One of the things that I lament about the boom period of anime in the early 2000’s was that we ended up with a number of unfinished properties for a variety of reasons. One of those was due to the arrival of Toei Animation in the US where they wanted to release their shows themselves and cut out the middleman. Understandable enough to be sure, but they went into it and ended up with a whole lot of problems along the way with the first batch of releases that were hugely flawed and, more importantly, didn’t have a lot of orders put in for them. So much so that the company essentially stopped after just a couple of volumes of their series coming out and abandoned the home video market entirely. They were later able to shift into doing a lot of streaming through various sites as they began to take over for fans but some shows have been left very incomplete because of that.
One that I wish would get revisited is that of Air Master. The series had its first three volumes released before it was abandoned and later focused on for streaming. The show was released through agreement with Geneon Entertainment to distribute but now the license seems to be with FUNimation, though that still appears to be streaming only as no home video release has ever materialized for it and no other overseas licensors have picked it up as well.
Which feels weird because the series certainly has enough going for it with a well executed fighting angle, some solid animation overall for the time and a pretty lengthy original manga series as well. The work comes from manga Yokusaru Shibata and it ran in Young animal between 1997 and 2006 for a whopping twenty-eight volumes. That series never got a license either, which again feels weird as during the manga boom it felt like the ideal kind of crossover book of kick-ass women that are fighting it out.
The anime adaptation landed in the spring of 2003 and ran for two cour for a total of twenty-seven episodes. The series was directed by Daisuke Nishio, who directed such fun shows as 3×3 Eyes, Dr. Slump and a whole lot of Dragon Ball material, including a few of the movies. It was adapted and scripted by Michiko Yokote primarily and with her extensive list of credits it’s just one more solid series in her cap. what I really liked was that Yoshihiko Umakoshi handled the character designs and served as the chief animation director as it brought the visuals home in a really good way. He’s done some really creative stuff over the years, including Casshern Sins and Hana Yori Dango and has eternally won my love for his work on Mushishi and Marmalade Boy serving in those positions.
Sadly, this series is woefully incomplete with only twelve episodes out on flawed DVD releases over a decade ago and now available for streaming at just Crunchyroll as FUNimation is no longer streaming it. Perhaps this unfinished show will find its way to home video through a licensor someday. We’ll be holding out hope.
Plot concept: Behind the scenes of the hustle and bustle of everyday life in Tokyo, there exist many people who strive to become stronger by competing against each other in street fights. The main protagonist is Maki Aikawa, a 16-year-old high school student. A former gymnast, Maki adapts her skills to a different way of life — street fighting. The only thing that truly makes her feel alive is the rush and pressure experienced while fighting. With amazing power and grace, she fights opponent after opponent, repeatedly demonstrating the gymnastic talent that earns her her street name, “Airmaster”. Eventually, Maki is exposed to a fighting league of sorts, known as the Fukamichi Rankings.
The Fukamichi Rankings consist of the world’s greatest street fighters and martial artists. The Fukamichi Ranking fights are held for various reasons. Firstly, many fighters wish to test themselves, achieving the highest rank possible and stretching themselves to their physical limits. However, there is also a corporate side to the Fukamichi rankings, with many viewers around the world eager to watch the brutal yet awe-inspiring showdowns. Each Fukamichi ranker is paid a respective amount for winning within their fight. Maki, seeking to quench her thirst for that pressure or buzz she experiences only through fighting and to find her place within this world, scales the Fukamichi Rankings, clashing with the world’s greatest fighting prodigies.
whenever the topic of loose socks/leg warmers comes up, I always think of this show.