(L) Hyakka Ryouran SAMURAI GIRLS

[Pocky Yoshi]

Watched the first episode. My opinion on this anime. The ink like art is very captivating. The censorship with hints of fanservice is not over the top. Characters seem intriguing. The plot is a slightly cliche or so, but it's not like those typical animes(at least for now anyways). Overall, another anime on the "to watch list."

[technomo12]

FINALy we have a REAL GAR TO THE START

male lead god cant w8

and im sick of weak male lead in the start it kinda refreshing seeing a GAR already male lead from the get go

[Bonta Kun]

Originally Posted by monir

Fortunately, I'm in it for the fanservice alone. I already dislike the male protagonist because of that particular seiyuu for the voice, so skins to distract me from the implicated plot point from various degree.

I'm kinda with you on a certain dislike for Hirakawa Daisuke here but I'm not sure if it's down to my dislike at the fact he voiced a certain other character or I just don't actually think he suits the part, which I think I may be leaning towards the latter but also with the former having some influence.

I was expecting something a little grittier for the main lead, guess I'm still all hopped up on Sengoku Basara when it comes to stuff do with this period or samurai

[Suzuku]

Originally Posted by technomo12

FINALy we have a REAL GAR TO THE START

male lead god cant w8

and im sick of weak male lead in the start it kinda refreshing seeing a GAR already male lead from the get go

Yeah same here. Nothing against Minato but I really am tired of him standing behind his Sekirei look frightened. Mineakira (this guy needs a nickname) seems pretty awesome and a refreshing break from the usual males in supergirl anime.

[MeoTwister5]

Okay... uh... I'm curious but is this for the most part hand-drawn animation or computer generated/assisted? From an animation standpoint this is either a labor of intense love or they have a ginormous budget for the show.

I'm really curious because I'd be lying through my testicles if I didn't admit that the animation is fantasmagorgeous.

Anyway where would one be without the effeminization of Hattori Hanzo, Yukimura Sanada, a few of the famous Yagyu, Matabei Goto and... uh... that's all the names I recognize historically.

[Suzuku]

^ I'd imagine most of it is done by computer graphics with hand-drawn drafts. But what do I know.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Muneakira is played by Hirakawa Daisuke. Someone earlier seemed to suggest it was Miyano Mamoru, but it isn't. Personally, I do like Mamo-chan, and am not a big fan of Hirakawa, but I got more used to him as the episode wore on, and I like the character.

Hirakawa played two of my least favorite characters: Makoto in School Days and Naoki in Itaura na Kiss. He was also Franz in Gankutsuou and Yuuto in Omamori Himari.

Here's a full characters/seiyuus page for Hyakka Ryouran, with pics.

I'm also no expert in animation, but it seemed to me that they used a lot of tricks (in a good sense) to make the animation look more expensive than it was. The early fights involved a lot of still layers just shifted around. And I thought the bold lines held your attention so frames with very little movement weren't boring. I got a Shaft-like feel from the combination of stylish art and money-saving tricks. I liked the swirling streamers of dark colour.

[tsunade666]

well the graphics of this show is really superb. With a different layer for each background and the characters. I really like it too if only they would tone down the random ink blotting. I think they want to make it like blood or something be each scene but when it totally covered my view of the scene... I go ... huh? even though it look cool on some point but I wish it more like red though that would be too bloody than just black and usual color for blood is black... well anyway I just find to much of that ink blot irritating.

[MeoTwister5]

I actually liked Naoki in Itazura na Kiss. He was an ass with a heart of gold.

[Bonta Kun]

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

Anyway where would one be without the effeminization of Hattori Hanzo, Yukimura Sanada, a few of the famous Yagyu, Matabei Goto and... uh... that's all the names I recognize historically.

Haha well they did for the 3 Kingdoms, why not cash in on a big project for effeminization of their own historcal figures

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

Muneakira is played by Hirakawa Daisuke. Someone earlier seemed to suggest it was Miyanao Mamoru, but it isn't. Personally, I do like Mamo-chan, and am not a big fan of Hirakawa, but I got more used to him as the episode wore on, and I like the character.

Hirakawa played two of my least favorite characters: Makoto in School Days and Naoki in Itaura na Kiss. He was also Franz in Gankutsuou and Yuuto in Omamori Himari.

Oh thats my bad, got my seiyuus mixed up, I did mean Hirakawa Daisuke and not Miyano Mamoru, can't find fault in Mamo-chan's work

fixed in previous post

[Kagayaki]

Originally Posted by tsunade666

well the graphics of this show is really superb. With a different layer for each background and the characters. I really like it too if only they would tone down the random ink blotting. I think they want to make it like blood or something be each scene but when it totally covered my view of the scene... I go ... huh? even though it look cool on some point but I wish it more like red though that would be too bloody than just black and usual color for blood is black... well anyway I just find to much of that ink blot irritating.

