Saber Marionette J
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese anime
produced by Hal Film Maker
, aired on TV Tokyo
from October 1, 1996 to March 25, 1997. It is the second installation of the Saber Marionette
line of series, preceding Saber Marionette J Again
and succeeding Saber Marionette R. The show was localized in North America by Ocean Productions and into six other languages by various companies.
In between production, Saber Marionette J made transitions in other media. A manga serialized in the Kadokawa Shoten
magazine Dragon Age was circulated from October 1996 to November 1999, collected into five volumes by the company. A concurrent radio drama was broadcast and the show's original soundtrack was published by Kings Records. The show was also the basis for a PlayStation
fighting game called Saber Marionette J: Battle Sabers, developed and published by Tom Create.
Traveling to a gully outside of the town, the boys continue their quarrel on a bridge where a skilled Otaru makes quick work of his opponent. In an unfortunate turn of events however, Otaru, balancing himself on a fencepost which breaks off, is dumped into the river below where he is helplessly washed away.
Moments later, having drifted ashore in a small pond, Otaru finds himself at a rural athenaeum, the Japoness Pioneer Museum. He curiously explores the decrepit building, falling through a trapdoor and into a secret underground basement where he finds and awakens an encapsulated marionette. She introduces herself as Lime, embracing the dumbfounded boy with a laugh and revealing an unprecedented ability to express emotion.
, when Earth's population has grown to such a magnitude that humanity cannot feasibly continue without colonizing space. The initial stages of the project make a promising effort of moving civilization into orbit, however it is during travel to a planet name Terra II that a transport vessel, the Mesopotamia, experiences a catastrophic fate, destroying all but a lone escape pod of people who plunge to the surface below. Of the handful of survivors however, only six males survive the crash, a ratio that both cripples their manpower and leaves them unable to reproduce.
Marooned and without communication, the men turn to genetic engineering as a method to produce clones of themselves, enough to populate the planet and sustain habitation. The effort is critically fruitful, and over a course of three centuries, each of the survivors and their successors establish individual settlements in the form of six city-states.
In spite of the remarkable success however, notwithstanding even advancements in technology, Terra II remains uninhabited by women. An effort to substitute this absence is made with the manufacture of feminine androids name marionettes; creations that, although fill their purpose, operate without sapience, emotion, or free will.
family. Ieyasu Tokugawa, the fictional shogun
of Japoness, derives his name and appearance from Tokugawa Ieyasu
, while Gailhart von Faust, führer of Gartlant, is an allusion of Adolf Hitler
whose name may be derived from Faust
, a character of German folklore.
The city-states established by the male survivors are also based on the political and developmental histories and periods of countries. Japoness is a reminiscence of feudal Japan, Gartlant portrays the totalitarian regime of Nazi Germany
, Peterburg is structured after Soviet Russia
, New Texas is representative of the modern United States
, Xi'an paints the image of Imperial China
and Romana takes after the Roman Empire
. The letters that affix the titles of the franchise have also been explained to represent the city-state in which a particular series is set in. Saber Marionette R, for example, takes place in Romana while Saber Marionette J, occurs in Japoness.
Besides the show's botanic, animal and historic references, as well as its generally comedic overtones, Saber Marionette J briefly explores deeper motifs as well. One such motif, outspoken by Mitsurugi, is the discriminatory notion that marionettes are of no importance to humans beyond their menial labor, and should be disenfranchised to the affection or privileges of people. This idea becomes more recurrent later in the series when Otaru finds himself growing closer to the girls and questions himself for it. Another visited theme is the exploration of life, its senescence, and death. These truths have a major impact on the girls' developmental identity
as they come to terms with themselves and humans.
