Tuesday, August 1, 2006
By JUDITH W. WINNE
Courier-Post Staff
In a Merchantville studio off Maple Avenue, half a dozen young students huddle over stick figures they hope to bring to life.
"In time, you add shapes of the character," said Mike Gorostiza, an instructor of the cartooning and anime class at Parsons Center for the Arts. "You articulate, and add eyes and nose and sometimes you put in expressions."
Students sketch circles, where hands, feet, joints and muscles will eventually go. Sharp lines form trapezoids, an upper one for the torso, a lower one for the trunk. It's a blueprint.
"Remember, don't make these stick figures too dark," advised Gorostiza, who lives in Delran. "They're eventually going to be erased. They're a template for the character."
In just a few days, students will create pictures and stories, two-frame cartoons showing a moment in time: a man falling, plop!, in the water, a couple under an umbrella hit by lightning -- and then warmed by a burst of sunlight.
Local interest in cartooning reflects a national trend -- comics as a hot property.
Like a ravenous superhero, cartoons, comic books and animation have taken a bite out of the cultural landscape.
Children grow up tuned into The Cartoon Network, watching Spider-man and Superman at the multiplex and playing video games starring animated figures.
Recently, USA Today reported on a new DVD, The Transformers: The Movie 20th Anniversary Special Edition. Also new is Who Wants To Be A Superhero, a SciFi reality show in which participants dress up in costumes and try to exhibit superhero character traits, like courage. The winner gets to be featured in a Stan Lee comic book.
The article can be seen here.
Wednesday, August 2
Monday, July 31
Discovering Japan: Anime and Learning Japanese Culture
Annie Manion
A Master’s Thesis Submitted to East Asian Studies Center
University of Southern California
Introduction
I recently took a course in anthropology called “Japanese Popular Culture”.
Knowing from my research that there are many students at USC interested in anime, Japanese film, videogames and manga, I expected the class to be full of otaku . I was surprised to find the class was comprised mostly of people who knew very little about Japan, but for some reason were attracted to some aspect of Japanese pop culture, whether it was fashion, music, or as was most often the case, anime. They were not there to learn more about something they already had a passion for, as the otaku I expected to see in the class, but rather to learn more about something they knew hardly anything about.
Since the success of the animated series Pokemon in the late nineties, Japanese animation has been enjoying greater popularity and recognition in America. Known increasingly by the Japanese term “anime”, Japanese animation is gaining recognition as a medium that appeals to children and young people. Anime has had an undeniable effect on American popular culture.
For example, many children’s cartoons, such as The Powerpuff Girls and Kim Possible have begun to use an anime copycat style, “anime looks [were] leaping from the screen” at last fall’s fashion runways , and Hollywood blockbusters either use animated scenes directly (Kill Bill Vol. 1) or borrow imagery from anime (The Matrix Trilogy).
Though the effect anime is having on the visual style of American entertainment and fashion is easy to see, the implication of anime’s growing popularity for its country of origin, Japan, are much less clear. In the following discussion, I will report my findings on the basis of a poll, and take a closer look at the role anime plays in stimulating interest in Japan, and the ways in which interest in anime and Japanese popular culture are closely related to an interest in Japan.
It is in fact difficult to tease the two apart from each other, since it is impossible to participate in anime fan culture, except at the very shallowest level, and not be exposed to other forms of Japanese popular culture and traditional Japanese culture, and thereby be encouraged to explore them further. Anime and its relationship to interest in Japan are useful to consider in the context of teaching and learning about Japan. At the very least, one would think that a medium as easy
The rest of article is here.
A Master’s Thesis Submitted to East Asian Studies Center
University of Southern California
Introduction
I recently took a course in anthropology called “Japanese Popular Culture”.
