''TRAVA FIST PLANET episode 1'' is an

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

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 ...

released in four parts by Grasshoppa! between 2001 and 2002, directed by

Katsuhito Ishii is a Japanese film director best known for directing ''The Taste of Tea'' (2004), ''Funky Forest'' (2005), and ''Smuggler'' (2011). Career After graduating from Musashino Art University, Ishii got a job at Tohokushinsha Film and began direct ...

and

Takeshi Koike (born January 26, 1968) is a Japanese animator, illustrator and film director. Something of a protégée of Yoshiaki Kawajiri, he was also influenced by Yoshinori Kanada, Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, and Katsuhito Ishii. He went straight from a ...

. In March 2003, the four parts were re-edited into a single feature and released on a standalone DVD, which included English subtitles, a

making-of In cinema, behind-the-scenes (BTS), also known as the making-of, the set, or on the set, is a type of documentary film that features the production of a film or television program. This is often referred to as the EPK (electronic press kit) vid ...

, 5.1 audio remix, figures of Trava and Shinkai, and a 3-minute pilot for the potential sequel titled "episode 2."

Plot

''TRAVA FIST PLANET episode 1'' tells the story of Trava (voiced by

Kanji Tsuda is a Japanese actor. Career Tsuda appeared in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's ''Tokyo Sonata''. He co-starred in Sion Sono's ''Guilty of Romance'' with Megumi Kagurazaka. Filmography Film * '' Sonatine'' (1993) * ''119'' (1994) * ''Kids Return'' (1996) * ...

) and Shinkai (voiced by

Yoshiyuki Morishita is a Japanese actor. He has appeared in more than eighty films since 1996. Selected filmography Film Television References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Morishita, Yoshiyuki 1962 births Living people People from Tokyo Japanese ...

) as they travel to finish surveying an unknown and possibly dangerous planet. Trava is an ex-military Power user, which is a form of mech-ship that enhances the pilot's abilities. Shinkai, the engineer, maintains the survey ship and Trava's Power. They hope to earn enough cash to enter Fist Planet, a Power fighting tournament with a grand prize of credits measured in billions. Before they can get to that, they must first deal with an amnesiac girl named Mikuru (voiced by

Shie Kohinata is a Japanese actress, ''tarento'', and singer. She is from Tokyo. She has one younger brother. She was formerly represented by Space Craft. Biography At the age of fifteen she met her father's acquaintance production president, and debuted as ...

), a giant named Reiter (voiced by Yūji Shimoda), and a horde of insectoid killer-robots. Trava and Shinkai also appear as racers in Madhouse's 2009 film ''Redline''.

Sequel Preview

A 3-minute pilot for the sequel titled 'Episode 2' was released on a standalone Trava Fist Planet DVD as a special feature in 2003 and later surfaced online. It depicts an older Trava and Shinkai finally entering the Power Tournament in Fist Planet, only to be intercepted by the duo of Mikuru, the amnesiac princess and her guardian, the giant warrior Reiter now modified with cybernetics. The animosity between the two groups escalates and ends with Trava and Reiter in a showdown at the arena of Fist Planet, with Mikuru and Shinkai battling for who will be the best mechanic in the arena. The pilot was written by

Sayo Yamamoto is a Japanese anime director. She is known for directing the critically acclaimed anime series ''Michiko & Hatchin'', ''Yuri!!! on Ice'', and '' Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine''. After graduating from the College of Art and Desig ...

and storyboarded by Takeshi Koike, who also did all of the key animation. Despite the pilot's existence, no full direct sequel has been produced.

Reception

Daryl Surat praised ''Travas "snappy dialogue" and "wild and crazy camera angles". Mike Toole considered it "colorful and weird - Koike is at his kaleidoscopic, kinetic best".

References

External links

TRAVA FIST PLANET episode 1 , Grasshoppa!
(Japanese)
TRAVA FIST PLANET episode 1 DVD , Tower Records Online
(Japanese) * * 2003 anime OVAs Madhouse (company) Mecha anime and manga {{Anime-OVA-stub