The show's focal antagonists and their endeavors are fronted by Gailhart von Faust, the megalomania
c dictator of Gartlant who campaigns to conquer his neighboring sovereigns in order to control all of Terra II. Like Otaru, Faust is supported by his own trio of marionettes, collectively known as the Saber Dolls, who are structurally villainous counterparts to Lime, Cherry and Bloodberry; Tiger, the tenacious and emotionally subservient leader, Luchs, an intelligent and accomplished strategist, and Panther, a loud and vicious blonde. In a complimenting fashion, each of these girls also possess maiden circuits.
. Scheduled for release in February 2001, in addition to the standard Japanese and English dubs, Bandai announced around August 7, 2000 that the DVD releases would also contain Spanish; dubbed by Alebrije Entertainment, broadcast by Animax
Latin America and Locomotion
where it was also known by the name Chica Marioneta J.
Animax's branches in South Korea and Brazil also broadcast the series respectively in Korean and Portuguese, the latter having been produced by the São Paulo-based studio Master Sound where it was also known as Garotas Marionetes. Anime House, a company situated in Cologne
, published the series in German; while Beez
, the European off-shot of Bandai Visual, handled distribution in France.
On Anime News Network
, the show retains a median "Good" rating, averaging a 7 out of 10; the first VHS was also given a B+. Less favorable reviews criticized the cliche plot, character voices and less than crisp artwork.On Latin America the show turned a cult because of Locomotion
and Animax Latin America
, a Tokyo-based Portuguese publisher, announce on March 8, 2010 that it has secured the rights to the series
In a similar fashion to the animated series, the Saber Marionette J manga was localized into other languages. Notably, Tokyopop announced in 2003 that it had acquired the publishing rights to the series and that the first volume would be released in July of that year. Madman Entertainment, an Australian publisher, additionally published the manga in Oceania from May 19, 2004 to March 5, 2005. Editorial Ivrea
, an Argentina-based publishing company, published the series in Spanish.
s were made about the series, written by Satoru Akahori and illustrated by Tsukasa Kotobuki. The books were printed by Fujimi Shobo between April 1995 and July 1, 1999.
Two audio dramas were made of the series. The first, released direct to commercial disc, was published from January 24 to May 22, 1995 as a four-disc set by King Records under their StarChild label, each containing 4 tracks with additional bonuses. These tracks would later be broadcast on October 21. The second audio drama was aired on TBS
on Thursdays and was based on the aforementioned novels. Broadcasts were made from April 27 to July 3, 1997.
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....
produced by Hal Film Maker
Hal Film Maker
is a Japanese animation studio founded in August 1993.-Anime produced: is a Japanese animation studio founded in August 1993.-Anime produced: is a Japanese animation studio founded in August 1993.-Anime produced:(Please note that this list only includes original productions or co-productions...
, aired on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
from October 1, 1996 to March 25, 1997. It is the second installation of the Saber Marionette
Saber Marionette
is a science fiction humor/adventure series featuring android girls. It has been produced in the form of anime, manga, and light novels. It was created by Satoru Akahori....
line of series, preceding Saber Marionette J Again
Saber Marionette J Again
, occasionally with the subtitle "Plasmastic Crisis" added, is the 1998 sequel to the Japanese anime series Saber Marionette J. It is a six episode OVA which continues the story of its predecessor, following the eventful life of Otaru Mamiya and his three marionettes Lime, Cherry and Bloodberry.-...
and succeeding Saber Marionette R. The show was localized in North America by Ocean Productions and into six other languages by various companies.
In between production, Saber Marionette J made transitions in other media. A manga serialized in the Kadokawa Shoten
Kadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
magazine Dragon Age was circulated from October 1996 to November 1999, collected into five volumes by the company. A concurrent radio drama was broadcast and the show's original soundtrack was published by Kings Records. The show was also the basis for a PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
fighting game called Saber Marionette J: Battle Sabers, developed and published by Tom Create.
