Psycho Pass Season 2 is Confirmed

Charting a reasonable sales on BD, Production I.G decided to give Psycho Pass another go at Anime Expo on 6th July 2013, confirmed by the CEO of Production I.G, Ishikawa.  Right now, script development and production is underway as this entry is written.

Sales chart average for Psycho Pass is moderate, about 5000 copies sold for each volume so far.

To put things in benchmark perspective, popular mainstream anime series like Sword Art Online average is around 24,000 - 25,000 copies each volume. Each BD volume is priced around 6000-7000 yen each. (MYR 180-210)

For Japanese domestic market, anime series must pass the magical barrier of 3000 units on average to have a chance for sequel.

Ironically the director,  Katsuyuki Motohiro is actually squeamish on the violence level in the series, he will never allow his kids to watch this one. However he wanted to work with Gen Urobochi very badly after he watched Magica Magi Puella Madoka (2011) and Fate Zero (2011-2012) so he go ahead with the script. He encouraged the voice actors to add in quirks into the characters themselves.

So far no news if Urobuchi is back but the chances is high that he will. I think the main villain will be the system itself, Sybill. And what is going to happen to Yayoi's lesbian relationship or the unresolved sexual tension between Akane and Kogami? Questions abound.

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Psycho Pass by Urobochi

Ever since visual novel Phantom of Inferno (2000), Fate Zero (2011-2012) and Magica Magi Puella Madoka (2011), I swear I will follow anything Gen Urobochi no matter what.

Yes, another anime series written by him is coming to air next month in Noitaima slot (usually 11 eps) called...Psycho Pass. Animated by Production I.G., so far what I knew is Minority Report-like atmosphere where a future criminals are pre-empted by cops/ law enforcers called Executers before they commit any crime. The terminology is called "crime-mind index" and what is revealed that sometimes Executers can turn into being hunted too after being influenced by the criminals. To minimize this, they are paired with an Inspector.

The story focus on a 20 year old rookie Inspector, Tsunemori Akane. And since it is by Gen, expect a lot of guns too. Wohoo.

Apparently it will be 2 Seasons, each one with 11 eps. 1st episode will be on 11th October 2012.

Fuck yeah.

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Cat Shit One: First Impressions

Hohohoho...

The pilot episode was aired and I must say, it rocks. Much better than everything else offered in 2009 and 2010 anime seasons. Now let's move on with the discussion.

The story centered at the present time with emphasis on Afghanistan. Few foreign nationals (looks like foreign workers with an interpreter) were kidnapped by a group of rebels or Taliban which can be seen being escorted to an abandoned village in middle of wasteland surrounded by some black hills. The activity was monitored by 2 PMCs, Botasky and Packy who were working for CMS. They confirmed the location, requesting for backup but situation becomes unpredictable when one of hostage was murdered in cold blood by the leader. Packy decided to rescue the hostages despite being outnumbered, against the protests by his partner Botasky the marksman and the headquarters.



The story is relatively simply yet play homage to old adage from war movies; never leave your buddy behind, honor of warriors etc. The dialogues were crisp and simple, suitable for no nonsense military jargon employed by both main characters. Music is standard but sounds a lot like Hans Zimmer work on Blackhawk Down. Not bad actually. The animation is top notch, as expected from the company that made video cutscenes of MGS.



Botasky came across as whimsical, easily panicked but skillful marksman and Packy is typical courageous close combat specialist with gruff demeanor with caring disposition towards Botasky. The combat scenes are fast and furious, the PMCs were shooting sparingly in contrast to spray and pray technique by the terrorists. Packy also used a lot of techniques that would make military aficionados proud, transitioning weapon shoulder and primary-secondary transition for example. The creators took pain to include it which put some Hollywood military movie to shame in contrast. Packy primary weapon is quite a surprise; SR 47 but looking at the environment he is operating, it made sense. The weapon represents his character: no gold plating, adaptability, direct and simple system. Botasky in contrast, modified his M14 EBR so much which somewhat give audience a glimpse into his personality; effective but somewhat easily distracted by looks to compensate inferiority complex.



