Monster Rancher (TV series)

Plot

The series follows Genki Sakura, who plays the Monster Rancher video games. In the first season, after winning a tournament hosted by the game's creators, Genki wins a CD that unlocks a special monster in the game. However, upon inserting the disk into his game console, he is transported to a world of monsters that, like in the game, are given life by scanning special stone disks within temples. There, he meets a girl named Holly and her monster friend Suezo, who are searching for a stone disk containing the legendary Phoenix, who will save the land from the tyranny of the evil Moo. Upon attempting to use Genki's disk to release the Phoenix, they summon a different monster, who Genki names Mocchi. In order to free the land from Moo's rule, Genki, Holly, Mocchi, and Suezo set off in search of the Phoenix guided by Holly's Magic Stone; this leads them to meet Golem, Tiger, and Hare, who join them on their journey.

It is revealed that Moo is Holly's missing father, who merged with an evil spirit after being banished from his village. Determined to separate him from Moo, the group continues their search for the Phoenix, defeating Moo's strongest minions, the Big Bad Four—Pixie, Gali, Grey Wolf, and Naga—while helping and befriending monsters by unlocking Mystery Disks in hopes of finding the Phoenix. One of the monsters, Monol, tells them of a previous war between Moo and the Phoenix, part of a larger war between humans and monsters, who exploited monsters as workers and companions in a futuristic society. The war destroyed much of the world and weakened Moo and the Phoenix, sending them into a dormant state and separating their bodies from their souls.

Moo's body is found and merges with Holly's father. Soon after, the Phoenix's body is found and it is revealed that the five monsters—Mocchi, Suezo, Golem, Tiger, and Hare—are fragments of its soul. They say farewell to Genki before merging with the Phoenix's body to revive it and fight Moo; as they fight, Moo realizes that good and evil are inherently inseparable and that they, as representatives of good and evil, are doomed to perpetually fight. They seemingly die and Genki is transported back to the real world in the resulting explosion, comforted by visions of his friends as he returns home.

In the second season, Genki returns to the Monster World to revive his friends, who were turned into disks and separated after the fight with Moo, and competes in a series of tournaments against General Durahan's army in search of Holly's father. In the third season, they fight against Durahan, who has been possessed by Moo's soul. In the Japanese version, in the credits of the final episode, it is revealed that Genki and Mocchi are able to travel between the Monster Rancher world and Earth.

Episodes

Season 1: ''The Secret of the Stone Disk''

Original Japanese title

Season 2: ''The Legendary Path''

Original Japanese title

Broadcast and release

In Japan, under the title Monster Farm, the series was broadcast on TBS for two seasons; the first 48-episode season, The Secret of the Stone Disk, aired from April 17, 1999, to March 25, 2000; the second 25-episode season, The Legendary Path, aired from April 1 to September 30, 2000.

The series was brought to the United States by BKN, with an English dub produced by Ocean Studios. It was also broadcast in the United States on the Sci-Fi Channel and Fox Kids and in Canada on YTV. In the United Kingdom, the series aired on children's Saturday morning show Live & Kicking, with episodes also airing on CBBC (on BBC Two) until April 9, 2001. Repeats of the series continued throughout the year and early February 25, 2002.

ADV Films licensed the home video rights to the series and released its first twelve episodes on four DVDs. In 2005, BKN International A.G. licensed the DVD rights for 73 episodes of Monster Rancher to Digiview Productions; however, only one DVD was released. In 2012, the series was available for streaming on Hulu. Discotek Media licensed the series in 2013, and released it on three English-dubbed DVD box sets in 2014, and a single box set with the original Japanese audio subtitled and uncut on July 28, 2015. Discotek Media later released the series on a Blu-ray Disc set on May 29, 2018.

Notes

References

References

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2. (1999-07-16). "BKN acquires MONSTER RANCHER". [[Animation World Network]].
3. Erickson, Hal. (2005). "Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003". McFarland & Co.
4. (2000-02-27). "Anime TV Changes". [[Anime News Network]].
5. link. [[Agency for Cultural Affairs]]
6. link. [[Agency for Cultural Affairs]]
7. "In a far away land where Monsters rule...Opens a new chapter of adventure and fun...". www.tms-e.com.
8. King, Sudan. (September 5, 1999). "COVER STORY : Boys & Girls: Start Your Remotes!".
9. Beveridge, Chris. (May 23, 2000). "Monster Rancher Vol. #1 (of 0)".
10. (December 23, 2000). "Live and Kicking (Sat 23rd Dec 2000, 09:00 on BBC One London)". [[BBC]].
11. (February 25, 2002). "CBBC Mon 25th Feb 2002, 07:00 on BBC Two England". [[BBC]].
12. Beveridge, Chris. (March 30, 2001). "Monster Rancher Vol. #4 (of 0)".
13. Ball, Ryan. (July 21, 2005). "BKN Inks U.S. Distrib Deal".
14. "Monster Rancher: In the Beginning".
15. Bunao, Daryl. (April 29, 2012). "North American Stream List: April 23–29".
16. (2013-05-02). "Discotek Media Adds Monster Rancher TV Anime Series - News". [[Anime News Network]].
17. Hodgkins, Crystalyn. (January 7, 2014). "North American Anime, Manga Releases, January 5–11".
18. Ressler, Karen. (July 29, 2014). "North American Anime, Manga Releases, July 27-August 2".
19. Ressler, Karen. (July 28, 2015). "North American Anime, Manga Releases, July 26-August 1".
20. Ressler, Karen. (March 23, 2018). "Discotek Licenses Star Ocean EX, Tokyo Underground, 'Like the Clouds, Like the Wind' Anime".
21. Ressler, Karen. (May 29, 2018). "North American Anime, Manga Releases, May 27-June 2".