History Anime / Photon

[[redire ct:Anime/PhotonTheIdiotAdventures]]

[[redirect:Anime/PhotonTheIdiotAdventures]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fgikoe8x0aa__vn.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Promo art for the 2023 Blu-ray release]]

''Photon: The Idiot Adventures'' is a 6 episode anime OVA produced by Creator/{{AIC}}.

The series was created by Masaki Kajishima (of ''Anime/TenchiMuyo'' [[note]] in fact this series is part of the same universe [[/note]] fame) with directorial duties handled by Koji Masunari and with Yosuke Kuroda is the writer.

The main character, Photon Earth, is a young child who possesses superhuman strength, [[SkilledButNaive but is a bit simple-minded]]. While tracking down his childhood friend Aun Freya, who has stolen "the sacred artifact" (a marker) AGAIN, he gets lost and accidentally finds a crashed (space) ship. Made cranky by the fact that Aun ran off after he caught her, ''and'' by the fact that she wrote "UsefulNotes/{{Baka}}[=/=]Idiot" on his forehead while he was sleeping, ''he'' starts scribbling "Baka/Idiot" all over the walls of the ship in a rage.

Eventually, he writes it on the forehead of Keyne Aqua (who was in stasis after escaping from Sir Papacharino Nanadan) and then falls asleep on her, because she reminds him of Aun's older sister (who took care of him when he was young -- but moved away after getting married). Neat little fact about marriage in that galaxy. Instead of giving each other rings, the guy will "claim" the girl by tattooing the symbol on his head onto hers. And guess whose doodling just activated the ship's wake-up routine?

Not to be confused with the "[[DuelingProducts other]]" major [[Series/{{Photon}} laser tag game franchise]] of TheEighties, or the live-action SciFi series (made to promote the previously mentioned game) produced by Creator/DiCEntertainment.[[note]]With miniatures made by regular AIC collaborator Artmic.[[/note]]

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!!This show includes:

