AnimeSuki Forums

Nightengale · 2006-10-04, 11:39

Kekkaishi

Genre : Light Shonen

It's release date is on 16th of October 2006, produced by Sunrise following it's streak of low-profile shonen adaptions of Yakitate Japan, Gintama and now Kekkaishi.

These particular websites relates to the anime, Kekkaishi.
http://www.sunrise-inc.co.jp/kekkaishi/
http://www.ytv.co.jp/kekkaishi/
http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost...&postcount=494

The basic gist of the story revolves around Yoshimori Sumimura, the next heir to the Sumimura family, as he lives as both a student by day, and a kekkaishi, literally meaning 'barrier master' as he utilizes barriers to defeat demons who wish to harness the power of the particular land they live around, Karasumori. As Yoshimori dwelves deeper into master the arts of kekkai to become stronger and to be able to protect his childhood friend/kekkai/family rival/one-sided love interest, the mysteries surrounding the origins of Karasumori slowly deepens....

I for one am interested in how Kekkaishi will be adapted, especially by Sunrise who's maintained a good record of low-profile shounen adaptions, but admittedly Kekkaishi isn't exactly the best of source materials, (( It's a fun light hearted shonen with bits of here and there, but...that's all there is to it. )) Considering it's Sunrise + Shonen though, I'll surely keep a look out for it.

dxgarten · 2006-10-16, 13:56

Episode 01 screencaps and summary

Episode 02 screencaps and summary

Spoiler:

Sonhex · 2006-10-16, 16:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by dxgarten

Episode 01 screencaps (summary to follow)

Episode 02 screencaps (summary to follow)

Spoiler:

Thanks! I completely forgot about Kekkaishi with all the other new series going on. Actually it looks surprisingly good, so I'll check it out.

Incidently, I'm wondering if we're witnessing a Sunrise rennaisance? Three new series this season, each with lots of promise and the awesome Zegapain last time round.

musouka · 2006-10-16, 18:09

Hahaha, Madarao's voice is perfect. I was wondering if they were going to keep that subplot.

I've been looking forward to this show all season. The manga is a nice little work. It doesn't blow my socks off, but everything is well done. And I like the relationship between Yoshimori and Tokine. (Have a weakness for older girl/younger boy relationships) Too bad it hasn't gotten much attention. I'll watch it raw, but it'd be nice if someone subbed it too.

Oberon · 2006-10-17, 20:31

Wow, so little love for Kekkaishi. I got around to see ep1&2 now (thumbs up, for double episodes) and thought it's a nice adaption. I wasn't sure how well the kekkai magic would look on-screen, but they sure made it nice and sparkly.

They did rearange a lot of stuff though. Seems pastry boy still made it into the series, as did the girl from vol.3. Yoshimori and Tokine make a fun pair and the flashback in ep1 established Yoshimori's motivation rather well. It's hard not to like him. On another note, let's hope the staff knows how to manage the budget better than Gonzo does and keep everything nice looking. Kekkaishi is a fun series and I'm looking forward to the future storyarcs.

EDIT: Just adding some thoughts on the opening and ending. I'm curious how the actual animation sequences will look like. Pity though, I'm not all that hot on the songs. The singer of the opening sounds really strained to hit the right notes and as for the ED performer, I'm not sure whether he's singing or crying.

Nightengale · 2006-10-17, 20:37

Woot! Finally got my Kekkaishi Ep.1 and 2. God that took a while.

Well, if anything I say Sunrise had done it again. They really went and capture the atmosphere of Kekkaishi well, and apparently they've also improved on a weaker aspect of Kekkaishi by making the action scenes much more fluid and exciting compared to the manga. The series looks much better than the typical Sunrise shounen, and it's somewhat a surprise....and a worrisome factor due to the fact that high quality may also mean less episodes.

If anything, I just hope that they're just planning to get watchers into the anime by delivering the action first, (( evident by Ep.3 preview )), only to later give out what Kekkaishi excels better at. If they can the slice-of-Kekkaishi-life comedy/life/learning aspect of Kekkaishi for it's Kekkaishi action scenes, then I'll probably end up dissapointed. Let's hope Sunrise doesn't do that.

Trov · 2006-10-18, 00:30

Ah, this is another anime I wanted to see but no one is claiming it. So I decided to start up a group and work on them for others. If you wanna help or if you know someone that does, Have them refer to this post:
http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost...postcount=1016

If I can get the members, I'd like to help you guys see it. Even if it's not the best sub ever.

