Anime Witch Hunter Robin

[OtakuSennen]

[color=navy]I first saw clips of this anime at the Anime-Con in Anaheim in July, and I found it to be so cool I embarassed myself at the karaoke thing at the Bandai booth just to get the shirt.. *can't stop wearing the shirt*

Ooh, and there was a big article in Anime Insider about the spoilers..

I, myself, want to buy the DVDs, yet sadly I am now flat broke and must complete the .hack//SIGN collection first.

But that's beside the point. What I want to know is how you feel about the series, if you've heard of it or not.

Oh, and also, how do you feel about the heavy gothic, dark theme of the show? Witches, flames, lotsa night-scene fights.. I think that it's pretty wicked awesome (Heh, wicked.. Couldn't pass that one up) and is worth the 25 bucks per DVD..

EDIT: Pardon this post. This was actually the first post of a WHR thread that I made quite a while back. [/color]

[Aya_Fujimiya_42]

Yeah The had the Same thing at Otakon.. but you didn't have to Sing.... All we had to do is Watch previws, But Yeah Witch Hunter robin Looks to be really cool, A frind of Mine has seen most or all of it all ready

[Angelus_Necare]

I first read about witch hunter robin in Newtype magazine. I haven't actualy seen the series as of yet but it looks quite interesting to me.

Supposedly the story is about a witch hunter named Robin (no, you don't say :sweat: ). Anyways Robin was transported to Japan from America, for a while the story is about her coping in a place where she has very few friends and the corporation looking down on her method of killing her persuers.

All in all it looks like a well written series that could have a lot of promise for anime fans looking for something a bit darker and more in depth.

as for singing for a t-shirt, hey I'd do it too, ;).

[pbfrontmanvdp]

Just picked this up the other day and its a rather new anime thats been released. Supposedly its supposed to be one of the top 10 hits (not this year but next year since they wont have all the DVD's out till 2004), and its been an enjoyable series so far. Its produced by the same creators of Cowboy Bebop and has the mood of a Hellsing anime (without the hardcore gore and stuff). Chrisben Freeman (voice actor of Arucard) is also in it as well who i think is one of my favorite dub voice actors. Whats unique about this is its not all about just "useless" action this time like DBZ, anime types like that. Instead its more focused on the plot and story line with enough action to keep you interested in seeing it.

Just wanna know if anyone has seen this anime and if they enjoy it or not.

[Dagger]

Hmm. I'm actually not a very big fan of Crispin Freeman (that man has such a peculiar name), although I can't claim to have seen Hellsing. In Revolutionary Girl Utena, his performance as Touga was a little too over-the-top for my tastes. Mr. Freeman also played Kagetsu in Shamanic Princess. He did a fairly good job in that particular role, but nothing about his portrayal of the character struck me as being really great or memorable. All the same, he does possess a lovely voice.

Witch Hunter Robin is very high on my list of "anime to see." However, I've read reviews which said that it doesn't really get interesting until around the eleventh episode. If you've seen that far, is this true?

~Dagger~

[AzureWolf]

I'm in the process of watching it. What I've seen so far hasn't been anything spectacular, though. What's really disappointing is how the first episode fails to grab your attention at all. Maybe it's all the brown-grey coloring style of the series. :D [quote]However, I've read reviews which said that it doesn't really get interesting until around the eleventh episode.[/quote] Really? Well, then, there's still hope for this series. Still, I think it's a standard anime: not bad, but not great. Worth a watch only if you have the time. Heh, but this is my opinion before the eleventh episode.

[outlawstar69]

I've watched the first episode. I liked it; I hadn't seen the others in the same style that you had mentioned. I heard it was coming to adult swim in february from a friend; does anyone know the validity of this? I'll wait untill then to watch it, if true.

[Ani_Freak]

[color=darkblue]I'll say that it begins to be much more interesting at around episode 8. I have the DVD's that are available right now and they pretty much have the same from episode to episode. [spoiler]These first episodes are just cases that the STNJ take. For each episode, a new case.[/spoiler] But things start to pick up at around the episore I just mentioned.

