Legend of Black Heaven - Rock Bottom (Vol. 1)
Black Heavenoffers a twist on the familiar anime theme of rock music as the secret weapon against an alien invasion: instead of the standard-issue teenybopper girl group, an adult male supplies the vital sounds. Oji Tanaka's life has somehow fallen apart--as lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Black Heaven, he topped the charts. Now he's just an embittered salaryman, living in a tiny apartment with his wife Yoshiko and son Gen. He reflects, "My dream defeated me," although it's not clear how he fell so far so fast. Meanwhile, a desperate war is being waged against alien invaders. The defenders discover that Tanaka is a messiah of sorts: his music enables them to crush the invaders. The beautiful Layla is dispatched to recruit him, assisted by the inept trio of Kotoko, Eriko, and Riko. All this female attention isn't lost on his gossipy neighbors or his ditsy wife, and the numerous complications set a tone that's more comic than menacing. The artists should have found a more talented musician to supply Tanaka's guitar riffs: it's difficult to understand how these uninspired chords can rout aliens or send Layla into ecstasies. Contains these episodes: 1. "Stairway to Heaven," 2. "All Night Long," 3. "Hot House," 4. "Space Child." Suggested for ages 13 and up for nudity, sex, profanity, and sexual humor.--Charles Solomon