Knowing from my research that there are many students at USC interested in anime, Japanese film, videogames and manga, I expected the class to be full of otaku . I was surprised to find the class was comprised mostly of people who knew very little about Japan, but for some reason were attracted to some aspect of Japanese pop culture, whether it was fashion, music, or as was most often the case, anime. They were not there to learn more about something they already had a passion for, as the otaku I expected to see in the class, but rather to learn more about something they knew hardly anything about.
Since the success of the animated series Pokemon in the late nineties, Japanese animation has been enjoying greater popularity and recognition in America. Known increasingly by the Japanese term “anime”, Japanese animation is gaining recognition as a medium that appeals to children and young people. Anime has had an undeniable effect on American popular culture.
For example, many children’s cartoons, such as The Powerpuff Girls and Kim Possible have begun to use an anime copycat style, “anime looks [were] leaping from the screen” at last fall’s fashion runways , and Hollywood blockbusters either use animated scenes directly (Kill Bill Vol. 1) or borrow imagery from anime (The Matrix Trilogy).
Though the effect anime is having on the visual style of American entertainment and fashion is easy to see, the implication of anime’s growing popularity for its country of origin, Japan, are much less clear. In the following discussion, I will report my findings on the basis of a poll, and take a closer look at the role anime plays in stimulating interest in Japan, and the ways in which interest in anime and Japanese popular culture are closely related to an interest in Japan.
It is in fact difficult to tease the two apart from each other, since it is impossible to participate in anime fan culture, except at the very shallowest level, and not be exposed to other forms of Japanese popular culture and traditional Japanese culture, and thereby be encouraged to explore them further. Anime and its relationship to interest in Japan are useful to consider in the context of teaching and learning about Japan. At the very least, one would think that a medium as easy
The rest of article is here.
Ready to Explode: Exploring the Cyberculture and Cyberfear of Japan in Anime
by Joseph Babcock
“It's the age of destruction,
In a world of corruption
It's the age of destruction
And they hand us oblivion.”1
-Billy Idol, Neuromancer
“The end of the world was only the beginning.”2
-Akira, 2001 Poster
Introduction: Society, Cyberpunk, and Akira
Japan, circa 1984: the Murai Jun group at the Tokyo Institute of Technology establishes the Japan University Network (JUNET), a computer system linking the mainframes of several universities.3 Japanese society witnessed many such advances in information technology during the 1980s, innovations which promised to greatly accelerate the flow of data and to replace manual labor with automated production.4 One scholar at the time predicted that “the impact of informisation [sic] on society as a whole will be as extensive as that of the industrial revolution.”5
Similar technological developments occurred worldwide during the eighties, as the foundations of the Internet sprang into being. In response, the science-fiction community began to examine the impact that this “computerization” might have on society, creating the Cyberpunk genre. Ironically, the establishment of JUNET coincided with the American publication of William Gibson's seminal Cyberpunk novel Neuromancer (1984), a brooding vision of an “informatized” society. In Japan, the themes explored by Gibson were echoed in many animated pictures, such as Katsuhiro Otomo's 1988 epic Akira. Set in the dark world of 2019 Neo-Tokyo, the film depicts a near-future cyberculture.
In most aspects Akira is far from subtle; boasting vivid imagery and an evocative musical score, it is a dramatic sensory experience. It is through symbolism and metaphor, however, that the themes of the film are articulated. These subtle elements reveal the anxieties surrounding the evolution of information networks in 1980s Japan, fears which are the focus of this paper. In this analysis, I will address two primary themes. One is the importance of information freedom, which is reflected in the conflict between Neo-Tokyo's corrupt government and a rebel opposition group. The second is the threat of information technology to the human form, which is represented by physical transformation in Akira.
While the portrayal of information technology in Akira demonstrates historical trends in public opinion, it also highlights the development of such sentiments over time. Like the computer industry, the Japanese Cyberpunk genre is a changing entity. A secondary purpose of this essay is to address thematic developments in the genre, as reflected in more recent films such as Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell (1996).
