Drake Bell or Drake the rapper?
I want to think John Wayne and Jackie Chan careers are similar to OTL
Not well versed on Coldplay
As for Pogo...Im honestly curious as well about him, hopefuly he is stopped way earlier than OTL.
Trying to Please Everyone: Or Converting multiple Pop Culture Utopias into a Timeline.
- Thread starter Marco Incognito
- Start date
I want to think John Wayne and Jackie Chan careers are similar to OTL
Not well versed on Coldplay
As for Pogo...Im honestly curious as well about him, hopefuly he is stopped way earlier than OTL.
The latter, who recently got dissed by Kendrick Lamar.
Yep me too.
That’s fine.
Yeah. From what I know Jeffrey Dahmer isn’t as psychotic as he was IOTL despite still being a serial killer, and Bundy becomes a television host that still gets arrested.
For one thing Aliyah does not die in the 2001 plane crash, leading to "Enough Said" being released much earlier. His role on Degrassi likely still happens but there's no Ice Age: Continental Drift ITTL. There isn't really any solid evidence towards accusations Kendrick Lamar made towards him but he has said some suspicious things like hitting on Millie Bobbie Brown, to my knowledge at least now its just accusations on a diss track which aren't really concrete. If that's the case most Rappers rap about Murders they committed. I don't think those hold up in court. So for now largely same as OTL though I'd make the Kendrick Lamar feud with with someone else, jus not Sur who are I'm not familiar with the rap world to say who would start Beef with each other.
Without injuring his Collarbone ITTL he had a pretty promising athletic career and met an old Wyatt Earp and joined him as the two hunted criminals together with Wayne as a cop. He stuck to his original named under Fox as Duke Morrison(Birth name: Marion Robert Morrison but he preferred his Football nickname of Duke. He actually wasn't even present art the meeting where the studio renamed him to John Wayne). ITTL his first film was with John Ford, The Big Trail(1930)(OTL Ford passed). The Big Trail is a bigger hit as OTL what killed it is theaters not having the technology to show it, leading Wayne to get smaller parts. Stagecoach(1939) still happens and Ford doesn't have to fight as hard to get Morrison since ITTL he isn't an obscure B-Movie actor. Despite studios threatening to sue him if he left to fight In war as they considered him too valuable, Morrison said screw it and ran off, signing up under the alias of John Wayne and fighting, by then it was too late for the studios to stop him(It was the biggest regret OTL of John Wayne that he couldn't serve in WWII even though he wanted to. This led him to become Super Patriotic OTL). He tried to apply to work for the OSS(precursor to the CIA), but the problem was he was too recognizable to work as a spy, so this shifted to him being a spy within Hollywood circles, reporting on any criminal activity he could find.
Post-War, Morrison said yes to the role in All the King's Men(1949) OTL he turned it down due to finding it unpatriotic but is more jaded due to fighting in the war. Morrison wins an Oscar for the role. He also stars in The Gunfighter(1950)(He wanted the role really badly but Columbia had badly treated him and he wouldn't budge). Morrison is a producer of High and the Mighty(1954), his role taken by Spencer Tracy. The Searchers(1956) is still released. The Conqueror, in which John Wayne Played Genghis Khan OTL is never made which also averts many deaths as it was filmed near a nuclear testing site and many contacted and later died of cancer. The Alamo(1960) had John Wayne as Sam Houston, a bit part instead, allowing him to direct. Sammy Davis Jr appears as a slave in a cameo(OTL he asked for this role wanting to try acting) and John Ford had a hand in helping direct, saving the film(OTL he showed up and tried to push his own directing). The Green Berets(1968) still happens though a bit later and In Cambodia. True Grit(1969) is also made though with Elvis Presley as Labeouf. The Rooster Cogburn(1975) film doesn't exist ITTL. The Shootist(1976) is his last film. He possibly dies a bit later if his cancer was tied to the shooting of The Conqueror on the test site.
Jeffreye Dahmer kills him in self defense in 1957 while Gacy tried to molet him while working at a McDonalds restaurant dressed as Ronald McDonald. This experience caused Dahmer to essentially become a real life Dexter Morgan and specifically target other serial killers to kill and eat them. Given that in 1974 OTL the US had more than 100 active serial killers. He's eating good in the Neighborhood and joked that Gacy tasted funny. He died in the 90's after publicly exposing Ted Bundy and being shot in the confrontation on live TV. Since I'm also on Dahmer, he has a misaimed fandom ITTL too but its a mix of girls who think he's hot that watch Documentaries on him on Netflix(which include actual recordings by Dahmer himself of both the investigation, abductions, and killings) and people that think he's doing good.
His role started off as appearing largely in Bruce Lee films in the 1970's like OTL but with Lee surviving he continues on and Bruce Lee notices more and more the stunt man he keeps having to kick in the face that keeps coming back for more, opting to train him. He appears basically as Lee's sidekick on Warrior(TTL's Kung Fu), but has a different style of being quick and agile. Lee saw Jackie Chan as his successor rather than Brandon Lee, who he wanted to follow his own path. Chan's career then followed a similar path as he started to make Martial Art comedy films. Jackie Chan plays the John Spartan type character in Demolition Man(1993) and Stallone plays the Villain instead(Chan turned it down because was afraid of being type cast, ITTL he is already known in the US due to the Bruce Lee connection. ITTL Stallone, whose idea it was to ask Chan, agreed to play the villain to create a David vs Goliath rivalry and Wesley Snipes turned down the role several times). Rush Hour(1998) is instead with Martin Lawrence rather than Chris Tucker(Who Chan wanted, but he turned it down) Shanghai Noon doesn't exist as Owen Wilson joined the Navy as he planned if Bottle Rocket wasn't successful. Around the World in 80 Days is likely released earlier with Brendan Frasier(due to The Mummy being a more direct horror film ITTL). He makes The Forbidden Kingdom(2008), the unmade OTL Armor of God III which became the Shinjuku Incident OTL and is likely still in Kung Fu Panda or its equivalent. There's no Karate Kid remake ITTL however. 1911 also likely doesn't exist. After that he largely retired.
Called Starfish ITTL, but otherwise had a relatively similar career as OTL.
Yeah I have a feeling that the accusations against Drake may not be entirely accurate, so hopefully they remain that way ITTL. Good to know that Aaliyah survives ITTL.
Interesting and nice! I also have John Wayne enlist in WW2 ITTL and be less controversial later on in his career in my timeline. I’d imagine that he lives until 1980 or 1984 ITTL.
1957? Don’t you mean 1977? Also wow that is insane but I like Dahmer’s alternate career ITTL. Which serial killers does he kill? Perhaps Joseph Paul Franklin is one of them?
Nice! I know he had a near-fatal accident caused by him falling while filming one of his films, he has a pro-China stance after initially having a pro-Hong Kong stance, and he has a troubled relationship with both his son and daughter for different reasons. He also was going to film a movie about him stopping a terrorist attack at the World Trade Centre before 9/11 called Nosebleed. Also is Kung Fu Panda still exceptionally accurate to Chinese culture like it was IOTL?
Interesting different name, but it’s nice to see them still have a successful career ITTL.
I honestly forgot about it, though I don’t see anything preventing it from existing.
Sorry if I annoy you, but I’m genuinely curious about how YouTube’s collapse could benefit pop culture as a whole.
Video Sharing is going to happen regardless but with different platforms that are more regulated in regards to content so there's less abuse of copyright claims, and no room for thing like Elsagate to happen as well as more of a chance for quality work to be discovered. OTL YouTubers have to work harder to be recognized so it's a case of Quality over Quantity. It's a variation on the idea proposed by this article: https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/28/21145506/youtube-without-internet-fiction-alternate-history
The opposite,no yt and smaller website might not endure the brutality of music and movie copyright claims
Unless those are place in countries like china or Russia
Yeah, I would personally still want YouTube to be alive and well ITTL, but I understand Marco’s reasonings here, in the sense that the best of the best comes through and more work and effort is put into online works for them to be noticed by the mainstream.
Another reason is it throws a pretty big wrench into the timeline as otherwise things would feel too similar to OTL at least in regards to YouTube and the internet as a whole. Anime for example has the big change of Studio Ghibli being founded 17 years earlier, Comics has No Comic Book time and No Hays Code for Movies.
Adding to that. Here's a short story of one's writer's interpretation of if it never happened. Though I disagree with a lot from here and so will be going in a different direction.
His first film role ITTL was Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders in 1983 which OTL he was unable to do due to theatre commitments. This catapults him into the 80's "Young Actor" group dubbed the Brat Pack. He is not in Top Secret! which features Elvis Presley instead. Val Kilmer then appeared in Blue Velvet(1986)(He regretted turning it down). As such he doesn't play Iceman in Top Gun(1986), a role taken from someone else, most likely Charlie Sheen. Willow(1988) has sequels with Mad Martigan, Kilmer's character, also returning. He does not appear in Billy the Kid(1989) as he wrote that for Paul Newman, who does play it ITTL. A Biopic of The Doors likely doesn't exist with Jim Morrison living longer. He also doesn't play Elvis Presley in True Romance as the King lives longer. Tombstone(1993) still happens. Kilmer does not play Batman ITTL. Ralph Fiennes plays The Saint instead. The Island of Dr.Moreau(1996) is made instead with Bruce Willis in the protagonist role of Prendick and James Woods as Montgomery(OTL Willis left, believed to be because of his then ongoing Divorce from Demi Moore, and Kilmer was brought in but demanded a reduced role, leading him to replacing James Woods and Kilmer allegedly caused many problems on sets, clashing with Brando). Kevin Costner takes Kilmer's role in The Ghost and the Darkness(1996). Kill likely still voices Moses in the Prince of Egypt equivalent. OTL Kilmer has a reputation of being difficult to work with and was in several negatively received or underperforming films until about Kiss Kiss Bang Bang(2005) with Robert Downey Jr. This suggests Kilmer is stronger with a comedic actor balancing him out as with Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans(2009) where he is partnered with Nicholas Cage. Given his more recent health his last film is probably his passion project Citizen Twain about Mark Twain's life with himself in the titular role.
1998 in Anime
Independent Posts will be made for Capsumon: Generation II, and one on the Kishimoto Brothers(Masashi Kishimoto, creator of Naruto, has a twin brother who also writes manga. ITTL the two will both be successful and essentially be rivals to each other, a feud which begins in 1998 with an Anime adaptation).
1998 in Anime
IN THE NEWS…
SONY LAUNCHES ALL ANIME TV CHANNEL
Sony has launch ANIMAX, the first 24 hour Anime channel. In Japan it aired on the channel SKY PerfecTV! Ted Turner made a deal to include it in a Cable package alongside Turner’s own channels such as Cartoon Network and TBS. Select Anime will air on Toonami depending on appropriateness for airing.
NEW ANIMATED GALAXY EXPRESS 999 MOVIE SET FOR RELEASE IN 1999
STUDIO GHIBLI HEAD SUFFERS ANEURYSM
Yoshifumi Kondō, successor to Hayao Miyazaki, was rushed to the hospital. While recovering from Aortic Dissection, he will be taking some time off of work to recover, leaving who will take his place at the Studio with Miyazaki and Takahata having elected to retire uncertain[1]
FILM
Bomberman(1998)
Konami had a success on their hands with Metal Gear last year. Now they’ve followed up a big success with a big failure. Criticized from straying too far from a source material that didn’t even have a story. It is now considered one of the worst Video Game movies of all time. Naturally critics couldn’t resist the obvious bait of “Bomberman Movie Bombs” In their headlines. The Video Game film uses CGI and tells the tale of a group of prisoners trapped by robots in an underground prison planet that organize a way to escape by using bombs. Our leads are Bomberman, looking nothing like the classic character, and Bomberwoman, who’s wearing the equivalent of a chainmail bikini. Suffice to say the film failed spectacular and it's a good lesson in what not to do when adapting a Video Game movie. In fact, it was so bad that Konami was forced to practically beg Hideo Kojima and John Carpenter to do a sequel to last year’s Metal Gear to make up for the loss[2].
