(L) Monsuno (American-Japan Co-production)

[ChibiGoku]

Since I didn't see a topic on this, or at the very least, find one (wouldn't surprise me if the search engine isn't working), thought I'd post a topic on this. Though, honestly, I doubt I'll get many posts.

Copying and pasting from what I posted over at Toonzone. I'll ad more information when it's available..

Monsuno is an upcoming Japanese-American animated series on Nicktoons, produced by Dentsu, Jakks Pacific, FremantleMedia Enterprises, and The Topps Company.

I'm not entirely sure of the story, but I will place it here once I can find a decent synopsis of it. Apparently my ability to Google has failed me there...

The series is scheduled to hit air on February 2012 on Nicktoons in the United States. It is also scheduled tentatively to hit Japan as well later in 2012. Hopefully sooner than later. Bandai will also distribute the toy line in Japan.

For those curious what the show looks like in motion, Nicktoons has posted two preview videos (which you can view here).

As for my personal opinion? I'm... a little skeptical. I've generally enjoyed the "mon" concept of animation, at least to some degree. But honestly, those animated clips... it feels really stiff. It's almost as if the animation studio is working with a shoestring budget, especially when anime in Japan is generally already at a low budget. While I won't judge until I see an episode, I'm a little afraid of how it's going to turn out. Also, the dub sounds....

I want to note that the only staff member we know of on this from the Japanese side is Mitsuharu Inoue, who was a producer on the Bakugan series. He is serving as the creative director. Also I'm a bit puzzled why we haven't even heard who is producing the animation or in charge of the other areas, considering the air date may be less than 2 to 3 weeks from this post. It's been over two years since this is announced, and no information on the staff or production...

Anyways, I'm... going to watch, but I may end up waiting to watch the Japanese version if the dub really is as bad as I think it is. Hopefully the show will have some sort of quality to it.

[frubam]

Ugh, it certainly doesn't look impressive =0<. Was I too naive to think it would be Avatar quality? At least if the animation was up to snuff, I'd give it a try, but it being based on monster fighting crap like Pokemon? I'll pass =0\.

[Soliloquy]

At any case this one looks like typical Saturday morning cartoon. Kami No Puzzle was at least sort of charming in an amusing way but this one has "it's for kids" written all over. I hope this one doesn't keep milking the same stuff over again like its competitions do every single time.

[ChibiGoku]

Bumping this up.

The series will premiere on Nicktoons at 8:00PM on February 23, which is a Thursday. There's also been two additional promotional videos released. One which is 1 minute and 30 seconds long, which you can view here, while a 60 second clip on Nicktoons site, can be viewed here.

[Kismet-chan]

Watched the promos. It just looks... bad.

[ChibiGoku]

Saw the premiere. I'll post my thoughts a bit more so, but I'll just leave the staff and cast members in here for now.

Executive Producers: Stephen Berman
Yuma Sakata
Jeremy Padawer
Marc Harrington
Produced By: Jared Wolfson Yukio Kusumoto
Producer: Chapman Maddox
Associate Producer: Joh Hudson
Yuichi Kinishita
Story Editor: Michael Ryan
Consulting Producers: Shintaro Kogake
Dominic Laurienzo
Created by: Jared Wolfson
Jeremy Padawer
Developed for TV by: Man of Action
Yukio Kusumoto
Jared Wolfson
Jon Hudson
Creative Consulting: JMP Creative

Director: Yoshiaki Okumura
Character Design: Yuichiro Hayashi
Creature Design: Designmate
Animation Creature Design: Hiroto Kato
Creature Design Director: Takaaki Hirayama
Masahiko Okura
Hiroto Kato
Art Director: Tomoko Iwasa
Mecha / Prop Design: Yasuhiro Moriki
Background Director: Shigemi Ikeda
Background Art: Shigemi Ikeda
Shuichi Okubo
Background Animation: Yukiko Maruyama
Hachidai Takayama
Color Design: Naoya Imamura
CG Director: Toshio Nishiiri
Director of Photography: Naoki SErizawa
Editing: Masaki Sakamoto
Translation - Script Supervisor: Yurika Araki (Dennis?)
Track Reader: Beans-N-Rice Editing
Mouth Code Assignment: Bob Nesler
English Sound Production: PAcific Animation Partners LLC.
In Association with Salami Studios, Pacific Animation Partners
Producers: Yukio Kusumoto

