Anime New Releases [Spring 2004]

[Dagger]

The purpose of this thread is mainly to discuss upcoming unlicensed series, although you should also feel free to talk about domestic DVDs. You're welcome to offer recommendations, speculation and all sorts of pre-emptive criticism..... reading over the "Live Action Evangelion" topic leads me to believe that people love forming rather extreme opinions about material which has yet to be created. ^_^;;

I just finished downloading the trailers for Bakuretsu Tenshi, Kono Minikuku mo Utsukushii Sekai, Le Portrait de Petit Cossette and Midori no Hibi. Although I plan on seeing all of these series, I have a sinking suspicion that one or more of them may turn out to be a total train wreck.

[b]Bakuretsu Tenshi[/b] looks very sharp, with gorgeous mecha and equally attractive girls. Nearly everything about it screams GONZO, which could be a good thing or a bad thing..... right now, I'm hoping that Bakuretsu will live up to the promise of its flashy animation.

[b]Kono Mini[/b] is a Gainax romantic comedy/sci-fi drama--I really can't tell what category, if any, it belongs to--and appears to be quite fanservice-heavy. I wasn't surprised to see this, especially considering that its character designs are so similar to those of Mahoromatic, but something about the preview made me extremely leery. :/

I'm most excited about [b]Le Portrait de Petit Cossette[/b]. It has smooth, eerie animation (which no doubt owes a great deal to the fact that it's an OVA), lovely music, and what appears to be some truly excellent voice acting. Serious, creepy shows are my bread and butter, so I can't wait to watch this.

[b]Midori no Hibi[/b] seems genuinely weird. As far as I can tell, it's a comedy about a Kyo-esque boy with a pretty, diminuitive girl....um..... [i]attached[/i] to one of his hands. o_O The corresponding manga is apparently rather amusing, although I haven't had the chance to read it for myself.

~Dagger~

[Dan Rugh]

I've been fairly interested in [b]Samurai Champloo[/b]. I don't really know much about the series except that it's supposed to be a samurai anime with a hip-hop twist... similar to how Cowboy Bebop was. Actually, some of the guys who worked on CB (ie: Shinichiro Watanabe, Dai Sato) are doing Samurai Champloo, so it only makes sense. The story follows Jin, Fuu, and Mugen, three samurai that do whatever it is they do lol.

It says on the [i][b][URL=http://www.samuraichamploo.com/]official site[/URL][/i][/b] that it's supposed to start May 19, 2004.

EDIT: Here's a picture of the three main characters:
[img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=18183[/img]
[size=1]from left: Jin, Mugen, Fuu[/size]

[TheGodlyME]

I've seen Bakuretsu Tenshi in a few places and it looks pretty good...Right now, though, I'm following [B]Maburaho[/B]. It's one of those wussy-guy-gets-girl, things, but there is some magic involved and 3 girls...blah, blah, blah :babble: ...It still looks pretty good, and with the reviews I've seen so far, it should be worth my speculation.

[Hittokiri Zero]

I've been looking forward to Samurai Champloo as well while to be honest I wasn't that impressed with Cowboy Bebop (i'm very slowly watching the series partly because I find it boring at times -_-) the fact that Samurai Champloo is about Samurais and Champloo? (what ever the hell Champloo is... main character's name i'm guessing?) this will definatly be one series i'll give a go. As for other anime series i'm looking forward too -_o... None really... I've been out of the loop lately so i'm completly oblivious to what's going on x__X but he supposedly an Initial D Fourth Stage is in the works ^_^. And from what i read in Dagger's post Bakuretsu Tenshi might be an anime for me -_o... Although... The entire thing where we get a bunch of girls in giant robots is really boring me mainly because of the excessive amount of fanservice that's thrown in... But then again >___> if Bakuretsu Tenshi turns out to be anything similar to the other great Gonozo production Full Metal Panic i'll definatly end up watching this series as well :P.

Oh yeah no one's really mentioning it anymore but Gundam SEED is finally coming mainstream this spring :P. Since I just managed to get the remaining episodes off of my brother's PC last weekend i'm currently busy finishing that up again and it just dawned upon me that it actually is quite an emotional anime contrary to what many people have said about SEED being aimed at a younger audeince -_o... what were they smoking...

