The Fall 1996 television offering features a number of titles familiar to OVA fans and veteran TV viewers on both sides of the Pacific, as OVA-reliant studios (and the industry as a whole) make a slow but ongoing migration back from the video market to more television. The cynical will consider the video-to-television series as 30-minute commercials for the later LD release, but the optimistic will welcome the return of high-quality animation to television and the trend away from one-shot videos and short mini-series back to more involved storytelling.

Homeless Child Remi (Ienakiko Remi)
Debut: 7:30 PM, 1 September 1996 (Sunday)
Fuji TV
Created by Hector Mareau
Director: Kusuba Kouzou
Production: Nippon Animation
Cast: Horie Mitoko (Remi)
(Replaces [Famous Dog] Lassie)

This latest installment in the acclaimed World Masterpiece Theater series adapts a well-known French children's story and follows the adventures of Remi, a spirited 10-year-old girl who suddenly finds herself homeless.

Hana Yori Dango
Debut: 8:30 AM, 8 September 1996 (Sunday)
TV Asahi
Created by Kamio Youko and serialized in Margaret (Shuueisha)
Series Director: Yamauchi Shigeyasu
Production: Toei Animation
Cast: Mochida Maki (Tsukushi)
(Replaces Neighborhood Stories (Go-kinjo Mongatari))

Love and angst among high school teenagers -- aside from their older shoujo audience and their timeslot, that's about all that the highly-rated "Trendy Anime" series have in common. Indeed, Shuueisha plucked "HanaDan" from Margaret instead of Ribbon where its predecessor MARMALADE BOY and NEIGHBORHOOD STORIES first appeared. Tsukushi trasfers into the elite of elite private academies in Japan and wrestles with both the usual new student initiation as well coming-of-age romance. In an unusual move, Toei casted the starring role with Mochida Maki, an established live-action actress who just recently finished the musical adaptation of KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE (MAJO NO TAKKYUUBIN).

Saber Marionette J (Seibaa Marionetto J)
Debut: 6:00 PM, 1 October 1996 (Tuesday)
TV Tokyo
Created by Akahori Satoru
Director: Shitada Masami
Production: Studio Junior
Cast: Hayashibara Megumi (Lime), Shiratori Yuri (Cherry), Hiramatsu Akiko(Bloodberry)
(Replaces The Vision of Escaflowne (Tenkuu no Esukafuro-ne))

First came the serialized novel and radio drama, then came the off-shoot R video and manga series. Now the extened television series has the cast reprising their role as sabers, proxy female robots on an all-male world.

Mobile Battleship Nadeshiko (Kidou Senkan Nadeshiko)
Debut: 6:30 PM, 1 October 1996 (Tuesday)
TV Tokyo
Director: Satoh Tatsuo
Production: Jiibekku
Cast: Ueda Yuuji, Itoh Kentaroh, Takano Naoko, Seki Tomokazu, Tobita Nobuo
(Replaces Moja Kou)

Space opera returns to television again, complete with a mysterious enemy force and a valiant Earth fleet spearheaded by the rapid assault space battleship Nadeshiko. With an almost all-female crew (save for the pilot Tenkawa Akito), it's no surprise that the initial character designs and accompanying Shounen Ace (Kadokawa) manga are penned by Kia Asamiya of Silent Mobius and Dark Angel.

Harmeln's Violin Playing (Haamerun no Baiorin Hiku)
Debut: 5:00 PM, 2 October (Wednesday) 1996
TV Tokyo
Created by Watanabe Michiaki and serialized in Shounen Gan-Gan (Enix)
Director: Nishimura Junnichi
Production: Studio Deen
Cast: Ueda Yuuji (Harmel), Iizuka Mayumi (Flute), Tsujitani Kouji, Chiba Shigeru
(Replaces [Teenage Ninja] Mutant Turtles repeats)

After a popular theatrical film run during last May's Golden Week, the legendary travelling minstrel and his entourage returns with a new voice cast and new adventures under the skillful if eclectic writing of Imagawa (director of Giant Robo and Mobile Suit G Gundam).

