is a 6-episode 1993
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 ...
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 ...
series. It is a parody of
magical girl
is a subgenre of Japanese fantasy media (including anime, manga, light novels, and live-action media) centered around young girls who possess magical abilities, which they typically use through an ideal alter ego into which they can transfo ...
and
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
anime series.
Plot
The plot focuses on a young girl by the name of Mirai Ozora, living in Tokyo in the year 2045. Being obsessed with her hobbies of shopping and modeling, one would never expect her big brother Hiroshi to be a brilliant inventor for ZIC, a major technological corporation.
It all begins with Hiroshi's invention of the "Mol-Unit", a device capable of allowing an object to operate outside of the normal laws of physics. Flight, super-speed and strength, invulnerability, all capable through the Mol-Unit's power. The only catch, however, is that it can only stay active for a limited time, only 666 seconds (just over 11 minutes).
Such a device would have changed the world on a whole, but Hiroshi's motives for its invention are not so much for the world as it is for his own ego. Using the Mol-Unit and its power, Hiroshi develops a new superheroic personality for himself, Captain Tokyo.
After his initial debut, "Captain Tokyo" becomes a media sensation, and Hiroshi eats it up. However, things backfire when, out of curiosity, Mirai finds the Mol-Unit and tampers with the costume it generates, giving it a more feminine appearance. In doing so, the Mol-Unit malfunctions, causing the costume to randomly alter between Hiroshi's design and Mirai's. Upon realizing this, Hiroshi is forced to lend the Mol-Unit to Mirai, whose own personal use for the device seems to be more lighthearted than her brother's.
However, things are not right in Tokyo. A mysterious man by the name of "Dr. Machinegal" (actually an old friend and teacher of Hiroshi's, Professor Amagi) and his personal robot army, among them the destructive android group known as the "Machinegal Dolls" (all named after famous models and actresses) is bent on causing havoc upon the world. To make matters worse, Nozumu, the youngest of the Ozora siblings, has developed his own Mol-Unit and created a supervillain persona to oppose his brother and sister out of spite. Completely unaware of such events at first, but obligated to do something, Mirai finds herself thrown into the world of superheroism, which she takes in stride.
Episodes and home releases
The word "Moldiver" is spelt out using the first letter of the first five episode titles and the first three letters of the episode title for episode six (Metamorforce!, Overzone, Longing, Destruction, Intruder, Verity).
''Moldiver'' was originally released on
VHS and
LaserDisc
The LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium, initially licensed, sold and marketed as DiscoVision, MCA DiscoVision (also known simply as "DiscoVision") in the United States in 1978. Its diam ...
in dubbed and subtitled versions by
Pioneer LDC
(abbreviated as NBCUEJ) is a Japanese music, anime, and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Tokyo, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Minato, Tokyo. It is primarily involved in the production and distributi ...
between June 1, 1994 and October 26, 1994. All six episodes were later released by Pioneer on one dual-layered
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
in 2001.
Other appearances
The OVA was later followed by a ''Moldiver'' manga by
Shinpei Itou
is a Japanese manga artist. His best-known works include ''Moldiver'' and ''Hyper Doll''. He recently began a new series, ''Taishō Baseball Girls'', based on the light novels by Atsushi Kagurazaka.
Itoh's works are characterized by tokusatsu, fi ...
(the writer of ''
Hyper Doll
is a Japanese manga series by Shimpei Itoh. It was adapted into a two episode OVA by Triangle Staff between September 25, 1995 and November 25, 1995. The story is about two alien androids that are sent from space to defend the Earth. An Engl ...
''), which ran in "
Shōnen Captain".
Moldiver also makes a cameo appearance in episode 8 of the ''
Tenchi Universe
is a Japanese anime television series animated by AIC and produced by Pioneer LDC. It is loosely based on the first six episodes of the ''Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki'' OVA series. The series premiered on April 2, 1995 in Japan and concluded its a ...
'' series, "No Need for a Genius". In it, Moldiver is
Mihoshi's favorite TV show.
Soundtrack
*Opening: ''Go! Go! Moldiver'' (Japanese version performed by Yukana Nogami, English version performed by Molly Pasutti)
*Ending: ''Time Limit'' (Japanese version performed by Yukana Nogami, English version performed by Molly Pasutti)
*Insert song (episode 2): ''Falling in Love in the 20th Century'' (Japanese version performed by Nariko Fujieda, English version performed by Molly Pasutti)
Voice cast
* Mirai Ozora:
Yukana Nogami
, who goes by her mononymous stage name , is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with Sigma Seven. Her major roles include Azuki in ''Azuki-chan'', Yuri Tanima in '' Wedding Peach'', Meiling Li in ''Cardcaptor Sakura'', Tessa in ...
(Japanese), Julia Kato (English)
* Hiroshi Ozora:
Toshiyuki Morikawa
is a Japanese voice actor, narrator and singer who is the head of Axlone, a voice acting company he founded in April 2011. His name is also sometimes mistranslated as Tomoyuki Morikawa. In 2003, he and Fumihiko Tachiki formed the band "2Hearts", ...
(Japanese),
David Hayter
David Hayter is a Canadian-American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He is well known as the English-language voice actor for Solid Snake and Naked Snake in the ''Metal Gear'' video game series. He wrote the film ''X-Men'' and co-w ...
(English)
* Nozomu Ozora:
Rica Matsumoto
is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer who was born in Yokohama, Japan. Her name is also sometimes romanized as Rica Matsumoto. She was one of the founders of the anison band JAM Project.
After early stage work, she began both voice ac ...