[Queen Asuka]

[QUOTE=r2vq]What do you mean by "mainstream?"

-ArV[/QUOTE]

[color=hotpink][size=1]I'm sorry, but this post is considered spam and will be deleted. Please try to make your posts more longer. One sentence posts are not acceptable. Thank you. *QA*[/color][/size]

[Dagger]

Samurai Champloo is receiving [i]incredible[/i] amounts of hype. If the show turns out to be anything like Cowboy Bebop--and even if it doesn't--I'm sure that it will become extremely popular. With people like Mr. Wantanabe behind this project, we can expect groundbreaking animation and a brilliant soundtrack (if nothing else >_>). I already love SC's character designs; they have a unique, understated kind of realism and look immensely... cool, for lack of a better word.

It seems that spring promises to be chock-full of fanservice. In addition to the shows I mentioned in my first post, there's also [b]My Hime[/b], a series that has something to do with voluptuous teenage girls and their overly mobile skirts. It may involve fighting, possibly of a fantasy-esque nature, as I glimpsed a sword or two during the recently released preview. So while I don't have high hopes for My Hime's character development (and I'm certainly not expecting any subtle commentary on the truth about human nature and whatnot), it'll probably be sufficiently entertaining. At any rate, its artwork is certainly lovely.

~Dagger~

[densuke]

[b]Hi no Tori[/b] is based on a manga by Osamu Tezuka and co-produced by Public Broadcasting System of the US (which doesn't necessarily mean that there are plans to broadcast it here, or that PBS holds a US license; PBS has co-produced other works in Japan which have never been released or broadcast in the US). Based on the first episode I think this is a very good all-ages series. Fansubs by Froth-Bite.

[QuincyArcher]

Samurai Champloo looks really cool, i'll have to keep an eye on that one. :)

[densuke]

[b]Hitto o Nerae![/b] (called [b]Smash Hit![/b] by fansubbers, although the title translates to "Aim for a Hit!") is a strange new series by m*o*e. I have seen 3 episodes. The series is torn between telling a story about a young woman (Mitsuki) trying to make a career in live-action TV production. This could be a nice premise for a series. Expecting m*o*e to actually write and tell a story about it is apparently asking for too much though (._.)

Instead of doing something worthwhile with this, they put Mitsuki in charge of a show much like "Cosplayers" (one of m*o*e's recent titles) - a truckload of fanservice in search of a plot. She dislikes and is embarrassed by this to the extent that she considers refusing the task ([i]arguably making her much healthier mentally than the people making this anime[/i]). They make her physically diminutive so that she can endure all kinds of abuse from her colleagues. And of course they go out of their way to provide as much nudity and rude comedy as possible.

The episodes are short, which seems to give m*o*e carte blanche to forego much storytelling. Or maybe the jokes didn't add up to a 25-minute series and there never was a story... The main character is fairly likable; I keep hoping that the scriptwriters will leave her alone for a damn minute.

So there's one down out of two new series I have seen (*_*)

[Dagger]

Even before its first promotion was fansubbed, [b]Monster[/b] had already attracted much interest and speculation. As the series is based on a well-known manga, I expect that it will continue to get a lot of attention. Manga fans seem to think the anime will really play with your head, and I love shows that make my brain hurt.

Monster's dark, potentially disturbing plot and mature themes (the trailer mentioned something about a serial killer) also appeal to me on numerous levels. Its character designs are quite realistic and unique--some remind me vaguely of Master Keaton, but I can't come up with any other stylistically similar anime.

In any case, the Monster promo is short and smoothly animated; it features detailed shading and well-done artwork. I'm definitely looking forward to this series.

~Dagger~

[dragonrose]

I just read about a new series that will get to the US on April 27.[the manga series will be released June 2004 or July 2004]The new series, [B]Saikano[/B], has a bit of a shojo twist from the usual shonen story in the anime and manga series.

It all starts out with a high school couple named Chise and Shuji just barely confessing their feelings to one another. After a date, Shuji see's Chise off to go home.That's when things turn worse for Chise. She is kidnapped by the Japanese Government for some reason. Next morning, Shuji is at the mall with his friends and an air raid from a foreign country starts raining missiles. Shortly after the attack begins, the japanese air force takes action and a glowing spark appears and takes down the jets with no trouble at all.The glowing spark crashes right near Shuji and every building within the block is destroyed.Shuji gets up and sees the weapon.I'll give you one guess to who it is.Yup, it's the tiimid and very clumsy Chise. Now Shuji has to deal with the fact that his girlfriend is now the government's weapon of mass destruction.

