Carried by the Wind: Tsukikage Ran (風まかせ月影蘭, Kazemakase Tsukikage Ran) is an animated action comedy written and directed by Akitaro Daichi, and produced by Madhouse Studios. The television series follows Ran and Meow, two wanderers who face all sorts of antagonists in Tokugawa Japan.
Carried by the Wind: Tsukikage Ran | |
風まかせ月影蘭 (Kazemakase Tsukikage Ran) | |
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Anime television series | |
Directed by | Akitaro Daichi |
Written by | Akitaro Daichi Yōsuke Kuroda |
Music by | Toshihiko Sahashi |
Studio | Madhouse |
Licensed by | |
Original network | WOWOW |
Original run | January 26, 2000 – April 19, 2000 |
Episodes | 13 |
The series started airing on WOWOW. Afterwards, it aired as Ran: The Samurai Girl on Animax Latin America and Animax Asia, which also broadcast Bandai's dub across Southeast Asia and South Asia. The series is licensed in North America by Bandai Entertainment. The anime premiered on Tubi.[1][2]
Tsukikage Ran comprises thirteen self-contained stories. The series follows characters Ran and Meow into a new town, where they encounter some kind of wrongdoing. Every episode climaxes with a sword fight featuring the protagonist, sometimes aided by Meow's martial arts prowess.
Tsukikage Ran is inspired by chanbara series like 1965's Su-ronin Tsukikage Hyogo.[3] While it remains faithful to the genre,[4] it is infused with Akitaro Daichi's distinctive style.[5] The episodes were scripted by first thinking of a title and writing a plot about it. As many ideas were not used, director Daichi notes an unproduced episode where the protagonists "fight over udon or soba" noodles.
The score was composed by Toshihiko Sahashi. The opening theme song Kazemakase ("Leave it to the wind" or "Carried by the Wind") is an enka ballad performed by Akemi Misawa.[6] The ending theme Kazemakase 2 ("Leave it to the wind 2") is performed by Reiko Yasuhara.
# | Title | Original airdate |
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1 | "She's Tough for a Woman" Transliteration: "Onnadatera ni Tsuyokatta" (Japanese: 女だてらに強かった) | January 26, 2000 |
2 | "Sake Made the Tears Sting" Transliteration: "Sake ni Namida ga Shimiteita" (Japanese: 酒に涙がしみていた) | February 2, 2000 |
3 | "Suddenly, I was a Mother" Transliteration: "Ikinari Haha ni Natteita" (Japanese: いきなり母になっていた) | February 9, 2000 |
4 | "I Was a Target Before I Knew It" Transliteration: "Shiranai Aida ni Nerawareta" (Japanese: 知らない間に狙われた) | February 16, 2000 |
5 | "It Was Pretty Amazing When I Stripped" Transliteration: "Nuidara Kekkō Sugokatta" (Japanese: 脱いだら結構すごかった) | February 23, 2000 |
6 | "The Mole Was in the Wrong Place" Transliteration: "Hokuro no Ichi ga Chigatteta" (Japanese: ホクロの位置が違ってた) | March 1, 2000 |
7 | "I Buzzed with Electricity" Transliteration: "Ereki de Biribiri Shibireteta" (Japanese: エレキでビリビリしびれてた) | March 8, 2000 |
8 | "There Was No God in This World" Transliteration: "Kono Yo nya Kami Nado Inakatta" (Japanese: この世にゃ神などいなかった) | March 15, 2000 |
9 | "I Counted on an Enemy" Transliteration: "Ate ni Shitetara Tekidatta" (Japanese: 当てにしてたら敵だった) | March 22, 2000 |
10 | "That European Girl was Huge" Transliteration: "Nanban Musume wa Dekakatta" (Japanese: 南蛮娘はデカかった) | March 29, 2000 |
11 | "Vengeance Made Himself an Enemy" Transliteration: "Kataki ga Teki ni Natteita" (Japanese: 仇が敵になっていた) | April 5, 2000 |
12 | "I Was So Crucified I Didn't Know What to Do!" Transliteration: "Haritsukerarete Komatteta" (Japanese: 磔られて困ってた) | April 12, 2000 |
13 | "She Hid a Romance in the Past" Transliteration: "Kako ni Romansu Kakushiteta" (Japanese: 過去にロマンス隠してた) | April 19, 2000 |
Kazemakase Tsukikage Ran CD-neta ni Tottoita (VICL-60545) is an audio drama released May 24, 2000 by Victor Entertainment. It features Ayako Kawasumi as the voice of Princess Tama.
Jacob Churosh of T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews gave the TV series 4 out of 5 stars stating, " It manages to be exciting and funny at the same time, and also offers an alternate perspective on the live-action samurai shows that seem to populate Japanese TV on a regular basis; in fact, it seems intended to parody them."[7]