Wait, is this post against the rules? If it is, sorry? Ah well.

Regardless, I did see the manga, but I didn't want to download it since I heard an anime was coming for it.I'll probably read the first chapter though.

tyciol · 2006-10-19, 15:36

Cool, I read the first volume of this from my library, I think it's a great idea to make into an anime. The whole older girl neighbour rival clan with the crazy energy-cubes plot is simple and effective.

DoReMiFaSo · 2006-10-19, 18:21

Watched the first two episodes. The animation is not that great, and the character design is a bit bland. Is it the same with the manga?

What I like so far is the relationship between Yoshimori and that girl (forgot her name). It's fun to see that they cared about each other but didn't show it. Also, I am glad that the female lead is not useless.

Well, I will check out a few more episodes and see if I'll follow this series.

musouka · 2006-10-22, 12:15

I don't think I can really put into words how disappointed I am that this series hasn't garnered more notice. I realize that this season is packed with anime and some are bound to fall through the cracks, but this is a series I really want, with all my might, to achieve at least a little popularity so I can discuss it with other people.

I don't think even a raw was released on torrent. Most people probably have no idea that it exists, and if they do, they're assuming it's another generic shounen and not worth their time.

To be fair, the premise is generic, but it's what the author does with it that really makes it shine. There are little touches here and there that just make a huge grin split my face in half. The characters are also extremely engaging. I've read the manga, but I loved the first two episodes so much I've rewatched them at least seven times. That's much more than anything else this season, even other shows I like such as fan favorites Death Note, Kanon, and Asatte no Houkou.

I realize this is just a shout in the dark, and, well, I'm used to liking shows that aren't super popular, and I don't usually have an issue with it. I guess I don't really understand why it stings so much in this particular instance...

Oberon · 2006-10-22, 20:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by musouka

I don't think I can really put into words how disappointed I am that this series hasn't garnered more notice. I realize that this season is packed with anime and some are bound to fall through the cracks, but this is a series I really want, with all my might, to achieve at least a little popularity so I can discuss it with other people.

I don't think even a raw was released on torrent. Most people probably have no idea that it exists, and if they do, they're assuming it's another generic shounen and not worth their time.

There was one, but being a 500+MB file with a japanese filename (at least where I saw it) might not have helped the issue. Also with most of the other series having started almost 2-3 weeks earlier (and some of them quite good), I'd guess lots of people have by then already decided on their viewing schedule and weren't keen on adding or even trying another series nobody else is talking about.

Though I am mildly surprised that only one sole blogger cared enough to actually write about the first episode, considering some of the stuff that actually got blogged, if even for one test episode. Maybe there's less bloggers than I thought that actually want to try raw episodes.

Quote:

To be fair, the premise is generic, but it's what the author does with it that really makes it shine. There are little touches here and there that just make a huge grin split my face in half. The characters are also extremely engaging.

That's also what makes the series so enjoyable to me. Yoshimori is a genuine nice guy, not taking crap, but also not putting on a needless tough guy act and it's hard not to like him. Especially when you see where his motivation is coming from and the effort he puts into what he does. Together with Tokine, the two dogs and Yoshimori's and Tokine's respective families it's simply fun to watch, be it when they're on duty or during their everyday lives. Also, the central theme of Karasumori's secret and the agendas people surrounding it seem to have, make for an interesting read, as slowly new puzzle pieces enter the picture.

Quote:

I realize this is just a shout in the dark, and, well, I'm used to liking shows that aren't super popular, and I don't usually have an issue with it. I guess I don't really understand why it stings so much in this particular instance...

I know what you mean. In my case, I think it's that I know it gets pretty good as the story continues (I've read ahead quite a bit) and it also had a pleasant first episode, so it's somewhat disappointing to see something like "Otome wa boku ni Koishiteru" (sorry to those who like it) getting more attention. Hell, even Busou Renkin that's in the same genre, but oh so generic it hurts, got more coverage. Maybe it'll change if by any chance a fansub pops up, who knows (something I'm also hoping for Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto, but I digress...).

NissanNut · 2006-10-22, 21:21

I'm looking forward to watching this. I'm reading the manga right now and I love it. It's got your typical cliche protaganists, but the story itself is interesting. In a way they are like ghostbusters but use kekkai to crush their enemy and then seal them away with a special staff. The characters are likeable and the interactions between them are enough to keep you into the story. I hope that the animation is every bit as good as what I've read thus far.

musouka · 2006-10-22, 22:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oberon

I'd guess lots of people have by then already decided on their viewing schedule and weren't keen on adding or even trying another series nobody else is talking about.