Honestly, I like this anime.[It has sort of an Evangelion twist]Orignally a seven volume manga series created by Shin Takahashi, the anime is being done by Studio GONZO, [Hellsing, Blue Sub 6,Vandread] but I noticed that the CGI effects were almost gone from the anime.Believe it or not, most of the stuff wasn't changed when the anime was created.Only one detail changed: the ending is completely different from the manga series ending.

~*dragonrose*~

[densuke]

Too little, too late just about says it all for this offering from KSS. This is a game-based series offering yet another story of young people coerced into being assassins. The first episode offered no interesting characters, next to nothing in the way of a story (what little there is was absurd) and little quality production work (looks like someone forgot to hire some animators).

That makes 2 down out of 3 I've seen this season.

[Dagger]

The first episode of [b]Kono Minikuku mo Utsukushii Sekai[/b] (also known as This Ugly and Beautiful World) was released several days ago. So far, it's only been fansubbed by A-E & A-Keep, but both are such high-quality groups that I really have no reason to complain about lacking a variety of choices. Since Kono Mini is Gainax's much-heralded twentieth anniversary series, I'm sure other people are eager to start subbing it.

I can't say I've developed a deep attachment to this anime, but it has more promise than I'd originally hoped. The animation is, as expected, smooth and very pretty. I didn't take well to the occasional instances of blatant fanservice--although it's something that I normally enjoy, the show would be much sweeter and perhaps more serious without it. I was fully prepared to dismiss Kono Mini as insubstantial eye candy, but the emergence of [spoiler]Hikari's alter ego[/spoiler] forced me to think twice. If she ends up being [spoiler]Kono Mini's villainness,[/spoiler] I will give Gainax a [i]lot[/i] of credit for originality.

~Dagger~

[Domon]

[COLOR=Navy][SIZE=1]Hittokori Zero is right, SEED is being released on Toonami, but this really is the year of the gundam. Three great Gundam hits will be landing this year in the U.S.

First we start off with [B]Gundam SEED[/B] which just ended over in Japan, I haven't downloaded the series, but I plan on buying it on DVD. Secondly we have Mobile Suit Gundam Zeta which was made a year after the original Gundam Series was released, this takes place about midway through UC 0080s and was one of the more popular UC timeline gundam series, it is being released directly onto DVD, at least what I have gathered from [url]www.mahq.net[/url] I think its a good move to directly release this series on DVD because if it were to air on CN at all it would have to air on Adult Swim. And finally the creme de la creme, Mobile Suit Gundam Formula 91 is a full length movie that will be released in theaters and then onto DVD, Formula 91 is another UC gundam movie that was very popular and was next to last of the UC timeline gundam sagas, it was later followed by the 51-51 (not sure) episode series Victory Gundam.

So this is definetly the year of the Gundam so be on the watch for these great things to hit the U.S.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[densuke]

[quote name='Dagger IX1]...[b]Midori no Hibi[/b] seems genuinely weird. As far as I can tell, it's a comedy about a Kyo-esque boy with a pretty, diminuitive girl....um..... [i]attached[/i'] to one of his hands. o_O The corresponding manga is apparently rather amusing, although I haven't had the chance to read it for myself.[/quote]
I saw the first episode of this one and liked it. Seiji is a dime-a-dozen character in many ways, a total loser at love with a heart of gold. He possesses fearsome fighting skills, but that just sets up a lot of grief when Midori becomes his right hand. The character designs in the anime adaptation are inconsistent but I liked some of the storytelling devices (of which I can't remember any examples). Although the story kicks off with a weird gimmick it plays out more or less along standard shounen romance lines, which is fine as long as it doesn't drag on forever.