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie(1998)
A film adaptation of the Anime series, also helmed by Watanabe. It was Bandai’s push for a live action film when the series received critical praise. This was likely due to Bandai, who had began a short anime adaptation craze with Gundam in the 1980’s, feeling left out of the most recent Anime adaptations. Watanabe himself was reluctant until Bandai was able to sign on Yūsaku Matsuda to play Spike Spiegal, the character he inspired. Rather than an adaptation, the story was original and set between episodes of the series, making it canon[3]
Crayon Shin-chan: Blitzkrieg! Pig's Hoof's Secret Mission(1998)
A Secret agent named Oriole steals a disk needed to make a secret weapon fro the secret society Pig’s Hoof, who was hosting an event with the Futaba Kindergarten students, who are taken for a ride when Pig’s Hoof’s airship takes off while they are visiting it to prevent the secret agent from escaping. The Noharas follow a secret agent to rescue their son. The film concludes with the super weapon being primed but made to explode, with everyone escaping the airship just in time.
Lupin IV: The Fourteenth Target(1998)
This Lupin IV film takes inspiration from several Agatha Christie Stories including an isolated location akin to “And Then There Were None.”, and a serial killer who kills victims based on the alphabet that breaks his pattern to divert suspicion.
Perfect Blue(1998)
An Adaptation of the Manga of the same name by Darren Aronofsky in his first film with the support of the original author. Mima Kirigoe decides to leave her girl band and become an actress, doing more risky films. Many of her fans turn against her due to her previously having a clean and innocent image, as does her manager Rumi. A mysterious fan begins to creepily stalk her, posting everything she does to a disturbingly accurate detail to a website. Mima agrees to do a rape scene despite being stressed about it and begins to hallucinate her reflection appearing as her old self and talking to her. Several people involved in Mima’s career are murdered and Mima believes she may be responsible. She is attacked by the crazed fan, who is killed accidentally in self defense. Mima then learns Rumi is behind manipulating the fan and is chased by her. Rumi is hit by a car and sent to a mental institution. Mima visits her in the hospital. She overhears nurses thinking they recognize her but then assume it is a look alike. She tells herself “It’s Me” in a voice that sounds like her old persona. The film was a success and Warner Bros reached out to Darren Aronofsky to helm a Batman film.[4]
Samurai: Reincarnation(1998)
Based on a novel Makai Tensho(Demon Realm Reincarnation) by Futaro Yamada. Mori Sōiken summons several dead warriors to overthrow the Shogunate and Yagyū Jūbē Mitsuyoshi breaks free of the control and rebels against the others. Soon Chiba proves the voice. This film won two Awards of the Japanese Academy(Essentially the Japanese Academy Awards)[5].
Tekken: The Movie(1998)
Inspired by the live action adaptations of Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. Tekken also had a script adapted, following largely a mix of the plot of Tekken 1 and Tekken 2. Made by Namco. The newcomer Crystal Sky Studios was chosen to help the live action project due to founder Steven Paul being good friends with Tekken creator Katsuhiro Harada. He picked a then unknown Director Charles Stone III, known for music videos at the time. Fortunately he was a huge Tekken fan. Stone’s script brought the film closer to Enter the Dragon and Mortal Kombat, moving the action to a tournament on an island. Steven Paul was able to entice Jackie Chan and Jet Li to have roles in the film. Jackie Chan was cast as Lei Wulong(who was based on Jackie Chan in the Police Story films) and Bruce Lee as Marshall Law(more of a cameo though he does have a scene with Wulong). Jet Li was cast as Kazuya Mishima.
In a flashback, Kazuya Mishima is thrown off a cliff by his father Heihachi Mishima(Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), who claims lions throw their young off a cliff and raise only those who climb back up(not true and this became a popular meme). As he lies dying, Kazuya promises the Devil his soul if he can kill his father. His childhood friend Jun Kazama, witnessed the incident and searches and fails to find Kazuya after the fall.
16 years later, Jun works at Interpol with Lei Wulong(Jackie Chan) as a partner and is seeking evidence to bring down Heihachi’s company, the Mishima Zaibatsu, which is hosting the King of Iron Fist Tournament. Kazuya(Jet Li) enters, having been operating as an underground championship fighter. Heihachi’s adopted son Lee Chaolan sends assassin sisters Nina and Anna Williams to kill Kazuya but they fail. This leads Heihachi to confront Kazuya and offer to give him the Mishima Zaibatsu if he can defeat him in the tournament. Kazuya attacks Heihachi but the fight ends in a draw and they vow to finish things in the competition. Jun and Lei board the boat to the tournament and meet a large man named Jack with a girl named Jane an and former kickboxing champion named Bruce Irvin(Michael Jai White), along with Marshall Law(Bruce Lee). Kazuya is seen sneaking onboard the ship by Jun and later confronts him, telling him not to abandon his revenge but he refuses. The Williams twins try to kill them both but begin fighting as Kazuya paid Nina Williams to try and kill Heihachi, leading her to turn on her own sister and giving Kazuya and Jun a chance to escape.
The Ship arrives and Heihachi makes an announcement. An assassination attempt is made on Heihachi by Michelle Chang with a thrown Tomahawk but he catches it in his mouth and then bites down, shattering it(a scene which also became a meme, along with behind the scenes footage of Takagawa casually eating the Tomahawk like it was a piece of chicken since, for the scene, the weapon was actually made of edible material. Takagawa even makes an expression to say “It’s not bad”). In a tongue in cheek nod, when the cast arrive on the island and Heihachi announces the tournament, Marshall Law comments that there is “Something very familiar about this”(The film’s plot is borrowed from Lee’s film Game of Death, this scene also became a meme due to Bruce Lee's almost frustrated or sarcastic sounding delivery). The tournament begins. Kazuya, in an extended sequence, fights and defeats King, played by Dwayne Johnson a request by the director despite King not speaking and not being very relevant to the plot. He also fights Lei in order to have Jackie Chan and Jet Li fight on screen. Lei sneaks into the facility but is attacked. He is rescued by Jack, who is revealed to be a robot created by captive scientist Dr.Bosconovitch to protect his daughter Jane. The Scientist reveals a submarine they can escape on as he rigs the island to explode. The other “Jacks” robots in the facility go rogue and attack the fighters forcing the group to meet up, joined also by Roger, Bosconovitch’s pet boxing kangaroo. Most of the fighters are able to retreat and escape the island though the "Good" Jack robot sacrifices himself to save Jane. Kazuya stays behind to fight Heihachi, finally defeating him and, in an imitation of what Heihachi did to him, throws him off a cliff, seemingly to his death from the lava beneath them before appearing to perish himself.
The film received mixed reviews and is now considered so bad it’s good in many ways. The best parts of the film are widely considered to be the goofier bits and the entertaining moments such as the Jackie Chan and Jet Li fight, though many believe Jet Li was an ill fit for the role of Kazuya[6].
Ultraman(1998)
Part of the Japan Heroes Universe. Directed by Hideaki Anno, a fan of the character. The plot begins with the world threatened by Kaiju attacks.A mysterious silver being dubbed “Ultraman” appears and helps defeat a Kaiju, it then takes the form of a deceased member of the S-Class Species Suppression Patrol of SSSP named Kaminaga. After helping defeat the alien responsible Zetton and elects to stay behind to protect Earth[7].
TV
Transformers(1998-1999)
An Anime adaptation of the original Transformers cartoon. The premise of the series is the Transformers, after escaping Cybertron, both crashed into Japan rather than America, waking up in Japan in 1998, and resuming their battle. There are cameos of characters from the TMNT Anime. Entirely original Japanese characters replace the human characters like the Witwickys in the original. It being an Anime, it was decided to add a Mecha element(in Japan, robots without a human pilot are considered for kids while Mechas are considered more mature). Several of the Japanese characters are revealed to have latent psyche energies that empower the Transformers, which can transform from vehicle to robot without harming the pilot inside.
Android Announcer Maico 2010(1998)
Maico is an android originally created for sex that was given a different purpose by her creator. She meets another android named Rei who is her “Sister” and the two become crime fighting DJs.
Basara(1998)
Based on the manga by Yumi Tamara that ran from 1990 to 1998. In a Post Apocalyptic Japan ruled by a Golden Emperor and his children. For warriors rise up with mystical swords and travel the land gathering a rebellion to overthrow the Emperor.
Brain Powered(1998)
Produced by Sunrise and directed by Ryōsuke Takahashi. The series is set in a future where an alien spacecraft has been causes earthquakes and floods. Two scientists named Kansas Isami and Midair Isami plan to steal the craft to travel the galaxy after annihilating all life on earth. They create an army of “Reclaimers” from within the alien ship to attack Earth. A teenager named Hime Utsumiya joins a group fighting against the scientists and becomes a Mecha Pilot, joined by Yu Isami, the son of the two scientists who seek to end the world [8].
Burn Up W(1998-1999)
A follow up to the fan service heavy series Burn Up(1991) following Team Warrior. Directed by Shinichiro Kimora and animated by Magic Bus.
Cardcaster Sakura(1998-2000)
Based on the manga by CLAMP that ran from 1996 to 2000. Adapted by Madhouse. A magical girl series following Sakura Kinomoto, a 10 year old girl who accidentally releases a deck of magical cards created by the sorcerer Clow Reed. The guardian of the cards Cerberus grants Sakura magic powers to recapture the monsters from the cards. Her cousin Tomoyo records her exploits while her brother Toya watches over her while pretending to be unaware of her secret. Head CLAMP Writer Nantes Ohkawa conceived of the series with the group working together to finalize it. Ohkawa was the only one who knew how the series would go and many of the staff would be surprised by new scripts. She had to veto illustrating Tomoyo being in love with Toya by revealing that they are related earlier than intended. A girl named Xiaolang was introduced, a descendant of Clow Reed who comes to help recapture the cards. She clashes with Sakura at first but grows to respect her. Sakura then has to fight against Yue for the role of guardian. At the conclusion of the series, Sakura and Xialong end up together. This proved a point of contention when it came to adaptations and CLAMP refused to allow it to be adapted unless they kept the romance. After the success of Codename: Sailor V with the same sex relationship in that series being ignored and Ellen Degeneres coming out with no backlash due to being overshadowed by the controversy surrounding Talk show host Ted Bundy being revealed to be a serial killer. The show was therefore able to air its same sex romance by Canada’s Nelvana on Network 10, Cartoon Network and Fox Kids [9].
Cyber Team in Akihabara(1998)
Created by Tsukasa Kotobuki and Satori Akahori. The series, capitalizing on Capsule Monsters, is set in a world where electronic creatures known as “Pata-Pi” are popular, one girl need Hibari finds that one falls from the sky named Densuke that can transform into a magical girl. Hibari and friends must battle those who seek to unlock the powers of the Pata-Pi for selfish reasons.
Demon Lady Medusa(1998)
Demon Lord Dante was previously seen in 1987 in Violence Jack vs Great Energer, in which Violence Jack had recalled his previous life as Demon Lord Dante and once more menaced the world, fighting the son of the original Energer Z. However, there had been no hints of what became of his love Medusa since 1973’s Energer Z vs Demon Lord Dante where she appeared to perish. It turns out she did not die and like “Violence Jack” was left as a normal human named Jun Fudo. At least so we think, at first. Fudo has a biological father who is a professor and meets another Demon woman named Lan Asuka. When Demons attack and try to rape Jun Fudo, she transforms into Demon Lady Medusa and begins to battle the Demons. Professor Fudo believes humanity is becoming demons but not because of an outside source but rather as a form of advanced evolution and that the effect is natural. In a twist, Ryo, the human appearance of Demon Lord Dante makes his debut in the show. He later reveals he arrived there after being killed for good and that to him this is an alternate universe. He believes that because of his nature as a Demon he could not be sent to Hell or Heaven and so was sent to another universe. He helps Medusa free her world’s Demon Lord Dante from his captivity in Hell but he turns out to be evil in this universe and needs to be fought and killed. Rio resigns himself to a quiet life as humanity, now transformed into Demons, comes under the rule of Medusa and her now lover Lan Asuka.
The series faced an odd controversy. The female protagonist appears naked after transforming, while shading, patches of hair on parts of the body, and specific angles prevent a higher television rating, they have a notable patch of hair on their groin area that started a debate over whether it could be considered Pubic Hair, which would change the rating[10]
Flint the Time Detective(1998-1999)
Directed by Hiroshi Fukutomi. Te series follows a boy from prehistoric times who was resurrected in the future by the Time Police, who he joins. His friends, Sarah and Tony Goodman are the brains of the operation and the work together to prevent a dark lord from becoming Master of Time.