Action fans and military fans will not be disappointed with this CG anime. Perhaps some people will be turned off by the fact the violence looks very realistic and grim but hey, to each of his/her own. Highly recommended! Roger and out.

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Cat Shit One trailer is here! Hoah!

Ah! Trailer is out! Time to whip some furry action!

The post that started the frenzy

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Cat Shit One anime scheduled in August.

The really, really mindfuck series Cat Shit One is finally scheduled for air in August 2010. Finally! Time for some fluffy PMC action!

Old link

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Black Lagoon Season 3 Promo is up

Finally it pop up. And it looks promising. Question is, will it be OAD/OVA or series? The Ballad of Death arc lasted more than 26 chapters in manga.



Cheers.

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Upotte

Few hours ago, someone posted these pages. I am literally went OMGWTFBBQ. This is weird as hell and I don't know what to make of it. Synopsis is meaningless to describe how awkward this series is.



It is like mutant of gun porn and Japanese school girl. A lethal cocktail.



Perhaps NRA or gun rights advocate will approve this manga? Authored by Kitsune Tennouji,serialised in Young Ace published by Kadokawa Shoten.

Synopsis:
A teacher is looking for a school by the name of Seishou Academy, as he is a new transfer teacher for that school. Seishou Academy is known for having students with excellent marksmanship. However, he gets lost along the way and decides to look for someone who knows where the school is at a summer festival. He encounters a girl at a shooting range and finds her marksmanship skills to be professional. The girl tells the new teacher that she is an assault rifle, not a student. Her name is FNC and is an assault rifle of Seishou Academy. The new teacher attends school the next day to find students, including FNC, practicing shooting M16s and realizes that he has come to an unbelievable school. How will his experience be at Seishou Academy?

Source

Good ol' Japan.

More on final scene of Phantom Requiem.

The theme of series is all about karma (The 1st OP is pretty big hint), you got what you deserve for what you have done is the crux of the story here. That what makes the ending so emotional and beautiful, it gives so much meaning to the conclusion. Just like Homer's Odyssey is awesome because the characters died a tragic poetry like Achilles for example. I would consider Reiji is like Achilles, a supreme warrior that inhuman in his rampage at first but ultimately humbled by his own flaws as a human and die for it, since he already found it in the end. A meaningful and powerful pathos. The writer(s) nail it perfectly, much to my satisfaction.

Elen/Ein has no reason to go rampage since she is satisfied with new found her identity and memories thanks to humane Reiji. She is content to live her life quietly or wait for retribution for her history as Phantom which shown in the end where she lie dead on the quiet plains of Mongolia, staring at sunset with small smile on her lips forever. She found her peace within herself and willing to face death for her past deeds. That is pretty brave of her, to be honest. Perhaps too, it would explain why she is giggling in the end.

What an awesome and emotional ending.

Phantom Requiem ending: My thoughts on it

I played the VN hence my disdain when I found out Bee Train (no thanks to their inept Blade of the Immortal series) is animating this series. Since I knew the story will be based on Ein/Elen's ending, I did not watch the series until the conclusion where there is little twist in the end, Reiji was shot by INFERNO assassin in the back while he is watching Elen admiring the skies of Mongolia like the ending of the route. I was pleasantly surprised by it, the ending fits the theme of the story, IMHO.

Cal story is she "born" with tainted hands of Reiji and by his hand she will "return" to him. Despite his grief, Reiji conscience is somewhat eased with knowledge that Cal will not go on killing and lived his erstwhile empty life during his time in Inferno. Her death is not in vain, she is free from path of no return and served as closure to Reiji's deep anguish as much as her's.

The theme of this story always revolves around there is always a consequence for any path despite who you are, Cal and anime unique Reiji's tragic last exit meant to show this.

Reiji succeed in saving Elen so his "debt" to her is done. But he can't escape his past so the last bullet is his absolution for his other horrible deeds. He is free but at the cost of his life.



After all, there is no more purpose of living for Cal and Reiji, to be honest. In VN where Cal is the focus, they both still living the path of blood in the end, becoming a modern version of Bonnie and Clyde which I don't consider as quality living.

However, I must add, the anime ending is bit ambigious; some people think Reiji is wounded whereas I think he is dead. Different strokes for different folks.



The ED song is lovely, KOKIA gave a sorrowful and fitting end to the story by her sad lullaby.

Roberta The Maid and Revy The Two Hander

Ah this post is pure fanboy moment. I am not ashamed of it, this is a nice cover featuring both of them eyeballing each other out in bikini. Yeah babey! Click for higher resolution!

Gungrave Live Action

The company behind King of Fighters live action movie (Convergence) got rights for Gungrave, action packed anime based on SEGA game by Nightow Yashiro (Trigun) It has impressive anime series since the game has shallow story but I feel kinda queasy about this one. To be fair, I haven't seen any other movies from this company yet so I withhold my judgment until the King of Fighters is out. Who knows, they might turn out to be good. Afterall, DOA movie is a fun romp since it did not take itself seriously. If they captured the spirit of the original media, it should be alright.

Tentatively slated for 2010 release with modest budget of 30-40 million USD.

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Canaan (formerly 428 the Animation) movies?

I heard a rumor that 13 episode Canaan series will be compiled into 3 movies, 1st movie to be shown in October 2009. So far the production value of anime is above average but many blanks yet to be explained by the anime. And the show is kinda reminded me of Madlax. But chicks with gun is good stuff for me. Yeah babey.

Source of movies

Black Lagoon OVA/ OAD is confirmed

Slated for 2010 release, it will retain essentially same crew from last 2 TV series but instead of creative restrictive TV environment, it will be released in OAD/OVA format which means less censorship and clever angle treatment. Principally, I think the 30 manga epic run on return of Roberta the Maid will be used as main material of the OAD/OVA.

* me dances

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First Impressions:Phantom ~Requiem of Phantom~

I watch this episode and seriously, Bee Train should stop making gunslinger animes. Their idea of good gunfighting series is a myth of pistol with skirts overwhelm everything else (which we saw reached an orgasmic like ecstasy in Madlax). Just like how they destroy excellent manga Blade of Immortal with insipid series, they took away the essence of Phantom story: grittiness and unrelenting violence which hooked me to play the VN (visual novel) in 1st place. Violence is what drives and shock the dramatis personae in any plot to push themselves to final conclusion of story, not limp like hint of violence (not as bad as Noir)that is seem to be stylized in Phantom. This is like giving a steak that is not cooked at all and call it well done.

The character redesign is okay but Reiji lacks the intense aloofness that makes his character so fascinating. Ein is easy, she is basically Kirika (Noir) repackaged for this series. There is no chemistry between these 2 in this series. Hardly. Dr Scythe lacks that tinge of madness in this anime too. Bee Train took out the hard broiled edge from almost everyone and make them feel out of sync with the world role they supposed to be.

Also for action scenes, Bee Train did not do proper research to make scene authentic as possible. A noted scene not make sense: Ein kneeing Zwei with left side then she do palm strike with left hand which violates the human physiology sense. How the hell she can generate any power with her palm strike that send a guy who is at least 10 kg heavier than her tumbling back like the scene shown? It looks like she is dancing which what I think the anime guys trying to go for but it just looks odd. Very odd for action sequencing.

The only good thing about this series is haunting OP by KOKIA. The ending sounds like crap and out of place with the feel of the story supposed to evoke.

My final thoughts on the ending

Overall, the adaptation is disappointing and I cursing Bee Train forever. ARGHHHH!