[Hittokiri Zero]

[quote]...Secondly we have Mobile Suit Gundam Zeta which was made a year after the original Gundam Series was released... it is being released directly onto DVD, at least what I have gathered from [url]www.mahq.net[/url] I think its a good move to directly release this series on DVD because if it were to air on CN at all it would have to air on Adult Swim. And finally the creme de la creme, Mobile Suit Gundam Formula 91 is a full length movie that will be released in theaters and then onto DVD, Formula 91 is another UC gundam movie that was very popular and was next to last of the UC timeline gundam sagas, it was later followed by the 51-51 (not sure) episode series Victory Gundam.[/quote]

I'd have to agree i've only seen up to episode 23 of Z-Gundam (I was downloading it but originally stopped because downloading it off of Kazaa was too much of a hastle and buying the DVDs will probably end up being more conveniant) but if they were to show it on CN and what not they'd have to totally destroy it -_o... Yeah we've all read about how it's one of the more darker Gundam series but it's also one of the more complex series as well =O. I really don't think i'll be able to live with any type of dubbing though when there's that much emotion in one anime it's usually hard for these american voice actors to hit the nail on the head. As for Gundam F91 i've downloaded a music video with clips from it andplayed a couple of SNES rom based games back in the day, and it seemed "pretty okay" but most Gundam movies tend to be lacking in one way or another =\. It'll still be nice to finally see the whole thing in re-tooled animation =)!


And yeah V-Gundam was 51 episodes and I think it's starting to be (re?)released in the fansub community now -_o... Not sure but i've seen links for it on AnimeSuki.

[Dagger]

[quote name='densuke']I saw the first episode of this one and liked it.[/quote]

Same here. Midori no Hibi is startlingly fresh and funny. ^_^

But for every pleasant surprise, there must be at least one major disappointment (although this isn't a terribly optimistic philosophy, I find that it often holds true). Midori no Hibi has successfully hooked me, whereas the first episode of [b]Madlax[/b] only increased my aversion to Bee Train series.

In my opinion, Madlax's character designs are clunky and poorly shaded. However, I could ignore that if the show itself was any good. It looks like little more than an ill-conceived Noir knock-off, and uses the same tired visual tricks seen in other Koichi anime (such as Avenger and .hack//SIGN). Avenger had far more potential--but much as I wanted to love the series, I ended up growing tired of it rather quickly.

Gunslinger Girl and Noir are vastly superior to Madlax. Do yourself a favor and avoid it at all costs.

~Dagger~

[dposse]

I can't wait to see the two new animes coming to Cartoon Network, Gundam SEED and Rave Master. I have been a Gundam fan for years, and I hope the Gundam SEED will live up to its hype. Has anyone heard of Rave Master before? I have heard a little about it. Rave Master is supposed to be a little like Inuyasha, where the main charcter in Rave Master has to find crystals to save a village. These two animes sound pretty good to me. One more thing, does anyone know when Toonami will put more episodes of DragonBall GT on the air? DragonBall GT isn't the best of the Dragonball saga by a long shot, but I would like to finish the story.

[densuke]

[QUOTE=Dagger IX1][b]Madlax[/b]... little more than an ill-conceived Noir knock-off, and uses the same tired visual tricks seen in other Koichi anime (such as Avenger and .hack//SIGN). Avenger had far more potential--but much as I wanted to love the series, I ended up growing tired of it rather quickly.

Gunslinger Girl and Noir are vastly superior to Madlax. Do yourself a favor and avoid it at all costs.[/QUOTE]I can't really argue against your assessment of Madlax. However, I found Avenger really frustrating - Ali Project is capable of much better music and so on. I can get along with this series a lot better somehow. Also, having seen Phantom- the Animation, I have to at least give Madlax points for style - the fact that this is not the worst show of its type counts for something. My hunch is that this one will be no better or worse than Kono Mini, which didn't make any sense either.

So far, I am up for Hi no Tori (by far my favorite) and Midori no Hibi, meh on Madlax and Kono Mini and down on Phantom and Smash Hit.

[color=blue]edit[/color]: Whoa! I just saw [b]Kyou Kara Maou![/b] (translates as: Starting Today, I am the Devil!), a bit of alternate-world/fantasy foolishness featuring lots of bishounen riding around on horseback in uniform. Live-eviL has teamed up with Shoujo-Ai on this one - looks like L-E wants IN on the shounen-ai fangirl market...

This is easily the most good-natured show I have yet seen this season. Even though Yuuri has no idea what is going on, he is able to take it all in stride somehow (although I get the feeling he is going to be awfully busy guarding his, um, [i]virtue[/i] from all these pretty boys). All the silly explanations were given right up front. I feel so... well-informed, so [i]empowered[/i]... Quote: "So the sewers are connected to the Alps!?"