I can kind of understand that, as Kekkaishi isn't really a particularly flashy series. But I guess it just kills me because I know this show could achieve at least some degree of popularity if people gave it a chance. There are people I know who would really like it, but I can't recommend it to them if they don't understand Japanese.

Quote:

That's also what makes the series so enjoyable to me. Yoshimori is a genuine nice guy, not taking crap, but also not putting on a needless tough guy act and it's hard not to like him.

And again, most of what I love about Yoshimori is the little things. Trying not to spoil, so I'll just mention a few things that were touched on in the first ep. I love his inventiveness with the kekkai, using it to sleep soundly or torment his grandpa. I love that even though he has that "I must become STRONGER" issue that every other shounen protagonist has, it's somewhat tempered by his laid back attitude and, well, laziness. (Plus that scene was incredibly executed, in both the anime and manga. I can feel my chest tighten every time I see it.)

As far as Tokine goes, I think the author really hit on something by having her be older than him. So she does have a little bit of an "I'm more mature than you" attitude, because she is. And of course, it puts an interesting pressure on Yoshimori to try to measure up to her in a lot of different respects that you just don't really get with a lot of shounen relationships.

Quote:

Hell, even Busou Renkin that's in the same genre, but oh so generic it hurts, got more coverage.

Not to be elitist or try to put Busou Renkin fans down, but I was honestly irritated when I noticed there was more than one group subbing it. I realize that it might have more name recognition, but there's no doubt in my mind that Kekkaishi is the better show.

dxgarten · 2006-10-23, 13:07

Episode 03 screencaps and summary

I think the pacing is considerably better and the animation and art still holds up. I also like the new OP animation even if it's slightly spoiler-ish. The only downside to this is the song, which is not that great.

Oberon · 2006-10-24, 02:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by dxgarten

Episode 03 screencaps and summary

I think the pacing is considerably better and the animation and art still holds up. I also like the new OP animation even if it's slightly spoiler-ish. The only downside to this is the song, which is not that great.

I'm in complete agreement. Ep3 looked rather good, and going by the preview, so will ep4. I'm especially enjoying the kekkai techniques in animated form. Somehow they look cooler when animated (for example, how Tokine got out of her "predicament").

The OP animation is rather cool, showing Tokine, Yoshimori and "Mysterio" at work. It does get a bit on the spoilery side, but I guess an OPs job is to make you interested somehow. The song, well... I'll just have to hope they'll switch it after 13 eps (same goes for the ED, in my case).

Some thoughts on ep3:

Spoiler for episode 3:

musouka · 2006-10-24, 20:43

I finally got a chance to sit down and watch this ep. Excellent all around, and I'm kind of glad they're introducing some aspects of the plot earlier, as much as I enjoy the "slice of kekkaishi life" bits in the manga.

The only issue I had was the reusage of some of the exact same stuff from the first two eps in the school scenes.

DoReMiFaSo · 2006-10-24, 23:34

After watching the third episode, I like this show better. Maybe because of the better pacing, or maybe the characters are growing on me.

xnatsumex · 2006-10-25, 00:11

I want to watch Kekkaishi but unfortunately for me, I can't understand Japanese.

Hopefully some group will sub it in english...

Nightengale · 2006-10-25, 07:31

I had mixed feelings about the OP in the beginning, but now that it's played alongside the Ep.3 OP video, I actually thought it was pretty good. The song itself wasn't anything spectacular, but I love how the semi-ambiencent flow that was apparent in the non-action scenes of the OP (( Particular the slow Yoshimori/Tokine parts )) well with the song in general.

Episode 3 was pretty nice overall. While I still have some worries on how long Kekkaishi will be, I've got to say that I LOVE the use of colours in Kekkaishi. It has the kind of dark, sombre mood while retaining the lightness of the atmosphere. Kinda like a well-mix of the overall mood potrayed by the manga but added with a flair that makes the whole Ayakashi/Kekkaishi theme more appealling. Kudos to Sunrise for that.