(Japanese),
Joshua Seth
Joshua Seth is an American voice actor, comedian, and author.
Biography
Seth was born in Kent, Ohio, and graduated from New York University Tisch School of the Arts. As a child, Seth attended several experimental programs at Kent State Universit ...
(English)
* Professor Amagi / Dr. Machinegal:
Jouji Yanami Joji (じょうじ, 丈二, or 譲二, 城二, 譲治 multiple variants) is a Japanese masculine given name. It is also the Japanese pronunciation of the Western name "George" (ジョージ).
It commonly refers to:
* Jōji, an era in Japanese histo ...
(Japanese),
Doug Stone
Doug Stone (born Douglas Jackson Brooks; June 19, 1956) is an American country music singer and actor. He debuted in 1990 with the single "I'd Be Better Off (In a Pine Box)", the first release from his 1990 self-titled debut album for Epic Recor ...
(English)
* Mao Shirase:
Akiko Hiramatsu
is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with Ken Production.Doi, Hitoshi.Hiramatsu Akiko. ''Seiyuu Database''. June 11, 2010. Accessed June 28, 2010.
Filmography
Anime
OVA
Movies
Video Games
Dubbing
*''Bootmen'' (Linda (Sophie Lee))
*''C ...
(Japanese),
Melissa Fahn
Melissa Fahn is an American actress and singer, best known as the voice of Gaz Membrane in ''Invader Zim'', as well as Hello Kitty in ''Hello Kitty's Paradise'' and voicing many anime and video game characters like Edward from '' Cowboy Bebop'', ...
(English)
* Isabelle:
Emi Shinohara
is a Japanese voice actress and singer employed by 81 Produce who is most known for voicing Sailor Jupiter in the original Japanese anime of ''Sailor Moon'' and Kushina Uzumaki in '' Naruto: Shippuden''. She was born in Fukushima Prefecture and ...
(Japanese), Susan Byrkett (English)
* Sayuri:
Izumi Kikuchi (Japanese),
Heidi Lenhart
Heidi Lenhart is an American actress best known for her lead role in the ''Au Pair'' film series and the sitcom ''California Dreams''.
Family
She is the daughter of Cheryl Saban and Ray Lenhart, a disc jockey. She has an older sister, Tifani ...
(English)
* Nastassja:
Kaoru Shimamura
, better known by the stage name , was a Japanese voice actress affiliated with 81 Produce.
Shimamura died at 3:06pm JST on February 26, 2013, from breast cancer at a Yokohama hospital at the age of 43.
Filmography Television animation
*''Genesi ...
(Japanese), Debra Jean Rogers (English)
* Brooke:
Kikuko Inoue
is a Japanese voice actress, singer and narrator. She has been part of the singing groups DoCo and Goddess Family Club. She is the founder and manager of her voice-acting company, Office Anemone. Inoue tends to play the " perfect girlfriend" o ...
(Japanese),
Mari Devon
Mari Devon (born October 10, 1959) is a retired American voice actress, best known as the voice of Togemon from ''Digimon Adventure'', Renamon from ''Digimon Tamers'', Tammy Nobi from '' Doraemon 2005'', Haruka Urashima from the ''Love Hina'' seri ...
(English)
* Vivien:
Kumiko Nishihara
is a Japanese voice actress from Chigasaki, Kanagawa affiliated with Aoni Production also known for her work on the stage.
Biography
While a student at Wako University, Nishihara attended voice acting classes run by Kaneta Kimotsuki. When Kimo ...
(Japanese),
Dorothy Elias-Fahn
Dorothy Elias-Fahn (born March 13 in California), formerly known as Dorothy Melendrez, is an American voice actress. Some of her prominent lead roles include List of characters in Trigun#Meryl Stryfe, Meryl Stryfe in ''Trigun'', Sayaka Maizono, ...
(English)
* Elizabeth:
Yumiko Shibata
is a Japanese voice actress
Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-ove ...
(Japanese),
Wendee Lee
Wendee Lee is an American voice actress, writer, and director.
Biography
Lee studied dance and theater and later became a full-time dancer in her teens. According to her interview on the ''Magic Knight Rayearth'' DVDs, she started doing voices ...
(English)
* Jennifer:
Yuri Amano
is a Japanese voice actress who is affiliated with Arts Vision. Her real name, as well as her former stage name is . Her best known role is Kiyone Makibi in the ''Tenchi Muyo!'' franchise. Other major roles include Asako Nakamura in ''Ushio and ...
(Japanese),
Mimi Woods
Mimi J. Woods (born October 18, 1965) is a former Los Angeles-based voice actress known primarily for voice-overs in Japanese anime. She is best known for being the English voice of Motoko Kusanagi in the original ''Ghost in the Shell'' film and v ...
(English)
* Kaoru Misaki:
Kiyoyuki Yanada
was a Japanese freelance voice actor who was formerly affiliated with Kyu Production, 81 Produce, and D-COLOR.「人気声優にがぶりより! 第32回 梁田清之さん」, Animedia February 1990, Gakken, February 1, 1990, magazine 01579-2, ...
(Japanese),
Steven Blum
Steven Jay Blum (; born April 29, 1960) is an American voice actor. Known for his distinctively deep voice, his most well-known roles include Spike Spiegel from the anime series '' Cowboy Bebop'', Garazeb Orrelios from the animated series ''St ...
(English)
* Amy Lean: Nariko Fujieda (Japanese)
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
*
{{Anime International Company
1993 anime OVAs
Adventure anime and manga
Anime International Company
Comedy anime and manga
Geneon USA
Magical girl anime and manga
NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan
Shōnen manga
Tokuma Shoten manga