Photon: The Idiot Adventures

About Photon: The Idiot Adventures

Meet Photon: The Idiot Adventures (フォトン), an action, adventure and comedy anime by AIC (1997). Here is the premise in a nutshell. What the story covers: Photon Earth is a young and gentle boy with superhuman strength and "Baka" (meaning "idiot" in Japanese) scribbled on his forehead (apparently by his troublemaking ally Aun Freya). One day, he comes across himself engaged to the beautiful fugitive pilot Keyne Acqua after writing "baka" on her forehead.

Further in, that's the least of his worries as he has to protect both Aun and Keyne from the evil Papacharino, who seeks to steal the hidden truths of "Aho" (another word for idiot) energy from Keyne's grandfather's ship.

In an action series like this, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. Voice work is led by Junko Takeuchi as Photon Earth and Yui Horie as Aun Freya. This one is best suited to viewers who like fast, high-impact fights. The run is 6 episodes in total, so you know what you are signing up for.

Production & Appeal

Animation is handled by AIC, so the studio's house style defines how Photon: The Idiot Adventures looks and moves on screen. Within the action category, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. With a 6.6/10 score, it is more of a niche pick than a universal crowd-pleaser. Voice casting, including Junko Takeuchi as Photon Earth, adds to the appeal for fans who follow seiyuu. Released in 1997, it competed with that season's other new series for attention.