What made me take interest in this series is the gothic feel it has and how it looks. I read on a magazine some of the story and kind of wanted to check it out. As far as the series goes, its a pretty descent show, worth following.[/color]

[Aya_Fujimiya_42]

[COLOR=deeppink][FONT=century gothic]I've seen the first DVD of Witch hunter robin.... I Realy like it.. and I Have seen all of Hellsing. Chispin Freem Was Also the Voice of Zel in Slayers. And From What My Friend Said About WHR The Good Stuff starts happening after Ep 7. He seen all of it fans subbed.. and theres AlSo A Rumor going around.. That Cartoon Network and will be airing Witch Hunter Robin, Wolf's Rain, as Well As Groove Adventure Rave.... [/FONT][/COLOR]

[WolfAngel]

I've seen the first several episodes, and what I've read on this thread seems to be just what I thought as well-
the first episodes were intriguing, but not spectacular.

to me, it seemed a bit too much like Hellsing, but then again, I haven't seen all of it.

animation was great, tho.

[OtakuSennen]

[color=midnightblue]I got the limited edition first DVD for my birthday last Wednesday, heavily anticipating a great series with a ton of character development and action, with great character design to match. I found that it somewhat fulfilled my hunger, but it's not my favorite series of all time (At least, from what I've seen).

I mean, I got really hyped up about it at the 2003 Anime Expo in Anaheim, and the video they presented there in the Bandai booth showed a ton of amazing action-packed scenes.. Plus I think they put something in the Witch Hunter Robin T-shirts they were giving out had some sort of propaganda that made people want to buy the DVDs. I popped in the disc, and felt that it didn't quite meet what I was anticipating.

The character design (particularly the faces) tend to bother me. The way their mouths are drawn just irritates me for some reason. I guess I'm just not used to it. I may have to lay of the Sadomoto art for a while to adapt to anything else without Eva-esque art.

The first three episodes seemed a little slow and dull, though. At episode four things started to pick up, and I now enjoy the series pretty well.

Of course I shall persist and buy the entire series whether I like it or not (I bought the box that fits the whole series in it, after all) and I'm pretty sure I'll be satisfied.

By the way, who sang the opening theme, Shell? It kind of sounds like something Do As Infinity would perform, in my opinion..[/color]

[pbfrontmanvdp]

Since i didn't see a thread about this on the first 2 pages, and the fact on Monday it started on AS I decided to start a new one. As of right now on AS their curruently on episode #3 (make that 4 if you count today) and DVD wise volume 3.

The first DVD may seem a little boring at first but if you loved the first episode, you'll love the rest of it. It basically is about this team called the STNJ that at first are composed of humans hunting the witches, but later on the "rookie" named Robin steps in for the new position. Shes a craft user that has a speciality in fire spells and the ability to notice information of other craft users. The second and third DVD pick up tremendously and things start to get interesting. The third DVD is espically unique since it has a plot twist that is boggeling my mind like crazy.

The art work is great so far, I love Robin's hair style. Wish my gf had that type of hair...nah j/k but i do like it. The colors are usually dark in mind, but it fits in perfectly with the setting.

I can't wait for the next 3 DVD's to come out, so all i want to know is how others think of this anime so far.

[Nikorasu]

I've seen the first few episodes. It's pretty good.

[Kanariya]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Once I saw the first episode of Witch Hunter Robin on AS, I was actually pretty satisfied with it.

One, in my opinion, it wasn't all that boring. When the witch had gotten shot, I was hooked, because I usually love action anime.
Another thing is the art design and animation. Both are great, but I got really happy with the art design, because it was something 'different.' Plus, which was already mentioned, Robin's hairstyle. I have always wished for hair like that.
But I do love the dark theme added, dark themes in an anime I always like if it is used correctly to fit in the anime. This anime is based on the hunting witches part, and I don't think the creators would make their outfits pink.[/COLOR]

[Dagger]

[quote name='Nikorasu']I've seen the first few episodes. It's pretty good.[/quote]

Why is Witch Hunter Robin "pretty good"? All you've done here is state your feelings about the show; you need to provide justification for your opinions.

As I mentioned in my wish list thread, I've been very excited about WHR's arrival at AS. I like its unique character designs--they might even be described as daring--and smooth animation. Certain shots in the beginning episode remind me of scenes from X-TV, particularly when Amon first attacks the rouge witch.

Speaking of which, Amon is a fantastic (and highly attractive) character. I really look forward to learning more about his abilities.

I'm a little bit disappointed with WHR's dub. While it features a whole array of popular and talented VAs, here they all sound rather stiff. It could have something to do with the show's translated script; the dialogue is saddled with slow moments and awkward pauses. Hopefully everyone will eventually become more comfortable with their roles.

~Dagger~

[Bio]

[font=tahoma][color=sienna]I absolutely love this show. It's steadily moving to the top of my favorite anime list. The animation is spectacular, and the dubbing is also extremely good in my opinion. I haven't yet seen any awkward moments in which characters are out of proportion, or a mouth is moving a few seconds after the talking stops. In the first episode when the chief was talking, I noticed that the dubbing was especially good.

