Leda: The Fantastic Adventure of Yohko
Entry updated 5 October 2026. Tagged: Film.
Japanese Original Video Animation (OVA) (1985; original title Genmu Senki Reda; vt Dreamwar Chronicle Leda; vt Leda: The Fantastic Adventure of Yoko). Kaname Production. Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama. Written by Junki Takegami and Kunihiko Yuyama. Voice cast includes Shuichi Ikeda, Chika Sakamoto, Kei Tomiyama and Hiromi Tsuru. 70 minutes. Colour.
As teenager Yohko Asagiri (Tsuru) approaches the boy she is infatuated with, her personal stereo plays the song she wrote to give her the confidence to speak to him. Instead transports her to another Dimension; while this happens a giant figure tries and fails to grab her, demanding she gives him the Heart of Leda; we learn later this is Zell (Ikeda). Asagiri finds herself in a forest full of strange plants and animals, including a talking Dog. His name is Ringamu (Tomiyama) and explains this land is Ashanti and that she is likely from "Noa, the sealed world". Playing the personal stereo again takes them both briefly back to Earth, but before they can act on this two of Zell's ruffians, accompanied by Robots on futuristic motorbikes, steal the device, believing it to be the Heart of Leda, then attempt to kill the pair. In trying to avoid them Asagiri falls into a giant flower, which engulfs her and glows – one of the attackers' machines indicates "it's emitting a high level of Leda energy" – and when the petals open she has been transformed into a bikini-clad, sword-wielding warrior who makes short work of the robots; the men flee with the personal stereo. Zell realizes Asagiri must be "Leda's Warrior".
Meanwhile, Ringamu provides some backstory: Ashanti and Noa (that is, Earth) were once connected, but there was regular conflict, so Leda (whom Ringamu says might or might not have been a goddess) sealed off the Earth to protect it. Shortly after the pair are attacked by flying craft, but are helped by a giant robot: it turns out to be a Mecha controlled by a young girl, Yoni (Sakamoto), the last of Leda's Shrine Maidens; all three watch Zell's craft retreat into an immense egg-shaped "floating castle". Yoni explains Leda has "vanished into legend" and Zell used to be another of her Shrine Maidens (or students) but now wants to conquer Earth (see Invasion) using the power of the castle to connect the dimensions: however, to complete the bridge the Heart of Leda is needed – this is Asagiri's composition, which came from her heart. Zell has the personal stereo, but realizes he still needs "Leda's Warrior" to focus its power.
Yoni says Asagiri should be able to operate "Leda's Wings", a device which turns out to be a giant Mecha; whilst the one used by Yoni looks like an old fashioned, almost Steampunk robot having giant cogwheels. "Leda's Wings" has the familiar Manga/Anime mecha look and can transform into a heavily armed flying vehicle. After a battle which leaves Yoni's robot destroyed save for its flying cockpit, the pair enter the "flying castle" where they are trapped by Zell, who separates Asagiri from her friends with a Force Field and puts her in a trance to dream of romance with the boy she loves whilst Zell uses her to open the gate to Earth. However Asagiri comes to recognize the dream as false and breaks free, killing Zell, then – after saying farewell to Yoni and Ringamu – uses the personal stereo to return home, where her experiences have given her the courage to speak to the boy.
Though at first glance the film seems to be a Fantasy, there is much Technology: aside from the mecha, Zell's "floating castle" looks like a Space Station; he has robots and machinery, whilst his giant device to create the link to Earth is half Machine, half organic. Leda's shrine is situated amongst ruins, perhaps suggesting Ashanti was a once scientific civilization that has fallen partially into superstition. Zell seems to have some Psi Powers, such as Dream Hacking, which could be Magic or science. Asagiri's and Yoni's costumes show Fan Service, but they are capable young women who defeat the villain (see Feminism, Women in SF). Though the plot is fairly simple, the film's strength is in the animation, which is often impressive – Leda: The Fantastic Adventure of Yohko is a good, enjoyable anime. Initially an OVA, it also had a Japanese theatrical release later in 1985. [SP]
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