Dogs: Bullets & Carnage

Licensed and released by Viz Media in manga format for USA market soon, this action packed anime created by Miwa Shirou talks about gunslingers / desperadoes who were genetically enhanced / mutated living in a dystopian, post apocalyptic future. 4 main players who have troubled past seeks answers to it or some redemption from their generally pretty shitty life. 2 OVAs / OADs were confirmed for the story, 1st one will be released on 19th May 2009. An albino gunslinger,a bad of sense direction ex killer, a mute swordsgirl and a chain smoking mercenary will be main characters. Some fans describe this "futuristic version of Black Lagoon".

Haine: Takahiro Sakurai
Badō: Akira Ishida
Naoto: Shizuka Itou
Mihai: Akio Ohtsuka
Nill: Mamiko Noto
Bishop: Toshihiko Seki
Kiri: Sayaka Ohara
Mimi: Ryoko Shiraishi
Ian: Koji Yusa
Milena: Kaya Matsutani
Domino Bortune: Tomomichi Nishimura
Male (Fuyumine): Rikiya Koyama
Melvin Scrooge: Kazuya Nakai
Magato: Takeshi Kusao
Giovanni: Shigeru Nakahara

Tatsuya Abe (Tona-Gura!): Director
Kiyoko Yoshimura (Chocolate Underground, Linebarrels of Iron): Scriptwriter
Hiroyuki Kanbe (Chrono Crusade and Rosario + Vampire Capu2): Character Designer
David Production: Studio
Goro Taniguchi (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Planetes, Linebarrels of Iron): Assistant.

Official Site.

Cat Shit One updates

Hiroshi Tsuchiya will be voicing Packy whereas Satoshi Hino is doing Botasky in CG anime series, "Cat Shit One".

Official site is open here.

Updated:



English subbed trailer.
The series will be on air in 2010 according to the website.

Cat Shit One / Apocalyspe Meow the Animation

Title: Cat Shit One - the Animated Series
Production: Studio Anima

Director: Kazuya Sasahara
Original Manga (released in the USA as Apocalypse Meow): Motofumi Kobayashi
Format: 23 min. 12 episodes
Target Viewers: Survival game fans and military fans

Synopsis:
The production of the series is looking for investors right now as this entry was written. 1st episode is about 3 PMCs (Rat, Botasky and Packy) surrounded by guerrilas demanding withdrawal of US Armed Forces from the local area.
(No animals were harmed in this trailer)

Serious gunfight.
With cute animals.
My kinda alley (grins).
Awesomeeeeeeeeeee.

In the trailer, the PMCs were covering each other properly and have semi realistic gun fighting, not Hollywood stuff. Apparently it is based on 2 volume manga titled Cat Shit One '80, a Cold War story.

My review, 1 year plus later.

The final chapter of current Black Lagoon arc "The Dance of Death"

Finally, 27 chapters long manga arc of Black Lagoon ended with semi-conclusion to fate of "The Hound" Roberta. It has superb transition of action to action feel which will do Micheal Bay proud. I would not be surprised if the OVA of this story will pop out soon, just matter of when not why.

Revy and co was forced to retreat again by "Fry Face" who herself decided to settle an old wound of Cold War with somebody from other side of fence, more revelations on triad boss Chang plan and Rock's subtle anger as part of his hardening process as white collar badass with conscience. However the author also reminded that Revy is no saint despite her increasing human quality here (she is getting "soft" with Rock in this arc). Basically Rock was asking Revy same question again, revealing again that Revy beginning to develop her long forgotten code despite the psychotic edge she displayed thru out the story. Roberta the Maid make a comeback with a big bang, as she tear the city apart looking for vengeance with her loyal master tried to take her back to Loveless clan with a new character, Fabiola.

My personal favourite is Major Claxton, the honourable and dedicated operator who worked for NSA. His steadfast, morally conduct and general decency yet with superb gunfighter is what I liked to see. Something like self insertion here, for myself.



The story is also about forgotten wars and memories, cruelty of war and soldier's honour and family ties facing conscience play in face of vengeance. One thing for sure, I couldn't wait for new maid to appear in OVA.



It is a blue, blue world.