Ask John: What is Black Heaven?

Question:
I just heard Pioneer will be releasing Black Heaven in October. Could you please tell me more about this title? How long is it? Is it a TV or OAV series?

Answer:
I’ve only seen 8 out of the 13 episodes of this TV series, untranslated, so I can’t provide too much detail for you. The original title to Black Heaven is Kacho Ohjii, roughly translated as Section Chief Ohjii. Kacho Ohjii focuses on the daily life of Tanaka Ohjii, a 30-ish year old Japanese salary-man who works to support his wife and son by day, and by night re-lives his dream of playing hard-rock guitar on stage. The twist is that the stage he plays on is located on an alien spaceship, and his music powers the ships’ weapons in a war with another alien race. The series focuses heavily on character development and Ohjii’s struggles between his job and his dreams, and his love for his wife and his attraction to Layla, the tall, attractive blond alien woman that serves as his co-worker and recruiter. The full digital animation, co-produced by AIC and Studio A.P.P.P. is better than that in a lot of shows, and the character design is wonderful. The show should appeal to anime fans that can appreciate well-developed, realistic characters and slice-of-life situations with some occasional charming wit and comedy (and an awful lot of electric guitar solos). By the way, the title Black Heaven comes from the name of Ohjii’s former heavy metal band. For more specific details and images, check out EX Magazine’s preview of the series.