Just the other day I posted on how I haven’t been following anime like I used to, and then today comes a post on Japan Probe illustrating that, apparently, the “anime bubble has burst.”
And as a follow-up to my anime post, I have watched the first episode of each series. Verdict? I can’t see myself watching any more of Guin Saga — everything I saw felt like generic fantasy, and there was nothing to hook me. Higashi no Eden doesn’t have me yet, but I’m at least willing to watch a few more episodes to see where things are heading.
Longtime readers may remember that I used to write a regular column on anime for a site called TokyoQ — along with a design column — and even after the demise of that site, I still tried to check in on new series every season, following the ones I found interesting. Over the past few years I’ve drifted away from regular anime watching — the last series I watched in its entirety and thoroughly enjoyed was Bokurano, thank to a heads-up from Paul.
This past weekend I watched Mamoru Oshii’s The Sky Crawlers, which I can’t say enough good things about, and it got me wanting to sample a new show or two. I found this terrific post that takes a look at this spring’s new shows — all 30 of them — but have to say that after going through the list, only two shows piqued my interest.
Guin Saga: I don’t usually go for fantasy series, but one of the last series I thoroughly enjoyed was Seirei no Moribito, based on a series of best-selling novels and which aired on Japan’s national broadcaster NHK. Enter Guin Saga, again based on a series of best-selling novels — 124 volumes since its start in 1970 — and also airing on NHK. That’s enough for me to at least give it a try.
Higashi no Eden: The latest from Production I.G, it’s even directed by Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Seirei no Moribito‘s Kenji Kamiyama, and features music by The Sky Crawlers‘ Kenji Kawai — I left the series’ website open just to listen to the theme song in a loop for a while. It’s a mystery series — terrorist missiles hit Japan, no injuries, and no one knows why — which I tend to like.
I’ll update the post after I’ve seen a few episodes of each.
Patrick Macias is in town for a bit — still jet-lagged — and is giving a talk, “Otaku Power: Trivia, Desire, and Transformation,” at Temple University this Friday (March 13, 18:30). More details here.
The LA Times reports that Takashi Murakami will open an animation studio in LA. He’s already produced a few shorts starring his mascot characters Kaikai and Kiki, as well as a video for Kanye West. The first project will be a full-length feature based on the “Planting the Seeds” shorts that were created for an exhibition. Via Anime News Network.
If you’re a fan of the Professor Layton series of DS puzzle/mystery games, then you’ll be happy to hear that an animated film is on the way. Professor Layton: The First Movie is set to come out in Japan in January 2010, and will tell a new story. The voice actors from the game are reprising their roles. Via Anime New Network.
Some great news on the anime front: Starting January 10, NHK will begin airing The Beast Player, a series based on novels by Nahoko Uehashi, author of the Moribito novels. I absolutely loved the Seirei no Moribito (Guardian of the Spirit) series, and so quite happy to find out about this. The new series is produced by Production I.G.
Also, Scholastic Books is publishing Uehashi’s original Moribito novels in English — the anime series covers only the first one, I believe. Via Anime News Network.
I remember reading something about upcoming anime series First Squad a while back, and now we get to see a trailer for it. The series is a Russian-Canadian collaboration with Studio 4C. Directed by Mind Game director Yoshiharu Ashino, it’s set in a WW2 where Russian teenagers with super powers face off against the Nazi invasion. Via Japan Probe. Update: Yoshiharu Ashino was not the director of Mind Game, but rather the key animator. Mind Game was directed by Masaaki Yuasa.
Although I usually get pretty excited when a new Hayao Miyazaki film comes along, I can’t say I’ve been particularly pumped for Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea. I didn’t much enjoy the teases I’d seen for the film: the deformed and simply drawn main character pointed to a loose style of animation that I didn’t really like. Well, the extended trailer above reveals an entire different film than what I was expecting, and I’m now quite looking forward to seeing it once I get back to Tokyo. Looks like it’s turning into a huge box office hit as well (it opened this past weekend).
The “Totoro Forest Project” needs your help! From artist Enrico Casarosa:
200-plus international artists are trying to help save Sayama forest — also known as Totoro Forest — all as a “thank you for the inspiration” to Miyazaki-san. We’re planning an art auction event, an art book and an exhibit at the Cartoon Art Museum here in SF. The website has a lot of information and amazing art pieces all inspired by the world of Totoro.
Do go have a look, as the gallery is already quite impressive. Pictured above is a piece by Enrico.
Ping Tentacle reports on the Astro Boy pictured above, made up of 138,000 recycled subway tickets, on display at the Shinjuku Takashimaya department store.
PauseTalk is a regular series of events that take place at Cafe Pause on the first Monday of every month, with a start time of 20:00. The idea is to create a forum where Tokyo-based creatives can get together and discuss their own projects, as well as cultural currents of the city. The next edition happens June 4.
We hereby define a new term, that of the magaziner, described as a person who exerts an unhealthy amount of love for all things magazine. The Magaziner is a site that mostly focuses on the intersection between magazines and the digital frontier, and what it means for the medium. This does not preclude the inclusion of a healthy amount of print love.
Codex is a weekly music podcast hosted by Jean Snow, recorded in Tokyo. Playlists for all episodes are posted on the site, and you can subscribe to RSS feeds of posts and episodes.
Jean Snow is a contributor to Arcade Mania, your guide to the arcade gaming scene in Japan (Amazon US/Amazon Japan). He also provided assistance on Tokyolife: Art and Design, a guide to Tokyo's cultural output of the past few years, covering the works of over 80 influential creatives.
Jean Snow is Executive Director of the PechaKucha organization. He also helps run the PechaKucha Night in Tokyo -- please get in touch if you are interested in presenting at a future event. For a more intimate salon-like discussion group, join him at his monthly PauseTalk event.
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