"Issued only once in 1987 (on LD, VHS, Beta and VHD), the laserdisc became an ultra-rare collector's item in the mid-90's, once a fansub was circulated. At one point, it's rumored that a disc was sold on eBay for US$6,000. I was not (and am still not) of the means to spend $6,000 on a laserdisc
of anything, but I counted myself as one of the faithful. And for ten
years, I hoped to get my sweaty fanboy hands on it."
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/buried-treasure/2007-03-15
With anything this valued by a niche market, there are going to be at least one or two copies cobled together on the internet, but, as these things go, most of them will be about as worth watching as any episode of Naruto or the presidential primaries. Thankfully, however, the anime community possesses some individuals with the dedication, talent, and obsessive, nerdy, notgetlaidness to produce incredible fan assembled copies of even some of the most rare source material. So it is that I was able to get a quality copy of To-Y (after a lot of interneting) and so it is that I bring the review to you hapless fools.
*BRIEF PSA*
Despite what internet searches will tell you (assumedly as a result of the obscurity of the OVA's), this show is not astorotte's toy, seen here. Fuck that. It is a show about a 10 year old succubus, To-Y is a show about a punk rock band that takes on the dominant Japanese idol scene. If you cannot tell why one of those is cooler than the other, then stop reading and go fiddle with yourself into a shoe or something.
As some of you will know, I am pretty punk rock when compared to the average Japanese 14-16 year old in the 80's, but who's counting. When I say that this Japanese teenage punk rock narrative is punk as hell, I mean that this Japanese teenage punk rock narrative is punk as hell. We follow a young punker as he deals with the struggles of a popular but unsigned and unproduced band as it competes with the overwhelming popularity of the mainstream music industry, the difficulties of teen life in general, and negotiating group dynamics. enough plot though, let's get to the review aspect yo.
To-Y is what Sevakis called " like a counter culture Ghibli movie," it digs deep into the rich atmosphere and characters of the early punk scene in Japan. There is an embedded element of realism that shows just how much the creators investigated their subject matter, how passionate they were about making this feel authentic. There is an unapologetic realism to the struggle of these kids that reminds me of my Anti-Flag rocking, skateboarding days. This makes me wonder where my baseball sleeves Dropkick Murphy's shirt ended up BECAUSE I WAS REALLY COOL. Anyway, there is so much to connect to in each of the central characters that To-Y is a guaranteed emotional ride for the inner angsty teen in each of us.
Art wise, the OVA is nothing special, but not at all a failure. Many of the artistic elements of the period that I have praised in previous reviews are present, but definitely without the full precision and evocative force of other pieces from the period. This is not to say that it is a let down artistically, but simply that scenes like this could afford a bit more detail and definition. All in all, however, it is an enjoyable visual experience, though the characters and emotional energy are the driving forces in this little gem (hate when people say that phrase, it sounds like an old woman describing a dog or upper class parents describing the kid they secretly hate).
As you may have noticed, I said less about the piece itself this time than normal but that is because it is short and the less you know the more you will enjoy. Plus, now you bastards have to return for more thoughts in the review of OVA 2. Until next time, I will be slaving away on the whims of my cat.
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