Salamander (anime)

Salamander (沙羅曼蛇) is an 1988 OVA miniseries based on Konami's arcade game, Salamander. There were three volumes released on VHS and Laserdisc. The series is not canon however; as the MSX Gradius series states that the events with Gofer takes place over two-hundred years after the crisis with Zelos and his Salamander Armada; and the characters Dr. Venom, David Burton, James Burton, Iggy Rock, or Zowie Scott is neither seen or mentioned in the OVA. Vic Viper(s) and the Lord British does appear in the anime though. In this anime; it is revealed that the Bacterians capture sentient life to create leaders for their space armada via a dark fog going through space changing inorganic matter into organic matter; (the large brain-like final bosses in the games) and that they are a crystal-like life-form in origin. Though in Gradius III the final boss, Bacterion, (revealed to be the bacterian's center of power in Gradius Gaiden) claims that he/they were born from the greediness of mankind. In Gradius V, Bacterion claims that he is only a small part of Venom''; possibly referring to Dr. Venom. Whatever the case; the Bacterians' exact place of origin is unknown as of yet; but it could be revealed if a Gradius VI or Salamander 3 is released by Konami.

Releases

 * Vol. 1: Salamander (沙羅曼蛇) (based on Salamander)
 * Vol. 2: Salamander: Meditating Paola (沙羅曼蛇 瞑想のパオラ) (based on Gradius)
 * Vol. 3: Salamander: Gofer's Ambition (沙羅曼蛇 ゴーファーの野望) (based on Gradius II: Gofer no Yabō)

Salamander
Out in space, a ship has sighted an enormous piece of wreckage... 3 personnel are ordered to investigate it right away. The 3 are anxious to go t here, and the arrival goes as planned. They see stacked capsules like beds with humanoid bodies and decayed, alien-look ing faces, after a few shocks and discoveries, they stumble upon a complete human woman in suspended animation. beside it, a recorded message is played relaying history and events on their planet and info regarding planetary invaders called " bacteria". The message is then relayed and seen to the Gradius officials, and they speak of their actions and plans against these "bacteria".

The 3 pilots, Dan, Stephanie and Eddie are thinking of the defense force's plans and effects of this. Then, they show a camera to see the humanoid they found on the wreck meditating. She has identified herself earlier on the video message a s Paula, the sole survivor of the planet invaded by the bacteria.

Eddie thinks that She can help against the bacteria threat, while Dan thinks otherwise and rejects the idea in an arrogant tone, this leads to a heated argument between the two until it is broken up by Stephanie, who in turn is shocked by eve nets and memories and their attitude and she and Eddie leave for their rooms. Eddie speaks to Paula afterward and tries to get her help, although the 2 are l Ike showing interests in each other.... The 3 are recalled to the ship and are asked to investigate a strange planet or meteor, whatever round, big thingies and investigate(threw flybys and searches)it fo r any strange objects or possibly, bacteria invaders..

The planet looks orange on the surface and then suddenly, they're being attacked by these long flying arms on clumpy thingies...they attack and flyby a lot then they pull up, a lump on the surface appears and then the boss of the first stage attacks them but they are able to escape, just as they are going away, Dan takes a clear look and recognizes distinct features on the planet that has been overrun by the bacteria. They report this to the ship, and they decide to order an assault on the planet. Hordes of ships from either side confront each other and attack, in the fray the 3 pilots clearly stand out and they help their side but later are forced to retry eat threw sheer numbers of the enemy.

