Carried by the Wind: Tsukikage Ran
Encyclopedia
is an animated
action comedy written and directed by Akitaro Daichi
, and produced by Madhouse Studios. The television series follows Ran and Meow, two wanderers who face all sorts of antagonists in Tokugawa Japan.
The series started airing on WOWOW
. Afterwards, it aired as Ran, The Samurai Girl on Animax Latin America and Animax Asia
, which also broadcast Bandai's dub across Southeast Asia
and South Asia
. The series is licensed in North America
by Bandai Entertainment.
Mei
Stefanie
Junzaburo Shiina
or soba
" noodles.
The score was composed by Toshihiko Sahashi
. The opening theme song Kazemakase ("Leave it to the wind" or "Carried by the Wind") is an enka
ballad performed by Akemi Misawa. The ending theme Kazemakase 2 ("Leave it to the wind 2") is performed by Reiko Yasuhara.
. It features Ayako Kawasumi
as the voice of Princess Tama.
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....
action comedy written and directed by Akitaro Daichi
Akitaro Daichi
is an anime director, producer, and photography director.-Biography:Akitaro Daichi is a native of Gunma Prefecture and a graduate of Tokyo Polytechnic University...
, and produced by Madhouse Studios. The television series follows Ran and Meow, two wanderers who face all sorts of antagonists in Tokugawa Japan.
The series started airing on WOWOW
WOWOW
WOWOW was the first private satellite broadcasting and pay TV station in Japan. It has its headquarters on the 21st floor of the Akasaka Park Building in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo...
. Afterwards, it aired as Ran, The Samurai Girl on Animax Latin America and Animax Asia
Animax Asia
Animax Asia is the Japanese anime TV network Animaxs English language feeds in Southeast Asia and South Asia, as well as its feeds across other regions of mainland Asia, including Hong Kong and Taiwan...
, which also broadcast Bandai's dub across Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
. The series is licensed in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
by Bandai Entertainment.
Plot
Tsukikage Ran comprises thirteen self-contained stories. The series follows characters Ran and Meow into a new town, where they encounter some kind of wrongdoing. Every episode climaxes with a swordfight featuring the protagonist, sometimes aided by Meow's martial arts prowess.Main characters
- Ran is a sake-loving roninRoninA or rounin was a Bushi with no lord or master during the feudal period of Japan. A samurai became masterless from the death or fall of his master, or after the loss of his master's favor or privilege....
who goes "wherever the wind takes her". Ran's skill with the katanaKatanaA Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
makes her unbeatable, but like so many ronin, she is often broke and has Meow pay her (often considerable) restaurant tabs. It is a wonder how Meow always seems to have enough money, and where she gets it, while Ran often lacks it. Meow is quite generous to Ran and supports her daily necessities throughout the series.
- Even though Ran has a laid-back attitude, she is very sharp, perceptive, wise, and intelligent. She is kind, and has a good sense of justice. Ran cares about Meow and other people who are in need, although she usually does not have much interest to anything around her. Ran tends to say "utterly inexcusable" whenever she's annoyed.
- Meow is a Chinese martial artist skilled in the style. Meow has a heart of gold, but she's extremely bold and not that bright--which means she's often butting into other people's business. Despite her recklessness, Ran respects her for her good intentions and kind heart, if not her wallet, and bails her out in the end. Meow respects Ran and looks up to her and is quite obedient to Ran, although she realizes she often has been taken advantage of by Ran and also dislikes Ran's attitude at times. Although not quite as skilled as Ran, Meow can handle herself in a fight. On contrast with Ran, who is usually of a calm and has cool composure, Meow is very cheerful and energetic, but very slow and flighty.
Other characters
Tonto Sharakusai- Tonto appears in episode 5. He is an ukiyo-eUkiyo-e' is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, the theatre, and pleasure quarters...
artist looking for a beautiful woman to model for a portrait. Sharakusai and Meow are taken prisoners by the artist's patrons until Ran rescues them.
Mei
- (English)
- Mei appears in episode 9. She is Meow's childhood friend. Her parents' deaths led Mei to become an opiumOpiumOpium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
dealer. In the middle of a fight with Meow, she is fatally stabbed by an opium-addicted swordsman. Just before her last breath she regrets for taking the wrong way in her life and admits that the way she dies is pretty good for her.
