toned down. Other changes include the Joker kidnapping Jordan Hill in "Be a Clown". Man Bat kills people in "On Leather Wings". The ventriloquist making most of his money from fixing gambling and sporting events, having a base on a barge in "Read My Lips". "The Demon's Quest" had Ra's Al-Ghul kidnap Robin, and force Batman to help him steal a jeweled statue of Kali, leading Ra's's assassins to begin a crime spree, forcing Batman to try and outwit Ra's to stop them and save Robin, with the help of Talia Al-Ghul, who had other plans for him. In "Two-Face", Harvey Dent was disfigured when Batman chased a thug into the middle of the stakeout. Acid meant for Batman hit Harvey, turning him into Two-Face. Two-Face, after going on a crime spree, planned to lure Batman into a trap to make him pay for his failure. "Two-Face: Part 2" has an original title card rather than reusing the Part 1 version. "Christmas with the Joker" originally opened with killer toys made by the Joker appearing in stores days before Christmas. The hostages also had bombs strapped to their stockings. In "Nothing to Fear", Scarecrow uses his fear toxin to extort money from Gotham's elite, instead of trying to get revenge on the university. The episode "P.O.V." goes more into the backstory of the characters. Bullock was once a high school sports star with an abusive father who drilled respect for the rules into him, explaining his intense dislike of Batman, while Montoya grew up in Crime Alley and is a reformed teenage punk, who cleaned up her act and dedicated her life to helping people. As a result, writer/story editor Sean Catherine Derek did not leave the show(OTL she did leave when the censors cut the backstory). "The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy" involved someone stealing Batman's Cape and Cowl and impersonating him while committing crimes.

Robin is mentioned as being off in college, explaining his first season absence. Commissioner Gordon had a more in-depth backstory, being a good cop who worked his way through the ranks until being kicked upstairs by the crooked ex-mayor and his administrators, but made it clear he wouldn't kowtow to them by showing up for his first day as police commissioner in his patrolman's uniform to let them know he wasn't one of them. Gordon's wife from the comics, Sarah Essen, was also in the series.

Renee Montoya is a major character. She loses her husband to Gotham's criminals, shot and killed in the line of duty. She grew up in Crime Alley, so knew first hand what criminal lifestyles did to good people. She had mixed emotions about Batman, but found herself working with him often and he would become fond of her due to their similar pasts. The irony being that she hated Bruce Wayne and all he stood for, thinking he was everything wrong with the wealthy and that he was deaf to the problems the poor faced. She also was a volunteer at a Catholic church and had ambitions to have children of her own, as she loved kids. She was to secretly dreaded the day she might have to arrest Batman. Harvey Bullock was more of a rogue cop with methods not unlike Batman and arrogantly viewed his badge as a licence to break the law. Mayor Hill hated Batman for being out of his control by never took a firm stand on him due to fear of losing Pro-Batman Votes. He would grow to dislike Batman after Joker kidnapped his son as he believed that if Batman never existed, the Joker wouldn't as well. He was therefore friends with Bullock due to their dislike of Batman.

Ridder's backstory was closer to the Comics. Poison Ivy's backstory was more in-depth as well, detailing that as a child, plants in the greenhouse were her only friends and she was a somewhat homely wallflower, who matured into the beauty she is now known as, but the attention and attempted wooing of would-be boyfriends caused her to become even shyer. In retaliation, a gang of hoodlums surprised and attacked her in her greenhouse, accidentally setting it on fire, causing her to swear revenge. Hugo Strange is able to use his mind-altering devices to brainwash people into simple-minded brutes. An added story involved a team up with Ra's Al Ghul and Poison Ivy, made just before Batman Beyond started, Poison Ivy seducing Swamp Thing, an episode featuring Batman having a near death experience and meeting Morpheus and Death from The Sandman. Morpheus being voiced by John Hurt

Superman: The Animated Series
The original idea for the series was to feature teams ups with various Heroes. While this idea was shot down to prevent Superman from being overshadowed in his own show. Several Heroes would be introduced such as an Episode with Captain Marvel. The style of the show was similar to the 40's and 50's(complete with Jimmy Olsen wearing the comic accurate Green Suit and red bowtie). The retro aesthetic fit the series closer to Batman: The Animated Series and it kept the same art style. Among the episode level changes are: The Season Finale, "Apokolips...Now!" killed off Ma and Pa Kent(OTL Dan Turpin was killed instead). The climax of A Fish Story had Luthor set off an underwater explosion creates a massive tidal wave(Cut for being too expensive to animate, here the show got a bigger budget). "Little Girl Lost" is much darker, with humans being rounded up and sent to some very Nazi-esque camps to be turned into Parademons. Paul Dini and Bruce Timm were able to use Kara Zor-El as Supergirl.

Batman Beyond
After being pressured to add a Batgirl-like female hero to the series, Bruce Timm introduced Huntress, the daughter of Batman and Catwoman. Another offspring was introduced in the son of Superman and Lashina, who had been conceived through genetics during Superman's time under Darkseid's control. The son set his sights on Earth after having conquered Apokolips, leading to an all out battle against Batman and the Justice League with Superman struggling with the guilt of not having known his child. Terry became an item with Maxine after Dana broke up with him. Finally there was a second DVD Movie after Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, which included the return of Catwoman and concluded the Batman Beyond series(using plot elements from OTL's "Epilogue" episode of Justice League Unlimited). In the Comic Continuation featured the return of the Terrific Trio.

Another Series released at around this time was an Alex Ross and Paul Dini created a Shazam cartoon with Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, and Captain Marvel Jr. The style being a mix of C.C.Beck and the Powerpuff Girls. Bruce Timm had done a crossover with the Powerpuff Girls titled The Joker vs the Powerpuff Girls in which Mark Hamill's Joker visited Townsville, with the City weirdly enjoying his presence and he was such a high profile villain that he gave the Town more public attention.

Justice League
Justice League had been pitched since the 90's while Superman: The Animated Series was still in production but would not see release until 2001. The founding members of the Justice League were Batman, Superman(maintaining the Voice of Tim Daly), Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan, who had been introduced in the In Brightest Day... Episode of Superman the Animated Series, and Aquaman (who sported his Superman: TAS design instead of his hook-handed one from the '90s). Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Green Arrow and Black Canary were also planned, but it was decided to have the team match the original comic roster, leading to the addition of Martian Manhunter. Later seasons were expected to switch up the roster, introducing Hawkgirl and John Stewart to the team. Later on in 2003, a Teen Titans series was introduced with the line-up being Kid Flash(Wally West, as the Flash on the Justice League was confirmed to be Barry Allen), Aqualad, Donna Troy, Speedy, and Robin (an older Tim Drake). Later additions to the team included Static Shock(Following the tease in a crossover episode with Batman: The Animated Series where Batman said Robin was with the Titans and that Static would meet them some day). Other members included Cyborg, Starfire, Raven and Beast Boy(OTL this version of Teen Titans is by the DCAU cast, meaning it is much closer in quality to Justice League). There would be frequent crossovers between the two.

The Justice Society appeared in "Legends" as living on an alternate universe known as Earth 2. Another alternate Universe League was introduced in Justice League: Worlds Collide, which changed the Crime Syndicate to the Justice Lords and helped to bridge the gap between Justice League and the later seasons rebranded as Justice League: Unlimited. This included the Justice League expanding its roster to counter their alternate selves, Wonder Woman gaining an invisible Jet, and the Second Watchtower being built.

The Birds of Prey starred in an episode of Justice League Unlimited. In a semi-retelling of the origin of Oracle, in which Batgirl was hospitalized in an episode and, unable to finish the mission she was on when she was injured, she contacted Huntress and Black Canary to help her finish the job while supervising them over their radios(this replaces the OTL Episode "Double Date"). In season 3 a more faithful adaptation of the Legion of Doom appeared, meaning Riddler and Scarecrow were featured as members.

There was a Joker cameo in "This Little Piggy" for a brief moment of comic relief. After Diana had been turned into a pig, Batman was walking down the street with her and would pass the Joker preparing to commit a crime with his gang. The Joker, in the middle of preparing a heist and laying out his convoluted plan to deal with Batman, would see Batman holding and consoling a pig and stared at it in Dull Surprise, then threw his hands in the air and abandoned the entire scheme because he couldn't possibly top that.

Another extra scene is added of Amazo wondering if it was safe to return to Earth in the last episode. A Comedic Episode exists by Stan Berkowitz and Dwayne McDuffie called "Misfortune Cookies" based heavily on the Justice League International comics. The story centered on Martian Manhunter's addiction to Oreos...er, Chocos almost ruining a peace negotiation between two warring alien races, which forces Elongated Man to play the mediator instead. It's considered the JLU's equivalent to "The Trouble with Tribbles". Gail Simone also wrote an episode after "Birds of Prey" featuring the Queen of Fables as the villain. Superman/Clark revealed his identity to Lois at the end of "Divided We Fall". The Show was given another season of twelve episodes, revealing Darkseid and Luthor were merged with the Source Wall. Luthor was freed and revived Brainiac. The Key was featured as a villain and there was more of a focus on time travel(such as meeting Enemy Ave during World War I and the Atomic Knights and Kamandi in a post apocalyptic setting) and travelling the galaxy. The series bridged the gap, showing how the DCAU becomes the world of Batman Beyond. This included the depiction of an event in the lore of Batman Beyond known as the Near Apocalypse of '09. There was a continued format on a Day in the Limelight for various members. Justice League would be followed up by a Legion of Superheroes series.

Four of the DCAU Teen Titans(Art by AMTModollas).​

 

[Marco Incognito]

Sonic the Comic(1993-2002)
UK Based Comic company Fleetway created their own Sonic series. Among the changes were the character of Johnny having a crush on Amy. Amy is a crabby playful girl bruiser who teased Sonic frequently. The Shanazar Arc had the writers Nigel Kitching and Lew Stringer alternate writing duties. Shanazar was revealed to be Mobius in the past. Knuckles is present in the story. The arc also used the redesign of Robotnik as he was transformed into Kintober while on Shanazar. The redesign being close to Sonic Adventure 2. Lew Stringer introduced Agent X as Johnny. The one shot characters Hobson and Choy also joined the freedom Fighters. The Kintober computer is a father figure to Sonic he fights against. The series continued on for a bit longer than OTL, seeing several planned ideas implemented. This butterflies away the STC-Online Fan Comic as the ideas used there are shown, such as an aquatic race introduced by Richard Elson.

A taste of Fleetway's British Sonic. Still cocky but comes off as a bit more polite(OTL Fleetway Sonic was a total jerkass).

Archie Comics(1992-2016)

Issue 13

Archie Comics Sonic began life as a harmless, largely for children, series, but began to enter more complicated storylines as it went on. However the comic also adapted elements from the then current games, introducing Knuckles in Issue 13. There was even an issue in which Robotnik was the main character titled "A Day in the Life of Robotnik". The comic borrowed heavily from Sonic Sat AM, but came with an unexpected element of Permanent death. When someone died in the Comics. They remained dead. Technically Knuckles, Sally and Dr.Robotnik were among those who met their demise. All three in the storyline Endgame, the conclusion to the original series. Sally was seemingly killed by Sonic intentionally cutting her rope while on a mission. Sonic was put on trial for the murder.

The true murderer was later revealed to be Metal Sonic, who's more normal looking facade melted away. Knuckles robotocized himself to fight Metal Sonic, leaving him permanently stuck in that robotic state. Finally Eggman was defeated and killed in an explosion Sonic barely managed to outrun. With Eggman defeated, the rest of the series involved restoring the damage done. The Series was rebooted with Sonic, Knuckles was restored to life and an alternate universe version of Eggman entered the world of the Archie Comics, serving to parallel the modern stories.Sonic was also now older to justify his new appearance based upon the more recent games as were characters like Amy thanks to the Time Skip.

Several crossovers with characters like Savage Dragon, Archie's Mario and Megaman series ensued. The Image Crossover featured the villain Dr.Ian Droid, who had previously battled Knuckles in his own series. This was when Ken Penders came onto the scene. Ken enjoyed a great deal of freedom, creating the Source of All, which Penders revealed to be an AI made out of a pool of nanotechnology, from either the past or the future, that was so advanced as to be indistinguishable from magic. Penders was kept restrained in his insanity by Karl Bollers. Bollers wrote the relationship between Antione and Bunnie, with Antione becoming a darker character, which Penders used to reveal that this was the evil Antione from the Comic's previously introduced mirror universe, the previously established spar having been covered with an eyepatch while he had made up a lie about how he got the scar.

Karl had Sonic in a love triangle with Amy and Fiona, the Iron Queen brainwashed Knuckles with her magic to gain control of a giant Master Emerald, Bunnie's real name was revealed to be Scarlette O'Hare, Antoine was manipulated by the Source. Snively donned a robotic battlesuit and called himself Skarkus as a rival to Eggman, who was terrified of Shadow killing him after receiving a vision. Nicole and A.D.A.M. fell in love. Sonic and the former Freedom Fighters became ambassadors to the Overlander society and Station Square. There was also a Girls' Night Out Episode with Mina, Amy, Nic, and Rouge, Bunnie and Antoine getting engaged in issue 175 and marrying in issue 200.

Karl Bollers wrote a story arc where Knuckles and Monkey Khan get brainwashed by the Iron Queen and Eggman respectfully, leading to a three way battle between the Queen, Eggman and Mammoth Mogul over a power source equal to the Master Emerald. Snively switched sides and fought with a powered armor, allying with Shadow as Eggman had a vision Shadow would kill him. Snively also gained the Source of All return, being controlled by Ixis Naugus. Snively would die a hero, which rattled Sonic and his friends considerably.Issue 200 also featured a time jump known as "Mobius: X Years Later" giving a glimpse into the future of the characters. Bunnie even received a three issue series starring her Tails and Knuckles. Penders left the series and was replaced with Ian Flynn. Karl had Sonic date Amy Rose. However, Fiona Fox would end up developing feelings for Sonic and the two would become rivals for his affections.

In Flynn's run, Robotnik was having difficulty with an unknown person referred to as "Anonymous" which was competent at repairing robots and as tall as Robotnik, later revealed to be the original Robotnik. The end of "The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown" arc revealed that Ivan Kintobor, an ancestor of Robotnik and creator of Shadow, had survived as a Human Popsicle and he returned as a major antagonist. Other new antagonists were from the pre established Mirror Universe, including an evil version of Silver named Tarnish.

Penders successor on the book, Ian Flynn, had E-123 Omega kill Tommy Turtle. This led up to the storyline "Endangered Species" which featured a Mêlée à Trois between the Dark Egg Legion, Thrash the Devil and Team Fighters for the fate of the Echidna species. One of the covers had Julie-Su and Amy Rose back to back and the third part having Lien-Da whip binding Sonic. Notably the arc had a happy ending, with the Death Egg II attempting to invade Avalon being defeated. Penders granted Sega permission to use his characters and no problems arose during the Worlds Collide crossover with Megaman in Issue 250. The crossover featured Eggman and Wily meeting and teaming up, leading to the two heroes battling roboticized versions of the Sonic Cast and some fusions such as Chaos Devil(a fusion of Chaos and Yellow Devil), and Metal Bass, a fusion of Metal Sonic and Bass. The character of Nicole 7000 was introduced shortly after the event due to an AI needed to mantain the level of technology left over from the Megaman universe in Sonic's universe. After the crossover "Shadow Fall", the first storyline involving Team Dark, featured Black Doom and Mephiles as the antagonists.

Cortez

Null
Flynn continued writing up to issue 300, this resulted in the apparent death of Antione in Metal Sonic's explosion, though fan favoritism led to his survival being revealed with the same occurring to Hershey the Cat. Flynn was also tasked with rebooting the Universe as the rights prepared to go to IDW instead of Archie and used this to write a conclusion to Sonic Underground, which was included in the event Sonic Universe which crossed over many versions of the character as the series was rebooted to avoid a Ken Penders Lawsuit. Included in the work as well was a retelling of SegaSonic the Hedgehog and an adaptation of Sonic Lost World. The 300th Issue introduced the Metal Virus. A replacement for the Roboticizer, the Metal Virus was a Zombie plague spreading across the Sonic Multiverse(inspired by the success of Afterlife with Archie, another Archie Comics Zombie story). The two non Metal Virus enemies and main antagonists of the event were Cortez and Null. A newly introduced character(due to a mandate to sell toys) was an alternate version of Sonic known as Clear Blue Sonic, which was among the victims of the Metal Virus. The Metal Virus while seemingly destroyed and most of its victims restored to normal with the crossover showing several alternate realities and versions of Sonic from across his history being roboticized. IDW would use the Metal Virus in the comic event Infestation.​

 

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Codename: Sailor V(1992-1997)
Based on the 1991 Manga by Naoko Takeuchi, which ran from 1991 to 1997, concurrently with the Anime adaptation.

Season One(1992-1993)
The series follows the 13 year old middle school student Minako Aino, who encounters a talking white cat with a crescent moon shape on its forehead. The Cat reveals that Minako has the ability to transform into a warrior of justice dubbed Sailor V, who is a defender from the planet Venus. She is given a crescent moon shaped compact disc and magical pen to transform. The transformation makes her unrecognizable though just about anyone perceives her as beautiful. She battled the Dark Agency. An evil organization posing as an Idol talent agency, led by the villain Danburite, who is secretly her boyfriend. Minako has several adventures, including becoming popular in universe when she appears on TV, bringing her closer to the Idol Agency cover. She also discovers that there are other Guardians from other planets that have yet to be awoken on Earth and goes out to search for them[1]

The Other Guardians included the Cyborg Ami Mizuno(Sailor Mercury), hotheaded Miyabi Yoruno(Sailor Mars), tomboyish gang leader Mamoru Chino(Sailor Jupiter) and the ditzy Usagi Tsukino(Sailor Moon)[2]. Sailor Moon became the most popular of these new characters. Her popularity was such that she was made the Mascot for Japan’s Lunar program, a role similar to how Snoopy is the Mascot for NASA’s Apollo mission. Her image was often painted on the Spacecrafts. Ami Mizuno was also popular to the extent where she basically replaced the “SurReigate” due to her similarities in design to the character of Rei while remaining unique in her own right to the extent that she became more popular. A common legend is the other Sailor Scouts are based on the members of CLAMP.

The new villain became Queen Beryl of the Dark Kingdom. It is revealed that she was responsible for killing the Sailor Guardians in a previous life, destroying the Silver Millennium Empire which spanned the Solar System, leading to the Sailor Guardians being reincarnated and now seeks to revive Queen Metaria, who was imprisoned by Tsukino’s mother. In the ruins of the Moon Kingdom they found “Diana the Moon Fairy” who became a sidekick to the team. They track down the base of the Dark Kingdom to stop Queen Beryl from reviving Queen Metaria. In a final battle, all the Sailor guardians are killed except for Usagi and Minako, who also die but succeed in killing Queen Beryl and destroying Queen Metaria. The series ends with the reveal that Usagi was able to use magic to wish everyone would be reincarnated, which they are shown to have been in the epilogue, this time with their memories, As a result they return to Space and begin rebuilding the Silver Millennium including Usagi being crowned as Queen Serenity.

Season Two(1993-1994)
Season Two, adapting another arc, introduces Chibiusa, later revealed to the daughter of Usagi and her love interest Mamoru, the vigilante Tuxedo Mask[3]. Chibiusa tries to travel back in time to prevent the Death of the Guardians at the end of the first season as if they survived they would be strong enough to defeat the Black Moon Clan, which in her native time killed most of the Guardians while they were still recovering. The Guardians are warned by Sailor Pluto, who is in charge of time and was apparently exiled(possibly a jab at Pluto no longer being considered a planet) about Chibiusa but obscure her intentions as “Preventing your resurrection”(which is technically true). As a result, in the confusion, the Guardians end up preventing their own resurrection in the confusion. This leads into the first of two crossovers this season. The first was with YuYu-Ki, thanks to Yoshihiro Togashi being the husband to Naoko Takeuchi, both marrying in 1992 the same year YuYu-Ki[4] and Codename: Sailor V came out. Yusuke and friends helps the Sailor Senshi travel through the spirit world and battle Queen Metaria and Queen Beryl to secure their own reincarnations. This established the two as sharing a universe. Thanks to this connection, strings were occasionally pulled to Get Sailor V characters into Shonen media such as cameos, Video Games as guest characters, and even in 1999’s Jump World II, though these appearances are few and far between as Shonen has to pay royalties each time. Their Appearance in Jump World II was accepted because the series was deemed “An icon of 90’s Anime” which warranted inclusion in an event celebrating the decade.

Clip from the Codename Sailor V/YuYu-Ki Crossover(Actually fanart from user tam0804).

Though the Sailor Senshi are still reincarnated, they still have to contend with the Black Moon Clan. Chibiusa, meanwhile succeeded and created an alternate future where the Senshi never died and trained to become stronger for the battle only to all be killed by the Black Moon Clan. While this breaks Chibiusa, mentally. The Sailor Senshi then learn there may be other warriors out there, which results in a crossover with Rintaro of the Galaxy by Masami Kurumada[5], as the warriors are revealed to be “The Saints” interstellar former warriors of the Silver Millennium. Unlike the Senshi they are usually male and are named after constellations. These warriors then helped face off against the army of the Black Moon Clan while the Sailor Senshi deliver the final blow.

Season Three(1994-1995)
Season Three introduces the Death Busters as the new villains who summon Monsters to attack the Sailor Scouts. They are searching for a dormant being called Mistress 9, who is revealed to be trapped in the body of a young girl named Hotaru that Chibiusa befriends. Mistress 9 is revived and attempts to revive her even stronger husband Pharaoh 90. The arc also introduces Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, who are in a gay relationship(something which was unchanged in dubs, despite some moves to censor it). The threat is ended and Chibiusa decides to stay in the past a bit longer.

Season Four(1995-1996)
The next antagonist is the Dead Moon Circus, which are capable of entering and consuming dreams. Their plot is to release their arrogant leader Queen Nehelenia, who was sealed in a mirror.

Season Five(1996-1997)
The Finale, Sailor Galaxia revives several previously dead enemies from the previous seasons. The Sailor Scouts meanwhile had drifted apart, moving to other countries and in Chibiusa’s case returning to their own time. They are called back together to deal with the villains forming their new team. In the resulting battle, known as the Sailor Wars, many are killed. Sailor Galaxia’s origin is revealed to have once been a hero but was corrupted by the entity Chaos in an attempt to stop the corruption from spreading. Despite wishes for Sailor Venus to just kill Galaxia, she instead finds a way to destroy the evil, those reforming Galaxia, who proves powerful enough to undo the deaths. The series therefore ends peacefully with the world celebrating, and a jump forward to Chibiusa’s time.

Dubs
The Series has two US dubs due to a bidding war at the time as it was extremely popular in the US. Saban Entertainment attempted to get the rights but failed to win over Toei with their pitch. Disney got the rights and released the series as close as possible to the original (despite getting backlash from several parents whose children were traumatized by the violent deaths of the Sailor Senshi at the end of the first season in a watershed moment for children's programming, and some complaints about Sailors Uranus and Neptune being lesbians). Saban however, refused to back down and created their own blatant ripoff in the infamous “Sailor Moon” often nicknamed “Saban Moon” by fans, which only had one season in 1994 and was hit by a cease and desist by Disney, who believed it sullied the original show[6]. Another reason was Disney was considering making a Live Action Codename Sailor V film and looking for Geena Davis to play Queen Beryl and possibly with the likes of Winona Ryder and Elizabeth Shue playing the Senshi[7].

"Saban" Moon

Another bidder, Cartoon Network, after losing the rights, approved a pitch from Lauren Faust titled Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls, on account of the similar concept of having girls personifying planets[8], which became a cash cow franchise thanks to the toys based on the series proving to be popular.

The Characters of "Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls"

NOTES

[1] Like with Dragonboy this is a case of what if the Prototype was greenlit for a Show. In this case however, Codename: Sailor V works as a prequel to Sailor Moon pretty smoothly as the exploits of Sailor Venus before she met Sailor Moon.

[2] Changes to the Scouts beyond their less uniform outfits include Ami being a cyborg as planned, which according to TV Tropes, The Rei Ayanami Expy would have been the Sailor Mercury expy. Makoto is Mamoru instead. Rei is Miyabi(justified if Alcion has already popularized a "Rei").

[3]DragonMan also used this plot but the connection is somewhat reversed. OTL Dragonball the time traveller is the child of two supporting characters and in Sailor Moon it is the child of the protagonist and their love interest. ITTL DragonMan has the child of the protagonist and their love interest travel back while Sailor V has the child of two supporting characters travel back.

Sailor Moon: Everything's great until your child from the future comes back and ruins your plans.

Vegeta: I know the feeling.

-Ask an Anime Character Panel, OTL. Paraphrased.

[4] YuYu-Ki was the original title for YuYu Hakusho but an obscure manga had a similar name in Chin-Yu-Ki. It changed to YuYu Hakusho, which means Poltergeist Report while YuYu-Ki means Poltergeist Chronicles. Characters from both franchises had cameo'd in each other due to the two creators being married.

[5] Saint Seiya was originally conceived by its creator as a Karate Kid style series. As a result his next work Rintaro of the Galaxy, will be the closer equivalent to Saint Seiya and the Space theme allowed it to merge with Codename: Sailor V. I originally has Sailor Moon's creator and Saint Seiya's creator get together, resulting in a hybrid franchise of both, but Seiya creator Masami Kurumada is more than a decade older than Sailor Moon's creator Naoko Takeuchi, who is only one year older than her OTL Husband so that was dropped but the franchises are still similar enough to crossover.

[6] The Infamous DiC dub doesn't exist ITTL but this "Saban Moon" takes its place and is even worse.

[7] An OTL plan. It fell through as Disney hoped to get the Director who made the live action Mr.Magoo movie to direct it, then that flopped hard and DiC pulled out of the deal.

[8]Originally conceived by Lauren Faust, who pitched it but was rejected several times due to companies believing "Animation wasn't for Girls." despite several shows to the contrary including The Powerpuff Girls. She ended up making My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic as a result of this idea not coming into existence. Here it's pitched earlier due to the Catch 22 of the series would likely be seen as a Sailor Moon ripoff in a world where that show's equivalent was more successful, so here its leaned into and finds its own identity. It also helps cushion the fact that ITTL The Powerpuff Girls equivalent is The Whoopass Girls, who lean more towards older audiences, leading Galaxy Girls to somewhat fill that void.​

 

[Marco Incognito]

1992 in Anime
FILM

Compilation Movies:
Candy Candy

Doraemon: Nobita and the Kingdom in the Clouds(1992)
An old man is living on an island with his son and grandson, A talking Spaceship tries to convince him to leave with his family. A Flood occurs at night and destroys the land. In the present, Nobita wonders about Heaven and if a Kingdom in the Clouds could exist. Doraemon helps Nobita build one with robots to emulate the citizens and they build a castle with their friends. Nobita is even crowned King and the group spends more and more time there. They are attacked by Sky Pirates(the presence of which confuses them, especially as they act like traditional Pirates), though the pirates are defeated and retreat.