Before the next wave is launched, Eddie asks to be excused for leave. Dan and Stephanie insists on him staying but he goes anyway to the planet. He goes back t o Paula and they talk until Paula senses something and asks to be taken to the desert. Eddie flys Paula there and she gets shocked by the appearance of an obelisk(the moai statues) in the middle of the desert. They land, and walk thru a sand storm which rips a bit of her sleeve discreetly and shows some scales temporarily. she says something and the obelisks' mouth opens and a ring of energy jumps out, spins on the ground and hits Paula. Eddie screams her name and asks if she's a light, she says something like "get out of here" and the reply is sort of a "no way" another rings jumps, spins and hits Paula. Eddie jumps in his ship and blasts the obelisk. Eddie begins to suspect something weird and asks Paula, right t hen Paula shows her motives of destroying Eddie and the planet Gradius and turns into the salamander(fire dragon) and gets out of there. Eddie collapses in disbelief... As the second wave heads to the planet, Stephanie hears a voice(even earlier in the first encounter) and thinks its her father and is telling her to go to a location, and she unwillingly follows, Dan follows her and the commander gets hot-tempered about it.

As they head toward a tunnel they see this big brain with electric bolts connecting it to the walls. The brain is speaking to Stephanie and its her fathers' voice...after some talk and a few scene switches to the losing second wave, the brain decides to attack and they dodge the lasers, Dan attacks and destroys the brain, While Stephanie hears her fathers voice screaming... After that the planet explodes and Dan and Stephanie have a little talk.

Salamander: Meditating Paola
On the planet Lotus, all is well. The reigning lord, prince British, thinks of building a shrine or temple. next day, as the generals and escorts prepare for the lord, the sun dies out, and is replaced by a burning, orange planet which engulfs the planet in light and causes havoc with the weather.

The prince, in his throne (Lord British), consults his advisory, an old, twin horned being. He identifies the planet as an inorganic star run by the invaders called bacterians, as told in the prophecy and seals of the planet. The weather wor sens. then a big serpent moves chaotically around magma. On the planet Lotus, t he land shakes apart, sea floods and total chaos reigns on the planet which almost wipes everything off the city, while the palace is terribly shaken. In another meeting, the elder consults the Lord to get help from their rival planet, Gradius. The prince rejects the idea but gives in anyway. Soon, the 3 pilots arrive.

After a brief intro they go straight to a chamber which has a view to a something. The floor goes down and is replaced from above, one of the organic fighter a t the bacterians' disposal. The prince thinks of this enemy as a piece of cake, but Dan thinks otherwise. He moves a robotic arm in front, and in an instant the tails grab it and summarily wrenches it to destruction. they then leave the room to get ready. Dan and Stephanie survey the entrance on a video screen ( on it sh owing the layout of the first stage.) and plans are made. It is said that they h ave sent a squad to survey. Dan and Stephanie are shocked and that they underestimate the Bacterians and the pilots are on the way to their deaths. The squadron leave, the enter the hole and we see the pink things appearing from the walls, the spikes, the this orange circle which shoots out strands and the it ends..

Dan, Lord British, and Stephanie talk about something and then realize where is Ed die? Eddie survey the damage and the sits on a fallen pillar, he then sees something, which turns out to be a gun holster with a pistol. He thinks he remembers it, something about his father. He then look at his pendant, opens it. There is a sun engraved inside the pendant, with a picture of a dragon on it (the fire trail on the salamander game, opening screen). he then look at the buildings and sees half complete replicas of it, or is the pendant the replica itself? the elder then arrives and they talk about his father being known by the elder and about destiny and stuff.

As Dan and Stephanie get ready to leave, Eddie is not around, the who will be their third?, The Lord says:"I can fly" the ships are readied and there they go, the quickly pass all before and before the strands shoot out they destroy it. then they travel thru a void, then they see hordes of ships under a skeleton, they blast some ships and loop above the skeleton where they quickly kill this big skull boss. They quickly arrive to a magma chamber and resume fighting with the Salamander. It proves to be a tough enemy, the as Stephanie is about to get hit, a salvo of missiles distracts and stuns the salamander, and as they turn around to see who it is it's eddie!, the 3 kill this red eye thing and he fires missiles at the salamander and enters its mouth, firing missiles, down a nd down till he gets crushed inside. then with the explosion, the salamander fall ls dead? to the magma, just as they kill the red thing and escape, looking back and shouting "Eddie" apparently mourning for the loss of their comrade.

