Birth (1984) Bâsu (original title)

Director:

Shin'ya Sadamitsu

Writer:

Junki Takegami (story)

Genre:

Animation | Sci-Fi | Fantasy

Plot Keywords:

Anime

Cast

Mîna Tominaga	...	Jupiter Rasa (voice)
Kazuki Yao	...	Shulgi Nam (voice)
Ichirô Nagai	...	Bal Ruzan (voice)
Kaneto Shiozawa	...	Junobell Kim (voice)
Fuyumi Shiraishi	...	Monga (voice)
Keiko Toda	...	Arlia (voice: Japanese version)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Masahiro Anzai	...	Imp (voice)
Bill Capizzi	...	Raider (Streamline 1992) (voice: English version) (as A. Gregory)
Bradley Carlin	...	Kim (ADV 2003) (voice: English version)
Alexis Chamow	...	Rasa (ADV 2003) (voice: English version) (as Alexis Chamov)
Mary Agen Cox	...	Grandma (ADV 2003) (voice: English version)
Robert Fisher	...	Inorganic Biker #3, Monster Octopus, Orange Mole (ADV 2003) (voice: English version) (as Robert S. Fisher)
Rebecca Forstadt	...	Child (Streamline 1992) (voice: English version)
Matt Hislope	...	Inorganic Biker #2, Monga (ADV 2003) (voice: English version)
Samantha Inoue Harte	...	Munga, Additional Voices (ADV 2003) (voice: English version)
Kerrigan Mahan	...	Keen (Streamline 1992) (voice: English version) (as Ryan O'Flannigan)
Robert Matney	...	Inorganic Biker #1 (ADV 2003) (voice: English version)
Lisa Michaels	...	Mother (Streamline 1992) (voice: English version)
Jeffery Mills	...	Inorganic Biker Kid (ADV 2003) (voice: English version)
Vinnie Moxpar	...	Giant Inorganic (voice: English version)
Yôko Ogai	...	Mogo (voice)
Tony Oliver	...	Talon (Streamline 1992) (voice: English version)
Garry Peters	...	Grandpa (ADV 2003) (voice: English version)
James Phillips	...	Bao (ADV 2003) (voice: English version)
Chika Sakamoto	...	Munyo (voice)
Kôzô Shioya	...	Soldier C (voice)
Jessica Simon	...	Extra (voice)
Gregory Snegoff	...	Mo (Streamline 1992) (voice: English version) (as Greg Snow)
Sandra Snow	...	Rasa (Streamline 1992) (voice: English version)
Reiko Suzuki	...	Baa (voice)
Miki Takahashi	...	Orissa (voice)
Brent Werzner	...	Nam (ADV 2003) (voice: English version)
Gemma Wilcox	...	Arlia (ADV 2003) (voice: English version)
Cyndi Lou Williams	...	Mu-Nyo, Nam's Ostrich (ADV 2003) (voice: English version) (as Cyndi Williams)
Jôji Yanami	...	Jii (voice)
Yûsaku Yara	...	Soldier B (voice)
Ryûnosuke Ôbayashi	...	Soldier A (voice)

Directed by
Shin'ya Sadamitsu

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Junki Takegami		story

Produced by
Ahmed Agrama	....	producer (1992 English version)
Frank Agrama	....	executive producer (1992 English version)
Yoshiaki Aihara	....	planning producer
Lowell Bartholomee	....	producer (2003 english version) (as L.B. Bartholomee)
Satohiro Nagao	....	producer
Shûichi Onodera	....	planning producer

Original Music by
Joe Hisaishi

Cinematography by
Teiji Sano		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Shûichi Kakesu
Masahiro Matsumura

Art Direction by
Geki Katsumata

Production Management
Alan Letz	....	production supervisor (1992 english version)

Art Department
Satoru Sayama	....	color designer

Sound Department
Katsumi Itô	....	sound effects
Yasuyuki Konno	....	sound effects
Shigeru Narita	....	sound recordist
Hiroyuki Takahashi	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Takao Tanaka	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Tomoko Endô	....	camera operator: Imagination Product
Fumio Hirokawa	....	camera operator: Sankô Production
Kiyoshi Ishihara	....	camera operator: Sankô Production
Yôko Kitamura	....	camera operator: Imagination Product
Katsunori Miyamoto	....	camera operator: ACC Production
Harumi Sakai	....	camera operator: Imagination Product
Nobuyuki Sugaya	....	camera operator: ACC Production
Hiroaki Yamada	....	camera operator: Imagination Product