The Information Society: A Corporate Vision of Utopia
Beginning in the 1960s, Japanese policymakers predicted that computer-based technologies would revolutionize the nation's existing economic and social structures.6 This future Japan, in which information would be freely transmitted through a digital network, was described as an “information society” by Professor Hayashi Yujiro of the Tokyo Institute of Technology7. In Beyond Computopia (1988), Tessa Morris-Suzuki argues that this “informatised [sic]” society represents a “technocrats' Utopia, a public justification for the policies desired by economically powerful groups.”8 At the time, these groups were the zaibatsu, vertical hierarchies comprised of multiple corporations - mega-corporations of a sort - which rose to dominate the Japanese economy in the wake of World War II.9
Many Japanese citizens worried that the zaibatsu would become further empowered by this new society. Anti-establishment groups claimed that an “information society” would in actuality be a “controlled society”10 dominated by large corporations.11 The primary fear regarding this system, according to Morris-Suzuki, was that an increased freedom of information would allow these corporations to compile detailed “dossiers” 12 about their potential customers - with or without the knowledge of Japan's citizens. The “information society” was seen as a means to control knowledge, not liberate it. The flow of data would move in one direction, towards the zaibatsu. Indeed, Morris-Suzuki argues that the information society was but a “vast mechanism for converting the knowledge created by society into a source of corporate profits.”13 The control of information through technology became a form of power, a notion which, as I will argue, appears in Akira.
Given the massive influence of several Japanese corporations in the 1980s international market, such as the Nintendo company14, it seems small wonder that foreigners also imagined a future of information-brokering Japanese zaibatsu. This impact is clear in the opening to Neuromancer, which Gibson sets in the “Night City”15 underground of urban Chiba. The tensions surrounding the “computerization” of Japanese society in the eighties are mirrored in the work of Gibson and other Cyberpunk authors. Like Japan's citizens, the protagonists of the Cyberpunk world desire freedom and security of information, information which has been exploited by corrupt conglomerates. While Japan was not the only society undergoing “computerization” during the eighties, it held an important position at the head of this technological evolution.
The rest of article is here.
Extremely fascinating article for anime sci fi lovers.
“It's the age of destruction,
In a world of corruption
It's the age of destruction
And they hand us oblivion.”1
-Billy Idol, Neuromancer
“The end of the world was only the beginning.”2
-Akira, 2001 Poster
Introduction: Society, Cyberpunk, and Akira
Japan, circa 1984: the Murai Jun group at the Tokyo Institute of Technology establishes the Japan University Network (JUNET), a computer system linking the mainframes of several universities.3 Japanese society witnessed many such advances in information technology during the 1980s, innovations which promised to greatly accelerate the flow of data and to replace manual labor with automated production.4 One scholar at the time predicted that “the impact of informisation [sic] on society as a whole will be as extensive as that of the industrial revolution.”5
Similar technological developments occurred worldwide during the eighties, as the foundations of the Internet sprang into being. In response, the science-fiction community began to examine the impact that this “computerization” might have on society, creating the Cyberpunk genre. Ironically, the establishment of JUNET coincided with the American publication of William Gibson's seminal Cyberpunk novel Neuromancer (1984), a brooding vision of an “informatized” society. In Japan, the themes explored by Gibson were echoed in many animated pictures, such as Katsuhiro Otomo's 1988 epic Akira. Set in the dark world of 2019 Neo-Tokyo, the film depicts a near-future cyberculture.
In most aspects Akira is far from subtle; boasting vivid imagery and an evocative musical score, it is a dramatic sensory experience. It is through symbolism and metaphor, however, that the themes of the film are articulated. These subtle elements reveal the anxieties surrounding the evolution of information networks in 1980s Japan, fears which are the focus of this paper. In this analysis, I will address two primary themes. One is the importance of information freedom, which is reflected in the conflict between Neo-Tokyo's corrupt government and a rebel opposition group. The second is the threat of information technology to the human form, which is represented by physical transformation in Akira.
While the portrayal of information technology in Akira demonstrates historical trends in public opinion, it also highlights the development of such sentiments over time. Like the computer industry, the Japanese Cyberpunk genre is a changing entity. A secondary purpose of this essay is to address thematic developments in the genre, as reflected in more recent films such as Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell (1996).
The Information Society: A Corporate Vision of Utopia
Beginning in the 1960s, Japanese policymakers predicted that computer-based technologies would revolutionize the nation's existing economic and social structures.6 This future Japan, in which information would be freely transmitted through a digital network, was described as an “information society” by Professor Hayashi Yujiro of the Tokyo Institute of Technology7. In Beyond Computopia (1988), Tessa Morris-Suzuki argues that this “informatised [sic]” society represents a “technocrats' Utopia, a public justification for the policies desired by economically powerful groups.”8 At the time, these groups were the zaibatsu, vertical hierarchies comprised of multiple corporations - mega-corporations of a sort - which rose to dominate the Japanese economy in the wake of World War II.9
Many Japanese citizens worried that the zaibatsu would become further empowered by this new society. Anti-establishment groups claimed that an “information society” would in actuality be a “controlled society”10 dominated by large corporations.11 The primary fear regarding this system, according to Morris-Suzuki, was that an increased freedom of information would allow these corporations to compile detailed “dossiers” 12 about their potential customers - with or without the knowledge of Japan's citizens. The “information society” was seen as a means to control knowledge, not liberate it. The flow of data would move in one direction, towards the zaibatsu. Indeed, Morris-Suzuki argues that the information society was but a “vast mechanism for converting the knowledge created by society into a source of corporate profits.”13 The control of information through technology became a form of power, a notion which, as I will argue, appears in Akira.
Given the massive influence of several Japanese corporations in the 1980s international market, such as the Nintendo company14, it seems small wonder that foreigners also imagined a future of information-brokering Japanese zaibatsu. This impact is clear in the opening to Neuromancer, which Gibson sets in the “Night City”15 underground of urban Chiba. The tensions surrounding the “computerization” of Japanese society in the eighties are mirrored in the work of Gibson and other Cyberpunk authors. Like Japan's citizens, the protagonists of the Cyberpunk world desire freedom and security of information, information which has been exploited by corrupt conglomerates. While Japan was not the only society undergoing “computerization” during the eighties, it held an important position at the head of this technological evolution.
The rest of article is here.
Extremely fascinating article for anime sci fi lovers.
THE "JAPANIMATION" PHENOMENON"
March 6, 2003
Inspired by a team of two-dimensional heroes, at least one sector of the Japanese economy is booming. The legendary Astro Boy, Pokemon, Mazinger Z, Gundam, Sailor Moon, and Martian Successor Nadesico are just some of the names that have become familiar around the globe as Japanese cartoons, or anime, have cemented their place as the world's favorite form of animated entertainment. Now the national and some local governments are working with the anime industry to ensure that tomorrow's top animators receive the training and support they need to maintain this success.
Growing Mainstream Recognition
About 60% of all cartoons watched by people around the world today originate in Japan. Collectively dubbed "Japanimation," Japanese cartoons incorporate the broadest range of themes, from action heroes and space operas to martial arts, monster battles, school life, and fantasy worlds - with a cast of colorful characters to match.
The full-fledged export of anime titles began in the 1970s. Astro Boy gained popularity in Asia and the United States, while Mazinger Z was a hit in Europe. Non-Japanese have always been a part of the hard core of anime fans. However, it was Pikachu and his fellow monsters that really pushed Japanese animation into the mainstream of global entertainment. Pocket Monsters (Pokemon) was anime's first major commercial success outside Japan. Pokemon: The First Movie, which was released at the end of 1999, was a number-one box office smash in the United States, and the Pokemon TV series was eventually broadcast in more than 60 countries. In monetary terms, some ¥1.2 billion (US$10 million at 120 yen to the dollar) worth of card games were shipped to every corner of the world, and the franchise generated merchandising sales of ¥1 trillion ($8.3 billion) in Japan and another ¥2 trillion ($16.7 billion) abroad.