* AccidentalMarriage: When Photon, who had the word "Baka" drawn on his forehead by Aun, takes out his frustration by drawing it on an unconscious Keyne. Where Keyne comes from, drawing your partner's crest signifies marriage. [[spoiler:Also done at the very end to Aun, Lashara, and Keyne (again, after it was erased by Papacharino's meddling), but Photon still doesn't understand the significance.]]
* AccidentalPervert: When Keyne strips as she searches for the tracker Papacharino put on her, he starts to rise out of the floor and is accidentally treated to a "nice view" for a few seconds. He then [[DistractedByTheSexy pauses for a few more seconds to enjoy this view]], giving her a chance to destroy the tracker and escape (briefly).
* AdmiringThePoster: Photon stops to admire a large billboard ad in the market square that features a nearly nude woman with ample breasts. "Like nii-san," he notes, as the woman reminds him of who he looked up to as an older sister, who'd left the family home after being betrothed to a townsman.
* AllMenArePerverts: Papacharino tries to convince Photon to help him peek in on the Women's bath, citing this as Man's Duty.
* ArmorIsUseless: All the Brain Crystals in the universe can't stop a punch from Photon.
* BarbieDollAnatomy: [[ZigZaggedTrope Zig-Zagged]]. Nipples are shown, but the female characters aren't depicted with genitalia at all, male characters have their genitals covered by a black circle, the only exception is Photon whose genitalia is on full display.
* BlindShoulderToss: Keyne Aqua gives Photon a bath in her starship's pool, starting by pouring shampoo onto Photon's head at the start of chapter two. She simply lobs the bottle over her shoulder to free up both her hands to begin lathering Photon's hair. Neither shampoo nor bottle are seen nor mentioned thereafter.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Photon gets trapped in a transparent cell with Keyne, who has been turned psychotic by the EvilOverlord. It's a lopsided cage match, since Photon has a WouldntHitAGirl ethic. The Emperor does this purely ForTheEvulz. Keyne proceeds to pummel poor Photon bloody.
* BuxomBeautyStandard: The primary reason Photon took a liking to Keyne Aqua, even though she tried to zap him out of existence, is that her bare breasts remind Photon of Aun's older sister, who'd left him behind after being betrothed to a townsman. Aun is envious of Keyne's breasts, and Keyne loses no chance to needle Aun over their size disparity. However, both women are put to shame when Princess Lashara Moon joins them in the inn's hot spring. Lashara's breasts leave both Keyne and Aun gawking in awe.
* CanonWelding: WordOfGod says that Sandy Planet becomes the titular planet form ''Anime/TenchiMuyoWarOnGeminar''.
%% * CarryABigStick: Photon's weapon of choice.
%% * TheChessmaster: [[spoiler:The Galactic Emperor]]
* CleavageWindow: Keyne Aqua's outfit combines a Bolero jacket with an exercise leotard that leaves a rhombus-shaped space which frames her breastbone.
* CluelessChickMagnet: Right to the very end, Photon is still unaware of what the female attention on him means. [[spoiler:Or that he's effectively [[MarryThemAll married three women]] at the very end.]]
* CranialEruption: A huge bump grows out of Aun's head whenever he knocks her out.
* DesertBandits: Three bandits waylay the lovestruck Aun ''en route'' to her idol, Laman, in the trackless sandy desert. They also have a weapon that can drop boulders on people, and decide to dispose of Aun with it after taking the Sacred Object from her. (Photon, as a favor to her older sister, saves her.) These three bandits appear again later, cornering Princess Lashara against a rock wall where the desert gives way to the edge of town. Once again, Photon appears to make short work of them.
* DismissiveKick: Papacharino acts as a Bad Boss to his corps of dwarfish servants called Pochis. Whether delivering good news, bad news or even a status update, the Pochis get kicked around like footballs by Papacharino. It's a wonder the Pochis remain so fervently loyal. Even a concubine he'd been seducing gets booted off the bed so Papacharino can take a phone call. He's that much a JerkAss.
* DisneyDeath: Keyne sort of has one, though it's actually a fake blown up doll of her. Unfortunately, Photon thinks it's real and goes to hug it. He does so too hard and it deflates. Thinking he killed her he bursts into tears.
* DroolDeluge: Photon tends to drool at the thought of mealtimes. A steady stream of saliva cascades from his mouth in episode 3, as Keyne prepares breakfast. However, she forbids Photon from sampling it before it's ready, and when the time comes, the villain appears and wrecks the layout. In fact, Papacharino does this at every mealtime, leaving poor Photon drooling rivers with hunger, yet not getting one bite that whole day.
* EarthAllAlong: Implied with Sandy Planet when it's turned into the Green Planet at the end, it looks exactly like Earth. According to WordOfGod, Sandy Planet eventually became [[Anime/TenchiMuyoWarOnGeminar Geminar]].
* FanDisservice: Any shot of Papacharino's lower half.
* {{Fanservice}}: Five minutes in, and lithe Keyne is stripping herself nude in an attempt to find a tracking device in her garments. There is one, sewn into her panties. Later, as her starship is crashing on Sandy Planet, she goes to bed nude, which is how TheHero discovers her.