Another thing I like is that the characters are easily identifiable, and each have a very different 'look'. For isntance, Robin wears Colonial clothing, which most stereotype witches do, (regardless of the fact that she isn't a witch, she's still a craft user) and Amon looks like the stereotype witch/werewolf hunter due to the black overcoat, his unshaven look, and that hairstyle (I don't know what to call it). Even then, not everyone is stereotypical, but they still carry unique attributes. Also, you can pretty much tell that someone in that show is a witch, because they usually have wide, angry eyes with small pupils, and their mouth is usually sneering.

I also liked the fact that every witch has a different power, and that they arent exactly the classic witch, as there have been a wide range of witches already in the first few episodes. [/color][/font]

[Arkadyz]

[color=deepskyblue][font=times new roman]Well im enjoying this series alot so far. The look and feel of the series is excellent and works well with the subject matter.

Like everyone else has said I really dig robins look. The hair and the clothes give her a really distinct look. And thats another reason I like the series, the character designs. The characters dont follow the typical anime conventions of impossibly perfect looking human beings (Amon is about the closest the series has to that) with most of the agents and background characters appear like average looking people.

Im really looking forward to seeing what comes next and how robins powers will evolve and how she'll bring them under control.

All and all this show is an excellent addition to the AS lineup...Almost makes me forget they ever had Reign on...almost :p [/color][/font]

[pbfrontmanvdp]

[QUOTE=Dagger IX1]
I'm a little bit disappointed with WHR's dub. While it features a whole array of popular and talented VAs, here they all sound rather stiff. It could have something to do with the show's translated script; the dialogue is saddled with slow moments and awkward pauses. Hopefully everyone will eventually become more comfortable with their roles.

~Dagger~[/QUOTE]

I thought the VA's in the dub were just fine in WHR. I espically like Chirs Freeman's voice as Amon the most since hes my favorite VA. I just think he can play any character that has a dark role.

Anyway i have a pretty good question. Why are they playing WHR on AS first before they come out on DVD? I think its a pretty good idea since it will probably bring up the amount of sales on people purchasing the DVD's. With that in mind, why haven't companies decided to do this before for the more recent anime series???

[Dagger]

[QUOTE=pbfrontmanvdp]I thought the VA's in the dub were just fine in WHR. I espically like Chirs Freeman's voice as Amon the most since hes my favorite VA. I just think he can play any character that has a dark role.

Anyway i have a pretty good question. Why are they playing WHR on AS first before they come out on DVD? I think its a pretty good idea since it will probably bring up the amount of sales on people purchasing the DVD's. With that in mind, why haven't companies decided to do this before for the more recent anime series???[/QUOTE]

Yes, Crispin Freeman is usually an excellent VA. But there were moments in WHR when I got the sense that the characters' lines had been structured in order to minimize lip-flapping--a noble (if ultimately futile) goal. As I mentioned earlier, certain pauses sounded somewhat forced. Of course, this is all a matter of perception, and I tend to be very picky about dubs.

As for your question, ADV (the company that's in the process of releasing RahXephon, Full Metal Panic, Noir, and other popular series) owns The Anime Network, and therefore won't air any shows on AS. Tech TV also has the rights to several series. Meanwhile, CN can't show anything overly violent, expensive or controversial, and their main goal is to maximize ratings. This is why anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Ramna 1/2 will never be a part of Adult Swim.

~Dagger~

[G.D. Ryoko]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=Magenta]I loved the first three episodes of Witch Hunter Robin. So far, I think that it`s a great series. I love the mood of the anime, it`s so dark and mysterious, the type of thing I like to see on television. I also love the fact that they are hunting witches because I love reading about the Salem witch huntings and such.

The voice acting for the characters is pretty good. I think that the voices fit each character. The animation is also really good, the characters look great. I can`t wait to see what happens as the series progresses.
[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Sere Tuscumbia]

