

A mad scientist, a lovesick chef, and a ring that could literally reach the stars — steampunk romance at its most unhinged.
Sometime during the late 19th century, a young Asian girl has made a place for herself in a seaside town as the owner and operator of the Tenkai restaurant and boarding house... Yet "Miss China," as the locals call her, is in the dumps. She's got a Mad Scientist named Breckenridge living upstairs who is chronically late with the rent, and she's pining for Jim, a handsome watchmaker's apprentice whom she mistakenly believes is pursuing the local flower girl. But this isn't our world. It is a world that has the Spirit of Wonder, where every so often, just occasionally mind you, amazing things happen. The Mad Scientist actually has come up with an incredible invention, and Jim has an unbelievable plan to use it to give Miss China the most beautiful ring in all the World.
Direction
Hongo balances madcap invention with genuine yearning.
Cinematography
Gorgeous watercolor skies and clanking brass machinery.
Writing
Breckenridge's rent-dodging is comedic perfection.
Director
Mitsuru Hongo
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This OVA is based on Kenji Tsuruta's manga, and its 45-minute runtime was unusually generous for 1992 direct-to-video anime.
The 'Spirit of Wonder' concept — where the extraordinary occasionally pierces mundane reality — became Tsuruta's signature thematic obsession across multiple works.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters