Animesou.com

(All info is currently from the Japanese R2 release)
Tenchi Muyo! GXP has concluded its 26 episode run on Japanese television and has a current DVD release date of Jan. 2004.. Set one year after the conclusion of the Tenchi Muyo OVA series, the show follows a young man named Seina Yamada who, at the age of 15, applies to join the Galaxy Police after a series of bizarre coincidences. None of the original Tenchi Muyo! cast will star in the series (not even Mihoshi and Kiyone), but there are some cameos. New characters in the GXP series include Mihoshi’s mother and a pair of Galaxy Police officers.

http://www.tenchimuyogxp.com/ - U.S. Official Site

http://www.tenchi-web.com/ - Japanese Official Site

Japanese Staff/Cast:
Director: Shinichi Watanabe
Cast: Shigeru Mogi (Seinen Yamada), Mariko Suzuki (Amane Kaunaq), Sakuma Kumi (Kuriko Masaki), Yuko Mizutani (Mitoto Kuramitsu), Aya Hisakawa (Ryoko Balouta)

Release Information:
Running Time: 95 mins.
DVD Video
Color
Layers: single-sided/dual-layered
Aspect Ratio(s): 4:3
Regional Encoding: 2
NTSC Format
Japanese/Linear PCM/Stereo

Thoughts:

Alpha:
Tenchi GXP is strictly for fans who have questioned, ‘What has happened to the Tenchi series?’ Shin Tenchi (Tenchi in Tokyo) was not a success and the series has deteriorated over time since the original Tenchi Muyo OAV. Tenchi Muyo was entertaining and it attracted as much fans as it did as a result. There are Tenchi zealots… but then again, there are always zealots for everything heh. So let us go to my views on this new installment of Tenchi Muyo, Tenchi GXP.

First of all, Tenchi Masaki is no longer the main character. Second of all, if you are looking forward to watch all the wackiness of Ryoko, Ayeka and crew, pass on, as they only make guest appearances here and there. And third of all, GXP could be considered if not a side story of Tenchi Muyo. The thing that catches my eyes of course is the animation quality, character etc. All the visuals, duh! I did say eyes hehe. But seriously, I believe GXP has a lot of potentials to be a great series in the states. Why? Well, considering the Tenchi fan base we have in the United States and the amount of anticipation this series has given me thus far.

I believe most fans have already questioned why, FUNimation picked up this title as to why Pioneer Animation did not pick this title up seeing that they have been releasing the Tenchi saga in the states. To tell you the truth, I would prefer Pioneer Animation over FUNimation in releasing Tenchi GXP. If you are wondering why I prefer Pioneer Animation… well only because I own more of their products than FUNimation :). FUNimation is not bad, do not get me wrong, I am sure Kiddy Grade will be a heck of a title and I sure as hell will be looking forward to that too!

Dark Wind:
Tenchi Muyo! GXP is the latest anime series in the Tenchi universe. It’s not the coming 3rd OVA though, Tenchi GXP is simply a side story involving characters related to the main Tenchi cast. If you want to see characters like Ryoko, Ayeka, and Tenchi, don’t count on it, as they only make cameo appearances here. I’ve read that this show isn’t even able to keep the humor of the excellent Tenchi Muyo! and Tenchi Universe anime series, and is much like the poor Tenchi in Tokyo.

What I’ve heard of so far disappoints me, and even more disappointing is that FUNimation picked up the license for US release. While they are a great company, I would have liked Pioneer, who has released everything else Tenchi so far in the US, and know how to treat such a great license. I’ll be waiting for this on TV, probably Cartoon Network, but I’m not in anticipation. I’ll hold off on getting excited about Tenchi until the Tenchi 3rd OVA comes out in September in Japan.

Piro^kun:
Seina Yamada has the worst luck in the galaxy. He brings it upon himself, family and friends anywhere he goes. But he must have something good going for him. Thinking Seina to be like the next Tenchi Muyo (because he attends the same school), Kaunaq of the Galaxy Police pays an visit to Seina and asks, “Wanna join us?”.

