NG Knight Ramune & 40 - Reevaluating classic anime

NG Knight Ramune & 40 - A world of passion and adventure

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

April 6, 1990 - January 4, 1991

■Broadcasting station

TV Tokyo Broadcasting

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 38

■Original Story

Production Lead

■ Director

・Director: Hiroshi Negishi

■ Production

Produced by TV Tokyo, ASATSU, Ashi Productions

■Works

©PRODUCTION REED 1990

■ Story

One day, Baba Ramune, a fourth grade elementary school student who is a Nintendo enthusiast, beats a game he bought on his way home from school, and a girl - in fact, Milk Princess of the Alara Kingdom - appears from the TV and takes him to Harahara World as "the chosen hero Ramune". Waiting for Ramune in Harahara World are the great magician Don Harumage and his men, who are plotting to conquer the world. In order to stop Don Harumage's ambition to revive the demon god Goburiki, he summons the guardian knight King Smasher and confronts him. Together with Da Cider and his friends, he revives the eight guardian knights and finally defeats Goburiki, but...Goburiki is actually alive! In order to save Harahara World, he now has to collect eight rainbow stone slabs. He moves to Doki Doki Space and embarks on a further adventure towards the final battle with the demon god Goburiki.

■Cast

・Ramune/Tsuyoshi Kusao・Milk/Tomoyuki Yokoyama・Cocoa/Sakiko Tamagawa・TamaQ/Tomoe Kamiyo・Da Cider/Kazuki Yao・Leska/Naoko Matsui・Hebimetako/TARAKO
・Don Harmage/Shozo Iizuka/Yoccola III/Kaneta Kimotsuki/Sailom/Nobuo Tobita/Silkone/Junichi Sugawara/Kiliman/Miki Narahashi/Bulman/Mari Mashiba/Brendon/Kiyoyuki Yanada/Assam/Hideyuki Umezu/Zenzain/Shigeru Nakahara/Queen Sideron/Yasunori Matsumoto

■ Main staff

・Planning / Toshihiko Sato ・Screenplay / Braza Noppo ・Director / Hiroshi Negishi ・Character concept / Takehiko Ito ・Character design / Takuya Saito ・Mechanic design / Rei Nakahara ・Art director / Shinichi Nagafusa, Makoto Uchiyama ・Color setting / Tomoaki Nakano ・Sound director / Hideyuki Tanaka ・Director of photography / Takeshi Fukuda ・Editing / Hiroshi Furuhashi ・Music / Tadashige Matsui, Tetsushi Ryu ・Producer / Mutsuo Shimizu (TV Tokyo), Tatsushi Yamazaki (ASATSU), Hiroshi Kato (Ashi Pro)
Produced by TV Tokyo, ASATSU, Ashi Productions

