ソ・ラ・ノ・ヲ・ト/ So-Ra-No-Wo-To

Hmmmmm

For some reason this story caught my attention, it is a story of a place where continuous war has devastate it and leave it exhausted in future. A 15 year old girl joined a military unit consists of 5 girls, blaring music over towns that is devoid of people and seas that has no fish. Sounds like some pacifist, green hugging story with moe characters thrown in. After witnessing the success of Strike Witches, A-1 Studio might decided to take a plunge with military moe genre? What struck me is people are expecting this to be cheerful and happy brainless moeblob K-On! copy. However, looking at the synopsis, it did not seem this way to me nor the choice of director for the upcoming series. Slated for January 2010 airing.

Director is a dude who did the infamous Elfen Lied, Mamoru Kanbe. The art style looked familiar? It looks like Kannagi because it from same studio, I suppose. Script is by Hiroyiki Hoshino who did Macross Frontier.

I sensing a potential train wreck like Saikano or over-the-top violence and self pity of Elfen Lied. Interesting.

anime

Summer Wars was honoured in 13th Japan Media Arts Festival Awards

Mamoru Hosada's Summer Wars won critical acclaim, awarded Grand Prize in Animation by Japanese Ministry of Cultural Affairs. To me, this movie deserves the accolade, it has more tight pacing than Girl Who Leap Time by same director back in 2007. More on this movie review later.

Now let's see what I have covered in this blog that has won the awards or selected by jury, I am pretty gratified that the Japanese government seems to agree with most of my choice. LOL.

1. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 ( Excellent Prize)
2. Canaan (Jury Selection)
3. Toradora! (ibid)
4. Nodame Cantabile: Paris (ibid)
5. Eden of the East (ibid)

Manga award goes to excellent Saga of Vinland, a Japanese version of Viking story. More on this later too. The award ceremony is scheduled on next year February.

Source
Source no 2

anime

Break Blade / ブレイクブレイド anime series trailer is out

I have been reading the manga and it is not bad. I liked the clean art and gritty mecha designs with some Escaflowne taint thrown in. However, I am kinda skeptical on how the anime will able to bring out the story to shine, I am pretty suspicious that it will be another hanging ending type of story since AFAIK, the manga yet to be finished in Japan at the time of this entry was made. There is going to be 6 movies. XEBEC and Production I.G will be tasked in making of the movies, directed by the Fafner guy, Nobuyoshi Hara. (oh no, emo time?) Supervisory Director will be the dude who did Macross 7 (bleh!) and Starship Trooper OVA Tetsuro Amino.

Why I have a feeling that it will be emo pilots with some dosage of music thrown in for good measure while piloting semi realistic mecha? And why they need a Supervisory Director? Sounds like they can't trust the Fafner guy not to emo too much perhaps?

The story centered on tragedy of friendship been torn apart by politics and history, spiced with mecha that runs on magic except for one. The battle scenes in manga is a bit Gundamsque with emphasis on speed and "dueling" as primary combat actions, not really militaristic squad based mecha action like Gasaraki or FLAG.

Let's see how it turns out.

Source

anime

Fate/Stay Night TV episodes will be reworked and released

Right, I heard it from my friend that the studio in conjunction with Unlimited Blade Works movie release will redo 12 episodes of Fate/Stay Night TV series. In an obvious ploy to milk more $$$ from fans, it will be released in the 2 Bluray compilation featuring new versions of song and new animation (I wonder if the awful CG dragon will be re-edited). Set to be released in January 2010.

I am more interested in the movie to be honest. Can't wait to see the sword spammage between Gilgamesh and Shirou.

Source

anime

Go, the dancing robot

Awesome dancing robot from Japan.

anime

Wall Street Journal Discussion on State of Anime Industry now

Basically this article talks about poor state of animation industry workers and struggling economy as pointed earlier in this blog. Osamu Tezuka pioneering work in anime also brings in the concept of cheap pay for mass production of anime, this is recent result of his vision.

The more detailed link from WSJ.

anime

A real guy marries a girl from some game...WHAT?

Oh humanity! What kinda retarded shit is this?



And Japan was wondering why they are running out of kids now. Basically this dude goes by pseudo name of SAL 9000 marries this character from some game. The rest I leave it to the video to elaborate further.

anime