Plot
Otaru Mamiya is an adolescent working-class laborer, single, independent, and living on his own in the fictional city state of Japoness. Employed as a fish peddler and running a morning's catch, he is hit by a car driven by Mitsurugi Hanagata, an acquaintance, spoiling his merchandise and sparking a fight the two agree to take elsewhere.Traveling to a gully outside of the town, the boys continue their quarrel on a bridge where a skilled Otaru makes quick work of his opponent. In an unfortunate turn of events however, Otaru, balancing himself on a fencepost which breaks off, is dumped into the river below where he is helplessly washed away.
Moments later, having drifted ashore in a small pond, Otaru finds himself at a rural athenaeum, the Japoness Pioneer Museum. He curiously explores the decrepit building, falling through a trapdoor and into a secret underground basement where he finds and awakens an encapsulated marionette. She introduces herself as Lime, embracing the dumbfounded boy with a laugh and revealing an unprecedented ability to express emotion.
Setting
The prologue of Saber Marionette J is set sometime into the 22nd century22nd century
The 22nd century is a century of the Christian Era or Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. It is the upcoming century, beginning on January 1, 2101 and ending on December 31, 2200.-Events:...
, when Earth's population has grown to such a magnitude that humanity cannot feasibly continue without colonizing space. The initial stages of the project make a promising effort of moving civilization into orbit, however it is during travel to a planet name Terra II that a transport vessel, the Mesopotamia, experiences a catastrophic fate, destroying all but a lone escape pod of people who plunge to the surface below. Of the handful of survivors however, only six males survive the crash, a ratio that both cripples their manpower and leaves them unable to reproduce.
Marooned and without communication, the men turn to genetic engineering as a method to produce clones of themselves, enough to populate the planet and sustain habitation. The effort is critically fruitful, and over a course of three centuries, each of the survivors and their successors establish individual settlements in the form of six city-states.
In spite of the remarkable success however, notwithstanding even advancements in technology, Terra II remains uninhabited by women. An effort to substitute this absence is made with the manufacture of feminine androids name marionettes; creations that, although fill their purpose, operate without sapience, emotion, or free will.
Themes
Saber Marionette J contains several groups of notable themes, mainly in the names of characters and locations. The focal heroines, Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry, are named after fruits, while their counterparts, Tiger, Luchs, and Panther are named after animals, specifically of the FelidaeFelidae
Felidae is the biological family of the cats; a member of this family is called a felid. Felids are the strictest carnivores of the thirteen terrestrial families in the order Carnivora, although the three families of marine mammals comprising the superfamily pinnipedia are as carnivorous as the...
family. Ieyasu Tokugawa, the fictional shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
of Japoness, derives his name and appearance from Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
, while Gailhart von Faust, führer of Gartlant, is an allusion of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
whose name may be derived from Faust
Faust
Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend; a highly successful scholar, but also dissatisfied with his life, and so makes a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Faust's tale is the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical...
, a character of German folklore.
The city-states established by the male survivors are also based on the political and developmental histories and periods of countries. Japoness is a reminiscence of feudal Japan, Gartlant portrays the totalitarian regime of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, Peterburg is structured after Soviet Russia
Soviet Russia
Soviet Russia usually refers to the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, one of the fifteen republics of the Soviet Union. It may also denote:* Soviet Russia , magazine of the Friends of Soviet Russia in the United States...
, New Texas is representative of the modern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Xi'an paints the image of Imperial China
Imperial China
Imperial China may refer to:* Imperial era of Chinese history , divided into three major periods:** Early Imperial China** Mid-Imperial China** Late Imperial China...
and Romana takes after the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. The letters that affix the titles of the franchise have also been explained to represent the city-state in which a particular series is set in. Saber Marionette R, for example, takes place in Romana while Saber Marionette J, occurs in Japoness.
Besides the show's botanic, animal and historic references, as well as its generally comedic overtones, Saber Marionette J briefly explores deeper motifs as well. One such motif, outspoken by Mitsurugi, is the discriminatory notion that marionettes are of no importance to humans beyond their menial labor, and should be disenfranchised to the affection or privileges of people. This idea becomes more recurrent later in the series when Otaru finds himself growing closer to the girls and questions himself for it. Another visited theme is the exploration of life, its senescence, and death. These truths have a major impact on the girls' developmental identity
Identity (social science)
Identity is a term used to describe a person's conception and expression of their individuality or group affiliations . The term is used more specifically in psychology and sociology, and is given a great deal of attention in social psychology...
as they come to terms with themselves and humans.
Characters
Saber Marionette J follows the life and adventures of Otaru Mamiya, an obstinate young man, who through mishap and predestination, goes from a nondescript street vendor to a national hero and sensation. During the onset of the series, Otaru comes into the inadvertent acquisition of three marionettes; Lime, a wildly effervescent girl with a knack for mischief, Cherry, the gentle and soft-spoken mind with gifted culinary skills, and Bloodberry, a bold and voluptuous woman with vigor matched only by her libido. Warranted by their unique ability to show mood and temperament, it is explained that each of the girls possess a heart-like technology, known as a maiden circuit, that empowers them with emotion. Mitsurugi Hanagata, the effeminate acquaintance whose reckless driving more or less sets the premise of the show, also bands together with the group on their travels and as their neighbor when his mansion is burned down.The show's focal antagonists and their endeavors are fronted by Gailhart von Faust, the megalomania
Megalomania
Megalomania is a psycho-pathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of power, relevance, or omnipotence. 'Megalomania is characterized by an inflated sense of self-esteem and overestimation by persons of their powers and beliefs'...
c dictator of Gartlant who campaigns to conquer his neighboring sovereigns in order to control all of Terra II. Like Otaru, Faust is supported by his own trio of marionettes, collectively known as the Saber Dolls, who are structurally villainous counterparts to Lime, Cherry and Bloodberry; Tiger, the tenacious and emotionally subservient leader, Luchs, an intelligent and accomplished strategist, and Panther, a loud and vicious blonde. In a complimenting fashion, each of these girls also possess maiden circuits.
Localization
Saber Marionette J was reproduced into seven languages through a joint cooperation of different companies. Bandai Entertainment announced on October 12, 2000 that it would be publishing the series on DVD, itself dubbed into English by Ocean Productions. Bandai went on to announce that the series would be released in a chronological fashion, succeeded by Saber Marionette J to XSaber Marionette J to X
is a Japanese anime, the last part of the Saber Marionette J series, and a plot continuation of Saber Marionette J Again. Like the previous ones, it was created by . The 26 episode saga began airing in Japan on October 6, 1998 to August 25, 1999...
. Scheduled for release in February 2001, in addition to the standard Japanese and English dubs, Bandai announced around August 7, 2000 that the DVD releases would also contain Spanish; dubbed by Alebrije Entertainment, broadcast by Animax
Animax
is a Japanese anime satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. A subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Sony, it is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment and the noted anime studios...
Latin America and Locomotion
Locomotion (TV channel)
Sony Spin is a Latin American cable television channel, launched on May 1, 2011, replacing the local version of Animax.-History:Animax, being Sony's first attempt to offer a 24-hour anime channel in Latin America, it was planned to broadcast the series in two formats...
where it was also known by the name Chica Marioneta J.
Animax's branches in South Korea and Brazil also broadcast the series respectively in Korean and Portuguese, the latter having been produced by the São Paulo-based studio Master Sound where it was also known as Garotas Marionetes. Anime House, a company situated in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, published the series in German; while Beez
Beez Entertainment
Beez Entertainment is a European anime distributor, and they also distribute anime soundtracks. They mainly act as the European branch for Bandai Visual as it is owned by Namco Bandai Holdings...
, the European off-shot of Bandai Visual, handled distribution in France.
