Cosmo Police Justy
Encyclopedia
is a science fiction
anime
OVA
released on July 20, 1985 in Japan
. The anime is based on a manga by Tsuguo Okazaki which ran in Shōnen Sunday Super
. The OVA was released as a double feature with the first part of Area 88
.
The story follows Justy Kaizard, a police officer who chases down criminal esper
s; his tactics might be similar to those of a bounty hunter but he is a salary-drawing officer. Justy is also an esper
, gifted with remarkable powers. He is able to moderate his psychic forces by the use of the headband that he wears. With this device, which acts only as a psychic damper, he can finely attenuate his powers to prevent collateral damage.
Viz
translated part of the manga into English and released nine out-of-order issues in North America between December 6, 1988 and April 4, 1989.
in the known universe, and he works as a member of the Galaxy Patrol System Cosmo Police to bring down esper criminals. During one such takedown, he killed Magnamum Vega while his young daughter Astaris was watching. After the fight, she transformed from a young girl into a young woman and attacked him. While he was wounded in her attack, she forgot everything. Justy took the girl home and began raising her as his younger sister with the help of Jelna Flarestar.
Because he has brought down over 200 esper criminals since joining the Cosmo Police, the rest of the esper criminals are willing to do anything to get rid of Justy. To this end, they hijack a civilian shuttle transport and demand that Astaris, Magnamum's daughter, be brought in exchange for the passengers on board the transport. Justy is assigned to take her there, but as she is making the EVA
journey between ships, a group of the criminal espers joins together using telepathy
to make her remember what happened to her father and who was responsible for it.
Astaris begins attacking the policeman, destroying Justy's ship and using more and more power to try to break through his defenses. Worried for the safety of the nearby transport, Justy uses his powers to teleport it away from the fight. In doing so, he lets down his guard and Astaris is able to hit him with the full force of her powers, causing him to disappear. The criminal espers believe they have destroyed him, so they take the transport with all the hostages and warp away, leaving Astaris floating in space. Astaris comes out of her rage and begins wondering what happened and where Justy went. She then falls asleep, exhausted. After the shuttle leaves, Justy appears and rescues the sleeping Astaris, promising to bring the criminal espers to justice for using her in their ploy.
After surrounding Astaris in a protective bubble, Justy warps after the escaping transport. After teleporting onto the transport, Justy eliminates three of the hijackers before the others teleport in an attempt to escape. He easily follows them. He handily defeats all but four of them after demanding that they return Astaris to the way she was. The remaining four combine their powers to try to defeat Justy, but he eliminates them one by one until he's down to the ringleader. He tells him that Astaris is his beloved younger sister now, and proceeds to eliminate him.
Justy returns and rescues Astaris, and the voiceover as they return shows that Astaris remembers nothing of her attack on Justy and has returned to loving him as her heroic older brother. The show ends with Justy and his partner going out on another mission.
as a standalone story. Okazaki then continued the story with manga published monthly from November 1981 through September 1984. There were editorial disputes over the storyline with some of the Shogakukan editors, however, so when the story went out of print through Shogakukan
, the manga was published through the gravure idol magazine Scola.
The series was collected into five tankōbon
volumes under the title in Japan, and the equivalent of about two of them were released in English by Viz
in nine badly-translated, out-of-order comic book releases. as one of their early translations. The last issue, The Blue Witch, was released on April 4, 1989. The manga didn't fare well due to being too similar to English-language space comics. Viz also changed the names of some of the characters.
In the July 15, 2009 issue of Shōnen Sunday, a column titled "Shōnen Sunday 1983" had an interview with Okazaki as well as an updated version illustration of Justy.
Burger SC imprint from Scola
released a single 44-minute OVA on July 20, 1985, directed by Motosuke Takahashi
, the director of the Fire Tripper
OVA. In addition to the voices listed in the character section, other voice actors providing additional voices in the OVA include Michihiro Ikemizu
(Magnumam Vega), Daisuke Gōri
, Hōchū Ōtsuka
, Kōzō Shioya
, Tomohiro Nishimura
, Fumihiko Tachiki
, Masashi Sugawara
, and Matsumi Ōshiro
.
The OVA is partly based on two stories from the comics: The Tears of Astaris, listed in the first page of the English comic book publications as volumes one and two, and also Hostages which is listed as volumes four and five. It was released as a double feature with the first Area 88
OVA.
