Tale of Genji (2009 adaptation)

[Nerroth]

Hi.


On the 15th, a new anime adaptation of the Tale of Genji - a work which enjoyed its 1000th anniversary last year - will be airing...



...and I'm looking forward to it!


Assuming, of course, that a fansub group picks it up.


(Now if they could get around to an adaptation of the Moko Shurai Ekotoba, I'd be even more happy.)

[blue skies]

I'm really looking forward to this one too. The artwork looks beautiful, and although I've never read it, the story is interesting. Other than Axis Powers Hetalia, this is the only thing I'm really interested in this winter.

Actually, reading that link about the 1000th anniversary makes me want to go read the book.

[LKK]

This is my number 2 Looking Forward To anime of the winter season. (The second season of Natsume is number 1.) Count me in when it comes to discussing the show!

[Nerroth]

According to ANN, the main voice actors are Aya Endo as Murasaki no Ue, Sakiko Tamagawa as Fujitsubo no Nyōgo and Takahiro Sakurai as Hikaru Genji himself.


It looks like Puffy AmiYumi are doing the OP...

New single info!!
　(2008.12.8)

The next single release has been confirmed.

New Single "Hiyori Hime"
2009.02.25 In Stores!!
First Limited Version: KSCL 1343-1344 / 1,500 YEN(tax incl.)
Normal Version: KSCL 1345 /,223 YEN(tax incl.)

"Hiyori Hime" which is written by Ringo Shiina will be the opening theme song for the FUJI TV anime "Genji Sennenki" starting January009.
Like the past singles, the First Limited Version will include a DVD with footage from the "PUFFY TOUR 2007 honeysweeper" final concert.
Songs included are "Kuchibiru Motion", "Hataraku Otoko", "Jet Keisatsu", "Asia no Junshin"!

[LKK]

Originally Posted by Nerroth

and Takahiro Sakurai as Hikaru Genji himself.

And therein, you have one of the main reasons I decided to watch this show.

[Vexx]

Looking forward to a classic adaptation that reflects the source material.... (-=-)

[lixuelai]

Dunno how this will turn out. I am guessing this will cover Genji's life not the stuff in the end about his "son". Pretty ironic too how that turned out. What is this considered as? Im gonna guess seinen but it might be shoujou or josei too depending how they spin it.

[ThoHell]

Don't exactly know how I'm suppose to feel about this one. I enjoyed the book and hope that they don't butcher it, actually I'm not really sure if they should make this into a series. It's just a playboy's life...... and kind of ridiculous....

[Mystique]

A book i didn't quite get to reading in 2008 (someone had requested the only copy that i had for a while)
Just short of 1200 pages iirc, it was my bookworm challenge for the year (and still is)
so to adapt this into anime, it'd have to be fairly long (52 ep series?) or cut incredibly.

But I'm all for a literary classic, especially one as reknown as this.
Watching this space.....

edit:
fuji TV 0.45 on thursday mornings.
Not appreciating the time slot there people... -.-

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by Nerroth

Assuming, of course, that a fansub group picks it up.

Thanks for starting this thread, Nerroth.

Since Genji is a Noitamina show, I'd expect to see at least one complete sub, maybe two. The fansubwiki page lists "Yoroshiku?, Strawberry Mint Subs" for Genj. Yoroshiku subbed the recent Noitamina series Antique Bakery. Strawberry Mint has subbed quite a few shows, but no Noitamina shows so far.

Noitamina shows never fail for fansubbers' attention. Over the past couple of years we've seen a number of complete, high-quality subs by transitory groups for shows like Hataraki Man (Arienai) and Mononoke (a lovely one-time performance by "Black Sheep"). We've also seen Noitamina subs from established groups like Shinsen (Mononoke) and from promising newcomers like BSS (Moyashimon, Nodame Cantabile Paris-Hen). I wouldn't be surprised to see any of these groups take on Genji.

Originally Posted by Nerroth

Takahiro Sakurai as Hikaru Genji himself.

Originally Posted by LKK

And therein, you have one of the main reasons I decided to watch this show.

Me, too. As soon as I saw Sakurai's name I knew I'd watch Genji. Anyone reading this who hasn't heard his performance as the Apothecary in Mononoke has missed one of the great star turns in recent Japanese voice acting.

Originally Posted by Nerroth

It looks like Puffy AmiYumi are doing the OP...

Given that my original exposure to Puffy AmiYumi consisted of their somewhat underwhelming American cartoon show, I was surprised to enjoy their performances of the OPs for both Hataraki Man and Oh! Edo Rocket.

Originally Posted by Vexx

Looking forward to a classic adaptation that reflects the source material.... (-=-)

Originally the producers planned on animating a currently-popular manga adaptation of Genji, but Dezaki threw it out and decided to write his own screenplay based more closely on "Murasaki's" novel. He's 65, by the way, even older than us, Vexx! He also shares my birthday, though I'll admit he looks way cooler than me except for the cigarette.

Originally Posted by lixuelai

Im gonna guess seinen but it might be shoujou or josei too depending how they spin it.

The manga was considered shoujo. Most significant novels transcend simple genres so I wouldn't want to characterize the original work with marketing categories. If the producers were asked this question, I'd expect an emphasis on the historical romance aspect of the story targeting a "josei" audience like that for Saiunkoku Monogatari.

Originally Posted by ThoHell

It's just a playboy's life...... and kind of ridiculous....

Originally Posted by Mystique

A book i didn't quite get to reading in 2008 (someone had requested the only copy that i had for a while)
Just short of 1200 pages iirc, it was my bookworm challenge for the year (and still is)

I've been reading off and on the Seidensticker translation and abridgment which is some 350 pages of English text. The older Waley version is 750 pages of considerably smaller text. Even reading the shorter version I've only gotten through perhaps a third of the book; I've just finished the chapter in which Genji meets Murasaki. I'd like to finish the novel before watching the anime, but I'll have to put my mind to it. It hasn't really grabbed me so far, but much of that has to do with the style of diction used throughout.

So far the most remarkable thing about the novel is the use of poetry in normal speech by all the characters. If they're not speaking poetically or quoting a poem verbatim, they're making an oblique reference to a poem that everyone is expected to recognize. Since I've been led to believe that "Murasaki's" novel authentically reflects Imperial life in Japan, I'm in awe of the notion that people routinely spoke this way, even if they came from the luxurious classes. Genji may be a playboy, but he speaks poetically and with thought and insight. I think he's a deeper character than the word "playboy" might suggest, but I haven't read enough yet to know for sure. He certainly seems single-mindedly intent on seduction at times.

I don't know if Dezaki can convey this style of speech in an anime. If the scripts do have the characters speaking in an archaic and more poetic style, it could make this a much more difficult show to subtitle.

so to adapt this into anime, it'd have to be fairly long (52 ep series?) or cut incredibly.

I just skimmed ahead in my copy and Murasaki's and Fujitsubo's names appear infrequently in the last hundred or more pages. Since these two women and Genji are the main anime characters, I'm guessing it will be cut incredibly. It will be, after all, only eleven episodes.

[Shinndou]

Now this is funny, I've just started reading this book under suggestion/orders ( ) of my Japanese Literature teacher at university. I suppose it'll be interesting to see how faithful this anime adaptation will be to the original classic.

[Westlo]

Always interesting in what Noitamina is showing so I'll be checking this out, like the vas casted for the leads too.

[LKK]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Me, too. As soon as I saw Sakurai's name I knew I'd watch Genji. Anyone reading this who hasn't heard his performance as the Apothecary in Mononoke has missed one of the great star turns in recent Japanese voice acting.

I was already considering Genji before the cast list was announced, but I wasn't 100% sure I'd try it. When I learned that Sakurai was voicing the lead, the show moved from my Might Try category to my Will Watch list.

[tigerwoods]

I'm really looking forward to this noitaminA series along with Kemono no Souja, I expect good things.

@Shinndou: Genji Monogatari has been on my "to be read soon" list for ages, I hope to find enough time to read it

[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

So far the most remarkable thing about the novel is the use of poetry in normal speech by all the characters. If they're not speaking poetically or quoting a poem verbatim, they're making an oblique reference to a poem that everyone is expected to recognize. Since I've been led to believe that "Murasaki's" novel authentically reflects Imperial life in Japan, I'm in awe of the notion that people routinely spoke this way, even if they came from the luxurious classes.

I'm not convinced that everyone in London spoke in blank verse during the era of Shakespeare, even if that's the way his actors conversed on stage.

While the aristocracy of Heian Japan were very likely highly educated and artistically refined, I wouldn't know the extent to which the novel accurately represents that the way they actually spoke. More likely than not, the author probably used a generous dose of artistic licence.

Time and motivation willing, I hope to get around to this series eventually. Looks like something right up my alley.

[kujoe]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

While the aristocracy of Heian Japan were very likely highly educated and artistically refined, I wouldn't know the extent to which the novel accurately represents that the way they actually spoke. More likely than not, the author probably used a generous dose of artistic licence.

I have no idea how prevalent such manner of speech was, but it was mostly the norm within the context of courting.

A nobleman would express his intentions to meet the lady via verse, and she would respond in kind. A dialogue of poems would ensue before the lord is refused or allowed inside the estate of the lady to meet face to face. Some paintings from the Heian era focus on this slice of life as their subject.

I, too, am looking forward to this adaptation though I'm not that familiar with the source material, save for a passing discussion that was lectured to me long ago.

[Shadow Kira01]

The animation looks good, don't know about the anime itself though..

[Irkalla]

Probably the only show besides Viper's Creed that cough my fancy in this winter season, since I'm such a nazi about art. Also looks really like a classic, which I'm a big sucker for, so it's definitely on my watch list. Seiuyu cast doesn't look bad either.

[LKK]

Fuji Television has posted a 14-second commercial for Genji. It shows some of the animation but has no voices, just music. It's low quality though, so it's hard to judge the animation quality.

[Shiroth]

A very awesome member of this forum (Katapan) told me a little while back that my two favorite composers, S.E.N.S. will be doing the musical score for this series. I've longed for new material by them in the anime department since xxxHolic - Kei, so that news made me extremely happy, and look forward to this show even more then i originally was.

Originally Posted by LKK

Fuji Television has posted a 14-second commercial for Genji. It shows some of the animation but has no voices, just music. It's low quality though, so it's hard to judge the animation quality.

That's S.E.N.S. alright. <3

& together with that animation, just beautiful. I can't wait for this show to start airing.