Riding Bean

Riding Bean is an Anime OVA produced by Studio AIC, created by Kenichi Sonoda and directed by Yasuo Hasegawa, released in February 22, 1989 with a run-time of 48 minutes.

The Anime OVA follows the exploits of Bean Bandit, a professional getaway driver (Think The Transporter) who's been framed for kidnapping the daughter of an electronics CEO. Using a series of tricks, clever plots and disguises, Bean and his friend (and trigger-woman) Rally Vincent attempt to avoid being captured as they work to clear their name. With many a good plot twist and a interesting story and plot, the OVA was well received.

The OVA was supposedly the pilot for a proposed anime series, but due to a falling out between Kenichi Sonoda and Toshiba EMI over the series left it with only one episode. Quickly moving on, Riding Bean served as a pilot of sorts for the related project Gunsmith Cats that Kenichi Sonoda went on the create in its place. GSC featured a redesigned Rally as the main character, with Bean making a number of appearances.

A Manga adaptation of Riding Bean was also produced by Kenichi Sonoda in 1989 but was left unfinished after four chapters due to the cancellation of Monthly Comic Noizy, the Japanese magazine in which it was published.

The anime has been licensed in North America by AnimEigo, and released on DVD and Blu-ray. In 2018 AnimEigo financed a limited-edition Blu-Ray Remaster through Kickstarter (which has since come out), and in 2019 Kenichi Sonoda himself used a Kickstarter campaign to finance an all-new Bean Bandit film.


 * Awesome McCoolname
 * A Man Is Not a Virgin - Bean; his sexuality is never addressed, but his masculinity never appears to be in question.
 * Ax Crazy - Percy
 * Badass Driver
 * The Berserker - Bean got really pissed at Semerling for hitting him with a fragmentation grenade. Later, she tries to run him over. He shoulder-checks her car and not only stops it cold, but pops it right off its front wheels!
 * Cannon Fodder - Potentially, any one of Semmerling's Mooks.
 * Chessmaster - Semmerling
 * Cool Car - Bean's especially so. With Bulletproofing, Gun Ports, Blade Braking and the ability to turn its wheels 90 degrees and drive that way.
 * According to creator Kenichi Sonada, all of the high-tech gadgetries found on Bean's car, except tires which could drive at 90-degree angles, were 100% technologically feasible at the time in which the anime was made. Although the MythBusters might take issue with this...
 * Heavy Sleeper - Bean.
 * Hypercompetent Sidekick - Dick (the Ying to Percy's Yang)
 * Inspector Lestrade - Percy, to a degree.
 * Karmic Death -
 * Kick the Dog - How Semmerling treats Carrie.
 * Latex Perfection - Semmerling can flawlessly impersonate a man with a handy rubber mask and a throat-ring that makes her voice low.
 * Kill It with Fire - Used against Bean. Doesn't work.
 * Made of Iron - Bean.
 * More Dakka - Used against Bean. Doesn't work.
 * Name's the Same - This version of Rally has absolutely nothing in common with the Rally of Gunsmith Cats aside from being a woman who is good with guns.
 * Psycho Lesbian - Semmerling.
 * Punch Clock Villain - Anyone stupid enough to join Semmerling's gang. See Cannon Fodder above.
 * Romantic Plot Tumor - There is absolutely no romantic subcontext between Bean and Rally.
 * The only hint that there's any sort of romantic relationship to be found in the story is when we learn of.
 * Shout-Out - The police chase scene is an extended one to The Blues Brothers.
 * Smug Snake - Semmerling fancies herself as a competent and elegant schemer, but makes plenty of extremely stupid decisions throughout her caper and goes absolutely ballistic when her plans inevitably goes awry.
 * Too Dumb to Live -