Srin Tuar · 2006-10-25, 08:34

I think you mean ep 3 (ep 2 was the second half of the hour long special)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oberon

Some thoughts on ep2:

Spoiler for episode 2:

Spoiler for episode 3:

2006-10-04, 11:39	Link #1
Nightengale ~Night of Gales~ Author Join Date: Dec 2005	Kekkaishi Kekkaishi Genre : Light Shonen It's release date is on 16th of October 2006, produced by Sunrise following it's streak of low-profile shonen adaptions of Yakitate Japan, Gintama and now Kekkaishi. These particular websites relates to the anime, Kekkaishi. http://www.sunrise-inc.co.jp/kekkaishi/ http://www.ytv.co.jp/kekkaishi/ http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost...&postcount=494 The basic gist of the story revolves around Yoshimori Sumimura, the next heir to the Sumimura family, as he lives as both a student by day, and a kekkaishi, literally meaning 'barrier master' as he utilizes barriers to defeat demons who wish to harness the power of the particular land they live around, Karasumori. As Yoshimori dwelves deeper into master the arts of kekkai to become stronger and to be able to protect his childhood friend/kekkai/family rival/one-sided love interest, the mysteries surrounding the origins of Karasumori slowly deepens.... I for one am interested in how Kekkaishi will be adapted, especially by Sunrise who's maintained a good record of low-profile shounen adaptions, but admittedly Kekkaishi isn't exactly the best of source materials, (( It's a fun light hearted shonen with bits of here and there, but...that's all there is to it. )) Considering it's Sunrise + Shonen though, I'll surely keep a look out for it. __________________ *Night~and~Gale: ~ The Final Mythology of the Man who Defied Destiny.* The sleeping lion shall awaken beyond the depths of time, crossing ten billion lights, come to Terra.

2006-10-16, 13:56	Link #2
dxgarten Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006	Episode 01 screencaps and summary Episode 02 screencaps and summary Spoiler: I really like this series. The production value is high and the art is quite nice to see. Having said that, I don't really like the fact that the anime writers cut down a sizeable amount of the first manga volume. The entire pattiserie chef part of the story is no longer here. Neither is the snake teacher/ Last edited by dxgarten; 2006-10-18 at 12:37.

2006-10-17, 20:37	Link #6
Nightengale ~Night of Gales~ Author Join Date: Dec 2005	Woot! Finally got my Kekkaishi Ep.1 and 2. God that took a while. Well, if anything I say Sunrise had done it again. They really went and capture the atmosphere of Kekkaishi well, and apparently they've also improved on a weaker aspect of Kekkaishi by making the action scenes much more fluid and exciting compared to the manga. The series looks much better than the typical Sunrise shounen, and it's somewhat a surprise....and a worrisome factor due to the fact that high quality may also mean less episodes. If anything, I just hope that they're just planning to get watchers into the anime by delivering the action first, (( evident by Ep.3 preview )), only to later give out what Kekkaishi excels better at. If they can the slice-of-Kekkaishi-life comedy/life/learning aspect of Kekkaishi for it's Kekkaishi action scenes, then I'll probably end up dissapointed. Let's hope Sunrise doesn't do that. __________________ *Night~and~Gale: ~ The Final Mythology of the Man who Defied Destiny.* The sleeping lion shall awaken beyond the depths of time, crossing ten billion lights, come to Terra.

2006-10-18, 00:30	Link #7
Trov Holy cack! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NYC Age: 37	Ah, this is another anime I wanted to see but no one is claiming it. So I decided to start up a group and work on them for others. If you wanna help or if you know someone that does, Have them refer to this post: http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost...postcount=1016 If I can get the members, I'd like to help you guys see it. Even if it's not the best sub ever. Wait, is this post against the rules? If it is, sorry? Ah well. Regardless, I did see the manga, but I didn't want to download it since I heard an anime was coming for it.I'll probably read the first chapter though. __________________

2006-10-22, 21:21	Link #12
NissanNut Mochi Addict Join Date: Dec 2005	I'm looking forward to watching this. I'm reading the manga right now and I love it. It's got your typical cliche protaganists, but the story itself is interesting. In a way they are like ghostbusters but use kekkai to crush their enemy and then seal them away with a special staff. The characters are likeable and the interactions between them are enough to keep you into the story. I hope that the animation is every bit as good as what I've read thus far. __________________

2006-10-16, 18:09	Link #4
musouka Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003	Hahaha, Madarao's voice is perfect. I was wondering if they were going to keep that subplot. I've been looking forward to this show all season. The manga is a nice little work. It doesn't blow my socks off, but everything is well done. And I like the relationship between Yoshimori and Tokine. (Have a weakness for older girl/younger boy relationships) Too bad it hasn't gotten much attention. I'll watch it raw, but it'd be nice if someone subbed it too.