^_^;;; I was just about to complain about the serious lack of female characters in the show but just remembered that this season they are mostly trained killers, the exception being 4" tall and connected to the main character's right wrist. Oh, and there's the one who fell naked out of a tree, but she is possibly dangerous too... and then the pirates... and the one who is 25 but looks to be about 13 years old... [size=-2]maybe I'd better not complain after all *sigh*[/size]

[Dagger]

[quote name='densuke][color=blue]edit[/color]: Whoa! I just saw [b]Kyou Kara Maou![/b'] (translates as: Starting Today, I am the Devil!), a bit of alternate-world/fantasy foolishness featuring lots of bishounen riding around on horseback in uniform. Live-eviL has teamed up with Shoujo-Ai on this one - looks like L-E wants IN on the shounen-ai fangirl market...[/quote]

If so, L-E's ploy succeeded quite nicely (I'm a huge shounen-ai fan). Five minutes into its first episode, Kyou Kara Maou became one of my favorite new shows this season. With Marimite on one side and Kyou on the other, all I need to satisfy my romantic appetite is something that revolves around a straight couple. :p Perhaps Aishiteruze Baby will do the trick.

At this point, here's what I'll definitely continue watching--

Midori no Hibi
Kenran Butousai
Hi no Tori
Kyou Kara Maou!

Kono Mini is up in the air, along with Baku Ten. I haven't yet watched Monster or Aishiteruze Baby, so I guess I'll find out whether or not those shows appeal to me.

I don't really know what to make of [b]Bakuretsu Tenshi[/b]. It feels very much like Bubblegum Crisis, but is clearly influenced by Cowboy Bebop (with some mecha thrown in for good measure). I think GONZO is attempting to imitate Bebop's stylish atmosphere and slick animation.

Personally, I'm all for moderate amounts of fanservice... yet Baku Ten sort of goes over the top. Faye Valentine's tiny outfit is, in my opinion, pretty tasteful; Meg's nipples are most definitely not. With that much to ogle, the show's story, character development and even action sequences start to feel somewhat irrelevant. There's a certain point at which I end up feeling more uncomfortable than turned on, especially when a character who looks disturbingly young also receives her share of inventive camera angles.

On the upside, Baku Ten's CG is well-done and nicely integrated. If the four girls stop behaving exactly like the leads of BGC, I may continue to follow it.

~Dagger~

[densuke]

Interlude is a 3-episode OAV being fansubbed by Triad (yay! for Triad). I could say it's a cross between Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure, Shingetsutan Tsukihime and Kindaichi Shounen no Jinkenbo - but exactly who would that help ~_^ ? I'll just say it's a junior school gothic series apparently taking place on two different worlds.

Anyway, this one has its ups and downs, but overall it is interesting enough to watch for three episodes IMO.

I am not thrilled with BakuTen either. The little pastry-chef is a poor substitute for Yamazaki Linna as an entree into the series. I disliked the female characters to the extent that the fanservice just seemed like a waste of time. I think this show has zero charm or ideas and GONZO knows it or they would have given out with something better in the first episode.

Kenran Butousai is goofy but there was enough in the first episode to make me want to see more. It didn't raise any big hopes or fears in terms of where it is going with all this stuff about water on Mars or pirates or whatnot. It did manage to come up with a couple of likable characters, which seems awfully hard to do anymore for some reason, and that's enough for now.

[r2vq]

I've been watching too much of a crapload of anime lately. =.-

So far, of the new series, I can note Yugo Negotiator, Aishiteruze Baby, Phantom, Bakuretsu Tenshi, Kenran Butoh Sai and Kono Minikukumo Utsukushii Sekai.

[b]Yugo Negotiator[/b] has a great OP. I love it. And the show is such a change of pace from other Anime. It's fun to see people [i]without[/i] unexplainable mystic powers sometimes ^^. I really love the OP for this show.

