"Otaku Constellations" Review: A Must-See Guide to the Constellations for Anime Fans

"Otaku Constellation" - The appeal and background of the 90s OVA

■Overview of the work

"Otaku no Seiza" is an OVA released on October 7, 1994, based on a role-playing game released for the Family Computer in 1991. The story of this game was originally written by manga artist Hiroshi Motomiya, and the characters were originally written by Hisashi Eguchi, and these original ideas were also carried over into the anime version. It is made up of two episodes, each 30 minutes long, and was produced by KSS.

■ Story

Set on a devastated Earth, the story features a unique plot in which the number one idol group in the universe, the Aurora Five Girls, infect men one by one with the "otaku disease." As this "otaku disease" transforms men one by one into otaku, one man decides to stand up and fight the Aurora Five Girls. His method of battle is to make the Aurora Five Girls fall in love with him, making for a story that is full of humor and irony.

■Explanation

"Otaku Constellation" was born during the OVA boom of the 90s, and has a unique atmosphere that reflects the background of that era. The OVA medium offers more freedom than TV anime, and many works have been produced that target a more mature audience. This work is one of them, and while it follows the worldview of the original game, it is characterized by storytelling that makes use of the expressive power unique to anime. The high quality of the work can also be seen from the fact that the names of the original creators, Hiroshi Motomiya and Hisashi Eguchi, are credited.

■Cast

The cast of this work includes voice actors who were active at the time. The main male role is played by Kouichi Yamadera, the assistant John John is played by Masami Kikuchi, and the members of the five Aurora girls are a luxurious lineup including Reiko Chiba, Akiko Hiramatsu, Yumi Takada, Emi Shinohara, and Yuko Kobayashi. In addition, Nobuo Tanaka was appointed as the narrator, enhancing the atmosphere of the work as a whole.

■ Main staff

The director is Yuuto Watanabe, the script is by Masashi Togawa, the character designer is Noboru Furuse, the mechanic designer is Toshiyuki Horii, the art director is Kazuhiro Arai, the color designer is Kimie Yamana, the director of photography is Tadashi Hosono, the music is Kimihiko Shiraishi, the sound director is Yoshikazu Iwanami, the producers are Takao Asaga, Masao Mochizuki, Michiyoshi Minamisawa, the production producers are Toru Nakano and Yoshinaga Minami. It is produced by 81 Produce, with production cooperation from Bee.Media, and produced by KSS.

■ Main Characters

The main character, a man, returns from his wandering journey and struggles to make the five Aurora girls fall in love with him. His assistant, Jeonjon, plays an important role in supporting the man's actions. The five Aurora girls are an idol group consisting of Lun, Ming, Yang, Yun, and Lin, and are the central characters of the story.

■ Theme songs and music

The ending theme "Cool Love" was written by Yuka Matsui, composed by Kunihiko Murai, arranged by Yong-Ching, and sung by the Aurora Five Girls. This song is an important element that symbolizes the atmosphere of the work.

■ Appeal and evaluation of the work

"Otaku no Seiza" is a work that is appealing for its unique setting and humorous story development. In particular, it is a work that symbolizes the OVA boom of the 90s, and you can feel the atmosphere of that era. It is also highly praised for the high quality of the luxurious cast and staff. It is a work that can be enjoyed not only by fans of the original game, but also by anime fans.

■ Recommendation points

Here are some reasons why I recommend this work:

• Unique setting and story : The story, which combines humor and irony such as the "otaku disease" of the five Aurora girls and the way the main character fights, has a charm not found in other works.
• Awesome cast and crew : The inclusion of voice actors who were active at the time, such as Yamadera Kouichi and Chiba Reiko, and the inclusion of Hiroshi Motomiya and Hisashi Eguchi as creators guarantees the quality of the work.
• 90s OVA vibe : A work aimed at adult audiences that takes advantage of the freedom of the OVA medium, this is a work that lets you experience the OVA boom of the 90s.

■ Related works and their background

"Otaku no Seiza" is an animated adaptation of the worldview of the original game, but its background lies in the OVA boom of the 90s. During this period, many OVAs were produced with content that could not be fully expressed in television anime, or that were targeted at a more mature audience. Additionally, Motomiya Hiroshi, who was in charge of the original story concept for the original game, is a writer known for the manga "Salaryman Kintaro," while Eguchi Hisashi, who was in charge of the character concept, is an illustrator known for works such as "Stop!! Hibari-kun!" and "Silent Mobius." The fact that the names of these creators are credited is one factor in guaranteeing the quality of the work.

■ How to watch and obtain

"Otaku Constellation" is currently available on DVD and Blu-ray, and may also be available through online streaming services. However, since it's an older work, it may be difficult to find, so we recommend checking beforehand.

■ Summary

"Otaku no Seiza" is a work that symbolizes the OVA boom of the 90s, and its unique setting and humorous story development are its charms. The high quality of the gorgeous cast and staff has also been praised, making it a work that can be enjoyed not only by fans of the original game but also by anime fans. Please watch it once and experience its charm.