2006-10-17, 20:31	Link #5
Oberon Senior Member Join Date: May 2004	Wow, so little love for Kekkaishi. I got around to see ep1&2 now (thumbs up, for double episodes) and thought it's a nice adaption. I wasn't sure how well the kekkai magic would look on-screen, but they sure made it nice and sparkly. They did rearange a lot of stuff though. Seems pastry boy still made it into the series, as did the girl from vol.3. Yoshimori and Tokine make a fun pair and the flashback in ep1 established Yoshimori's motivation rather well. It's hard not to like him. On another note, let's hope the staff knows how to manage the budget better than Gonzo does and keep everything nice looking. Kekkaishi is a fun series and I'm looking forward to the future storyarcs. EDIT: Just adding some thoughts on the opening and ending. I'm curious how the actual animation sequences will look like. Pity though, I'm not all that hot on the songs. The singer of the opening sounds really strained to hit the right notes and as for the ED performer, I'm not sure whether he's singing or crying.

2006-10-19, 15:36	Link #8
tyciol Senior Member Artist Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Canada	Cool, I read the first volume of this from my library, I think it's a great idea to make into an anime. The whole older girl neighbour rival clan with the crazy energy-cubes plot is simple and effective.

2006-10-19, 18:21	Link #9
DoReMiFaSo Samba!! Join Date: Apr 2006	Watched the first two episodes. The animation is not that great, and the character design is a bit bland. Is it the same with the manga? What I like so far is the relationship between Yoshimori and that girl (forgot her name). It's fun to see that they cared about each other but didn't show it. Also, I am glad that the female lead is not useless. Well, I will check out a few more episodes and see if I'll follow this series.

2006-10-22, 12:15	Link #10
musouka Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003	I don't think I can really put into words how disappointed I am that this series hasn't garnered more notice. I realize that this season is packed with anime and some are bound to fall through the cracks, but this is a series I really want, with all my might, to achieve at least a little popularity so I can discuss it with other people. I don't think even a raw was released on torrent. Most people probably have no idea that it exists, and if they do, they're assuming it's another generic shounen and not worth their time. To be fair, the premise is generic, but it's what the author does with it that really makes it shine. There are little touches here and there that just make a huge grin split my face in half. The characters are also extremely engaging. I've read the manga, but I loved the first two episodes so much I've rewatched them at least seven times. That's much more than anything else this season, even other shows I like such as fan favorites Death Note, Kanon, and Asatte no Houkou. I realize this is just a shout in the dark, and, well, I'm used to liking shows that aren't super popular, and I don't usually have an issue with it. I guess I don't really understand why it stings so much in this particular instance...

2006-10-23, 13:07	Link #14
dxgarten Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006	Episode 03 screencaps and summary I think the pacing is considerably better and the animation and art still holds up. I also like the new OP animation even if it's slightly spoiler-ish. The only downside to this is the song, which is not that great. Last edited by dxgarten; 2006-10-24 at 01:50.

2006-10-24, 20:43	Link #16
musouka Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003	I finally got a chance to sit down and watch this ep. Excellent all around, and I'm kind of glad they're introducing some aspects of the plot earlier, as much as I enjoy the "slice of kekkaishi life" bits in the manga. The only issue I had was the reusage of some of the exact same stuff from the first two eps in the school scenes.

2006-10-24, 23:34	Link #17
DoReMiFaSo Samba!! Join Date: Apr 2006	After watching the third episode, I like this show better. Maybe because of the better pacing, or maybe the characters are growing on me.

2006-10-25, 00:11	Link #18
xnatsumex Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006	I want to watch Kekkaishi but unfortunately for me, I can't understand Japanese. Hopefully some group will sub it in english...

2006-10-25, 07:31	Link #19
Nightengale ~Night of Gales~ Author Join Date: Dec 2005	I had mixed feelings about the OP in the beginning, but now that it's played alongside the Ep.3 OP video, I actually thought it was pretty good. The song itself wasn't anything spectacular, but I love how the semi-ambiencent flow that was apparent in the non-action scenes of the OP (( Particular the slow Yoshimori/Tokine parts )) well with the song in general. Episode 3 was pretty nice overall. While I still have some worries on how long Kekkaishi will be, I've got to say that I LOVE the use of colours in Kekkaishi. It has the kind of dark, sombre mood while retaining the lightness of the atmosphere. Kinda like a well-mix of the overall mood potrayed by the manga but added with a flair that makes the whole Ayakashi/Kekkaishi theme more appealling. Kudos to Sunrise for that. __________________ *Night~and~Gale: ~ The Final Mythology of the Man who Defied Destiny.* The sleeping lion shall awaken beyond the depths of time, crossing ten billion lights, come to Terra.