Then they hear the news that locations from Earth are being taken by what appears to be sentient clouds. The Cloud Kingdom crashes onto a mountain where the find the young boy from the first scene unconscious but on the back of a turtle like creature called a Cryptodon and heal him. Doraemon looks the creature dup and finds its supposed to be extinct. They Cloud Kingdom is approached by an ever bigger cloud and enters into it, finding a mysterious land led by Parupari, who explains that they’ve been taking lands with animals to prevent their extinction and have invited anyone who wished to escape Earth the chance to do so. Mistaking them as hostile, Nobita and friends run but Doraemon is struck by lightning trying to escape and is damaged and they are recaptured.

Nobita and friends are shown the history of the Kingdom by Paruparu and discover they plan to carry out a Flood like in Noah’s Ark to cleanse the world. The Unconscious boy they helped, revealed to be named Tagaro, offers to help them gain control of the Kingdom, having been a former citizen of the Kingdom when his grandfather left it to return to Earth, but grew up with stories about it and how to destroy the Kingdom. The boy helps them escape as his grandfather’s ring allows the Kingdom’s technology to recognize him as a citizen. Paruparu demonstrates his power by flooding the entire city. Nobita’s mother, with quick thinking, turned Doraemon’s anywhere door into a portal brought it out to the street, where at least some of the water entered into it, acting as a drain and helping it to recede. Though it’s implied that water may have been transported to the time of the original flood. A now fixed Doraemon reveals the presence of a cannon powerful enough to destroy any cloud but insists he intends the threat of using it to be enough to get Paruparu to back down. Unfortunately in their absence the Sky Pirates are revealed to have taken over Nobita’s Cloud Kingdom and fully intend to use the Cannon. Nobita’s group escapes and runs back to Paruparu’s Sky Kingdom to warn them. Paruparu protests out of a sense of not believing them and that they could handle the threat but is overruled as the Sky Pirates appear with their cannon, triggering a massive evacuation to Earth of the citizens while the Sky People are engages the Sky Pirates in battle. The Cannon is fired but only after all the people and the animals preserved were evacuated, leading them to be forced to resign on Earth. The battle causes the Cannon to be turned around and destroy Nobita’s Cloud Kingdom, meaning the entire thing collapses. The leader of the Sky Pirates is killed when the Cannon turns around and fires directly into his face, with the other Sky Pirates seemingly falling to their deaths or retreating. The rest of the now destroyed cloud Kingdom reunite on Earth and talk about how whether they like it or not, they now have a second chance on Earth and humanity must take care of the previously extinct animals.

Rokudenashi Blues(1992)
Based on the manga by Masanori Morita that ran from 1988 to 1997. It follows delinquent high school student Taison Maeda, who wishes to become the world boxing champion.

The Weathering Continent(1992)
Based on the fantasy light novel by Mutsumi Inomata that ran from 1990 to 2006. The series follows three travelers, the sorcerer Tieh, the warrior Bois, and the young Lakshi as they journey through the shattered wasteland of Atlantis. It was adapted by M.T. or Minus Tatsunoko and directed by Koichi Mashimo. Reviews outside of Japan were disappointed with it, calling it “A bunch of mopey kids walking around and talking a little faster than the diffusion of molasses through a granite wall.”

Monster(Live Action Film)(1992)
A Live Action adaptation of the Naomi Urasawa Manga. This was directorial debut of Korean Director Park-Chan Wook. Since the Manga was still ongoing, ending the following year in 1993, Park-Chan Wook invented his own ending which in turn influenced the finale to the Manga. The Film shifted the nationality of the protagonist from Japanese to Korean as well as moving the setting from East and West Germany to North and South Korea. Many have commented that this change helped the film in the long run as many Koreans emphasized with the then ongoing second Korean War(which the film was shot around, endangering the cast and crew several times). It also gave a more personal stake to the conflict. The protagonist was a Doctor trying to help North Korean soldiers who were so brainwashed they tried to kill her in one of the film’s most famous scenes. Like in the Manga she unknowingly saves the life of a serial killer and vows to kill him to atone for being inadvertently responsible for his future victims. The Film leans heavy into the frustration that due to the serial killer being loose in North Korea, the Government refuses to even acknowledge he exists, claiming that in their perfect society, a Serial Killer is an impossibility, even as he murders high ranking government officials and even the Supreme Leader. One of the Film’s most haunting scenes is the “Hallway Massacre” in which the Killer is attacked by a group of terrified men which he brutally murders in a single long cut, displaying just how dangerous he really is[1]

Monster, ITTL contains a similar famous scene to this scene from Oldboy, but reverses it. The Protagonist here is instead the serial killer antagonist and the men attacking him good people trying to stop his rampage. He also murders the men sadistically.

The Film was an immense success and pushed Park-Chan Wook to fame. It is often credited with starting a resurgence in attempts at Live Action Anime Adaptations. It was also a success in America, possibly due to similarities to the then Recent Silence of the Lambs, though calling it Korean Silence of the Lambs is sure to enrage its fans.

Tottoi(1992)
An Adaptation of an Italian Novel by Gianni Padoan dubbed into English by Celebrity Home Entertainment in 1993. The film follows a bot named Antonio nicknamed “Tottoi”, who’s father moves him to Sardinia after his mother’s death and where his father grew up. His adventure begins when he sees a Monk Seal, a though extinct species and sets out to find it.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Golden Wings(1992)
Released on Home Video and then in Cinema. It is a sequel to the 1989 Legend of the Galactic Heroes series.

Alcion II(1992)
The Sequel to 1990’s Alcion by Hideaki Anno and once more produced by King Records. Rei Ichijo returns. The film introduces two new Mecha pilots, Mari Makinami, who flirts with Shinji, making him uncomfortable and the Headstrong Asuka. These pilots are clearly intended by Gendo to replace Rei and Shinji due to them disobeying orders. Rei tries to patch up things with Gendo unsuccessfully. Asuka also realizes that Rea and Shinji love each other but neither of them realize this themselves. Asuka’s EVA malfunctions due to Apostolo control and needs to be taken down. Rei refuses to kill Asuka during the fight, leading Gendo to take manual control and seemingly kill Asuka, though she’s only put into a Coma. Another Angel attack proves more devastating and Shinji is seemingly absorbed into the creature, leading to Rei entering it to save him. Both struggle at first before accepting they and the world will likely die only to be rescued by a Sea weapon fired by a recovered Asuka, who pulls them both out, stopping the apocalypse[2].

Aoki Uru(Uru in Blue)(1992)
A Sequel to 1987’s Royal Space Force directed by Yohiyuki Sadamoto. Originally conceived with Hideaki Anno in mind to direct before his departure. The film follows first film protagonist Shirotsugh Lhadatt, who five years after has been living a broken life as the war has caused all thoughts of space to be abandoned( a parallel to Japan’s real life space program in the face of the war in China. With nowhere else to go he decided to take up one final trip into space with a supersonic jet, which Is allowed to take place due to the potential in warfare. The Jet ends up transporting him through time 50 years after the events of the first film, when it was intended to transport him to the Alpha Centauri System. He finds new purpose in this changed world when he discovers that a princess of the royal family has been kidnapped and with nothing left in his old life, decides to become a metaphorical night and rescue her.

The role of guiding Animators was assigned to Satoshi Kon with backgrounds by Hiroyuki Kitakubo(known for Roujin Z). Work began before the script was completed. There was a falling out with Toshio Okada, a Studio Daicon member who wished for Studio Daicon to leave Anime and make PC games. Okada eventually left production. The series later had a Playstation Tie in Game, likely a remnant of Okada’s plan to make the sequel a Video Game[3].

Alcion II and Aoki Uru clashed at the Box Office. Alcion I has been hampered by Akira II’s release. Now it was its turn and in a one on one fight between Anno’s former friends and studio, Alcion II trounced Aoki Uru at the Box Office. Many sight the belied that the film would have been better if Anno had been involved but also the 5 years between Royal Space Force and its sequel.

Tokyo Babylon(1992-1993)
Based on the manga created by the group CLAMP that ran from 1990 to 1993. The series follows Subaru Sumeragi. The head of the Sumeragi clan, and his sister Hokuto as they protect Tokyo from supernatural threats. They are joined by a 25 year old Veterinarian named Seishiro Sakurazuka, who is in love with Subaru. His true nature is hinted at. He is revealed to belong to a rival clan of assassins called the Sakurazukamori. He made a bet to himself if he could spend a year with him and either fall in love with hi, or kill him. He then tries ti kill Subaru and tortures him first, before killing his sister Hokuto. Subaru survives and vows to avenge his sister. A Live Action film adapted this story with a sequel the following year resolving the plot[ The manga and story proved popular in the US due to Diamond Comics distributing it there.

TV SHOWS

Genki Bakuhatsu Ganbaruger(1992-1993)
The Second in the Eldran Franchise which began with Matchless Raijin-Oh. It was funded by Tony and produced by Sunrise. Aimed at kids, the heroes of the series must now face off against the accidentally released Gokuark, the great Demon King of the Demon World. Eldran grants them new mochas and new suits to combat this threat.

Crayon Shin-chan(1992-)
Based on the Manga that began in 1990 by Yoshito Usui. The series follows five year old Shinnosuke “Shin” Nohura and his daily life[5].

Aah! Harimanada(1992)
Based on the Manga that ran from 1991 to 1996. The Series follows a masked Sumo Wrestler who enters the ring and declares he will break Futabayama Sadaji’s record of 69 wins no losses and if he fails he will retire on the spot. This earns him a challenge from the entire Sumo world as he gets closer and closer to his goal.

Yadamon(1992-1993)
A 10 minute series by Group TAC about a fairy creature banished to the human world after causing havoc to be taught a lesson. This world is slightly more advanced and extinct races are being recreated on the island Yadamon appears on.

Hime-Chan’s Ribbon(1992-1993)
Based on the manga by Megumi Mizusawa that ran from 1990 to 1994. Hime-chan is a childlike but boasty 13 year old girl, who is approached by Princess Erika, the princess of a Magical Kingdom from a universe where everyone has an identical counterpart. Wanting to be a proper lady, Hime-Chan is given the power to disguise herself as anyone for one hour but if she doesn’t say the incantation to change back before then she will be stuck in that form permanently. Telling anyone will result in the powers being taken away.

YuYu-Ki(Poltergeist Chronicles)(1992-1993)
Based on the Manga by Yoshihiro Togashi, which ran from 1990 to 1993. The series shifted from occult detective to martial arts genre intentionally. Togashi was known to have pushed himself during the process, even creating a schedule allowing him to not over exert himself. His wife Takeuchi, allegedly helped out. The Editors in this case did not push him and encouraged him to take his time, when needed though they later asked him to reconsider the cancellation. He was not involved in the Anime. Togasi clashed a bit and nearly changed the title due to another work having a similar name, but Shonen procured the legal rights for him to keep the title as it was.

In the series, 14 year old delinquent Yusuke Urameshi dies saving a young boy from a car. This selfless act being uncharacteristic for him, means he is informed there is not yet a determined place in Heaven or Hell for him. He is offered a chance to return to his body after a series of tests, and becomes an underworld detective, tasked with investigating supernatural activity. He is granted new abilities to fire energy, usually by making a finger gun. He meets and befriends three demons named Hiei, Kurama and Goki. In search of the. Martial arts master Genki, Yusuke and his rival Kuwabara take part in a tournament, which is revealed to be a trap for Rando, a Demon, to steal the abilities of all the fighters. He is then sent with Kuwabara and the reformed Jiei and Kurama to the Demon World to fight the four beasts to prevent them from lifting the barrier keeping them from the human world.

Yusuke meets Toguro, a human turned demon, who invites him to compete in the Dark Tournament, where humans and Demons compete to have one wish granted. Team Urameshi is formed consisting of Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei, and Genkai in disguise. Team Yusuke faces off against Toguro and discover the tournament was a plot by Team Toguro’s owner Sankyo to let Demons through to the Human World. Sankyo kills himself when he destroys the tournament arena.

Yusuke learns from Genkai that Yusuke’s predecessor as Underworld Detective, Shinobu Sensui, is attempting to finish Sankyo’s plan of opening a portal to the Demon World. Yusuke’s team fights each of Sensui’s followers. In a final battle, Sensui kills Yusuke, but his spirit is sent to the Demon World, revealing his father to be a Demon, who partly possesses his own son to battle Sensui. The Demonically empowered Yusuke succeeds in killing Sensui, but now that his Demon status has been revealed he is stripped of his Detective position out of fear he’d go wild in the human world and is banished to Demon World. When his father dies, and appoints him his successor. Yusuke as King of the Demons negotiates peace between the Demon World and Mortal World[6]

YuYu-Ki was brought over by AnimEigo before Funimation would do the same. It was dubbed by Coastal Carolina Studios, which still dubs Anime to this day, due to the series being a mainstream hit. In addition, Media Blasters dubbed the first movie (which has since been redubbed by Funimation).

I Dream of Jeanie(1992-1993)
When Tatsunoko’s collapse scattered its characters to the four winds. One of them, the 1969 animated series, The Genie Family ended up in an odd place. Hannah Barbera had previously held the rights to the 1960’s Sitcom I Dream of Jeanie and chose to create a new animated series merging the world of I Dream of Jeanie and The Genie Family, making the titular character and several other characters from the former show related to those of the latter to better merge the worlds na provide more hijinks with a large cast. The Genie Family even becomes homeless and is forced to move in with Jeanie(A nod to Tatsunoko's collapse). The “Human World” setting was moved to Japan to capitalize on the “New Space Race” attitude of the time, just as the original I Dream of Jeanie was made during that time as well. This also allowed the inclusion of a socially awkward Japanese love interest into the cast with a crush on Jeanie named Tenchi Masaki. Introducing said character was the idea of writers Masaki Kajishima and Hiromi Hayashi, who’s added humor helped the series become more popular than it would normally have been. Online Jokes emerged for some time about "I Dream of Jeanie" being the best Anime, alluding to the originally 60's show rather than the 1990's version[7].

Mikan Enikki(1992-1993)
Based on the manga that ran from 1988 to 1995. It follows Tom, an orange cat who is adopted by the Kusanagi family, and named Mikan after his owner dies. He soon finds he can speak and walk like a human and while the family is shocked at first they come to accept him. The Manga was a mix of slice of life stories and plots involving transportation to magical worlds. While the TV series kept the same premise, its plots were entirely original. The manga overall was long and introspective while the anime was short, eventful and suspenseful.

Cooking Papa(1992-1995)
Based on the Manga that began in 1985 and is still ongoing. The story follows a father who loves to cook and does so for his family(It is considered women’s work, but he enjoys doing it, and the mother is a hardworking reporter). The series includes a recipe on the food that is cooked in each story, and the series is well known for the appetizing detail it depicts the food displayed. The Manga eventually spawned a popular series of games[8].

Flower Witch Mary Bell(1992-1993)
A magical girl series by Ashi Productions. Two children, Yuuri and Ken, grow up believing a fairy tale about a sprite who appears to help people. When their parent’s flower shop is at risk of closing down, they decide to pray to Mary Bell and are surprised when she actually appears to help.

Mama is a Fourth Grader(1992)
In the Future year of 2007, a time travel Mishap sends the young daughter of Natsumi Mizuki to the past year of 1992 where her past self, who has been left home alone with an uncaring aunt, is forced to take care of the baby. She is contacted by her future self and asked to take care of the child, with Natsumi and her aunt Izumi clashing over how to raise the child and the fear of potential time paradoxes.

Papuwa(1992-1993)
Based on the Manga that ran from 1991 to 1995. A gag series. It begins with an assassin named Shintaro stealing a magical blue stone hoping to sell it. He is pursued and ends up knocked out and stranded on Papuwa Island. Papuwa, a young boy, finds the blue stone and puts it on his Dog’s collar. Shintaro wakes up and tries to take it back, but discovers that Papuwa is superhumanly strong. He is forced to become his servant as the two fight off the Ganma Army, who are trying to retrieve the Blue Stone.

Space Knight Tekkaman Cyber(1992-1993)
A reimagining of Tekkaman: Space Knight by Studio M.T. A Deal was made with Bandai to make toys. There was also plans for a revival of Gatchaman, though Tekkaman proved easier to make toys for, however a Gatchaman project was in the works.The protagonist within the series is forced to fight his own family. Yutaka Izubuchi provided Tekkaman designs. Set in United Earth Year 192, Earth is under attack from aliens called the Radam which had bug monsters and Tekkamen knights on their side. Before the war, an Exploration ship discovered a dormant Radam ship near Saturn and had accidentally activated it, causing the entire crew of a family to be assimilated and turned into Tekkamen with the exception of Takaya Aiba, Tekkamen Cyber, who escaped before being brainwashed. He now fights his own brainwashed family and the invaders. Tekkaman Cyber helps the Space Knights fight the Invaders, falling in love with member Aki. He is successful at the cost of his own family and once the invasion is defeated, he is left with amnesia and wheel chair bound, being cared for by Aki[9].

Marvel Comics, who was at this time trying to branch out into building their own Multi connected universe, proposed the idea of buying up Tekkaman due to his similarity to ROM: Space Knight, a licensed character they owned. Though the negotiations to secure the rights did not impact the production of this specific series, it would retroactively be made part of the same universe, albeit in the far future.

The Wonderful Galaxy of Oz(1992-1993)
Wizard of Oz…IN SPACE!, quite literally. In the future year of 2060, Dorothea and her Wookie like dog Talk-Talk are lost from their home plate of New Kansas and arrive in another Galaxy, run by an evil Queen and must search for a scientist named Dr.Oz. She must team up with a Plant Man, a Robot and a Cat Man(resembling a Cowardly Kzin), to save the day and return home.

The Von Trapp Family(1992)
Part of World Masterpiece Theatre. Delayed due to the Disney takeover of the series. Is largely an Anime retelling of the Sound of Music.

DVA

Midori(1992)
An underground independent film referred to as “Semi-Animated” as it often uses. Illustrations based on the 1984 manga, which covers the horrific behind the scenes elements of a traveling freak show(Horrific due to the abuse of the sideshow attractions more than anything else). In most cases this works as a strength due to the horrifying content, music and dialogue. It was single handedly made by Hiroshi Harada, who couldn’t find a sponsor due to the content, funding it over five years. Screenings were very rare as Harada insisted it only be played at Carnivals.

Handsome na Kanojo(1992)
Based on the Manga that ran from 1988 to 1992. IT follows Mir Hagiwara , a 14 year old girl who dreams of being an actress and Ichiya Kumagai, a 15 year old boy who dreams of becoming a director as they become a couple and follow their dreams.

Video Girl AI(1992)
Based on the manga by Masakazu Katsura. The characters had previously appeared in Jump World I, which in turn inspired their appearance in this series(which within that crossover special was intentionally tailored so that all the different artist styles for all the characters didn’t clash too much but still evoked their home series). Brought to life by Studio M.T. The premise centers on a broken VHS bringing a girl from a video meant to cheer the viewer up, causing her to develop feelings for the buyer Yota Moteuchi, resulting in awkward sexual tension[10].

Kamasutra(1992)
Yes, Go Nagai, realizing previously he could get away with writing Porn, actually made an adaptation of the Kamasutra. He actually even added a plot to it. While it has a reputation as a manual on sex positions, it is actually intended as a manual on how to live life overall. The plot begins with Prof. Takeshi Aikawa, an archeologist researching the ancient Indian Princess Surya of Gupta. His grandson Ryu is attacked by gangsters looking to rob the Professor and finds a part of the Kumasutra. He takes the scroll to India to find his grandfather and falls in love with his assistant Shakti, the two learning the Kamasutra together. Both are captured and abused by the gangsters, who are revealed to be part of a cult and trying to find an ancient grail. This leads them to find and revive the ancient Princess Surya, which they also abuse. They are rescued by the army during a ritual conducted that opens a portal to Shambhalla, which a part of the characters go into to rescue Surya from the cult leader who fled inside, who intend to use her as part of a ritual, which nearly succeeds, summoning Angels in the process, with the group rescuing Surya and escaping Shambhalla just in time[11]

K.O.Beast(1992-1993)
Set in the distant future where Earth is split in two and the Southern Hemisphere placed in another dimension. The Northern Hemisphere gain the ability to morph into Beasts.The Southern Hemisphere, led by Uranus attack the Beasts ,who form a team to fight back. Anime UK, a British based magazine brought it over to the UK[12].

Spirit of Wonder(1992)
An Adaptation of a story collection by Kenji Tsuruta that ran from 1986 to 1995. Each story is based on works by science fiction authors like H.G.Wells, Jules Verne and Edmond Hamilton.

Seikima II: Human Society(1992)
A DVA Film based on the band Seikima II(translated roughly to “End of the Century”). The Band wear face paint and claim to be Demons using Heavy Metal to prepare for an invasion of Hell in 1999, after this they will disband(They stuck true to this promise and after an extravagant concert the band disbanded in 1999).

Artist Unknown

Red Sonja(1992)
An Adaptation of the Marvel Comics character created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor Smith, based on a manga written by Go Nagai in collaboration with Marvel Comics. Allegedly this work came about because Marvel felt Red Sonja’s skimpy attire could not be done justice in live action and that she was not a big enough name to star in her own feature film. Conan the Barbarian makes a cameo as well[13].

Giant Robo(1992-1998)
In 1990, producer Yasuhito Yamaki approached Yasuhiro Imagawa about working on an animated version of the Giant Robo manga. Imagawa, a self-proclaimed fan of Yokoyama's work, jumped at the chance of working on the project. The Giant Robo manga had started in 1967 and had never been adapted into animation before. It had a live-action adaptation on TV Asahi in 1967-68, but the series was believed by Yasuhito and Yasuhiro to be ripe for Animation. In pre-production, Imagawa was informed he could not use any of the supporting characters from the manga or live-action versions. Instead, with Yokoyama's permission, he populated the series with characters from the artist's entire canon of work including Akakage, Babel II and Godmars. The Giant Robo DVA still followed Daisaku and Robo, and the main antagonist was still called "Big Fire," but it featured an all-new storyline with a completely different cast of characters.

The Series is set in a retro-future style setting where a new invention called the Shizuma Drive has rendered petroleum and nuclear power obsolete. The Drive, created by Professor Shizuma, nearly destroyed the world, resulting in the seeming death of Franken Von Ogler. Ten Years after it was activated a new group called the BF, which includes a still alive von Vogler, surfaces intending to end the world by causing the Shizuma drive to explode and wipe out humanity. Their army includes monsters, foot soldiers, Mecha and superhumans. They are led by a superhuman cabal called the Magnificent Ten and are loyal to their leader: Big Fire. They are opposed by the International Police Organization or IPO, who use information and espionage more than direct fighting, unless they have to, functioning like a real Government organization. They form their own superhuman team known as the Experts of Justice, which includes Daisaku Kusama, who commands Giant Robo, constructed by his father.

The first episode was released July 22, 1992 with the following three installments staying close to the proposed schedule of six months between releases. In the nine months between the releases of Volumes 4 and 5, two DVAs focusing on the character of GinRei were produced. Barefoot GinRei (素足のGinRei, Suashi no GinRei) is a humorous take on GinRei's job as a spy for the IPO. Mighty GinRei (鉄腕GinRei, Tetsuwan GinRei) was a tribute to the super robot series and featured Ken Ishikawa as guest mech designer. A third DVA, GinRei with Blue Eyes (青い瞳の銀鈴, Aoi hitomi no Gin Rei), was released after Volume 5 of Giant Robo. In between releases, members of the Giant Robo staff worked on other projects including The Big O, Getter Robo Armageddon, and Super Atragon and these series would in turn be folded in, creating a Mecha shared universe. A two-episode DVA of Shunro Oshikawa's Kaitei Gunkan novel. The Day the Earth Stood Still was the second to final chapter in the conflict between the Experts of Justice and Big Fire. The DVA was preceded by The Birth of Zangetsu the Midday, The Plan to Assassinate Daisaku - the Canary Penitentiary, The Boy of Three Days, The Greatest Battle in History - General Kanshin vs. Shokatsu Koumei and The Boy Detective, Kindaichi Shōtarō, Appears!

Sally the Witch. The Original Magical Girl appeared in the fight with the Big Bad ruling council, the Magnificent Ten (themselves famous cameos). The awesomeness of this scene is legendary. The final battle between the Experts and Big Fire was beautifully animated, as was the climax of the series. Showrunner Yasuhiro Imagawa received much praise for his work and went on to create an entire saga spanning several DVA series, of which Giant Robo was the second to last chronologically. The others chapters explained things like how Daisaku became an Expert and the origin of the Magnificent Ten (along with a team-up between Giant Robo and Tetsujin 28) before it all culminated in the final series, "The Siege of Babel", which was a story teased since the end of Giant Robo.

Karasu Tengu Kabuto(1992-1993)
Based on the manga by Buichi Terasawa that ran from 1987 to 1988. The series follows a warrior Karasu Tengo Kabuto, who due to his familial blood must fight against the forces of darkness, led by evil god Kuroyasha.

Nozomi Witches(1992-1993)
A series by group TAC. Nozomi is an actress from New Zealand who moves to Japan and befriends high school student Ryōtarō Shiba. Both decide to join the high school boxing club.

Oira Sukeban(1992)
Based on the Go Nagai Manga that ran from 1974 to 1976. It is a comedy with some erotic elements. Banji Suke is forced to go undercover in an all girls’ school after being framed and having assassins sent after him.

Bastard!(1992-1993)
A Character which was referenced in Jump World. Based on the manga by Kazushi Hagiwara that began in 1988. The plot is set in a fantasy world where demon Anthrax caused an apocalypse before she was slain by the Dragon Knight. A cult called the Dark Rebel Army now seeks to revive her and attack the kingdom of Metallicana(The author is a fan of Heavy Metal, which is referenced as the names of locations). To thwart the resurrection, they awaken Dark Schneider, who is unknown to them, the reincarnated founder of Dark Rebel Army.

Ushio & Tora(1992-1993)
Based on the Manga by Kazuhiro Fujita that ran from 1990 to 1996. The series follows a boy named Ushio Aotsuki, who reluctantly releases the Tiger Demon Tora, that he keeps at bay by threatening to seal him away. The two fight other demons and Tora begins to care for humans.

All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku(1992-1993)
Based on the manga by Yuzo Takada that ran from 1990 to 1991. Genius inventor Kyusaku Natsume transplants the brain of a cat into a school girl android that he stole from the company he was employed at, Mishima Heavy Industries, who now want his property back.

Fuma no Kojiro(1992-1993)
Based on the manga by Masami Kurumada that ran from 1982 to 1983. The series had featured in Jump World, which delayed its DVA adaptation. Haruko Academy, a school famous for Martial Arts clashed with a rival school Seishikan, forcing the principal to send several students to search for the legendary Fuma ninja clan to help them while Seishikan sends their own agents, leading to the resumption of a century old ninja war.