Gasaraki(1998-1999)
Produced by Sunrise and directed by Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino to premier with Animax. Domino was enthusiastic about making an “Organic” mecha like those in Alcion. He was joined by Hideaki Anno himself along with character designer Mitsumi Inmata, character designer Mamoru Nagano, and composer Yoko Kanno. For the English release the opening was redone due to featuring nudity, though these were restored in the DVD releases. In the show’s setting, a Demonic Mecha esque armor was created by the Gowa Family. This results in an alternate history. By the 2010s, Japan is a mix of modern and ancient, having advanced through technology but very little culturally. For example Samurai still exist as mercenaries and the Zaibatsu(Japanese megacorporations) rule like Feudal Lords and Television shows depict Noh Theatre. The Gowa Family have duplicated the Demon Armor. Amember of the family, Yushiro Gowa, rebels and works to stop his family. Gowa goes rogue while he is part of a Gowa Supported US invasion of a Fictional Middle Eastern Country named Belgistan.
Hideaki Anno spoke with Tomino about possibly bringing in Gundam into the Japan Heroes Universe. He was helming the Ultraman film while Naomi Urasawa was working on Pluto: The Mighty Atom II .
Eagle(1998-2004)
Eagle is based on the manga that ran from 1997 to 2004. Initially Set during the 2000 US Presidential Election, It follows a reporter named Akashi Yo investigating an up and coming candidate for US President in the Asian American Senator Kenneth “Kenny” Yamaoka. He is shocked to discover Yamaoka is actually his biological father and becomes invested in helping him win. Yamaoka makes Akashi Yo promise to not reveal anything of what he sees until after the election is over. This promise becomes harder to keep as Yamaoka’s opponents begin to suffer misfortunes ranging from scandals to mysterious deaths that appear to be suicides or accidents. It was dubbed into English with John Dimaggio voicing Yamaoka. Later seasons follow Yamaoka’s actual term in office before he is assassinated and his crimes exposed while campaigning for reelection[11].
This OTL Youtube Animated Series but as an Actual 90's Anime
I Will Punch Forever!(1998-1999)
Released by Studio Daicon. In a world where Earth was invaded by Demons, a young human girl competes in a tournament to be granted one wish, supported by her mother, a former champion and her half demon sister, and to defeat the Demon King, who may or may not be her father. The English Dub did not take itself seriously at all and added jokes[12].
If I see you in my Dreams(1998)
Based on the romance manga that ran from 1994 to 1999. The Romance is between a salary man named Masuo and a Kindergarten Teacher named Nags, who face obstacles in their relationship.
Initial D(1998)
Based on the Manga by Shuichi Shigeno that ran from 1995 to 2013. The series centers on the world of illegal street racing. Takumi Fujiwara is a student working at a gas station who is brought into the world of underground racing in his Toyota Sprinter[13].
Kurogane Communication(1998)
A Series following a 13 year old girl and possibly the last human left alive being raised by a family of robots in a post-apocalyptic setting.
Lost Universe(1998)
From Hajime Kqnzaka. Best known for the Slayers series and even took its timeslot. It takes place on a world mentioned in the Slayers series as “The Black world” in contrast to “the Red World” Slayers take place in, alluding to chess. Unlike the Red World, the Black World is science fiction themed rather than fantasy themed. This series was hit hard by the 1997 Southeast Asian Financial Crisis as it had outsourced its animation, though thankfully the Crisis was soon alleviated and Japan was impacted very little[14].
Mamotte Shugogetten(1998)
Based on the Manga by Minene Sakurano and adapted by Toei Animation. A 14 year old boy named Tasuke Shichiri received a ring that contains a Goddess named Shaolin.
Master Keaton(1998-2000)
A Series by Naomi Urasawa. Keaton is a former member of the British Army and now runs an insurance investigator, but has a desire to resume an old career as an archeologist and investigate the origins of an ancient civilization[15].
Nazca(1998)
Based on the manga by Akira Himekawa. The plot follows a group that discover they are the reincarnation of ancient Incan Warriors[16].
Neo Ranga(1998-1999)
A Series by Sho Aikawa made by Studio Pierrot and Pony Canyon. The series follows three sisters, who discover that their brother, the next in line to become Royalty of the island of Barou, has died, making them next in line and giving them access to the tribe’s god Neo Ranga, a giant Kaiju which accidentally follows them to Japan and causes an incident with the Japanese Army.
Ojarumaru(1998)
A longer running children’s show on NHK Series.It is the third longest running Anime beside Sazae-Chan and Nintama Rintaro. It follows a 5 year old prince from the Heian Era named Ojarumaru Sakanoue who time accidentally taken to modern Japan with a trio of Oni trying to get back a Scepter he stole from Great King Emma.
Outlaw Star(1998)
Based on the manga by Takehiko Itō for Bandai by Sunrise. Largely created as a marketable alternative to Cowboy Bebop, which Bandai wished to commercialize but the creator refused. The series follows protagonist Gene Starwood and his crew onboard the ship The Outlaw Star as they search for treasure. The series aired on Toonami but had nudity and profanity censored. A gay character however, was kept in, as Cartoon Network had no rules against the depiction of gay characters at the time[17].
Princess Nine(1998)
A Series following nine girls at Kisaragi School ho form a baseball team that competes against boy’s teams.
Serial Experiment Lain(1998)
An Avante Garde series created by Yasuyuki Ueda and written by Chiaki J. Konaka and Ryūtarō Nakamura. The series follows Lain Iwakura, a shy high school girl. Bizarre occurrences begin to take place at her school after a dead student named Chisa Yomoda sends them an email. Chisa sends Lain an email revealing that she is not dead and has found a world that is essentially cyberspace(possibly based on rumors that Walt Disney, who died in 1994, had transferred his mind into a super computer and then the internet, also invented in 1994). Lain enters the virtual world and begins combatting a group called the Knights of Calculus and other groups seeking to use the Cyberspace World of the Wired that Lain must oppose. The Anime goes into surreal territory due to beings in the virtual world essentially having limitless power, making it difficult to follow battles and what is happening and what is real such as in the Virtual World or real world. This resulted in different interpretations between American viewers and Japanese viewers[18].
Sorcerer Stabber Orphen(1998-1999)
Based on a light novel series that sold 14 Million copies by its 25th anniversary in 2019. Orphen(A Sorcerer who is also a stabber not a stabber of Sorcerers) joins a heist mission and discovers that his long missing sister has been transformed into a monster, and vows to find a way to change her back.
Steam Detectives(1998-1999)
Based on the manga by Kia Asamiya. The series is set in a Steampunk City which has equiclanets to modern technology but using Steam and coal. There are giant robots used as weapons called Megatons. The Protagonist Narutaki, is a detective in the city.
Super Doll Licca-chan(1998-1999)
Based on a popular Doll line in Japan akin to Barbie(Which also exists in Japan). A young girl named Licca learns she is the princess of the Doll kingdom, which is under attack by the Evil Dr.Scarecrow. Lick’s grandmother sends her a set of Dolls as a gift which become magical girls in the Doll Kingdom and help protect Licca.
Super Milk Chan(1998)
Created for Geneon Entertainment for Animax. Super Mil Chan stars the titular character, a young girl named Milk who may or may not have actual powers. She is usually sent out on missions and takes credit regardless of whether or not she did anything while most of the work is done by her robot maid Tetsuko and pet slug Hanage. Being a show aimed for children, it makes many pop cultural references. The English Slogan was “Wholesome? Probably not. God for you, Definitely.” Several Episode titles make Milk puns such as( 100%, Low Fat, Milk and Kookies, Milk Shake, Crying over Spilled Milk, Spoiled Milk, etc)
Trigun(1998)
Based on the Manga by Yasuhiro Nightow that ran from 1995 to 2006 in Monthly Shonen Captain. It was licensed in the US by Dark Horse Comics. For Anime, it was adapted by Madhouse under Yōsuke Kuroda. The series aired on Cartoon Network’s Toonami.
Weiß Kreuz(1998)
“White Cross” in English. A vehicle made by Takehito Koyasu and his friends about a group of assassins who work under the cover of a Flower Shop called Kitty in the House.
Yu-Gi-Oh(1998-2002)
Yu-Gi-Oh was a dark Manga. There is no mistaking that. The author Kazuki Takahashi created a series inspired by Hellraiser, which had the spirit of an ancient pharaoh torturing people by making them play games with supernatural elements. The Card games part was only a small portion that became unexpectedly popular, leading to its incorporation into the Anime by Toei. As a result the Anime is viewed as better written than the Manga while adhering to it and the rules it would set out for itself(such as level and type requirements) would transition well into the physical card game which became a rival to Capsumon. The Yu-Gi-Oh! anime adaptation ended up surpassing the manga, which ended at Chapter 343.
Season One followed Yugi Muto, a boy who completed an ancient Egyptian artifact known as the Millennium Puzzle and gained what appeared to be a split personality. Yugi defeats Seto Kaiba in a duel and is offered, by the creator of the game Duel Monsters, Maximillion Pegasus, to compete in a grand tournament. Pegasus has another millennium item, the Millennium Eye in his possession and uses it to trap the soul of Yugi's grandfather. Yugi is joined by his friends Joey Wheeler, Tristan Taylor, and Téa Gardner. Of particular note is the ascension of Joey into a more prominent role at the cost of maintaining Seto Kaiba as an antagonist. Joey even duels Kaiba and while he loses, his performance is impressive and actually pushes Kaiba.
In Season Two, Yugi learns that the spirit dwelling inside him is a nameless Pharaoh from ancient Egypt. Yugi and friends then enter the Battle City Tournament to obtain three Egyptian God Cards and learn more about the Pharaoh's past. Other Millennium item wielders appear with Joe surprisingly being able to defeat Yami Marik in a duel.
Season Three dives into Kaiba's past with the new antagonist being Noah, who traps the protagonists in a virtual world and has a connection to Kaiba's family.
In Season 4, a group known as the Order of Orichalcos was introduced which was draining the power of the Egyptian God cards and gathering souls to revive the ancient dragon Leviathan. In the climax, the Pharaoh was given the seal but chose not to use it. Many older characters returned during the climax.
For the 5th and Final Season, Yugi and friends entered the KaibaCorp Grand Championship. The KaibaCorp Grand Prix showed off very different duels and skillsets for the characters and introduced Siegfried, a counterpart to Kaiba and in many ways his opposite., being politer, though his darker nature was eventually revealed. Ryuo Bakura, owner of the Millennium Ring became possessed by a dark spirit in the ring. Yugi and friends are sent into the past, allowing the Pharaoh to battle Bakura and his evil essence. The series ended in a battle between Yugi and the Pharaoh. A duel which Yugi managed to win[19].
DVA
Blue Submarine No 6(1998)
Based on the manga by Satoru Ozawa that ran from 1967 to 1968. The series is set in a post apocalyptic future where the world has flooded thanks to rogue scientist Zorndyke and his army of hybrids which are opposed by the titular blue Submarine No 6. The DVA used a mix of 3D and 2D, one of the first works to do this. Bandai aired it on Toonami.
Geobreeders(1998)
An Adaptation of a Seinen Manga that began in 1993 and continues to this day by Akihito Ito. It follows a group that can be hired to deal with a Were-Cat epidemic in a city.
Kite(1998)
A Hentai DVA by Yasuomi Umetsu. Whose first work was on Gemma Wars for Mushi Productions and Stop!! Hibari-kun! In 1983, Omega Zone 23 in 1985, and Robot Carnival in 1987. Kite was controversial due to its sexual content, but was praised by critics, including Quentin Tarantino[20]. A version removing the NSFW content that was much shorter was also released. The film follows an assassin named Sawa who works for her guardian, who also forces her to have sex with him. She meets and falls in love with another young assassin named Oburi and falls in love with him. When she is told to kill Oburi, she refuses and the two go rogue, being hunted by the other assassins
Nightwalker: The Midnight Detective(1998)
Based on the 1993 Video Game. Nightwalker is set in a world inhabited by Nightbreed, minor demons. Shido Tatsuhiko is a Vampire who hunts his own kind with the assistance of Riho, a school girl who lost her parents in a Nightbreed attack but is unaware of her boss’s true nature. The Series was considerably darker than the original game which was more of a point and click adventure that was a mystery with a more lighthearted tone, for example all the characters had living relatives[21].