I assume there will be some sort of uncensored version if you find the ink distracting (well, more distracting than naked tits everywhere and fanservice up to 11).

This is definitely the best looking anime series i've seen in a good while, though. Add that to the non-spineless harem protagonist (sigh, my standards have gotten so low), and it look like I'll be watching this in the fall.

[ttdestroy]

I loved it but something was off-putting about it so I'll have to have another episode before I add it to my watch list.

[Spectacular_Insanity]

I don't have a problem with the censoring other than the fact that if they're gonna censor it, they shouldn't bother drawing it in a way where they have to censor it in the first place.

And the ink drops for censoring are fine, but the random ink drops that just pop up for no good reason during the episode really are visually irritating. I can understand artistic direction, but sometimes it just got to be too much.

All that being said, I still think it's pretty good, even if I don't know what the hell is going on or what time period they're supposed to be in.

[dark998]

Originally Posted by Spectacular_Insanity

All that being said, I still think it's pretty good, even if I don't know what the hell is going on or what time period they're supposed to be in.

The story takes place in the 22th year of the Heisei period (2010)

The B29s destruction scene in the beginning occurs in the 20th year of the Showa period (1945)

[Solace]

Originally Posted by technomo12

but DAMMIT INK SPLOTS!!!!!!DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!

but hey its better than fogs right?

Much better, since the fog censors cover more than just the censored stuff. Nothing like three quarters of the screen covered up just so you can't see some nipples. On the other hand, I could give a shit about the censorship. If I want to see naughty bits there's so many other (free even) ways to do it. The only reason there's so much censored stuff these days is so they can tempt you into buying the uncensored disks. Yay.

Anyway. Nice first ep. Definitely lots of potential, but on the downside the second episode won't be out for a bit. The Street Fighter animation was very well done and the thick outlines make the overall feel pretty refreshing. Characters...meh, but at least the male lead showed some spine.

So all things considered, this episode did exactly what it was supposed to do, draw me in, keep me interested, and wanting to watch the next episode.

[Saturn Beaver]

Originally Posted by Spectacular_Insanity

I don't have a problem with the censoring other than the fact that if they're gonna censor it, they shouldn't bother drawing it in a way where they have to censor it in the first place.

And the ink drops for censoring are fine, but the random ink drops that just pop up for no good reason during the episode really are visually irritating. I can understand artistic direction, but sometimes it just got to be too much.

All that being said, I still think it's pretty good, even if I don't know what the hell is going on or what time period they're supposed to be in.

Yeah, I agree completely with what you're saying. If they want to have it for example when the guy accidentally bumped into the girls changing then that's fine, that scene's purpose is just fanservice anyway. Howeever, when they're already having some plot related serious talk, a small ink blot is still covering that Matsu-something fundoshi girl's nip shot, right in the middle of the screen, and it's quite distracting. I'd rather they cover it better with her clothes than to use extra censoring. Still, it is better than fog, and there's still the uncensored option airing later if I'm not mistaken.

[Cloudy]

Since the story takes place in the year 2010, is it possible the creators would throw in gender-fliped versions of Japanese historical figures from non-Sengoku Jidai eras such as Minamoto No Yoshitsune and the Shinsengumi?

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by Spectacular_Insanity

...And the ink drops for censoring are fine, but the random ink drops that just pop up for no good reason during the episode really are visually irritating. I can understand artistic direction, but sometimes it just got to be too much....

For me, the artistic aspect makes up for the extra blots. We don't just get awkward intrusions of censorship, but a natural pattern of blots here and there that happens to accomplish the task. And I like the idea that the blots are not just picking out the things-to-be-censored, but by being elsewhere, too, remove emphasis from the "naughty bits."

But certainly the dark blots, dark swirls, and dark outlines could all easily tip over into just making the images too dark and confused.

[felix]

Who's voicing the redhair? Her last lines were awsum.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by felix

Who's voicing the redhair? Her last lines were awsum.

YUUKI Aoi, age 18, formerly Korone in Ichiban Ushiro no Dai Maou; Sunako in Shiki; Mina Tepes in Vampire Bund; Ichigo in Yumeiro Patissiere; Murasaki in Kurenai. In my opinion, she is the great voice of the next generation. She just keeps showing us more and more, as she does here. Many posts about her in my blog.



Watch for her this fall in five new shows: Pokemon Best Wishes, Yumeiro Patissiere Professional, Sore demo Machi wa Mawatteiru, Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai, Hyakka Ryouran, and a new Kurenai OVA episode. And continuing in Shiki (which is a great show).