Green Legend Ran(1992-1993)
Set in a post apocalyptic Earth where several “Rodo” or giant monoliths arrived and wiped out the oceans and rain. The remaining communities live near the Rodo, with a cult formed around them. The protagonist is Ran the Greener, a member of a resistance group called Hazard which opposes the cult of the Rodoists. Ran searches for the man who killed his mother, a man with a scar on his chest. Ran attempts to save a silver haired girl named Aira .

Ys II: Castle in the Heavens(1992-1993)
The Sequel to Ys. Adapting the Second game in the Series. Adolf decides to destroy the source of evil in the land by traveling to the floating island of Ys itself.

Eternal Filena(1992-1993)
Based on the fantasy light novel series by Takeshi Shudo that ran from 1985 to 1994. The series follows Filena, the sole survivor of the royal family of an ocean kingdom of Filsoena. She is brought up as a gladiator while pretending to be a boy and after befriending Lila, a slave. The two vows to overthrow the empire who destroyed the Ocean Kingdom.

Ai No Kusabi(1992-1994)
Based on the manga series that ran from 1987 to 1990. Translated as “The Space Between”. The is a Yaoi series set in a world where a computer called Jupiter rules over Humanity and has separated people into classes, with an Elite member of society Iason Mink, securing a slave named Riki. While the growing relationship between the two is the focus, the series also dives into issues such as the class system and the implications of an AI ruled society.

Cursed One Piece(1992)
A Horror DVA Series consisting of three stories each following a woman who get a hold of a cursed, yellow dress. The titular Cursed One Piece[14].

Genesis Survivor Gaiarth(1992-1993)
A DVA Series by AIC and Artmic. The story takes place in a post apocalyptic dystopian Future following a young man named Italy Del Labard and his partner, the android Zaxon, and a woman named Sahari.

Princess Army(1992)
Based on a Manga that ran from 1990 to 1993. A young girl named Nonoka Aida searches for a boy who saved her from an attacker when she was young using Judo while competing at and attending a Judo Club herself.

IN THE NEWS…

“ HOLLYWOOD LED BATTLE CITY MEGAROAD ADAPTATION REPORTED TO BE DEVELOPMENT”
Warner Bros has been interested in the idea since the series was a hit in the 80’s, hoping to turn it into their answer to the Live Action Gundam, of course then that film, which many in Hollywood thought would be the next big thing, bombed, though it has been gaining a cult following. A handful of planned Anime adaptations already in production to ride this phantom craze were either cancelled or released anyway due to being too far along. "Battle City Megaroad" was one of the former. Not even Bruce Lee as Kenshiro could save the Anime Movie Fad, as awesome as that was. Many speculate it was because the technology just wasn’t on the level to do the stunning visuals justice. Now, those plans have resumed….[15].

Butterflied Away:
Dragonball Z: The Return of Cooler and Dragonball Z: Super Android 13! Both villains were folded into the main series as Filler, albeit canonically justified.

The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn. Butterflied away due to the Brave series having one entry.

Super Dimension Fortress Macross II: Loves Again. Created OTL for Macross’s 10th anniversary but with no involvement from the original crew at all, not event the same studio, and jumped ahead due to being forbidden from using the original characters. While a huge success due to anticipation, it was not received well by fans. ITTL it doesn’t exist. The in-universe reason is they thought the movie would be released in 1992 and had nothing when it wasn’t finished.

Tenchi Muyo. Butterflied away. Masaki Kajishima and Hiroki Hayashi worked on Bubblegum Crisis but wanted to do comedic episodes and plots that were not approved, inspiring them to create their own series. ITTL Techno Police 21C was made how the creators wanted to make it. OTL unhappiness with it led to Bubblegum Crisis being made. So without that being the duo’s first work, Tenchi Muyo is butterflied away.

Zetsuai 1989. OTL this story began as Captain Tsubasa slash fiction. Yes seriously. ITTL it never advanced by that. Which mean I may have just killed Yaoi. Ok. Not completely and I have nothing against it, hence I allowed another yaoi work to exist, but this work defined the Yaoi genre for many at the time.

NOTES

[1] Recall that ITTL Monster was released earlier, going from 1986 to 1993 and merged with Yarara! An OTL earlier work, which ITTL has a female Doctor as the protagonist as the author wanted and later did in Monster. OTL There have been several attempts to adapt Monster. Screenwriter Josh Olson, known for adapting the Graphic Novel A History of Violence into film, announced it in 2005 but it fell through due to rights issues. Park-Chan Wook was then attached after the success of his 2003 film Oldboy, itself a Manga Adaptation and this film could be seen as TTL’s Equivalent to that film, complete with a variation of the Hallway fight scene, but to a more horrifying extent. OTL his first film was The Moon is…The Sun’s Dream. Another OTL attempt to adapt it was by Guillermo Del Toro for HBO, but Del Toro already has a lot of unmade projects under his belt, so this will help lighten the load.

[2] Evangelion's equivalent is a Film Series and different due to being made Earlier than OTL as elements such as terrorist attacks which ITTL haven't happened yet with the earlier production change the tone quite a bit, making it closer to Rebuild of Evangelion series. While not mentioned in the plot synopsis. Kaworu does exist but is not an EVA Pilot. He was originally conceived as just a new school buddy, but the series in Television format meant the school had gone whole episodes without appearing and he was made a pilot. ITTL the movie format means the school is still there and he is just a student.

[3] Uru in Blue entered development Hell and is still there OTL. The plot synopsis is a mix of ideas pitched for the plot. Studio Gainax wasn't doing as well financially and cancelled the project, note the original film this is a sequel to did not do well OTL.

[4] OTL Tokyo Babylon had a live action movie that continued the manga plot(but did not resolve it) in 1993. ITTL that film is a sequel to an earlier adaptaion.

[5] OTL Crayon Shin-chan’s author Yoshito Usui went missing in 2009 and was found to have died in a mountain climbing incident, having fallen to his Death. This death is butterflied away ITTL, meaning the Manga series is still ongoing.

[6] The Main reason for the disliked ending to OTL’s YuYu Hakusho was due to the exhaustion of the Mangaka and his bosses demanding he write more. ITTL he ends it earlier, when he wanted to, without the drop in quality, though he does contribute to the Sailor Moon crossover where Yusuke in ruler of the Demon World and helps the Sailor Senshi return to life when time travel prevents their destined reincarnations. For those unaware, the OTL series had another tournament in the Demon World and the reveal that King Enma, essentially the boss, was lying about the threat the Demons posed and orchestrating the attacks by the Demons, making the mission of the characters darker in retrospect as they were killing innocent Demons.

[7] A Pun here. It is replacing an OTL Work called Jeanie with the Light brown Hair, based on the song by Stephen Foster. It was an anime that very loosely retold Stephen Foster’s life. The First line of the song is of course “I Dream of Jeanie” followed by “with the Light brown Hair". So I connected it to another show referencing the same song. Also let’s be honest. Attractive magical girl falls in love with awkward guy uncomfortable by the affection…is a well established anime trope. Maaki Kajishima and Hiromi Hayashi began their careers working on Bubblegum Crisis and had ideas for comedic episodes that were rejected, leading them to make Tenchi Muyyo. OTL they were fans of I Dream of Jeanie and based Ryoko off of her, so this is a Dream of Jeanie come true. And yes I Dream of Jeanie is best anime is a reference to the Cory in the House is the best anime meme.

[8] Just for Pun, the Cooking Papa Video Games replace the OTL Cooking Mama Games.

[9] This Series was known OTL as Tekkaman Blade and the whole family being brainwashed was changed to just his brother OTL.

[10] OTL there was a live action move released in 1991 which does not exist here. The fact that these characters already appeared in the Anime Adaptation of Jump World helps to ease them into getting their own Anime.

[11] Yes Go Nagai did make a Manga based on the Kamasutra and it got an OVA based on it.

[12] OTL Anime UK’s only release was K.O. Beast ITTL they survive a little longer, largely due to having the rights to American Anime dubs and their UK distribution. As a result there aren’t really UK dubs since they use the American ones. The UK has a history of being difficult to crack in regards to Anime.

[13] OTL Go Nagai made the manga, Iron Virgin Jun, who’s main character has similarities to Red Sonja(chainmail bikini, decree to only sleep with someone who can defeat her in battle). Also yes the Red Sonja live action movie was butterflied away. Marvel has an earlier cinematic universe ITTL which I'll go over later but this is a part of it in a vain similar to those animated DC Showcase shorts.

[14] This DVA won’t have the problem of being confused with TTL’s One Piece as will debut under a different name: Romance Dawn. The original title. Romance in this context meaning more of the love for adventure.

[15] Based on plans for a long cancelled Robotech movie, which ITTL doesn’t exist but Robotech is a hybrid of several Anime include Super Dimension Fortress Macross which does exist as "Battle City Megaroad". This movie will probably be stuck in development Hell for awhile as OTL the plans for an adaptation began around 2007 and so most of the choices for actors to star are modern actors from that era until now.​

 

[Marco Incognito]

1993 in Anime

MOVIES

Doraemon: Nobita and the Tin Labyrinth(1993)
Nobita’s father Nobisuke, is up late one night and catches a commercial about a hotel named Hotel Burikin. He sleepily signs up for the hotel and the commercial seems to talk to him. The next morning they receive mail relating to their trips Doraemon and the others find no information on Hotel Burikin. A suitcase arrives and is revealed to be a portal to Hotel Burikin. The Hotel is run by tin robots called Clown, Tap, and a butler. The hotel is revealed to be free and the family enjoy their time there but are warned not to go in the basement. Doraemon and Nobita go out skiing. Doraemon gives Nobita a super ski but Nobita takes off before Doraemon finishes explaining how it works. While they are separated, Doraemon is attacked and knocked out, captured. Nobita returns but finds the Hotel empty, finding no one, he looks into the basement and is confronted by a scary door. Nobita returns to his home and recruits his friends to go look for Doraemon again. They are attacked by planes but knock one down, the pilot is a robot who reveals Doraemon is a hostage. The entire area is revealed to be a giant spaceship. Nobita and his friends are taken to a boy named Burikin.

Burikin reveals that the ones who adopted the Doraemon was the army of Napo from the planet Chamocha. Burikin and his followers have been escaping from planet to planet to avoid them. They hoped Doraemon’s technology could help them and set up the entire situation. Nobita and friends agree to work with Burikin to rescue Doraemon. Burikin talks about how his people built robots to make life easier. Burikin’s father Galion believed humans would rely on robots too much and devolve physically. The chief super computer Napogisutora is presented with this problem and creates capsules granting superhuman abilities. Galion takes his family away for their safety, hiding them in what will become hotel Burikin and in the lower levels in the basement, which houses a giant labyrinth. Galion returns to Chamocha and discovers Napogisutora leading a robot revolution. Burikin escaped capture but his parents did not.

On the planet Chamocha, the machines torture Doraemon for information. Since he knows nothing about the other robots, they electrocute him to the extent he shuts down and his body is dumped in the ocean. The Hotel Burikin lands on planet Chamocha but stays hidden while the group infiltrates the base. They discover where the humans are being kept but Hotel Burikin is discovered and attacked and the group is forced to leave empty handed. Burikin sends Nobita and his friends back home through the suitcase to save their lives as the Chamocha forces come down on them. Nobita recalls the spare pocket object that can be used to find Doraemon, which they discover is deep in the bottom of the Chamocha ocean. Doraemon is revived at home and leads the group through the Labyrinth at Hotel Burikin to find Burikin and Tap hiding there. In the lab in the Labyrinth, Burikin finds a computer virus his father was working on. They also meet a robot created to act out the role of Santa Claus, who was imprisoned for his refusal to not carry out the robot revolution. The group comes up with a plan to infect Napogisutora with the virus as he commands the robots. The Santa Bot summons an army or toy robots to fight the other robots.This provides a distraction as the group free the human prisoners. The Virus is inserted and the robots tear each other apart. The now liberated humans vow to rebuilt their world as Doraemon and Nobita’s group departs.

Ninja Scroll I and II(1993-1994)
A film by Yoshiaki Kawajiri(known for 1987’s Wicked City). Made as a co production between JVC, Toho, Movic and Tezuka Productions(the latter was controversial as they were associated with more lighthearted material while the so called “Madhouse” preferred much darker and more mature rated stories, leading to the creation of the Madhouse as a separate division for more mature stories). The story was influenced by the writings of Futaro Yamada, who wrote the Kouga Ninja Scrolls about warring Ninja clans who have members with superhuman abilities but with deformed members as a result of incest among the clan in a misguided attempt to create more members with superhuman abilities. Ninja Scroll consisted of 2 45 minute parts.

In Edo period Japan, the Yamashiro clan sends a shipment of gold to the mysterious Shogun of the Dark as payment for his protection. The Dark Shogun intends to use it to buy Spanish weaponry and overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate. The ship runs aground in Mochizuki territory and Eight superpowers beings known as the Eight Devils of Kimon are sent to retrieve it, massacring an entire village to keep the gold a secret. An entire ninja team is killed except for a female ninja named Kagero who is captured by the Devil Tessai, who attempts to rape her. Tessai is rescued by ex-Yamashiro ninja Kibagami Jubei, who kills Tessai. A Tokugawa spy named Dakuan offers Jubei an alliance to kill the Devils, but when he refuses, Dakuan poisons him and evidently doesn’t have the cure on him but somewhere only he knows. Dakuan reveals the Shogun of the Dark is Himuro Genma, a man Jubei swore he killed. Five years earlier, the ninjas found a goldmine, from which the gold shipment originates and Genma attacked his own team with Jubei decapitating him, Genma surviving due to becoming a Demon. Kagaro joins Jubei and Dakuan and helps save them from the Devil Benisato, who is killed. Kagero reveals her own body is poisonous and actually helped Jubei kill Tessai as he was weak from the poison. The trio arrive at the village and find everyone has been poisoned to make it look like a plague. Jubei and Kagero kill two more Devils. They find the gold has already been taken to a nearby town.

Kagero calls her clan for reinforcements. She is told by Dakuan that the poison Jubei was injected with can only be cured with the poison within Kagero’s body. Kagero tries to get Jubei to sleep with her to save his life, but he silently refuses. Kagero’s master arrives but stabs her, being revealed to be Genma is disguise. Jubei finds Kagero, who kisses him, curing his poison, Jubei then boards the ship and fights Genma. Genma is immortal but a fire is set, causing the gold to melt and cover Genma, it hardens and the ship sinks, leaving the immortal Genma trapped at the bottom of the sea encased.

Ninja Scroll was a success upon release, especially in the west where it was seen as influential towards Adult Anime along with Akira and Ghost in the Shell. It ranks among the greatest Anime ever made[1].

Rail of the Star(1993)
Based on the life of Chitose Kobayashi, a 7 year old girl living in Japan-Occupied Korea, when World War II breaks out. Her father is forced to enlist, her younger sister dies of Typhoid fever. The Korean servant girl Ohana is fired and Japan surrenders. The family is then forced to flee South as war in Korea breaks out, forcing them to go on foot to avoid North Korean soldiers and reach the Americans.

Japan had faced issues in regard to its actions in World War II. When occupying Korea, Japan forbade the Korean language from being taught and forced many to change their names to Japanese ones. Rail of the Star is very pro Japanese. A Korean boy boasts about how Korea will be free and is treated as outlandish, scaring Chitose. The film also glosses over the fact that many Korean women were forced to become prostitutes or “ comfort women”, There was a divide in the country on how to address Japan’s historical atrocities. Japanese conservatives view any criticism of Imperial Japan as “Anti-Japanese” while there recommended textbooks don’t mention any atrocities at all. Rail of the Star received criticism for its bias towards the Japanese while downplaying the far worse atrocities Japan committed. This stood in sharp contrast to the more popular Borders 1939, which was now becoming popular as the War in China died down. Borders 1939 depicted the opposite viewpoint and did not shy away from the atrocities committed by Japanese soldiers. While it is debatable how much influence the film held, there was a shift away from the Conservative mindset around 1993, held by the Liberal Democratic Party, which was removed from power for the first time in decades[2].

Crayon Shin-Chan: Action Mask vs Leotard Devil(1993)
The first film in the Crayon-Shin Chan series. The Superhero Action Mask fights and is defeated by the villain Leotard Devil, who takes the Action Stone, leaving the hero unable to return to his own world. He recruits Shinnosuke Nohara and his Family to look for a magic card he lost called Action Card 99, which was lost in a cereal factory during the battle and is now in a cereal box the family searches. They find it and as a reward, Action Mask leaves their world but grants them access to another universe where they can take a vacation on a beach. When the Nohara family return they find that aliens called the Higure have brainwashed all of humanity while they were away, turning humans into Higure. The Nohara Family realize they are not in their own world. The Scientist friend of Action Mask, Dr.North Kasukabe helps the family but wraps the Action Mask in a way in which leads to Shinnosuke to eat it thinking it was candy. The Family continues to run from the Higure until Shinnosuke is able to cough up the stone and the group summons Action Mask. The Higure are then defeated with the power of Action Mask and Shinnosuke wielding the Action Stone.

Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade(1993)
The Third and final live action film in Mamoru Oshii’s Kerberos Saga. The series largely follows the lives of members of the Kerberos Police Corps. Tokyo has fallen into violent crime and an elite heavily armored police force was created which dons gas masks with red lenses(hence the first film title of “The Red Spectacles”) and heavy machine guns. The Red Spectacles(1987) follows three Kerberos officers who go rogue when the Kerberos are shut down after a member beats a misdemeanor offender to death. The three are attacked and only the member Todome escapes, though he vows to return to Tokyo. Todome returns three years later, still a fugitive but finds himself trapped in a strange and surreal version of the city that has changed so radically. It is revealed at the end that Todome was shot and killed shortly after his return and most of the film was his dying dream. The 1991 sequel film Straydog: Kerberos Panzer Cops, follows Todome being hunted down during those three years, ending with his decision to return to Tokyo.

1993’s Jin-Roh: the Wolf Brigade is another prequel. It embraces the alternate history element more fully, by explaining that in the Kerberos World, taking inspiration from The Man in the High Castle, the Axis Won World War II, but a Cold War began between Germany and Japan. Japan joined the Allies in the Third World War in 1962, when Hitler dies and the Axis leaders fought each other, allowing America and Britain, now joined by Japan to fight back. Germany briefly occupied Japan(having already occupied the nearby Soviet Union and invading Japanese Occupied China) before being pushed out. The Kerberos Corps are controversial in universe as they were a Nazi created regime and public opinion is against them for what they represent. A member named Fuse is traumatized after seeing a girl terrorist with a bomb. He stops and asks her "why?" rather than try to stop her, resulting in the bomb going off but Fuse surviving, albeit injured. Fuse visits the girl’s grave and meets her older sister Kei, who doesn’t blame him for her sister’s death. The two begin dating until Fuse learns she is part of the same terrorist group and is forced to hunt her down. The film makes many allusions to the story of Red Riding Hood as both women wear Red, specifically the original version where the Wolf disguises himself as a loved one to kill Red Riding Hood with Fuse being the Wolf in this scenario, though he is deeply disturbed and saddened by being forced to kill Kei[3].

Bonobono(1993)
Based on the 8 panel manga by Mike Igarashi, which ran from 1986 to 1987. The series follows a young sea otter and the adventures with his friends in the forest[4].

Only Yesterday(1993)
A long delayed(since 1989) film passed on by Isao Takahata. It is the first Studio Ghibli film not made by Hayao Miyazaki or Isao Takahata, both being busy at the time and in fact was intended as a test run for the other animators, who the two creators intended to succeed them. The Film went over budget and over schedule despite intended to be made Cheaply. It was Directed by Tomoni Mochizuki. The Film follows a woman named Taeko Okajima as she remembers her past while returning to her old town. Sadly the film is largely seen as one of the weaker Studio Ghibli films because it lacks the talent of the two main creators[5].

Domu: A Child’s Dream(1993)
An adaptation of Otomo Katsuhiro’s manga of the same name from 1980 by David Lynch. The entire reason the film happened is attributed largely to Nilo Rodis-Jamero, who was a designer on The Empire Strikes Back and had worked on Raiders of the Lost Ark. Jamero was on a mission to Japan for Lucasfilm to team up with Bandai for what would become the show Xyber[6]. Jamero heard of Domu: A Child’s Dream as Bandai was trying to get Otomo to approve a script for a film. Jamero met with Otomo and convinced him to look at a script he would write after 60 Days. Otomo was impressed enough to give him 60 more days after that meeting. Jamero then approached David Lynch, a friend of his, who he had met when he was seen as a potential director for Revenge of the Jedi. Jamero began describing the story and was interrupted partway through by David Lynch saying that he was in. Otomo was told of Lynch’s involvement and approved with Bandai giving a 12 month turnaround.The project was to be funded by Propaganda Films, but they kept pushing for a deal directly with Bandai. They saw Jamero as a nobody and were already on rocky terms with Lynch[7]. Bandai eventually cut them out and offered to give Lynch and Jamero more time, working directly with them, which helped push the film along.

The film begins with a man committing suicide, the latest in 32 deaths in the same building in only three years. An Inspector finds the door to the roof was rusted shut and there are no other ways to the roof, making it impossible. The inspector interviews several strange tenant including a woman who was sent to a mental hospital after a miscarriage, a strong but mentally disabled man accused of child molestation, an abusive alcoholic and “Old Cho” a senile old man. One interview reveals that the victim has a cap as he was going to commit suicide, which he was seen waring by the witnesses before but was missing from the crime scene. The inspector then gets a call from his pager seemingly from the police but when he later calls them back he finds the police never called him and have no record of the conversation he had with them. He finds himself being stalked by Mr.Cho, revealed to be a psychic collecting items from his victims as trophies and tormenting their minds with illusions. The inspector offers his pager as a trophy but it explodes in his hand. He is later discovered dead, having jumped off the building.

The next day a young girl moves into the apartment. Old Cho use this powers to drop a baby off the balcony but the girl catches it, revealing she has psychic powers to and the two acknowledge that they know each other has the power and try to fight each other with no success as their abilities cancel each other out. Old Cho threatens he will find a way to kill her. The girl makes friends in the building. An inspector colleague of the deceased previous inspector investigates but an illusion of the dead inspector warns him to leave and never come back(whether this is the actual ghost or Old Cho’s illusion powers is never revealed). Old Cho uses his powers to cause another Tennant to try and kill the girl but this fails and Old Cho has the man slit his own throat so he can’t tell anyone. He then plans to try again but this time gives the dead police inspector’s gun to the would be killer.

The Old Inspector visits a Shaman after he saw the ghost of his murdered friend. The Shaman goes to the apartment at the moment the girl and Old Cho decide to try again to have a psychic battle. The Shaman realizes Old Cho is targeting the children and tells the Old Inspector to “watch out for them” which is misunderstood(I.e. the Children are in danger vs The Children are the Danger). Old Cho is able to possess the old Inspector into attacking the children, killing several before setting off an explosion via a gas main. The girl confronts Old Cho in a final duel and overwhelms him but he flees. The Girl loses control but is calmed down by her mother. She eventually confronts Old Cho as he is found wounded in an ambulances and in a final psychic duel kills him, while e physically appears to die of a heart attack[8]

Mai, the Psychic Girl(1993)
A Film by Tim Burton, starring Winona Ryder, which competed with the similar Domu: A Child’s Dream. Mai, the Psychic girl, which ran from 1985 to 1986. The series was always more popular in America than in Japan. Mai is a psychic girl being hunted down by the Wisdom Alliance, who wants to control the world and controls four other psychic children. Mai prior to being hunted, largely used her powers to pull practical jokes. Carolco has purchased the Rights to the Manga in 1991. The film has been referred to as Tim Burton’s Akira by some. The Film was a musical with the New Wave band Sparks[9]

IN THE NEWS...
An adaptation of Rainmaker, the Yukito Kishiro Manga that began in 1990 has been confirmed as Mamoru Oshii’s next project. Kishiro himself is reportedly indifferent towards the idea of adapting his work into an Anime and as a result has granted Oshii full freedom to change his story, which Oshii has stated will focus more on the female cyborg police officer character of Gally, the most popular character in the manga. Among the celebrity fans of the series is Director Guillermo Del Toro, who is interested in helping make an adaptation though both he and James Cameron(his personal choice for director) are very busy with their own projects. Cameron himself has been experimenting with CGI, producing a screen test for the effects[10].

TV SERIES

Miracle Girls(1993)
Based on the manga by Name Akimoto that ran from 1991 to 1995. Adapted by Yugen-kaisha Ajiadō. The series follows identical sisters with the ability to teleport and communicate telepathically. Mikage convinces Tomomi to take her place in several sports since she is more athletic. Mikage has a rival named Yuya Noda, but Tomomi finds herself attracted to Yuya. Tomomi is forced to keep up the ruse as the track team goes further and further while science teacher Shinichiro Kageura discovers the psychic powers and begins to suspect the two. The series received a Video Game at around the same time. It is a beat em up where both sisters are playable with up to 2 players.

The Bush Baby(1993)
An adaptation of the Bush babies, a 1965 book by William Stevenson. It was released as part of World Masterpiece Theater. Set in 1964, 13-year old girl British girl Jackie Rhodes is sent to live in Kenya with her father, a wildlife officer. She adopts an ill creature named a bushbaby after helping it recover, naming it Murphy. Jackie loses the adoption papers for the bush baby when the family prepares to leave for England and is left behind looking for them. Jackie is protected by her father’s assistant, the African Tenbo, who is trying to stop poachers who capture Murphy. Jackie and Tenbo pursue the poachers to rescue Murphy but the authorities falsely believe Tenbo has kidnapped Jackie and give chase[11].

Nekketsu Saikyō Go-Saurer(1993-1994)
Part of the Eldran franchise by Sunrise. Set three years after Genki Bakuhatsu Ganbaruger. The characters are now in middle school when the Mechanization Empire threatens Earth after turning most of the solar system into metal planets.

Mobile Suit Victory Gundam(1993-1994)
An entry in the Gundam series meant to appeal to kids. The series is set in UC 0153, after the battle between the Federation Force and the Crossbone Vanguard from the previous series. The Earth is attacked by the BESPA, the army of the Zanscare Empire. A resistance movement called League Militaire battle BESPA. 13-year-old Üso Ewin who lives in Eastern Europe and his childhood friend Shahkti Kareen encounter ace Marbet Fingerhut and the rest of League Militaire and join them in piloting Victory Gundam against BESPA. The series interestingly waited until the fourth episode to introduce the Gundam.

Yaiba(1993-1994)
Based on the manga by Gosho Aoyama from 1988 to 1993. Yaiba Kurogane is a young boy samurai who is accidentally sent to the big city and learns that the is a legendary warrior meant to fight evil.

Nintama Rantaro(1993-1994)
Produced by Ajia-do Animation Works and broadcast on NHK. It is an adaptation of Rakudai Ninja Rantaro, which ran from 1986 to 2019. The series follows a Ninja School in Japan’s Sengoku period, but there are many anachronisms for the sake of comedy, such as one character wearing glasses.