Shadow Skill(1998)
Based on the Manga that ran from 1992 to 1998 by Megumu Okada. The series is set in the Kingdom of Kurda and follows a recently titled Elite Warrior named Elle Regu, who is forced to take odd jobs to financially support himself.
Very Private Lesson(1998)
A Comedy about a Teacher who steps in to save a girl teacher that develops a crush on him. Her father is a Yakuza Boss and he is forced to go along with it.
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō(1998)
In English: Yokohama Shopping Log. Based on the manga by Hitoshi Ashinano that ran from 1994 to 2006. Several details about the setting are kept vague, which work to keep elements of the story a mystery. Sea Levels have risen, most coastal cities have been submerged, and Mount Fuji erupted in the recent past. Climate Change has thrown off the seasons. Humanity lives a more primitive but peaceful life, using anti-air missiles for fireworks. An android named Alpha Hatsuseno runs a coffee shop called Cafe Alpha after her owner disappeared on a trip. She is immortal and watches humans grow old and die, but both her and the human characters have accepted this. Most of the stories are anthologies. The popularity of this series gave rise in fanfiction to the “Coffee Shop Alternate Universe” or the “Cozy Post-Apocalyptic Alternate Universe[22].
Butterflied Away
Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040. Bubblegum Crisis series as a whole was butterflied.
Generator Gawl. Tatsunoko collapse casualty.
Getter Robo Armaggeddon. A Remake combining elements of multiple versions of Getter Robo. Here there are sequels rather than multiple separate continuities, including the apocalypse taking place, it would be redundant.
Golgo 13: Queen Bee. Folded into TTL’s adaptation of Eagle.
Gundam: Endless Waltz. Butterflied Away due to elements being incorporated into Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team.
Mezzo Forte. Same Director as Kite. ITTL the similarities between both works led it to be cancelled.
Slayers Gorgeous. Butterflied away as OTL it was a backup In case Lost Universe failed, which ITTL it did not due to a fire not destroying the first four episodes.
NOTES
[1] Yoshifumi Kondō passed away this year OTL to the shock and sadness of Miyazaki and Takahata, who intended him to succeed them. Another death butterflied away is voice actor Sadao Sasaoka, who died of Typhoid, which is actually a treatable disease and ITTL he survives.
[2] OTL Bomberman had a tv series ITTL. Given Video Game movies are a big thing ITTL, I couldn’t resist the obvious irony of a Bomberman movie bombing. This film is based on the OTL video game Bomberman: Act Zero, another controversial reimagining.
[3] Essentially the OTL Cowboy Bebop: The Movie but in live action.
[4] Aronofsky's films OTL such as Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream took a lot of inspiration from Perfect Blue, here he took inspiration from Satoshi Kon's Go For a Punch! rather than Satoshi Kon's Perfect Blue. Batman: Year One was also a film he worked on OTL that was cancelled, eventually becoming Batman Begins.
[5]OTL a film called Ninja Resurrection was released. It was advertised as a sequel to Ninja Scroll in the US but it was actually based on a different story. Samurai: Reincarnation was an OTL 1981 live action film starring Sonny Chiba. Here it’s been moved and made animated to take the place of Ninja Resurrection given the titles are practically reversals of each other(Samurai to Ninja and Resurrection to reincarnation, which can be seen as bringing back a dead life vs creating a new one).
[6] The Tekken Movie is a mix of OTL’s 1998 Tekken: The Motion Picture and the 2009 live action Tekken film, in fact most of the behind the scenes elements were early in that film’s development such as the founder of Crystal Sky Studios Steven Paul being friends with someone behind Tekken(The existence of a Tekken Live Action FIlm ITTL by them also butterflies away Baby Geniuses as they are a small studio and must commit to one film at a time). Jackie Chan and Jet Li were actually attached to have roles in the Tekken Film and were enthusiastic about it but dropped out as did the director Charles Stone III, leading to the film we got OTL.
[7] Basically OTL’s Shin Ultraman but in 1998 instead of 2022. Notably Anno’s first film was a live action fan made Ultraman movie while his first OTL Live Action film(at least theatrically) was 1998’s Love & Pop.
[8] I swapped the Production teams(both Sunrise) of Brain Power’d and Gasaraki. OTL Hideaki Anno was not involved. Tomino was disappointed with the finished product while ITTL he would not be.
[9] Behind the scenes details stated that Xialong’s gender was not solidified but Sakura was going to end up with them regardless, or rather not as the romance ended unresolved OTL. Dubs removed the gay relationships OTL. The Ted Bundy element taking away from the Ellen Degeneres coming out moment is based on the timeline “Beast of the Airwaves” and is an inverse of “Player Two Start” where Degeneres coming out and facing backlash led to the Sailor Moon romance being censored while the inverse is true ITTL. No one cared because it was overshadowed by controversy and so they didn’t censor it and this impacts Cardcaster Sakura, who now has a gay relationship and isn’t censored.
[10]A made up controversy but based on the OTL design for the character Devil Lady who the OTL series was named after, which this is TTL’s equivalent of(a Keychain below is used to illustrate this as the actual manga and show don't give a clear shot for obvious reasons.
This controversy is based off an OTL behind the scenes conversation during the production of Smiling Friends, where the character DJ Spit had to have visible pubes removed, the creators tried to include the credit of “Pube remover” but couldn’t due to time constraints. Another note is Devilman(Demon Lord Dante ITTL) did not appear in the anime adaptation but did in the Manga while they do ITTL.
[11] Eagle: The Making of an Asian American President is a Manga that was OTL adapted once as a film as a South Korean Drama called The President which centers on the President of South Korea. ITTL its based more on House of Cards as the author of the book wrote several sequels. OTL he killed off Francois Urquhart in the first book while the show kept him alive and went on longer, having Urquhart actually become Prime Minister. This led the author to regret his decision and he wrote several sequel books undoing the ending. Here there are more books that were in turn adapted, influencing Eagle to go for longer. It replaced OTL's Golgo 13: Queen Bee movie where John DiMaggio voiced Golgo, who doesn’t talk much anyway, having 14 lines. That film was set during the 2000 Presidential Election just as Eagle was set, as the author travelled to the US during election season to research for the manga.
[12] Basically OTL’s Youtube Series Punch Punch Forever reimagined as a genuine Anime series from the 90’s. Included here because without Hideaki Anno, Studio Daicon(OTL’s Studio Gainax) is in more dire straits and needed a hit, even if they have Revolutionary Girl Utena ITTL. It’s too early for their other hits such as: Gurren Lagaan(Hiroyuki Imaishi needs to meet and hire writer Kazuki Nakashima who hasn’t written anything yet), Panty and Stocking(Based on Drawn Together which isn’t out yet and South Park which is still brand new and conceived during a vacation that the team would be too busy at this time to go on) and FLCL(Its creator Tsurumaki was Hideaki Anno’s protege and likely followed him to King Records).
[13] Initial D is basically same as OTL. While there was a temptation to change the car used, the Toyota AE86, as it was the same car used by the author that he bought at a car dealership for how cheap it was, its also the same car used by famous street racer Keiichi Tsuchiya, who contributed to the manga as a consultant, so its not butterflied, as being an expert on street racing, he'd know wha kind of car to pick.
[14] OTL a fire destroyed the work on the early episodes, forcing them to be quickly redone and the quality difference form the rest was noticeable. There was also the 1997 Southeast Asian Economic at the time, the source of which isn’t really known but it began in Thailand. Thailand has a different history ITTL but this is unlikely to be enough to prevent it. The short version is Ananda Mahidol is not assassinated in 1946 and becomes King. This means The Prime Minister Prodi Banomyong is not suspected of involvement in the assassination and removed from power, which OTL lead to takeover by military supreme leader Plaek Phibunsongkhram(Phibun for short). This in turn means Thailand returns to the name of Siam as the Thailand name was picked by Phibun as he wanted to united all the Thai people, and the Dictatorship is never formed.
[15] There was some confusion OTL as to who wrote Master Keaton. The Manga Studio believed that Urasawa would not be able to handle both Master Keaton and Yawara! And so Hokusei Katsushika, and Takashi Nagasaki were brought on to help. When Katsushika died of cancer in 2004, Urasawa revealed in an interview in 2005, he had written most of the series and wanted his name to be bigger on the cover than Katsushika's, and this was seen as an attempt to take credit and was seen as lack of respect for the dead. Urasawa later did work on the series again with Nagasaki. Given several later instances where Urasawa had multiple manga going on, I feel like he could handle the workload and it was his idea, so ITTL he handled it on his own.
[16] OTL Nazca is probably best remembered as the source for two clips(a man smiling in the rain and a punk on a skateboard) in the intro to Malcolm in the Middle, which OTL was delayed from an intended 1998 release which ITTL it meets, meaning Nazca remains obscure and the Malcolm in the Middle intro uses footage from 3x3 Eyes(Which shared a producer Nazca, allowing them to secure the rights. As a result of this connection Greg Weissman, creator of Gargoyles, has a brief speaking role in Nazca's Dub as he worked for the production company at the time) and His Soul is Marching onto another World AKA the John Brown Isekai native to TTL, specifically a scene of an also Isekai’d after Death shirtless muscle bound Abraham Lincoln punching a hole through an Orc complete with over the top spray of blood. This means Nazca is a largely forgotten anime without being featured in the Malcolm in the Middle opening. See the OTL Intro here:
[17] Outlaw Star was made by Bandai OTL but Cowboy Bebop wasn't as it was the refusal to commercialize the latter series that led to the creator leaving. Also Cartoon Network legally had no laws against showing homosexuality in their productions at this time OTL but they did censor these elements under the "Graphic Sexual Content" excuse. ITTL its more of a "Shit you right." throw their hands in the air and accept it.
[18] OTL the author of Serial Experiments Lain hoped there would be a type of “War of Ideas” between the US and Japanese viewers and was disappointed when this was not the case and US viewers had the same interpretation as the Japanese viewers.
[19]Yu-Gi-Oh had a second more well known adaptation but an earlier one was released this year OTL. ITTL they have essentially been merged. Due to Digimon not existing(Nintendo partnered with Tamagotchi ITTL while OTL Tamagotchi made Digimon as handheld pets to compete against Pokemon, which they now have no need to), Yu-Gi-Oh is seen as the main rival to Capsumon.
[20] Quentin Tarantino told actress Chili Kuriyama to watch this film to prepare for her role in Kill Bill. In terms of Tarantino’s career up to 1998, he has two films that were both destroyed by other people who worked on them OTL in Love Birds in Bondage and My Best Friend's Birthday. He also wrote the script for a film called The Open Road that later became Natural Born Killers and True Romance , neither of which come to exist ITTL as the film was made by co-writer Avery in 1993. Reservoir Dogs(1992) is largely OTL though with John Cryer instead of Steve Buscemi as Mr.Pink. Pulp Fiction is different in a few places due to The Open Road including elements from it including the shots miraculously missing Jules and Vincent and is made by Sony. Jackie Brown is butterflied away as Tarantino makes a Luke Cage movie(he’s a huge fan) for Marvel and has begun work on a Silver Surfer film(Pitched OTL) though his next film ITTL is intended to be Double V Vega. Tarantino’s only 10 films rule does not apply here as he's done more commercial work ITTL. If he does have such as rule ITTL it goes up to 13 rather than 10.
[21] OTL Nightwalker was intended to be an OVA but was reworked into a TV Series, this is evident as the first few episodes are different in many ways from the rest of the series.
