Garzey's Wing
Encyclopedia
is a cult classic three episode anime
OVA by acclaimed Japanese director
Yoshiyuki Tomino
. The series was a flop in mainstream anime culture at the time of its release, but remains as an example to all directors of how a project can have some good ideas, yet fall apart in production.
called Byston Well while his physical body remains in his home world. Chris' spiritual
manifestation travels to a new world, where he is thrust into a rebellion
. Chris is told that he has a mystical power called "Garzey's wing", which causes large wings made of light to come out of his ankles, allowing him to fly and run quickly.
Chris is told to fight against slave owners and the King's army as the slaves of the Metomeus tribe
make their escape from the palace at Izumido. The Ashigaba army fights back with horses, bows, and dinosaur-like creatures called War Beasts. The series centers around the slave's escape, the conflict between the King's army and the slaves, as well as Chris' struggle to make sense of his convoluted situation.
Chris exists simultaneously in Byston Well and the real world
, and the two can communicate to each other through a necklace they both wear. Real-world Chris feels the bruises and pain Byston Well Chris experiences while fighting soldiers, and training he does in the real world allow him to learn it in Byston Well. While one Chris is in Byston Well surrounded by 12th and 13th century foreigners and being chased by an army, earth Chris must do Chi
exercises to strengthen his mind.
In the end, Chris fights off the army and saves Byston Well, but his spirit remains there. Meanwhile, in the real world, Chris has gained the power of Garzey's wing himself, and takes a girl named Rumiko on a flying motorcycle ride.
Rumiko
King Fungun
Zagizoa
Lord Gelgog Aji
Leelince
Hassan-san
Aishe and Tance
Lord Ketta Keras
Chifuchi
Domon
Giant Tawrad
Ondel
King Solon
Kurino
Sechuku
Lord Tawazzan
Chris' other friends
Falan Fa
The only Ferario depicted throughout the story, who guides Chris as he adapts to his new world. She is introduced when she gets tangled up in Chris's necklace as he is moving between the real world and Byston Well. She also provide sound advice to Chris and the others when faced with perilous situations.
Grandma Moai
Grandmother to the main Ferario. She does not appear in the anime. She lives on Kastunga Hill with Falan Fa.
Dragorol
Bandou-ran
Narrator
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 by acclaimed Japanese director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Yoshiyuki Tomino
Yoshiyuki Tomino
is a Japanese mecha anime creator, director, screenwriter and novelist. He was born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and studied at Nihon University's College of Art...
. The series was a flop in mainstream anime culture at the time of its release, but remains as an example to all directors of how a project can have some good ideas, yet fall apart in production.
Plot
Garzey's Wing is infamous for having a minimally explained plot, so most ideas of the purpose must be extrapolated. The protagonist Chris is abruptly whisked away to a parallel worldParallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
called Byston Well while his physical body remains in his home world. Chris' spiritual
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
manifestation travels to a new world, where he is thrust into a rebellion
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
. Chris is told that he has a mystical power called "Garzey's wing", which causes large wings made of light to come out of his ankles, allowing him to fly and run quickly.
Chris is told to fight against slave owners and the King's army as the slaves of the Metomeus tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
make their escape from the palace at Izumido. The Ashigaba army fights back with horses, bows, and dinosaur-like creatures called War Beasts. The series centers around the slave's escape, the conflict between the King's army and the slaves, as well as Chris' struggle to make sense of his convoluted situation.
Chris exists simultaneously in Byston Well and the real world
Reality
In philosophy, reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined. In a wider definition, reality includes everything that is and has been, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible...
, and the two can communicate to each other through a necklace they both wear. Real-world Chris feels the bruises and pain Byston Well Chris experiences while fighting soldiers, and training he does in the real world allow him to learn it in Byston Well. While one Chris is in Byston Well surrounded by 12th and 13th century foreigners and being chased by an army, earth Chris must do Chi
Qi
In traditional Chinese culture, qì is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as life energy, lifeforce, or energy flow. Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts...
exercises to strengthen his mind.
In the end, Chris fights off the army and saves Byston Well, but his spirit remains there. Meanwhile, in the real world, Chris has gained the power of Garzey's wing himself, and takes a girl named Rumiko on a flying motorcycle ride.
Human
Christopher Senshu- voiced by: Rick Nagel (English dub)
- Chris is the popular main character in the film. The story in based around him and his adventures in Byston Well. He is depicted as a regular half JapaneseJapanese peopleThe are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
, half CaucasianCaucasian raceThe term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
boy who is trying to get into college but has already failed the college entrance exams twice now. He can turn into Garzey's Wing when he or someone that he cares about is in grave danger. He is easy-going.
