5.4 /10 1 Votes
3.7/10 Anime-Planet Directed by Shinya Sadamitsu Music by Joe Hisaishi Initial release 21 August 1984 Music director Joe Hisaishi | 6/10 MyAnimeList 6.7/10 IMDb Produced by Satohiro Nagao Studio Idol
Kaname Production Director Shinya Sadamitsu Story by Junki Takegami | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Genre Fantasy, Science fiction, Comedy Licensed by Streamline Pictures
ADV Films Initial DVD release 25 March 2005 (North America) Cast Miina Tominaga, Kazuki Yao, Ichirō Nagai, Kaneto Shiozawa, Keiko Toda Similar Nausicaä of the Valley of t, Sonic the Hedgehog, MD Geist I: Most Dangero, Lily CAT, The Great Adventure of Horus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Birth (バース, Bāsu), also known in the West as Planet Busters or The World of the Talisman, is a 1984 anime original video animation (OVA), which was released on VHS and DVD in North America by, variously, Streamline and ADV Films. The Japanese DVD was released by video game publisher Atlus on March 25, 2005.
Contents
It is based on a far futuristic planet where four mercenaries try to find the ultimate weapon which can either save humanity or destroy it. Against mechas and strange races, together they sweep the vast planet to reach their goal.
Aqualoid was a prosperous planet, but an attack from a mysterious life force, the Inorganics, transforms it into a post-apocalyptic shell of its former self. When Nam finds a mysterious sword, he is suddenly the object of a planet-wide chase. With the Inorganics closing in, will Nam and his friends discover the secret of the sword and save their world? Or will they destroy Aqualoid in favor of a new Birth?
Production
Yoshinori Kanada acted as one of the OVA's key animators. Another noteworthy animator on Birth was a young Hideaki Anno, who would go on to direct Neon Genesis Evangelion.
English dubs
Two English dubs of Birth exist. The first was licensed in 1987 by Harmony Gold and released by Streamline Pictures in North America and the United Kingdom under the title The World of the Talisman. According to New Straits Times, it briefly aired in Malaysia in late 1987. The OVA was later retitled yet again to Planet Busters. Harmony Gold's version changes some of the character names, tones down some of the more surreal Japanese humour to appeal to a younger audience, and contains more American-style dialogue, alternate music composed by Randy Miller and additional voice-overs. The second dub by ADV Films, released on DVD on July 13, 2004, is much more faithful to the original Japanese version.
Characters
In order of appearance - ADV(2004) / Streamline(1992,1987) / Japanese (1984)