[22] A staple of fanfiction is the Coffee Shop AU or Alternate Universe in which the characters of a specific fandom operate a coffee shop. Based on the idea that a Coffee Shop is a Cozy place. Clearly written by people who never worked at a Coffee Shop. It’s pretty hectic. The trend started with Café de l'Amour by NSyncGrrl a pop slash fanfiction(N’Sync and Backstreet Boys). ITTL because of the influence of Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō, these fan fictions tend to be set in a post-apocalyptic setting but a more lighthearted version where the apocalypse has already passed and things have settled down, resulting in the characters relaxing in a sort of early retirement or vacation post-series, though some writers would introduce a danger using the post apocalyptic setting or telling in flashback exactly what happened to the world. In other words Post Apocalyptic Coffee Shop AU is a thing. I chose to do this as the OTL Anime did include a Coffee Shop anyway, and it’s essentially being introduced 4 years earlier than OTL.
1998 in Anime
IN THE NEWS…
SONY LAUNCHES ALL ANIME TV CHANNEL
Sony has launch ANIMAX, the first 24 hour Anime channel. In Japan it aired on the channel SKY PerfecTV! Ted Turner made a deal to include it in a Cable package alongside Turner’s own channels such as Cartoon Network and TBS. Select Anime will air on Toonami depending on appropriateness for airing.
NEW ANIMATED GALAXY EXPRESS 999 MOVIE SET FOR RELEASE IN 1999
STUDIO GHIBLI HEAD SUFFERS ANEURYSM
Yoshifumi Kondō, successor to Hayao Miyazaki, was rushed to the hospital. While recovering from Aortic Dissection, he will be taking some time off of work to recover, leaving who will take his place at the Studio with Miyazaki and Takahata having elected to retire uncertain[1]
FILM
Bomberman(1998)
Konami had a success on their hands with Metal Gear last year. Now they’ve followed up a big success with a big failure. Criticized from straying too far from a source material that didn’t even have a story. It is now considered one of the worst Video Game movies of all time. Naturally critics couldn’t resist the obvious bait of “Bomberman Movie Bombs” In their headlines. The Video Game film uses CGI and tells the tale of a group of prisoners trapped by robots in an underground prison planet that organize a way to escape by using bombs. Our leads are Bomberman, looking nothing like the classic character, and Bomberwoman, who’s wearing the equivalent of a chainmail bikini. Suffice to say the film failed spectacular and it's a good lesson in what not to do when adapting a Video Game movie. In fact, it was so bad that Konami was forced to practically beg Hideo Kojima and John Carpenter to do a sequel to last year’s Metal Gear to make up for the loss[2].
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie(1998)
A film adaptation of the Anime series, also helmed by Watanabe. It was Bandai’s push for a live action film when the series received critical praise. This was likely due to Bandai, who had began a short anime adaptation craze with Gundam in the 1980’s, feeling left out of the most recent Anime adaptations. Watanabe himself was reluctant until Bandai was able to sign on Yūsaku Matsuda to play Spike Spiegal, the character he inspired. Rather than an adaptation, the story was original and set between episodes of the series, making it canon[3]
Crayon Shin-chan: Blitzkrieg! Pig's Hoof's Secret Mission(1998)
A Secret agent named Oriole steals a disk needed to make a secret weapon fro the secret society Pig’s Hoof, who was hosting an event with the Futaba Kindergarten students, who are taken for a ride when Pig’s Hoof’s airship takes off while they are visiting it to prevent the secret agent from escaping. The Noharas follow a secret agent to rescue their son. The film concludes with the super weapon being primed but made to explode, with everyone escaping the airship just in time.
Lupin IV: The Fourteenth Target(1998)
This Lupin IV film takes inspiration from several Agatha Christie Stories including an isolated location akin to “And Then There Were None.”, and a serial killer who kills victims based on the alphabet that breaks his pattern to divert suspicion.
Perfect Blue(1998)
An Adaptation of the Manga of the same name by Darren Aronofsky in his first film with the support of the original author. Mima Kirigoe decides to leave her girl band and become an actress, doing more risky films. Many of her fans turn against her due to her previously having a clean and innocent image, as does her manager Rumi. A mysterious fan begins to creepily stalk her, posting everything she does to a disturbingly accurate detail to a website. Mima agrees to do a rape scene despite being stressed about it and begins to hallucinate her reflection appearing as her old self and talking to her. Several people involved in Mima’s career are murdered and Mima believes she may be responsible. She is attacked by the crazed fan, who is killed accidentally in self defense. Mima then learns Rumi is behind manipulating the fan and is chased by her. Rumi is hit by a car and sent to a mental institution. Mima visits her in the hospital. She overhears nurses thinking they recognize her but then assume it is a look alike. She tells herself “It’s Me” in a voice that sounds like her old persona. The film was a success and Warner Bros reached out to Darren Aronofsky to helm a Batman film.[4]
Samurai: Reincarnation(1998)
Based on a novel Makai Tensho(Demon Realm Reincarnation) by Futaro Yamada. Mori Sōiken summons several dead warriors to overthrow the Shogunate and Yagyū Jūbē Mitsuyoshi breaks free of the control and rebels against the others. Soon Chiba proves the voice. This film won two Awards of the Japanese Academy(Essentially the Japanese Academy Awards)[5].
Tekken: The Movie(1998)
Inspired by the live action adaptations of Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. Tekken also had a script adapted, following largely a mix of the plot of Tekken 1 and Tekken 2. Made by Namco. The newcomer Crystal Sky Studios was chosen to help the live action project due to founder Steven Paul being good friends with Tekken creator Katsuhiro Harada. He picked a then unknown Director Charles Stone III, known for music videos at the time. Fortunately he was a huge Tekken fan. Stone’s script brought the film closer to Enter the Dragon and Mortal Kombat, moving the action to a tournament on an island. Steven Paul was able to entice Jackie Chan and Jet Li to have roles in the film. Jackie Chan was cast as Lei Wulong(who was based on Jackie Chan in the Police Story films) and Bruce Lee as Marshall Law(more of a cameo though he does have a scene with Wulong). Jet Li was cast as Kazuya Mishima.
In a flashback, Kazuya Mishima is thrown off a cliff by his father Heihachi Mishima(Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), who claims lions throw their young off a cliff and raise only those who climb back up(not true and this became a popular meme). As he lies dying, Kazuya promises the Devil his soul if he can kill his father. His childhood friend Jun Kazama, witnessed the incident and searches and fails to find Kazuya after the fall.
16 years later, Jun works at Interpol with Lei Wulong(Jackie Chan) as a partner and is seeking evidence to bring down Heihachi’s company, the Mishima Zaibatsu, which is hosting the King of Iron Fist Tournament. Kazuya(Jet Li) enters, having been operating as an underground championship fighter. Heihachi’s adopted son Lee Chaolan sends assassin sisters Nina and Anna Williams to kill Kazuya but they fail. This leads Heihachi to confront Kazuya and offer to give him the Mishima Zaibatsu if he can defeat him in the tournament. Kazuya attacks Heihachi but the fight ends in a draw and they vow to finish things in the competition. Jun and Lei board the boat to the tournament and meet a large man named Jack with a girl named Jane an and former kickboxing champion named Bruce Irvin(Michael Jai White), along with Marshall Law(Bruce Lee). Kazuya is seen sneaking onboard the ship by Jun and later confronts him, telling him not to abandon his revenge but he refuses. The Williams twins try to kill them both but begin fighting as Kazuya paid Nina Williams to try and kill Heihachi, leading her to turn on her own sister and giving Kazuya and Jun a chance to escape.
The Ship arrives and Heihachi makes an announcement. An assassination attempt is made on Heihachi by Michelle Chang with a thrown Tomahawk but he catches it in his mouth and then bites down, shattering it(a scene which also became a meme, along with behind the scenes footage of Takagawa casually eating the Tomahawk like it was a piece of chicken since, for the scene, the weapon was actually made of edible material. Takagawa even makes an expression to say “It’s not bad”). In a tongue in cheek nod, when the cast arrive on the island and Heihachi announces the tournament, Marshall Law comments that there is “Something very familiar about this”(The film’s plot is borrowed from Lee’s film Game of Death, this scene also became a meme due to Bruce Lee's almost frustrated or sarcastic sounding delivery). The tournament begins. Kazuya, in an extended sequence, fights and defeats King, played by Dwayne Johnson a request by the director despite King not speaking and not being very relevant to the plot. He also fights Lei in order to have Jackie Chan and Jet Li fight on screen. Lei sneaks into the facility but is attacked. He is rescued by Jack, who is revealed to be a robot created by captive scientist Dr.Bosconovitch to protect his daughter Jane. The Scientist reveals a submarine they can escape on as he rigs the island to explode. The other “Jacks” robots in the facility go rogue and attack the fighters forcing the group to meet up, joined also by Roger, Bosconovitch’s pet boxing kangaroo. Most of the fighters are able to retreat and escape the island though the "Good" Jack robot sacrifices himself to save Jane. Kazuya stays behind to fight Heihachi, finally defeating him and, in an imitation of what Heihachi did to him, throws him off a cliff, seemingly to his death from the lava beneath them before appearing to perish himself.
The film received mixed reviews and is now considered so bad it’s good in many ways. The best parts of the film are widely considered to be the goofier bits and the entertaining moments such as the Jackie Chan and Jet Li fight, though many believe Jet Li was an ill fit for the role of Kazuya[6].
Ultraman(1998)
Part of the Japan Heroes Universe. Directed by Hideaki Anno, a fan of the character. The plot begins with the world threatened by Kaiju attacks.A mysterious silver being dubbed “Ultraman” appears and helps defeat a Kaiju, it then takes the form of a deceased member of the S-Class Species Suppression Patrol of SSSP named Kaminaga. After helping defeat the alien responsible Zetton and elects to stay behind to protect Earth[7].
TV
Transformers(1998-1999)
An Anime adaptation of the original Transformers cartoon. The premise of the series is the Transformers, after escaping Cybertron, both crashed into Japan rather than America, waking up in Japan in 1998, and resuming their battle. There are cameos of characters from the TMNT Anime. Entirely original Japanese characters replace the human characters like the Witwickys in the original. It being an Anime, it was decided to add a Mecha element(in Japan, robots without a human pilot are considered for kids while Mechas are considered more mature). Several of the Japanese characters are revealed to have latent psyche energies that empower the Transformers, which can transform from vehicle to robot without harming the pilot inside.
Android Announcer Maico 2010(1998)
Maico is an android originally created for sex that was given a different purpose by her creator. She meets another android named Rei who is her “Sister” and the two become crime fighting DJs.
Basara(1998)
Based on the manga by Yumi Tamara that ran from 1990 to 1998. In a Post Apocalyptic Japan ruled by a Golden Emperor and his children. For warriors rise up with mystical swords and travel the land gathering a rebellion to overthrow the Emperor.
Brain Powered(1998)
Produced by Sunrise and directed by Ryōsuke Takahashi. The series is set in a future where an alien spacecraft has been causes earthquakes and floods. Two scientists named Kansas Isami and Midair Isami plan to steal the craft to travel the galaxy after annihilating all life on earth. They create an army of “Reclaimers” from within the alien ship to attack Earth. A teenager named Hime Utsumiya joins a group fighting against the scientists and becomes a Mecha Pilot, joined by Yu Isami, the son of the two scientists who seek to end the world [8].
Burn Up W(1998-1999)
A follow up to the fan service heavy series Burn Up(1991) following Team Warrior. Directed by Shinichiro Kimora and animated by Magic Bus.
Cardcaster Sakura(1998-2000)
Based on the manga by CLAMP that ran from 1996 to 2000. Adapted by Madhouse. A magical girl series following Sakura Kinomoto, a 10 year old girl who accidentally releases a deck of magical cards created by the sorcerer Clow Reed. The guardian of the cards Cerberus grants Sakura magic powers to recapture the monsters from the cards. Her cousin Tomoyo records her exploits while her brother Toya watches over her while pretending to be unaware of her secret. Head CLAMP Writer Nantes Ohkawa conceived of the series with the group working together to finalize it. Ohkawa was the only one who knew how the series would go and many of the staff would be surprised by new scripts. She had to veto illustrating Tomoyo being in love with Toya by revealing that they are related earlier than intended. A girl named Xiaolang was introduced, a descendant of Clow Reed who comes to help recapture the cards. She clashes with Sakura at first but grows to respect her. Sakura then has to fight against Yue for the role of guardian. At the conclusion of the series, Sakura and Xialong end up together. This proved a point of contention when it came to adaptations and CLAMP refused to allow it to be adapted unless they kept the romance. After the success of Codename: Sailor V with the same sex relationship in that series being ignored and Ellen Degeneres coming out with no backlash due to being overshadowed by the controversy surrounding Talk show host Ted Bundy being revealed to be a serial killer. The show was therefore able to air its same sex romance by Canada’s Nelvana on Network 10, Cartoon Network and Fox Kids [9].