In the July 1985 issue of Shōnen Sunday Super included a 50-page insert about the OVA. The anime has not been released in English due to the high licensing costs.
The OVA has only been released on VHS
and laserdisc
; a DVD or Blu-ray has not been released .
Sources:
, K07S-3071, July 21, 1985, Starchild
, had mixed feelings about it. He stated the OVA had an "heavy over-the-top cheese factor", but said "the film is one that simply can't be dismissed entirely." He especially liked the ending theme song, performed by Miki Asakura, calling it a "[guilty] pleasure", and pointed out that Astalis was the "closest any character ever got to being moë in 1985".
Fred Patten
called the Justy manga one of the "best" of a new (in 1984) group of manga influenced by Locke the Superman
which featured "lone-wolf teenage space heroes who possess unusual talents."
The backgrounds of the manga were compared by Jason Thompson
to those used by Ryōichi Ikegami
in his manga. Thompson also wrote that Okazaki's "characters' childlike, cute faces [foretold] the anime style of the 1980s." Thompson also mentioned the out-of-order release of the few English-language chapters. Helen McCarthy
gave it two-and-a-half stars (out of five) in her The Anime! Movie Guide review book.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
OVA
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
released on July 20, 1985 in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The anime is based on a manga by Tsuguo Okazaki which ran in Shōnen Sunday Super
Shonen Sunday Super
is a bi-monthly shōnen manga magazine published by Shogakukan.-History & Background:Originally billed as a special edition of Shōnen Sunday entitled Shōnen Sunday Zōkan, it was renamed Shōnen Sunday Super in 1995. It is often the home of short term serials by established Shogakukan artists, as well...
. The OVA was released as a double feature with the first part of Area 88
Area 88
is a Japanese manga series by Kaoru Shintani serialized between 1979 and 1986. The story is about a young pilot named Shin Kazama and his experiences at Area 88, a mercenary air force base secluded in the desert of a war torn country...
.
The story follows Justy Kaizard, a police officer who chases down criminal esper
Esper
An esper refers to an individual capable of telepathy and other similar paranormal abilities. The term was apparently coined by Alfred Bester in his 1950 short story "Oddy and Id" and is derived from the abbreviation ESP for extrasensory perception....
s; his tactics might be similar to those of a bounty hunter but he is a salary-drawing officer. Justy is also an esper
Esper
An esper refers to an individual capable of telepathy and other similar paranormal abilities. The term was apparently coined by Alfred Bester in his 1950 short story "Oddy and Id" and is derived from the abbreviation ESP for extrasensory perception....
, gifted with remarkable powers. He is able to moderate his psychic forces by the use of the headband that he wears. With this device, which acts only as a psychic damper, he can finely attenuate his powers to prevent collateral damage.
Viz
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
translated part of the manga into English and released nine out-of-order issues in North America between December 6, 1988 and April 4, 1989.
Plot summary
Justy Kaizard is the most powerful esperEsper
An esper refers to an individual capable of telepathy and other similar paranormal abilities. The term was apparently coined by Alfred Bester in his 1950 short story "Oddy and Id" and is derived from the abbreviation ESP for extrasensory perception....
in the known universe, and he works as a member of the Galaxy Patrol System Cosmo Police to bring down esper criminals. During one such takedown, he killed Magnamum Vega while his young daughter Astaris was watching. After the fight, she transformed from a young girl into a young woman and attacked him. While he was wounded in her attack, she forgot everything. Justy took the girl home and began raising her as his younger sister with the help of Jelna Flarestar.
Because he has brought down over 200 esper criminals since joining the Cosmo Police, the rest of the esper criminals are willing to do anything to get rid of Justy. To this end, they hijack a civilian shuttle transport and demand that Astaris, Magnamum's daughter, be brought in exchange for the passengers on board the transport. Justy is assigned to take her there, but as she is making the EVA
Extra-vehicular activity
Extra-vehicular activity is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth, and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth , but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon...
journey between ships, a group of the criminal espers joins together using telepathy
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
to make her remember what happened to her father and who was responsible for it.
Astaris begins attacking the policeman, destroying Justy's ship and using more and more power to try to break through his defenses. Worried for the safety of the nearby transport, Justy uses his powers to teleport it away from the fight. In doing so, he lets down his guard and Astaris is able to hit him with the full force of her powers, causing him to disappear. The criminal espers believe they have destroyed him, so they take the transport with all the hostages and warp away, leaving Astaris floating in space. Astaris comes out of her rage and begins wondering what happened and where Justy went. She then falls asleep, exhausted. After the shuttle leaves, Justy appears and rescues the sleeping Astaris, promising to bring the criminal espers to justice for using her in their ploy.
