\\Dream Dimension Hunter Fandora
For many, while viewing anime OVAs from the 1980s, they can be struck by one of two feelings. The first is that everything is very predictable, and the show is just tapping into as many popular tropes as possible because that’s what the director thinks people want. The second is that they are being bombarded by seemingly random events where the best response a person can have is simply going with the flow because any attempt to apply logic to what’s going on will be futile. When it comes to Dream Dimension Hunter Fandora, it’s a blend of the two, leaving one thinking they can predict what will happen only to be blindsided by some unexpected event after.The show stars a young lady named Fandora who is some sort of intergalactic / interdimensional bounty hunter, accompanied by her partner / guardian / shapeshifting dragon named Que. She possesses a red magical crystal orb that gives her special powers, and through her bounty hunting she eventually comes across a particularly strong villain names Yogu Sogos. What makes him so dangerous is that he has a blue crystal orb that is the opposite of Fandora’s. So, with Yogu possessing the evil orb and Fandora the good, this leads to a showdown between the two in each of the three videos, as Yogu is hell-bent on ruling all dimensions, while Fandora wants to defeat him and claim his orb so that both can be returned to a temple in heaven where they originated.
That each episode ends in a climatic battle between the two is very indeed predictable; however, what happens from the beginning of the episode up until that point can be a wild ride. The things that happen to Fandora include getting roped into a wrestling match, falling in love with a reincarnation of the good part of Yogu’s psyche before he was corrupted by the blue orb, getting thrust into no lack of fan service situations, and conveniently turning out to be a princess chosen by the heavens. Meanwhile, Yogu has his own unusual happenings like almost dying only to be resurrected from his severed hand, and for the final episode he somehow has a massive space armada and is about to conquer the universe. These OVAs really are a mish-mash of events that may not always make a whole lot of sense, but at least they’re entertaining. Each of them also has a different director, which likely contributed to this.
Characters themselves tend to be quite archetypal. Yogu is your typical villain out to conquer everything in his path, Que is Fandora’s faithful servant, and Fandora herself is a headstrong young woman. That part of her can actually be a bit annoying, though, because it tends to get her in trouble. Someone will warn her not to do something, and she’ll stubbornly decide to do whatever she wants anyway, which results in her getting into trouble, exactly as the other person warned. Then she has the gall to be surprised by her predicament. It can be frustrating watching her get into these situations.
On the whole, it’s still a decently fun trip, though, especially for those who are fans of 1980s bikini warriors. Fandora’s attire is very much in step with those sort of anime which were so popular during that decade. The art and design are nothing special, but manage to hit the right notes for people who like this sort of thing. Meanwhile, other characters are well put together too. Yogu Sogos looks every bit the super villain with armor, sword, and devil horns, and Que’s dragon form is an interesting mix of cute and dopey. There are also some surprisingly beautiful scenery throughout the show. It doesn’t come up often, but when it does, some of the locales can be real head turners.
There is also a lot of surprisingly good music in each episode. Much of the show’s soundtrack was composed by Aoki Nozomi, most famous for his work on the Galaxy Express series. As such, Dream Dimension Hunter Fandora has quite a few memorable pieces, improving it quite a bit. There are also a number of pop numbers that kick in during climatic action sequences adding a bit more gravitas to these situations.
It’s also interesting to see who lent their voice to the show because while there are some big names, there are also some people early in their career involved with Fandora. Fandora herself was played by Mitsuko Horie, most famous for playing Sailor Galaxia in Sailor Moon: Sailor Stars, and Remi in Remi, Nobody’s Girl. Que is voiced by Akira Kamiya, who was everywhere in the 80s, but was just starting to get noticed for his leading role in Fist of the North Star. Yogu Sogos was played by Makio Inoue, most well known for his roles as Goemon in Lupin III and for playing Captain Harlock. Meanwhile, GK, a robot that only appeared in the third episode, was played by Chika Sakamoto, who, a decade later, would go on to perform the role of Noriko in Fushigi Yuugi. It’s actually surprising to see how many successful voice actors were involved in this relatively forgotten mid 80s anime OVA.
Overall, Dream Dimension Hunter Fadora isn’t anything special. It’s a bikini warrior adventure, quite common to the mid-80s. Nevertheless, it’s worth at least a quick watch if only to see the parade of unusual situations that unfold in each episode, and as a bit of an intriguing historical relic to check out given everyone that was involved with it.
- IroIro
October 3, 2019
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- Cosmic Fantasy: Ginga Mehyou no Wana Review
- Sol Bianca Review
- Outlanders Review
Studio: Kaname Productions
Released: 1985 / 86
Episodes: 3
VHS Cover Art
Fandora in combat
Yogu Sogos looking evil
Fandora and Que travelling between dimensions