The Anime
Area 88 has been the subject of two separate anime series.
Original Video Anime (1985-86)
The Anime TV Series (2004)
The Anime History
In 1985, Area 88 was arguably one of the most popular manga series in Japan. The serialized military-adventure manga by Kaoru Shintani had begun in 1979, but by 1985 it was reaching it’s dramatic climax. This made it the perfect time for an “Original Video Animation” (OVA) trilogy to be produced by Studio Pierrot.
Although “direct-to-video” has a mostly negative connotation in North America, in the 1980s, the coincidental rise of both home media and the popularity of anime made for a very different story in Japan. With demand outstripping the ability of animation studios to produce long-form animated television series, the “Original Video Animation” market was born. This “direct to consumer” market usually consisted of a small number of VHS videotape and/or LaserDisc releases, and allowed animation companies to be both more experimental and test the waters to see if a television series was warranted – something a hot property like Area 88 seemed to be tailor-made for.
And so, an animated OVA trilogy, directed by Hisayuki Toriumi, was produced and released by King Records as a three-volume series consisting of “ACT I: Blue Skies of Betrayal,” “ACT II: The Requirements of Wolves,” and “ACT III: Burning Mirage.”
“ACT I” and “ACT II” were re-edited and released nationwide in Japan on July 13, 1985 through Toei. This theatrical release version was later broadcast nationwide in two parts on TV Tokyo.
It won the Best Original Video Software Award at the 4th Japan Anime Awards . The theme songs and endings for “ACT I” and “ACT II” were performed by MIO , and for “ACT III” they were performed by Kitahara Shima .
In 2003, TV Asahi, Animax, Group TAC and Media Factory, began working on production of a new, 12-episode anime television series. Animated by Group TAC, and directed by Isamu Imakake, it premiered on both TV Asahi and Animax networks on January 8 and ran until March 5, 2004. Animax later aired the series on its other world-wide networks, including Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, South Asia, South Korea, Taiwan, etc.
A product of the early 2000s, this updated series featured computer-generated graphics and contemporary trance music during the aerial combat scenes – from artists such as Rank 1, DJ Tiësto, and Svenson & Gielen.
In 2005, ADV Films licensed the series for North American distribution, with the 4-volume DVD series being published between June 22, 2005 and January 17, 2006. The DVD release notably removed the licensed trance music, replacing it with a handful of original compositions by Miyake Kazunori reused across the series. For the release of the English dub to English-speaking countries, the ADR team at ADV Films sought the assistance of Capt. Kevin “Dumpster” Divers, a USAF officer, to ensure that dialogue had proper American Air Force jargon.
Original characters include cameraman Shinjo Makoto (voiced by Miki Shinichiro ) and a female pilot named Kitri (voiced by Kobayashi Sanae ). The entire series is presented as Shinjo’s recollections after returning from an investigation into Area 88, with Shinjo playing a narrator-like role in the work.
Special Note: McCoy is played by Otsuka Norio, who played Nguyen in the OVA version. He is the only voice actor to appear in both the original OVA and TV anime series.