After surrounding Astaris in a protective bubble, Justy warps after the escaping transport. After teleporting onto the transport, Justy eliminates three of the hijackers before the others teleport in an attempt to escape. He easily follows them. He handily defeats all but four of them after demanding that they return Astaris to the way she was. The remaining four combine their powers to try to defeat Justy, but he eliminates them one by one until he's down to the ringleader. He tells him that Astaris is his beloved younger sister now, and proceeds to eliminate him.
Justy returns and rescues Astaris, and the voiceover as they return shows that Astaris remembers nothing of her attack on Justy and has returned to loving him as her heroic older brother. The show ends with Justy and his partner going out on another mission.
Characters
The characters of Justy, Jelna, and Bolbar previously appeared in Okazaki's debut manga 2nd Year A Class Hoshiko-sensei.- Born (or at least found in a shipwreck) on Sapphire, the sixth planet in the Pelwing System, Justy is an esperEsperAn esper refers to an individual capable of telepathy and other similar paranormal abilities. The term was apparently coined by Alfred Bester in his 1950 short story "Oddy and Id" and is derived from the abbreviation ESP for extrasensory perception....
in the Galaxy Patrol Cosmo Police, with the designation Σ04-1 (Sigma 04-1). Despite being the most powerful esper in the known universe, Justy has a kind heart. He helps track down superhuman criminals to bring them to justice, even though it pains him to have to use his powers this way. He wears a hairband which regulates his esper powers to one ten-thousandth their normal strength. The headband would normally completely suppress the power of an esper, but due to the strength of his powers, it allows him greater fine control over them.
- During the Great Galactic War, Justy fought alongside Jelna and her group as part of the Esper Commandos against the Andromeda Rebel Army. His foster-sister, Jelna, is his only family, and because of the hardships experienced during the war, they became very close. Justy also cares for Astaris, the daughter of Magnamum Vega, an esper criminal he killed during the course of his duties. He considers her a younger sister, and is very protective of her.
- Jelna was the first esper employed by the Cosmo Police, though she mostly works at a desk job in the department now. She raised Justy from the time he was quite young, and has a sisterly affection for him. However, because there is no blood relation between the two, romantic feelings have begun to manifest themselves.
- After esper powers began manifesting themselves across the galaxy, Jelna defeats the leader of the Andromeda Rebel Army while leading her Esper Commandos unit during the fighting in the Great Galactic War, perishing in so doing.
- Astaris (frequently mistranslated as Astalis, thanks to VIZ' ham-fisted attempts at translation of the manga) is the daughter of the esper criminal Magnamum Vega. After seeing her father killed by Justy when she was five years old, her desire for revenge was so great that it activated the latent esper powers within her, causing her body to age rapidly into that of a young woman ("One of these days I'll be big and strong and I'll kill you!"). She retains the mentality of her actual age, however. She doesn't remember what happened to her father, or that Justy was the one who killed him. She is technically the prisoner of Jelna, and Justy has taken on the responsibility of raising her, treating her as a favorite younger sister. Because her esper powers are so great, she also wears a headband which dampens them.
- She meets Yoshiko Tachibana during Justy's second mission to the Earth.
- The commandant of the Galaxy Patrol Cosmo Police Space Station Office. He is the one who gives orders to Justy.
- A member of the Cosmo Police, designation Σ03-1 (Sigma 03-1). He's like an older brother to Justy, and has a very cheerful personality. Despite having a Sigma designation, he has little or no esper powers, but helps in the investigation of esper-related incidents.
- A school girl from JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and member of First Year A-Class at Yumeno Academy. She has a cheerful disposition and is a member of the Hygiene Committee there.
Manga
CP Σ04-1 (Cosmo Police Sigma 04-1), the first chapter in the story, was published in the August 1981 issue of Shōnen Sunday SuperShonen Sunday Super
is a bi-monthly shōnen manga magazine published by Shogakukan.-History & Background:Originally billed as a special edition of Shōnen Sunday entitled Shōnen Sunday Zōkan, it was renamed Shōnen Sunday Super in 1995. It is often the home of short term serials by established Shogakukan artists, as well...
as a standalone story. Okazaki then continued the story with manga published monthly from November 1981 through September 1984. There were editorial disputes over the storyline with some of the Shogakukan editors, however, so when the story went out of print through Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
, the manga was published through the gravure idol magazine Scola.