Is it destiny or just mistaken identity? If all goes well for Seina he just may end up being the most eligible bachelor in the galaxy. I really like the look of this. It reminds me more of the original Tenchi OVA, and helps to get rid of the nasty aftertaste of Tenchi in Tokyo. Maybe, I’m biased by my love for the Tenchi series as a whole, but I’m really looking forward to this!

 
Stikz:
I’m the biggest fan of the Tenchi Muyo OAV series. But, I’ve only been a partial fan of the spin-offs. This one doesn’t even have anyone from the core cast of the original. But after reading about GXP and watching the trailer. My opinion is changing on this one and my thumbs are starting to turn up. I will check this one out, if you’re a Tenchi fan then I believe you should too.

Oh, and I shouldn’t even have to tell you to pick up Tenchi Muyo OAV 3 later this year.

 
Alpha: What do you think of this edition of The Watcher? Comments? Suggestions? E-mail us!

 
Tenchi Muyo! GPX Screen Caps:

http://www.samurai7.tv/ - U.S. Official Site

http://www.samurai-7.com/index.html - Japanese Official Site

Licensed by Funimation
Animated by Gonzo

DVD release date 08-23-2005

Cast
Romi Paku as Katsushiro Okamoto (Dragon Drive as Oozora Reiji, Fullmetal Alchemist as Edward Elric)
Shinichiro Miki as Kyuzo (hack//SIGN as Crim, Bleach as Urahara Kisuke, Initial D as Takumi Fujiwara)
Fumiko Orikasa as Kirara Mikumari (Bleach as Kuchiki Rukia, Saikano as Chise)
Takehito Koyasu as Ukyo (Initial D as Takahashi Ryousuke, Excel Saga as Ilpalazzo-sama, Mahoromatic as Ryuga-sensei)

Credit to ANN for the staff list.

Thoughts:

Stikz: You know I’m a sucker for Gonzo releases and I’m also a sucker for samurai titles. Samurai 7 has both of those in check, so off we go with my initial impressions. So I go to the site and check out the trailer. What’s this I see? an onslaught of mechs and explosions? Exactly…not what I was expecting. None the less it was beautiful and after seeing countless samurai shows focusing on the Edo period and those fundamentals I guess the surprise of this vision was perplexing but also interesting.

One of the areas I focus on is the character design. Every character is drawn with just that, character. Before they even speak they have tons of personality. As the trailer seems to focus on more traditional settings, I start to get a feel for it. The action looks great and wonderfully animated. The music heard so far is pretty run of the mill. It’s not bad, just something you’ve heard countless times in the genre. So even with the questionable choice to merge mechs and samurai together, I am very interested in seeing this. Just for the simple fact that the characters look interesting. FUNimation picked up the license for an U.S. release. They really are shaping up to be a company to reckon with with their recent releases.

hinatasou:
In honor of the 50th anniversary (last year, 2004) of Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece Shichinin no Samurai (Seven Samurai, 1954), Gonzo has produced the 26 episode anime series Samurai 7. The original film, starring Toshiro Mifune, is among the top ten best Japanese films of all time. It was a breakthrough in Japanese cinematography with its magnificent large-scale battle scenes. Samurai 7 recreates Kurosawa’s jidaigeki epic (dating to Edo period: 1600-1868) of an embattled farm village that hires a disparate group of seven unemployed samurai to protect it from bandits, who have taken both their rice and their wives. The anime sets in a future feudal period where the armaments of warfare are giant mechanical machines, laser cannons and rifles, machine guns, and of course the weapon of choice - swords. Scenery varies from floating battleships, elaborate palaces and daimyos (castles), and the rural fields of the countryside, to the scorching desert, underwater caves and pathways, and the mercantile slums of the city. Knowing Gonzo (the makers of Last Exile), expect to see spectacular 3D animation. Like the original movie, I forewarn you that main characters die. The opening theme by Nanase Aikawa is called Unlimited; a fitting title for the anime has limitless possibilities. The ending theme entitled Fuhen is oriental.

