The Spirit of Wonder: Miss China's Ring AnimEigo 40 minutes Hybrid Laserdisc, $39.99 (Note: AnimEigo's "hybrid" laserdiscs are one side English dubbed, one side original Japanese with English subtitles)

Lately AnimEigo hasn't been putting out new titles--good or bad--like they used to. After a stellar line up debuting between 1991 and 1994, with popular titles like Kimagure Orange Road and Urusei Yatsura, AnimEigo seems to have been a bit lax in procuring new titles to bring over from Japan. But, with the premiere release of a new title, perhaps AnimEigo once again is vying for the American anime market. The Spirit of Wonder was originally a series of manga short stories written and drawn by Tsuruta Kenji, much like Rumiko Takahashi's "Rumik World". However, to this date, only one of the Spirit episodes have been animated. This episode, "Miss China's Ring", is a heartwarming tale of romance and magic that looks to be a promising story. The title character, Miss China, is a young girl who runs an inn/tavern on Prince of Wales Island in Australia. She is a kind hearted person but always puts up a tough front. At her inn are two regular tenants: Professor Breckenridge, a full-time inventor who's always behind in his rent; and Jim Burke, the professor's assistant, whom Miss China has a crush on. The three characters become involved in a scheme to travel to the moon using one of Professor Breckenridge's inventions. While this trip is fantastic and uplifting, the main story is about Miss China and Jim, who both love each other but are afraid reveal their true selves. The artwork of "Miss China's Ring" is detailed and fluid. Miss China, being Chinese and knowing kung-fu, gets to strut her stuff in a several scenes, all of which are executed with smooth animation. One notable feature of "Miss China's Ring" is that Tsuruta Kenji's facial styles may be a bit different than what the average anime fan is accustomed to seeing. Instead of little, kawaii noses as anime conforms to, everyone in "Miss China's Ring" has really large noses--large to the point where it bothered me at first. But, as the episode moves on, one gets used to the character designs. The Spirit of Wonder" marks another entry into the hotly-debated "hybrid" format. Although, there is only one episode on the disc, it appears twice. One side contains an english-dubbed version. The other side contains the same episode but in its original Japanese dialogue with english subtitles. The dub is actually bearable and the voice actors do an ample job, although at some points the english accents are too stressed in some parts and not enough in others. To some, the hybrid format seems a waste because only one episode is on a disc, twice for that matter. Also, there's the debate of whether anime should be dubbed or subtitled. For this one itle, the hybrid format works because only one story from "The Spirit of Wonder" series has ever been animated, so to find something else to put on the disc would be next to impossible. For other titles, though, the hybrid format is a compromise that will not satisfy everyone. "Miss China's Ring" is a quiet story about love and friendship. It's not an action-packed title or filled with gratitous fan service. But the story, however silly it may seem at times, is strong and entrancing. And coupled with the hybrid laserdisc format, this title has something for everyone. -- Ken Cho SPIRIT OF WONDER Copyright © 1996 AnimEigo