Animation Department
Yoshiaki Akabane	....	inbetween artist
Noriko Akahoya	....	background artist
Hideaki Anno	....	inbetween artist
Kiyotoshi Aoi	....	inbetween artist
Yûji Arita	....	inbetween artist
Kenji Chiba	....	cel painter
Tomoko Ejima	....	inbetween artist
Takehiko Endô	....	cel painter
Koji Fujita	....	inbetween artist
Etsuko Hasegawa	....	cel painter
Takashi Hasegawa	....	cel painter
Toshihiko Hashimoto	....	inbetween artist
Takafumi Hayashi	....	animator
Mayumi Hayashida	....	inbetween artist
Keiko Hiraga	....	cel painter
Mariko Horie	....	cel painter
Kenji Hoshigoe	....	inbetween artist
Kayo Hôga	....	cel painter
Katsuyoshi Ichihara	....	background artist
Masakatsu Iijima	....	inbetween artist
Keiko Ikegami	....	cel checker
Mutsumi Inomata	....	animation director
Mutsumi Inomata	....	animator
Atsuko Ishida	....	inbetween artist
Akiko Ishihara	....	background artist
Kazuhiko Ishii	....	inbetween artist
Akihiko Isozaki	....	cel painter
Kôji Itô	....	inbetween artist
Shigenori Kageyama	....	animation director
Shigenori Kageyama	....	animator
Hajime Kamegaki	....	inbetween artist
Makiko Kanada	....	inbetween artist
Yoshinori Kanada	....	animation director
Yoshinori Kanada	....	animator
Yoshinori Kanada	....	character designer
Yumiko Kasama	....	cel checker
Toshio Kawaguchi	....	animator
Atsunori Kazama	....	inbetween artist
Jun Kiguchi	....	inbetween artist
Mayumi Kinoshita	....	cel painter
Makoto Kobayashi	....	mecha design
Shôhei Kobayashi	....	mechanical designer
Yôko Kurobe	....	background artist
Yû Kuwaiwa	....	cel checker
Shinsaku Kôzuma	....	animator
Mahiro Maeda	....	inbetween artist
Naomi Masuda	....	cel painter
Kôichi Mikami	....	inbetween artist
Sumiko Mikami	....	cel painter
Masako Minami	....	inbetween artist
Yôko Mitsuhashi	....	cel painter
Masako Moriyama	....	cel painter
Osamu Nabeshima	....	animator
Keiji Nakamura	....	inbetween artist
Saburô Nakamura	....	cel painter
Miyuki Nakano	....	inbetween artist
Tsuneo Ninomiya	....	background artist
Masanori Nishii	....	inbetween artist
Kazuhiro Ochi	....	animator
Yûji Ogata	....	inbetween artist
Takako Ogura	....	cel painter
Dai Ohta	....	background artist
Miwako Okano	....	background artist
Taira Sameki	....	inbetween artist
Jun Sanjô	....	inbetween artist
Hirotoshi Sano	....	inbetween artist
Rieko Shimizu	....	background artist
Noriko Shinoda	....	cel painter
Toshiyuki Shômura	....	cel painter
Takashi Sogabe	....	inbetween artist
Masaaki Susuki	....	inbetween artist
Sachiko Tada	....	animator
Kazunori Takahashi	....	inbetween artist
Yoshio Takahashi	....	cel painter
Takeshi Takeda	....	inbetween artist
Hideki Tamura	....	animator
Noriyuki Tokinaga	....	inbetween artist
Takahiro Toyomasu	....	inbetween artist
Yorihisa Uchida	....	inbetween artist
Kôji Usui	....	inbetween artist
Kôichi Wada	....	inbetween artist
Takuya Wada	....	inbetween artist
Mayumi Watanabe	....	animation checker
Wakae Watanabe	....	cel painter
Osamu Watanuki	....	inbetween artist
Osamu Yamasaki	....	animation checker
Masahito Yamashita	....	animator
Atsuo Yamauchi	....	inbetween artist
Cindy H. Yamauchi	....	inbetween artist (as Hideko Yamauchi)
Yoshie Ôkawara	....	cel checker
Ken'ichi Ônuki	....	inbetween artist

Music Department
Noriyoshi Matsûra	....	music director

Other crew
Mitsuhiro Ajiki	....	titles: Maki Production
Lowell Bartholomee	....	voice director
Akihiro Ikeda	....	production advancement
Akihiko Inari	....	production assistant
Shin'ichi Masaki	....	production assistant
Kozo Ogata	....	production assistant
Gregory Snegoff	....	adaptor: English (as Greg Snegoff)
Yasuhiro Takei	....	production desk
Yôko Yamashita	....	production work

Production Companies

• Idol Company
• Kaname

Distributors

• ADV Films (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• ADV Films (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Harmony Gold (1992) (USA) (all media)
• Kids Cartoon Collection
• Streamline Pictures (1992) (USA) (video)
• Victor Company of Japan (JVC) (1984) (Japan) (all media)

Other Companies

• ACC Production  additional photography
• Act  inbetween animation
• Anime Roman  inbetween animation
• Gen  sound production
• Imagination Product  photography
• Maki Production  titles
• Random  inbetween animation
• SHAFT  cel painting
• SHAFT  inbetween animation
• Sanko Production  additional photography
• Seion Planning  recording studio
• Studio 2001  cel painting
• Studio Bogey  cel painting
• Studio Cosmos  background art
• Studio Gallop  inbetween animation
• Studio Happy  inbetween animation
• Studio Live  inbetween animation
• Studio OZ  cel painting
• Studio Penguin  inbetween animation
• Studio Rough  inbetween animation
• Sôei  cel painting
• Tatsuzawa Dôgasha  inbetween animation
• Tokyo Developing Laboratories  film developing

Also Known As:

"Bâsu" - Japan (original title)

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Company:

Idol Company

A fun intro to animé!

I saw this in the mid-90's when it came into my possession through a garage sale. It's an action-packed futuristic story about a brother and sister (whom I recall being some kind of royalty) who become involved in a quest initiated by the sighting of a mysterious, flying sword over some desert wastelands. Also in pursuit of this sword are two Space Cowboys flying a cool ship that resembles a Mantis in colour, design and movement (the landing sequence was pretty neat, I remember thinking). They team up with the siblings and the quest begins in earnest. There are a variety of ever-more-powerful foes to defeat, and some atmospheric settings. The dialogue is sharp and frequently funny, and I was hardly aware of the fact that it had been dubbed. The animation was effective in that minimalist way - in fact, the whole film has a very austere feel to it which worked well. I think there were only about 5 or so speaking parts in the whole thing! Finally, I should say that, though the sister was pretty cute (ahem!) and had a pretty impressive bosom, the film is on the whole family-friendly. All-in-all, a good piece of entertainment of which I will always have fond memories! (PS: If you enjoy this, I also recommend Laputa: Castle in the Sky)