Cyber Team in Akihabara(1998)
Created by Tsukasa Kotobuki and Satori Akahori. The series, capitalizing on Capsule Monsters, is set in a world where electronic creatures known as “Pata-Pi” are popular, one girl need Hibari finds that one falls from the sky named Densuke that can transform into a magical girl. Hibari and friends must battle those who seek to unlock the powers of the Pata-Pi for selfish reasons.
Demon Lady Medusa(1998)
Demon Lord Dante was previously seen in 1987 in Violence Jack vs Great Energer, in which Violence Jack had recalled his previous life as Demon Lord Dante and once more menaced the world, fighting the son of the original Energer Z. However, there had been no hints of what became of his love Medusa since 1973’s Energer Z vs Demon Lord Dante where she appeared to perish. It turns out she did not die and like “Violence Jack” was left as a normal human named Jun Fudo. At least so we think, at first. Fudo has a biological father who is a professor and meets another Demon woman named Lan Asuka. When Demons attack and try to rape Jun Fudo, she transforms into Demon Lady Medusa and begins to battle the Demons. Professor Fudo believes humanity is becoming demons but not because of an outside source but rather as a form of advanced evolution and that the effect is natural. In a twist, Ryo, the human appearance of Demon Lord Dante makes his debut in the show. He later reveals he arrived there after being killed for good and that to him this is an alternate universe. He believes that because of his nature as a Demon he could not be sent to Hell or Heaven and so was sent to another universe. He helps Medusa free her world’s Demon Lord Dante from his captivity in Hell but he turns out to be evil in this universe and needs to be fought and killed. Rio resigns himself to a quiet life as humanity, now transformed into Demons, comes under the rule of Medusa and her now lover Lan Asuka.
The series faced an odd controversy. The female protagonist appears naked after transforming, while shading, patches of hair on parts of the body, and specific angles prevent a higher television rating, they have a notable patch of hair on their groin area that started a debate over whether it could be considered Pubic Hair, which would change the rating[10]
Flint the Time Detective(1998-1999)
Directed by Hiroshi Fukutomi. Te series follows a boy from prehistoric times who was resurrected in the future by the Time Police, who he joins. His friends, Sarah and Tony Goodman are the brains of the operation and the work together to prevent a dark lord from becoming Master of Time.
Gasaraki(1998-1999)
Produced by Sunrise and directed by Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino to premier with Animax. Domino was enthusiastic about making an “Organic” mecha like those in Alcion. He was joined by Hideaki Anno himself along with character designer Mitsumi Inmata, character designer Mamoru Nagano, and composer Yoko Kanno. For the English release the opening was redone due to featuring nudity, though these were restored in the DVD releases. In the show’s setting, a Demonic Mecha esque armor was created by the Gowa Family. This results in an alternate history. By the 2010s, Japan is a mix of modern and ancient, having advanced through technology but very little culturally. For example Samurai still exist as mercenaries and the Zaibatsu(Japanese megacorporations) rule like Feudal Lords and Television shows depict Noh Theatre. The Gowa Family have duplicated the Demon Armor. Amember of the family, Yushiro Gowa, rebels and works to stop his family. Gowa goes rogue while he is part of a Gowa Supported US invasion of a Fictional Middle Eastern Country named Belgistan.
Hideaki Anno spoke with Tomino about possibly bringing in Gundam into the Japan Heroes Universe. He was helming the Ultraman film while Naomi Urasawa was working on Pluto: The Mighty Atom II .
Eagle(1998-2004)
Eagle is based on the manga that ran from 1997 to 2004. Initially Set during the 2000 US Presidential Election, It follows a reporter named Akashi Yo investigating an up and coming candidate for US President in the Asian American Senator Kenneth “Kenny” Yamaoka. He is shocked to discover Yamaoka is actually his biological father and becomes invested in helping him win. Yamaoka makes Akashi Yo promise to not reveal anything of what he sees until after the election is over. This promise becomes harder to keep as Yamaoka’s opponents begin to suffer misfortunes ranging from scandals to mysterious deaths that appear to be suicides or accidents. It was dubbed into English with John Dimaggio voicing Yamaoka. Later seasons follow Yamaoka’s actual term in office before he is assassinated and his crimes exposed while campaigning for reelection[11].
I Will Punch Forever!(1998-1999)
Released by Studio Daicon. In a world where Earth was invaded by Demons, a young human girl competes in a tournament to be granted one wish, supported by her mother, a former champion and her half demon sister, and to defeat the Demon King, who may or may not be her father. The English Dub did not take itself seriously at all and added jokes[12].
If I see you in my Dreams(1998)
Based on the romance manga that ran from 1994 to 1999. The Romance is between a salary man named Masuo and a Kindergarten Teacher named Nags, who face obstacles in their relationship.
Initial D(1998)
Based on the Manga by Shuichi Shigeno that ran from 1995 to 2013. The series centers on the world of illegal street racing. Takumi Fujiwara is a student working at a gas station who is brought into the world of underground racing in his Toyota Sprinter[13].
Kurogane Communication(1998)
A Series following a 13 year old girl and possibly the last human left alive being raised by a family of robots in a post-apocalyptic setting.
Lost Universe(1998)
From Hajime Kqnzaka. Best known for the Slayers series and even took its timeslot. It takes place on a world mentioned in the Slayers series as “The Black world” in contrast to “the Red World” Slayers take place in, alluding to chess. Unlike the Red World, the Black World is science fiction themed rather than fantasy themed. This series was hit hard by the 1997 Southeast Asian Financial Crisis as it had outsourced its animation, though thankfully the Crisis was soon alleviated and Japan was impacted very little[14].
Mamotte Shugogetten(1998)
Based on the Manga by Minene Sakurano and adapted by Toei Animation. A 14 year old boy named Tasuke Shichiri received a ring that contains a Goddess named Shaolin.
Master Keaton(1998-2000)
A Series by Naomi Urasawa. Keaton is a former member of the British Army and now runs an insurance investigator, but has a desire to resume an old career as an archeologist and investigate the origins of an ancient civilization[15].
Nazca(1998)
Based on the manga by Akira Himekawa. The plot follows a group that discover they are the reincarnation of ancient Incan Warriors[16].
Neo Ranga(1998-1999)
A Series by Sho Aikawa made by Studio Pierrot and Pony Canyon. The series follows three sisters, who discover that their brother, the next in line to become Royalty of the island of Barou, has died, making them next in line and giving them access to the tribe’s god Neo Ranga, a giant Kaiju which accidentally follows them to Japan and causes an incident with the Japanese Army.
Ojarumaru(1998)
A longer running children’s show on NHK Series.It is the third longest running Anime beside Sazae-Chan and Nintama Rintaro. It follows a 5 year old prince from the Heian Era named Ojarumaru Sakanoue who time accidentally taken to modern Japan with a trio of Oni trying to get back a Scepter he stole from Great King Emma.
Outlaw Star(1998)
Based on the manga by Takehiko Itō for Bandai by Sunrise. Largely created as a marketable alternative to Cowboy Bebop, which Bandai wished to commercialize but the creator refused. The series follows protagonist Gene Starwood and his crew onboard the ship The Outlaw Star as they search for treasure. The series aired on Toonami but had nudity and profanity censored. A gay character however, was kept in, as Cartoon Network had no rules against the depiction of gay characters at the time[17].
Princess Nine(1998)
A Series following nine girls at Kisaragi School ho form a baseball team that competes against boy’s teams.
Serial Experiment Lain(1998)
An Avante Garde series created by Yasuyuki Ueda and written by Chiaki J. Konaka and Ryūtarō Nakamura. The series follows Lain Iwakura, a shy high school girl. Bizarre occurrences begin to take place at her school after a dead student named Chisa Yomoda sends them an email. Chisa sends Lain an email revealing that she is not dead and has found a world that is essentially cyberspace(possibly based on rumors that Walt Disney, who died in 1994, had transferred his mind into a super computer and then the internet, also invented in 1994). Lain enters the virtual world and begins combatting a group called the Knights of Calculus and other groups seeking to use the Cyberspace World of the Wired that Lain must oppose. The Anime goes into surreal territory due to beings in the virtual world essentially having limitless power, making it difficult to follow battles and what is happening and what is real such as in the Virtual World or real world. This resulted in different interpretations between American viewers and Japanese viewers[18].
Sorcerer Stabber Orphen(1998-1999)
Based on a light novel series that sold 14 Million copies by its 25th anniversary in 2019. Orphen(A Sorcerer who is also a stabber not a stabber of Sorcerers) joins a heist mission and discovers that his long missing sister has been transformed into a monster, and vows to find a way to change her back.
Steam Detectives(1998-1999)
Based on the manga by Kia Asamiya. The series is set in a Steampunk City which has equiclanets to modern technology but using Steam and coal. There are giant robots used as weapons called Megatons. The Protagonist Narutaki, is a detective in the city.
Super Doll Licca-chan(1998-1999)
Based on a popular Doll line in Japan akin to Barbie(Which also exists in Japan). A young girl named Licca learns she is the princess of the Doll kingdom, which is under attack by the Evil Dr.Scarecrow. Lick’s grandmother sends her a set of Dolls as a gift which become magical girls in the Doll Kingdom and help protect Licca.
Super Milk Chan(1998)
Created for Geneon Entertainment for Animax. Super Mil Chan stars the titular character, a young girl named Milk who may or may not have actual powers. She is usually sent out on missions and takes credit regardless of whether or not she did anything while most of the work is done by her robot maid Tetsuko and pet slug Hanage. Being a show aimed for children, it makes many pop cultural references. The English Slogan was “Wholesome? Probably not. God for you, Definitely.” Several Episode titles make Milk puns such as( 100%, Low Fat, Milk and Kookies, Milk Shake, Crying over Spilled Milk, Spoiled Milk, etc)
Trigun(1998)
Based on the Manga by Yasuhiro Nightow that ran from 1995 to 2006 in Monthly Shonen Captain. It was licensed in the US by Dark Horse Comics. For Anime, it was adapted by Madhouse under Yōsuke Kuroda. The series aired on Cartoon Network’s Toonami.
Weiß Kreuz(1998)
“White Cross” in English. A vehicle made by Takehito Koyasu and his friends about a group of assassins who work under the cover of a Flower Shop called Kitty in the House.
Yu-Gi-Oh(1998-2002)
Yu-Gi-Oh was a dark Manga. There is no mistaking that. The author Kazuki Takahashi created a series inspired by Hellraiser, which had the spirit of an ancient pharaoh torturing people by making them play games with supernatural elements. The Card games part was only a small portion that became unexpectedly popular, leading to its incorporation into the Anime by Toei. As a result the Anime is viewed as better written than the Manga while adhering to it and the rules it would set out for itself(such as level and type requirements) would transition well into the physical card game which became a rival to Capsumon. The Yu-Gi-Oh! anime adaptation ended up surpassing the manga, which ended at Chapter 343.
Season One followed Yugi Muto, a boy who completed an ancient Egyptian artifact known as the Millennium Puzzle and gained what appeared to be a split personality. Yugi defeats Seto Kaiba in a duel and is offered, by the creator of the game Duel Monsters, Maximillion Pegasus, to compete in a grand tournament. Pegasus has another millennium item, the Millennium Eye in his possession and uses it to trap the soul of Yugi's grandfather. Yugi is joined by his friends Joey Wheeler, Tristan Taylor, and Téa Gardner. Of particular note is the ascension of Joey into a more prominent role at the cost of maintaining Seto Kaiba as an antagonist. Joey even duels Kaiba and while he loses, his performance is impressive and actually pushes Kaiba.
In Season Two, Yugi learns that the spirit dwelling inside him is a nameless Pharaoh from ancient Egypt. Yugi and friends then enter the Battle City Tournament to obtain three Egyptian God Cards and learn more about the Pharaoh's past. Other Millennium item wielders appear with Joe surprisingly being able to defeat Yami Marik in a duel.