Piro^kun:
Now that Chrno Crusade has ended, here comes another sweet looking anime from Gonzo. Samurai 7 is based on Akira Kurosawa’s most fantastic movie, The Seven Samurai.

Far distant future, on a planet that might have been called ‘earth’, there was a war between samurai who mechanized their bodies. After the long war, people have returned a modest peace.

Now people in Kanna Village are suffering from the Nobuseri, who are the ruined samurai. After the war ended, they lost their purpose for fighting, and they’ve been robbing the village of their crops and women. Because they don’t have any way to fight against them, the villagers have to obey Nobureri’s order.

One year, before harvest season, Gisaku, the head of the village, proposes that they will hire samurai to protect them from Nobuseri.
Riki, who is a young boy full of energy, along with Kirara and Komachi, twin priestesses, go to a town to look for samurai to help them.

For me, just for being made by Gonzo I expect it be at least good and the story sounds like an interesting interpretation of the original story. I for one am going to check it out as soon as possible.

Dark Wind:
To be honest, I don’t know much about Samurai 7. From what I’ve read and from trailers I’ve seen, it looks awesome. It is animated by GONZO, so that’s to be expected. Apparently, they dropped an enormous amount of money into the project, and it certainly shows. The music also sounds pretty good, and if it stays consistent in the actual show than I think I will be buying the soundtrack. I’m really just hoping to be pleasantly surprised by this one as it’s released. It’s loosely based on Akira Kurosawa’s classic film, Seven Samurai. I say “loosely” because there are mechs and flying ships and guns in Samurai 7, which were not there in Seven Samurai. It sounds like an intriguing twist to me, and so long as the story is well-developed and the characters interesting, then I think this is one to watch out for.

Samurai 7 Screen Caps:

Mugen is a fierce animal-like warrior with a unique break-dance inspired fighting style. Jin has a more traditional style but don’t think of this as a weakness because his skills are amazing. The two contrasting samurai warriors are far from friends, yet their separate paths seem to cross anyways. Mugen is wandering aimlessly through the city when he stumbles upon a teahouse where he meets Jin and Fuu (A ditzy waitress, but don’t think she doesn’t have anything hidden up her sleeves). Fuu convinces them both to come with her in search of a mysterious samurai that smells like sunflowers and their journey begins. This modernized hip-hop tale breaks the barriers of the common, historical, samurai anime.

http://www.samuraichamploo.com/ - Japanese Official Site

http://www.fujitv.co.jp/b_hp/samurai/index.html - Japanese TV Station Official Site

Licensed by Geneon Animation at AX 2003.

Director: Hayato Date
Original Manga: Masashi Kishimoto
Character Design:
Hirofumi Suzuki
Tetsuya Nishio
Art director: Kinori Takada
Animation director: Atsuho Matsumoto
Director of Photography: Atsuho Matsumoto
Color Coordination: Takuya Kawami
Editing: Seiji Morita
Fine Arts Supervision: Shigeru Takeda
Music: Toshiro Masuda
Producer:
Akiko Gujima
Hiroshi Hagino
Series Story Editor: Katsuyuki Sumizawa
Sound Producer: Yasunori Ebina
Supervision: Isamu Noboru
For more information check out ANN’s detailed staff and cast list.

Thoughts:

Piro^kun: Samurai Champloo combines the flashy and bold attitude of the 21st century with old world style of Edo era Japan. It is a really sassy and offbeat anime, as it combines traditional samurai action with hip-hop and that unique Watanabe style. It has a similar feel to Cowboy Bebop in its laid-back and cool atmosphere punctuated by moments of lightning-fast and exquisitely-animated action. The music, like the art style, is groovy and funky, and the scene transitions are also really nifty.

The characters are entertaining, especially in their interplay. Some may not like the character Fuu, but I rather enjoyed her, from what I have seen. She is comic relief and does end up as a hostage, but she’s at least somewhat competent and not too annoying.

This show reminded me strongly of what an animated Blade of the Immortal could look like. It’s got the reluctant ronin accompanying a young girl on her quest, with scattered anachronisms, cool fight scenes and gorgeous art.

