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Old 2006-09-26, 23:52   Link #1
monir
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Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto



Genre: Action, Historical

Expected Release Date: October 6, 2006

Website: http://www.irohanihoheto.jp/

The show promises to be interesting from the promo that is uploaded in YouTube. The production companies for the show are Bandai and Sunrise which is a good thing when one wants to see a well animated (flowing) action series and at the same time, don't much care about for Gundam esque shows. The opening theme song is called "Kouya Ruten" by FictionJunction YUUKA and the ending theme is called "Ai no Ken" by TAKAKO & THE CRAZY BOYS. Synopsis is in the following as taken from animenfo:
End of Edo Era - It was the last time a man lived as a samurai and fought entrusting his life and briefs to a sword.

It was the time when long peaceful Tokugawa Dynasty began to be overshadowed triggered by the arrival of Westerners. During the upheaval, when youths were seeking for new age, there was an existence that brought turmoil and chaos. It was called Hasha no Kubi, or the Head of Conqueror. It was said that the person who could obtain the head awoke in revolution time could rule over the whole country. On the other hand, there was another shadow existence called Eternal Assassin. They have been destined to fight Hasha no Kubi in order to seal. Both had been fighting each other behind the history. Their fights have affected the history involving those who wanted the power.

Someone wanted it for themselves, someone wanted it for avenges, and someone wanted it for their ideal...

Their thoughts cross each other over the Hasha no Kubi. Their thoughts put tougher as if they were complicated gear wheels. Then, it began to move the history as if it became an engine that moved to the future...
I'm not exactly sure about the source material in question. Please feel free to add more information on this show in general.
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Old 2006-09-27, 01:24   Link #2
MrProphet
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Looks a lot like Samurai Champloo (but with out Watanabe's wackiness, I guess) with faux-samurai and all that.

In any case, animation looks great (if only for one episode 8)), so I am definitely giving it a shot.
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Old 2006-09-27, 02:03   Link #3
evil-samurai
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I'm really looking forward to the show, hope that it wont get screwed up somehow.. >.> oh! and great to see Sunrise is there.

Ryousuke Takahashi is credited as the Original creator. He has worked on quite a few other anime, none of which I see where he was the creator. Though he worked on kenshin which would help here =) Plus the guy who did the character designs for Speed Grapher is working here. (which was the first thing I noticed)

The trailer looks great! and while I'm looking out for Ayakashi Ayashi, I'm more interested in what they will do with this show.
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Old 2006-09-27, 06:30   Link #4
wao
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One of the reasons I'm interested is Ryousuke Takahashi. And I don't think I've ever watched a show like this by Sunrise... I'm interested to see which animators will be participating. I see Ergo Proxy's character designer, Naoyuki Onda, doing animation direction for the first episode...

Isn't this going to be released on the net through streaming channels, though? (ala FLAG) It's almost like Takahashi's getting to play with his own ideas because of this way of releasing things, just like Tomino and his Wings of Rean... (which I have episodes 1, 2, and 6 of -_-)

Except that this is not airing on a paid streaming channel like Bandai Channel (for FLAG), but on GyaO, a free streaming service...?
Hey, they're airing Eureka 7 free... until the 30th...If I'm not wrong it's also where you can watch the phenomenally famous 'historical anime' Musashi Gundou as well ;o

However I think you need to have WMP v9 and above in Japanese otherwise it won't let you watch the stuff.


I shall go back on my original thoughts and expect the show to take a lot of liberties with the state of affairs back then, (but if it's like Samurai Champloo that's still OK with me) so that I can probably sit back and relax and enjoy it more for its own plot and characters.

Speaking of characters, it's been some time since I've watched a show with recognizable characters but it's all fun without being too cliche, I think...

Spoiler for characters:
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Old 2006-10-03, 02:57   Link #5
gianna
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I remember reading that somewhere - that it wil be streaming on GyaO The trailer has been up there for a bit now

First really interested just after seeing that above art a while ago Love Kozaki's work
(and of course his designs for Speed Grapher)
Thanks for all of that information wao (lol long haired male characters - always equal instant fan girl material)



currently it seems that not too many people are interested--
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Old 2006-10-03, 06:21   Link #6
Sonhex
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gianna
...
currently it seems that not too many people are interested--
Give it time. It's a little over shadowed by the other Edo period adventure Ayakashi Akashi at the moment, but I predict this will be the sleeper hit of the Autumn season (along with Pumpkin Scissors) once subs are out.
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Old 2006-10-03, 08:02   Link #7
Nightengale
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gianna
currently it seems that not too many people are interested--
1 word. Sunrise.

