Tooyamazakura Uchuuchou: Yatsu no Na wa Gold (Samurai Gold)

To paraphrase the great Jimmy Buffet, I think this one might be my fault; but darkcart also accepts some responsibility, so this is a joint Inka-Orphan clusterfuck.

The awkwardly named Tooyamazakura Uchuuchou: Yatsu no Na wa Gold (Toyama Sakura Space Chronicles: His Name is Gold), commonly known as Samurai Gold, is a 1988 OVA based on a science fiction novel by Yuuki Kyousuke. It is an homage to the period novel Maragoshi-Bugyo by Jinde Tatsurou, if that helps. It tells the story of a young man named Gold Disasmount (can't make this up), who lives in a peaceful world ruled by a giant computer named EDO. 

Gold travels to Fedvar, with Midi as an uninvited guest, to meet his snoopy cousin Ritt.

One translation note. Gold has tattoos on his back that only appear when his blood is circulating vigorously, e.g., after exercise or under stress. They're called 白粉彫り or "white powder engravings." They don't actually exist, but they make for a really convenient plot device.

The voice cast includes:

• Yao Kazuki (Gold Disasmount) played Franky in One Piece, the lead in Makyou Gaiden Le Deus, the title role in Rance, Dark Schneider in Bastard!!, Chivas in Sorcerer on the Rocks, and Yoki in Fullmetal Alchemist (both versions). He also played the title role in Hameln no Violin Hiki,  Morbridge Jr in Nana Toshi Monogatari, K.K. in Elf 17, Date Ikkaku in Akai Hayate, Ryougaku in Wild 7, Ryan in Star Dust, and Sofue Akira in Boyfriend, all Orphan releases.
• Fujii Ichiko (Midi) was an idol. She has no other anmie credits.
• Tsuboi Akiko (EDO) had featured roles in numerous shows, incuding Perrine Monogatari, Heidi Girl of the Alps, Lucy of the Southern Rainbow,Galaxy Express 999, Miyuki, Saint Seiya, and Nausicaa. She played Mensuran in Hayou no Tsurugi, an Orphan release.
• Mori Katsuji (Ion Plenmatz) played Atlas in the 1980 Astro Boy, Seiji Hayama in Cutie Honey, Wolfgang Mittermeyer in LOGH, Haru in Real Drive, Robespierre in Rose of Versailles, Alcan in Amon Saga, Cemen Bond in Bagi, Tanguin in Cool Cool Bye, Ii Hyobushoyu Naomasa in Sanada 10, and Shiina in Stop!! Hibari-kun! The last five are Orphan releases.
• Shioya Yoku (Ritt) played the title roles in Kariage-kun and the Umi no Triton TV series and movies, Ryouta in Slam Dunk, Jinpei the Swallow in Gatchaman, and Cosmo Yuki in Space Runaway Ideon. He played Tsuri in Tenjou Hen: Utsu no Miko, Yuzuru in Laughing Target, Mickey in Milky Passion: Dougenzaka - Ai no Shiro, Mizuki in Nayuta, and Zhuge Jun in the first Sangokushi movie, all Orphan releases.
• Saka Osamu (Retklaad Disasmount) played Daisuke Aramaki in the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex franchise and Oohara in the Oishinbo properties. He appeared in Toraemon, Aoki Honoo, Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament, Sanada 10, Next Senki Ehrgeiz, Fire Emblem, Kasei Yakyoku, Oz, and the third Sangokushi movie, all Orphan releases.
• Ikemizu Michihiro (Ebota, Retklaad's brother) had numerous featured roles, including the boy in Tsuki ga Noboru made ni, Zhuge Jin in the second Sangokushi movie, Hanezawa in Double Fantasy, Zhuge Jin in the second Sangokushi movie, and Lu Xun in the third Sangokushi movie, all Orphan releases.
• Yara Yuusaku (oversized effeminate man) played the destroyer captain in Zipang. He had many featured roles, appearing in Kimu no Juujika, Kimama ni Idol, Hayou no Tsurugi, Eguchi Hisashi no Kotobuki Gorou Show, Eguchi Hisashi no Nantoko Narudesho, Next Senki Ehrgeiz, Eien no Filena, Hidamari no Ki, Nozomi Witches, both Sangokushi OVAs, Prime Rose, the second Sangokushi movie, and both What's Michael? OVAs, all Orphan releases.
  

The director, Umezawa Atsutoshi, also directed some of the Tenjou Hen: Utsu no Miko OVA series, Ghost Sweeper Mikami, and Gokinjo Monogatari, among others. At the beginning of this century, he switched over to planning and producing.

This project started in the fall of 2023, when WOWmd captured a laserdisc of Samurai Gold on the Domesday Duplicator. About a year later, Rezo had made a finished encode. I thought this offered an opportunity to supersede the hardsubbed VHS rip. I advertised on Discord for someone to transcribe the hardsubs. darkcart, Fearless Leader™ of Inka-Subs volunteered, but by the time he finished, I forgot all about the idea. Reminded of my request, I asked Perevodildo to fix up the subs. TougeWolf then further checked the result, and darkcart did a first edit. However, by the time they had finished, I was having back surgery and forgot all about it again. Reminded (rather more bluntly) for a second time, I edited and typeset. ImAWasteOfHair, timx, and Muzussawa QCed. TougeWolf did a release check. The result is a joint Inka-Subs and Orphan Fansubs release; Inka's final word on the subject is here. You may ask, "Why does Inka use a hyphen in its name and Orphan doesn't?" I'll tell you, "I don't know. It's a tradition!"

Samurai Gold isn't all that bad. It has many lively sequences, and Gold makes a good protagonist in his initial goofball mode. But there are too many infodumps and too many improbable twists, and the prolonged courtroom sequence at the climax is simply unbelievable. It ought to be a stark lesson to me not to initiate a project without at least watching a raw; but because I don't understand Japanese, what good would that do? Anyway, you can get Samurai Gold from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net. And for extra punishment, be sure to check out the YouTube video on the Samurai Gold game. (A tip of the hat, I guess, to darkcart for pointing this out to me.)