■ Main Characters

・Ramune/
He is an ordinary fourth grade elementary school student (10 years old) who likes video games. After clearing the game "King Smasher", he is summoned to Harahara World, where he embarks on an adventure to defeat Goburiki as a descendant of the hero Ramnes. He is a passionate man with strong emotions, but he is also a joker and has a weakness for cute girls and easily falls in love. His catchphrase is "I'm extremely ____ right now". He also has talent as an entertainer, and apparently in class he was called "Riddle Ram-chan", "Popular Ram-chan", and "Comedian Ram-chan". Born May 5th (Taurus). Blood type O.
·milk/
She is the third princess of Alara and is 10 years old. She brought Ramunes from the MagiMaji World disguised as a little match girl. She has a tremendous appetite and an unlimited stomach, and has often eaten up all the food loaded on her during her adventures by herself. Her catchphrase while eating is "Gracie, gracie." She is strong-willed and quick to anger, and when she gets hungry she loses her temper and becomes violent. She is not shy around her sisters or Ramunes, and when she sees Ramunes being lovey-dovey with other girls, she beats him up mercilessly. Born July 7th (Yamato). Blood type B.
·cocoa/
She is the second princess of Alara and is 14 years old. She is skilled at operating machines and deciphering child documents, and accompanies Ramunes on his journey with Milk. She does everything in slow motion and always speaks in a drawn-out tone. She remains calm no matter how tense the situation, and is completely unfazed by the enemy's illusions; her own pace is thorough. Although she appears quiet, she is surprisingly proactive and sometimes proposes bold strategies. The stun sailboat and hulk gunboat that Ramunes and his friends use to travel are all hand-made by her. Born August 13th (Monari). Blood type O.
・TamaQ/
An advisor robot that sits on Ramnes' right shoulder. He fought alongside the previous Ramnes and has been alive for over 5,000 years (although it was so long ago that his memories of that time are unclear). He supports Ramnes in battle with calm advice. In addition, by inserting a coin from above his head, he can summon the Guardian Knight, who is a companion of the hero.
・Da Cider/
A 15-year-old who loves puns. He has a similar vibe to Ramunes, but is even more frivolous and shows off. He confronted Ramunes as the combat captain of Don Harmage's army, and attempted various sabotage schemes, all of which failed. His true identity is that of a descendant of the hero Cider, who fought alongside the previous Ramunes, and his memories that had been erased by Don Harmage in the holy land of Ramnecka are restored. After the battle at Hoihoi Castle, he becomes a hero who fights alongside Ramunes. He has absolute confidence in his puns, and will fire a machine gun if one fails. Born January 1st (Ben Zodiac sign). Blood type B.
・Leska/
A 16-year-old with plenty of sex appeal. She is Don Harmage's beautiful secretary, and was tasked with eliminating Ramunes together with Da Cider. Her true identity is Princess Cafe Au Lait, the first princess of Alara, who was kidnapped by Don Harmage and went missing before Cocoa was born. She was initially confused when the truth was discovered, but quickly accepted her position as she was after the fortune of Alara. Although she is put off by Da Cider's lame puns and careless personality, she seems to like him. Born April 4th (Kabuki zodiac sign). Blood type O.
・Heavy Metallica／
A robot created by Don Harmage to control Queen Sideron. He calls Da Cider "darling" and adores him, and is the only one who praises his puns. When Da Cider becomes an ally of Ramunes as a hero, he defected from Don Harmage along with him. Although he has a bad mouth, he also shows a brave side when it comes to his love for Da Cider.
・Don Armage/
A great mage who plots to revive the demon god Goburiki. His true identity is the soul itself that separated from Goburiki. He uses powerful dark magic to turn many guardian knights into monsters, and he has cursed good people all over the world, planting evil in their hearts. He plans to destroy the Harahara World associated with Ramnes, the hero who once defeated him, and take the uniforms of all Dokidoki Spaces.
・Yoccola III/
The king of Alara, the largest country in Harahara World. He summoned the hero Ramnes to deal with the threat of Don Harmage's invasion of Harahara World. Perhaps because his first daughter was spirited away, he is easily shaken and extremely anxious. The royal family of Alara is said to be the bloodline of the previous hero, and the shape of his visor on his head is the same as Ramnes'.
・Saylome/
The first guardian knight to be revived by Saint Bomb. He was sealed away in the form of a deer-like monster atop Bambi. He is full of chivalry, but at the same time, he has a dangerous side, as he will attack from behind and claim "I am justice." When summoned, he appears saying "Tea back!" He wields a retractable Selome lance as a weapon, and is also equipped with a mechanism to transform into a centaur form.
・Silkone/
A guardian knight who was revived in the Big Holamid, he was transformed into a piggyback lion-type monster. He has an Edokko temperament, is quick to fight, and his catchphrase is "Don't give up, you idiot." For some reason, he calls Ramnes "Young." When summoned, he says "Mochi Pettan!" His special move is the Silkon Typhoon, which is generated from the wheels on both of his shoulders. He also has a mechanism to transform into a tank.
・Kiliman／
The twin guardian knights equipped with a combination mechanism, he is the younger twin. He calls Bulman "Big Brother" and, unlike his brother, emits a negative super electromagnetic wave.
・Bullman/
The elder brother of the twin guardian knights, equipped with a fusion mechanism. He gets angry when he is treated like a child, and fuses into Brendon. He emits a + super electromagnetic wave from his palm.
・Brendon／
When he shouts "Buld in Blendon", Bullman and Kiriman combine into one, one above the other. He is Satsuma Hayato, a different person from the two before the combination, and speaks in a tone that says "I'm here." He boasts the most power of all the guardian knights, but generally does not like fighting. His weapon is a rudder club that is a combination of Bullman and Kiriman's weapons.
・Assam/
A knight of the same type as Sailome. He was transformed into a unicorn in the town of Horeta. Originally, he was a passionate warrior, so he was ashamed of being turned into a unicorn who liked beautiful girls. After that, he felt indebted to Cocoa for saving him, and called her "princess" and was loyal to her. His first line is "Kouchachach!". His weapon is a drill version of a lance.
・Zenzain/
The last Guardian Knight to be revived, he was transformed into a seal-type Monster at the Annamonkonna Gate. He is the same type as Silcon, but he speaks in a thick Osaka merchant's accent. He boasts the most firepower of any Guardian Knight, and can unleash tornadoes of fire from the wheels on both of his shoulders. His catchphrase when summoned is "Ankoroline!" Furthermore, right after transforming into his tank form, he shouts "Is it profitable?"