Groovy, cool and stylish, Samurai Champloo is a breath of fresh air from all the rehashed stuff out recently. If you loved Cowboy Bebop and Read or Die, pick up Champloo, you’re bound to like it.

:Dark Wind
You know that guy that directed Cowboy Bebop? Yeah, Shinichiro Watanabe. He’s also responsible for directing Samurai Champloo. That alone should be enough to get anyone excited about Samurai Champloo’s iminent DVD release in the States on January 5th. Bebop was directed with panache and style, something that Champloo seems to also have in spades. A tale of two samurai and the girl travelling with them, Champloo is a mix of old-school samurai-fighting with new-age hip-hop music and badassedry.

Your two samurai are Jin and Mugen, two samurai’s of very differing ideals. Jin is a serious-minded ronin who fights with honor but apathy. Mugen is a hot-headed rogue who’s fighting style is a wicked mix of breakdancing and swordplay. Seeing these two fight in wonderfully animated fight scenes looks like a real treat judging from the clips I’ve seen. And don’t worry about the music being hip-hop. It works extremely well with the style and presentation of the show and is unlike anything I’ve heard in an anime since…well…Bebop. Noticing a trend? I don’t really understand the premise beyond a girl named Fuu asking both Mugen and Jin to accompany her across Japan to help her find a samurai that smells like sunflowers (if you know anything about samurai/Japanese history, you’ll get this). Fuu is a ditzy waitress as far as I can tell, but apparently there’s more to her than meets the eye, or so I’ve read.

Despite all of this, we come back to the same point as before: Bebop was amazing, and Champloo is directed by that same guy. Who wouldn’t get excited? It’s like not seeing a Steven Spielberg film even though Saving Private Ryan was incredible. A must-try.

Stikz:
I’m gonna come at this from a totally surprised viewpoint. Five minutes ago I had no clue what Samurai Champloo was. Just from the name, I thought it was another cutesy show. After actually giving it a look, I couldn’t have been further from the truth. The show has an ultra cool style to it, similar to Cowboy Bebop. It to know ones surprise that the same director is behind both shows. I could not give you one flaw in the character design or presentation of the show at all. Everything about it just screams COOL!
This went from off the radar straight to my must have list. My anticipation couldn’t be higher. If the characterization is on par with Bebop, then this could be the best new anime this year. There’s a good chance that this may be broadcast on the Cartoon Network too. They recently ran a poll on there site and Samurai Champloo was a choice. A second season is already underway in Japan for a Jan. 2005 release. Sounds like it’s all prepped and ready to be a massive hit! ^_^

:Alpha
First off I would like to thank Anime News Network for providing the in-depth information on Samurai Champloo. It has been a life saver. Anyways, onto what I think of this new Shinichiro Watanabe directed title. Samurai Champloo is a great action packed piece, along with comedy. Watanabe-san does a nice job in relating his works with some form of music. The last one I can remember was Cowboy BeBop, which was jazz influenced. Now we have this hip-hop / samurai title; they blend so well together like Coolaid and water! Alright, that was corny, but I tried :).

Samurai Champloo was licensed by Geneon Animation during AX 2003 (I was supposed to attend this expo, but circumstances erased that trip). Sigh… this title upon viewing it at one of my anime club meetings on campus was surprising to many of the members. They seem to be in love with it. I certainly liked what I saw on the screen. I am a sucker for cute female characters and Fuu-chan is certainly the one that makes the show so fun. Without her, this show will be nothing but a normal samurai anime. You know, kill kill and kill? On a second though… eh… maybe not. Shinichiro Watanabe titles are too well thought out before being put together, hence I have tremendous confidence in the potential success all his titles can reach. Here, Samurai Champloo, is another example of a series with some serious potential by Shinichiro Watanabe!

Alpha: What do you think of this edition of The Watcher? Comments? Suggestions? E-mail us!

Wonderful Days Screen Caps:

The world is covered in snow, human civilization is on the decline, nobility has taken away the knowledge of higher science and alchemy from the common people, and wolves have been extinct for 200 years. Still, legends about wolves survive in the Book of the Moon, which tells of a place called Paradise where wolves rule. The Flower Daughter will lead the wolves to paradise. But of course, nothing is ever that simple.

