In the Beginning is the first episode of Season 1 of the Monster Rancher anime series. It aired in Japan on April 17, 1999.
Synopsis[]
Genki wins a Monster Rancher 200X CD in a video game tournament. When he plays the CD, he is pulled into the Monster Rancher world! There he meets Holly and Suezo and learns that the world of Pangaea is being threatened by an evil warlord named Moo.
Full Recap[]
In a large arena, a Monster Battle tournament is taking place. The announcer announces to the cheering crowd, "And now with the scores all tied up, the Monster Rancher tournament's final battle." He then announces the two challengers, Michael from Team Big, and Genki from Team Rollers. The final battle is between these two team captains. The battle starts on the big screen, Michael controlling a Magna (Rock Monster) and Genki controlling a Pink Suezo (Eyeball Monster). Genki's doing well until Mike's Magna hits him with a spinning attack, knocking Genki's Pi Suezo down, but not out. Genki keeps his Suezo down until 2 seconds from the end of the match, when he uses the Pink Suezo's "bite" attack, knocking out Magna. Genki's team receives plaques at an awards ceremony, the announcer explains, "In addition to the winner's plaque's, Genki's special prize is software so new it's not even on the market, Monster series 200X." The announcer continues to explain that it's still in development, but Genki will get it first. Genki's dream ends, and we see Genki has fallen asleep in English class.
When the teacher wakes him, Genki jumps up and shouts, "Monster Battle!" After sitting back down, Genki starts think about how dull his life seems. He looks out the window, and again falls into a dream. This time Genki dreams he is in the world of the monsters. The teacher once again wakes Genki up by yelling at him, when the bell rings and school is out. Genki rushes out of the classroom and down the hall, with the teacher yelling something about his homework at him. He rushes home and into an apartment building chanting "Let it be there, Let it be there." He opens his mailbox in the apartment to find a large package addressed to him. He grabs it and rushes to the elevator. When the elevator takes too long (about three seconds) Genki rushes down the stairs and to his apartment. Genki's in since a rush his mom has to remind to say he's home, and to say "thank you" for the sweet cakes she set out. Genki rips open his package, and after kissing the CD a few times, starts the game. The TV screen flashes a MECTO and the game tells the story of the monsters.
Long ago, when the world was one continent, a disaster struck the earth. New lifeforms arose to fill the emptiness left by the disaster. Battles arose and some lifeforms were hidden or imprisoned and humans were trusted with they're guardianship. Generations have past, and many of the lifeforms have been released (on screen, an elephant and giraffe come out of "mystery disks"), many more remain hidden, waiting for the moment they will come to life. (On screen a dino and worm are shown coming out of mystery disks.)
The game starts and we see Holly and Suezo (eyeball monster) being chased by a herd of Black Dinos. The Black Dinos are demanding they return the mystery disk, but the Suezo refuses and starts spitting at them. Genki is knocked down by some spit that apparently came out of the TV. The Suezo and Holly are rushing toward and bridge leading to a ruined temple (shrine). The game asks Genki if he wants to go to the temple, and Genki chooses "Yes". Holly reaches the monster "unlocking" device in the shrine, and the game tells Genki to insert a CD. At the same time, Holly is setting the mystery disk on the unlocking device. Both Holly and Genki hit to controls to "unlock" the disk. Genki's TV turns dark and starts sucking in Genki and everything else in the room. Genki and most of the other stuff in his room falls into the unlocking device. Genki lands on his butt and starts jumping around when he nearly runs into Suezo. He says the Suezo looked so real, it nearly scared him. Suezo insists he is real and proves it by eating half of Genki who escapes by tickling the uvula at the back of Suezo's mouth. Holly asks Genki where he came from. Genki tries to explain, but talks so fast he doesn't make much sense. The Black Dinos charge in, and Holly and Suezo, who carries Genki with his tongue, run for it. The three hide behind some fallen rocks, and after the Black Dinos charge past, Genki identifies them as Black Dinos, but they look a little different from the ones he knows. Suezo and Holly ask how much he knows about monsters. Genki explains he the Monster battle champ, but this doesn't make sense to either of them. Before Genki can explain, the Black Dinos find them and the three run back to the unlocking room.
