AnimeSuki Forums

**monir** · 2009-01-23, 02:32

Genre: Action, Adventure

Anime Production: Satelight

Scheduled Air Date: Spring 2009

Website: http://www.guinsaga.net/

The show is based on a novel by Kurimoto Kaoru. This novel is 123 volume long and counting. That's a lot of material waiting to be animated. My interest sparked when I saw the name of the director in charge, Wakabayashi Atsushi, who has been involved with some of the most popular series out there at a given time. Is this another popular shounen series in the making? I don't know, but I'm fascinated and that much is certain. I don't like the story, but I'm intrigued by the fact that Satelight will be the animation production company. They are usually one of the better studios out there who tries to produce good animation consistently, so it's strange to see they want to get involve with a potentially lengthy series. What's more, Uematsu Nobuo is in charge of the music! Fascinating, right? The synopsis in the following is stolen from James Michael White's review:

Book One of The Guin Saga, by Kaoru Kurimoto serves up its Frank Frazetta-like muscle-bound he-mensch hero on page one with descriptive terms like freakish, peculiar, and bizarre. That’s because, in addition to his loincloth, he wears a permanently-affixed leopard mask, evoking fantastical shades of Alexander Dumas because this man, not in an iron but a leopard mask, is at once more and less than he seems. Turns out he has no memory of who he is or how he came in such physical disrepair to the haunted forest where Kurimoto’s prologue places him, but thenceforward he acquits himself in heroic enough fashion many times to demonstrate all the vital qualities of heroes and kings.

Supposedly later volumes induces subservient yaoi. Nothing is making sense. I am fascinated indeed!

edit: Trailer in Youtube.. thanks goes to Haohmaru.

Sheba · 2009-01-23, 03:51

I have read the first volumes that were translated and published in France. It's quite an interesting fantasy saga. It inspired Kentaro Miura for Berserk, if it can tell you. Guin, the Leopard Mask warrior, is one of my favorite characters of the japanese fantasy litterature, up there with Guts, Parn and Griffith. I'll keep an eye on it and see if they can do the novels justice.

**monir** · 2009-01-23, 04:36

A comparison to Berserk is a good news indeed even though I'm not impressed from what I've read about the story. However, reading synopsis alone isn't enough to form opinion about the context of a story. All I can say is that the involvement of Satelight as animation production is a very good news for this show. The show should also see some very good music score since Uematsu promises to compose.

Sheba · 2009-01-23, 05:16

Having read the first volumes, I can tell that the story is nothing to write home about. Then again, this may be said about a lot of my favorite fantasy sagas, the good old Tolkien, the classics by Michael Moorcock, Agone by Gaborit or Earthsea books by Le Guin. The recipe for a fantasy story is widely known by everyone; however, it is always up to the execution. From what I have read in the first books (up to five for now, and it won't go further as far as french version goes), it is the journey of two royal siblings having to count on a powerful and Conan-esque warrior. However, the characters, especially Guin, are fascinating and the writing style, while simple, makes the story griping. How will it make it in the animated version? It's all up to the staff I think.

EDIT:
More about the books and their unfortunate fate in France. The five first are actually the first "arc" and an appetizer for the rest of the saga. However, for some reason, the publisher stopped after it. Why? Low sales? Not enough interest from the public? Gone unnoticed in a oversaturated market? I have heard that the english version have encountered the same unfortunate fate, so I can't enjoy the rest of the history UNLESS I start taking japanese classes or Satelight covers what happens after the fifth book.

I hope that the anime gets good, if it does it may get the publishers and tanslators interested again and push them to go beyond the first arc. Berserk in France was gone unnoticed in the mid-1990s (with only one or two volumes translated, and its first publisher went kaput), its popularity suddenly boomed in the early 2000s and now we are in the 28th volume.

M.Marangio · 2009-02-27, 16:50

According to ANN, a 164-second trailer began streaming on the Guin Saga page. Sadly, I can't see it.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news...video-streamed

ETA: Thank you, Haohmaru, for the YouTube link.

Haohmaru · 2009-02-27, 17:41

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwmu19f97lc&eurl=
so you can watch it as well.

Westlo · 2009-02-28, 01:54

Oh snap, definitely down for watching this now.

Sheba · 2009-02-28, 10:37

Now this is the kind of trailer that pull me in, and the kind of fantasy I mentally pictured while reading the books.

Amylian · 2009-02-28, 10:49

Quote:

According to some data, there are as many as 20,000 characters throughout the series, 1,000 of which make up the main characters.

This is a message from the author from the official site.