Season Three dives into Kaiba's past with the new antagonist being Noah, who traps the protagonists in a virtual world and has a connection to Kaiba's family.
In Season 4, a group known as the Order of Orichalcos was introduced which was draining the power of the Egyptian God cards and gathering souls to revive the ancient dragon Leviathan. In the climax, the Pharaoh was given the seal but chose not to use it. Many older characters returned during the climax.
For the 5th and Final Season, Yugi and friends entered the KaibaCorp Grand Championship. The KaibaCorp Grand Prix showed off very different duels and skillsets for the characters and introduced Siegfried, a counterpart to Kaiba and in many ways his opposite., being politer, though his darker nature was eventually revealed. Ryuo Bakura, owner of the Millennium Ring became possessed by a dark spirit in the ring. Yugi and friends are sent into the past, allowing the Pharaoh to battle Bakura and his evil essence. The series ended in a battle between Yugi and the Pharaoh. A duel which Yugi managed to win[19].
DVA
Blue Submarine No 6(1998)
Based on the manga by Satoru Ozawa that ran from 1967 to 1968. The series is set in a post apocalyptic future where the world has flooded thanks to rogue scientist Zorndyke and his army of hybrids which are opposed by the titular blue Submarine No 6. The DVA used a mix of 3D and 2D, one of the first works to do this. Bandai aired it on Toonami.
Geobreeders(1998)
An Adaptation of a Seinen Manga that began in 1993 and continues to this day by Akihito Ito. It follows a group that can be hired to deal with a Were-Cat epidemic in a city.
Kite(1998)
A Hentai DVA by Yasuomi Umetsu. Whose first work was on Gemma Wars for Mushi Productions and Stop!! Hibari-kun! In 1983, Omega Zone 23 in 1985, and Robot Carnival in 1987. Kite was controversial due to its sexual content, but was praised by critics, including Quentin Tarantino[20]. A version removing the NSFW content that was much shorter was also released. The film follows an assassin named Sawa who works for her guardian, who also forces her to have sex with him. She meets and falls in love with another young assassin named Oburi and falls in love with him. When she is told to kill Oburi, she refuses and the two go rogue, being hunted by the other assassins
Nightwalker: The Midnight Detective(1998)
Based on the 1993 Video Game. Nightwalker is set in a world inhabited by Nightbreed, minor demons. Shido Tatsuhiko is a Vampire who hunts his own kind with the assistance of Riho, a school girl who lost her parents in a Nightbreed attack but is unaware of her boss’s true nature. The Series was considerably darker than the original game which was more of a point and click adventure that was a mystery with a more lighthearted tone, for example all the characters had living relatives[21].
Shadow Skill(1998)
Based on the Manga that ran from 1992 to 1998 by Megumu Okada. The series is set in the Kingdom of Kurda and follows a recently titled Elite Warrior named Elle Regu, who is forced to take odd jobs to financially support himself.
Very Private Lesson(1998)
A Comedy about a Teacher who steps in to save a girl teacher that develops a crush on him. Her father is a Yakuza Boss and he is forced to go along with it.
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō(1998)
In English: Yokohama Shopping Log. Based on the manga by Hitoshi Ashinano that ran from 1994 to 2006. Several details about the setting are kept vague, which work to keep elements of the story a mystery. Sea Levels have risen, most coastal cities have been submerged, and Mount Fuji erupted in the recent past. Climate Change has thrown off the seasons. Humanity lives a more primitive but peaceful life, using anti-air missiles for fireworks. An android named Alpha Hatsuseno runs a coffee shop called Cafe Alpha after her owner disappeared on a trip. She is immortal and watches humans grow old and die, but both her and the human characters have accepted this. Most of the stories are anthologies. The popularity of this series gave rise in fanfiction to the “Coffee Shop Alternate Universe” or the “Cozy Post-Apocalyptic Alternate Universe[22].
Butterflied Away
Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040. Bubblegum Crisis series as a whole was butterflied.
Generator Gawl. Tatsunoko collapse casualty.
Getter Robo Armaggeddon. A Remake combining elements of multiple versions of Getter Robo. Here there are sequels rather than multiple separate continuities, including the apocalypse taking place, it would be redundant.
Golgo 13: Queen Bee. Folded into TTL’s adaptation of Eagle.
Gundam: Endless Waltz. Butterflied Away due to elements being incorporated into Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team.
Mezzo Forte. Same Director as Kite. ITTL the similarities between both works led it to be cancelled.
Slayers Gorgeous. Butterflied away as OTL it was a backup In case Lost Universe failed, which ITTL it did not due to a fire not destroying the first four episodes.
NOTES
[1] Yoshifumi Kondō passed away this year OTL to the shock and sadness of Miyazaki and Takahata, who intended him to succeed them. Another death butterflied away is voice actor Sadao Sasaoka, who died of Typhoid, which is actually a treatable disease and ITTL he survives.
[2] OTL Bomberman had a tv series ITTL. Given Video Game movies are a big thing ITTL, I couldn’t resist the obvious irony of a Bomberman movie bombing. This film is based on the OTL video game Bomberman: Act Zero, another controversial reimagining.
[3] Essentially the OTL Cowboy Bebop: The Movie but in live action.
[4] Aronofsky's films OTL such as Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream took a lot of inspiration from Perfect Blue, here he took inspiration from Satoshi Kon's Go For a Punch! rather than Satoshi Kon's Perfect Blue. Batman: Year One was also a film he worked on OTL that was cancelled, eventually becoming Batman Begins.
[5]OTL a film called Ninja Resurrection was released. It was advertised as a sequel to Ninja Scroll in the US but it was actually based on a different story. Samurai: Reincarnation was an OTL 1981 live action film starring Sonny Chiba. Here it’s been moved and made animated to take the place of Ninja Resurrection given the titles are practically reversals of each other(Samurai to Ninja and Resurrection to reincarnation, which can be seen as bringing back a dead life vs creating a new one).
[6] The Tekken Movie is a mix of OTL’s 1998 Tekken: The Motion Picture and the 2009 live action Tekken film, in fact most of the behind the scenes elements were early in that film’s development such as the founder of Crystal Sky Studios Steven Paul being friends with someone behind Tekken(The existence of a Tekken Live Action FIlm ITTL by them also butterflies away Baby Geniuses as they are a small studio and must commit to one film at a time). Jackie Chan and Jet Li were actually attached to have roles in the Tekken Film and were enthusiastic about it but dropped out as did the director Charles Stone III, leading to the film we got OTL.
[7] Basically OTL’s Shin Ultraman but in 1998 instead of 2022. Notably Anno’s first film was a live action fan made Ultraman movie while his first OTL Live Action film(at least theatrically) was 1998’s Love & Pop.
[8] I swapped the Production teams(both Sunrise) of Brain Power’d and Gasaraki. OTL Hideaki Anno was not involved. Tomino was disappointed with the finished product while ITTL he would not be.
[9] Behind the scenes details stated that Xialong’s gender was not solidified but Sakura was going to end up with them regardless, or rather not as the romance ended unresolved OTL. Dubs removed the gay relationships OTL. The Ted Bundy element taking away from the Ellen Degeneres coming out moment is based on the timeline “Beast of the Airwaves” and is an inverse of “Player Two Start” where Degeneres coming out and facing backlash led to the Sailor Moon romance being censored while the inverse is true ITTL. No one cared because it was overshadowed by controversy and so they didn’t censor it and this impacts Cardcaster Sakura, who now has a gay relationship and isn’t censored.
[10]A made up controversy but based on the OTL design for the character Devil Lady who the OTL series was named after, which this is TTL’s equivalent of(a Keychain below is used to illustrate this as the actual manga and show don't give a clear shot for obvious reasons.
This controversy is based off an OTL behind the scenes conversation during the production of Smiling Friends, where the character DJ Spit had to have visible pubes removed, the creators tried to include the credit of “Pube remover” but couldn’t due to time constraints. Another note is Devilman(Demon Lord Dante ITTL) did not appear in the anime adaptation but did in the Manga while they do ITTL.
[11] Eagle: The Making of an Asian American President is a Manga that was OTL adapted once as a film as a South Korean Drama called The President which centers on the President of South Korea. ITTL its based more on House of Cards as the author of the book wrote several sequels. OTL he killed off Francois Urquhart in the first book while the show kept him alive and went on longer, having Urquhart actually become Prime Minister. This led the author to regret his decision and he wrote several sequel books undoing the ending. Here there are more books that were in turn adapted, influencing Eagle to go for longer. It replaced OTL's Golgo 13: Queen Bee movie where John DiMaggio voiced Golgo, who doesn’t talk much anyway, having 14 lines. That film was set during the 2000 Presidential Election just as Eagle was set, as the author travelled to the US during election season to research for the manga.
[12] Basically OTL’s Youtube Series Punch Punch Forever reimagined as a genuine Anime series from the 90’s. Included here because without Hideaki Anno, Studio Daicon(OTL’s Studio Gainax) is in more dire straits and needed a hit, even if they have Revolutionary Girl Utena ITTL. It’s too early for their other hits such as: Gurren Lagaan(Hiroyuki Imaishi needs to meet and hire writer Kazuki Nakashima who hasn’t written anything yet), Panty and Stocking(Based on Drawn Together which isn’t out yet and South Park which is still brand new and conceived during a vacation that the team would be too busy at this time to go on) and FLCL(Its creator Tsurumaki was Hideaki Anno’s protege and likely followed him to King Records).
[13] Initial D is basically same as OTL. While there was a temptation to change the car used, the Toyota AE86, as it was the same car used by the author that he bought at a car dealership for how cheap it was, its also the same car used by famous street racer Keiichi Tsuchiya, who contributed to the manga as a consultant, so its not butterflied, as being an expert on street racing, he'd know wha kind of car to pick.
[14] OTL a fire destroyed the work on the early episodes, forcing them to be quickly redone and the quality difference form the rest was noticeable. There was also the 1997 Southeast Asian Economic at the time, the source of which isn’t really known but it began in Thailand. Thailand has a different history ITTL but this is unlikely to be enough to prevent it. The short version is Ananda Mahidol is not assassinated in 1946 and becomes King. This means The Prime Minister Prodi Banomyong is not suspected of involvement in the assassination and removed from power, which OTL lead to takeover by military supreme leader Plaek Phibunsongkhram(Phibun for short). This in turn means Thailand returns to the name of Siam as the Thailand name was picked by Phibun as he wanted to united all the Thai people, and the Dictatorship is never formed.
[15] There was some confusion OTL as to who wrote Master Keaton. The Manga Studio believed that Urasawa would not be able to handle both Master Keaton and Yawara! And so Hokusei Katsushika, and Takashi Nagasaki were brought on to help. When Katsushika died of cancer in 2004, Urasawa revealed in an interview in 2005, he had written most of the series and wanted his name to be bigger on the cover than Katsushika's, and this was seen as an attempt to take credit and was seen as lack of respect for the dead. Urasawa later did work on the series again with Nagasaki. Given several later instances where Urasawa had multiple manga going on, I feel like he could handle the workload and it was his idea, so ITTL he handled it on his own.
[16] OTL Nazca is probably best remembered as the source for two clips(a man smiling in the rain and a punk on a skateboard) in the intro to Malcolm in the Middle, which OTL was delayed from an intended 1998 release which ITTL it meets, meaning Nazca remains obscure and the Malcolm in the Middle intro uses footage from 3x3 Eyes(Which shared a producer Nazca, allowing them to secure the rights. As a result of this connection Greg Weissman, creator of Gargoyles, has a brief speaking role in Nazca's Dub as he worked for the production company at the time) and His Soul is Marching onto another World AKA the John Brown Isekai native to TTL, specifically a scene of an also Isekai’d after Death shirtless muscle bound Abraham Lincoln punching a hole through an Orc complete with over the top spray of blood. This means Nazca is a largely forgotten anime without being featured in the Malcolm in the Middle opening. See the OTL Intro here:
[17] Outlaw Star was made by Bandai OTL but Cowboy Bebop wasn't as it was the refusal to commercialize the latter series that led to the creator leaving. Also Cartoon Network legally had no laws against showing homosexuality in their productions at this time OTL but they did censor these elements under the "Graphic Sexual Content" excuse. ITTL its more of a "Shit you right." throw their hands in the air and accept it.