Rumiko
- voiced by: Suzy Prue (English dub)
- A close personal friend of Chris who helps him get through the rough times as he is fighting in Byston Well. Some viewers might be convinced that there is a romantic relationship between Chris and Rumiko, though it is never clearly stated in the dialog.
King Fungun
- voiced by: Keith Howard (English dub)
- The ruthless king, who lives in a palace in the city of Izumido, which was built on the backs of the countless slaves he has. Aware of the great powers of the Baraju Tree, King Fungun lets the slaves escape in hopes that they will lead him to the tree, where he then will be able to take it over from the Metomeus by force.
Zagizoa
- voiced by: Greg Stuhr (English dub)
- General of the War beast army corp. Came back to assist the King after he caught wind of the attack while fighting the savage Western tribe.
Lord Gelgog Aji
- General of the Ashigaba who dies when a limestone cave collapses. He had a scruffy beard and shoulder length brown hair.
Leelince
- voiced by: Amanda Goodman (English dub)
- A female warrior among the slaves. She takes a position of semi-leadership in the escape. She is able make contact with a hooded figure who is a valuable fighter for the cause. She also exemplifies an attitude of jealously towards the relationship between Chris and Hassan-san. She is able to overcome her jealousy through a single shot of her shown in inversed colours in episode 3.
Hassan-san
- voiced by: Victoria Shea (English dub)
- The priestess who is able to summon Chris to Bryston Well, using the eight EarthenwareEarthenwareEarthenware is a common ceramic material, which is used extensively for pottery tableware and decorative objects.-Types of earthenware:Although body formulations vary between countries and even between individual makers, a generic composition is 25% ball clay, 28% kaolin, 32% quartz, and 15%...
bells made from special blue clay. It is questioned how such a devious mind can hide in such innocent beauty. A more serious indictment comes from the general of the war beasts when he accuses Hassan-san of being a fake maidenMaidenMaiden or Maidens may refer to:* A female virgin; see virginity* Maiden name, the family name carried by a woman before marriage; see married and maiden names* Maiden, the first of the three aspects of the Triple Goddess...
. Whether or not these claims have any backing has the potential to tarnish an otherwise wholesome reputation.
Aishe and Tance
- Aishe (pink hair), and Tance (green hair), are Hassan-san's children. While they claim their hands simply aren't enough to ring the eight bells, they are able to pull though in the end.
Lord Ketta Keras
- Supreme Commander of the Metomeus.
Chifuchi
- A Metomeus lieutenant.
Domon
- A Metomeus lieutenant. Leader of he suicide squad.
Giant Tawrad
- Leelince finds Giant Tawrad and he is able to come to the rescue of the Metomeus when all hope seems lost. He comes and goes in the later part of the series, fighting the war beasts because, like many other people, he is morally dissatisfied by the dictatorship in Byston Well. It is pointed out that he has distinctive facial features which are often associated with the Garode tribe in the North.
Ondel
- Food gatherer leader for the Metomeus.
King Solon
- Left money for the tribe somewhere, presumably near the Barju Tree.
Kurino
- Hassan's assistant. Covers the bells so they can bake, and provides firewood.
Sechuku
- Hassan's guard.
Lord Tawazzan
- He helps with the invention of the uses and has a bowl cutBowl cutA bowl cut, also known as a pot haircut, or a mushroom cut, is a haircut where the hair is cut short on the sides and back and looking as though someone put a bowl on the head and cut off all the visible hair....
.
Chris' other friends
- Chris' other friends show a true, genuine sense of friendship towards Chris. It is evident when they believe Chris and don't even question the possibility that Chris might be going crazy when he starts to feel sick and begins communicating with the Chris in Byston Well. Other than their undeniable trust and friendship towards Chris, they are also sexy. One who is specifically names is Ms. Tarsier.
Ferarios
- The equivalent of fairies in the natural world. For some reason they are not trusted in Byston Well, which puts you under the impression that an event in the past may have resulted in a grudge between species (quite possibly when Drake Luft's war of aggression got so out of control that the Ferarios exiled all of the combatants to Upper Earth--uselessly, as all of them died during the final battle and their souls went right back to Byston Well). The Ferarios are accused of being tricky and mischievous creatures in Kastunga Hill.
Falan Fa
- voiced by: Roxanne BeckRoxanne BeckRoxanne Beck is a nationally known singer and voice actor. Her jazz/blues release "'Comes Love,'" produced by Grammy nominee Bud Harner, received national radio airplay in 2008; her first album "'Garden of Love'" was released in 1997. Some of her credits as a voice actor are listed below.-Voice...