* ForcedBath: When Keyne Aqua awakens to find measly Photon in her bed, she tries to obliterate him with "aho energy," but Photon is too dodgy to die. Resigned to merely conversing with him, Keyne detects a foul odor and asks Photon when he last bathed. "Two months ago," he replies. Keyne leads him to her starship's natatorium, where she strips him naked and tosses him in. Photon has a WouldntHitAGirl ethic, so he puts up only a token resistance while Keyne pours liquid soap on him, and starts washing him vigorously.
* FullFrontalAssault: When Keyne wakes up in front of Photon, she immediately goes on the offensive and attacks. It takes her a while to remember that she's completely naked.
* GodhoodSeeker: Papacharino's ambition and reason for chasing/abducting Keyne.
* HandBlast: Photon's flighty sister Aun can launch a stasis field from her fingers (or her mouth if she's panicking). She fires one off to freeze Photon's sand cart, causing him to topple off into a canyon. Keyne Aqua can shoot zap balls from her palm, but only if she's wearing an aho bracelet on that wrist. She fires off five of these at Photon, whom she'd found in her bed when she awoke.
* [[SheIsNotMyGirlfriend He Is Not My Boyfriend]]: Aun says this about Photon whenever it's brought up.
* HotSpringsEpisode: Chapter 4 has Photon, Keyne Aqua and Princess Lashara visit an inn for a rest and a meal. The inn turns out to be owned and operated by Aun's older sister. The inn also has a hot spring, segregated by gender. When Keyne learns that a mysterious power source keeps the water warm, she deduces that her grandfather's aho generator is the cause.
* IdiotHero: Photon isn't terribly bright, and he's supremely gullible. But he's super strong, has a kindly heart, and takes protecting his friends as his life's mission.
* InflatingBodyGag: after being asked why she wasn't eating from her sister Aun inflates like a balloon after Keyne teases her about getting fat.
* KillTheParentRaiseTheChild: [[spoiler:If the wicked and capricious Emperor is telling the truth, then he and another man discovered the secret of aho energy. The greedy fellow killed his partner, then pulled a SwitchedAtBirth trick, raising Lashara Moon as his own while leaving his rightful daughter Keyne Aqua to be raised by a rebel faction. This proves to be a BatmanGambit, since Keyne became a living key that unlocks the aho generator, which can grant its user godlike powers]].
* LargeHam: Papacharino Nanadan has a few opportunities to capture Keyne, but wastes time putting on an elaborate production to ChewTheScenery about how magnificent he is. This self-aggrandizing allows Photon plenty of time to wallop him before he lays a hand on Keyne.
%% * LethalChef: Keyne, possibly Aun as well.
* ALongTimeAgoInAGalaxyFarFarAway: Played nearly straight bar some implications that Sandy Planet is a version of Earth.
* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler:The Galactic Emperor is Keyne's father, and Lashara is ''not'' his daughter.]]
* LustMakesYouDumb: The Villain Papacharino Nanandan is a minor nobleman in the Emperor's court, and he harbors plans to attain godlike powers with which to seize the throne. His libido, however, tends to sabotage this effort. He has either 16 or 19 wives (depending on the source) and is wooing the Emperor's daughter Lashara Moon. He has a fine chance to capture Keyne Aqua aboard her starship, but pauses to leer at her while she undresses. He blows his cash on booze and floozies while staying at an inn, for which he has to work off his debt. Lastly, he tries to cajole his adversary, Photon, into punching a peephole in the rock wall that separates the men's hot spring from the women's. Instead, Photon applies a MegatonPunch to smash Papacharino completely through the rocks, which he somehow survives
%% * TheManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler:Bulan, aka the Galactic Emperor]]
* MeaningfulName: Keyne Aqua is [[spoiler:''the key'' to unlocking the hidden power of the gods.]]
* MegatonPunch: Papacharino is on the receiving end of this quite a bit.
* MistakenForBadVision: Photon sees his reflection in the mirror-like walls of Keyne's bedchamber, and notices the katakana for baka (idiot) on his forehead. Photon closes his eyes and shakes his head, as these marks must be an illusion. They're not: his flighty friend Aun scribbled them on Photon while he slept. Later, Keyne sees baka on her forehead, and likewise closes her eyes and shakes her head in disbelief. Alas, Photon drew the katakana on Keyne, because he couldn't think of anything better to do with a naked young woman lying on her bed.
* MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning: [[spoiler:The Galactic Emperor deliberately allowed himself to be assassinated by Papacharino.]]
* NakedPeopleAreFunny: Nudity is PlayedForLaughs just as much as it is for fanservice. One notable example is when Papacharino is communicating with his fiance...while hiding the fact that he's wearing no pants and that there's a naked woman in the room with him that he was just having sex with.
* NoSell: Most of the setting's {{Magitek}} and superpowers are based on Aho energy. Photon happens to be the focal point of anti-Aho energy, which allows him to NoSell any Aho-based effects (and gives him SuperStrength).