U.S. Official Site - N/A

http://www.wolfs-rain.com/ - Japanese Official Site

 
Created by:Bones, Keiko Nobumoto
Director: Tensai Okamura
Screenplay: Keiko Nobumoto
Character Designs: Toshihiro Kawamoto
Set Designs: tomoaki Okada, Shingo Takeba
Mechanical Designs: Shinji Aramaki
Art Director: Atsushi Morikawa
Color Designs: Nobuko Mizuta
Director of Photography: Kosuke Arakawa
Sound Director: Kazuhiro Wakabayashi
Music: Yoko Kanno
Animation Produced by: Bones
Producers: Masahiko Minami, Minoru Takanashi, Takatoshi Hamano
Produced by: Fuji Television, Bones, Bandai Visual
Number of episodes: 26
Licensed byBandai Entertainment

Thoughts:

Dark Wind:
Wolf’s Rain is a soon to be released anime in the US. So, what’s the big deal? For one, virtually everyone who made Cowboy Bebop (save for director Shinichiro Watanabe, who had nothing to do with Wolf’s Rain) contributed to the creation of Wolf’s Rain. This includes the character designer of Cowboy Bebop and Yoko Kanno, who also created the music to Bebop, among other things. So, now that I’ve got your attention, Wolf’s Rain is about finding paradise, or heaven, known as “rakuen” in Japanese. The saying goes that wolves will lead everyone on the planet into paradise, but unfortunately, wolves have been extinct for 200 years. But, that is not true. Wolves are alive and well, and have learned a way to trick everything that sees them into thinking they are humans, when in fact they are wolves.

That’s a very very short and quick synopsis of the story. It’s been getting rave reviews all over the place, and I’ve been anticipating it myself since it was first announced back in early 2002. Everyone should keep a look out for this one. It’s a serious, dark, and moody anime series about the path to one’s own paradise, and it should really be good. Bandai has already announced the license for it and it’s also been announced that it will air on Adult Swim in summer 2004. A release date for the DVD’s hasn’t been announced yet, but a date should be announced soon.

Stikz:
I’ll tell my opinion from an artistic standpoint. This series looks to be a mix of the Rurouni Kenshin OAV (Samurai X) and Cowboy Bebop art styles. Quite a nice combination, don’t you think? The character design is top notch but for the most part stays basic and doesn’t stray into exotic much. There are some exceptions like Darcia, a menacing masked character with a feathered black headdress and Cheza, a crimson-eyed beauty. One thing I don’t like about the design is Tsume’s leather clothes. It just doesn’t sit well with me. Other than that, everything else is good.

Yoko Kanno and Steve Conte are collaborating for the music again, same as they did for the Cowboy Bebop. The story of wolves taking human form and masquerading with humans for 200 years searching for paradise sounds intriguing. I don’t know about you but I can’t wait to sink my teeth into this 26-episode saga! Also, rumor has it that Wolf’s Rain will show on Cartoon Network in April 2004. We shall see. (Ed. - Breaking news: Wolf’s Rain will premiere on Saturday, April 24th at 11pm on cartoon network’s adult swim)

Piro^kun:
There is a genre that isn’t often covered in film well, much less in animation. The pulp sci-fi genre is rarely touched on probably because it is difficult to write original science fiction. Wolf’s Rain is promoted as a “High Quality SF Road Movie”, so whether it was intended as pulp sci-fi intentionally or not is debatable, but original intent aside, it is what it is.

Wolf’s Rain is a brand new anime series from Keiko Nobumoto, the writer behind Cowboy Bebop. Animated by Studio Bones and containing much of the same staff behind Bebop, expectations would certainly be high and they do not disappoint. The character and mechanical designs are attractive with an interesting choice of using a mix of retro, futuristic and contemporary clothing and mechanics. Yoko Kanno’s soundtrack creates a feeling of a dark fairy tale with shades of a happier time and longings for the unattainable. The animation itself lives up to the “high quality” tag the title carries and is both fluid and dynamic.