The series was collected into five tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes under the title in Japan, and the equivalent of about two of them were released in English by Viz
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
in nine badly-translated, out-of-order comic book releases. as one of their early translations. The last issue, The Blue Witch, was released on April 4, 1989. The manga didn't fare well due to being too similar to English-language space comics. Viz also changed the names of some of the characters.
In the July 15, 2009 issue of Shōnen Sunday, a column titled "Shōnen Sunday 1983" had an interview with Okazaki as well as an updated version illustration of Justy.
Japanese releases
Shōnen Sunday Comics imprint from ShogakukanShogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
- Volume 1, ISBN 978-4-09-120751-7, October 1982
- Volume 2, ISBN 978-4-09-120752-4, January 1983
- Volume 3, ISBN 978-4-09-120753-1, October 1983
- Volume 4, ISBN 978-4-09-120754-8, April 1984
- Volume 5, ISBN 978-4-09-120755-5, September 1984
Burger SC imprint from Scola
- Volume 1, ISBN 9784796240840, December 1990
- Volume 2, ISBN 9784796240871, January 1991
- Volume 3, ISBN 9784796240932, February 1991
- Volume 4, ISBN 9784796240994, March 1991
- Volume 5, ISBN 9784796241052, April 1991
Anime
Studio PierrotStudio Pierrot
is a Japanese animation/animation studio, founded in 1979 by former employees of Tatsunoko Production. Its headquarters is located in Mitaka, Tokyo.The company has a simple logo of the face of a clown...
released a single 44-minute OVA on July 20, 1985, directed by Motosuke Takahashi
Motosuke Takahashi
was a Japanese anime episode and series director, animation director, animator, storyboard artist, and character designer born in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.Takahashi died on November 8, 2007 of complications due to lung cancer.-Television anime:...
, the director of the Fire Tripper
Fire Tripper
is an anime OVA based on a manga story by Rumiko Takahashi. In North America, it was released on VHS by Central Park Media under the "Rumik World" series...
OVA. In addition to the voices listed in the character section, other voice actors providing additional voices in the OVA include Michihiro Ikemizu
Michihiro Ikemizu
is a Japanese voice actor from Kanagawa Prefecture and a graduate of Waseda University who works for Aoni Production.Among his other roles, he has performed the characters Onsen-Mark , Isao Ohta and Kinnikuman Super Phoenix .-TV anime:*Ashita no Joe 2 *Attacker You!...
(Magnumam Vega), Daisuke Gōri
Daisuke Gori
was a Japanese voice actor, narrator and actor from Kōtō, Tokyo. Throughout his life, he was attached to TV Talent Center Tokyo, Yoshizawa Theatre School and then Mausu Promotion; he was attached to Aoni Production at the time of his death. His real name, as well as his former stage name, was...
, Hōchū Ōtsuka
Hochu Otsuka
, also known by the his stage name , is a Japanese voice actor from Okayama Prefecture, affiliated with the talent management firm Crazy Box. He is the official Japanese dub-over artist for: Gary Oldman and Jean-Claude Van Damme....
, Kōzō Shioya
Kozo Shioya
Kōzō Shioya is a veteran seiyū born in Kagoshima Prefecture. He is currently represented by Aoni Production...
, Tomohiro Nishimura
Tomohiro Nishimura
Tomohiro Nishimura is a seiyū, actor, and singer-songwriter born on February 2, 1961 in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan. He used to be employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce...
, Fumihiko Tachiki
Fumihiko Tachiki
is a Japanese voice actor and narrator.-Career:Formerly a blues singer and known for his low voice, Tachiki is best known as the narrator for the pre-fight movies for Pride Fighting Championships and currently for Dream...
, Masashi Sugawara
Masashi Sugawara
is a Japanese voice actor who voiced Vigoro in Skies of Arcadia and Jean Valjean in Les Misérables: Shōjo Cosette.-External links:...
, and Matsumi Ōshiro
Matsumi Oshiro
is a seiyū, a Japanese voice actress. She retired in the 1990s.-TV:*High School! Kimengumi *Maison Ikkoku *Urusei Yatsura -References:...
.