** And [[BigBad the Emperor]], knowing this, uses anti-Aho energy against Photon, which everyone else is immune to.
* OutOfClothesExperience: The wicked Emperor has used his powers to make Keyne Aqua BrainwashedAndCrazy. He also keeps the soul of Keyne's mother inside his body, about where his liver should be. This disembodied naked soul escapes her prison after Photon manages to skewer the Emperor with his staff, whereupon she breaks the spell upon Keyne, restoring her daughter to sanity. Spirit mother and mortal daughter share a hug before the mother departs.
* PhantomZonePicture: Aun gets trapped in one of these by [[spoiler:Bulan]]. However, she still manages to punch Papacharino's head until it ''bleeds''.
* PunnyName: There is the plot-central Aho energy; aho and baka both mean, roughly, idiot.
* QuiveringLip: Between Aun and Keyne feuding with each other, and LargeHam Papacharino wrecking the meals, poor hungry Photon doesn't get one bite to eat across two days' time. He gets OcularGushers and an oscillating lower lip as his meal gets spilled to the ground every time. Photon is even willing to eat the dirty food, but the women forbid it.
%% * TheReveal
* SandWorm: One attacks a frightened Pochi, only to be skewered by Photon and devoured.
* ShooOutTheClowns: InUniverse example, when the BigBad, who's been manipulating the protagonists from the start out of boredom, [[CurbStompBattle effortlessly crushes Papacharino]] and tells him to take a hike.
-->'''[[spoiler:Emperor]]:''' I enjoyed having you as my jester, but this next scene is a bit too serious for you.
%% * SkinshipGrope
%% * SuperStrength: Half of Photon's superpower.
%% * SwitchedAtBirth: [[spoiler:Keyne Aqua]] and [[spoiler:Lashara Moon]].
* TattooSharpie: Photon is so annoyed after Aun writes "idiot" on his forehead that he does the same to a MysteriousWaif that he discovers in suspended animation. Although the visible markings eventually go away, it becomes a ChekhovsGun when [[spoiler:the Big Bad tries to transform her into a power source that will give him godlike abilities, and the marking confuses the computer and screws up the process.]]
* TertiarySexualCharacteristics: Pochi #1 has a single central plait tied with a small bow; he's male. All the other Pochis, numbered 2 and higher, have no plaits and no bows; these are all female. Papacharino discovers this when they refuse to enter the men's hot spring at the roadside inn.
%% * ThanksForTheMammary
%% * {{Tsundere}}
%% * ATwinkleInTheSky
* UniformityException: All the diminutive Pochis look alike, only distinguishable by numbered collars. All the Pochis that serve the hammy villain Papacharino Nanandan are female, while Pochi #1 that serves Princess Lashara Moon is male, and is the only Pochi to have some of his hair drawn into a plait with a bow at the end.
* VideoCallFail: Papacharino Nanandan is at home, screwing one of his concubines (or wives, since he has 16 or 19, according to the story) when a video call comes in from Princess Lashara of the Imperial Palace. Papacharino hurriedly puts on a shirt and kicks his lady love off the bed. His servants, the dwarfish Pochis, set up the video phone to receive the call. He conducts the video call with the Princess while only dressed to the waist. His dangly bits, knobby knees, and hairy ass are below the camera frame.
* ViewerGenderConfusion: In an in-universe example, [[spoiler:Pochi (all of them, it seems)]] are actually [[spoiler:women]], which surprises even [[spoiler:Papacharino, their master/employer]].
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: [[spoiler:The Galactic Emperor reveals that he was bored with galactic conquest and wanted some new excitement]].
* WouldntHitAGirl: Photon gets trapped in a transparent cell with a BrainwashedAndCrazy Keyne, who proceeds to pummel the stuffing out of him. Despite having a staff, and a MegatonPunch, Photon does nothing by way of defense, except cry "Keyne!" repeatedly. It becomes a IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight in close quarters, with Photon left battered and bleeding. Averted with Aun, though: the best way to deactivate her statis field is with a jolly whack on her noggin, producing a dandy lump with InstantBandages.
* WrongBathroomIncident: A wall of huge rocks separates the men's hot spring from the women's at Photon's sister's inn. Horndog villain Papacharino instructs Photon to punch a hole in this rock wall to allow him to peek at the girls. However, Papacharino's callousness makes Pochi cry, for which Photon hits Papacharino with a MegatonPunch that smashes him completely through the rocks and into the girls' waters. Not only does he survive this, but Papacharino exults at getting such a close view. The three young women beat him silly and throw him out. The innkeeper then makes Papacharino a servant in order to recoup the necessary repairs to her hot springs.
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* HandBlast: Photon's flighty sister Aun can launch a stasis field from her fingers (or her mouth if she's panicking). She fires one off to freeze Photon's sand cart, causing him to topple off into a canyon. Keyne Aqua can shoot zap balls from her palm, but only if she's wearing an aho bracelet on that wrist. She fires off five of these at Photon, whom she'd found in her bed when she awoke.