Anime has been a major component of entertainment in Japan since World War II. Members of the "first anime generation," born in the late 1950s and 1960s, absorbed television anime as children and, now in their thirties and forties, are passing on their enthusiasm to their own children. Roughly 60 anime programs are broadcast on Japanese TV every week, not all of them aimed at children; many of them are made for adult audiences. The value of the domestic market for anime products, including films, videos, and character merchandise, has been estimated at ¥3 trillion ($25.0 billion), with foreign sales boosting the figure closer to ¥10 trillion ($83.3 billion) by some estimates.
The rest of article can be read here.
Inspired by a team of two-dimensional heroes, at least one sector of the Japanese economy is booming. The legendary Astro Boy, Pokemon, Mazinger Z, Gundam, Sailor Moon, and Martian Successor Nadesico are just some of the names that have become familiar around the globe as Japanese cartoons, or anime, have cemented their place as the world's favorite form of animated entertainment. Now the national and some local governments are working with the anime industry to ensure that tomorrow's top animators receive the training and support they need to maintain this success.
Growing Mainstream Recognition
About 60% of all cartoons watched by people around the world today originate in Japan. Collectively dubbed "Japanimation," Japanese cartoons incorporate the broadest range of themes, from action heroes and space operas to martial arts, monster battles, school life, and fantasy worlds - with a cast of colorful characters to match.
The full-fledged export of anime titles began in the 1970s. Astro Boy gained popularity in Asia and the United States, while Mazinger Z was a hit in Europe. Non-Japanese have always been a part of the hard core of anime fans. However, it was Pikachu and his fellow monsters that really pushed Japanese animation into the mainstream of global entertainment. Pocket Monsters (Pokemon) was anime's first major commercial success outside Japan. Pokemon: The First Movie, which was released at the end of 1999, was a number-one box office smash in the United States, and the Pokemon TV series was eventually broadcast in more than 60 countries. In monetary terms, some ¥1.2 billion (US$10 million at 120 yen to the dollar) worth of card games were shipped to every corner of the world, and the franchise generated merchandising sales of ¥1 trillion ($8.3 billion) in Japan and another ¥2 trillion ($16.7 billion) abroad.
Anime has been a major component of entertainment in Japan since World War II. Members of the "first anime generation," born in the late 1950s and 1960s, absorbed television anime as children and, now in their thirties and forties, are passing on their enthusiasm to their own children. Roughly 60 anime programs are broadcast on Japanese TV every week, not all of them aimed at children; many of them are made for adult audiences. The value of the domestic market for anime products, including films, videos, and character merchandise, has been estimated at ¥3 trillion ($25.0 billion), with foreign sales boosting the figure closer to ¥10 trillion ($83.3 billion) by some estimates.
The rest of article can be read here.
Sunday, July 30
Otaku Obsession at Expo 2006
By Tina Tsai, Jul 28, 2006
This year’s 15th Anniversary Anime Expo (AX) was another record-breaker — 42,000 attendees — proving the success of this convention, the anime genre, and the exponential growth of J-pop into American culture. There was lots and lots of free cake and live performances by AX Idol Stephanie Yanez and her new band SLY, and the favorite Asian American rock band Random Ninjas.
From a Sushi demo to a How to Draw Manga workshop, from Idol singing contests to dances, karaoke and showings of anime films, there’s no doubt you get your money’s worth at this convention with 24-hour programming. Oh, and don’t forget all the cosplay and celebrity guests from Asia and the U.S. Even natives of the Los Angeles area leave this convention jetlagged, getting a full pseudo-trip-to-Asia experience.
