(L) Mononoke (Noitamina in July 2007) (Bakeneko sequel)

[InCageOnAntibiotics]

Here is 1D animation: (in 2D picture, by the way)

[wao]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the bgs in Mononoke are 3D - it was like that in Bakeneko too. How else do you think they got those crazy camera angles and the wall art was exactly the same but just at a different angle? They mapped 2D drawings onto a 3D model. Nowadays people don't hand-animate BGs very much any more, I believe...

For the record, this is just a minor detail but even Bones' digital composite department is helping out on the CGI for this show. I saw it in the credits.

[runpsicat]

Originally Posted by runpsicat

Edit - Also, I came across a 2ch poster claiming that the Bakeneko arc will be a completely different story despite having the same title as the Ayakashi arc. This would be cool if true, but has anyone come across that kind of information while perusing more reputable sources?

To follow up on my own post, I was digging around on 2ch again for information and saw people posting "official" arc summaries in a spoiler thread. If the information is true, Bakeneko will be indeed a very different arc that takes place in more modern times (Taisho era).

Spoiler for Bakeneko Arc Synopsis (rough translation):

Bakeneko

A large crowd has gathered for the inauguration ceremony of a new subway line. The first train departs with Mayor Fukuda, who played a key role in the line's construction, and invitees on board amidst big applause from attending citizens. However, events take a strange turn when the majority of the train's passengers suddenly disappear and only seven (including the Mayor) are left. The Mayor himself also disappears into the darkness when he leans out of a window to see what was going on and falls out. Terrified, the remaining passengers had gone into a panic when the Medicine Seller suddenly appears out of nowhere and announces that a mononoke is responsible. As he unravels the mononoke's origins, the tale of corruption behind the subway line's construction and the female journalist investigating it comes to light...


「化猫」

地下鉄の新路線の開通式。そこは大勢の人々でにぎわっていた。
地下鉄開通の立役者である福田市長に市民が盛大な拍手を送る中
市長や招待客たちを乗せた第1号列車が発車した。しかし、異変が起こる。
運行中の列車から、突然ほとんどの乗客が消失。残されたのは市長を含めた
7人の乗客のみ。

しかも、外の様子を窺おうとした福田市長は、地下鉄から転落、闇の中に
姿を消して消息不明になってしまう。恐慌に陥る乗客たちの前にふらりと
現れた薬売りの男は、この事態はモノノ怪の仕業であることを告げる。
モノノ怪の生まれた原因を探るうち、地下鉄開通を巡る汚職事件と
それを追いかけていた一人の女性記者の因縁が明らかになっていく…。

[Snoop']

In the Taisho era ? Wow, the medicine seller is eternal !
(on the other hand, I would have been extremely pissed off if "Bakeneko" was the same as Ayakashi's one, because I just ordered the original Bakeneko DVD on amazon.co.jp )

[monir]

I concede on the subject of 1D. But on the other subject of characters' drawn in the background, how do we distinguish between when the characters are independently drawn from the background art and when the characters are drawn within the background -- for animation purpose. Here I believe the characters are drawn in the background for majority of the frames by observing this very deliberately done sluggish movements.

Originally Posted by Zappster

I guess I'm one of the folks that can't "appreciate this special little facts" being that you sound as if you don't know what the hell you're talking about.

I suppose I was coming on a bit high and mighty. Sorry about that.

[Siegel Clyne]

Mononoke Episode 1 TV Audience Rating - Kantou Region, Japan

Originally Posted by Siegel Clyne

Due to the 2007 FIFA Under-20 World Cup football (soccer) game between Japan and the Czech Republic which went into extra time, the first episode of Mononoke began airing almost three hours later than usual (12:45am) in the Kantou region of Japan.

Friday, July 13, 2007
1.6% Fuji TV 3:25am Noitamina "Mononoke" (new program)

Friday, July 20, 2007
4.1% Fuji TV 12:45am Noitamina "Mononoke" #02

[Dagger]

That's quite a jump. I'm glad to see it's doing well. The original Ayakashi wasn't as great in the ratings as other Noitamina shows, correct?

[Snoop']

Watched ep.2. Twice again, since there is so much information and depth in each episode.
Don't worry wao, it is EXCELLENT. Scary, sorrowful and touching at the same time. ヽ(ﾟ▽ﾟ*)ﾉ ･ﾟ･(ﾉД`;)･ﾟ･

So much to praise and talk about (the relationship between the doll and the Zashikiwarashi, the metaphor of the red ribbon, etc.), I'll leave it to people who are fluent in English and join the talk if there is any...
But anyway : Zashikiwarashiiiii..!! ｡゜ﾟ(>ヘ＜）ﾟ ゜｡


BTW, I wonder if they will change the OP in the next arc like they did in Ayakashi... I would be delighted if they did.

[Iwanihana]

I will just join in the chorus of praise. And many thanks to runpiscat for the unofficial plot summary of the new Bakeneko.

EDIT:

Spoiler summary for the next story arc is up.

[Snoop']

Nice blog, Iwanihana.
I posted a comment on my thought about the dolls...

Spoiler for the end of ep.2:

The medicine seller didn't do much action in the episode (apart from wobbling on the table), but it was clever from the staff to abbreviate the transformation and the slash. First because it would have been gruesome (given the story), second because if they do the complex transformation scene in each arc, it would be repetitive... First-time viewers were surely lost, though.

[physics223]

I wish the subs would come out ... ;_;

[orion]

Originally Posted by physics223

I wish the subs would come out ... ;_;

Me too. This arc looks complicated.

[wao]

Aw man, I finally got aroudn to watching 2, and I have nothing much else to say except that it really surpassed my expectations - they made good use of the limited animation and it was overall really enjoyable as well. Definitely getting rather heavy on the symbolism though, but it's just a charm to see such varied and carefully crafted imagery every single second.

Spoiler:

Kinda wanted to see just a bit of the transformation sequence, though! Just a wee bit. Like Snoop said, first-time viewers would have no clue what happened... but this is clearly aimed at those who enjoyed the first (or to encourage those who want to know to buy the 1st series' DVD), heck, they even had an "O-Hisa" at the beginning of episode 1.

Now to go watch it again to get a better understanding of what's going on.

Also, I just was thinking how if this was watched in America or another western country, I could imagine people dismissing this arc as

Spoiler:

pro-life tripe or something.

[Snoop']

Originally Posted by wao

but it's just a charm to see such varied and carefully crafted imagery every single second.

Spoiler:

Yeah, for example, there is that travelling scene through the rooms with a red filter on it (just after the red Zashikiwarashi chose his parents) which is terminated (!) by the face of young Hisayo opening the fusuma. The scene itself is impressing, but once you realize that it represents the delivery through the baby's point of view, it becomes horrifying.

BTW, the medicine seller reminded me of Ginko when he said 「だめだ。相容れぬ」, meaning that no matter what, Mononoke and humans can't intervene.

[White Manju Bun]

Originally Posted by physics223

I wish the subs would come out ... ;_;

Amen to that. I have 2 raw I need to watch it though. Ill stick with the raw with this show since its so awesome but subs would be nice (course Im glad its being subbed in the first place ^_^)

[lommm]

am i understanding this correctly off of a quick click through the first ep?

they're playing with texture functions in photoshop in a similar way to what gankutsuou did so well?



oh yeah, Takahiro Sakurai FTW!

[Zappster]

Originally Posted by Snoop'

Zappster, you've got some nerve to openly laugh at a mod...

They're normal people like us

Originally Posted by monir

I suppose I was coming on a bit high and mighty. Sorry about that.

I suppose I shouldn't have been quite so antagonistic and sarky with my reply too. Apologies.

[Snoop']

Originally Posted by lommm

they're playing with texture functions in photoshop in a similar way to what gankutsuou did so well?

Not quite. Gankutsuou used different textures to fill clothes, hair, etc., whereas Mononoke uses an overlay texture resembling Japanese paper ("washi") which covers the whole screen and flickers slowly.

[lommm]

thank! that explained all i needed to know.

i can't wait for subs. not knowing much about this, i was a little lost in the first two eps. though i recognized the story with the pregnant woman.

[White Manju Bun]

man....

Spoiler for epi 3:

ok 1- the boat is awesome! 2- the servant girl from BakeNeko is back! Ive totally forgotten her name XD
Loved epi 3 even more then 1 and 2.