[font=Times New Roman]Ohhohohohoho. I have found it, and it makes me happy. I think the first time I heard about Witch Hunter Robin was in my Animerica, and I fell in love with the series without actually watching it. And, you know, I scoped the WHR site, and started drooling on my keyboard before 1 minute was up. ^^[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]I am actually very, [i]very[/i] pleased with WHR on AS. Yeah, a lot of the conversation sounds like the characters have a stick stuck up their butt, but I agree with Dagger, I think that the voice actors will become more comfortable with their characters and each other as the series progresses. (Although I still think that Harry sounds so much like a woman . . . )[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]And the style of WHR is gorgeous. Everyone (esp. Robin!) have that beautiful, subdued-but-still-sharp styling that makes it seem so much different than any other anime. And I think that Robin is just too sexy for words. It's got to be that "deliquent-nun-with-a-grudge" look she has. And the hair. Mmm, the hair. If I could put my hair up like that, I would.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]Alas, woe is me. I want to buy the DVD's, but they're so expensive ($40-50). T_T;;[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]But probably my most favourite part of the AS showing of WHR is the comments that they have before and after commercial breaks. Some of them aren't that funny, but a lot of them I just die laughing from.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]But mmmmm, I'm very happy with WHR right now. Veerrry happy. ^_^[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]--Sere[/font]

[pbfrontmanvdp]

[QUOTE=Sere Tuscumbia][font=Times New Roman] (Although I still think that Harry sounds so much like a woman . . . )[/font]
[font=Times New Roman]--Sere[/font][/QUOTE]

HaHa now that i think about it he does sound like a women. Why they picked whoever that voice actor is for Harry is beyond me. John Burgmier (VA of Kurama in YYH) should have been the dub voice actor for Harry. He at least sounds more like a guy and would have been better suited for the VA of Harry.

[Ani_Freak]

[color=darkblue]Witch Hunter Robin is a trully wonderful series. What attracted me the most to buy the DVD's was the look it had. I only saw some pictures on NewType USA and really liked it. It starts slow, and it picks up something around the 8th episode or so, but it's a nice series. Another thing I liked it's how they mix the artwork with CG renders of scenes. A few CG's here and there don't hurt, but with some shows, they are just too packed with CG renders. Take an example of Final Fantasy: Unlimited. I like it, but it has way too many CG work.

I guess that Witch Hunter Robin is going the right way, wonderful backgrounds, nicely done characters and an unique story. Hopefully, it will be a favorite among many of us fans[/color]

[Nikorasu]

[QUOTE=Dagger IX1]Why is Witch Hunter Robin "pretty good"? All you've done here is state your feelings about the show; you need to provide justification for your opinions.

As I mentioned in my wish list thread, I've been very excited about WHR's arrival at AS. I like its unique character designs--they might even be described as daring--and smooth animation. Certain shots in the beginning episode remind me of scenes from X-TV, particularly when Amon first attacks the rouge witch.

Speaking of which, Amon is a fantastic (and highly attractive) character. I really look forward to learning more about his abilities.

I'm a little bit disappointed with WHR's dub. While it features a whole array of popular and talented VAs, here they all sound rather stiff. It could have something to do with the show's translated script; the dialogue is saddled with slow moments and awkward pauses. Hopefully everyone will eventually become more comfortable with their roles.

~Dagger~[/QUOTE]

Ok. Here's a more in-depth opinion. I think that Robin is a cool character. From all that I've seen, she's closed off and quiet, yet she has great power. I like characters who are very powerful yet don't show it off. They're usually the ones who should be feared. The animation is good and smooth too.

[OtakuSennen]

[color=navy]Yes, I think WHR being on Adult Swim is a very wise move. It has a feel to it that would come from an Adult Swim front-runner in the making.

The series has an interesting, original premise that it's particularly individual in the anime realm. Sure, there have been vampire anime, but very rarely does one hear about a dark, occult witchcraft-based series (And by this I mean that Shoujo manga with magical girls that sometimes have cute poses with witch costumes on do not count).

Though the animation is very fluid and stylistic, I am not a fan of the character designs. The noses and mouths really bother me, but that's just a pet peeve of an Evangelion purist such as myself.

I have had the first DVD for over two months now, which came with the box (with limited edition styrofoam where the rest of the series will go) and quite a few other goodies. Disc one, "Arrival", contains the first five episodes in the series. There wasn't any particular episode I liked most, each and every one of them is pretty solid for stand-alone eps, but I do think the first episode moved rather slowly.

But hey, if I endured .hack//SIGN without thinking it was moving slowly at all, I can get through the slow, earlier portion of Witch Hunter Robin, right?

But yes, when I have the money I plan on expanding my Witch Hunter Robin DVD collection, considering having a box for an anime series with only one DVD in my posession is stupid, and I'm too lazy to set my VCR to record the Adult Swim showings (Sennen wants his Tivo). Most of the reviews on Amazon.com are saying that "Arrival" and the earlier part of the second disc are filler episodes used to introduce characters, but WHR really picks up by the end of DVD two.[/color]