The squeals and deafening cheers of fans at the CLAMP panel (a famous group of manga/graphic novel artists) were accompanied by plenty of picture-taking. But this year’s Exhibition Hall missed some fan favorites. Jet Li’s supposedly last martial arts flick Fearless was nowhere to be found, and there were no new exciting Naruto items or even any wizard’s staffs at the weapons shops.
t was only afterward that I found out they were selling Potion, an energy drink in Japan inspired by the Final Fantasy XII role playing game (RPG). In RPGs, players can drink “potions” to increase health points during battles against random monsters or tough-to-beat bosses. I, for one, hate energy drinks, but since I saw the commercial for it on YouTube, I’ve been ready to down whatever is in those beautiful blue bottles. They could probably put gasoline in there, label it Final Fantasy XII Potion, and I would still drink it — OK, well, maybe not, but you get what I mean.
There were also a number of hot film screenings. First off, this year’s AX FUNimation premiered the movie Fullmetal Alchemist. It was spawned by the anime series about two young brothers who try to bring their mother back to life with alchemy. There was also the movie version of Densha Otoko (or Train Man), inspired by a true story about a young otaku — hardcore anime fan — in Japan that protects a woman from harassment on the subway and then attempts to ask her out. I’ve seen the TV series version of this and have wanted to catch the movie version ever since.
One news bite that got out was about the American debut of the Japanese live-action film Azumi this month. Aside from a few corny lines and a predictable plotline, the visuals are beautiful and you gotta love the main character — an orphaned girl raised to be an assassin for the good of the nation. Plus, now there’s an Azumi 2, which means you’ll find me asking about it at the Kinokuniya bookstore in Little Tokyo.
Source.
This year’s 15th Anniversary Anime Expo (AX) was another record-breaker — 42,000 attendees — proving the success of this convention, the anime genre, and the exponential growth of J-pop into American culture. There was lots and lots of free cake and live performances by AX Idol Stephanie Yanez and her new band SLY, and the favorite Asian American rock band Random Ninjas.
From a Sushi demo to a How to Draw Manga workshop, from Idol singing contests to dances, karaoke and showings of anime films, there’s no doubt you get your money’s worth at this convention with 24-hour programming. Oh, and don’t forget all the cosplay and celebrity guests from Asia and the U.S. Even natives of the Los Angeles area leave this convention jetlagged, getting a full pseudo-trip-to-Asia experience.
The squeals and deafening cheers of fans at the CLAMP panel (a famous group of manga/graphic novel artists) were accompanied by plenty of picture-taking. But this year’s Exhibition Hall missed some fan favorites. Jet Li’s supposedly last martial arts flick Fearless was nowhere to be found, and there were no new exciting Naruto items or even any wizard’s staffs at the weapons shops.
t was only afterward that I found out they were selling Potion, an energy drink in Japan inspired by the Final Fantasy XII role playing game (RPG). In RPGs, players can drink “potions” to increase health points during battles against random monsters or tough-to-beat bosses. I, for one, hate energy drinks, but since I saw the commercial for it on YouTube, I’ve been ready to down whatever is in those beautiful blue bottles. They could probably put gasoline in there, label it Final Fantasy XII Potion, and I would still drink it — OK, well, maybe not, but you get what I mean.
There were also a number of hot film screenings. First off, this year’s AX FUNimation premiered the movie Fullmetal Alchemist. It was spawned by the anime series about two young brothers who try to bring their mother back to life with alchemy. There was also the movie version of Densha Otoko (or Train Man), inspired by a true story about a young otaku — hardcore anime fan — in Japan that protects a woman from harassment on the subway and then attempts to ask her out. I’ve seen the TV series version of this and have wanted to catch the movie version ever since.
One news bite that got out was about the American debut of the Japanese live-action film Azumi this month. Aside from a few corny lines and a predictable plotline, the visuals are beautiful and you gotta love the main character — an orphaned girl raised to be an assassin for the good of the nation. Plus, now there’s an Azumi 2, which means you’ll find me asking about it at the Kinokuniya bookstore in Little Tokyo.