* EarthAllAlong: Implied with Sandy Planet when it's turned into the Green Planet at the end, it looks exactly like Earth. Sandy Planet eventually became [[Anime/TenchiMuyoWarOnGeminar Geminar]].

[[caption-width-right:350:Promo art for the upcoming 2023 Blu-ray release]]

* InflatingBodyGag: after being asked why she wasn't eating fro. Her sister Aun inflates like a balloon after Keyne teases her about getting fat.

* ''Anime/{{Photon}}'': Photon's flighty sister Aun can launch a stasis field from her fingers (or her mouth if she's panicking). She fires one off to freeze Photon's sand cart, causing him to topple off into a canyon. Keyne Aqua can shoot zap balls from her palm, but only if she's wearing an aho bracelet on that wrist. She fires off five of these at Photon, whom she'd found in her bed when she awoke.

%% * IdiotHero: Take a wild guess.
%% * LargeHam: Papacharino Nanadan.

* WouldntHitAGirl: Photon gets trapped in a transparent cell with a BrainwashedAndCrazy Keyne, who proceeds to pummel the stuffing out of him. Despite having a staff, and a MegatonPunch, Photon does nothing by way of defense, except cry "Keyne!" repeatedly. It becomes a IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight in close quarters, with Photon left battered and bleeding. Averted with Photon's half-sister Aun, though: the best way to deactivate her statis field is with a jolly whack on her noggin, producing a dandy lump with InstantBandages.

* TattooSharpie: Photon is so annoyed after his sister writes "idiot" on his forehead that he does the same to a MysteriousWaif that he discovers in suspended animation. Although the visible markings eventually go away, it becomes a ChekhovsGun when [[spoiler:the Big Bad tries to transform her into a power source that will give him godlike abilities, and the marking confuses the computer and screws up the process.]]

* BuxomBeautyStandard: The primary reason Photon took a liking to Keyne Aqua, even though she tried to zap him out of existence, is that her bare breasts remind Photon of Aun's older sister, who'd left him behind after being betrothed to a townsman. Photon's other sister, Aun is envious of Keyne's breasts, and Keyne loses no chance to needle Aun over their size disparity. However, both women are put to shame when Princess Lashara Moon joins them in the inn's hot spring. Lashara's breasts leave both Keyne and Aun gawking in awe.

* AdmiringThePoster: Photon stops to admire a large billboard ad in the market square that features a nearly nude woman with ample breasts. "Like nii-san," he notes, as the woman reminds him of his older sister, who'd left the family home after being betrothed to a townsman.

* BuxomBeautyStandard: The primary reason Photon took a liking to Keyne Aqua, even though she tried to zap him out of existence, is that her bare breasts remind Photon of his older sister, who'd left him behind after being betrothed to a townsman. Photon's other sister, Aun is envious of Keyne's breasts, and Keyne loses no chance to needle Aun over their size disparity. However, both women are put to shame when Princess Lashara Moon joins them in the inn's hot spring. Lashara's breasts leave both Keyne and Aun gawking in awe.

* DesertBandits: Three bandits waylay the lovestruck Aun ''en route'' to her idol, Laman, in the trackless sandy desert. They also have a weapon that can drop boulders on people, and decide to dispose of Aun with it after taking the Sacred Object from her. (Her brother, Photon, saves her.) These three bandits appear again later, cornering Princess Lashara against a rock wall where the desert gives way to the edge of town. Once again, Photon appears to make short work of them.

* HotSpringsEpisode: Chapter 4 has Photon, Keyne Aqua and Princess Lashara visit an inn for a rest and a meal. The inn turns out to be owned and operated by Photon's older sister. The inn also has a hot spring, segregated by gender. When Keyne learns that a mysterious power source keeps the water warm, she deduces that her grandfather's aho generator is the cause.

* MistakenForBadVision: Photon sees his reflection in the mirror-like walls of Keyne's bedchamber, and notices the katakana for baka (idiot) on his forehead. Photon closes his eyes and shakes his head, as these marks must be an illusion. They're not: his flighty sister Aun scribbled them on Photon while he slept. Later, Keyne sees baka on her forehead, and likewise closes her eyes and shakes her head in disbelief. Alas, Photon drew the katakana on Keyne, because he couldn't think of anything better to do with a naked young woman lying on her bed.