Reception
Saber Marionette J was met with mostly positive reception. THEM. Anime Reviews gave the series a 5 out of 5 stars, calling it "Top-notch animation, involving story and memorable characters make this one of the greats. If there was a flaw to be found here, it was too small to notice." Animetric.com published a similarly positive review, giving the show 4 out of 5 stars, citing that "The art and animation are quite good. Character designs are exceptionally distinct." but that "It could have used a bit of tweaking here and there to even out the pacing[...]" Industry aggregator Mania.com editor Chris Beveridge rated each of the three North American releases a B, averaging a predictable story, an overall solid release, but that "Saber Marionette J was decent if unexceptional in total."On Anime News Network
Anime 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...
, the show retains a median "Good" rating, averaging a 7 out of 10; the first VHS was also given a B+. Less favorable reviews criticized the cliche plot, character voices and less than crisp artwork.On Latin America the show turned a cult because of Locomotion
Locomotion
The term locomotion means movement or travel. It may refer to:* Motion * Animal locomotion** Terrestrial locomotion* TravelLocomotion may refer to specific types of motion:* Gait analysis* walking* running, including trotting...
and Animax Latin America
Manga
A few months before the release of the anime, a manga iteration of Saber Marionette J began to circulate in Kadokawa Shoten's Monthly Dragon Age written by series creator Satoru Akahori and illustrated by Yumisuke Kotoyoshi. The series ran from October 1996 to November 1999, being collected in five volumes by the company from January 1997 to December 1999. Besides its native release, Editora JBCEditora JBC
Editora JBC is a company that publishes books and magazines related to Japan in Brazil. It has its headquarters in Sao Paulo....
, a Tokyo-based Portuguese publisher, announce on March 8, 2010 that it has secured the rights to the series
In a similar fashion to the animated series, the Saber Marionette J manga was localized into other languages. Notably, Tokyopop announced in 2003 that it had acquired the publishing rights to the series and that the first volume would be released in July of that year. Madman Entertainment, an Australian publisher, additionally published the manga in Oceania from May 19, 2004 to March 5, 2005. Editorial Ivrea
Editorial Ivrea
Editorial Ivrea is an Argentine manga and comics publisher that publishes in Argentina, Spain and Finland. They also published Lazer, a magazine which was specialized in anime, comics, manga, series and other media. The magazine has an acid humor and has also organized parties in Argentina...
, an Argentina-based publishing company, published the series in Spanish.
Light novels
Considered an arcane publication to fans, a total of 14 light novelLight novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
s were made about the series, written by Satoru Akahori and illustrated by Tsukasa Kotobuki. The books were printed by Fujimi Shobo between April 1995 and July 1, 1999.
Audio CDs
The complete soundtrack of Saber Marionette J was reproduced for distribution when the anime was still in production. The initial release, titled "Japones ginei shisyu sonoichi" (Japones Recitation Poem Collection 1)", was made on December 21, 1996 and contained 17 tracks by King Records. A sequel release, containing 24 tracks, was made on April 9, 1997.Two audio dramas were made of the series. The first, released direct to commercial disc, was published from January 24 to May 22, 1995 as a four-disc set by King Records under their StarChild label, each containing 4 tracks with additional bonuses. These tracks would later be broadcast on October 21. The second audio drama was aired on TBS
TBS Radio & Communications
is the flagship radio station of Japan Radio Network in Tokyo, Japan. The company was founded by Tokyo Broadcasting System, Inc. on March 21, 2000...
on Thursdays and was based on the aforementioned novels. Broadcasts were made from April 27 to July 3, 1997.
Game
Tom Create, a small Tokyo game developer, produced a fighting game of the series titled , published by Bandai Visual on March 28, 1997 for the Playstation. Featuring Lime, Cherry, Bloodberry, the Saber Dolls, and a new marionette name Apple, the player is able to fight against a CPU or, with another controller, a second player. At the beginning of each round, player's are also allowed to choose two special abilities to buff their characters. The game featured an alternate version of the anime opening and was released in a limited and regular edition, the former bundled with figurines and special edition portraits of the characters.Footnotes
- a. Luchs name is derived from the German spelling and pronunciation for lynx.