The OVA is partly based on two stories from the comics: The Tears of Astaris, listed in the first page of the English comic book publications as volumes one and two, and also Hostages which is listed as volumes four and five. It was released as a double feature with the first Area 88
Area 88
is a Japanese manga series by Kaoru Shintani serialized between 1979 and 1986. The story is about a young pilot named Shin Kazama and his experiences at Area 88, a mercenary air force base secluded in the desert of a war torn country...
OVA.
In the July 1985 issue of Shōnen Sunday Super included a 50-page insert about the OVA. The anime has not been released in English due to the high licensing costs.
The OVA has only been released on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and laserdisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
; a DVD or Blu-ray has not been released .
Production staff
- Director: Motosuke Takahashi
- Animation Director: Motosuke Takahashi
- Production and Planning: Kiyo Usami
- Producer: Yūji Nunokawa
- Original Story, Planning, and Character Design: Tsuguo Okazaki
- Animation Character Design: Yūichi Endō
- Mechanical Design: Hideki Kakinuma
- Screenplay: Hiroyuki Hoshiyama
- Production: Osamu Uemura
- Director of Photography: Masaaki Fujita
- Music: Hiroya Watanabe
- Art Director: Torao Arai
- Audio/Recording Director: Shigeharu ShibaShigeharu Shibais an anime audio director and producer. He graduated from Tokyo University of Education and went on to form the Jiyū Theatre Troupe. Shiba then joined Omnibus Promotion, were he worked on anime TV series, OVAs, and movies.-TV:*Anime Himitsu no Kaen...
- Editors: Morita Editing, Kiyoshi Morita, Masaki Sakamoto
- Theme song: , sung by Miki Asakura (King Records)
- Production: Justy Project (Japan)
- Distribution: ToeiToei Companyis a Japanese film, television production, and distribution corporation. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan, a modest vertically-integrated studio system by the standards of the 1930s United States; operates studios at Tokyo and Kyoto; and is a...
Classic Film
Sources:
Soundtracks
There were several singles and albums released containing music from the OVA:, EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, K07S-3071, July 21, 1985, Starchild
-
- Includes the image song , also sung by Asakura, LPLP albumThe LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, K25G-7269, 1985, Starchild - There is also a cassette tape release of the drama edition: K25H-4292, LP, K25G-7267, 1985, Starchild
- There is also a cassette tape release of the music edition: K25H-4277, LP, K28-7219, 1984, Starchild
- There is also a cassette tape release of the original album: K28H-4230
- Includes the image song , also sung by Asakura, LP
Reception
Justin Sevakis, in a review of the OVA for Anime News NetworkAnime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
, had mixed feelings about it. He stated the OVA had an "heavy over-the-top cheese factor", but said "the film is one that simply can't be dismissed entirely." He especially liked the ending theme song, performed by Miki Asakura, calling it a "[guilty] pleasure", and pointed out that Astalis was the "closest any character ever got to being moë in 1985".
Fred Patten
Fred Patten
Frederick Walter Patten is known for his work as a historian in the science fiction, anime, manga, and furry fandoms, where he has gained great distinction through a substantial contribution to both print and online books, magazines, and other media....
called the Justy manga one of the "best" of a new (in 1984) group of manga influenced by Locke the Superman
Locke the Superman
is a manga series by Yuki Hijiri which was later adapted into a movie and three OVA releases. It was given an obscure video release in the United States as Locke the Superpower Ten volumes were published in Poland under the tile Locke Superczłowiek....
which featured "lone-wolf teenage space heroes who possess unusual talents."
The backgrounds of the manga were compared by Jason Thompson
Jason Thompson (writer)
Jason Thompson is a manga critic, journalist, writer and comics artist.-Life and career:...
to those used by Ryōichi Ikegami
Ryoichi Ikegami
is a manga artist. He was assistant to manga artist Shigeru Mizuki in 1966. In 2001, he won the Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga as the artist of Heat. He became a professor at Osaka University of Arts in 2005...
in his manga. Thompson also wrote that Okazaki's "characters' childlike, cute faces [foretold] the anime style of the 1980s." Thompson also mentioned the out-of-order release of the few English-language chapters. Helen McCarthy
Helen McCarthy
Helen McCarthy is the British author of such anime reference books as 500 Manga Heroes and Villains, Anime!, The Anime Movie Guide and Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation. She is the co-author of The Erotic Anime Movie Guide and the exhaustive The Anime Encyclopedia with Jonathan Clements...
gave it two-and-a-half stars (out of five) in her The Anime! Movie Guide review book.