Look at the obscurity that surrounds the good shows of Sunrise in recent memory. Gintama, ZEGAPAIN, Yakitate Japan. All good shows in their own right, but how many watched them. Y.Japan is supposingly acceptable, but the rest?

The overhyped Sunrise shows dissapoint the overall fandom, (( I won't mention names since I liked them )), but the Sunrise underhyped shows that actually did well.... but the majority ignored them. Code Geass wouldn't have half the interest it has now had it not been because of PlanetES and CLAMP. Look at Kekkaishi. It's almost as if no one cares.

I'm particularly interested, but I'm not exactly sure what kind route will this anime be going into, especially what kind of emphasis the anime will be playing itself upon. The historical backdrop, the characters involved in that era's turmoil, among other things. The first episode will probably set it's standard pace.
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Old 2006-10-03, 09:50   Link #8
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I suspect the lack of interest is less to do with Sunrise and more to do general lack of interest (on this forum) toward anime that doesn't have an existing manga or game following or immediately leaps out as being a hit (or have lolis in it).

That can all change of-course once the subs out. Dare I say look at The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, very little if any interest before the first ep then bam, spawns a inescapable gif-making fanbase of biblical proportions. I doubt that'll happen to Bakumatsu but you get my point.
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Old 2006-10-03, 09:56   Link #9
Lost
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No I think its simpler than that. I would normally not have clicked into here due to the show's Japanese title. I will try this show, because I haven had a Historical, samurai-like series in a long time.
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Old 2006-10-07, 08:39   Link #10
Sonhex
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First impressions - wow, just wow.

This is a really ambitious show. The first ep's quality is movie quality. Some stunningly beautiful animation and backgrounds, recreating Yokohama in the Edo period, are amazingly detailed. The introduction of the troupe was just beautiful, especially Yuyama Kakunojou's intro which was like something straight out of Millennium Actress. The tension and the action when Akizuki goes to work on the "Hasha no Kubi" = nothing short of breathtaking. Then there's the music: the bgm is fan-bloody-tastic and the gorgeous OP by Fiction Yuuka and the ED, by TAKAKO & THE CRAZY BOYS (of whom I've never heard) which is really really good.

I'm fangirling almost to the point of squee and I've run out of superlatives too so here's some choice screenshots.

Spoiler:


I only had one gripe and that was the rather predictable 'evil westerners using guns' scene. But it served it's purpose in introducing the tensions and Akizuki's heroic qualities.

Best show of the season folks.
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Old 2006-10-07, 10:06   Link #11
sei
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sonhex View Post
First impressions - wow, just wow.

This is a really ambitious show. The first ep's quality is movie quality. Some stunningly beautiful animation and backgrounds, recreating Yokohama in the Edo period, are amazingly detailed. The introduction of the troupe was just beautiful, especially Yuyama Kakunojou's intro which was like something straight out of Millennium Actress. The tension and the action when Akizuki goes to work on the "Hasha no Kubi" = nothing short of breathtaking. Then there's the music: the bgm is fan-bloody-tastic and the gorgeous OP by Fiction Yuuka and the ED, by TAKAKO & THE CRAZY BOYS (of whom I've never heard) which is really really good.

Best show of the season folks.
Agree,agree.By far the best OP & ED of the season & animation-wise,top-notch!
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Old 2006-10-07, 10:47   Link #12
wao
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I wholeheartedly agree- that was an excellent first episode! The production values were great: the backgrounds were wonderful and the pictures were all drawn well. I particularly liked the fight in the beginning because of the colour scheme - it had a slightly unnatural tone but in a very good way. Of course there was the dance section which was very detailed; the background art again is excellent in that it doesn't feel oversaturated but harmonizes well with the characters' colours. The falling petals and all were well done (and the timing of when Akizuki got brought up was good, too.) Brought back memories of Millenium Actress, yes, and Ayakashi - Bakeneko as well. The real power of Sunrise?

The pacing of the first episode was exciting; the turn of events may sound silly to people who want hardcore Bakumatsu, but it's so engaging that I just want to watch it anyway! I'm already in complete love with the character designs. Sorry I've got to fangirl about it, but it would be a waste if I were not to say that Akizuki is sooooo cooooooool. Really. I mean, he just looks so swoonably cool, and he has that irresistable combination of Being Good To Innocent People Despite A Cold Facade. When he has that angsty faraway look I want to shamefully melt in my chair.
And the sequence where he went to cut the Hasha no Kubi was so cool! They sure ended the ep in a place where you want to see more... really badly.