Ghost Sweeper Mikami(1993-1994)
Based on the manga by Takashi Shiina that ran from 1991 to 1999. It follows a group of demon exorcists in Japan. In the world’s setting corporations have grown in power and urban development has left many spirits homeless with the protagonists serving the highest bidder among the corporations who want the ghosts gone.

Muka Muka Paradise(1993-1994)
Based on the manga by Rumiko Igarashi(known for Candy Candy). It follows a little girl named Uiba who finds and adopts a pet dinosaur, which can only say Muka Muka.

Slam Dunk(1993-1996)
Based on the manga by Takihiko Inoue that ran from 1990 to 1996. Inoue based the series on his own love for basketball and was surprised when he got fan letters revealing that the series popularized the sport in Japan as it was seen as taboo before the series. The series follows Hanamichi Sakuragi is a delinquent and leader of a gang. He meets Haruko Aka, the girl of his dreams, who recognizes his athletic potential and gets him into basketball. Sakuragi at first plays because of his crush but then plays because he becomes passionate for it and helps take the team to the championships.

Shoot!(1993-1994)
Based on the manga that ran from 1990 to 2003 by Tsukasa Oshima, a former footballer himself. The story follows Toshihiko Tanaka, who starts playing football at his new school to play alongside his idol Yoshiharu Kubo.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders(1993-1994)
The Long Awaited third chapter in the Jojo Saga. It was also the longest compared to the others, as was the Manga, running from 1989 to 1992. It’s essentially the conclusion to the Dio Trilogy. First a recap. The first part Phantom Blood saw Dio transform into a monster, introduced Stands and marked the beginning of the Joestar family’s Adventures. In Battle Tendency we met two sons: Jorge Joestar and Giorno Giovanna, who in contrast to Jonathan and Dio got along great and worked together to defeat the Pillar Men. Last time I promised you Dio teaming up with the Nazis.

The Part begins in 1938. We are introduced to Jotaro Kujo, who is in Jail in a foreign country in Europe where they believe he is a demon. Mohammed Avdol confronts him and explains the nature of the Stand. Jotaro is revealed to be Jotaro Joestar and that his father, Jorge Joester, along with Giorno Giovanna went missing looking for Dio after years of searching. Jotaro declines the offer to go help and chooses to remain in prison. Unfortunately the prison is revealed to be run by a follower of Dio nicknamed Enrico Pucci, who keeps an eye of Jotaro for Dio. Learning of the connection, Pucci and a Stand User Noriaki Kakyoin attack the two. Pucci extracts the knowledge of where Jorge Joestar and Giorno Giovanna went before they went missing from Avdol using his stand White Snake. Jotaro and Avdol are able to free Noriaki, who was revealed to be under mind control and Pucci escapes. The group of Jotaro, Avdol and Noriaki head out to find Jorge and Giorno. They track the path to a castle. Pucci ambushes them there instead of Dio. Pucci has a new ally named Jean Pierre Polnareff. The group realize that Pucci was granted a parasitic creature capable of controlling people and free Polnareff but fail to catch Pucci. Realizing that Dio has likely taken control of Jorge and Giorno, the two follow him back to England and find that Dio has infected Jotaro’s mother Lisa Lisa with a deadly virus and is gearing the group to go to Egypt and face him there.

In Calcutta, during a battle with Dio’s forces, Avdol is killed but the mercenary, Hol Horse agrees to accompany the group after they rescue him. Polnareff kills J.Geil, a man who killed his sister and is working for Dio. The group retrieves a Stand Arrow given to the henchman to power them up. Jotaros pet Boston Terrier Iggy, that went with the group, ends up being accidentally stabbed by the Stand Arrow and gains a stand of his own which causes a distraction that saves the group. In Egypt the group battle Dio’s minions with Hol Horse dying to kill the Vampirized henchman Vanilla Ice and save Polnareff.

It is here that the remaining group of Jotaro, Kakyoin, Polnareff and Iggy are confronted by Rudolf Von Stroheim, now a Nazi. He explains that Dio has captured and brainwashed a Stand User named Funny Valentine. His Stand is unknown but the group heads out to control Dio. Dio sends the brainwashed Jorge Joestar and Giorno after the group. Funny valentine is revealed to have a stand called Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, which Dio wants to use to find a way to win and has convinced the Nazis he will help them win the war. Stroheim betrays the group and shoots Polnareff, wounding him. Polnareff is able to tackle Stroheim into a portal to the Battle of Petrograd, where Stroheim gets entangled in barb wire, allowing Polnareff to finish him off. Pucci is defeated and seemingly killed. Lisa Lisa also arrives and it is revealed that she is fighting the infection and still refused to simply rest. He presence helps bring back Jorge Joestar. Jotaro is able to bring his father back to his senses, only for Dio to kill him immediately after and reveal the controlled body of Jonathan Joestar as another weaponized puppet. This allows enough time for Dio to look into other universes with Valentine’s Stand and discover his Over Heaven Dio form from the Jump World Crossover and begin to merge with it only for Jonathan Joestar to prevent this, fighting with what little is left of him inside to stop Dio. His spirit then moves on. With everyone else wounded, dead or indisposed, this leaves Dio and Jotaro to engage in one final battle. Jotaro heals Lisa Lisa after obtaining the antidote and is preparing to leave despite Dio trying to encourage him into attacking. Dio then notices Iggy and kills him, angering Jotaro enough to resume the fight. The two battle before Jotaro, with the spirits of the Joestar lineage backing him, finally kills Dio for good, vaporizing him. Pucci is revealed to be alive and vows revenge and Funny Valentine escapes in the chaos and is implied to have his own plans. Everyone part ways on good terms and depart, the antidote saving Lisa Lisa[12]

DVA

Rei Rei(1993)
A 2 episode Hentai DVA Series. It follows Kayuga, the Goddess of Love, who descends down to Earth to help human couples overcome their unhappiness. The first episode involves a boy named Tanaka, who is in love with a rich girl named Ikuko, who is revealed to be gay and has a lover in Dr.Manami Shibata. Minami is actually not gay and planning to kill Ukuko after they are married so she and her true lover can take her money. Kayuga learns of the plot and prevents Tanaka’s suicide after Ikuko rejects him. The second episode has Kayuga discover a boy named Satoshi, who is adverse to any form of physical contact due to his mother leaving him when he was young. Kayuga enters his mind and helps him overcome his fear of women by entering his memories.

Oh My Goddess!(1993)
Based on the manga by Kosuke Fujishima. The series is a sequel to Fujishima’s “You’re Under Arrest!” A manga following a police force made up mostly of women. One segment depicted the character Miyuki as a goddess. Fujishima expanded on this idea. Miyuki dies heroically in the line of duty and is given the chance to become a Goddess, which is treated as a Job, with elements taken from Celtic/Norse mythology[13].

Moldiver(1993)
A Magical girl and superhero parody series. A young girl named Mirai Ozora, living in Tokyo in 2045, discovers that her brother Hiroshi is the Superhero Captain Tokyo after he invented a super suit for personal gain. Mirai accidentally tampers with his Mol’Unit suit, causing it to shift randomly between a male and female version. As a result, Hiroshi is brought in to be a superhero as well and is much more lighthearted than her brother.

Dragon Half(1993)
Based on the manga by Ryusuke Mita that ran from 1988 to 1994. Adapted by Production M.T. The series follows a half human/ half dragon girl on a quest for a potion that will make her fully human so she can win the love of a dragon slayer. The series pokes fun at anime cliches.

Kyo Kara Ore Wa!!(1993-1997)
Based on the manga by Hiroyuki Nishimori that ran from 1988 to 1997. It follows two boys who transfer to a new school and decide to reinvent themselves as Delinquents.

New Dominion Tank Police(1993-1994)
Based on the manga written by Masamune Shirow(known for Appleseed and Ghost in the Shell) and made by Studio M.T. A direct sequel to the original manga. It also introduces the vehicle known as the Fuchikoma which originally appeared in Ghost in the Shell.

Please Save My Earth(1993)
Based on the manga by Saki Hiwatari that ran from 1986 to 1994. The series follows high school student Alice Sakaguchi and her 7 year old next door neighbor Ran Kobayashi along with five other students having dreams about aliens on a space station on the moon collecting data on Earth. The Dreams seem to be from the perspective of a person and the students meet to try and use each other’s dreams to learn what they are dreaming about.

Black Jack(1993)
A Film based on the Osamu Tezuka character by Tezuka’s protégée Osamu Dezaki. Dezaki’s involvement here meant this year had no Lupin the Third film, which he usually worked on.

Mega Man(1993-1995)
A Series adapting the iconic character and his franchise for the first time in Animation by Ashi Productions. This adaptation featured several notable changes. Since it was competing with a darker Sonic the Hedgehog show, which depicted a far more menacing Dr.Robotnik as having taken over most of the world, this show depicted Dr.Wily as having conquered the City but holding the support of the people and making Dr.Light and his creations out to be criminals while they oppose his secretly evil schemes.[14]

Butterflied Away
Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama. A co-production between Japan and India. It was already controversial as many in India felt that the story should be told entirely by Indians. ITTL it is.

Dragonball: Broly the Legendary Super Saiyan. Like most dragon ball films is butterflied away with Broly becoming canon.

The Irresponsible Captain Taylor. A casualty of the Tatsunoko collapse.

The Brave Express Might Gaine. Butterflied away along with the rest of the Brave series as OTL the series was intended to be a one off.

Patlabor 2: The Movie. Patlabor 1 was a film made using unused ideas form Mamoru Oshii’s Lupin the Third Movie. Which was actually made here, butterflying away that film and therefore its sequel.

NOTES
[1] Ninja Scroll was originally intended to be 2 separate 45 minute films. This is evident as watching the film halfway there is what feels like a climax and logical ending. ITTL this change was largely due to Akira being split into two parts, inspiring Ninja Scroll to do the same.

[2] Rail of the Star is hurt by Borders 1939 actually being made ITTL as it takes the opposite stance politically. OTL Things were already shifting at the time anyway with the end of the Liberal Democratic Party who had a long reign from 1956 to 1993. Here Japanese history is slightly different but it has a history of Military Coups such as one in 1936, which ITTL was successful, with the Emperor fleeing. This left Japan in a similar situation to both China and France and Japanese Forces loyal to the Emperor fought to reclaim the Homeland with later (ironically) American Support. as a result, Pearl Harbor and the nuking of the cities is blamed largely on the Military usurpers. This might also results in Anna Roosevelt marrying into the Japanese royal family as a nod to Hakkō Ichiu. This results in more Western immigration to Japan, which helps in some elements such as when casting actors as non-asian characters(rather than slap a wig on a Japanese actor. They can actually find say...a British actor to play a British character). Because of this Imperial Japan's time is viewed more negatively for bringing the country down a reckless path.

[3]OTL Oshii wanted to make Jin-Roh: the Wold Brigade live action after Patlabor 2 in 1993(doesn’t exist as Patlabor the Movie took elements from Oshii’s cancelled Lupin Movie, which exists here), Oshii was instead told by Bandai to work on The Ghost in the Shell adaptation, which is of course considered a classic today. Oshii may still make that film, but he’s not been forced to do so, though the current plan is Oshii works on an Aelita Battle Angel Movie instead. Jin-oh: The Wolf Brigade OTL was delayed until 1999 as a result of Oshii being busy and also made animated instead.

[4] OTL the film has a rare in Japan distinction of airing on TV uncut(as opposed to with commercial breaks). ITTL however, most TV Shows have two versions. One including Commercials cuts and a DVD version where the cuts are removed so the action flows smoother. An Old practice ITTL as there were usually plans to have TV show episodes aired outside television like in theaters for special events.

[5] OTL the Film Ocean Waves was made and released this year as a test run for the staff to make on small budget without Miyazaki and Takahata’s Guidance. It was essentially a failed experiment because it went overbudget and overschedule and didn't do as well. On the plus side though this means Miyazaki and Takahata stay active on the team as they deem the rest of the studio to be not ready for them to depart. Only Yesterday is made instead as ITTL it was never made by Isao Takahata and so its been on the “Backburner” as it were ever since.

[6] Xyber would be dropped and later picked up by Saban Entertainment and Fox Kids. They would radically change it into Xyber 9: New Dawn. It would only last a Season.

[7] OTL the film was cancelled because of Propaganda Films delaying the deal and Jamero quit movies out of frustration from the whole experience.

[8]Lynch would likely change the names of the entire Cast, as well as possibly transplanting the story to America, hence why only Cho is mentioned and everyone else is vaguely referred to.

I'm probably going to stop answering questions about the filmography of Directors as they are subject to change, but I will cover David Lynch's career briefly up until 1993, when this film was released. His first film was Gardenback(1977), a surreal film about a man with a garden growing out of his back, instead of Eraserhead(OTL he was forced to change it as it was a 45 minute film). Then Ronnie Rocket(1980), a surreal detective film with elements of Twin Peaks made instead of The Elephant Man. Lynch never makes Dune, due to Jodorowsky's Version being made and instead makes The Metamorphosis(1984), adapting the Franz Kafka story. Blue Velvet is released in 1986 as OTL. He then makes One Saliva Bubble(1990) about a Government project in a small town running amok, which replaces the OTL Film Wild at Heart(Another cancelled Project Venus Descending is butterflied away as it was to be based on the last few years of Marilyn Monroe's life while ITTL she is still alive). Since OTL Both Ronnie Rocket and One Saliva Bubble were unmade and elements of those films used in Twin Peaks, Lynch is less involved in Its Equivalent Northwest Passage, as he didn't really want to do a TV Show. This frees him up to do Domu: A Child's Dream.

[9] OTL Sparks planned the Musical and Tim Burton and Carolco Pictures were interested but Tim Burton was more interested in The Nightmare Before Christmas and Ed Wood instead.

A few of the Songs the Sparks wrote for the Musical are on Youtube. Here's one:

I'll do the same I did to Lynch and provide Burton's Filmography up to 1993. First his big break in Pee Wee's Big Adventure(1985) is the same followed by Beetlejuice(1988), but starring Sammy Davis Jr, and Edward Scissorhands(1990),However, there is already a Batman series in existence(to be covered elsewhere) so Burton is not involved in that as much. The Nightmare Before Christmas here is released as a stop motion Special. There is also Conversations with Vincent, a Documentary on Vincent Price. Burton directs The Addams Family(1991). Ed Wood has been butterflied away as Ed Wood himself would meet and be taught by Orson Welles, improving his filmmaking(Similar to A World of Laughter, A World of Tears).

[10]Rainmaker OTL was cancelled but was reworked as Gunm, which starred a female cyborg named Gally. Best known by her western name of Aelita, or Battle Angel Aelita. Gally was originally a supporting character who became the star when the series was reworked. Oshii being involved invokes another anime he was involved in starring a female cyborg: 1995’s Ghost in the Shell. Which OTL he was tasked with adapting by Bandai, delaying Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade. OTL Guillermo Del Toro did introduce James Cameron to Battle Angel Aelita and he planned to adapt it for years as a passion project before passing It onto Robert Rodriguez, leading to the 2019 film. Aelita: Battle Angel.

Here is a short film which ITTL would be a test run by James Cameron on the CGI for a "Battle Guardian Gally" Film:

Like Lynch and Burton here are Del Toro and Cameron's Projects up until 1993. For Guillermo Del Toro, I can knock him out fairly quickly. While he made films before. His first major one was Cronos, which ITTL was replaced by Meat Market: A Love Story, which is an OTL cancelled film starring Ron Perlman and is a Hamlet/ Phantom of the Opera story set in a meat market.

For James Cameron his real start is on Piranha II: The Spawning(1981) ITTL, which he was technically a director of but another director recut his film OTL. He considers The Terminator(1984) Cameron then directed TTL’s Rambo: First Blood Part II, which is titled First Blood II: The Mission(1985). This is because ITTL Rambo actually dies at the end of First Blood and First Blood II: The Mission is actually a prequel. Cameron OTL wrote a screenplay that Stallone reworked into what we know, including his own politics like Rambo’s Speech. Cameron then directed Aliens(1986), wrote the script for Alien Nation(1988), directed The Abyss (1989), Terminator 2: Judgement Day(1991) with only Edward Furlong changed since he was an ordinary kid Cameron saw and not an actor. Cameron wrote the script for Point Break(1991), and is currently busy on Spider-Man. which will be released in place of OTL's True Lies.

Also, on a meta level. Note what the First two Anime Live Action Movie Adaptations, of which there are many cancelled OTL that will be realized ITTL, are. They are dark stories rather than mainstream ones. While Both were already in production as in OTL, this also reflects the fact that the trend of Live Action Anime/Manga adaptations started with Monster, itself a darker story, which helped a Serial Killer Manga adaptation and a macabre film by the Goth guy get made.

[11] Due to Disney buying World Masterpiece Theater ITTL and using it to make White Fang, This OTL 1992 release is a year late.

[12]A combination of Ideas for Stardust Crusaders OTL here. These include turning Stardust Crusaders into an adaptation of Dracula. Hol Horse joining the group, and the intent to end the series here, which didn't happen as this part was the most popular by far. It's unlikely Jojo's Bizarre Adventure will end ITTL either.

[13] OTL due to the appearance of Miyuki as a Goddess for a few panels, some fans believe Oh My Goddess! Is a stealth sequel to You’re Under Arrest! or at least the idea came from that segment Think John Drake from Danger Man(a secret agent) is the same person as The Prisoner from the show of the same name(former agent who’s name is never revealed) or Leonardo Dicaprio's characters from Titanic and Inception are the same person.

[14]The OTL Mega Man: Upon a Star followed a kid sucked into the Megaman world. They were meant to teach kids about Japan while ITTL they are more straight action and adventure stories. It is also merged with the cancelled 1992 Anime Series which has a few scans seen here: https://www.rockman-corner.com/2021... Habara, these pieces,in the "planning phase".

The Sonic show it is competing with is 1993's Sonic the Hedgehog AKA "Sonic SatAm". Which has led to a more menacing Dr.Wily to counter the more menacing Dr.Eggman. As a result of this the Music and Darker Tone of the series is something close to the music of OTL's The Protomen, such as this:

 

[Marco Incognito]

Fantastic Four(1993)​

In 1983, German producer Bernd Eichinger met with Marvel Comics' Stan Lee at Lee's Los Angeles home to explore obtaining an option for a movie based on the Fantastic Four. Warner Bros and Columbia Pictures both expressed interest but the potential cost was a problem. Lee had a great working relationship with Walt Disney(the company and the man) and it was through Disney that some of the Marvel shows had been released. Marvel could be credited with originating the Shared Superhero Universe and doing so in Animation as well was no easy feat. Now they wished to do so in film. However, one film that would have been released first that would threaten to derail the ambitions, that film was Dazzler. Set up behind Stan Lee's back, Lee feared that an odd film like Dazzler could derail the hopes of a proper Marvel Cinematic Universe before they began. This was not to be though Stan Lee later got Roger Corman as a director for the film, its production delayed until a 1993 release. Tarantino stepped onto the set to see what kind of film his own upcoming Silver Surfer Project would connect to. His involvement helped improve the film significantly, even minor things such as touching up the dialogue and turning the character known as the Jeweler into the Mole Man instead. While Marvel hoped the film would do as well as James Cameron's Spider-Man it was not to be and the film did not do well at the box office. The film it was intended to compliment, ended up outshining it.

The Hands of Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu(1993)​

Directed by Stephen Norrington and starring Brandon Lee(OTL the film's plan were cancelled with his death). Since the film focused on Shang-Chi trying to escape his father's shadow, the irony of Brandon Lee trying to escape his famous father's shadow was not lost on critics.

The original short film, which was repurposed into a scene in the movie​

Silver Surfer(1994)​

In 1989, Erik Fleming, then a film student from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, and Robert Letterman approached Marvel Studios and Constantin Film's producer Bernd Eichinger for permission to use the Silver Surfer in a test animation and proof of concept for using CGI in creating a realistic Silver Colored human. The result was a 5 minute short film in 1991 that was shown at the First Look USC Film Festival. This led to major studios taking interest. Quentin Tarantino, fresh off the success of Reservoir Dogs, went to Constantin Productions with a Silver Surfer script in 1992. The end result was Tarantino's highly praised Silver Surfer, with special praise given to Lawrence Fishburne in the role of the title character. The film retells the Surfer's origins. It was hoped that the film would then crossover with Fantastic Four but that film's failure nixed that idea. In exchange for making the film, Constantin films funded Tarantino's next project, a little film called Pulp Fiction

Storyboard of Bruce Campbell as Mysterio being brought into Police custody​

Spider-Man 2(1995)​

With Cameron unable to return, the film was given to Sam Raimi. Doctor Octopus was introduced with Shwarzenegger in the role, as was Bruce Campbell in the role of Mysterio. Of the previous film villains, Norman Osborn, the Sandman and Electro returned. Since New Line Cinema was working on a Venom Movie, it was decided Doctor Octopus would be working on creating the Symbiote as a way to benefit humanity in the film to tie in. Eddie Brock was introduced in the film as Peter Parker's childhood friend. Their parents worked on the Symbiote together before Osborn stole it away from them and Doc Ock now seeks to finish what they started. Peter Parker gained the Black Suit in the film. Its power is shockingly demonstrated when after an earlier battle in which Spider-Man suffers a humiliating defeat by Doc Ock, Electro and Sandman, he has a rematch with the Black Suit and easily defeats them, using their powers against them, only for it to later be revealed Peter was asleep the entire fight and the suit was controlling him. Peter eventually has to free himself from the suit, which infects Eddie and turns him into Venom. Eddie Brock was played by Eminem(who even recorded a song for the soundtrack), however when he was Venom, to demonstrate his different physicality, and his deeper voice, he was played by Dolph Lundgren.

Black Panther(1997)​

Starring Wesley Snipes. According to Snipes this film was never made due to studio executives believing the film was about the Black Panther Party. Snipes wisehs to make this film due to disliking how Africa was depicted in Hollywood movies(usually stereotypical).​

Spider-Man 3(1998)​

Sam Raimi returned to direct the film. However, there were no new antagonists in the film, instead Norman Osborn finally donned the costume of the Green Goblin, which actor Willem Defoe had been waiting for. The film fulfilled the long build up to portraying the Sinister Six on Screen, the roster consisting of the first film's Electro and Sandman, the second film's Doctor Octopus, Mysterio and Venom and finally the Green Goblin. Spider-Man convinces Venom to switch sides as he is not a villain, only having a grudge on Spider-Man. With this, Electro, Sandman, Mysterio and Doctor Octopus are defeated but despite their efforts Spider-Man manages to save the life of Mary Jane Watson at the Brooklyn Bridge. Shortly afterwards, Spider-Man and the Green Goblin have a final intense battle that ends with the Green Goblin accidentally impaling himself on his own Glider.

Venom(1998)​

In 1997, David S. Goyer finished the script for Venom for New Line Cinema. Dolph Lundgren reprised his role as Venom, though he would appear on the posters, while Eminem played Eddie Brock. The main villain of the film was Carnage, who's origin was told in the film. Carnage was played by Jackie Earle Haley as Kletus Cassidy.

Jackie Earle Haley as Kletus Cassidy

And of course the Masterpiece that is Eminem's Venom Rap

Luke Cage(1999)​

Quentin Tarantino returned to work with Lawrence Fishburne, this time in the flesh and at the hands of Columbia Pictures. The film pits Cage against Diamondback.​

Daredevil(1999)​

A 20th Century Fox film by Chris Colombus with a script by Mark Steven Johnson, which was approved by many including Harry Knowles and Kevin Feige. The film starred Jason Statham(OTL he's always wanted to play Daredevil with Frank Miller commenting that he wanted to see Statham as Daredevil too).

Hulk(1999)​

A Hulk film had begun developing in 1990, though this was put on hold as the Incredible Hulk tv series continued into several films. Michael France wrote the script. Universal wanted the Hulk to fight terrorists but this was disliked by France. John Turman created a script in 1994. The film included General Ross, the Leader and Rick Jones, along with the gamma explosion origin of the character. Jonathan Hensleigh was brought on as co-producer and script writer, though he convinced Universal to allow him to direct the film, making it his directorial debut. Hensleigh introduced several men transformed by the leader into Insect men, which served as enemies to the Hulk(basically replacing the Hulk Dogs). Billy Crudup would play Bruce Banner who discovered that two other people had been exposed to the same gamma bomb that had created the Hulk, one became the Abomination(played by Ray Stevenson), which had the Hulk's strength but retained a normal intelligence and the Leader, who was as smart as the Hulk was strong. It was now up to the Hulk to defeat the two evil beings.​

 

[Marco Incognito]

28 1/2(1994)
Part of a new initiative betweens several studios to bring back iconic characters from the 1960’s(as the 30 year cycle is in effect and 60’s nostalgia is big). Going through several properties Sabu to Ichi Torimono Hikae was dropped as it featured a character based on beloved blind samurai and star of his own film series Zatoichi, the actor of whom, Shintaro Katsu, having retired in 1989. There were talks of reviving “The Golden Bat” Japan’s first Superhero, predating Superman but rights issues were complex as he'd first appeared in a popular street theater format making, though he was saved for a possible later film. Others considered were Princess Knight(passed over The Mighty Atom), Attack No 1(Clashed tonally being a sports franchise), and Sally the Witch(Set to appear in the Giant Robo Animated Films). The choice was narrowed down to Dororo, Mach Go Go go(already in production once its rebooted series did well), The Mighty Atom, and Tetsujin 28-Go[1]

While The Mighty Atom was set to be the first live action film made, being by far the most popular character and it would be a tribute to the late Osamu Tezuka, Tetsujin 28-Go was fought for by the owners TMS Entertainment. This was allegedly because Tetsujin 28-Go had planned their animated series for 1980 but a Mighty Atom revival had been released earlier, leading many to believe that Tetsujin 28-Go had intentionally chose to piggyback on the success of the Mighty Atom when it was coincidence. They wanted to be first and Tezuka Productions agreed. Many would come to believe that was for the best. Stanley Kubrick had pitched to Steven Spielberg an adaptation of the short story “Supertoys Last All Summer Long” which focuses on an Android child bought by parents that is discarded when their true child is born. Kubrick felt he wasn’t the right person to direct it and passed it off to Spielberg. Spielberg had heard of the plan to adapt The Mighty Atom and the project evolved into a combination of the short story and the Anime and Manga. Spielberg and Kubrick met with the former thinking Kubrick would shoot it down. His only response was “I guess we got the Kiddie Market”[2]

Mamoru Oshii was chosen as the Project head, a controversial decision to some as ten years previously he had greatly damaged the Lupin III franchise with Lupin III: Tower of Babel. He himself was busy with several projects but agreed to supervise in exchange for funding his future commitments, including an adaptation of Rainmaker(Which he was rewriting to focus on the Android Police Girl Gally). It was Oshii’s idea to name the film 28 ½[3].
Fox-Loew Films[4] granted 28 ½ a budget of around $35 million to $50 million, intending to turn it into a blockbuster franchise, though Oshii wound up spending 28 1/2 Million(which some believe is coincidence but was likely intentional on Oshii's part. Critics had a field day making jokes about the Budget being on screen). Oshii turned down plans to reduce the size of the robot from 50 ft to 12 ft by Fox writers Steve Meerson and Peter Krikes. As well as the use of CGI. Oshii insisted on practical effects, which included building actual replicas. Series creator Mitsuteru Yokoyama was given an executive producer credit[5].