Wow, This is crazy! 20,000 characters? Now this is interesting.

musouka · 2009-02-28, 11:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Westlo

Oh snap, definitely down for watching this now.

My interest was piqued before, the trailer got me fired up, and after hearing that the author introduces m/m elements down the line--even though I doubt the adaption will reach them--I have to say SOLD.

Sheba · 2009-02-28, 11:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amylian

This is a message from the author from the official site.

Wow, This is crazy! 20,000 characters? Now this is interesting.

This is for the novels. Expect it to be trimmed down severely for the needs of the anime.

Amylian · 2009-02-28, 12:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheba

This is for the novels. Expect it to be trimmed down severely for the needs of the anime.

Well, that would happen for sure

.

AnymX · 2009-02-28, 16:10

That's it I am defenetely watching this. At first I was pretty sceptical about this but now nothing will stop me from whacking it.

Fevvers · 2009-02-28, 18:45

The trailer there was a little bit cheesy, but then again, that's my usual reaction towards series/films that bill themselves as 'OMG EPIC FANTASY' (unless you're Miyazaki/Igarashi), the character designs don't help either for me. The inclusion of a conan-esque main protagonist (I assume he's the aforementioned Guin?) is interesting though.

Echoes · 2009-02-28, 20:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by monir

This novel is 123 volume long and counting.

Wow! That's a lot of ink!

I watched the trailer, was the King from Tekken in there?

Looks like it could be very interesting indeed, I'll be sure to keep an eye out for this one.

Sheba · 2009-02-28, 20:32

King voiced by Kung Fu Jesus, Hokuto no Ken new movies version.

-Antares- · 2009-03-01, 23:31

I'll be giving this a try. The cover art of the novel interested me enough to watch the trailer, and the trailer was awfully nice.

We'll see how long that niceness lasts, though. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't slightly worried about the fact that they're trying to make a 26(?) episode anime from a novel with over one hundred volumes that has yet to even be completed.

Green² · 2009-03-03, 09:21

At the end of the trailer it list 4/5 at the end. Is that April 5th, or May 4th?

Westlo · 2009-03-03, 09:29

It's airing April.

Quote:

Originally Posted by musouka

My interest was piqued before, the trailer got me fired up, and after hearing that the author introduces m/m elements down the line--even though I doubt the adaption will reach them--I have to say SOLD.

I am in shock! Utterly shocked! Though like you said those elements will not even be in the show, lol @ crisis/cheesie getting hyped for this in irc just like you did. (looks interesting.. zomg m/m!) You should drop by some time every now and than.

felix · 2009-03-03, 12:13

Is it true that the author is a big yaoi writer?

2009-01-23, 02:32	Link #1
monir cho~ kakkoii Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 3rd Planet	Guin Saga Genre: Action, Adventure Anime Production: Satelight Scheduled Air Date: Spring 2009 Website: http://www.guinsaga.net/ The show is based on a novel by Kurimoto Kaoru. This novel is 123 volume long and counting. That's a lot of material waiting to be animated. My interest sparked when I saw the name of the director in charge, Wakabayashi Atsushi, who has been involved with some of the most popular series out there at a given time. Is this another popular shounen series in the making? I don't know, but I'm fascinated and that much is certain. I don't like the story, but I'm intrigued by the fact that Satelight will be the animation production company. They are usually one of the better studios out there who tries to produce good animation consistently, so it's strange to see they want to get involve with a potentially lengthy series. What's more, Uematsu Nobuo is in charge of the music! Fascinating, right? The synopsis in the following is stolen from James Michael White's review: Book One of The Guin Saga, by Kaoru Kurimoto serves up its Frank Frazetta-like muscle-bound he-mensch hero on page one with descriptive terms like freakish, peculiar, and bizarre. That’s because, in addition to his loincloth, he wears a permanently-affixed leopard mask, evoking fantastical shades of Alexander Dumas because this man, not in an iron but a leopard mask, is at once more and less than he seems. Turns out he has no memory of who he is or how he came in such physical disrepair to the haunted forest where Kurimoto’s prologue places him, but thenceforward he acquits himself in heroic enough fashion many times to demonstrate all the vital qualities of heroes and kings. Supposedly later volumes induces subservient yaoi. Nothing is making sense. I am fascinated indeed! edit: Trailer in Youtube.. thanks goes to Haohmaru. Last edited by monir; 2009-03-03 at 10:12.