I wonder how his sword works? Evidently he has to get into the swing of things (no pun intended) and his eyes do that whole glowy thing (ahh, brings me back to the good ol' days of Kenshin... sorry) and then he can properly face the Hasha no Kubi. When it does that it seems to start "crying" - hence the name "Getsuruitou"/Sword of Moon Tears.
Anyway, it's pretty cool how that red thing in the sky disappeared at the end. They brought the main characters back together pretty well, and generally it was a great setup. The OP is also very intriguing - it's pretty, of course, and is synchroed well with the typically FJ-Yuuka song, but that last scene...! ;_; I want to see the resolution! Is it linked to the Getsuruitou as well, I wonder.

I must rewatch it now to get the gist of what was going on with regards to the fight in the first part (what was that paper exactly?)


Anyway, my verdict is: I don't care how this turns out, I gotta watch it till the end. It exploits my weaknesses, dammit! And it's good in its own right.
Well, I think I've just found my most enjoyable anime of the season right here. Thank $deity it's released weekly! I feel so happy right now.


(To make a pathetic attempt at being balanced, there were of course some quirks with the show. The English was of course not spoken by natives - but hey, it was a good try, actually. And well the whole Nasty Westerners Using Guns! thing Sonhex thought about, but it showed how cool Akizuki is so who cares. Heh. Also the idea of two kids getting caught in the middle of a fight is a tad contrived, but again, it's not really that bad. And it's made a lot better by the fact that the kids are actually much less annoying than I expected them to be! Yay!

Besides that, I guess it'd be Kakunojou's voice acting - it sounds a bit too strained and like she's not really used to this kind of thing. But at least she brought the vigour across, which is what you'd expect from a woman like her.)
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Old 2006-10-07, 10:56   Link #13
Fighter Volk
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Oh man, I am *so* happy to hear these great reviews! I was hoping this would turn out good. And here not only do I get Sonhex's stamp of approval but wao's as well! Moreover, any and all allusions to Baka Neko have me sold, right on the spot.

Can't wait for a fansub!
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Old 2006-10-07, 13:23   Link #14
Kaoru Chujo
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It's all true. I normally have no interest in this kind of period fighting piece, but the animation, backgrounds, pacing, intelligence, invention just carried me away. Tears came to my eyes with that shot of light breaking out on the sea.

Unfortunately, the language defeated me, so I'll have to wait for a sub to really know what I think of the plot. But wao is so right about the hero: he's got "it." Great character design and animation.

I was, however, disgusted by the anti-foreign and anti-Chinese elements in the piece. If this is the way Japanese public opinion is going -- or being pushed -- they will destroy themselves. That really makes me cry.
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YUUKI Aoi 悠木碧. b92.03.27 (age 29). 2008 Kurenai (Murasaki). 2009 Yumeiro Pâtissière (Ichigo), Kiruminzuu (Riko), Yutori-chan (Yutori-chan). 2010 Vampire Bund (Mina Tepeş), Shiki (Sunako), Samurai Girls (Juubee), Pokémon: Black and White (Iris). 2011 Madoka Magica (Madoka), Gosick (Victorique), A-Channel (Tooru). 2012 Symphogear (Hibiki). 2014 Pilot's Love Song (Claire/Nina), Nanatsu no Taizai (Diane). 2015 Owari no Seraph (Krul Tepes), Rokka no Yuusha (Fremy). 2016 Boku no Hero Academia (Tsuyu, Froppy). 2017 Kino no Tabi (Kino). 2021 Kumo desu ga (watashi), Kaizoku Oujo (Karin), Heike Monogatari (Biwa), etc., etc. Total of 513 roles in anime and games.
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Old 2006-10-07, 14:01   Link #15
wao
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You know, you just mentioned that... and I was thinking, what was that other anime this season which had to do with nationalism/Japanese sentiments?