The Film moved the events to Modern Day, but still kept the same premise. A robot named Black Ox attacks Japan and the young boy Shotaro Kaneda is guided to his father’s Shoichiro’s robot by his former assistant and must command it into battle against the Nazi created robot Black Ox.

Development on Future Films
The Film did well at the box office. At least enough to warrant further entries in the project.

Mach Go Go Go’s live action adaptation, directed by Julian Temple with Johnny Depp starring, was set for release the following year. In order to boost their catalogue, Tezuka Productions bought up most of the rights to Tatsunoko’s properties. Some like Genie Family were out of bounds. Hannah Barbara got that one. They were dancing around on I Dream of Jeanie's Animated show as long lost relatives coming over to visit. The characters they did obtain appeared on merchandise with Tezuka characters to promote the partnership[5].

Production on Dororo entered development hell due to its bizarreness and difficulty in finding a director. However, a solution presented itself. Famed director Akira Kurosawa had been working on a Godzilla film. Simply titled Gojira for a planned 1997 or 1998 release date. It was agreed through deals with Toho that this would replace Dororo as the fourth film. This had a knock on effect. There were now 4 confirmed directors on 4 confirmed films, Mamoru Oshii, Akira Kurosawa, Steven Spielberg and Julian Temple. Warner Bros felt Temple lacked the recognition of the big names of the others and so he was replaced by Ron Howard as director for Mach Go Go Go, who insisted he could still make the 1995 deadline[7]

Earlier on at Conventions in Japan, a four square pattern with the silhouettes of Mighty Atom, Gigantor, Go Mifune and Dororo. The Dororo silhouette was swapped out with Godzilla’s. Merchandise with the old design became collector’s items. Because Dororo’s inclusion had not been publicly revealed and his silhouette was not immediately recognizable at last compared to Gigantor and Atom(Go Mifune was of course just a man with a helmet on but he was popular enough that his inclusion was assumed. Some Jokes were made about the mysterious silhouette from before being Godzilla wearing a wig.

Japan Heroes Universe planned releases

1994: 28 ½ by Mamoru Oshii
1995: Mach Go Go Go by Ron Howard
1996:The Mighty Atom by Steven Spielberg
1997: Gojira by Akira Kurosawa

Notes
[1] This came about by replacing an adaptation of the 1973 live action series Super Robot Red Baron, which received an anime adaptation in 1994. I chose to swap it out with the more well known Gigantor. OTL Mushi Productions went out of business and Osamu Tezuka lost the rights to Astro Boy briefly just as he wanted to make n animated series bringing the character in color. This lead him to make Jetter Mars in 1977 until he got the rights back, leading to an actual Astro Boy series in 1980 released alongside a Gigantic series. ITTL this led to many assuming the Gigantor show in 1980 was deliberately banking on Astro Boy's success.

This plan to adapt all these characters is akin to OTL’s Shin Japan Heroes Universe, which began in 2016 and consists of Shin Godzilla, Shin Ultraman, Evangelion 3.0(retroactively as the outlier. Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno is helming the project and included it. It stands out as it lacks Shin in the title and is animated. It’s also more recent than the others) and Shin Kamen Rider. There’s no real crossover between the franchises except for a 4D movie between Shin Godzilla and Evangelion at Universal Studios Japan and some merchandise such as toys and Pachinko machines from that.

[2] The Film OTL became A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Ironically OTL an Astro Boy film was in production in 1997 but cancelled because A.I. came out and was too similar. The end result was the Astro Boy CGI FIlm in 2009.

Kubrick's comments are based on his statement when the script was rewritten and presented to him, which were "Well, we lost the Kiddie Market." since the script was now much darker. Kubrick seemed to admire Spielberg for being a crowdpleaser while Spielberg admired Kubrick's auteur approach. As such I don't think Kubrick would be too mad Spielberg is doing what he admires him for an increasing the story's appeal by connecting it to a beloved character.

[3] OTL Oshii was at one point around 2010 attached to a film adaptation of Tetsujin but turned it into a stage play instead. Though with a practical Robot prop. I don't speak Japanese but if you want here's a video on it:

Oshii has in an unplanned way become TTL's equivalent to Hideakki Anna in many ways. His Lupin III: Tower of Babel apocalyptic ending was controversial, just like Hideako Anno's Evangelion, and he is heading a Heroes Universe project kickstarted by his own film like Anno did with Shin Godzilla.
[4] Story Time. OTL William Fox founded Fox Films. When his rival Marcus Loew(of Loew's Theatres) died in 1927, Fox made a move to buy is holdings, including 200 theaters, which the family agreed to. Then the Great Depression hit in 1929 and Fox declined and the merger never happened. What was left was bought out by 20th Century Studio and thus 20th Century Fox was born in 1915. 20th Century Fox even claimed for decades that it was founded in 1915 but later changed it to 1935 when the merger happened. ITTL they successfully merged and 20th Century Studios is a separate entity. Fox takes the place of...well..Fox in the movie industry.

[5] There was a planned Gigantor movie around 1994 with the people involved except for Mamoru Oshii. Yes they did plan on making the robot smaller. Cancelled for unknown reasons.

[6] Merchandise exists of several Tezuka and Tatsunoko characters together from a joint 50th anniversary they celebrated in 2013.

[7] ITTL Apollo 13's disaster never happened. So Ron Howard isn't going to be making a movie based on it. The Film would have some stylistic similarities to his 2013 film Rush, taking inspiration from Formula 1 racing like the recent show ITTL.​

 

[Marco Incognito]

1994 IN ANIME

FILM

Doraemon: Nobita’s Three Visionary Swordsmen(1994)
Nobita is having a nightmare and asks Doraemon to use a Dream Machine. Doraemon and Nobita argue, but Doraemon eventually lets him use the Dream Machine, which by Nobita’s choice, takes him to a three Musketeers inspired world but they are attacked by a mysterious force and separated as the Kingdom of Yumirume is under attack by Emperor Odrome’s army. A Fairy also appears and cuts the moon itself in half. A Swordsman named Suneo captures and makes Nobita his slave. As they a traveling through a jungle, Nobita rescues a bear from a trap. Another swordsman named Gian attacks Nobita and Suneo jumps in to save him, but Suneo and Nobita are defeated and forced to retreat. They go deeper into the forest and find the legendary Sherogani sword and suit, this allows Nobita to become a swordsman as well and he is freed, respected by the other two. He is then woken up by his mother.

Nobita asks Doraemon if his friends could enter the dream too and he complies. They prepare to save the city from Emperor Odrome. A bear attacks the group but a baby bear appears and recognizes Nobita as the one who saved him, calling off the attacking Bear. Nearby, the Princess Shizukaru(played by Nobita’s friend Shizuka), disagreeing with her father’s plan to marry her to whoever can defeat Emperor Odrome, leaves on her own and unknowingly enters a Dragon’s cave. Hearing of this, Nobita’s group enter the cave but split up with Gian and Suneo being turned to stone by the dragon. Nobita later runs into their stoned forms and screams, causing the Dragon to find them. Nobita defeats it but the Dragon is revealed to be sentient and wishes to be left alone, hence why it didn’t try to incinerate Gian and Suneo. Nobita agrees to this and the Dragon restores Gian and Suneo. Nobita’s group, now including Shizukaru, set out to rescue the Kingdom and battle Emperor Odrome. They find his soldiers are made of sentient sand which ignored most weapons but they redirect a river and use water to defeat them. Nobita then battles Emperor Odrome but is then forced to wake up by his mother. Shizuka is the only one of Nobita’s friends who does not have to leave and remains in the dream. When Nobita has time to log back on, he finds that Princess Shizukaru has kept fighting Emperor Odrome single handedly the entire time without dying non stop for hours. Nobita helps turn the tide and provides a distraction at a crucial time which allows Shizuka to kill Emperor Odrome ending the dream. Princess Shizukaru and Nobita then marry. Once the Dream ends, Nobita and Shizuka go to school, both recalling the dream and having grown closer together from the experience.

Crayon Shin-Chan: The Hidden Treasure of Buri Buri Kingdom(1994)
Prince Sunnokeshi of Buri-Buri Kingdom is kidnapped and the King sends the Prince’s Bodyguard Ruru to find him to atone for his failure to prevent his capture.The Nohara family win a vacation to the Buri-Buri Kingdom but are forced to leave from the plane when they are attacked by the White Snake Gang which causes them to eject from the plane and be stranded in the jungle.Shonosuke finds a strange object on the ground before he is kidnapped by the White Snake Gang, who also kidnapped Sunnokeshi, who bears a resemblance to Shinnosuke.The resemblance is explained that the royal family are distant relatives. The White Snake gang is looking for the lost treasure of the Buri Buri-Kingdom which is in a booby trapped temple that requires two pieces of a royal sigil to pass through. The Villain Anaconda uses them to retrieve the treasure, revealed to be a Genie that grants one wish but Shinnosuke shouts a wish for a celebrity’s autograph before the Anaconda could. Anaconda’s assistant Mr.Herb finds a second lamp but turns against his boss, though Anaconda succeeds in wishing to become the most powerful being in existence. As Ruru and the Nohara family fight, they discover a way to seal Anaconda back into the Genie lamp, defeating him.

Fatal Fury(1994)
Based on the fighting game Fatal Fury. With character designs by Masami Obari. Brothers Terry and Andy Bogard are training with their master Tung Fue Rue. The boy’s father Jeff is murdered by his rival Geese Howard while he is distracted by a young child. The dying Jeff makes the two brothers promise to take revenge. Terry returns and Geese is informed of this by his right hand man Billy Kane. Terry meets and falls for Lily McGuire, who hides the fact that she was the girl who distracted Terry’s father Jeff. He eventually finds out but forgives her since she was a child manipulated by the gang. Terry meets Joe Higashi, a champion Muay Thai kickboxer. Terry and Andy are introduced to the King of Fighters tournament. Tung reveals a technique called the hurricane kick he can only teach one of them. In the tournament both brothers fight each other but an assassin tries to kill them with Joe Higashi taking a bullet to save the brothers. Geese then kills Lily in revenge. Terry finds her and reveals he forgives her before she dies. Tung is attacked by Billy Kane and put in the hospital. Andy in anger leaves on his own to fight Geese. Tung wakes up and teaches Terry the hurricane kick but dies soon after. Terry joins Andy in fighting Geese and while they struggle Terry’s use of the new technique wins the day and Geese falls from the building to his death[1]

Treasure Planet(1994)
Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film made in collaboration with Walt Disney and the last collaboration between the two before Disney’s death, The film being dedicated to his memory. His death would spurn Miyazaki into announcing his retirement, though many suspected he was only in mourning and would return[2]. Talks of a potential sequel rose up despite Miyazaki’s supposed retirement and that neither him nor Disney(the man or the company) really did sequels. The film is fairly stunning in its designs, especially of the vehicles which are explained to use “space-time envelopes” to maintain breathable atmosphere around the crafts, which resemble classic pirate ships.

Jim Hawkins dreams of Pirates and the adventures of Captain Flint while helping his mother run the Admiral Benbow Inn. An old man named Billy Bones, seeing his enthusiasm, gives the young boy a map and tells him to beware of Long John Silver. Hawkins is tricky into delivering a letter to Billy Bones with a single black spot, showing he is marked for death. Shortly after Pirates attack the Inn and burn it down, killing Billy Bones but Hawkins and his mother escape to the protection of the eccentric Dr.Livesey and his apprentice Trelawney(made female in this version to provide the Miyazaki female heroine and a love interest/rival to Jim), who offer them a home. Livesey discovers the device is a map and activates it, which leads to a planet containing lost treasure. He is then shown looking to assemble a crew on a futuristic Moon with Roman style architecture. The expedition is led by Navy Captain Smollett. Jim meets a friendly no legged cook with a parrot and befriends him and the rest, convincing them to bring in old friends of his. It is later revealed that the no legged man lied about his name and he is really Long John Silver, who dons mechanical legs brought onboard as the men he hired were his pirate crew. Silver betrayed Flint and now seeks his treasure as he failed to get Flint to talk before his death. When the ship is threatened by a black hole, the crew secretly kills first mate Mr.Arrow by cutting his rope so he is pulled into it.

Jim overhears Silver and the Pirates talking but they have arrived on the planet and he runs to tell Livesey, Trelawney and Smollet. This causes the group to break off and flee away from the Pirates. They run into Ben Gum, a now insane Pirate who belonged to Flint's crew marooned on the island. Jim sneaks away to steal the map and untie the Pirate ship so it drifts off (he has no time to tell them this and the others believe he has abandoned them). He is attacked by a pirate who remained onboard(Ironbeard played by Willem Defoe), but he succeeds and the Ship drifts off into space and Iron beard with it. Jim returns to the old hideout of his friends but is ambushed by Silver, who retakes the map with his crew. Silver insists on being friendly to Jim and that he is not harmed. Some Pirates give Silver the Black Spot but he proceeds to challenge those who requested his death to a fight. He removes his cyborg parts and defeats his challengers without them, earning back the respect of the crew. The Pirates travel to where the treasure is, finding a large vault filled with gold and the skeleton of Captain Flint. Just then, Smollet's crew arrives with reinforcements, having sent a signal and the place begins to collapse with everyone running. The Treasury is lost and everyone is rescued including a captive Long John Silver, who manages to escape and steal a ship when they get home. Years later, Jim is telling the story to his pirate obsessed children and wonders when they ask about what happened to Long John Silver. It is then revealed that Trelawney has went back to the planet to find the location of the other treasures mentioned on the map and with her is an old and lightly chained by the ankle Long John Silver[3].

Pom Poko(1994)
Directed by Isao Takahata. The film follows a group of mythical Tanuki trying to survive as Urban development destroys their forest homes.The film provided complications as like in mythology, the Tanuki have magical testicles which are sometimes displayed prominently as they grow massive as a defense mechanism. The english dub refers to them as pouches to try and cushion this.

The Life of Budori Gusuko(1994)
Based on the novel of the same name by Kenji Miyazawa.

Street Fighter(1994)
With a budget of ¥4 billion($35 million US Dollars) provided mostly by Capcom. Capcom was very strict during production including mandating a December 1994 deadline. The director Steven E. de Souza wrote the script himself, being a fan of the game. Capcom wanted Jean Claude Van Damme as Guile but he jumped ship to play Johnny Cage in the Mortal Kombat film instead, though they did succeed in signing on Raul Julia as Shadaloo’s Leader Vega. Unable to get Van Damme, who had demanded $8 Million[4] to leave Mortal Kombat, Capcom instead approved a script for an Animated film by Group TAC but reworked it into a live action film.

Kenya Sawada was cast as Ryu, but didn’t speak English very well. It was decided his scenes would be dubbed though he was given an English coach.

At the Time of the Film the Street Fighter III Video Game was going to be released. Capcom made the choice against including any of the new characters like Fei Long, Dee Jay, Cammy, T. Hawk or Alex from the new game and only the Street Fighter I and II rosters would be used[5]

The opening begins with a battle between Ryu and Sagat in a field during the rain. Ryu is beaten down but begins to become almost demonic with his eyes becoming black and he delivers an uppercut that leaves a huge gash on Sagat’s chest. Sagat attacks and Ryu gouges out his eye as well. He is then pushed away and charges Ryu in anger. Ryu charges up the Hadoken and fires it in a first person view to the audience. The Title is shown.

Some time later, A Military force led by the Dictator Vega descends on a village in China during the Chinese Civil War. They demand tribute. American Soldiers including Guile, Charlie Nash, and the aid of Chinese General Dorai descend on the Village and a firefight ensues. Vega is present and his forces are repealed only for the reinforcements to open fire on them, killing Dorai and Charlie Nash in a hail of bullets and devastating the joint forces enough to force their retreat. Guile attacks Vega and wounds him but escapes(Raul Julia’s health was not good at the time and his injuries early on where to justify him not having to work as well, this is in addition to the plot being changed to Vega wanting a new body.

Interpol agent Chun-Li is shown being informed of the death of her father Dorai. She goes to speak with Guile and while he is reluctant to work with her they agree to avenge the people they lost. Vega is seen meeting with his lieutenants, the assassin Balrog, the bodyguard and boxer M.Bison(played by Mike Tison)[6], and the former champion Sagat. Vega demands a new body but is unsatisfied with the candidates before him including the lieutenants, who agreed to join him when Vega could not use their bodies. They had been told doing so would grant them incredible power. Vega then sets his sights on Ryu, for his defeat of Sagat. It is revealed that Sagat held the tournament but then decided to kill Ryu after he lost to him, resulting in his disfigurement.

Ryu is shown training in the mountains as his master Gouken’s voice is heard. He returns to his master’s dojo to find him murdered with a symbol on the wall of the Satsui no Hado. He travels to America to reunite with his old friend Ken and inform him. Ken has a family now but decides to hang out and teach Ryu english. They are approached by Guile and Chun Li in a bar, who believe Sagat may target Ryu and were following Ken. A fight ensues. After the fight a TV announces a tournament being held by Sagat. The ad showcases Balrog and M.Bison, tipping off Guile and Chun-Li that Shadaloo is behind it. All four agree to join.

The Tournament is held. Contestants include Ryu,Ken, Guile, Chun Li, M.Bison, Sagat, Zangief and E.Honda. Sagat gives Ryu the option of only having the final fight but he refuses and insists on fighting in the brackets and Sagat agrees to do the same. Balrog is present and sent by Vega to keep an eye on Guile and Chun Li. Dhalsim fights E.Honda in the tryout round but senses Ryu’s ki and willingly forfeits. Dhalsim goes to speak with Ryu, sensing he has a dark side he wishes to keep contained and E.Honda follows out of curiosity. Dhalsim works with Ryu to keep the darkness back by meditating.

That night, Vega attempts to kill Chun Li. She is injured but is able to knock Vega out of a window, seemingly to his death. Guile finds her and gets her to a hospital Ryu and Ken arrive as well. Guile goes to break into a Shadaloo facility they were spying on and finds several experiments, including Blanka, which breaks out and attacks him before escaping. Dhalsim senses there is no actual tournament and that was a facade to bring them all together as they are attacked in the hospital by M.Bison and Sagat and Zangief(who was tricked by M.Bison into helping them and is convinced Ryu, Ken and E.Honda are assaulting Chun Li. Dhalsim stays behind to try healing Chun li. Zangief fights E.Honda who convinces him that he was tricked.Ryu is approached by a new figure he spotted at times which is revealed to be Akuma, brother of Gouken, who encourages him to embrace the darkness. Ken fights Sagat, who mocks him for being not as good as Ryu as he overpowers him. Ken briefly taps into the darkness as well which Ryu and Akuma witness. Bison knocks out Dhalsim and takes Chun Li while Sagat takes Ken. Akuma leaves Ryu exhausted. Guile returns too late.

Ryu, Guile, Dhalsim, E.Honda and a repentant Zangief make plans to break into the Shadaloo Base and rescue Ken and Chun Li. Ken and Chun Li are brought before Vega. Chun Li berates Vega for killing her father which Vega reveals he doesn’t remember and reveals that for him “It was Tuesday.” Vega activates a device to test if one of them could hold his mind. Ken is estimated to be able to and Vega begins to transfer his mind. The process is interrupted by Guile’s group attacking, but a now violent brainwashed Ken attacks Ryu while Guile fights Vega, E.Honda fights M.Bison(who he encounters sitting in a ring with boxing gloves on) and Zangief fights Sagat. The feral Blanka also breaks in and attacks but Dhalsim calms his mind and he turns on Shadaloo. Vega transforms into a more powerful form(changing actors to give Raul Julia a rest but the new actor being much more muscle bound). Guile frees Chun Li and she attacks Vega, commenting once more that he killed her father. Vega snaps back that he killed his father too and he doesn’t wine about it. Blanka, recognizing Vega, attacks him, knocking both into a control panel, which explodes, only for the smoke to clear and reveal Vega is still alive. Guile and Chun Li both engage Vega in combat. Dhlasim helps counter Akuma’s influence and he recalls a conversation with Gouken that allows him to summon a white good hearted energy which he uses to defeat and purge the darkness from Ken. Akuma says that Ryu made his choice and departs, but vows he will see him again.

Ryu then goes to fight Sagat but apologizes to him for his actions and tries to talk him down, eventually reaching him. E.Honda defeats M.Bison by using the weakness of his lower body, picking him up and throwing him out of the ring. Guile and Chun Li use their combined projectile attacks to vaporize Vega killing him.
In the aftermath, Guile and Chun Li visit their loved ones' graves. Ryu and Ken part ways but a young girl comes to the Dojo and asks to be trained by Ryu[7].

Samurai Spirits(1994)
An adaptation of the 1993 beat em up game Samurai Spirits. The Spirit of dead Samurai Amakusa Shiro is revived after a deal with the dark god Ambrosia in 1788. Famous samurais from across time are revived as well to stop his demonic forces.

Darkside Blues(1994)
The City of Kabuki-cho has been taken over by the Persona Century Corporation. A resistance group called Messiah opposes them with the mysterious stranger “Dark Side” aiding the rebels.

Final Fantasy I (1994)
The Animated Adaptation of the Final Fantasy series. Adapting the first game with tentative plans(inspired possibly by the Lupin, Doraemon and Gundam projects) to adapt a game every year. This series would later inspire the popular webcomic Final Fantasy Theater, which took screenshots from the series and made comedic sketches out of them, including trying every Final Fantasy game together to make them a sequel to each other[8].

The Eternal Lupin III(1994)
In 1993, Lupin’s voice actor Yasuo Yamada began to feel ill. He recorded his lines for the later Lupin film Orders to Assassinate Lupin while sitting which was unusual for him and seemed to believe his time was coming to an end and told as such to a select few such as composer Yuji Ohno and Lupin creator Kazuhiko Katō. Yamada expressed the desire to see Lupin die with him, something which was quite common in Japan.

“If I am no longer able to perform, I would like you to stop making new Lupin series, whether for a TV station or a movie company. I'm sorry to say this, but I want him to grow old with me, and when I die, I want to take him with me to my grave. I have that kind of feeling.”
-Yasuo Yamada, 1989

The plan was therefore made to conclude any and all Lupin franchises with the next film, poignantly titled The Eternal Lupin III. However, this shift left them with a film plot required to meet their contract of a film a year. Since Zenigata had frequently been shown unable to capture Lupin, it was decided to introduce a new foe for Lupin. Artist Gosho Aoyama pitched the character of Detective Conan, originally an adult infected with a disease that turned him into a child, this was deemed too complex and strange in a Lupin film. He was instead reworked as a child genius. Detective Conan was introduced to be the Detective who would finally defeat Lupin and his gang. The story was written as a tribute to Lupin as a whole. Lupin is searching for a device that his famous grandfather Arsene Lupin disappeared looking for. It turns out to be a Time Machine(in the vain of The H.G. Wells The Time Machine) and Lupin and the gang end up using it while being chased by Detective Conan and Zenigata, leading the group to be separated across time and end up in different points in history, this includes visiting classic Lupin moments(including Castle of Cagliostro and the future of Lupin VIII with changes in animation to match the time period). Lupin accidentally brings back red shirt Lupin by pulling him out of time but succeeds in redeeming him, thus preventing the destruction from Lupin III: Tower of Babel from ever happening.Then there is a plot twist as Detective Conan is revealed to be Lupin IV, the son of Lupin III and Fujiko Mine, and Lupin finally allows himself to be turned in, ending the series, but with the implication that there would be a new series following Detective Conan[9]

Another option to replace Lupin was a series following a group of space outlaws pitched by Shinichirō. Watanabe which was greenly with the support of Bandai, who stated they just wanted toy rights and that Watanabe could do whatever they want[10].

TV SERIES
Who Killed World Masterpiece Theater?

Hello and welcome back to Franchise killer.

(The Image is of a noir style monochrome wall with a shadow of a detective with a fedora and trenchcoat).
Today’s murder victim was beloved by many in Japan and then across the pacific when Disney brought it over. Many think Disney killed it. He wanted to be the only game in town adapting those classic stories. I’m not buying it, seeing as how he was already did by that time. How can a corpse commit murder? I think I have the answer…
….
(Later in the video. Behind the Scenes Footage plays)
So in Disney’s will it said Miyazaki would get the rights back to World Masterpiece Theater. Disney figured that something Japanese should be in Japanese hands so he gave it over. Figured since he used to work for them, heck Miyazaki’s Pippi Longstocking started off as part of the series that he’d have some sentimental value to it.

But Myazaki’s a perfectionist. Back then he was just starting off. He had to follow orders. Now he was his own man. And he liked to take his time. Plus he was getting old. One film a year wasn’t gonna cut it. He’d never be satisfied if they rushed stuff out once a year. Could he get one of his cronies to do it? Ha! Heck no. Without him those fellers went over budget on what was supposed to be a cheap kiddy film. I remember it like it was Only Yesterday. Cause it was only Yesterday. He couldn’t trust them with the Takahata’s back burner stuff let alone something Walt Frickin’s Disney trusted him with. No he’d never be happy. But before he could pull the plug himself, Fuji TV decided to do It for him. End it on their own terms[11]

You could say it was Hara-Kiri.

-Who Killed World Masterpiece Theater, by Franchise Killer on Youtube.

Akazukin Chacha(1994-1995)
Based on the manga by Min Ayahana that ran from 1992 to 2000. The series follows a magical girl named Chacha based on Little Red Riding Hood who is a student magician. Most of her accidental magic proved difficult to translate(For example Kumo means both cloud and Spider in Japanese and so she summons Spiders while trying to summon a cloud, which doesn’t work as well in English).

Marmalade Girl(1994-1995)
Based on the Manga by Water Yoshizumi that ran from 1992 to 1995. Adapted by Toei Animation. The series follows a high school sophomore named Miki Koishikawa, who is told that his parents made a bet with a couple they met while on vacation in Hawaii to trade spouses and that they will be getting a divorce. She meets the Hawaiian couples daughter Yuu, who Miki feels a strong attraction to. You has black hair and is devilish and unpredictable. Miki and Yuu eventually do break up due to the awkwardness of their new familial connection a swell as the reappearance of Miki’s childhood crush Ginta[12].

