MAPS English Sub & Dub

About MAPS

Looking for background on MAPS (マップス)? This adventure, comedy and sci-fi series by Tokyo Movie Shinsha (1994) starts out like this. The setup: While looking for the legendary Mapman, the last surviving member of the Nomad Star tribe, Lipumira finds him in Tokyo. His name is Tokishima Gen and he is the only one who can retrieve one part of the star map hidden within the Earth.

Further in, after retrieving the piece, Gen must make a decision to either follow Lipumira in her foolhardy search to find the remaining pieces of the star map or rather stay on Earth. He decides to leave Earth, only to find out that his girlfriend has beaten him to the spaceship since she aims to come along as well. Unfortunately, as Gen learns the hidden of the star map, Lipumira's sisters appear, planning to stop her at any cost.

With adventure at the core, exploration, new locations and a steady sense of momentum drive the story. Voice work is led by Hikaru Midorikawa as Gen Tokishima and Yumi Touma as Lipumira Gweiss. It will appeal most to anyone who enjoys travel-the-world storytelling. At 4 episodes in total, it is easy to plan a viewing schedule.

Production & Appeal

Tokyo Movie Shinsha is the studio behind MAPS, and its direction shapes everything from character design to motion. Within the adventure category, exploration, new locations and a steady sense of momentum drive the story. Its 5.4/10 score suggests opinions are split, so it suits viewers who already like the genre. On the casting side, Hikaru Midorikawa voicing Gen Tokishima gives the lead role a recognizable voice. Released in 1994, it competed with that season's other new series for attention.