With AnimEigo riding high on the quick funding for Otaku no Video, it looks like we’re not going to have to wait too long for their next crowdfunding project. While Bubblegum Crisis took some time to come together, both as a learning experience for crowdfunding and working the Blu-ray format, Otaku no Video is much faster since it’s just two OVAs. And that means quicker movement to the next project, which is teased at the end of their update about Otaku no Video, where we learn that later this summer we’ll be able to buy in on Riding Bean High Octane Edition. No details are included, but this is another of the sought after “golden age” of domestic distribution titles that fans have longed for.
The OVA was originally released in 1989 and was an early release from Animeigo that was made up of some fun material that was directed by Yasuo Hasegawa and produced at AIC along with Artmic and Youmex, which was producing some fun material at the time. It was noteworthy for the Kenichi Sonoda character designs at the time. It stars Hideyuki Tanaka as Bean, Mami Koyama as Semmerling and Megumi Hayashibara as Carrie along with Chieko Honda as Chelsea.
Plot concept: Bean Bandit and his partner Rally Vincent are couriers for hire – transporting clients and delivering goods in his custom sports car “Roadbuster” for a hefty price. But when they are hired to escort a kidnapped girl named Chelsea to her home, they don’t realize they’re being framed for kidnapping as their former clients Semmerling and Carrie plan their escape with Chelsea’s father and the ransom money.