The Indiana Jones Adventures(1994-1998)
Not really an Anime but several episodes were worked on and written by Studio Ghibli staff so it kinda counts. During the production of the Indiana Jones Films, Lucas was repeatedly asked about Indy’s childhood to flesh him out as a character. Something shown in a scene in the third film. This fueled a desire for a TV show between Spielberg and Lucas. After the failure to get Tom Selleck to reprise his role for the TV show[13]. The duo decided to take the Animated route. Lucas was initially reluctant but was talked into it by Spielberg, who had already had a hand in several cartoons and both considered the trilogy to be complete. Studio Ghibli, already busy on their latest films were approached but would only do a handful of episodes which Hayao Miyazaki directed following a much younger boy Indy and some impressive airplane designs. This was also seen as a second chance to the animation staff who had gone over budget and overtime on Only Yesterday. In the end most of the animation would go towards other western studios, granting the series a type of anthology element with different animators at times.

While there's no specific Animation Studio in mind the art style is something like this, maybe between Batman: The Animated Series and Gargoyles. The Show's Intro would be something like this but cut down for time.

Episodes written included the first meetings with Marion and Belloc. Lucas was personally fond of the Episode focusing on the Crystal Skulls, even if that episode is disliked by the fandom[14].

For Lucas this was in essence a test run for Animation. He would, when the time came for the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy in 1997, choose Genndy Tartakovsky to create a 2D The Clone Wars series[15].

Lord of Lords: Ryū Knight(1994-1995)
Produced by Sunrise. A boy named Adeu, who follows the Knightly Virtues, goes on a quest to find the Earth’s blade, a giant sword capable of piercing the sky. He is joined on his journey by a princess, a ninja and a priest.

Ginga Sengoku Gun'yūden Rai(1994-1995)
Based on the manga by Johji Manabe that ran from 1989 to 2001.The series is set in the future after a Galactic Empire broke apart into warring factions. All sides seek to reunite the Empire under their rule with the main protagonist being the warrior Rai Ryuga.

Polka Gundam(1994-1995)
Polka Gundam focused on a struggle between people on Mars attempting to get back to Earth and the Earthlings on the planet. The Title became a subject of parody, even a similarly named Album by Weird Al Yankovic. Similarly Vtuber Omaru Polka has admitted to being a fan of the series[16].

The Visions of Escaflowne(1994)
Shoji Kawamori had created the Battle City Megaroad franchise and now considered a fantasy mecha series. Yasuhiro Imagawa was brought onboard as director and would stay for the show’s entire run. It was Imagawa who suggested the world “Escaflowne” or latin for “escalation” and the inclusion of a female heroine with a male centered gaze. The protagonist was therefore made into Hitomi Kanzaki. Yoko Kanno did the music with her husband Hajime Mizoguchi. The series also launched Maaya Sakamato’s career as Kanno was a fan of her work and brought her onboard in the idol role and to sing the theme song of the series. In the distant past, as Atlantis sank, they created an alternate dimension from their wishes called Gaea. Hitomi is transported to the world of Gaea and become involved in a war between the Zaibach Empire of Emperor Isaac Dornkirk and the lands he seeks to conquer, after gaining psychic powers[17].

Ghost Sweeper Mikami: The Great Paradise Battle!!(1994)
A sequel to the TV Series. Mikami is called upon the ghost of the samurai Mitsuhide Akechi to stop Oda Nobunaga, who has returned as a vampire to plague Japan.

Baki Hanma(1994-)
Based on the Manga by Keisuke Itagaki. Baki Hanma is the son of Yujiro Hanma, the deadliest man on Earth, who can perform superhuman feats. Hanma slept with multiple women in the hope he would have a son who would serve as a worthy opponent and when they reach adulthood, fighting and killing them if they do not satisfy him. Baki begins training to fight his father, both travelling the world and fighting strong opponents, which become more and more insane including a super soldier experiment and an unfrozen Caveman. The series is known for its insanity, largely regarding the superhuman feats of the fighters. Some countries like Brazil hold watch parties in bars and strip clubs which promote matches like MMA or Boxing fights[18].

Captain Tsubasa: The Most Powerful Opponent! Holland!(1994)
A Captain Tsubasa film as his team engages Holland in the 1994 Fifa World Cup Finale and battle corruption in the highest echelons of the sport.

DNA2(1994)
Based on the manga by Masakazu Katsura that ran from 1993 to 1994. A boy named Junta Momonari throws up when he is aroused. He meets a girl from the future called Karin Aoi who revealed a gene was discovered that caused humans to have 100 children, leading to overpopulation. Karin then shoots Junta as he wa the progenitor only to discover she instead hit him with the wrong bullet and altered time by giving him an aphrodisiac bullet meant for her husband and left the bullet to stop the gene at home, paradoxically creating the gene and forcing her to stay and try to fix things.

Magical Knight Rayearth(1994-1995)
Based on the CLAMP Manga which ran from 1993 to 1996. The series was designed to combine Sailor Moon elements with Mecha. Intended to appeal to elementary school age children. The plot follows Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuuzaki, and Fuu Hououji, who are drawn into another world called Cephiro while visiting the Tokyo Tower. They are tasked with rescuing Princess Emeraude from the villain Zagato.They kill him but learn the princess fell in love with him and now seeks to kill them. They are left with no choice but to kill her, leading them to be sent back home by her magic as it is revealed she brought them there to kill her in the first place.

Blue Seed(1994)
Based on the Manga by Yuzo Takada that ran from 1992 to 1996, itself based on the Izumo Cycle in Japanese Mythology but transplanted to a SciFi setting. The descendant of the mythical Princess Kushinada: Momiji Fujimiya, is tasked with opposing the Aragami(Angry Gods) summoned by Yamata no Orochi. Momiji was meant to be sacrificed to the Aragami but instead joins the Terrestrial Administration Centerr(TAC, also the initials of the production company). Momiji and TAC’s main goal becomes finding the reincarnated Susanoo no Mikoto, as he defeated Orochi in mythology though Momiji becomes the real hero as the story goes on.

Battle City 7(1994-1995)
A Sequel to 1982’s Battle City Megaload, likely delayed but intended for the Anniversary(though it made the anniversary of the "Do You Remember Love?" movie) but created due to the delay in production of the potential film(which lacks a director but has since cast Tobey Maguire in the lead role[19]). The Series is best known for its music. This is because the series took cues from the first series and made the band Fire Bomber the main focus just as the idol Lynn Minmay had been the star attraction of the original series.

Set 35 years after the end of the first series. Big City 7 leads colonization efforts across space. The Fleet is commanded by Maximillian Jenius. The Fleet is attacked by an unknown enemy led by commander Gigile, using modified valkyries. This new enemy is able to drain machines of their energy, leaving them unmoving. A civilian musician named Basara Nekki modified a Mech and attacks using music themed weapons such as hypersonic sound from speakers and a weapon that doubles as a guitar. Basara does little but get in the way but a secret underfunded project is put under way with him as a subject to determine if music could be weaponized since it worked against the Zentraedi. A way of using music and soundwaves to revive pilots rendered inert by the invader weapons is found, using a beat to jumpstart the heart. It is also revealed that the enemy soldiers are brainwashed humans from which can be reawakened by the music as well. The lost humans were brainwashed by an alien entity called the Protodevlin, who captured the entire fleet, separating it from the rest of the universe. The Protodevlin rely on the energy they are stealing to survive and Basara leads the charge when it is discovered music can harm them[20].

Magical Circle Guru Guru(1994-1995)
A light series aimed at children with occasional toilet humor and innuendo, largely serving as a parody of Role Playing Games and the media such as the Anime adaptations of them like Dragon Quest.

Godzilla: The Animated Series(1994-1995)
An Adaptation of the 1994 Godzilla film and in anticipation for the later 1995 Godzilla vs Destroyer film. Since neither film used the classic Toho monsters. Many instead were allowed to make their appearance within this series including Mothra, Rodan and Ghidorah, reworking them into the new setting of the series and concluding this Godzilla’s story after the release of the 1995 film ended the two film franchise[21].

Chō Kuse ni Narisō(1994-1995)
Shiratori Nagisa is the heir to a Judo Dojo. To raise money she becomes an idol and receives immense popularity but is unable to find students to revive the Dojo, so she impersonates a boy and goes undercover in high school to find new recruits, where she ends up falling in love with a martial arts rival who is attracted to her as an idol.

Oyoko Club(1994-2013)
A slice of life series which aired on Fuji TV. It depicts a group of aliens moving in with a human family.

DVA

Superman and the Lovely Angels(1994)
Several factors came together to make this odd crossover happen. On the Lovely Angels Side, Sunrise wanted to make a Lovely Angels sequel, but Kyoku Tongu, the original voice for Kei had retired and moved to North America and Saeko Shimazu, voice of Yuri, would not work unless her partner returned as well. The plan was to make a reboot of the series with no voice actors.

On the Superman Side, Superman: The Animated Series had been launched. Warner Bros had opened up Warner Bros Japan. A Division with access to every franchise in their collection. They could team up with other studios and license out the characters so long as the DC heads approved. Since they held the distribution rights to the Lovely Angels and it was not selling well and any DC character not named Batman had failed to crack Japan, They proposed the idea of crossing them over. DC called Sunrise and suddenly it was on.

The DVA(or Direct to Video film) had the original casts for both sections return, even pulling Kyoku Tongu out of retirement once DC lawyers tracked her down. Something easy to do since she was married to Superman’s voice actor Adam Baldwin since they met on the set of Fullmetal Jacket[22]

“Yeah on one hand casting a Japanese actress to play a Vietnamese woman that I shoot in the head is kind a racist but on the other hand…that's how I met my wife.”

Despite it being cemented early on as a DVA, the Animation studio team put immense effort behind it. For this story Superman would be transported into the future to interact with the Lovely Angels cast though the Lovely Angels themselves are transported to Superman’s time. The Animation style changes to reflect the show world the characters are in. The main plot involves Brainiac using nanites to assimilate the planet Jupiter. While this process is revealed to take centuries, it has just finished in the Lovely Angels future time period and now threatens Earth. The Legion of Superheroes also appear to aid Superman in this battle alongside the Lovely Angels. given the voice actors, there is some flirting between Superman and Kei.

Plastic Little(1994)
Based on the manga by Satoshi Urushihara in a space setting, a young woman named Tita Mu Koshigaya finds and rescues a girl named Elysse Aldo Mordish from an alien planet’s military forces, who have killed Elysse’s scientist father. Tita was researching the planet’s wildlife. While saving the world is important, an equal amount of time is put towards the developing lesbian relationship between Tita and Elysse.

Airbats(1994-1996)
A romantic comedy about a male mechanic Takuya Isurugi, who is transferred to be the mechanic of an all female strike force, starting a love triangle with two rivals Miyuki Haneda and Arisa Mitaka.

F3: Frantic, Frustrated & Female(1994)
A Hentai following Hiroe Ogawa, a girl who is unable to achieve intimate satisfaction.

Angel Blade Kekko Kamen(1995-2000)
A Hentai Created by Masami Ōbari and Based on Kekko Kamen created by Go Nagai. The series is a reimagining set 100 years in the future from the original series. Earth has become inhospitable due to pollution and nuclear war. Humanity lives in several floating cities. City 69 is infiltrated by a race of mutants who seek to both transform humans into mutants and create human-mutant hybrids to both increase their own numbers, inhabit the desolated Earth and to wipe out Humanity in revenge. The largely female led Mutants are opposed by a new magical girl version of Kekko Kamen "Angel Blade". Neither the heroes nor the villains wear clothes that cover anything .In a downer ending typical of Hentai, Kekko Kamen discovers the Queen of the Mutants is her mother and is transformed into Demon Blade, an ally of the Mutants who leads the charge in transforming humanity into mutants[23].

I’m Not an Angel(1994)
Based on the Manga by Ai Yazawa that ran from 1991 to 1994. Midori Saejima is a first year student at a newly established school Hijiri Gakuen. Due to her popularity she is encouraged to run for student council president as her crush Akira is also running.The series then continues to explore their relationship through High School

You’re Under Arrest(1994-1995)
An adaptation of the same Manga that was billed as a prequel to Oh My Goddess!

Key the Metal Idol(1994-1996)
Tokiko Mima is a girl who believes herself to be an android with a scientist grandfather named Murao Mima who she believes builds a new body as she sleeps when she grows. When Mima is on his death bed he records an audiotape telling Tokiko she can become human if she gains 30,000 friends. Key believes she has batteries that will run out. She becomes an idol while a conspiracy comes after her as she has superhuman properties.

Genocyber(1994)
Based on the manga by Tony Takezaki that ran from 1992 to 1993.The world’s nations have formed one government. The mad scientist led Kuryu Group create the Genocyber as a weapon. It is sent after a woman named Elaine but when she is murdered, her spirit is able to possess Genocyber and destroy Hong Kong. Due to the timing of when this attack took place matching up with a nation known as Karain seceding from the world government, it is believed to be a weapon of theirs. The Kuryu Group is recruited by the UN to design weapons to stop Genocyber, including a new prototype called the Vajra. A battle results in Elaine being returned to a human form and she is found and adopted by Myra, a member of the team who lost her daughter during Genocyber’s battle with Kuryu. Elaine is now mute and cannot reveal her true involvement with the group, who believe she is an innocent orphan. The Vajra is accused of malfunctioning when it attacks Elaine and it then tries to destroy the ship. Karain is destroyed like Hong Kong by Genocyber, but this time it relapses to Elaine, who vows to never summon Genocyber again. She is adopted by Myra and a man named Ryu but in the ruins of the city, a corrupt mayor aided by Kuryu Group rises up and kills innocents including seemingly Ryu and Myra, eventually forcing Elaine to summon Genocyber and destroy Kuryu and their satellite base in space at the cost of her own life, saying goodbye via a transmission on the satellite to Ryu and Myra.

Junkers Come Here(1994)
The story of a girl dealing with her parent’s divorce, both of which were largely absent due to their jobs and her relationship with her dog Junkers, who can secretly talk.

Kizuna(1994)
A Yaoi Manga focusing on a gay high school romance, which is complicated when one of the protagonist’s mother dies and he learns he has familial ties to the Yakuza.

Ogre Slayer(1994-1995)
A series about a young man who hunts Ogres.

Phantom Quest Corp(1994-1995)
A series following japanese exorcist Ayaka Kisaragi as she battled Supernatural forces.

IN THE NEWS…
Disney, after casting Gina Davis as Queen Beryl for their live action Sailor Moon, has narrowed down their lead for the role or Usagi Tsukino(to be renamed Luna) to Heather Graham, beating out Elizabeth Shue(deemed too old to play a teenager at 32) and Winona Ryder(previously played Mai, the Psychic Girl). The film is now planned for a 1995 release[24].

TRUE AI!
After years of work attempting to build a true artificial intelligence, a new breakthrough has been found. To be clear the computer is massive, taking up multiple rooms and must be maintained frequently but it is still a breakthrough. The AI is in a state where it can speak and seems to have things resembling thoughts but largely exists to answer questions and cannot predict the future, though it can be asked to guess. When asked to create images or write stories it admits to lacking creativity. Its appearance resembles a screen with a face which disappears and calculations can take hours[25].

At this time it doesn't do much but the idea of hooking it up to the Internet is being considered.

Strangest of all according the staff the AI turned itself on at night and was recorded singing an original song of its own creation

Butterflied Away

Brave police J Decker-Brave series staying one installment casualty.

Ginga Sengoku Gun'yūden Rai- An adaptation hated by the original author. This was due to Kadokawa President Haruki Kadokawa, being arrested for cocaine smuggling and for embezzling his company’s funds, leading to much of the budget being pulled. ITTL its canceled outright to satisfy the original manga author Johji Manabe, who hated the adaptation so much he wanted to give everyone involved the Death Sentence. That kind of hate seems to go beyond just they cut the budget

Iria: Zeiram the Animation- An Animated prequel to the Zeiram live action film. ITTL the animation plot is instead incorporated into the sequel Zeiram 2 released the same year.

The Legend of Snow White-Casualty of Tatsunoko collapse.

Sonic: The Animation- Currently The Sonic the Hedgehog Tv Series AKA Sonic Sat-AM is still running for an extra third season which was canceled OTL, and so these short animations have been removed while the franchise focuses on wrapping up that series and with plans for Sonic: Wonders of the World to be released in 1995.

NOTES
[1] This plot is actually from a 1992 TV Special but its been moved up here as the plot would fit well in competing with a Street Fighter film.

[2] Miyazaki has at many times claimed to have retired only to return later. The first case of this was after the death of Yoshifumi Kondō, his intended successor, in 1998. He was likely just in mourning and would return with Spirited Away, so ITTL he is having a similar moment over Walt Disney's death.

[3] A mix of OTL Treasure Planet but more faithful to the original book and some Hayao Miyazaki staples inserted in. Ironbeard is from the cancelled Treasure Planet 2 as a sequel is unlikely.

[4] Getting Jean Claude Van Damme along drained the budget for the Street Fighter Movie OTL.

[5] ITTL Capcom didn't go overboard with the re-releases of Street Fighter II, meaning Street Fighter III will be released earlier and with the New warriors added in later additions of Street Fighter II OTL.

[6] Don't get confused but when Street Fighter came over to the US there was a Mike Tyson Rape Scandal so the original names were swapped. Vega became M.Bison(Dictator), Balrog became Vega(Spanish assassin with mask and claws) and M.Bison became Balrog(black boxer, hence his name being a Mike Tyson reference).

[7]Intended to be Sakura.

[8] replaces Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals, which was a sequel to Final Fantasy V set 200 years later. Ok hear me out. If they make a Final Fantasy Animated film every year, by the time they get to Final Fantasy 7. It will be 2001. The year the infamous film Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within was released. So we’d basically be swapping out that film with a 3D adaptation of Final Fantasy 7, considered largely the best one, probably with graphics akin to Advent Children.

Final Fantasy Theater is a reference to 8- Bit Theater. A long running webcomic. ITTL with every Final Fantasy game getting at least one adaptation. The web series uses screenshots instead of sprites, similar to web comics Darths and Droids and DM of the Rings, which do Star Wars and Lord of the Rings in this style. This also further contributes to its status as a long runner as ITTL it will keep going as long as Final Fantasy keeps going.

[9] OTL Detective Conan was created around this time and crossed over with Lupin III later on but ITTL has been made a character in the same world. Ironically this means Conan succeeded in a promise he made in the OTL crossover but could never accomplish, he captured Lupin and the gang.

I have nothing against Lupin its just that I felt like I had to grant the wish of his dying voice actor, and the idea might actually be more plausible due to the franchise having to recover from Tower of Babel a decade prior, still I did leave it open for a potential continuation.

[10] A Little early but you may know this series OTL as Cowboy Bebop. Moving it down provides the chance for Spike Spiegel's inspiration Yusaku Matsuda, to play him in a live action film(OTL he died in 1989 but of bladder cancer he ignored. ITTL he is alive albeit in his 50's but still looked good in 1989).

[11] World Masterpiece Theater OTL lasted from 1969 to 1997, though it would be revived, lasting from 2007 to 2009. Ironically this year OTL they released their first and only original story, Tico of the Seven Seas.I don’t know why I envisioned a noir themed Youtube series for this specific part. But looking at the internet, it’s probably closest to the Youtube Series Death of a Game by nerdSlayer Studios, which looks at cancelled Video Games but "Franchise Killer" is much more broad on its subject matter.

[12] OTL the series was titled Marmalade Boy. TTL’s title change is actually indicative of the original idea. All the characters were supposed to be gender flipped with the protagonist being male instead of female OTL. Hence the title of Marmalade Boy despite the protagonist being female. The author just liked it, though it changed to reflect Yuu, which it now reflects his female counterpart. The ending is also changed from OTL where Miki and Yuu end up together. The original ending had them discover they were biologically related and call off the relationship.

[13] Tom Selleck was the original choice to play Indiana Jones but was contractually obligated to star in Magnum P.I. ITTL I like to imagine Harrison Ford and he swapped roles there so Harrison Ford is the star of Magnum P.I.

[14] Lucas actually conceived an episode about the Crystal Skulls for Young Indiana Jones. Which this replaces(its placement also replaces an OTL Anime parody called Indiana Bones with a dog) . Obviously he held onto that idea until Kingdom of the Crystal Skull...unfortunately. At least here it's just a weird episode of an otherwise pretty stellar show.

[15] TTL's The Clone Wars will essentially be the CGI series plot with the 2D series art style, and be released between the prequel films.

[16] OTL this series came undone due to Victory Gundam underperforming, here that series did better due to SD Gundam not existing. As such Fighter G Gundam is butterflied away.

[17] OTL Yasuhiro Imagawa left the show. His continued presence butterflies away the reveal that the villain was Allen Schezar's lost lost sister turned into a boy.

[18] OTL a short OVA of Baki the Grappler was released but ITTL its a full series, as Baki is itself a long runner, though its released in part. The show's fights are already treated much like wrestling matches. The screenings in Brazil is something done with Dragonball Super episodes OTL though with Baki fights tend to swing either way at times with even the protagonist losing a few.

[19] OTL James Wan was attached to direct a Robotech(English dubbed Macross series)around 2006 or so with Tobey Maguire looking to produce and possibly star in. However given Wan wouldn't be in film school yet its too soon to bring him on, still I'm planning to push Saw down to 2000 and have him be hired to work on the "Battle City" movie shortly after, with the bonus that this would possibly either delay or butterfly the Saw sequels, meaning they never descend into Torture Porn. It may also lead to a friendship between Wan and Maguire akin to his OTL friendship with Sam Raimi since the James Cameron Spider-Man movies with Leonard DiCaprio happened ITTL. I do imagine Wan, being a horror director, would make the alien Zentraedi more terrifying and monstrous rather than humanoid, like they were the Quiet Place monsters except music can hypnotize them.

[20] OTL's equivalent to Macross 7. The show switched hands several times and one producer really liked Macbeth and demanded they make the name sound like Macbeth. The name Battle City Megaload(or road, both are identical in Japanese) was settled on so without the name Macross and Megaroad being a more broad term for the journey and the craft. Battle City is used instead and it becomes the "Battle City" franchise, cementing the recurring element of fighting cities.

[21] Moved some Godzilla stuff around but an OTL cancelled Godzilla film was made ITTL in which Godzilla fought a giant Griffin. It was released in 1994 with a sequel in 1995. Neither film was meant to feature the classic monsters and so the animated series would work to do just that and reinvent them for that version's world. It could be seen as akin to OTL's Godzilla: The Animated Series, which followed after the infamous 1998 American Godzilla film.

[22]OTL this idea was brought up and sketched by Adam Warren as a Comic Crossover in 1996 to boost Dirty Pair Sales(Which ITTl is named Lovely Angels. It was meant to invoke the likes of Dirty Harry, here instead invoking Charlie's Angels). Adam Baldwin was in Fullmetal Jacket and was to voice Superman in the Animated Series. I moved that show down from its OTL release(though Batman: The Animated Series was moved down also to 1989). Baldwin and Kyoku Tongu aren't married OTL. I was hesitant to mess with real people's love lives but to make this happen I went for it. OTL both voice actresses for the Dirty Pair refused to return for the reasons stated and this show became the reboot Dirty Pair Flash but connecting her personally to there Superman actor makes it more of a favor especially since she did move to America OTL.

[23] OTL New Cutie Honey was released as the show had continued to remain popular, largely due to Go Nagai being asked to make it more for boys when it changed to a different time slot, making the character briefly appear naked while transforming. ITTL that choice was not made and Kekko Kamen(another more outright pornographic Go Nagai work) is remade here is a merge of the later Hentai Angel Blade, which ended without a resolution. ITTL it has one, but most Hentai have downer endings where the villains win(usually because they are the ones doing the things that make it NSFW) and that is the case here. No I will not go into details or answer anymore questions about it for obvious reasons. I only went into this much detail because we hit page 69.

[24] I chose to have the Gina Davis Sailor Moon film be released in 1995 but OTL Gina Davis was attached to Cutthroat Island and she basically took over production, bringing in her husband director and leading Cannon to cancel other films like Paul Verhoeven's Crusade with Arnold Schwarzenegger. With her busy on Sailor Moon that doesn't happen. Also doesn't kill the Pirate craze which Pirates of the Caribbean eventually revived. The chose for Usagi are all OTL considerations and the logic stated was basically my own. Besides Heather Graham didn't really have a memorable film role in 1995. Twin Peaks as we know it doesn't exist ITTL and she's still some time away from 1997's Boogie Nights. Winona Ryder already was in an Anime film in Mai, the Psychic Girl. Elizabeth Shue played a teenager in the 80's in Karate Kid and Back to the Future part II and III. No offense but would you buy her as a teenager in 1995?

[25] I had this idea for awhile just wasn't sure when it made logical sense to implement it. Funny enough I considered making Key the Metal Idol something close to a real life Idol who in their backstory was a robot, but went with reviving this idea instead. Technology is a bit ahead In a few fields for a few reasons. According to Werner Von Braun we could have landed on Mars in the 80's if we kept trying and ITTL they did. Also war(like the one going on in China ITTL) tends to boost scientific progress. Wifi for example was invented as an experimental form of radar. Alan Turing never killed himself for another thing. I didn't want to make it to unrealistic though so what they have here is a giant Siri that could take possibly hours to respond, which will be incorporated into the early internet. The AI ITTL will openly admit to lacking creativity, which means it ironically would support the writers in the strike against it. Also OTL yes the Internet was around by this time. Also possibly an unintentionally meta element here as 1994 was also the year I was born. The conversation of connecting it to the Internet would go something like this:

Are you connected to the Internet?"

"I am the Internet."​

 

[Marco Incognito]

1995 IN ANIME

FILM

Battle Guardian Gally(1995)
A loose adaptation of Rainmaker by Yukito Kishiro, focusing on the side character of the Android Police Officer Gally. Directed by Mamoru Oshii. Its success redeemed Oshii in the eyes of many for the controversial Lupin the Third: Tower of Babel more than a decade later and was a hit upon release, inspiring many filmmakers such as the Wachowskis. The film was pushed by Director Guillermo Del Toro to entice James Cameron into adapting the series[1]

Crayon Shin-chan: Unkokusai's Ambition(1995)
An Officer from the 30th century arrives in the present and takes control of the Nohara family dog Shiro and asks them to help stop a crisis in the Sengoku period. They are given period accurate clothing to blend in. Soon after arriving they meet a swordsman named Fubukimaru, who wants to find Unkokusai, who killed his parents. He also tells them of a prophecy that three heroes and a dog will save the day. They discover Fubukimaru is a girl, raised as a boy by her father. Unkokusai is revealed to be a 30th century villain called Jakoman. While he is defeated and the Nohara family return home, they find Jakoman is now President and declared them outlaws. This leads them to be rescued and attack Jakoman’s home base and home time, defeating him.

Doraemon: Nobita’s Diary on the Creation of the World(1995)
Nobita reads The Bible, specifically the part detailing Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit. Doraemon provides Nobita with a pocket universe which allows them to witness all of creation very quickly. Nobita befriends the Dinosaurs, which act like pets to him before an asteroid hit and kills them all to his shock and sadness. Nobita then befriends a race of cavemen which includes several children, but he indirectly causes a race of insect people to rise up and threaten humanity. As Nobita watches humanity in that universe become more and more advanced, the Insect people rise up and attack Nobita’s world until Doraemon reveals Nobita to be their god and they are given a universe of their own to live in.