2009-01-23, 05:16	Link #4
Sheba RUN, YOU FOOLS! Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Formerly Iwakawa base and Chaldea. Now Teyvat, the Astral Express & the Outpost Age: 44	Having read the first volumes, I can tell that the story is nothing to write home about. Then again, this may be said about a lot of my favorite fantasy sagas, the good old Tolkien, the classics by Michael Moorcock, Agone by Gaborit or Earthsea books by Le Guin. The recipe for a fantasy story is widely known by everyone; however, it is always up to the execution. From what I have read in the first books (up to five for now, and it won't go further as far as french version goes), it is the journey of two royal siblings having to count on a powerful and Conan-esque warrior. However, the characters, especially Guin, are fascinating and the writing style, while simple, makes the story griping. How will it make it in the animated version? It's all up to the staff I think. EDIT: More about the books and their unfortunate fate in France. The five first are actually the first "arc" and an appetizer for the rest of the saga. However, for some reason, the publisher stopped after it. Why? Low sales? Not enough interest from the public? Gone unnoticed in a oversaturated market? I have heard that the english version have encountered the same unfortunate fate, so I can't enjoy the rest of the history UNLESS I start taking japanese classes or Satelight covers what happens after the fifth book. I hope that the anime gets good, if it does it may get the publishers and tanslators interested again and push them to go beyond the first arc. Berserk in France was gone unnoticed in the mid-1990s (with only one or two volumes translated, and its first publisher went kaput), its popularity suddenly boomed in the early 2000s and now we are in the 28th volume. Last edited by Sheba; 2009-01-23 at 05:44.

2009-02-27, 16:50	Link #5
M.Marangio Senior Member Join Date: May 2007	Anime trailer According to ANN, a 164-second trailer began streaming on the Guin Saga page. Sadly, I can't see it. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news...video-streamed ETA: Thank you, Haohmaru, for the YouTube link. Last edited by M.Marangio; 2009-02-27 at 19:28.

2009-02-28, 16:10	Link #13
AnymX Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Far, far, far away! Age: 34	That's it I am defenetely watching this. At first I was pretty sceptical about this but now nothing will stop me from whacking it. __________________

2009-03-03, 12:13	Link #20
felix sleepyhead Author Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: event horizon	Is it true that the author is a big yaoi writer? __________________

2009-01-23, 03:51	Link #2
Sheba RUN, YOU FOOLS! Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Formerly Iwakawa base and Chaldea. Now Teyvat, the Astral Express & the Outpost Age: 44	I have read the first volumes that were translated and published in France. It's quite an interesting fantasy saga. It inspired Kentaro Miura for Berserk, if it can tell you. Guin, the Leopard Mask warrior, is one of my favorite characters of the japanese fantasy litterature, up there with Guts, Parn and Griffith. I'll keep an eye on it and see if they can do the novels justice.

2009-02-27, 17:41	Link #6
Haohmaru The Invincible Samurai Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Gairyu Isle, Japan Age: 37	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwmu19f97lc&eurl= so you can watch it as well.

2009-02-28, 01:54	Link #7
Westlo Lets be reality Join Date: May 2007	Oh snap, definitely down for watching this now.

2009-02-28, 10:37	Link #8
Sheba RUN, YOU FOOLS! Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Formerly Iwakawa base and Chaldea. Now Teyvat, the Astral Express & the Outpost Age: 44	Now this is the kind of trailer that pull me in, and the kind of fantasy I mentally pictured while reading the books.

2009-02-28, 18:45	Link #14
Fevvers a regular van veen Join Date: Feb 2007	The trailer there was a little bit cheesy, but then again, that's my usual reaction towards series/films that bill themselves as 'OMG EPIC FANTASY' (unless you're Miyazaki/Igarashi), the character designs don't help either for me. The inclusion of a conan-esque main protagonist (I assume he's the aforementioned Guin?) is interesting though.

2009-02-28, 20:32	Link #16
Sheba RUN, YOU FOOLS! Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Formerly Iwakawa base and Chaldea. Now Teyvat, the Astral Express & the Outpost Age: 44	King voiced by Kung Fu Jesus, Hokuto no Ken new movies version.

2009-03-01, 23:31	Link #17
-Antares- Nope. Fansubber Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Elsewhere Age: 31	I'll be giving this a try. The cover art of the novel interested me enough to watch the trailer, and the trailer was awfully nice. We'll see how long that niceness lasts, though. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't slightly worried about the fact that they're trying to make a 26(?) episode anime from a novel with over one hundred volumes that has yet to even be completed.

2009-03-03, 09:21	Link #18
Green² It's bacon! Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Up and to the Left Age: 43	At the end of the trailer it list 4/5 at the end. Is that April 5th, or May 4th?