Stefanie
- (English)
- Stefanie appears in episode 10. The large young woman is a foreignerGaijinis a Japanese word meaning "non-Japanese", or "alien". This word is a short form of gaikokujin , which literally means "person from outside of the country". The word is composed of two kanji: , meaning "outside"; and , meaning "person". Thus, the word technically means "outsider"...
with a strong interest in JapanJapanophileJapanophilia is an interest in, or love of, Japan and anything Japanese; its opposite is Japanophobia. One who has such an interest or love is a Japanophile...
and Japanese culture. Convinced the country's population is made up of samuraiSamuraiis the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
, ninjaNinjaA or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
and geishaGeisha, Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:...
, she travels to Japan in hopes to be trained in the way of the sword.
Junzaburo Shiina
- (English)
- Shiina appears in episode 13. He taught Ran swordsmanship and also introduced her to sake. At the time of the series, Shiina works as to the head of a martial arts dōjōDojoA is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to...
. He gets his arm broken by Ran and forced to give up the sword for Otsuta, a geisha who loves him. The title of episode 13, "She Hid A Romance In The Past", and Ran's remarks to him in the episode possibly imply that Junzaburo in the past was supposed to run away with Ran but had second thoughts, leaving Ran to leave alone. He feels extremely guilty for making Ran go alone.
Production
Tsukikage Ran is inspired by chanbara series like 1965's Su-ronin Tsukikage Hyogo. While it remains faithful to the genre, it is infused with Akitaro Daichi's distinctive style. The episodes were scripted by first thinking of a title and writing a plot around it. As many ideas were not used, director Daichi notes an unproduced episode where the protagonists "fight over udonUdon
is a type of thick wheat-flour noodle of Japanese cuisine.Udon is usually served hot as noodle soup in its simplest form as kake udon, in a mildly flavoured broth called kakejiru which is made of dashi, soy sauce , and mirin. It is usually topped with thinly chopped scallions...
or soba
Soba
is the Japanese name for buckwheat. It is synonymous with a type of thin noodle made from buckwheat flour, and in Japan can refer to any thin noodle . Soba noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup...
" noodles.
The score was composed by Toshihiko Sahashi
Toshihiko Sahashi
is an accomplished Japanese composer. He graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 1986. Sahashi has composed music for various anime series , video games, movies, dramas, and musicals...
. The opening theme song Kazemakase ("Leave it to the wind" or "Carried by the Wind") is an enka
Enka
is a popular Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern enka, however, is a relatively recent musical form which arose in the context of such postwar expressions of modern Japanese nonmaterial nationalism as nihonjinron, while adopting a more...
ballad performed by Akemi Misawa. The ending theme Kazemakase 2 ("Leave it to the wind 2") is performed by Reiko Yasuhara.
Staff
- Original creator and director: Akitaro Daichi
- Directorial advisor: Hiroaki Sakurai
- Character design: Hajime Watanabe
- Chief animation director: Takahiro Yoshimatsu
- Art director: Hidetoshi Kaneko
- Director of photography: Hitoshi Yamaguchi
- Music: Toshihiko SahashiToshihiko Sahashiis an accomplished Japanese composer. He graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 1986. Sahashi has composed music for various anime series , video games, movies, dramas, and musicals...
- Sound director: Kazuya Tanaka
- Animation production: MadhouseMadhouse (company)is a Japanese animation studio, founded in 1972 by ex–Mushi Pro animators including Masao Maruyama, Osamu Dezaki, Rintaro, and Yoshiaki Kawajiri. It has created and helped to produce many well known shows, starting with TV anime series Ace o Nerae! in 1973, and including western favourites Ninja...
- Production: Bandai VisualBandai Visual, is a Japanese anime, film production and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai Co., Ltd. and a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings, Inc., which is based in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Since the reorganisation of Namco Bandai Holdings in 2006, Bandai Visual now heads the group's Visual and...
Episodes
| # | Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
Drama CD
Kazemakase Tsukikage Ran CD-neta ni Tottoita (VICL-60545) is an audio drama released May 24, 2000 by Victor EntertainmentVictor Entertainment
is a subsidiary of Japan Victor Company that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It was formerly known as...
. It features Ayako Kawasumi
Ayako Kawasumi
is a Japanese voice actress and J-pop singer. She is affectionately referred to by her fellow voice actors and fans as "", "" and "". She is a skilled pianist, having practiced the piano since childhood....
as the voice of Princess Tama.