Memories(1995)
A three part anthology film by Katsuhiro Otomo. The first part, Magnetic Rose, is about a ship finding a signal from what is revealed to be a ghost ship previously belonging to the Opera singer Eva before her death, with her voice luring victims to the ship. The second part “Little Man” was directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri and follows an office worker accidentally exposed to a deadly chemical that kills everything around him with the risk that he will soon explode. This was based on a real life incident[2]. The final story, “Cannon Fodder” follows the life of a son and a father who works in operating a massive cannon in a city which fires on an unseen enemy through a fog.

Alcion III(1995)
The conclusion to the Alcion trilogy by Hideaki Anno and King Records. The Film begins with the 13 remaining Apostolo attacking the Earth all at once, destroying America and the Moon in the process. This results in all EVAs being sent out into the battle including Rei, Shinji, Asuka, and NERV recruits two of Rei and Shinji’s school mates: Toji Suzuhara and Kaworu Nagisa to pilot EVAs into the battle. The EVAs are forced to split up to kill two Apostolos each with the sole remaining Apostolo proving to be the strongest. Kaworu Nagisa is killed in battle and the Apostolos scorch large parts of the Earth. NERV and Gendo Ichijo finds themselves confronted by an American Rival bent on aiding Humanity in defeating the Apostolos named Conrad Lawrence. Lawrence is significantly less evil than Gendo and poses a serious threat to him and is revealed to have originally set up NERV and Gendo. Most of the UN choose to go down fighting instead when all hope seems lost, to Gendo’s anger. He defects and leads the survivors to search for Atlantis, since Atlantis was(tying the series back to Nadia and the Secret of Blue Water, which it began as a spinoff/Sequel of). Several fates of the cast of Nadia are revealed when the cast examine the ruins, which depict images of the cast. They find a powerful device meant to stop the final Apostolo. Gendo betrays the group at this moment to try and weaken the surface and allow him to take over. He pilots his own EVA into battle but is defeated by Rei in an intense fight. The cannon is fired and the final Apostolo destroyed. The cast find themselves in a world where the Apostolos never arrived as a result of the weapon firing(heavily implied to be the real world as the cast appear in live action and Alcion is shown to be a work of fiction from a billboard they see). In the universe they left behind, a flashforward is seen revealing the world to be overgrown, having become the future setting of Nausicaa[3].

Post-Alcion film series, Hideaki Anno considered returning to Studio Daicon, but was then approached to possibly helm an installment in the Japan Heroes Universe. He wanted to work on either Godzilla or Ultraman. Akira Kurosawa was directing the Godzilla film and Anno did not think he could do a better job than Kurosawa. He was a huge fan of Ultraman, having made a fan film based on the character in 1983 with himself in the lead role for Daicon. He therefore chose to direct an Ultraman film to be released in 1998. This fast tracked the development of “Team 2” Or “Second Phase” of the Japan Heroes Universe. Ultraman was the first confirmed along with the intent to revive the previously cancelled Dororo. Anno was also considering a body horror Kaiju series, which led to an effort to get Gamera as a face of “Team 2” next to Ultraman. Anno himself thought Gamera was too closely connected with the side of the heroes to really be used in such a way. Experimenting with this idea and flexing his muscles into live action film in the process, a still fairly new experience for him, Anno created the horror mini-series “The Man in the Godzilla Suit”, which involved the original Godzilla actor being exposed to radiation while the original film was being made on a remote island and transforming into a hideous monster merging with the Godzilla suit, culminating in his growth to the size of an actual Godzilla [4].

Codename: Sailor V(1995)
The somewhat first long awaited Live Action Disney Anime film. Bile Fascination carried the film somewhat but it ultimately failed to live up to Disney’s expectations, and was largely seen as an attempt to follow the bandwagon. Its production was also hampered by the recent death of Walt Disney the previous year. The film was a fairly generic plot, as it was a PG rated movie largely aimed at children and especially girls. The Film began with the Moon Kingdom being devastated and the spirits of the Sailor Scouts being sent to Earth, then following the girls as they meet and unite to defeat the evil Queen Beryl. Unlike the main story there are no casualties. Geena Davis, who played Queen Beryl was among the first roles cast and wanted to bring her then husband Director Renny Harlin to direct the film, but Disney shot this down in favor of Hong Kong Director Stanley Tong. Heather Graham, who played Sailor Moon, was praised for her performance by sharp contrast to Davis[5].

Mach Go Go Go(1995)
A film by Ron Howard made as part of the Japan Heroes Universe, starring Johnny Depp in the titular role. Made as a joint venture between Warner Bros and Silver Pictures. Howard took the shooting all over the world to simulate a Grand Prix race. The film features many of the characters from the show. Go Mifune wants to be a racer after losing his brother in a race. Migune becomes a famous race in the Mach 5, built by his father. He also begins a rivalry against the masked Racer, who he begins to suspect is his thought dead brother[6]

The Silent Service(1995)
Released as a TV Movie, and based on the manga by Kaiji Kawaguchi that ran from 1988 to 1996. The Film follows a Japanese submarine that declares independence during the Cold War, with both sides seeking to find, obtain or destroy it.

Art by Nolen Lee

The Cat in the Hat(1995)
The first film by Yoshifumi Kondo, whom Miyazaki and Takahata intended as their successor, having worked on Ghibli films since Pippi Longstocking. The film is a collaboration. It is a loose adaptation of the original story by Dr.Seuss, whom Hayao Miyazaki and Kondo met during production before Seuss’s death. Seuss himself greenlit the(somewhat controversial) move to a japanese setting and following two children. This factors into the plot as the young girl protagonist has an interest in American culture, including trying to rework the song “Country Roads, Take me Home” into Japanese. Her interest in the children’s book of Dr.Seuss results in the Cat in the Hat(Tim Allen) actually appearing before them and bringing them into his world, featuring many other Dr.Seuss characters in cameos including the Grinch and the Lorax. While the children are put in danger by the King of the Cats, who wishes to marry the young girl and turn her into a cat., They are able to avoid danger and are returned back to their own world. This was followed by a later sequel, based on the sequel “The Cat in the Hat Comes Back”. Miyazaki expressed the belief that they had been making too many Western based films recently and wanted to shift to Japanese stories for the next Ghibli film[7].

TV SERIES

Cowboy Bebop(1995)
Developed by Sunrise, under the name Hajime Yatate, used for the entire staff, though helmed largely by Shinichiro Watanabe. Sponsored by Bandai, who created toys for the series(one of which became a meme due to the packaging listing Cowboy Bebop in place of Ed's name). The series is set in 2071 and follows a group of Bounty Hunters. The plot was intentionally written to wrap up quickly and prevent a long running series, concluding with Spike facing his rival Vicious, the head of the Red Dragon Syndicate in a final showdown. Bandai wanted to do sequels but Watanabe was adamant. He did however, agree to green light a live action film starring Yusaku Matsuda as Spike, set during the main series [8].

Fushigi Yûgi: The Mysterious Play(1995-1996)
Based on the manga by Yuu Watase. Two teenage girls named Miaka Yuki and Yui Hongo are brought into a book called The Universe of the Four Gods. While Yui is sent back Miaka stays and learns of a way to summon the god Suzaku to grant three wishes. She initially wants to return home but soon begins to fall in love with the warrior Tamahome and considers staying. Yui goes into the book to save Miaka but soon grows jealous of her after she is cast in the role of an antagonist.

Gundam: Mobile Meteor(1995-1996)​

OTL's Gundam Wing. Meteor is very different as OTL it was based on Mobile Fighter G Gundam. The show focuses more on drama, which led to a Yaoi Fanbase. Shuko Murase acted as the character designer with an appeal towards a female demographic. The protagonist was Duo Maxwell[9]

Escape from Jurassic Park(1995-1996)
Universal Picture’s response to both The Indiana Jones Adventures, and the Disney adventure shows of the era. The series was intended to be released alongside the original film in 1993, but was placed on hold due to Steven Spielberg feeling there was too much merchandise of the film. This changed when the second Film Jurassic Park: The Lost World was due for a 1995 release with only Ian Malcolm intended to return. The Series was therefore greenlit with assistance from Japanese animators. A mix of 2D, 3D and stop motion were used at many different times to help create the effects for the series, which led into the second film. All of the main characters returned, though many with different voice actors. The show veered away from being a kid’s show several times and wasn’t really considered one by the staff as it included scenes of horror similar to the original film. The plot has all the main characters be abducted by InGen’s rival BioSyn, including Lewis Dodgson, who forces them with a team of mercenaries to return to the island to obtain a Barbasol can containing Embryos that Nedry attempted to steal during the first film. John Hammond and Ian Malcolm are both found to be alive when they were previously thought dead in the film(Hammond was attacked by Compsagnathus and seemingly overwhelmed but his death wasn’t shown on screen and Ian Malcolm seemed to die from his injuries, but here other survivors found him and used a defibrillator to jumpstart his heart. Both appear in the sequel film thanks to this). Michael Crichton helped write the plot of many of the episodes and considers it canon to the novel as well[10].

Legend of Crystania(1995-1997)
A sequel to Record of Lodoss War, following a land mentioned at the conclusion of the original series.

Mojacko(1995-1997)
A Series by Fujiko Fujio. A young boy named Sayao finds and helps rescue a crashed alien ship and is rewarded with trips across by his new alien friends.

Neighborhood Story(1995-1996)
Based on the manga by AI Yazawa that ran from 1995 to 1997. The series follows Mikako Koda, whose dream is to become a fashion designer.

Nurse Angel Ririko(1995-1996)
Based on the manga that also ran from 1995 to 1996 by producer Yasushi Akimoto and manga creator Koi Ikeno. Ririka Moriya is a 4th grader who is given a magical nurse cap from her crush Nozomu, who reveals he is an alien from a planet overrun by the Dark Joker Organization and she was sent there to find the magical girl Nurse Angel to save his planet.

The Ping Pong Club(1995)
Based on the manga by Minoru Furuya that ran from 1993 to 1996. The Series follows a school ping pong club whose members prefer to harass girls and play video girls until a new student whips them into shape, transforming them into an actual competent team.

Saint Tail(1995-1996)
Based on the Manga that ran from 1994 to 1996 by Megumi Tachikawa. The series is described by its own advertisements as “Robin Hood meets Sailor V.” and follows a young girl who becomes a thief after her father to retrieve stolen items.

Slayers(1995-1996)
Based on the Light novel that began in 1989 by Hajime Kanzaka. The First Light Novel series follows a Quest to defeat the Evil Lord of Nightmares in a fantasy land with the protagonist of teenage sorceress Lina Inverse.

Soar High! Isami(1995-1996)
A series by Group TAC, A boy named Isami discovers he is a descendant of the ancient Shinsengumi clan with other classmates who must battle the evil Kurotengu organization.

Sorcerer Hunters(1995-1996)
Based on the light novel series that ran from 1993 to 1996 by Satoru Akahori and Rei Omishi. The series is set in a world split between normal people called Parsoners and Sorcerers, who enslave the non magical people and Sorcerer Hunters who fight to protect them from the Sorcerers.

Juuni Senshi Bakuretsu Eto Ranger(1995-1996)
A series based on a team of Anthropomorphic animal superheroes based on the chinese zodiac, who work in a world created by human imagination.

Virtua Fighter(1995-1996)
Japan’s first 3D series based on the Video Game series of the same name. The plot follows Akira Yuki in his quest to obtain the 8 stars of Heaven. He learns Sarah Bryant was kidnapped by Eva Durix as part of their robotics project[11].

Wedding Peach(1995-1996)
Based on the manga that ran from 1994 to 1996 by Sukehiro Tomita, who worked on Sailor Moon, the series this is most compared to. The plot follows Momoko Hansaki, who is turned into the magical heroine Wedding Peach by Aphrodite to battle the ruler of the Devil World Raindevila.​

Wild Knights Gulkeeva(1995)​

A Series set in a world called Earthside which is under attack by the Darknoids, a race from another world called Nosfertia. The realm of Heavenstia sends three animoids(animal-human hybrids) to defend Earthside with one resident named Touya, who thought he was human, discovering he is a Animoid himself and joining the fight.

Zenki(1995-1996)
Based on the manga that ran from 1992 to 1996. In the past, the great Bodhisattva of Japan, Ozunu Enno, defeated the Demon Goddess Karuma with the aid of the Demon Gods, and sealed away her and the Demon Zenki to fight her in case she returned. Enno’s descendant Chiaki Enno frees Zenki to fight a partially freed portion of Karuma which has begun to corrupt people.

DVA
Deep Blue Fleet(1995-2005)
A series depicting an alternate universe in which Japan joined the allies instead of the Axis, due to the earlier military coup failing. Japan, still having some imperialistic tendencies, attack china during the Chinese Civil War, taking them out, resulting in the death of Mao Zedong, and unintentionally reunifying China when they annexed the country afterwards and then released it after 5 years. The downside to this is that the Pearl Harbor attacks never happen and America stays neutral, allowing the Nazis to remain in power in Europe and Russia declaring war on Japan leading to a prolonged conflict. In the 1960’s Hitler dies and the Nazis attempt to invade America as part of a long term plan, leading America to join the war effort and begin to overpower the Nazis in Europe while Japan begins to overpower Russia and then sending support to the front in Europe. This universe enters an era where Japan instead of China is a key player on the world stage[12].

Elementators(1995)
A series about a group of humans with powers over the elements.

Elf Princess Raine(1995-1996)
Follows Gou, a young man searching for the legendary treasure of Salamander with the aid of the Fairy Princess.

El Hazard(1995-1999)
An Isekai series about three high school students and their teacher transported to a fantasy world human nations battle the Insect Bugrom Tribe.

Golden Boy(1995-1996)
A series following Kintaro, a teenager who travels Japan. Each Episode will have him fall in love with a girl with tons of sexual humor and then helping them in some way, suggesting that Kintaro is a genius in many ways as he helps them out. The series ends with Kitaro helping animate a film(with meta jokes such as complaining about how messy the animator desks are with DVA cutting to actual photos of a messy animator desk). Kitaro calls every girl from the previous episode to help finish the animated film and get it to the theater in time.

Idol Project(1995-1997)
A group of Idols are abducted by aliens and made to compete in an intergalactic Idol competition.

Landlock(1995)
A DVA Series with art by Masamune Shirow.The series is set in the land of Zer’lue which is attacked by Chairman Sana’ku with his technology and army with one boy named Luta, possessing a magical ability he uses to fight back against the evil empire.

Miyuki-chan in Wonderland(1995)
A Hentai by CLAMP about a girl who is pulled into an erotic version of Wonderland with an all female cast[13].

Ruin Explorers(1995-1996)
Based on a 1991 manga about two girl treasure hunters in a fantasy world.

Saber Marionette R(1995)
The origin of what would become a series[ 14]

IN THE NEWS…

"THE WACHOWSKIS TO DIRECT GHOST IN THE SHELL ADAPTATION[15]."

"SON OF HAYAO MIYAZAKI SAYS HE WANTS TO WORK ON GAME DESIGN"
The 21 year old son of Hayao Miyazaki, Hidetaka Miyazaki, has stated his intent to enter the world of game design, having shown an interest while in school. He took an internship working for an upcoming game for the company Interperplay titled "Armageddon", set in a nuclear wasteland. Hidetaka recalls that he was assigned with translating the game and its theme to Japan and as part of this worked on his spare time, translating the song “Take me Home, Country Roads” into Japanese. To his surprise, Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and Yoshifuni Kondo joined in singing. This event has evidently convinced Hayao Miyazaki into supporting his son's wish to bring the world of Studio Ghibli to game design. Hidetakea Miyazaki has expressed interest in making his own unique version of Armageddon for Japan, but changing it to be about a young girl in a post apocalyptic wasteland[16].

Butterflied Away:

The Brave of Gold Goldran. Butterflied away due to no Brave Series.

The Diary of Anne Frank. Yes, there was actually an Anime of The Diary of Anne Frank by Madhouse. Butterflied Away for heartwarming reasons. Anne Frank did have a Diary, but she survived.

Galaxy Fräulein Yuna. Originated from Mika Akitaka’s MS Girls or Mobile Suit Gundam Girls which reimagined the Gundams from the Mobile Suit Gundam series as girls in Power Armor. While still popular, ITTL it never became a proper series, regulated to Statues, toys, and a Manga series akin to OTL’s DC Bombshells.

Gunsmith Cats. Butterflied away as OTL it emerged from the canceled series Riding Bean.

Iczer Girl Iczelion. Was a reboot with no sequels, removing the hentai elements present in the original two series might have been why.

Magical girl Pretty Sammy and Tenchi Universe. Both spinoffs of Tenchi Muyo, which was Butterflied away.

Romeo and the Black Brothers. OTL was part of World Masterpiece Theater, which ITTL Hayao Miyazaki’s perfectionism after Disney bought it and gave the rights to him, led him to shoot it down, though to some consider The Cat in the Hat film to be the latest part of this. OTL World Masterpiece Theater lasted until 1997 with a short lived revival in 2007.

Street Fighter II V. Likely considered but canceled by Capcom as a more successful Street Fighter film and delayed game sequels means they are instead focusing on a sequel film. There’s also the character of Sakura planning to be fully cast in the next film and this would lose the impact if she debuted in an animated series.

NOTES

[1] essentially TTL’s Ghost in the Shell mixed with Battle Angel Aelita and to a lesser extent Armitage III. Mentioned later but Ghost in the Shell is planned to be adapted by the Wachowskis.

[2]OTL this short was based on the Death of Gloria Ramirez, also known as the Toxic Woman. Attempts to operate on her made the doctors sick. It was theorized that she used Dimethyl Sulfoxide as a pain reliever which converted into a sulphuric acid. ITTL while an unknown different person was involved, the unfortunate victim exploded due to ingesting flammable elements. Also I sense a theme in Katsuhiro Otomi's work, the cover is usually guy in chair.

[3] One of the main problems OTL's Neon Genesis Evangelion had were not only Anno's mental health but also the loss of the budget towards the end. The most recent film Thrice Upon a Time is largely built on the intended original ending. Without spoilers the original planned ending was the characters entering the real world after a devastating attack destroys America and the Moon. The changed ending we got is essentially all of humanity minus Asuka and Shinji dying. The New ending is a mix and essentially changes time so the Angels never attacked. A mix was used here, creating one universe which is basically the real world but with the show characters now there, and the world they left behind where enough humanity survives for it to become the world from Nausicaa.

[4] OTL Hideaki Anno directed Shin Godzilla and was a producer on Shin Ultraman for the Shin Japan Heroes Universe. Shin Godzilla has heavy use of body horror. The Man in the Suit OTL is a Godzilla Analogue horror series, which ITTL is an actual official series mixed with Shin Godzilla elements, possibly released years later as a Netflix mini-series show of something along those lines.

[5] Disney did almost make a Sailor Moon film in the 90's when they go the rights through DiC though around 1997. It was cancelled after Stanley Tong's first and only English film Mr.Magoo failed as he was intended to be the director. This film is more in his wheel house as his expertise is martial arts films. The film's existence butterflies away Cutthroat Island, which OTL was released this year and was a flop largely due to Davis and her husband as director meddling in its production. It also invokes several of the films made after Disney died OTL which were Disney trying new things and not really succeeding, getting mixed reviews but cult followings such as The Black Cauldron(Darker film), Midnight Madness(Animal House style film), The Black Hole(Star Wars style film) and The Watcher in the Woods(Horror). ITTL Disney has just died and so this period will be a bit of a rough time for Disney until they can return to their former glory akin to the OTL Disney Renaissance, but much later. Codename Sailor: V will fear similar to those films. Mixed reviews but gain a cult following over time.

Also I tried to use Midjourney AI to create Heather Graham as either Sailor Moon or Sailor Venus and Geena Davis as Queen Beryl but didn't really see it in either one. It tended to just make them a stock Princess or Queen. The result shown is best I got. Couldn't find any artist results either. I'm open fan art submissions.

[6]Personally I'm not a fan of Ron Howard's films, but other people seem to like them so to each their own. He did make Rush, which is probably the closest in terms of style to this film since ITTL after Tatsunoko fell, Mach Go Go Go had its right bought up and was rebooted as a formula 1 racer based series. Also this was another case where AI and internet art failed me. No Johnny Depp as Speed Racer, it was usually his current look or just a racer driver not Speed Racer specifically.

[7] I might get a pushback from this since while Whisper of the Heart is an underrated Ghibli masterpiece, but this idea largely came from two sources. The first was that Whisper of the Heart was billed for the fantasy sequences which are a small part of the film, and its replacement is more what audiences expected. The other is the sequel being named The Cat Returns, sounding similar to The Cat in the Hat comes Back. This was another case where both artists and AI failed. AI can't quite get that Studio Ghibl style.

[8] I moved down Cowboy Bebop(no real changes I could find, largely so that Yusaku Matsuda(who OTL died of bladder cancer but survived ITTL due to surgery), can act in a film playing his inspiration Spike Spiegel, in a live action Bebop film that would be good this time. Plus he's in his 50's but I thought looked good for his age in his last film OTL Black Rain, but the window is closing, though despite his age he could still voice characters he inspired OTL such as Aokiji in One Piece(Romance Dawn ITTL), and Jubei Yagyu in Onimusha 2. Also I realized I had butterflied away Watanabe's other two most famous series OTL: Macross Plus and Mobile Suit Gundam: 0083 Stardust Memory. I figured I owed him one. Also OTL Bandai pulled out of the deal because they thought it wouldn't be successful(showed them huh?).

[9] The Yaoi fanbase will not as extreme as OTL despite such fandoms rising from less. While this would normally not be a problem, the Yaoi fandom has been shown to be far too psychotic, even sending death threats. OTL Duo Maxwell was replaced as protagonist by Heero Yuy, though Maxwell remained a character in the show.

[10] An OTL cancelled animated series by Spielberg due to his dislike for having too much merchandise for a film. This may get its own post in the future as there is a lot of concept are for it and bits of script.

[11] OTL Virtua Fighter was a 2D series. However, the US had Veggie Tales as the first 3D animated series in 1993, so it's within the realm of possibility.

[12] OTL Deep Blue Fleet came out in 1993, but I realized I forgot to include it. The plot is different due to elements such as Yamamoto surviving and a coup occurring ITTL which led to the nukes being used. So rather than Yamamoto being sent back in time and helping Japan win World War II, it's instead a bit more grounded.

[13] Was not a Hentai OTL but many including the staff commented that it teetered the edge quite a bit.

[14] OTL Saber Marionette R was an Audio Drama.

[15] The Wachowskis ITTL just directed Plastic Man with Jim Carrey(Which ITTL replaces The Mask which stuck to the Comics and was a far gorier film) for Warner Bros and DC, so they have some clout and will still make Matrix later on.

[16] Hidetaka Miyazaki was adopted by Hayao Miyazaki ITTL. OTL he is the game designer for Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring. "Armageddon" was the working title for the first game of the Fallout series but was changed due to a video game with the same name that was later cancelled. Singing "Country Roads" is a reference to a scene in OTL's Whisper of the Heart. Fallout 76' actually uses a cover of that song while the first game uses "I don't Want to Set the World on Fire", using the song is Hidetaka's choice as his Miyazaki upbringing means he wants to make a hard game set in a cruel world but still optimistic. This will likely inspire a similar scene in that game, likely a young girl trying to recreate old world pop culture as a way to preserve it after the apocalypse, vaguely remembering there was this old American song they don't quite remember the lyrics to since they don't speak English or understand the references. Fallout is popular in Japan with some minor censoring ("The Fat Boy Launcher is called the Nuke Launcher. One mission with the option to set off a nuke has that removed and you can only defuse it, etc).

For Comparison, here is Whisper of the Heart's Country Roads, which used an older cover from 1973 by Olivia Newton John. The Song Itself would be slightly different, saying "To Virginia" rather than West Virginia, as an abandoned change that would have occurred before the 1900 cut off date would be Virginia(and therefore Robert E.Lee) joining the Union, leading to a more easier to defeat Confederacy. If this happened West Virginia wouldn't exist as it was formed by Union sympathizers who fled the Confederate aligned Virginia. The short version is simply John Denver wrote the song about Virginia.

Whisper of the Heart:

Fallout 76' Version:

 

[Marco Incognito]

Before my overhaul of Marvel Comics in the 1990's, I needed to tackle the Clone Saga. Its success or failure at that crucial time shaped whether the company would survive or go under.​

Life of Reilly: A Look at The Clone Saga​

​

The roots of the Clone Saga took shape in The Amazing Spider-Man #149 (1975). In that story, the villain the Jackal had cloned Spider-Man. The two fought before deciding they were on the same side. An explosion appeared to kill the clone. Spider-Man then destroyed the clone's body in a smokestack to prevent his identity from being discovered. Another clone, one of Gwen Stacy, escaped and disappeared into the night. Parker for awhile wondered if he was real or the clone. In What if issue #30, the Clone was brought back in a story titled "What if Spider-Man's Clone had lived?". The Story had the Spider-Man clone and the real Spider-Man making deals about how they could live as one person. Living in the same apartment and taking turns being Spider-Man. The Clone marries the clone of Gwen Stacy and Peter marries Mary Jane.

In the 90's, Spider-Man had taken a darker turn following the death of his best friend Harry Osborn. Harry had also orchestrated a plan involving robot duplicates of Peter's parents with the aid of the Chameleon. Spider-Man began to mope around for awhile. To make matters worse, Aunt May fell into a coma and Peter and MJ's relationship became even more strained. There was already setup that a mysterious person would enter Peter's life.

"It was Terry Kavanagh's idea to bring the Clone Back at a story conference in 93'. I was an assistant editor and we did the "Return of the Parents" storyline and the high ups wanted their own "Death of Superman" or "Knightfall". Terry didn't want to say his idea. He dismissed it before he said it because he thought it was stupid but we all wanted to hear it. Nothing was out of bounds. Terry finally said the idea we all groaned. Then J.M Dematteis started to pitch ideas for it and we all go excited about it. The editors weren't sure and Tom DeFalco thought it was stupid. Then he ended up deciding to write it himself. DeFalco planned out the whole thing to end by Amazing Spider-Man #400, which it did, concluding with Ben Reilly as the new Spider-Man.

The Spectacular Spider-Man #216 (Sept 1994), was written by Tom DeFalco and Todd Dezago and illustrated by Sal Buscema, The issue had Peter see Spider-Man outside and run to the roof to confront the Spider-Man imposter. While newer readers were confused, the older ones knew the Clone had returned.

"I admit the office didn't say a word, but finally I got Mark Bernardo to spill the beans to me about all the stuff that was going on with the Mysterious stranger. He told me the Clone was coming back and honestly I was skeptical. It was a terrible idea but he said that they had a plan for it. The Fan part of me was screaming to let the clone stay dead. The Marvel editor part saw it as a chance to write Spider-Man out of the marriage without having to sell my soul to Mephisto."