Super Raideen (Chousha Raidiin)
Debut: 6:30 PM, 2 October 1996 (Wednesday)
TV Tokyo
Created by Sunrise
Drector: Kawase Toshifumi
Production: Sunrise
TV Tokyo
Cast: Itoh Kentaroh, Shibuya Shigeru
(Replaces VS Knight Lamune & 40 Fire)

This is not BRAVE RAIDEEN as you remembered it twenty years ago, but it is the Nineties remake of the 1975-1976 classic into a sentai-esque five-bishounen-member team with individual robots sporting bird motifs. Tomino Yoshiyuki, Yasuhiko Yoshikazu, and Ohkawara Kunio are not directly involved, although Ohkawara is nominally credited with Aoki Kenta's mecha designs.

Elf-Hunters (Erufu wo Karu no Monotachi)
Debut: 1:15 AM, 4 October 1996 (Friday)
TV Tokyo
Created by Yagami Hiroshi and serialized in Dengeki Comic Gao (Media Works)
Director: Katayama Ichiroh
Production: Group Tack
Cast: Seki Tomokazu, Miyamura Yuko, Mitsuishi Kotono, Tomizawa Michie

You read the airtime right; this is not anime for the DORAEMON crowd. Three Japanese -- one warrior, one weapons otaku schoolgirl, and one Oscar (exquisitely-staged theater by an all-female troupe popular in Japan) actress -- find themselves transported to an unearthly fantasy world. There they encounter Selshia and other elfs who can cast powerful spells and who are essential to the trio's return home.

Magical Girl Pretty Samy (Mahou Shoujo Puriti Samii)
Debut: 6:30 PM, 4 October 1996 (Friday)
TV Tokyo
Created by Akiyama Katsuhito
Director: Hayashi Hiroki
Production: AIC (Please see EX Vol. 1, Issue 3)
Cast: Yokoyama Chisa (Sasami), Kasahara Rumi (Misao), Kawakami Tomoko (Konoha), Amano Yuri
[Replaces Slayers NEXT]

Sasami takes another jaunt into the parallel continuities where Sasami is a less-than-typical schoolgirl with a magical secret identity Pretty Samy (Pretty Sammy in Pioneer's US release) -- and a talking cabbit.

Kiko-chan Smile (Kiko-chan Sumairu)
Debut: 5:00 PM, 5 October 1996 (Saturday)
TBS
Created by Nobura Tsubasa and serialized in Be Love Parfait (Shuueisha)
DIrector: Shibuichi Setsuko
Production: Eiken
(Replaces The Great Adventures of a Boy Santa! (Shounen Santa no Daibouken!))

This series follows the escapades of Kiko-chan, a sprite-like kindergartener with an adult-like attitude that go beyond her four years.

You're Under Arrest (Taiho Shichauzo)
Debut: 5:30 PM, 5 October 1996 (Saturday)
TBS
Created by Fujishima Kousuke and serialized in Afternoon Party
Director: Watanabe Hiroshi
Production: Studio Deen
Cast: Tamagawa Sakiko (Natsumi), Hiramatsu Akiko (Miyuki)
(Replaces B'T X)

The manga of two policewomen by cult fan favorite Fujishima (AA- MEGAMISAMA-) had already spawned a 4-volume video series (which will comprise the first four episodes of the television broadcast). The television adapatation of the series promises to feature a more cohesive story in later episodes and showcase more of the humorous side characters from the manga.

YAT Comfort! Space Travel! (YAT Anshin! Uchuu Ryokou)
Debut: 6:00 PM, 5 October 1996 (Saturday)
NHK-E
Created by Nishikawa Shinji
Director: Naniwa Hitoshi
Production: Group Tack
Cast: Kumai Motoko (Goroh), Yanada Kiyoyuki (Yamamoto Kaoru), Shiina Hekiru (Katsura), Yamaguchi Kappei
(Replaces Shinotama Rantaroh)

NHK-Educational, a channel more known for its learning-oriented animation programming, takes a stab at science fiction comedy anime with a series revolving around the Yamamoto Anshin (Comfort) Travel company, a space touring agency. Shiina also sings the ending theme.