■Subtitle

Episode 1: Shuban! King Smasher Returns Episode 2: The Power of Justice! Saint Bomb Episode 3: Pokkin City is Hungry!
・Episode 4: Gahaha! The Laughing Fan of Mt. Gokuro ・Episode 5: A Storm of Riddles at the Summit of Bambi!
Episode 6: Passionate!? Hot in Kankan Village Episode 7: Idiot! Flowers Bloom on the Nyail River Episode 8: Lost and Lost in the Holamid!
・Episode 9: Gear City full of springs!
・Episode 10/Alala? Half asleep, half asleep on the sea ・Episode 11/Hiccup! Beware of true feelings ・Episode 12/Ryuugu Village is under the power of the elderly!?
・Episode 13: Double Double Easkar!?
Episode 14/Appearance! Queen CideronEpisode 15/King Kamekameka of Hawaii IslandEpisode 16/Run Ramnes! Trap in the Fairytale ForestEpisode 17/Who's the Beautiful One? Leska vs. CocoaEpisode 18/Wanna Wanna! Da Cider's CounterattackEpisode 19/Good Luck! Milk's LullabyEpisode 20/Found It! Annamonkonna GateEpisode 21/Shine! Guardian Knight ContestEpisode 22/It's the Best! Tama Q...That LoveEpisode 23/Is it a Lie or the Truth? The Ramnes LegendEpisode 24/Charge into Hoi Hoi Castle! Warriors of LoveEpisode 25/Beautiful! The Holy Power of the Three GirlsEpisode 26/Desperate Counterattack! Da Cider FallsEpisode 27/Hoi Hoi Castle Collapses! Farewell Tama Q
・Episode 28 / Still going on?! The Destruction Warrior Appears・Episode 29 / Heavy Metal Cop's Ballad of Betrayal・Episode 30 / Proxy War?! Gag that Risks Life・Episode 31 / Deadly Move?! The Destruction Ninja Martial Arts Book・Episode 32 / Tentochi Tower! The Battle of the Underwater Island・Episode 33 / Look, Horror! The Mystery of the Dead Tree Forest・Episode 34 / Little Romance... What's Your Name?!
・Episode 35/Substitution drama! Cracked love and friendship ・Episode 36/Dancing in the wind! The flower field is a dangerous area ・Episode 37/Great battle! Burning Ramnes ・Episode 38/40 gather! Hot-blooded power forever

■ Related works

TV series "VS Knight Ramune & 40 Flame" <30 minutes, 26 episodes>
OVA
"NG Knight Ramune & 40 EX" <30 minutes, Vol.3>
"NG Knight Ramune & 40 DX" <30 minutes, Vol.3>
"VS Knight Ramune & 40 FRESH" <30 minutes, Vol.6>

NG Knight Ramune & 40 - A world of passion and adventure

"NG Knight Ramune & 40", which aired on TV Tokyo in the early 1990s, was loved by many viewers and is a memorable work as a story of passion and adventure. This anime tells the story of Baba Ramune, a fourth grade elementary school student who is a Famicom freak, who is summoned to another world after clearing the game and fights as a hero. Below, we will delve deeper into the appeal and details of this work.

The appeal of the story

The story of "NG Knight Ramune & 40" begins with a typical fantasy setting, where the protagonist is transported from modern Japan to another world. After completing the game "King Smasher", the protagonist Ramune is taken to Harahara World by Princess Milk of the Alara Kingdom, who appears from a television. There, he must fight against the great magician Don Harumage and his minions, who are plotting to take over the world.

The story unfolds at a very fast pace, with new characters appearing in each episode and various adventures unfolding. In particular, the scenes where the guardian knights are revived and put to fight, and the process of collecting the rainbow stone slabs, never fail to entertain viewers. The build-up to the final battle is also impressive, depicting the growth of Ramune and his friends.