Back down Lord British and Stephanie are talking, and Dan decides to leave her(Lord British is apparently hitting on her). Dan then launches off into space, the before he jumps, a dot catches up with him, and it's Stephanie, and they go home together.

Lord British sees his elders and sees the gun holster, and asks it to be display ed and kept as a memory of a hero of both planets....

Salamander: Gofer's Ambition
A ship surveys a star, as the captains orders to go closer and do checks, as the y go on their way, a crewman sights an anomaly on radar, a vortex of some sorts. Everyone buckles in as he maneuvers the ship and the ship fires retro rockets, but to no avail. Energy is draining and they are sucked into the star...

The Ruler of Lotus, Lord British decides to pay a visit to Gradius(or Gladius) and meets up with Stephanie. He offers her a beautiful robe and takes her to a secluded park or villa place(and obviously Dan tags along and leans behind a tree out of sight...)As the prince starts talking flowery words, Dan comments on each o f them(apparently there's a joke but i can't understand) then suddenly the sky glows red/orange, and the salamander appears, whacks the breath out of Lord British and grabs Stephanie, and goes back to whence it came from, They both look at the sky or ground or to each other, shock or stunned(they did all three "looks").

Stephanie then ends up in a place and she can't move, stuck to a hammock thing(looks like cheese)She talk to Paula who introduces her to Gofer, a grotesque face suspended by muscles and stuff and leader of the Bacterians. As some appendages lower to her, she goes into a series of flashbacks(her family, places, and she wakes and shouts for Dan).

Dan and Lord British plan for their attack, they see the movies of the ship being sucked in and as plans are made, they talk a bit about Stephanie.(i think, i ma y be wrong)

As the attack begins, the armies of Gradius and Lotus combine and they launch, just at the same time, the ship that got sucked in reappears and launches the bacterians' own fighters, as hit are exchanged, it seems that the armies of the 2 planets are overpowered, Dan and British sneak by and enter the ship, they see landing pads and a hole in one, the go through the hole to a lower level. The fighter's return, a fighter lands in the holed pad and its appendages nearly touch Dan's ship. The ship returns. Paula the decides to meditate and turns into crystal, the ship also turns into crystal and Dan and British slam flat onto the floor, hurting their arsed, they then lift-off to look for Stephanie.

Stephanie is in a dream, she then is on ac "ice platform" She sees how bacteria ns are produced and hears the voice of her mom and out comes a crystal hand(smooth), just as she is about to touch it, she wakes up and sees Dan and British cutting her free using the lasers. She's free and rips off her cape to remove the cheese thing, her long skirt get snagged by a crystal and she rips it and becomes short-skirted again.

She first meets Dan and gives him a slap, then goes off to ride with the prince. They then careen to a tunnel with these hands and blast their way through,they talk for a little and the Prince leads the way just as a big eye thing comes out. He starts shooting at i and comes closer and closer until just as he's about t o crash, the eye vanishes and they continue. The salamander comes to the place where Stephanie was held and finds her not the re, She then goes and unites with Gofer, creating a fire phoenix. As the pilot go forward, they encounter a place with a hell lot of platforms and guns, they go about blasting guns and platforms and out warps a big sandwich of ice and from the sides out comes salamander, they kill em all and the phoenix shatters the ice.

The pilots fight with the bird and encounter some close-calls. Just as Prince h as avoided a crash, Stephanie offers to pilot, the prince hesitates and just give s in afterwards. What continues is a series of perfectly executed attacks and after a while they finish the bird with spread bombs. The ice vanishes and exposes planet Gradius.

Just as the prince is about to leave, the prince tries one more time but fails, and makes his cloak-flying move and goes off. Dan jokes Stephanie about the prince and gets another slap. In space the escorts ask why not get Stephanie to be his bride, There's another joke and the funny face by the escorts..

Voice cast

 * Noriko Hidaka .... Stephanie
 * Wataru Inoue .... Eddy
 * Sumi Shimamoto .... Paola
 * Kōji Tsujitani .... Dan