Mujigen Hunter Fandora

Lore & Background

The OVA was produced by Hiro Media and Kaname Production, with Hiromasa Shibazaki as general producer. The three episodes were directed by Kazuyuki Okaseko (OVA 1), Hiroshi Yoshida (OVA 2), and Shigenori Kageyama (OVA 3). Scenarios were written by Koichi Minade and Takashi Yamada. Character design varied across episodes: Hideki Tamura for OVA 1, Mayumi Watanabe for OVAs 2 and 3, and Hideko Yamauchi for OVA 3. Animation was handled by Kaname Production, with Studio Giants and Studio Eagle contributing to early episodes.

Reader's Guide

Mujigen Hunter Fandora is a notable entry in the early OVA market of the mid-1980s, created by influential manga artist Go Nagai. Its release coincided with a similar OVA, Dream Hunter Rem, which debuted months earlier in June 1985. The series features a female protagonist, Fandora, who uses the power of the jewel Lupia in her crown to summon abilities and allow Kwe to transform into the Fantastic Dragon. The OVA's soundtrack included multiple theme songs performed by Ushio Hashimoto and Mitsuko Horie, with vinyl records released for each episode. While not as widely known as some of Nagai's other works, Fandora represents the experimental and genre-blending nature of early direct-to-video anime, combining science fiction, fantasy, and horror elements. Its legacy is preserved through home video releases and inclusion in various media compilations.

Did You Know?

• The OVA was released in three parts over 14 months, from September 1985 to November 1986.
• A 222-page novel co-written and illustrated by Go Nagai was released on February 19, 1986.
• The villain Yog-Sogoth is noted as not to be confused with the Lovecraftian deity of a similar name.
• The theme songs were released on vinyl records, including both EP and LP albums for each OVA.