My favourite things #105 & #106

Having discussed japanese anime City Hunter and Saint Seiya in my previous favourite things blog, today i introduce you two other series i favor, their plot may not be equally long lasting, but their back drop and theme song are such classics its hard to find a match these days. first up is Cobra, created by Buichi Terasawa back in 1978. before i continue on the introduction, pls listen to the follow theme songs.

anime opening theme song 'Cobra' by Yoko Maeno first aired in japan 1982:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxJ6nJet_jw&feature=related

0:11-0:30, 1:29-1:51 that alto just blown my mind, cant stop listening, by now i must have repeated it fourty times or so. love eighties japanese jazz style, trumpet and strings, a little electric guitar for beat, female vocal hussle, absolute quality mix.  

anime end theme song 'Secret Desire' also by Yoko Maeno: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgGYnp11WCM&feature=related

here is the same end song with original anime:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL49trBydCQ&feature=related

Plot: Johnson lives in future, he works for a trading company. he got woken up on a Sunday morning by his robotic maid, Ben. Ben suggested that Johnson go to the Trip Movie Corporation (T.M. Company), a company that lets its guests experience a dream as if it were real. Johnson asked to be the king of Harlem, surrounded by beautiful women, and commanding a battlestar. In his dream, Johnson as "Cobra" explored space with his partner Lady Armaroid. Cobra wielded the "Psychogun" and fought off monsters from other planets and most of all the Pirate Guild, the leader being Captain Vaiken whom he let loose. Vaiken distributed Cobra's picture to all the other pirates making him a wanted man. When the dream ended a women asked Johnson how the dream was, Johnson responded, and the woman correct to the fact it should have been about him being the king of Harlem.

On Johnson's way back home, he crashed into a man speeding in his car. He recognized the man, who looked identical to Captain Vaiken. Johnson started explaining how he looked like Vaiken right in front of him, thus making Vaiken think he knew something about Cobra. Johnson unconsciously lifted his right arm as if he had a gun. Johnson shot a ray out of his hand, killing Vaiken. The shot blew up his arm, revealing the Psycho-gun. Johnson hurried back home, where Ben noticed his arm and Johnson realized that he did not remember anything from the last three years that he had lived in his house. Johnson looked into a mirror, which he turned a nob to reveal a secret room behind it, which he looked inside to see his revolver which he used in his dream. Lady Armaroid came out from hiding within Ben. Johnson started to remember more, and at that moment many people were recruited by the Pirate Guild to come in and kill Johnson. Johnson killed the recruited people and started to remember that he is Cobra and he was wanted by the Pirate Guild and he was sick of fighting them off. In order to get away from them, Cobra surgically altered his face and had his memories erased. Lady Armariod told Cobra that Trip Movie triggered his sub-conscious and instead brought back old memories. Once more, Lady Armaroid and Cobra set off to all the adventures that come forth.

next is Lupin III, written and illustrated by Kazuhiko Kato under the pen name of Monkey Punch. when the manga made appearance in Weekly Manga Action in 1967, it spawned a media franchise that includes numerous manga, various animated television series, feature films, direct-to-video releases, yearly television specials, music CDs, video games, and a musical. Anime version is released in japan in 1971, check out the theme song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZJYxy2060c&feature=related

Plot: Arsène Lupin III, the grandson of the fictional gentleman thief, Arsène Lupin, is considered the world's greatest thief, known for announcing his intentions to steal valuable objects by sending a calling card to the owners of his desired items. His right-hand man and closest ally is Daisuke Jigen, an expert marksman who can accurately shoot a target in 0.3 seconds. Although Lupin and Jigen frequently work as a two-man team, they are often joined by Goemon Ishikawa XIII, a master swordsman whose sword can cut anything, or Fujiko Mine, a femme fatale and Lupin's love interest. Although Fujiko usually works together with the others, she occasionally exploits Lupin's interest in her to steal a treasure for herself. Lupin and his gang are constantly chased by Inspector Koichi Zenigata of the ICPO, who has made it his life's work to arrest them, chasing Lupin across the globe. On the rare occasions he catches Lupin, Zenigata secretly hopes Lupin will escape so he can continue to chase him. Regardless of whether Lupin and his followers succeed or fail, they are always looking for the next heist.