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Brigadoon

We usually try to view a series all the way through, or at least see a large chunk of episodes before doing a review. But Brigadoon is just too much fun not to mention, so consider this an early review if you like, and if succeeding episodes warrant an update, we'll post one.

Marin is an extremely genki 13 year-old orphan who lives in a low rent tenement with her grandmother. In the first episode she stumbles into a lifetime of excitment. After winning a race on her paper delivery route, she encounters a weird cat-like creature. Marin presumes this to be a space alien, which turns out a pretty good guess. At school she receives a runner-up award for an essay on life as an orphan. Her acceptance of the award is overshadowed by the sublime and the ridiculous: her patched-up panties are exposed in front of everyone by one of the boys, and a massive, glittering alien structure suddenly appears in the sky over the entire world. With school cancelled and her winning essaynow overshadowed by the big news, Marin is attacked by one murderous robot, and saved by another: Meilin Blue.

The show is a weirdly charming blend of action and comedy, and also a wry commentary on middle school and the sorts of students that dwell therin. A clique of girls resents Marin for the winning essay, attributing her success to the unfair good fortune of being an orphan. Other students blame her for the arrival of the alien presence, while one nihilist mutters, "It doesn't matter. We're all going to die, anyhow." Marin's one friend, Moe (pronounced Mo-eh), is a dedicated but sickly girl prone to passing out and fainting. The tenament neighbors are a bizzare but likeable crew, including a pretty nurse, her alcoholic father, a set of triplets in the catering business, and a crazy inventor with his big, dim, but likeable American assistant.

How all this ties in with Brigadoon the vanishing Scottish village is unclear, but the lively Celtic music implies there is indeed a link. The relationship between Marin and the powerful Melin is intriguing. Melin is so literal-minded its scary. When he first grabs Marin and flys away with her, the panicky girl screams for him to let her go, which to her astonishment he does- in midair. Yet his relentless devotion, even trying to kill the classmates that tease her, is somehow noble and endearing. Like many anime, it's difficult to judge just where Brigadoon is going. Some series, like Jubei-Chan of the Lovely Eyepatch, start out as wacky comedies and end up taking a more serious turn. But however it turns out, the mysteries, appealing characters, and distinctive animation make Brigadoon one to watch.



  • Studio: TOKYOPOP
  • Format: DVD
  • Episodes in series: 26
  • Series Completed: No
  • Number of DVDs: 1

 
  • Audio Tracks: English, Japanese
  • Subtitles: English
  • Genre: Science Fiction, Comedy
  • Ages: 13+
  • Cautions: Language, some violence
  • Reviewer: George
  • Core Collection: Not yet, but probably soon