There they are surrounded by Black Dinos. Genki finds his backpack and skates where they fell onto the unlocking platform, and puts his skates on. Genki skates past the Black Dinos, and grabs Holly carrying her out of the temple. Suezo hops behind him trying to catch up. That night the three are gathered around a campfire. Genki is running around yelling about how exciting the days been. Suezo tells Holly not to feel bad, they win some and lose some. Genki climbs a tree and looks around at his new world, cheering about how he's the champ. Down below at the campfire Suezo tells Holly he doesn't blame her for feeling blue, they were expecting the Phoenix, and instead got this kid. When Genki comes back down, Holly asks him how it could be that he was playing a game in his world, and then suddenly appear in theirs. Genki says he knows it doesn't make much sense, but that's what happened.
He then pulls the game console out of his backpack. He shows to Holly when the CD falls out. Holly gasps, "A mystery disk". Genki says it's just a CD-ROM, but Holly says that in this world it's a mystery disk and may hold the Phoenix. Suezo and Holly then tell Genki the story of Moo, the evil monster who turns monster into baddies to try and take over the world. Genki says Moo shouldn't be allowed to do that. "Oh, really," says Captain Black Dino as he and the Black Dinos come of the forest and surround Genki, Holly and Suezo. Genki distracts the Black Dinos by throwing the game console at them, and then skates off with Holly on his back. Genki tells Holly he wants to go back to the shrine, because maybe his game CD has the Phoenix. Suezo says it's worth a try. When Genki reaches the shrine, Holly sets up the monster unlocker and Genki puts the disc in position. Genki tries to unlock the disc, but nothing happens. Right after his failed attempt, the Black Dinos rush in. Captain Black Dino says he wants the mystery disk, and Suezo says that he can have it since it's a fake. Despite this, Genki wants another try at unlocking the disk. To buy him some time, Holly gets out her cooking gear and attacks the Black Dinos with a pan. This time Genki's successful at unlocking the disk. When the machine activates, the dinoes stop attacking Holly and Suezo and watch. Holly thinks it's the Phoenix. Instead of the Phoenix, the disk unlocked a bouncing pink ball with a dark green stripe. This ball bounces a few times before arms and legs pop out. Seeing it wasn't the Phoenix, the Black Dinos surround Genki.
The new monster starts talking, "Mocchi hungry." Captain Black Dino says he'd like the new monster for a pet, and picks it up. Genki skates in from behind Captain Black Dino, and knocks him into the unlocking controls, which sets off an explosion in the shrine. Genki grabs Holly and the new monster and skates out of the shrine before it collapses. Some distance away from the shrine, our heroes are resting. Genki tells Holly he wants to go along on her journey. Holly asks if he's ready to face Moo. Genki tells her that his name means energy and that he has lots of it, and that he's willing to join her. After Holly, Genki and Suezo are properly introduced to each other, it's decided the new monster needs a name. After the new monster turns down a couple of name suggestions, Genki notices the new monster looks like the sweet cakes his mother gave him, and decides to call the monster Mocchi. Mocchi decides he likes this name.
Trivia[]
- The blooming cherry blossom trees can be seen in Allenville, which would typically indicate to a Japanese viewer that it is springtime. In most major cities, including Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, the cherry blossom season typically takes place in early April.
- Genki's English voice actor, Andrew Francis, was a child at the start of the dubbing recording sessions. Francis entered puberty during the dub's production, which caused Genki's voice to slowly deepen as the show went on. By the show's third season, Francis' voice had deepened to the point he was completely unrecognizable compared to the earliest episodes, which necessitated re-dubbing flashback scenes for the sake of consistency.
Featured Characters[]
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Featured Monsters[]
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