Innocent Venus
 

First episode recently aired (Thursday, 12:00 AM Japan Time). Might be scheduled for only 12 episodes. Loads of violence. Head shots, blood spewing, knives in necks, gurgling corpses, etc. The backgrounds are nice. Grim, apocalyptic, slow motion atomic energy, dark.

Title/Logo and a few random screen caps:

Good episode. The little street boy looked like something that ran away from Studio 4C though. 8)

The animation is good, but it's only the first episode, so I am not getting excited just yet.

The characters are not very groundbreaking (a silent killer type? a special little girl from some secret project? I've seen that before), but it's wasn't annoying and the show is bloody and violent enough not to be totally cliche.

I think I might be watching more of this, even if just to check whether it actually is good, or whether the first episode was a fluke where all the budget was spend on cool fight animation. 8)

Seems like something to watch. You catch some of the names of those world powers/continents when they showed the map? All of America (North+South) is just labeled The States of Freedom, there's The Commonwealth of Australia, Japan, Russian Federation, South Africa, North Africa, European Union, Arab Union and the Asian Union.

Interesting first episode. Watching Jo & Jin destroying and killing all those soldiers towards the start was awesome though I'm not really fond of the mecha, guess I just get used to that.

The Dark atmosphere and great animation has got me really interested, looking forward to next week.

I think I am gonna check this anime for a few episodes and see how it turns out. :D

Is anyone subbing this? Sadly I cannot understand Japanese.

Reading the synopsis and understanding after watching the episodes, the whole world experienced a cataclysm; natural or man-provoked?

Japan created a super economy to recover, however, it established a society of a top and elite ruling class and supressed poverty class.

Japan becomes and remains as the only superpower nation on the world.

Of course, there's Marxist dissidence leading to strife and chaos to overthrow the government.

The military developed cybernetic armors and mecha units called Heavy Warriors to squash the resistance.

We have been introduced to four characters of the cast who are now playing on the side that's been slaughtered and silenced by the government.

Saya (I originally heard her name as Sana). I like her design and child quirks, reflecting her innocence and loss due to the ongoing war. Her pink hair and blue eyes are the most prominent of her traits, and she looks an ideal moe IMO.

Hitoshi (I also heard his name as Jin called by Sana). Voiced by one of my preferred seiyuu, Takahiro Sakurai. Even among disadvantageous of places or despairing situations, manages to keep his cool and calculating frivolity to pull out tactical maneuvers.

Jo. The silent wolf type, and presuming he and Sana will be bonding as the story unfolds.

Gora. Peculiar mix of Loki and Pan, but his character looks distasteful and annoying to me with his nonsensical quirks. More of the crude humor, comic relief character.

It was about time for me to start investing my interest in sci-fi drama anime of this type. Most about Sana and Jo's views on the current apocalypse that are experiencing through between innocence and brutality.

Animation is versatile and stylized IMO, much in the same caliber to R.O.D. - The TV series and Fantastic Children.

I was able to catch a tune for the OP in the preview, and I'm anxiously waiting for it in the next episode.

Too bad the OP wasn't there - I really liked the one Yousei Teikoku sang for Magical Poka~n.
The cast features some of my favourite seiyu (yay! Revy is back as Renny).
Great art and animation quality also resembles Black Lagoon.
The post-apocalyptic theme is played quite good, even the mecha part(I hate mecha!) was acceptable.
Is this aired in HD? (would be a shame not to)

This seems interesting. I'll try watching this for a bit before reviewing.

Looks like another interesting anime

As usual while trying out the new shows so that the Gun Musashis and Zaizen Jotarous can be chucked out, came across this.

I think we have a winner!

Original Story (no manga nor light novel nor eroge to butcher)
+
Uber-cute loli (from the designer of Kamichu! no less)
+
2 Cool Bishounen (in the tradition of Wolf's Rain)
+
Well-designed CG mecha (good motion, realistic / military design)
+
Unapologetic violence (with well-choreographed action)
+
New World Order scenario (fascist police states, reduced Americas, unified Asian bloc, population reduction)

I won't be surprised if the plot contains secret societies, genetic engineering, Marxists, etc. But setting the stage for 2010 is driving it a little too close, most Fourth Reich writers predict more likely 2020~ish or so.

Are you sure the setting itself is 2010? I though the cataclysm/catastrophe/hurricane that destroyed most of population was 2010, but the story itself goes on a lot later.

The official website has established the timeline of the story.
http://www.innocent-v.com/story.html

Episode one starts on the year 2035 A.D., that is twenty-five years later after the Hyper Hurricane crisis swept the world.