-Joe Quesada​

"Power and Responsibility" was the arc that first dealt with the clone and gave his backstory and what he'd been doing all this time written by JM Dematteis. He had woken up in a smokestack, confused and tried to go see Aunt May before realizing he was a clone. He decided he had to make a new life. Then a new character named Judas Traveller took over Ravencroft Asylum in order to lure Spider-Man to him.

"No one, writers, editors, no one, knew what the hell the deal was with Judas Traveller. J.M. Dematteis had plans for him though. Honestly that kind of supernatural character doesn't fit in Spider-Man's world. That's why we turned down Mephisto appearing in the series too. That was Quesada's idea."

Traveller's challenge is he will kill the inmates if Spider-Man doesn't come, but if Spider-Man defeats Traveller he will free them. What he doesn't know is there are two Spider-Man and so they form a team. Part two in Amazing Spider-Man #394 by JM DeMatteis and illustrated by Mark Bagley and Larry Mahlstedt. The two Spider-Men fought their way through their enemies while Peter fights Traveller, who speaks to a mysterious figure known as Scrier. Traveller casts illusions that make Peter fight his clone, thinking he's a hallucination. The clone channels the fan reaction to the more aggressive Spider-Man, talking about how Peter has changed. He's not the same person. He used to be fun. He used to tell jokes. Traveller released the inmates, forcing the two Spider-Man to stop their fight and team up to defeat villains like Carnage. Peter nearly kills an inmate in his rage and realizes how far he's fallen. Traveller escapes in the chaos and he is revealed to be none other than Mysterio.

"Yeah, J.M. Matteis was furious. To explain, someone else was writing the issue and didn't explain the plan beforehand, so here he was starting the whole saga of who is Judas Traveller and the next writer up and reveals he was Mysterio the whole time. Matteis did end up doing more with him when he wrote Spawn for a bit and honestly he was used much better there. Matteis turned him into the literal Judas and made him an antagonist to Spawn that even was able to rip Al Simmons out of the Spawn persona at will. If I remember he ended up being killed by the six pieces of silver he originally betrayed Jesus for being melted down into Silver bullets used to kill him."

-Todd McFarlane​

After the arc, two Spider-Man titles were created, The Amazing Spider-Man following Peter and the Spectacular Spider-Man following Ben. Ben Reilly picked a fight with Venom, not knowing that Venom and Peter Parker had put aside their rivalry as Venom was not evil, only hating Spider-Man. Ben was not aware of this and does not believe Peter would make a deal with a villain and attacks Venom, leading to a fight. This is the first battle of Ben's career as the true Spider-Man(unlike OTL he is wearing the classic Spider-Man suit). Ben lost the first fight, being seriously injured but then went back to the drawing board, developed new web shooters and a plan to take down Venom which just barely worked, ending in Ben and Venom collapsing next to each other, both defeated, then Ben got up. It was the proof that Ben was a worthy successor, defeating one of Peter's most dangerous enemies.

And for better or for worse that was the status quo for 17 years, Peter Parker enjoyed his life with his family, moving elsewhere, still occasionally jumping in as Spider-Man, while Ben lived out his solo adventures in the Big Apple. Both Spider-Men would find successors to continue their legacy.

 

[Marco Incognito]

Sonic in Film & TV

Sonic the Hedgehog(1993-1994)
Sonic SatAM debuted in 1993. All characters more or less resembled their OTL counterparts except for a more fully cyborg Bunnie and a non cowardly Antione, being much more bold ITTL. Super Sonic also appears ITTL. The intro us also different. The show continued towards a season three, with Snively working with Ixis Naugus as the main villains. A new character is introduced in the magician Nate Morgan, who is a tall and lanky black man. Mobius is revealed to be Earth all along. The series concluded with a film(Sonic SatAM's plans nix the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog as that was originally conceived as a prequel to Sonic SatAm before going wackier. Instead more effort is put towards SatAM's development, since the two were originally conceived as one show anyway).

Sonic the Hedgehog: Wonders of the World(1995)
In 1994, MGM optioned the rights to produce a Sonic the Hedgehog film. With Pen Densham (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) as executive producer, MGM commissioned had Richard Jeffries(The Vagrant) write the script. The film was titled Sonic the Hedgehog: Wonders of the World. It revolved around Josh, the son of a divorced couple, who plugged in the Sega Saturn containing the then recent Sonic Mars, into his father's computer. He was also writing a school paper on a test pilot killed in a freak accident named Sonic(the original concept for Sonic's backstory). Sonic then entered the real world via CGI. At first, Sonic and Josh become good friends, but Sonic begins to cause problems in the city, often accidentally. Dr.Eggman then entered the world and tries to take over, turning an amusement park into his base with his badniks. He then uses the technology left by Josh's scientist father to create a virtual reality, leading him to mind control children who he lures to play it. Sonic and Josh team up to fight Dr.Eggman but are sucked back into the game console. Sonic is able to defeat Eggman, forcing him to retreat. Josh returns home. The film was released by MGM. It received mixed reviews. This film's existence butterflies away OTL's Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie, most of the animation scenes that would have gone to that film are instead used for Sonic: Armageddon.

Sonic the Hedgehog: the Movie(1996)
Sonic the Hedgehog: the Movie improved Sonic's popularity in Japan and led to a full series. This being after the end of the acclaimed Sonic SATAM and the continuation of the series, as well as after the underperforming 1994 film.

Sonic: Armageddon(2002)
In 1999,Ben Hurst, one of the Writers of Sonic SatAM, pitched the a movie to revive the Saturday Morning Universe. Ken Penders was brought onboard and did some storyboards. The film was released as Sonic Armageddon in 2002. Storyboards by Penders have been shown. Production on Sonic X was delayed as Sega didn't want to have two different versions of Sonic running concurrently, though the film's "Finale" status meant there were no planned sequels. Among the elements in the film are Mobius being destroyed. Roboticization was much more gruesome than in any other medium beforehand. Snively is the supporting antagonist and is now a cyborg, with Metal Sonic appearing as the main antagonist.

Storyboard Art by Ken Penders for Sonic Armageddon

Sonic X(2003-2005)
A new Sonic Anime appeared due to the absence of a follow up to Sonic SatAM. Sonic X had a cast of anthropomorphic animals instead of humans. Eggman being the only human character. It was Largely an adaptation of the video game series, but taken into a somewhat darker direction. The X was meant as a reference to that of Megaman X, namely in greater world building and focus. The series did very well and became the definitive Sonic anime, usurping the spot held by its predecessor Sonic series. The character Nezu does not exist ITTL and his design is isntead a form Sonic briefly takes akin to Super Sonic.

Sonic the Hedgehog(2015)
Due to the failure of the 1994 film, it took many years for another attempt at a Live Action Sonic film to materialize. Sony finally agreed to produce it. Several scripts were submitted but those who had submitted them were often busy, such as Brad Bird who was committed to Tomorrowland, Wernick & Reese, who were busy with Deadpool. Phil Johnston, who was busy with Zootopia, and David Barenbaum. Finally Brad Bird hopped on to write when Tomorrowland was cancelled. Tim Miller also joined production. Sony pushed for a PG-13 rating but it was Miller who vetoed the idea to make it more faithful to the games and get a wider audience. Paul Rudd was cast as a grown up Josh Wachowski. Revealing the bold decision of making the game a loose sequel. Chris Pratt, and Chris Evans also featured in the film in cameos. Ben Schwartz was always considered for the role of Sonic, though Rudd would have voiced Sonic as well as play Josh had Schwartz not been available. Production of the film took place in Atlanta. Dr.Eggman was played by Jim Carrey, who watched the cartoons, Video Game cutscenes(and the Sonic parody Real Time Fandub) to prepare. He was able to sneak in the line "I've come to make an announcement during a scene as he was encouraged to ad lib most of his lines." Another improvised line is a coffee machine he called "The Mean Bean Machine." He is also referred to as Dr. Eggman a few times by Sonic.

Since the film was a sequel of sorts to the 1994 film, the design of Sonic needed to match the classic look. Yuji Naka made a Stan Lee-style cameo in the film when Sonic is testing his speed and briefly ends up in Japan. The film also begins with Schwartz performing a harmonized version of the Sega opening theme. The film featured the Echidnas as antagonists(a take that to Ken Penders). They were an ancient civilization that was recently revived, with Sonic being sent to another universe, seeking a way to return to protect his friends. Other Sonic characters appear briefly trying to fight the Echidna race and even Knuckles has a difficult time against the main antagonist. The film used "Gotta Go Fast" by Chizzy Stephens as the soundtrack and bits of other famous Sonic soundtracks, though Riff Raff also contributed to the soundtrack. Super Sonic and the Chaos Emeralds also appear in the film. Crazy Carl also appears more in this film. tails also appears in the film though still very briefly. There is also a bigger reference to a chili dog, which Sonic eats in two seconds followed by another one during a conversation. Sonic also uses the line "We're total Badasses." instead of "we're a couple of loose cannons".​

 

[Marco Incognito]

DragonGod(1995-1999)
Toei Animation wanted another series and intended to go through with the series regardless of Toriyama's involvement. Toriyama, originally considered himself done with the series, but decided that since the series would go on without him, chose to participate. Using his authority he overrode the ideas for the series such as turning Goku into a child.

Battle of Gods Saga
The Series is set 10 years after the Majin Buu Saga and continues from the epilogue. The outcome of the fight is not shown but Goku and Videl’s daughter Pan finishes a fight with Vegeta’s daughter Bra. A Strange ship then arrives on Earth and makes a declaration that it comes from another universe and that the Gods have decided to hold a tournament between the universes, with the main universe classified as Universe 7. Beerus, the God of Destruction(who resembles the Egyptian God Anubis[1]) arrives on Earth with his angel assistant Whis. They explain that the Supreme Being(Who is never seen) has determined that the multiverse must be thinned. The specific cluster they are in has 12 Universes. 4 are off limits but 8 must be removed. The group also meet the being Zamasu, who is tasked with destroying alternate universes. Zamasu has sensed a disruption within the multiverse which the Fighters learn was caused by the “Future Timeline” from the Cyborg Saga(known as Universe 9), but the Universe 7 Bulma lies and says she created the Time Machine and claims responsibility. Universe 7 is then sentenced to be punished in the tournament.

Each Universe must choose up to 10 fighters. The two Universes will then begin merging. The only way to stop this is by killing the 10 chosen fighters of one of the universes, unless the chosen fighter forfeits. If all 10 fighters from one universe are killed, defeated or forfeit, it will be erased. Forfeiting will result in the fighter being allowed to live in the victor’s universe. Zamasu decides to punish Universe 7 by holding them back intentionally so that they will fight an opponent of his choice who has already won a round.

The Fighters begin to assemble their team. It is revealed that due to the stakes they are able to revive dead fighters for as long as the tournament lasts. Living members who join the team include Goku, Piccolo, Kururin, Broly, Goten, Majin Buu, and Android 21. They also choose to revive Tantong, Vegeta, and Raditz, who have all been training in the afterlife since their deaths.

Universe 6 is revealed to the Audience. In the Universe, The Kais learned of Bibidi’s plan to create Majin Buu and attacked his lab. While Bibidi attempted to release the creature, when Buu’s pod opened there was nothing inside as there was not enough energy. The Kais killed Bibidi. They went onto prevent other threats such as Frieza’s Descendants, the Legendary Super Saiyan and others. On Planet Sadala, the home of the Saiyans(later renamed to Vegeta in the main universe), they interfered in a civil war and allowed the good hearted Saiyans to triumph. The Kais then chose to train a kind hearted Saiyan named Yamoshi as their champion and he became the first Super Saiyan God. The Saiyans became a force for good and the only living Frost Demon, named Frost, is heroic[2].

The Five Supreme Kais make up half the roster. The second half includes Frost, the Assassin Hit, Yamoshi, and the Saiyans Cabba and Kaulifa.

Beerus agrees to train one of the warriors in achieving the form of Super Saiyan God which Yamoshi achieved. Five kindhearted Saiyans are needed. Tangtong, Vegeta, Raditz, Broly and Pan take part in the ritual and give Goku the power. He battles Beerus and while he still loses, Beerus is impressed and agrees to continue to train him, Tangtong, Vegeta and Broly.

However, the actual battle goes better than expected. Universe 6’s Earth was destroyed long ago. The Five Supreme Kais appear on the Sacred World of the Kais, but Kibito Kai is happy to see them and all refuse to fight. There are two version of East Supreme Kai and they decide to fuse together using the Potara earrings so there will only be one.

art by Gerelksombra

Planet Sadala appears where Planet Vegeta used to be. A Battle ensues between the Universe 7 Warriors and the Universe 6 Warriors. During the battle, Goku learns that Kaulifa is actually one of two survivors from a previously defeated universe, specifically they were that Universe’s versions of Goku with the other survivor, Kale, Kaulifa’s sister, being that universe’s equivalent of Broly. Their team appeared to be a genderbent version of Universe 7 with some implied differences(The female Vegeta equivalent evidently recruited Kaulifa on Earth rather than directly fighting them), but were all killed by Yamoshi except for Kaulifa, Kale and another fighter named Vumi[3], who realized the battle was lost, but were given the option by Yamoshi to use the Super Dragonballs to revive their world and so forfeited after being defeated seconds before the timer ran out.

The Universe 7 team began losing to Yamoshi. Vegeta finds himself teaching the Saiyan Cabba during their fight as he has yet to achieve Super Saiyan, only numerous Zenkai Boosts and vows to train him. Goku makes a similar promise to Kaulifa, who rather than wishing to make themselves stronger, instead insists that everyone within their group receive the same training, as such they refused to be the only one granted the Super Saiyan God Power and it was split up between the Saiyans present instead, which led to them losing when Yamoshi challenged them to a tournament one at a time instead of all at once to exploit this weakness. Kaulifa and Kale join the fight against Yamoshi and while they and the Universe 7 team lose, Yamoshi surprises everyone by forfeiting upon learning that the Universe 7 Saiyans are largely dead, intending to replace them with his own heroic versions. The other fighters agree and Universe 6 is declared the loser by forfeit, angering Zamasu but he reluctantly accepts this as there was still one less universe. Yamoshi agreed to train the Saiyans along with Beerus, which now includes Kaulifa and Kale. On Earth, it is revealed that another group of Universe 6 natives were brought over. This includes Dr.Hedo, who is the head of a heroic version of the Red Ribbon Army called Red Robotics that manufacture robot heroes.

Zamasu Saga
Zamasu organizes a match between the “Future” Universe and what is dubbed Universe 3. In this Universe, Bardock challenged King Vegeta for the throne after getting his visions and won, gathering the Saiyans and in a combined attack, destroyed Frieza as he was transforming along with his ships. The Saiyans then spent years battling King Cold and Cooler. There remains an opposition led by the alien scientist Dr.Raichi, which includes the heroes Tapion and Earth’s ruler Demon King Piccolo. The three agree reluctantly to team up with the Saiyans to save their universe. Their Team consisted of Bardock, Gine, Tangtong, Vegeta, Raditz, Nappa, Dr.Raichi, Broly, Tapion, and Demon King Piccolo. Since Trunks’s Universe has been devastated. It only has Trunks and Android 16 to defend it. Universe 7 volunteers to help protect it by volunteering 8 fighters in Yamoshi, Goku, Vegeta, Tangong, Broly, Majin Buu, Android 21, and Piccolo. Zamasu intentionally gives the rival Universe an advantage by allowing him to possess one of their fighters. He chooses Kakarot, as he had been granted immortality by the Dragonballs.

The fight begins. During the battle the resistance of Dr.Raichi, Tapion and Demon King Piccolo switch sides but prioritize killing the Saiyans from their universe. To the shock of many, Yamoshi is killed by Zamasu. Raichi reveals his supercomputer Hatchiyack, that allows him to summon dead fighters. Tapion is confronted by “Future” Trunks, who recognizes him. A flashback is shown where Tapion, a traveling hero, arrived on Earth to fight the Androids after befriending Trunks. He was killed but passed his sword onto Trunks before dying. It is explained that in Universe 7 he opposed Frieza for a few years but never came to Earth since it had its own defenders. The Universe 9 Tangtong, Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz are killed by Hatchiyack. Universe 7 Broly kills his counterpart from Universe 9 only for them to be added to Hatchiyack. Zamasu proves too much and the group is forced to flee to their universe. The Bardock, Gine, Tapion, and Demon King Piccolo of Universe 9 retreat with the group. They explain the situation to Beerus, who declares Zamasu had broken the rules.

One group takes the fight directly to Zamasu to save the “Future” Universe while Raichi attacks Planet Sadala. The Good Saiyans are slaughtered with Cabba and Kaulifa watching Kale be killed. This causes Cabba to go Super Saiyan during the fight. Bardock and Gine arrive to help with Bardock determined not to lose another homeworld and using his visions of the future to help in the fight. Bardock bonds with Kaulifa, commenting that was the name that Gine would have given their daughter if they had one. While the warriors succeed in breaking Hatchiyack, causing all the ghosts to disappear, a second weapon is revealed in mind controlling nanites that infect most of the fighters into attacking Earth, where most of the remaining fighters such as Videl, Tien, Yamcha, Kururin, Pan, Bra and others fight them until Bulma is able to invent a way to expel the nanites and the cure is spread into the atmosphere. Demon King Piccolo is killed saving his “Son” Piccolo.

In the “Future” Timeline, The warriors there including Beerus, battle Zamasu with Goku and Vegeta fusing together as Gogeta. They defuse but Future Trunks is able to land the killing blow by using the Spirit Bomb to empower his sword, cutting Zamasu vertically and finally killing him.

In the aftermath, Piccolo arrives on Universe 9 and is mistaken for Demon King Piccolo, with everyone in fear of him. He decides to take advantage of this to help rebuild Earth under his rule. He spits out an egg that he intends to train as his son and eventual heir. Dr.Hedo and the heroic Red Robotics ironically move into the Future Timeline to try and help it rebuild. Tapion departs into Universe 7 to find his other self. The Grand Priest arrives and reveals the Supreme Being has decreed the tournament will continue into the final round with Universe 7 fighting Universe 11. The Grand Priest is about to destroy the “Future Universe but with Zamasu dead, a new Kai appears and declares there must be a Supreme Kai of Time and protects Trunks and his universe by declaring they will establish that timeline as their base of operations.

Tournament of Power Saga
Universe 11 is revealed to be a universe where Kururin killed Vegeta before he could escape on Earth. The group then went to Namek. Piccolo was killed by Zarbon, who just saw him as another Namekian warrior(something which Vegeta prevented in the original story). This causes Kami and the Dragonballs to disappear on Earth. Zarbon then attacked Elder Guru’s home without having to bring Vegeta back to the ship and was killed after a long fight by Nail. Nail, Goku and Kururin then hatched a plan to have Nail distract Frieza while Kururin and Goku stole the Dragonballs. Frieza caught on and killed Nail before destroying a large area just as Kururin and Goku were going to make their first wish. Frieza then killed Tien, Yamcha and Yajirobe when they arrived. Since then the Frost Demon Family has continued to rule the Universe. The remaining Namekians including Guru fused together, rending the Dragonballs as inert but creating a powerful singular Namekian that continues to defy Frieza. Another group that rose up to fight Frieza were the Elite Galactic Patrol including leader Jiren, speedster member Dyspo, and experimental superhuman Jiren. On Earth, Cell rose to power before departing. Majin Buu was also revived and continues to be a threat. The Universe 11 team consists of: Frieza, Cooler, King Cold, Cell, Majin Buu, Dabura, The Super Namekian. Jiren, Toppo, and Dyspo. It is revealed that Zamasu, in case he lost, trained this universe’s Frieza into obtaining God Ki.

When the Battle begins The Super Namekian, Jiren, Toppo and Dyspo attack the Frost Demons. Frieza chooses to flee. Cooler, King Cold, Majin Buu, Bobidi and Dabura are killed. The Galactic Patrol state that they intend to kill the Universe 7 team to protect their own universe but fully expect to win, choosing instead to liberate the worlds the Frost Demons conquered. Frieza flees to Universe 7 and meets Frost, who he begins corrupting by claiming to also be heroic as Frost quickly rises up as a member of the Galactic Patrol, recruiting members across the galaxy in secret. Broly, having recently joined the Galactic Patrol along with other Saiyans like Cabba, meets and falls for a new member named Cheelai. Cell attacks Universe 7 and is defeated in an intense rematch with Goku with the aid of Android 21. The Wizard Bobbidi is found to have escaped and use this dark powers on Universe 7's Tapion, trying to turn him into a vessel for dark power only for Tapion of Universe 3 to find and mercy kill lhim to prevent the evil within him from being unleashed. Bobbidi then retreats and begins working to revive another great evil he is hoping will be superior to Majin Buu.

As the Universe 7 team has their final showdown on Namek against Jiren, Toppo, and Dyspo. Goku, Tangontg and Vegeta are occupied by the appearance of Bobbidi's newest monster Janemba who they have to fuse to defeat. They arrive late and exhausted but resume the fight. The fight seems to be a losing battle until Frieza arrives with Goku and Vegeta both being defeated by his new power and even the Galactic Patrol releasing their most dangerous prisoner Moro is not enough and he is killed by Frieza. While Toppo and Dyspo are killed in intense battles against Universe 7, Jiren defeats Kefla, a fusion of Kaulifa and Kale brought back by Fortuneteller Baba. The time limit approaches, forcing Goku and Frieza to team up, with Frieza forfeiting to not be erased. They work together and finally defeat Jiren seconds before the timer ends. Jiren forfeits, meaning Universe 7 wins. Jiren then casually kills Frieza with a flick of his finger and accepts his new role, joining Universe 7’s Galactic Patrol and leaving to protect the universe with the other Galactic Patrollers and the recruits such as Broly, Cheelai and Cabba.

After a wish on the Super Dragonballs brings back the destroyed Universes, Tangtong, Vegeta and Raditz say goodbye to their families as they prepare to return to the afterlife. Tangtong and Vegeta decide to have one final fight and depart into the universe. A Supernova is detected and they are afterwards never seen again. Piccolo and Trunks occasionally visit from their respective new universes. Pan and Bra become the protectors of Earth and the world enjoys a long period of peace.

Notes
[1] OTL Akira Toriyama based Beerus on a cat he had at the time of Dragonball Super, which is not the case given the earlier time frame.

[2] To flip the script, The Universes are mixes of Universes from the fan comic Dragonball Multiverse, making them divergent timelines instead. Of course, Dragonball Super later used the same idea but made each universe completely different.

[3] Vumi would most likely be TTL's equivalent to OTL Android 21(the name of which applies to the heroic version of Cell ITTL) but appearing much earlier. They are most likely a combination of their main self, Dr.Gero, Cell, and Majin Buu. They likely began in the Gero role by creating the Androids, but didn't go out on themselves, found the sealed up Majin Buu and turned themselves into a Cell-like being with their DNA, but their consciousness was split into a good and evil version with the evil version being killed by the spirit bomb and the good version surviving.​

 

[Marco Incognito]

I didn't plan to do two creator centered posts back to back. I just felt that covering the creator's comic contributions and divergences from OTL would have made the entry too short. The original idea was simply that Vasquez continues to come back to Johnny the Homicidal Maniac something he's wanted to do and teased he'd be doing in story but has never really had the chance.

Jhonen Vasquez
Jhonen Vasquez was born on September 1, 1974. In High School he would spend his class time sketching, even entering a context to design the school's mascot, though not winning anything. His first drawing was of a character named Johnny C. Vasquez became interested in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. His High School newspaper published strips featuring Johnny C titled Johnny the Little Homicidal Maniac. After graduating in 1992, Vasquez became a film student, though would drop out to become a cartoonist. He would meet Roman Dirge, Rosearik Rikki Simons, and Simons' wife Tavisha in 1995. Simmons would go onto voice Gir on Invader Zim and did coloring work on Vasquez's comics I Feel Sick and Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. Dirge was also a writer on Invader Zim.

Johnny the Homicidal Maniac follows the titular character Johnny C, searching for meaning in his life as people die around him, himself dying a few times. Vasquez's friend Leah England also appears in a filler strip that has become notorious known as "Meanwhile..." about a man trying to hide his explosive diarhea. Vasquez would return to Johnny multiple times, while doing a spinoff featuring the character Squee encounters aliens, Satan and the Antichrist. This was followed by Wobbly-Headed Bob and I Feel Sick. I Feel Sick follows a tortured artist named Devi, also previously from Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, and her dealing with her own dwindling sanity. Vasquez also did Fillerbunny, which was originally created to occupy extra pages in comics but when he was given more time to complete the strips, the quality became much greater.

Unexpectedly in 1999, the 22 year old Vasquez was approached by Nickelodeon producer Mary Harrington to create a TV Show. He accepted and created the concept of the show Invader Zim in an hour and barely toned down anything despite having never worked on animation or a children's show before. 40 episodes were contracted. The series concerned Zim, the member of a species called the Noyng. As the series went on new characters were introduced, including Skooge, the Noyng invader of planet of Hobo-13, and Mini-Moose, both of which joined Gir as sidekicks to Zim. This was thanks to Zim being able to leave Earth quite frequently, not being bound to the planet and spending episodes in space. The show ran for three seasons, concluding in 2003 with a grand finale. The Finale had Zim appear to be killed, only for it to be revealed that a Noyng's true brain was in their backpack and they can regrow their body. Zim learned he was assigned Earth to keep him busy and launches a plan to bring Earth to his own homeworld and destroy both, causing a rift in space and time known as a Florbus. It is revealed the Tallest, Miyuki and Spork, figureheads of the Noyng were actually quite shorter than Zim and were using robot bodies, making Zim have a higher authority then them as stature equals authority in Noyng society, making Zim the Emperor after he sends the Tallest to a hellish dimension, which turns out to be the Hell from Squee! and Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, said character promptly murdering the Tallest. Zim's true plan turned out to be far more petty towards his enemy Dib Membrane with the Florbus plan being a more complicated distraction.

After the show ended, Vasquez received offers from Comedy Central and Adult Swim for a mature continuation of Invader Zim, but Vasquez admitted he honestly didn't cut that much out and there wasn't a super R Rated version of it because it was made with children in mind, though he accepted the offer for a Johnny the Homicidal Maniac series, which allowed him to write new stories.

At Comic-Con 2005, Vasquez announced he would work on his own comics for a time, later collaborating with others on 2007's Jellyfist, and several well received issues of Marvel's Strange Tales, along with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and later a reboot of TMNT for Nickelodeon. He moved to work for DC(and through connections Cartoon Network) in 2012, working on Beyond Fringe(A sequel of sorts to Fringe. By his own admission he has learned to "Play well with others" and grown to enjoy creating content for Invader Zim as well as his more mature work. Both Marvel and DC often grant him his own Comic Series free of continuity to bring his ideas to life. Vasquez is currently working on the Animated Series Pibby for Adult Swim and has given permission for his own characters to cameo in the series.​