Cast: Rene Veilleux (Also Voice Director)
Voice Cast: Keith Silverstein
Chris Smith
Karen Strassman
Kirk Thornton

Music: Michael Tavera

Sound Designer: Rob Mcintyre
Sound Effects Editors: MArc Schmidt
Matt Hall
Foley Mixer: Roberto Dominguez Alegria
Foley Artist: Cynthia Merrill
Rerecording Mixer: Thomas J. MAydeck, C.A..
Video Post-Production: Salami Studios
Picture Editor: Tim Iverson

Animation Production: LARX ENTERTAINMENT
Animation Producers: Yuji Miyazaki
Naoyuki Saito
Production: Dentsu Tec Inc.
Executive Producer: Hiroaki Muto
Supervising Producer: Tetsu Ohasaki
Producers: Satoru Ideazawa
Associate Producer: Noriki Yanagida
Distributed by: Frementlemedia Enterprises

Just to note, that these guys don't seem new, but they appear to be doing staff roles they haven't really taken part of. Not sure if it's an attempt at being cheap, or that they're just giving these guys a chance to break out into something. But whatever.

[FireChick]

It's airing right now. Does anyone have any opinions on it?

[ChibiGoku]

Originally Posted by FireChick

It's airing right now. Does anyone have any opinions on it?

I'm actually enjoying the series, to be quite honest. The problem I am having though is with the dub and the script. The voice acting can be passable at times, but I feel like Bren, for example, the decision for who they casted and the voice they chose for him to use, are completely unacceptable.

I'm really hoping a Japanese air date gets announced sooner than later. With the toyline not coming out until the holidays, I'm concerned that may also mean the anime won't air until Fall or Winter of this year. Hopefully not.

[Lost Cause]

Karen Strassman is in this?! She did the English voice for Kallen Stadfeldt/Kozuki in. Code Geass!
I've seen 3 episodes so far, its not half bad, but fairly predictable.
I rather preferred Huntik though.

[ChibiGoku]

Okay, some information on the Japanese front.

The series will broadcast in Japan, starting in October 2012. The toyline itself will launch in September 2012. As for broadcasters, while it was not mentioned who would be broadcasting, it should be TV Tokyo as Fremantle's site had listed this several months ago before they took that information out.

Additional information can be found here (in Japanese, though).

[ChibiGoku]

TV Tokyo has launched their website for the series, which you can view here.

Also listed is a staff and cast listing, which I took the time out to translate:

Staff:
Planning & Original Creation - Pacific Animation Partners LLC
Series Composition - Michael Ryan
Director - Yoshiaki Okumura
Music - Michael Tavera
Studio Production - Dentsu Tec
Animation Production - Larx Entertainment

Cast:
Chase - Kenn
Vicky (Jinja) - Asami Tano
Bren - Chihiro Suzuki
Noah (Beyal) - Sachi Kokuryuu
Ash (Dax) - Hiroshi Shimozaki

Charlemagne - Aki Kanada
Dr. Klipse - Masami Iwasaki

Interesting cast list, to say the least. Really happy to see KENN as Chase, as he's probably a really good fit for him. Glad to see they did go with a female voice actor for Beyal/Noah, which as it stands, I cannot stand his English voice actor. Emotionless, and just far too stereotypical. The only odd thing is they're changing the names, which is particularly weird, especially when "Jinja" was written as ジンジャ in the production artwork. Not sure what's up with that.

It does, however, seem to be keeping the same music as the US version, which somewhat of an alright thing. Though would have preferred a different composer for the Japanese version, in all honesty, but this is fine. Series writer listed as expected, so nothing out of the ordinary.

It's also worth noting that even though it says Larx Entertainment is doing the animation, it appears that the actual production studio that owns it is however Studio Hibari. To be honest, I'm not even sure if Larx is even a real studio itself or just a sub-section of Hibari.

[ShiroiRyu]

No breasts for the heroine.
Son, i'm disapointed.
Saw the 1st episode.
Really average. ^^'