Tag Archives: Gundam

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Anime news dump

i was going to be putting up a review about Full metal alchemist creator Arakawa Hiromu’s new series silver spoon, but some recent news items have convinced me to do a quick news item – with varying degrees of win.

good news for all those Gundam© fans that have been wailing and nashing their teeth about Sunrise’ newest cashcow gundam AGE [even though it hasnt been released yet]
despite Bandi channel announcing a new sereiews on Saturday early recievers of The August issue of Kadokawa Shoten’s Monthly Gundam Ace magazine have discovered an announcemt for an anime adaptation of the long running manga re-imagining of the first mobile suit Gundam© series called “Gundam the origin”, however so far theres no indication as to when it’l be released.

my thoughts:an actual remake of the first gundam series? FUCK YEAH!! ive been waiting and hoping for something like this since forever – it’s a pity that we lost so many of the original voice actors.
to see the original news item pop on over to anime news network –
http://www.animenewsnetwork.co.uk/news/2011-06-22/gundam-the-origin-manga-to-launch-anime-project

fans of cute little magical girls getting killed in gruesome and scary ways may have a chance to rejoyce!
american Anime website AnimeEv have discovered via twitter that Aniplex of america have just registered “MadokaMagikaUSA.com”, leading to the every propable conclusion that yes indeed puella magica Madoka Magika may be well on its way to the west. this comes after announcments by Aniplex that discussions were under way to licence the show.

What i think: hell i was into this series after first reading the announcment for it last year – damn straight im’a geting this!!
heres the linkt to animeEV’s website, and the article in question –
http://animeev.visibli.com/share/qtfXHF

And finally – well it had to happen.
Sankaku complex this week posted an article omn the next step of virtual idol Hatsune Mikus plans to take over the world – this time via holograms!
to quiote the article, and researcher Dr Shunsuke Yoshida:
fVisiOn is a novel glasses-free tabletop 3D display. The developed novel technique can float standing 3D image on a blank flat tabletop surface, and allow multiple viewers to observe the 3D from omnidirection of 360° in seated condition. It is designed to be a friendly interface for multiple users for varied tabletop tasks by featuring our glasses-free method and observation style.

For generation of the 3D images, fVisiOn employs a newly developed special optical device as a screen and a series of micro projectors arranged circularly. The combination of those devices reproduces a light field in a certain volume on the table.

My thoughts holographic chibi Mikus? well, we’re screwed!
link to the original sankaku complex article – http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2011/06/22/finally-hatsune-miku-hologram-developed/
well, what do you think? want to see more articles like this? or should i stick to my usual stuff? as always put your thoughts on the comments page down below.

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Patlabor vols 1+2

What’s the first series that comes to mind when you think of the word “Mecha”?
Gundam?
FullMetalPanic?
NeonGenesisEvangelion?
Gurren Laggan?
Star driver?
For me the word “mecha” conjures up only one series – Mobile Police Patlabor, written, drawn and (in part) created by Masami Yuki, and released by Viz Entertainment.

Originally published in Shounen Sunday in 1988 as a manga adaptation of the original OVA anime series, and released in English by Viz ten years later, Patlabor tells of an alternate future, where the Cold War never ended, and where mankind has created “labors” – mechanised machines – to assist in construction and military work. However with labors came labor crime, as criminals and terrorists stole these machines for acts of crime and destruction.

The series follows the lives of the Japanese police force’s answer to labor crime, the SVD (Special Vehicle Division) – and in particular division 2’s – exploits both on and off duty. Division 2’s personnel, though, are hardly what you’d call your regular police officers.

There’s officers Noa Izumi (a newly commissioned Labor pilot and self confessed Mecha-phile) and Isao Ota (think Kamina from Gurren laggan but with less self restraint and you’ll get the gist of his personality) working as labor pilots. There’s Asuma Shinohara (who chose the police force over working for his father, whose company make the labor units) and Mikiyasu Shinshi offering backup.

Finally there’s Captain Goto, the commanding officer of the unit, whose laid-back, anarchic mannerisms and scruffy looking appearance hide both a razor-sharp intelligence and uncanny powers of observation, which always keeps him two steps ahead of every situation, much to the consternation of both his subordinates and Captain Shinobu, head of division 1 and at times the long-suffering Dr Watson to Goto’s Holmes.

However, the real stars of Patlabor are the labors themselves – marvels not only in their combat ability, and their simplicity (no spikes or unnecessary flashy bits), but also in their realism – the writers “Headgear”, the creative group behind the original anime series, having long researched the mechanics and designs that lead to the creation of the labors – that makes you believe that these mechs could exist in real life (an aspect that most creators of mecha-based anime/manga seem to ignore.)

Considering that this is a mecha series, the stories of Patlabor seem to dedicate as much focus to events outside the battlefield as well as in, with the goings-on and relationships and interactions between the crews adding an extra depth to the stories – from Noa naming her labor after her pet dog, to Shinobu’s continuous exasperation with Goto’s seemingly laid-back approach to police work.

The storylines themselves also show the same attention to detail – the first volume showing us the setting up of division 2, and taking us on their first mission, capturing a stolen labor – with the mix between comedy, drama and action perfectly balanced, with no uncomfortable gaps in between – and that’s not suprising, considering that the writing and art team that made up “GEARHEAD” itself comprised a who’s who of anime and manga creators at the time:
there was Artist/writer Masami Yuki (Birdy The Mighty, birdy the mighty:decode ), Mecha designer Yutaka Izubuchi (Gundam: A War In The Pocket, Record Of Lodoss War,RahXephon), Writer Kazunori Ito (MaisonIkkoku, .hack//SIGN), Artist/character designer Akemi Takada (KimagureOrangeRoad, dirty pair, Maison Ikkoku, Nausica of the Valley of the Wind [Screenplay]) And finally anime director Mamoru Oshii (both the original Ghost In The Shell movie and both series of ghost in the shell: stand alone complex and both the original Blood The Last Vampire movie and blood+)

So, with talent like this why didnt the manga series become a breakaway sucess?

Unfortunately only the first four chapters of the series were ever published, no thanks to Viz’s then policy of splitting up individual chapters into smaller parts, so they could be released as western–style comics, an action that, in my opinion, disrupted the manga’s story flow and, in part, lead in the series’ eventual cancellation; which I think was a shame, as this series, if it was done again in the compiled form that most modern manga has been done in recently, would have sold far better.

However there is hope, albeit tentative.
In a recent interview to Anime news networks’ podcast Vertical media’s, Marketing Director Ed Charvez let slip that, if it were possible, he would love to get the licence to republish manga series.

We can but hope…..

Patlabor vol.1 and vol.2: Basic Training are still available from many specialist manga/anime stores.