is a 1989
Japanese
comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
OVA
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
written and directed by
Mamoru Oshii
is a Japanese filmmaker, television director and writer. Famous for his philosophy-oriented storytelling, Oshii has directed a number of acclaimed anime films, including '' Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer'' (1984), ''Angel's Egg'' (1985), ...
and animated by
Pierrot
Pierrot ( , , ) is a stock character of pantomime and '' commedia dell'arte'', whose origins are in the late seventeenth-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne. The name is a diminutive of ''Pi ...
. A
compilation film
A compilation film, or compilation movie is a film composed of scenes and shots taken from two or more prior films and edited together so as to make a new film, whether on the same or a different subject. The most common example would be a docum ...
consisting of footage from the episodes entitled , also directed by Oshii, was released in 1990.
Plot
The story revolves around a small, normal family known as the Yomota family: A boy named Inumaru, his father Kinekuni and his mother Tamiko. One day, a beautiful girl with a yellow flower hat at their front door, calling herself "Maroko Yomota," granddaughter of Inumaru who travels back in time with a time machine to visit her ancestors. Despite Tamiko's strong refusal to acknowledge her as a Yomota, Kinekuni and Inumaru welcome her to stay with them, and the structure of a happy family has begun to collapse.
The episodes are told in the form of a play.
Cast and characters
;
:
:A teenage boy who dreams of being with a beautiful girl. He immediately falls in love with Maroko when he meets her, despite her being his future granddaughter.
;
:
:Inumaru's granddaughter from the future. The other Yomota's have a hard time accepting this, to the point where Tamiko leaves Inumaru and Kinekuni.
;
:
:Inumaru's lazy father. He tends to get on his son's nerves with his lazy attitude.
; /
:
:Inumaru's grumpy mother. She always nags and is the first to object to believing that Mariko is from the future. She eventually decides to leave the household, as the news is too much for her to bear.
; /
:
:A man sent by the Agency of Time Administration to arrest Maroko for breaking one of the many laws of time travel. He is actually the son of Inumaru and Maroko.
;
:
:A man that Tamiko teamed up with in order to find out more about Mariko and save the Yomota family from destruction.
;
:
:The narrator who often talks about birds at the beginning of each episode.
Theme songs
*Opening
#
#*August 5, 1989 - December 17, 1989
#*Lyricist: Yumi Kojima / Composer:
Kenji Kawai
is a Japanese music composer and arranger. Known as one of the biggest names in the soundtrack world, he has worked on a wide range of mixed media productions, including anime, TV shows, films and video games. Among his credits are Toei's Kam ...
/ Arranger:
Kenji Kawai
is a Japanese music composer and arranger. Known as one of the biggest names in the soundtrack world, he has worked on a wide range of mixed media productions, including anime, TV shows, films and video games. Among his credits are Toei's Kam ...
/ Singers: Yumi Kojima
#*Episodes: 1-5
*Insert songs
#
#*November 10, 1989
#*Lyricist: Yumi Kojima / Composer:
Kenji Kawai
is a Japanese music composer and arranger. Known as one of the biggest names in the soundtrack world, he has worked on a wide range of mixed media productions, including anime, TV shows, films and video games. Among his credits are Toei's Kam ...
/ Arranger:
Kenji Kawai
is a Japanese music composer and arranger. Known as one of the biggest names in the soundtrack world, he has worked on a wide range of mixed media productions, including anime, TV shows, films and video games. Among his credits are Toei's Kam ...
/ Singers:
Tesshō Genda
#*Episode: 4
#
#*December 17, 1989
#*Lyricist: Yumi Kojima / Composer:
Kenji Kawai
is a Japanese music composer and arranger. Known as one of the biggest names in the soundtrack world, he has worked on a wide range of mixed media productions, including anime, TV shows, films and video games. Among his credits are Toei's Kam ...
/ Arranger:
Kenji Kawai
is a Japanese music composer and arranger. Known as one of the biggest names in the soundtrack world, he has worked on a wide range of mixed media productions, including anime, TV shows, films and video games. Among his credits are Toei's Kam ...
/ Singers:
Kōichi Yamadera,
Machiko Washio
is a Japanese actress who works in both live action as well as voice over work for anime. She is known as the voice of Sakura in ''Urusei Yatsura''.
Filmography
Live action films
*''The Red Spectacles'' (1987) (Midori Washio)
*'' The Black H ...
#*Episode: 5
#
#*January 25, 1990
#*Lyricist: Yumi Kojima / Composer:
Kenji Kawai
is a Japanese music composer and arranger. Known as one of the biggest names in the soundtrack world, he has worked on a wide range of mixed media productions, including anime, TV shows, films and video games. Among his credits are Toei's Kam ...
/ Arranger:
Kenji Kawai
is a Japanese music composer and arranger. Known as one of the biggest names in the soundtrack world, he has worked on a wide range of mixed media productions, including anime, TV shows, films and video games. Among his credits are Toei's Kam ...
/ Singers:
Toshio Furukawa
is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator affiliated with Aoni Production. He is married to fellow voice actor Shino Kakinuma.
Career
He became famous for his roles in his career as Kagege (''Keroro Gunso''), Kai Shiden ('' Mobile Suit ...
#*Episode: 6
Episodes
Soundtrack
The CD was released on August 21, 1993.
DVD releases
References
External links
; OVA series
* at Studio Pierrot (archive)
* (anime OVA series)
; Film
''Maroko'' film websiteat Studio Pierrot
*
{{Mamoru Oshii
1989 anime OVAs
1990 anime films
1990 comedy-drama films
1990s science fiction horror films
1990 films
1993 soundtrack albums
Anime comedy films
Animated drama films
Compilation films
Films directed by Mamoru Oshii
Japanese comedy-drama films
Japanese animated science fiction films
Pierrot (company)
Comedy anime and manga
Drama anime and manga
Anime with original screenplays
Films scored by Kenji Kawai