Character Appeal

The greatest appeal of this work is its unique characters. The main character, Ramune, embodies the typical boy hero image of being hot-blooded and a joker, but his catchphrase "I'm extremely ___ right now" and his weakness for cute girls make him a more human character. His nicknames in class, such as "Riddle Ram-chan," "Popular Ram-chan," and "Comedian Ram-chan," also show his versatility.

Princess Milk is a strong-willed character with a strong appetite, and serves as a good partner to Ramune. Her catchphrase "Gracie, gracie" while eating, and the way she mercilessly beats Ramune up when he gets lovey-dovey with other girls, leave a strong impression on viewers.

Cocoa is a laid-back character who excels at operating machines and deciphering child documents. Her slow-motion tone and calm demeanor in any situation give viewers a sense of security. Her technical skills are also not to be missed, as she made the stun sailboat and Hulk gunboat that are used by Ramunes and his friends to travel.

TamaQ is an advisor robot that sits on Ramunes' right shoulder and supports Ramunes in battle with calm advice. Another appealing feature is the unique setting in which a guardian knight can be summoned by inserting a coin from above TamaQ's head.

Da Cider is a character who loves puns, and while he confronts Ramunes, he ultimately becomes his friend, which is a wonderful development. His absolute confidence in his puns and the scene where he fires his machine gun provide laughs for the viewers.

Leska is a very sexy character who appears as Don Harmage's beautiful secretary, but her surprising true identity is revealed to be Princess Cafe au Lait, the first princess of the kingdom of Alara. Her complicated feelings towards Da Cider also add depth to the story.

Heavy Metako is a robot who calls Da Cider "darling" and adores him, and is the only one who praises his puns. Her brave behavior and actions that show her love for Da Cider will surely touch the hearts of viewers.

Don Harmage is a great magician who is plotting the resurrection of the demon god Goburiki, and he wields great dark magic. His ambition and obsession with Ramnes add to the tension of the story.

Yoccola III is the king of Alara and the one who summoned Ramunes. His easily agitated and anxious nature adds humor to the story.

Each of the guardian knights has their own unique personality, and the diverse characters add excitement to the story, including Salome's chivalrous spirit, Silkon's Edokko temperament, the twin relationship between Kiliman and Bulman, Brendon's Satsuma Hayato way of speaking, Assam's bushido spirit, and Zenzain's Osaka merchant accent.

Production background and staff

NG Knight Ramune & 40 is an original anime work by Production Reed. It was directed by Hiroshi Negishi, with character design by Takuya Saito and mechanical design by Rei Nakahara. Music was composed by Tadashige Matsui and Tetsushi Ryu, color design by Michiaki Nakano and sound direction by Hideyuki Tanaka.

This work was jointly produced by TV Tokyo, ASATSU, and Ashi Productions, and aired for a total of 38 episodes from April 6, 1990 to January 4, 1991. When it was aired, it was very popular among children and gained many fans.

Related works and their appeal

"NG Knight Ramune & 40" also has sequels and spin-offs. The TV series "VS Knight Ramune & 40 Flame" is made up of 26 30-minute episodes, depicting Ramune's new adventures. There are also OVA series "NG Knight Ramune & 40 EX", "NG Knight Ramune & 40 DX", and "VS Knight Ramune & 40 FRESH", each consisting of 3 volumes of 30-minute episodes and 6 volumes. These works are also not to be missed by fans of the original series.

Viewer reactions and ratings

"NG Knight Ramune & 40" has been loved by many viewers since it was first broadcast. It is especially praised for its passionate and humorous storyline and unique characters. The guardian knights' designs and battle scenes are also impressive, making it a work that can be enjoyed by both children and adults.

Among the viewers, Ramune's catchphrase "I'm extremely ____ right now" and Milk's catchphrase "Gracie gracie" while eating became hot topics. Da Cider's puns and Leska's unexpected true identity also surprised many fans.

Recommendations and Summary

"NG Knight Ramune & 40" is a worthwhile anime that depicts a world of passion and adventure. The unique characters and humorous story are sure to entertain viewers. The guardian knights' designs and battle scenes are also impressive, so it is especially recommended for fantasy anime fans.

This work is not only a TV anime from the 1990s, but is still loved by many fans today. Please watch it and enjoy the adventures of Ramune and his friends. You can enjoy this world even more by checking out the related works.