Interesting to note is that the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the rest of Asia survived the cataclysm. However, what they lost was a great deal of their inland Great Plains that sunk underwater, once the sea-level rose.

KissSub is subbing it =) Mabye.. Ramen-subs will & also Umai (new group) could be.

One thing I'm thankfull of so far is that they aren't any annoying voices >.> that 'frog boy' might be a bit on the weird... side but at least he doesn't sound crap =) So far all the VA has been good. Also... I noticed that as well as airing right before Inukami, Innocent Venus also shares a couple of VA =)

That's what it looks like to me, too. I was impressed by some of the movements. And the pacing of things. The story made sense. And the characters, too...even if I am weirded out by the strange boy. The girl is a nice combination of soft and tough. The bishounen are good. And little as I generally like mecha, this one worked for me. Good fight choreography, for sure.

I can understand the cautious, reserve tone eveyone here seems to be maintaining, considering this is ONLY the first episode of a mecha show with its usual plot, I simply thought the episode was awesome!

No annoying voice cast so far, no pretense about the gravity of violence, very good animation, and pretty good use of CG. Episode 2 will pretty much confirm if this series is a winner or not, but I consider this show is a winner already for the violence alone. If this series is projected to have 12 episodes, then the length alone should make it a very enjoyable series.

The 1st episode was really awesome,I hope things continue like this ^-^

Orchunter226 @#19 totally agree with you on to that ^^

another one more thing is that

Wow, if all the episodes are as good as the first this will be one awesome show. The action was all very well coordinated and fit in with the story line perfect; it wasn't just there for fan service.

The animation quality was good, and the music was awesome. I really like the track playing when Gora is running back to the hideout.

Looks interesting. Will see what i think about it after a few eps.

Haven't seen this yet, but reading a little about it brought to mind some of the conversation (conversation is putting it politely) that took place after some episodes of FMP TSR aired.

So my rhetorical question is: I wonder when the first post flaming this show as "further evidence of Japanese racial empiricism and aggression" will emerge.

So far people have been very positive in their impressions of the show, which is good, I'm certainly going to look at the show cause everyone knows I love a good military action flick.

just finished the 1st one...

echoing the sentiments of the majority in here, I'm quite impressed w/ it. animation was good; the characters were tolerable, even the annoying clown-ish dude.

the blood and violence were just the right amount for me; it wasnt done for the sake of just being gory and bloody but to simply show the brutality of the situation. for that, I like it.

and being quite a fangirl of bishounens, I'm liking Jo (silent, deadly, quite angsty). Sana and Jin were also likeable. and I'm looking forward to learn more about the "villains" - the group of guys who stormed the party/meeting/gathering.

but from the tone and atmosphere of the show, I'm guessing I would've to watch some light-hearted show right after watching an episode of Innocent Venus.

Those guys who stormed the party were so odd. At first I thought they were there to kill some leader, or were rebels or something. But it turns out they were there to thwart that rebels plan and protect that guy. Was quite odd how they did it, but whatever it worked out for them.

I don't see the problem... The Japanese Government of this anime is portrayed as the villains, after all. And this fictitious government is certainly deserving of its antagonistic role.

(What, would you prefer the corrupt government to be the USA or something?:p )

Well, it's just fiction. Much like the way the novel/movie The Da Vinci Code uses the real-world organization Opus Dei.

That doesn't stop Opus Dei from complaining, of course.:p

...But I still don't get it. Why would Cal-Reflector think people who are supposedly anti-Japanese, would complain about Japan being portrayed as an evil empire? I thought it would be the other way around?

I mean, is there a more politically tolerable method? (other than inventing a whole new country/landmass?)

It's like how an Irish comedian can crack Irish jokes. A Japanese animation studio can portray its own government in unflattering ways without China burning effigies and Americans believing there is a conspiracy for the Japanese conquest of Asia.

first epispde is really great looking for the second to see if we get a great new serie !

Just saw the first episode. Seems okay, though I'm not quite sure how the plot'll progress. The whole "little girl is the key to something" plot device is a bit overdone. Plus the bad shiny CG is never good for my eyes.

First impressions here.

yeah, I agree but I dont mind much. all I hope is that Sana is not some kind-of weapon or robot or whatever that would eventually end the existence of mankind or something like that. though I wouldnt be surprised if it leads to that.

finally got a chance to sit down and watch it all the way through i kept getting interupted the first 2 time i tried. Well not bad i love shows where the govornment is the bad guy. I read some of the other post and i too am surprised that the japanese goverment is the bad guy i just dont think i have seen it that much in anime. anyway it looks dark and the animation quality is ok. Dont know where the story is headed but i think i will stick with it for a while.

The soldiers wearing the battle armour were bad ass i think they said something like light soliders or something like that. ISeems like inside their helmets there is a hud feeding them information and even targeting. Dont know his name but they guy that saved the little girl and the other guy was sweet as sweet. brutal deathes in the first episode always rock

The blue military uniforms in Innocent Venus remind of the ones in Fullmetal Alchemist.

I finally completed by First Impression,it took me a whole day to complete,I'm a busy man you know

This show shares quite a few similarites with a show i enjoy which is Zegapain,after i seen the first episode i'll definitely continue to watch it.The theme and atmosphere is just great.I don't prefer the names like "Light warriors" and "Heavy warriors" as they sound too simple to me though...

Just downloaded, this will be my first H.264 encoded video- had a brief glimpse at the quality and I am quite impressed.

No opinions on the series yet..

Noble Roar. First thoughts
 

As you guessed correct, this is the opening theme to Innocent Venus.

For me it's the first time to download and listen to the full version of a music theme to an anime before said song premiers on that anime.

The song starts with a low paced introduction emulating a sad and solemn (not of the religious type sang in chorus) solo, and immediately picks up at a fast, rhythmic pace on combination of soft rock and j-pop blended with classical overtones of violin and cello renditions to give it gothic qualities and several techno tunes arranged.

Actually, there were few instance peaks in the melody that made me imagine as if I was listening to the songs composed and performed by ALI Project, particularly Hikari no Sansenritsu, Rozen Maiden Traümend's OP theme.
Even another similarity on how the music plays when the song starts, that it quite resembles to the music of Shingetsutan Tsukihime's ending theme, Rinne no Hate ni.

Noble Roar makes a lot of emphasis to the classical melodies on the score, especially violin and cello, henceforth, the opening theme never loses its goth-classical tempo.

I rate it with a 100%

Changing the topic....

After rewatching the subbed version for episode one, I felt the character animation more resembles to Eureka 7 especially to the detail of the colorful, shining eyes on the main cast. However, the post-apocalyptic scenery of a devastated Tokyo strongly reminds me to Akira.

It's interesting the writers choice for as the apocalyptic trigger became a series of natural atmospheric phenomena cataclysms or Hyper Hurricanes rather than the all too traditional end of the world by nuclear warfare.
This evokes a similar apocalyptic theme touched in Roland Emmerich's film, The Day After Tommorrow.

However, there's always the likeable possibility that Hyper Hurricane phenomena was due to mankind's continuous intervention on the planet that triggered the partial extinction event established in the anime's storyline.

Loved the first episode. That little insight into Jo at the end was sweet. The mecha was very deadly too.

There's something off with Jin too.

I agree as well ! :)

As a matter of fact, It reminded me a lot about how Last Exile started.

i like the sound of this one

Watched the first episode and I thought it was interesting but not fantastic, I usually steer away from overly serious anime.
I thought the char designs were good and I can't see anything wrong with the fights as Jo (cool suit but lame mecha) breaking some bones and cracking some heads was very entertaining and the Phantom guys looking like the bad guys was strange.
Can't say that the stories great-Hyper hurricanes, huh? sure...
seems like it's just an excuse to make the show post-apocalyptic.

I think Innocent Venus might be like the Matrix, behind the cool gfx and sfx there is a deep and thought provoking story but people will watch it for the cool fights.

Watched Ep1...

Nice first Episode :)... animation and sound aren't all that impressive :p ... still... nice show... thumbs up for the battle scenes :D http://forums.animesuki.com/images/icons/icon14.gif... compared to other shows its completely strait forward :( ... I hope they don't fill the gap with blood and carnage :eyebrow: ... hmm... actually that might not be so bad :D ... haven't seen much brainless carnage lately :cool:... need to something to nuke some of my evil neurons...

Has Ep2 aired yet... does it continue the violence... :)

Q. Does shiny pyramid city = Japan... ?

Whether it does or not... the perspective in some of the scenes with it is off IMO...

Rating :

Good - the series may be "original"... but it just smells like Hollywood to me...

@ Blizzer

» I think Innocent Venus might be like the Matrix, behind the cool gfx and sfx there is a deep and thought provoking story but people will watch it for the cool fights.
__________
Topic : Off
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

I watched Matrix for the story...

__________
Topic : On
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

That being said... it better have some superb story... since they already revealed a hell of a lot in the first episode... and to be honest the fight scenes are the only cool bits we got...

@ orion

There's a simple explanation to all your questions...
The series is a little coolness oriented... that's why you see little elements here and there that are a little silly and unrealistic... no big deal... as long as they don't over do it...

One thing that is bugging me about this series is the use of conventional modern weapons from our time... I always found it silly to see helicopters and tanks with Mecha...