[b]Aishiteruze Baby[/b] might be one of my favourites listed. I've only seen the first episode, and there's a lack of music and at times a lack of any audio. The timing is quite different from other shows. It makes me feel like I'm watching a late night show. Though the two main characters are so cute together! I have a feeling the child is played by an actual child... I don't think this'll ever become mainstream, but I love it to death. ^^ The ED is good too. It's soooo cuuuute. *_*

[b]Phantom[/b] reminded me of the old worn and done out topic of assassins... but the animation is refreshingly good. I definately don't like the story very much, but I love the eyes! If I watch this it will only be for the pretty pretty eyes. *_* (The guy has nicer eyes than the girl. Note how they change when he changes moods!)

[b]Bakuretsu Tenshi[/b] instantly made me think "Cartoon Network!" when I watched. Now, don't hate me for this, but I didn't hate it. The concept is worn and tired, worn and tired, worn and tired, but... aren't all western's like that?
I guess all it's got going for it is the smooth enough animation. *shrugs*

[b]Kenran Butoh Sai[/b] instantly made me bored. I don't know why, I used to like mecha. *shrugs* The main character is OKAY, but the concept just has me yawning. I feel like I've watched this before.

[b]Kono Minikukumo Utsukushii Sekai[/b] was a strange show... The girl seems evil, no doubt about that... But the guy, when he transforms is ugly. =.- Although the idea of this anime is not bad, I find it kind of... disappealing? I'll have to watch a few more episodes to be sure.

-ArV

Edit: So I just saw the first episode of the [b]Interlude[/b] OVA. Wow, that was scary. Nothing like Trailer made it seem like it would be. This is the first time I've been scared by anime in a looooong time. O.o I want more...

-ArV

[Dagger]

Well, I am very pleased with [b]Monster[/b] and [b]Aishiteruze Baby[/b]. These two series may be quite different, but they do have certain things in common: both are much more realistic than most popular anime, and both have interesting, eye-catching artwork.


[quote name='r2vq']I don't think this'll ever become mainstream, but I love it to death. ^^ The ED is good too. It's soooo cuuuute. *_*[/quote]

I actually feel that Aishiteruze Baby could appeal to a wide audience, in much the same way that character-driven shows like Fruits Basket and Maria-sama ga Miteru have won over countless fans. This anime is sweet, heartwarming shoujo at its very best.

The character designs look rather manga-esque (for lack of a better word). They instantly reminded me of the long-running series Mars. Anyway, I couldn't be happier with the current variety of artistic styles--shows like Gokusen, Aishiteruze Baby, Paranoia Agent, Kyou Kara Maou! and Monster all bring something different to the table.


[quote][b]Yugo Negotiator[/b] has a great OP. I love it. And the show is such a change of pace from other Anime. It's fun to see people [i]without[/i] unexplainable mystic powers sometimes ^^. I really love the OP for this show.[/quote]

Yugo is awesome. ^_^

Has anyone seen [b]Shura no Toki[/b]? Its first episode received pretty mixed reviews, and I'm not sure whether I should download it.

~Dagger~

[r2vq]

I haven't seen Shura no Toki, but Dagger-dono why trust others when you can rely on your own eyes and ears? ;)

I have seen two Episodes of Aishiteruze Baby, and I officially love this anime. I don't consider myself too deep into Shoujo Anime, but the style of animation and the concept of this series is so great... I want to start a thread on it. T_T

I also think that the wide variety of animation styles is a great attribute of this month's releases. From "manga-ish" in Aishiteruze Baby to "mononoke-ish" in Paranoia Agent and even the no holds barred sex sells "ish" style in shows like Bakuretsu Tenshi. It's a fun season to be an anime fan. ^^;;

-ArV

ps. Maybe I will create one... meh, tomorrow. :)

[densuke]

[b]Melody of Oblivion[/b] is the other series GAINAX is involved with this spring and I'm betting it is the better one. This anime is willing to deliver some storytelling. Bocca will be one of the most vivid heroes of the season.

The plot is lurid nonsense, but at least it is [i]straightforward and dramatic[/i] nonsense. The first episode already delivered some very good scenes.

Scorecard:
[color=green]
Hi no Tori
Kyou Kara Maou!
Midori no Hibi
Melody of Oblivion
Aishiteruze, Baby
Interlude[/color]
[color=orange]
Kenran Butou Sai
Madlax
Kono Mini[/color]
[color=red]
Phantom: the Animation
Smash Hit
Bakuretsu Tenshi
[/color]