(English dub)
The only Ferario depicted throughout the story, who guides Chris as he adapts to his new world. She is introduced when she gets tangled up in Chris's necklace as he is moving between the real world and Byston Well. She also provide sound advice to Chris and the others when faced with perilous situations.
Grandma Moai
- voiced by: Bobby Fung (English dub)
Grandmother to the main Ferario. She does not appear in the anime. She lives on Kastunga Hill with Falan Fa.
Creatures
Daragau- These are the most feared of the War Beasts, because of the size, and vicious nature. They are about 30-35 feet tall, mainly brown and Grey, with a large orange spike on their head to use in battle.
Dragorol
- Reptilian creatures found in the Boundless Plains of Gabujuju.
Bandou-ran
- Smaller pink creatures used by the War Beast Army Corps. to carry single soldiers into close combat situations. Their descriptions are similar to those of dinosaurs commonly known as raptorsVelociraptorVelociraptor is a genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur that existed approximately 75 to 71 million years ago during the later part of the Cretaceous Period. Two species are currently recognized, although others have been assigned in the past. The type species is V. mongoliensis; fossils...
.
Unknown
Yamato Takeru no Mikoto- A character that is mentioned numerous times throughout the movie, but never seen. The English voice actors have trouble with the pronunciation with this name in particular. He is most likely a reference to Yamato TakeruYamato Takeru, originally Prince Ousu was a Japanese legendary prince of the Yamato dynasty, son of Keikō of Yamato, a legendary monarch who is traditionally counted as the 12th Tennō or Emperor of Japan. The tragic tale of this impressive figure is told in the Japanese chronicles Kojiki and Nihon Shoki...
, of Japanese legend.
Narrator
- While only having brief lines throughout the anime, His most notable role is in the introduction of Garzey's wing when Chris is taken away by the giant duckNon sequitur (logic)Non sequitur , in formal logic, is an argument in which its conclusion does not follow from its premises. In a non sequitur, the conclusion could be either true or false, but the argument is fallacious because there is a disconnection between the premise and the conclusion. All formal fallacies...
. The Narrator is controversially referred to as being a ghost when Chris breaks the fourth wallFourth wallThe fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
by asking him "WHAT THE WHO ARE YOU A DAMN GHOST!?" and the narrator/ghost replies with "Why do think this is the work of a ghost?" His true identity may forever remain a mystery to the viewers, but it is safe to assume that he might also be an eligible candidate in being the renowned and celebrated Yamato Takeru no Mikoto.
Humanity at heart
The leader of the slaves, who is represented through a bearded old man, follows a strict belief that "humans are just human", which can also be understood as the moral of this tale in Byston Well. Chris is only human so he can only act as human through his human nature to protect human kind. Although it may seem to be a deep concept to grasp, the idea can easily understood after a thorough analysis of the anime.Reception
The film was unsuccessful everywhere when it came out, and was a low point of the career of the otherwise very popular director Yoshiyuki Tomino. The English dub was known for sounding awkward both in the translation and the voice acting. However, the music in the anime has been praised as being powerful and endearing . Notable pieces of music include the ending theme song "Wings Of My Heart" and the fight scene music between Chris and Rumiko.Theme Songs
WINGS OF MY HEART (Ending Theme)- Performance: Magesty
- Lyrics: Shiro SagisuShiro Sagisuis a well-known Japanese music producer and composer. With a career spanning over 25 years , he is best known for his work as a record producer for acts including Misia, Satoshi Tomiie, and Ken Hirai...
- Composer/Arranger: Shiro Sagisu
Staff
- Yoshiyuki TominoYoshiyuki Tominois a Japanese mecha anime creator, director, screenwriter and novelist. He was born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and studied at Nihon University's College of Art...
: Writer, Director, script, creator, storyboard. - Shiro SagisuShiro Sagisuis a well-known Japanese music producer and composer. With a career spanning over 25 years , he is best known for his work as a record producer for acts including Misia, Satoshi Tomiie, and Ken Hirai...
: Music - Kenichi Ohnuku: Character Design
- Kip Kaplan: ADR Director
- Reiko Matsuo: Translation
- John O'Donnell: Executive producer
- Stephanie Shalofsky: Producer
- Karel Havle: Dubbing Coordinator
- Christopher Sippel: Dubbing Manager
- Phil Bachoo: Production Assistant
Related
- Aura Battler DunbineAura Battler Dunbineis an anime television series created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and produced by Sunrise Studios.Dunbine is set in Byston Well, a parallel world that resembles the countryside of medieval Europe with kingdoms ruled by monarchs in castles, armies of unicorn-riding cavalry armed with swords and crossbows,...
and its sequel OVA also occur in the fictional land of Byston Well (technically, many centuries in the past; the chronologies of ABD and this anime do not match up).