[18] OTL the author of Serial Experiments Lain hoped there would be a type of “War of Ideas” between the US and Japanese viewers and was disappointed when this was not the case and US viewers had the same interpretation as the Japanese viewers.
[19]Yu-Gi-Oh had a second more well known adaptation but an earlier one was released this year OTL. ITTL they have essentially been merged. Due to Digimon not existing(Nintendo partnered with Tamagotchi ITTL while OTL Tamagotchi made Digimon as handheld pets to compete against Pokemon, which they now have no need to), Yu-Gi-Oh is seen as the main rival to Capsumon.
[20] Quentin Tarantino told actress Chili Kuriyama to watch this film to prepare for her role in Kill Bill. In terms of Tarantino’s career up to 1998, he has two films that were both destroyed by other people who worked on them OTL in Love Birds in Bondage and My Best Friend's Birthday. He also wrote the script for a film called The Open Road that later became Natural Born Killers and True Romance , neither of which come to exist ITTL as the film was made by co-writer Avery in 1993. Reservoir Dogs(1992) is largely OTL though with John Cryer instead of Steve Buscemi as Mr.Pink. Pulp Fiction is different in a few places due to The Open Road including elements from it including the shots miraculously missing Jules and Vincent and is made by Sony. Jackie Brown is butterflied away as Tarantino makes a Luke Cage movie(he’s a huge fan) for Marvel and has begun work on a Silver Surfer film(Pitched OTL) though his next film ITTL is intended to be Double V Vega. Tarantino’s only 10 films rule does not apply here as he's done more commercial work ITTL. If he does have such as rule ITTL it goes up to 13 rather than 10.
[21] OTL Nightwalker was intended to be an OVA but was reworked into a TV Series, this is evident as the first few episodes are different in many ways from the rest of the series.
[22] A staple of fanfiction is the Coffee Shop AU or Alternate Universe in which the characters of a specific fandom operate a coffee shop. Based on the idea that a Coffee Shop is a Cozy place. Clearly written by people who never worked at a Coffee Shop. It’s pretty hectic. The trend started with Café de l'Amour by NSyncGrrl a pop slash fanfiction(N’Sync and Backstreet Boys). ITTL because of the influence of Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō, these fan fictions tend to be set in a post-apocalyptic setting but a more lighthearted version where the apocalypse has already passed and things have settled down, resulting in the characters relaxing in a sort of early retirement or vacation post-series, though some writers would introduce a danger using the post apocalyptic setting or telling in flashback exactly what happened to the world. In other words Post Apocalyptic Coffee Shop AU is a thing. I chose to do this as the OTL Anime did include a Coffee Shop anyway, and it’s essentially being introduced 4 years earlier than OTL.
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Since it’s been a few days since I’ve asked you five questions, may I ask what happens to these people ITTL?
- Oprah Winfrey
- Terry A. Davis
- John and Max Landis
- Ryan Gosling
- And Cillian Murphy
- Oprah Winfrey
- Terry A. Davis
- John and Max Landis
- Ryan Gosling
- And Cillian Murphy
Good to know that Kindō survived ITTL! He was a director who truly could have been a great IOTL.
FILM
Bomberman(1998)
Konami had a success on their hands with Metal Gear last year. Now they’ve followed up a big success with a big failure. Criticized from straying too far from a source material that didn’t even have a story. It is now considered one of the worst Video Game movies of all time. Naturally critics couldn’t resist the obvious bait of “Bomberman Movie Bombs” In their headlines. The Video Game film uses CGI and tells the tale of a group of prisoners trapped by robots in an underground prison planet that organize a way to escape by using bombs. Our leads are Bomberman, looking nothing like the classic character, and Bomberwoman, who’s wearing the equivalent of a chainmail bikini. Suffice to say the film failed spectacular and it's a good lesson in what not to do when adapting a Video Game movie. In fact, it was so bad that Konami was forced to practically beg Hideo Kojima and John Carpenter to do a sequel to last year’s Metal Gear to make up for the loss[2].
Haha, nice, I like it.
Good to know that Matsuda lives for longer too.
Perfect Blue(1998)
An Adaptation of the Manga of the same name by Darren Aronofsky in his first film with the support of the original author. Mima Kirigoe decides to leave her girl band and become an actress, doing more risky films. Many of her fans turn against her due to her previously having a clean and innocent image, as does her manager Rumi. A mysterious fan begins to creepily stalk her, posting everything she does to a disturbingly accurate detail to a website. Mima agrees to do a rape scene despite being stressed about it and begins to hallucinate her reflection appearing as her old self and talking to her. Several people involved in Mima’s career are murdered and Mima believes she may be responsible. She is attacked by the crazed fan, who is killed accidentally in self defense. Mima then learns Rumi is behind manipulating the fan and is chased by her. Rumi is hit by a car and sent to a mental institution. Mima visits her in the hospital. She overhears nurses thinking they recognize her but then assume it is a look alike. She tells herself “It’s Me” in a voice that sounds like her old persona. The film was a success and Warner Bros reached out to Darren Aronofsky to helm a Batman film.[4]
Very nice! How accurate are the live action characters ITTL to the OTL animated characters?
Tekken: The Movie(1998)
Inspired by the live action adaptations of Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. Tekken also had a script adapted, following largely a mix of the plot of Tekken 1 and Tekken 2. Made by Namco. The newcomer Crystal Sky Studios was chosen to help the live action project due to founder Steven Paul being good friends with Tekken creator Katsuhiro Harada. He picked a then unknown Director Charles Stone III, known for music videos at the time. Fortunately he was a huge Tekken fan. Stone’s script brought the film closer to Enter the Dragon and Mortal Kombat, moving the action to a tournament on an island. Steven Paul was able to entice Jackie Chan and Jet Li to have roles in the film. Jackie Chan was cast as Lei Wulong(who was based on Jackie Chan in the Police Story films) and Bruce Lee as Marshall Law(more of a cameo though he does have a scene with Wulong). Jet Li was cast as Kazuya Mishima.
In a flashback, Kazuya Mishima is thrown off a cliff by his father Heihachi Mishima(Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), who claims lions throw their young off a cliff and raise only those who climb back up(not true and this became a popular meme). As he lies dying, Kazuya promises the Devil his soul if he can kill his father. His childhood friend Jun Kazama, witnessed the incident and searches and fails to find Kazuya after the fall.
16 years later, Jun works at Interpol with Lei Wulong(Jackie Chan) as a partner and is seeking evidence to bring down Heihachi’s company, the Mishima Zaibatsu, which is hosting the King of Iron Fist Tournament. Kazuya(Jet Li) enters, having been operating as an underground championship fighter. Heihachi’s adopted son Lee Chaolan sends assassin sisters Nina and Anna Williams to kill Kazuya but they fail. This leads Heihachi to confront Kazuya and offer to give him the Mishima Zaibatsu if he can defeat him in the tournament. Kazuya attacks Heihachi but the fight ends in a draw and they vow to finish things in the competition. Jun and Lei board the boat to the tournament and meet a large man named Jack with a girl named Jane an and former kickboxing champion named Bruce Irvin(Michael Jai White), along with Marshall Law(Bruce Lee). Kazuya is seen sneaking onboard the ship by Jun and later confronts him, telling him not to abandon his revenge but he refuses. The Williams twins try to kill them both but begin fighting as Kazuya paid Nina Williams to try and kill Heihachi, leading her to turn on her own sister and giving Kazuya and Jun a chance to escape.
The Ship arrives and Heihachi makes an announcement. An assassination attempt is made on Heihachi by Michelle Chang with a thrown Tomahawk but he catches it in his mouth and then bites down, shattering it(a scene which also became a meme, along with behind the scenes footage of Takagawa casually eating the Tomahawk like it was a piece of chicken since, for the scene, the weapon was actually made of edible material. Takagawa even makes an expression to say “It’s not bad”). In a tongue in cheek nod, when the cast arrive on the island and Heihachi announces the tournament, Marshall Law comments that there is “Something very familiar about this”(The film’s plot is borrowed from Lee’s film Game of Death, this scene also became a meme due to Bruce Lee's almost frustrated or sarcastic sounding delivery). The tournament begins. Kazuya, in an extended sequence, fights and defeats King, played by Dwayne Johnson a request by the director despite King not speaking and not being very relevant to the plot. He also fights Lei in order to have Jackie Chan and Jet Li fight on screen. Lei sneaks into the facility but is attacked. He is rescued by Jack, who is revealed to be a robot created by captive scientist Dr.Bosconovitch to protect his daughter Jane. The Scientist reveals a submarine they can escape on as he rigs the island to explode. The other “Jacks” robots in the facility go rogue and attack the fighters forcing the group to meet up, joined also by Roger, Bosconovitch’s pet boxing kangaroo. Most of the fighters are able to retreat and escape the island though the "Good" Jack robot sacrifices himself to save Jane. Kazuya stays behind to fight Heihachi, finally defeating him and, in an imitation of what Heihachi did to him, throws him off a cliff, seemingly to his death from the lava beneath them before appearing to perish himself.
The film received mixed reviews and is now considered so bad it’s good in many ways. The best parts of the film are widely considered to be the goofier bits and the entertaining moments such as the Jackie Chan and Jet Li fight, though many believe Jet Li was an ill fit for the role of Kazuya[6].
Cool, sounds like an interesting film. I was wondering if the guy in the picture looked feline or not.
Its always nice to see an anime adaptation of a western work.
Oh, so a Korean version of House of Cards? Who is TTL’s equivalent of Kevin Spacey?
Cardcaster Sakura(1998-2000)
Based on the manga by CLAMP that ran from 1996 to 2000. Adapted by Madhouse. A magical girl series following Sakura Kinomoto, a 10 year old girl who accidentally releases a deck of magical cards created by the sorcerer Clow Reed. The guardian of the cards Cerberus grants Sakura magic powers to recapture the monsters from the cards. Her cousin Tomoyo records her exploits while her brother Toya watches over her while pretending to be unaware of her secret. Head CLAMP Writer Nantes Ohkawa conceived of the series with the group working together to finalize it. Ohkawa was the only one who knew how the series would go and many of the staff would be surprised by new scripts. She had to veto illustrating Tomoyo being in love with Toya by revealing that they are related earlier than intended. A girl named Xiaolang was introduced, a descendant of Clow Reed who comes to help recapture the cards. She clashes with Sakura at first but grows to respect her. Sakura then has to fight against Yue for the role of guardian. At the conclusion of the series, Sakura and Xialong end up together. This proved a point of contention when it came to adaptations and CLAMP refused to allow it to be adapted unless they kept the romance. After the success of Codename: Sailor V with the same sex relationship in that series being ignored and Ellen Degeneres coming out with no backlash due to being overshadowed by the controversy surrounding Talk show host Ted Bundy being revealed to be a serial killer. The show was therefore able to air its same sex romance by Canada’s Nelvana on Network 10, Cartoon Network and Fox Kids [9].
Oh yeah! Here comes this bombshell! I can only imagine what other serial killers besides Bundy and Dahmer will be up to ITATL.
Oh heck yeah! I love this idea, another example of new things becoming older to back in the day from which they were inspired from. I like the designs of the demon characters!
Initial D(1998)
Based on the Manga by Shuichi Shigeno that ran from 1995 to 2013. The series centers on the world of illegal street racing. Takumi Fujiwara is a student working at a gas station who is brought into the world of underground racing in his Toyota Sprinter[13].
Nice. I mostly know about Initial D from the memes. I also almost typed out Tenacious D instead there haha.
Why did I think Michael Keaton would be involved with this?
Good to see more earlier gay representation in cartoons ITTL, as always.
I assume that the creator doesn’t drown while trying to save somebody ITTL?
Oh cool! I love these ideas! So are Thai people still called Siamese or Siamese Americans ITTL? Will Anne Boonchuy, Molly McGee, and other Thai characters be instead called Siamese characters?
Interesting! You learn something new everyday! Does Bryan Cranston still star as the dad in Malcolm in the Middle?
I’m always interested in learning about Quientin Tarintino. What will happen with Inglorious Bastards and Django Unchained ITTL?