Code Geass.... and hey, they're both produced by Sunrise. Coincidence? I dunno. How did this show appear as anti-Chinese, though? I didn't really think there was anything that showed that, though I may have missed it out.
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Old 2006-10-07, 14:12   Link #16
Kaoru Chujo
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Originally Posted by wao View Post
You know, you just mentioned that... and I was thinking, what was that other anime this season which had to do with nationalism/Japanese sentiments? Code Geass.... and hey, they're both produced by Sunrise. Coincidence? I dunno. How did this show appear as anti-Chinese, though? I didn't really think there was anything that showed that, though I may have missed it out.
The big building where the auction was being held seemed Chinese to me, with the dragons and the music. Maybe I'm just being sensitive, but it seemed to me to be the secret place where the evil people were. Perhaps I was just being reminded of Speed Grapher. Thanks for pointing out the Sunrise connection. I wonder who owns that studio.
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Old 2006-10-07, 14:25   Link #17
wao
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Oh. Well, that definitely was a Chinese sort of place, but that's probably because it's a Chinese restaurant sort of place. And I suppose Yokohama was where all the action was happening so it wasn't unusual for that sort of thing to be there. They mentioned it earlier, that the guy they were looking for was in this place called "Shanghai Inn" or something like that.

I never thought that having the auction there would imply that the Chinese were evil (compared to the whole gun-toting gaijin thing - and it looks like at least one was voicd by a non-Japanese, looking at the credits), but well, perhaps...

I didn't exactly get the first part still, I know that the guy-looking-like-Soutetsu was trying to get the secret letter that those two were carrying along, and it was a letter of allegience or something from the 15th shogun Yoshinobu to the Imperial Court. I didn't catch the next bit - would Edo have started losing on the battlefield because of it or would they start winning instead?
There was also something about an earthquake - because of this large earthquake, things came to a stalemate and this "touseigun" faction had to start retreating. My knowledge of Japanese history and military facts is pathetic...
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Old 2006-10-07, 15:17   Link #18
Sonhex
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo View Post
I was, however, disgusted by the anti-foreign and anti-Chinese elements in the piece. If this is the way Japanese public opinion is going -- or being pushed -- they will destroy themselves. That really makes me cry.
I suppose in Bakumatsu there is some historical basis for the 'clash of cultures' especially the gun verses the sword, but the racial slur uttered by the gaijan (which I missed first time round) was jarring when I heard it. Unnecessary I think, but that whole scene was rather contrived. To me though, it wasn't anywhere near as harsh as Code Geass.

TBH I can't really believe the Sunrise top brass ordered their senior staff to go forth and spread nationalistic propaganda to the impressionable young captive audiences. It could just be that this national pride is a popular concern, especially with rapid globalisation and cultural erosion, rather than being something genuinely dangerous. But art does reflect reality. Anime is no exception.

Quote:
Originally Posted by wao
Anyway, my verdict is: I don't care how this turns out, I gotta watch it till the end. It exploits my weaknesses, dammit! And it's good in its own right.
Well, I think I've just found my most enjoyable anime of the season right here. Thank $deity it's released weekly! I feel so happy right now.
I totally agree. I don't think I've this excited about a first episode since Noein. I watched it a couple of times now. I love the subtle details; the way Kakunojou's headress rocks rather ungainly when she moves; the Colt revolver flying toward the screen when Akizuki disarms the evil westerners; the blink of the seagull.

Incidently the chief director, Yoshimitsu Ohashi, was a key animator on Millenium Actress ANN says, so that explains the likeness in the troupe scene.
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Old 2006-10-07, 15:28   Link #19
Srin Tuar
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Hrm, I was going to skip this one, but the talk in this thread makes it sound good.
I'll give it a shot


*edit:
Not bad. it was well animated, though I wouldn't go so far as to say movie quality.

The scene with the Gaijin+revolvers wasnt so bad. I'm sure there were a few scenes
like that in history, perhaps minus the super-hero child-saving action. in life and death
fights people tend to be quick to the racial slurs.

( As for code Geass, its main protagonist ruruush is English as well... I think that makes it hard to paint the
show as nationalistic. )

Last edited by Srin Tuar; 2006-10-07 at 16:19.
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Old 2006-10-07, 15:34   Link #20
wao
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Well, maybe it's more like there is a strengthening of this existing sentiment all over Japan and it's starting to show up more in Anime, subconsciously or not (and Sunrise just happens to let this show up).


It's unfortunate this show doesn't have much publicity - it's very cool and it's not 'weird' or whatever. It should be rather acceptable, really... Oh well. There would be people who wouldn't like it though, namely people who would rather not see even a bit of supernatural elements in their historical swordfighting anime .
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