Monster Rancher (TV series)

Monster Rancher, known in Japan as Monster Farm (モンスターファーム, Monsutā Fāmu), is a 73-episode anime series based on Tecmo's Monster Rancher video game franchise.[1]

Monster Rancher
モンスターファーム
(Monsutā Fāmu)
Anime television series
Directed byHiroyuki Yano
Written byShōji Yonemura
Music bySeiji Suzuki, BMF
StudioTMS Entertainment
Licensed by
Original networkTBS
English network
Fox Kids
Original run 17 April 1999 – 30 September 2001
Episodes73

It originally aired on Japanese television on TBS from April 17, 1999 to September 30, 2001. An English-language version by Bohbot Entertainment and ADV Films aired in North America on the Sci-Fi Channel and Fox Kids.[2]

In Japan, the program existed as two separate series; The Secret of the Stone Disk (円盤石の秘密, Enbanseki no Himitsu) for episodes 1-48 and The Legendary Path (伝説への道, Densetsu e no Michi) for episodes 49-73.

Story
See also: List of Monster Rancher characters

The story follows a boy named Genki Sakura, who is a key player of the Monster Rancher video games. After winning a tournament hosted by the game's creators, Genki wins a special CD that he can use to unlock a special monster in his game at home. However, upon using this disk in his game console, he finds himself transported to a world of monsters that, much like Genki's game, are given life by scanning special stone disks within temples. There, he meets a girl named Holly, who is seeking a stone disk containing a legendary Phoenix that will save the land from the tyranny of an evil ruler named Moo. Upon attempting to use the disk Genki had won to try and release the monster, they bring forth a different sort of monster, which Genki names Mocchi. Wanting to free the land from Moo's rule, Genki, Holly, Mocchi and their other monster companions go on a quest to find the stone disk that contains the Phoenix.

Release

ADV Films licensed the home video rights to the first 12 episodes, which the company released on DVD. ADV also released the entire first season of Monster Rancher on VHS. The series was brought to the US by BKN and dubbed by Ocean Studios. After Monster Rancher went off the air in the US, ADV halted its release of the series on home video and DVD. In 2005, BKN International A.G. licensed the DVD rights for 73 episodes of the Monster Rancher anime series to Digiview Productions LLC for US and Canadian mass retail market distribution. Digiview only released one DVD containing episodes 1 through 5 at select Wal-Marts and other select places that sell $1 DVDs in February 2006. Eventually, this DVD was reissued to include up to episode 8. The Digiview releases were canceled after this release. The series was later made available to watch on Hulu.[3] Discotek Media released the series in three English-dubbed DVD box sets in 2014, and a single box set with the original Japanese audio subtitled and uncut on July 10, 2015.[4][5][6] An SD on BD set was released by Discotek Media on May 29, 2018.

Music

Opening song

Ending song

Sources
  • BKN International A.G. (September 1, 2005). "BKN News". September 5 Newsletter[7]
  • CCN Matthews News Distribution Network (July 21, 2005). "BKN Announces New USA Deal". Press Release[8]

References
  1. "In a far away land where Monsters rule...Opens a new chapter of adventure and fun..." www.tms-e.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2009. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
  2. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 563–564. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  3. "Watch Monster Rancher Online - Free at Hulu". Hulu.com. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
  4. "Discotek Media Adds Monster Rancher TV Anime Series - News". Animenewsnetwork.com. 2013-05-02. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
  5. "Discotek Media - Timeline Photos". Facebook.com. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
  6. "Discotek Media - Timeline Photos". Facebook.com. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2006-02-14. Retrieved 2005-10-25.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "BKN Announces New USA Deal". Ccnmatthews.com. 2005-07-21. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
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