The entire series is about a journey, but it is more of a journey of discovery than a journey of intent. As the characters journey, they will learn more about those around them while learning more about themselves. What is most important for me is that by the end of the series, what doubts and differences explored in the beginning of the series are resolved. I would recommend this series to anyone who wants an experience of a different world, and a series which does not remain in the same place but moves on to new places and new ideas as it progresses. The series might feel slow at times, but the beautiful scenery and music definitely keep even the slowest scenes in the series going at a steady tempo.

All in all, I’m looking forward to the R1 DVDs very much and I’m happy that Bones has still not let me down with their high quality of storytelling and combinations of quality animation, music and design concepts.

Alpha: What do you think of this edition of The Watcher? Comments? Suggestions? E-mail us!

Wolf’s Rain Screen Caps:

When a mysterious alien force begins their annihilation of the human race, a young pilot feels called to join the resistance. But the danger of an interstellar battle is not Mikako’s greatest concern. For she has left behind the one young man she loves. And as Mikako flies further into deep space, her only way to connect with Noboru is by cell-phone text messages. While Mikako risks her life to save mankind, Noboru waits. At first days, then months, then years for each new message that will let him know whether Mikako is still alive. And while she barely grows older in the timelessness of space, Noboru ages. How can the love of two young people, torn apart by war, survive? To what distance would you go… for your one, true love?

http://www.advfilms.com/favorites/voices/ - U.S. Official Site

http://www.hoshinokoe.com - Japanese Official Site

 
Japanese Staff/Cast:
Director: Makoto Shinkai
Music: Tenmon
Noboru - Makoto Shinkai (Original Version)
Mikako - Mika Shinohara (Original Version)
Noboru - Chihiro Suzuki
Mikako - Sumi Mutoh

Release Information:
Date Available - June 10, 2003
Running time - 30 Minutes
Rating - 13+
Format - Hybrid
Media - DVD
Product Availability - Preorder - Not Yet Shipping
Publisher - ADV FILMS

Thoughts:

Alpha: Welcome to another edition of The Watcher, this time we take an in-depth view of this hot up and coming title, Hoshi no Koe or otherwise known as Voices of a Distant Star to the American audience. What can be said of this title? I’m sure you know that it was done by one man already right? The guy named Makoto Shinkai? Yeah, I think you should familiarize yourself with this dude, his works really have this touch that reaches out to you, just like AT&T. Now I’ve seen this title, right off the bat I, of course was impressed with the quality of the animation. Who wouldn’t? It was done on a G4! The story is very emotional, in an interview with Newtype, Mr. Makoto said that life today is all about communication. And the only communication that really counts is from the heart. How meaningful is this already? Love separated by time, the further Mikako travels from Earth the longer her cell phone messages reach Noboru. I mean real long, imagine yourself waiting for a message from your lover for 8 years, can you? In any case, Voices of a Distant Star is definitely worth a check out. This is not your everyday love story, I find myself in a sad mood every time I watch this movie.

:Stikz
I first heard about Voices of a Distant Star from ADV’s acquisition of it and an advertisement in Newtype. After that, I asked around and found out that it was done by someone solely on a Macintosh. Even the voices were done by him and his wife. Then I heard there was a second version with professional voice actors. I saw a trailer for it and all I can say is… astounding. It took my breath away. Shows you what a dream and dedication can do huh. It’s definitely worth getting excited over.

Piro^kun:
I recently heard about an American release for this on digitallyobsessed.com. I think that it’s just wonderful. I just got the original short film a bit ago and it took my breath away… it just looked amazing. The story is wonderfully romantic. Also… the fact that the computer used to make it is almost like the one I have is rather impressive, to say the least. I’m looking forward to this one.

Fourfour44: It sounds like a really interesting story concept and the fact that it was all animated by one person is pretty amazing.

stf: It was cool in the respect that it was all done by one guy but the show itself wasn’t all that entertaining.

 
Alpha: What do you think of this edition of The Watcher? Comments? Suggestions? Contact us in the forums!

Voices of a Distant Star Screen Caps: