Wayback Series - Magic Knight Rayearth

"Pack your bags, boys and girls. We're going to Cephiro!"

Welcome to the Wayback Series post of the New Year, and yet, I didn't even know what it means to do! As GDLG welcomes the year 2016, I am going to take you to the incredible world of Magic Knight Rayearth. And thus you can relive Lucy, Marina and Anemone, for they are the sexiest warriors alive.

Before Cardcaptor Sakura, Angelic Layer, Chobits, xxxHolic, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, and Code Geass came along in great popularity, one of CLAMP's most-celebrated work is appeared in Nakayoshi from November 1993 to February 1995 as a three-volume serial by Kodansha, and later published from July 1994 to March 1995. Later on, a sequel was then serialized in the same magazine from March 1995 to April 1996, and then again published in from July 1995 to April 1996. The manga was then adapted into two anime series, and both seasons were directed by Toshihiro Hirano, broadcasted by Yomiuri TV and the NNS (now called Nippon TV Network System), produced by Tōkyō Movie Shinsha (TMS) and licensed by Discotek Media. The first season of the anime is aired on October 17th 1994 to March 13th 1995 with a total of 20 episodes, while the second season (also known as the second part) premiered on April 10th, 1995 to November 27th 1995, with a total of 29 episodes. Yup, a grand total of 49 episodes. There is a OVA too released in 1997 (two years after the anime had ended) and licensed by Manga Entertainment, and each had 45 minutes in all three episodes. Magic Knight Rayearth has the incredible elements and thus good combinations of the story. It combines two of my favorite anime genres that is accompanied by a parallel world fantasy setting - mahou shoujo (magical girl) and mecha anime elements.

We get to meet these three 8th grade girls: Hikaru Shidou (or we call her Lucy), a headstrong and a tomboyish girl, Umi Ryuuzaki (Marina), the no-nonsense and quick-tempered of the trio, and Fuu Hououji (or Anemone), a ladylike girl with some intelligence. One day while on a field trip to the iconic Tokyo Tower with their respective schools, Hikaru, Umi and Fuu were transported to another world called Cephiro. There, the girls meet are soon greeted by the Master Mage Clef, who explains them that they have summoned to become the legendary Magic Knights and save Cephiro. The three girls later learned that Cephiro is been influenced by one's will, and that the Pillar maintains the world by prayer. In order to do this, the girls have given the task to rescue the current Pillar named Princess Emeraude from the hands of Zagato, the high priest and the antagonist of the series, in which after they will returned to their world. Guided by the creature named Mokona on their incredible quest, the girls later discover their respective element-based magic and thus awaken the three Mashin (or Rune-Gods), who had the ability to form of giant robots that the girls must pilot. As the three progressed on their journey, they overcome differences, learning teamwork, and then finally accepting each other as friends. After they managed to find and destroy (I thought I would say 'search-and-destroy) the evil high priest, they have finally reached Emeraude, but they later revealed that she had fallen in love with him, in which had hindered her ability to solely pray for the well-being of Cephiro, and as a result, Emeraude had her himself imprisoned. Although she feeled responsible for her actions, she summoned the Magic Knights to kill her, as no one from Cephiro could particularly harm the Pillar. Emeraude's dark side then takes it over, seeking to destroy the Magic Knights for killing her dear love. The Magic Knights then got no choice but to kill her after a short defensive fight against Emeraude, and then they find themselves transported back to Tokyo.

The girl in red armor, Hikaru, is voiced by Hekiru Shiina, who provided her roles in Girls und Panzer (as Ami Chono), Megami Paradise (as Rurubell), Nene Todoroki (as the perverted robotics club member Nene Todoroki), Sonic the Hedgehog OAV (as Miles "Tails" Prowler), and Dangaronpa the Animation (as Celestia Ludenwerg). Konami Yoshida, who bring Umi to life, is known for her career roles in Devil Hunter Yohko (as Azusa Kanzaki), The King of Braves GaoGaiGar FINAL (as Han Hatsuno), the Kinnikuman series (as Meat Alexandria), Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh (as Mari Shiratori), and Tournament of the Gods (as Hazuki Mizuhara). The voice actress who provided the voice of Fuu, Hiroko Kasahara, is known for her roles in Dancougar (as Laura Sullivan), Handsome no Kanojo (as Aya Sawaki), Super Dimensional Fortress Macross II: The Movie (as Ishtar), and Ultimate Teacher (as Hinako Shiratori). Megumi Ogata, who bring Princess Emeraude to life, is known for incredible iconic roles in her career. That includes in Sailor Moon (as Haruka Tenoh/Sailor Uranus), B'tX (as Karen), Assassination Classroom (as Itona Horibe), and Yu Yu Hakusho (as Kurama/Dennis). But Ogata's iconic role is none other than Shinji Ikari in the Neon Genesis Evangelion series. The evil high priest and the antagonist of the series, Zagato, is voiced by the legendary Jurota Kosugi, who is known for his roles in Appleseed (as Brialeos Hecatombcales), the Sengoku Musou series (as the demon king Nobunaga Oda), the Ariel series (as Krest Saber Hargen), Gankutsuou (as Fernand de Morcerf), the Files of Young Kindaichi series (as Isamu Kenmochi), and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (as Henken Bekkener).

Other voice actors that starred the show are Hideyuki Tanaka (as Rayearth), Tessho Genda (as Ceres), Akio Otsuka (as Windham), Emi Shinohara (as Presea), Minami Takayama (as Ascot), Nozomu Sasaki (as Clef), Ryotaro Okiayu (as Inouva), Takumi Yamazaki (as Ferio), Yukimasa Kishino (as Lafarga), and Yuri Shiratori (as Mokona).

And here's a trivia for you. Did you know that Magic Knight Rayearth is best known for airing it in the Philippines wayback in the '90s? If you remember the Tagalog version of the anime's opening, you'll get some childhood goosebumps (In order to do this for you, find the Tagalog dub version on YT!). And then years later after ABS-CBN completes the first one, GMA-7 had the privilege to dub the series. And now here are the Filipino dub voice actors of this series (I had to sort it out):

THE ABS-CBN SIDE:

Hikaru (Lucy): Aya Bejer

Umi (Marina): Daisy May Carino

Fuu (Anemone): Cynthia Villanueva

Ascot: Filipina Pamintuan

Inouva: Gino Alcoba

Presea: Maripette Narvasa

Zagato: Montreal Repuyan

Lafarga (Rafaga): Alexx Agcaoili

Ferio and Rayearth: Arnold Abad

Clef (Clif): Michael Punzalan

Princess Emeraude: Wendy De Leon

THE GMA-7 SIDE:

Hikaru (Lucy): Michiko Azarcon

Umi (Marina): Grace Cornel

Fuu (Anemone), Ascot and Mokona: Charmaine Cordoviz

Princess Emeraude, Alcyone and Presea: Dada Carlos

Inouva: Montreal Repuyan

Ferio, Lafarga and Master Clef (Clif): Vincent Gutierrez

It is now time to relive the adventures of the girls, and relive the world of Magic Knight Rayearth!

And of course as a bonus, I would relive this part of the Tagalog dub lyrics of the OP just for enjoyment of your childhood:

Kami'y narito asahan niyong magtatanggol...
Makikipaglaban, para sa kapayapaan...