Source.
Friday, July 28
Fate/Stay Night (2006)
Story & Characters
In history of ongoing time, 7 special people chosen to be Masters in Holy Grail War. Fighting it out until last one standing, they using spirits known as Heroic Spirits or Servants to aid them in this War. The Servants based on legendary figures from mythos or history have impressive power and often caused wholescale destruction. Divided into classes of Archer, Assassin, Berserker, Caster, Rider, Lancer and Saber which denotes their specialty and weapons ability. The last battle fought 10 years ago in Japan\'s Fuyuki City, resulted in leveling of few city blocks killed many innocent people in massive flames. Emiya Shirou is the sole survivor of the disaster and he was picked up by a kind stranger with wan look on his face. As he grow up he learned that this stranger was a Magi and he determined to emulate his foster father as hero for justice. For years he has carry this conviction and shape himself up for the day where he can be protector of justice but his foster father refused to train him in magical arts. After sometime, the foster father died and Shirou grow up to be a fine boy living his life normally while practicing his craft in secret. Then a strange encounter happens when he saw an inhuman duel between 2 men using archaic weapon in his school yard late in day change his life forever. While staggering from this strange encounter, he met a beautiful blonde woman with stern green emerald eyes clad in armour announcing that he was her Master and she is prepared to fight in his stead as Saber while bright moonlight reflecting her brilliant armour.
"Servant Saber arrive as summoned. Inquiry. Are you my Master?"
Fate/Stay Night is second major story created by Kinoko Nasu and it created a storm in Japan as one of the bestselling novel game. Published in early 2004, it sold off 104,000 copies on release, and inevitably in early 2006, we got to see the anime animated by Studio DEEN. After the debacle of Shingeshutan Tsukihime, many fans asked if history is going repeat itself or not.
Rating 10
Art
The art is not spectacular but it is good enough to convey the mood of the anime. In some parts the art dropped little bit but it is not that noticeable. The colour is not too pastel and garish, the background is bit static considering it is 24 episode series. Character designs are often accused as pandering to fanboy wet dream from leather clad Rider to short skirt Rin Tohsaka gracing the scenes. Even Archer is considered to have generic handsome man look but the accusation is baseless in my opinion.
In some battle scenes the art comes up a notch or two while during the conversation phase, it is often reduced to long shots of talking heads and eye expression.
However they kept the character design of original game and it was decision because the original art made the character look alive because of very lively eye expression. During the conversation phase this is important as the anime is quite heavy in conversation aspect and subtle changes of their eye expression is what makes the characters special. Rin especially carry this aspect strongly as she can be considered as the most complicated character in the story.
However in the middle of the series, the art quality drop noticeably. Typical mid series problem of lack of sufficient budget and time.
Rating 6
Sound
The 1st opening song "Disillusion" by Sachi Tanaka is a variation of original opening from the game with more soulful melody instead of hard edge techno from the original opening. It set the correct mood for the anime whereas Jukai's "Anata ga Ito Mori" wraps up the excellent sound track bundle of the anime. But the real star is Kenji Kawai again with his masterful rendition actually make the story more poignant and insightful with his touching sound tracks. For example the theme for Saber evoked a warrior\'s dignity and nobility tone whereas Rider\'s theme gives a sense of foreboding with female lethality and beauty in motion.
The voices of character fits in the place except for Sakura who sounded a bit too high generic for her character stereotype. Rin Tohsaka\'s VA however takes the cake by showcasing subtleness in proper tone and hard edged when she is angry. But when Rin is being smug or sacrastic, one can actually feel it which a testament to her VA\'s skill, Ueda Kana.
Rating 8
Presentation
Some characters specialized in niche area of the story.
Fujimura seems to control the slapstick comedy aspect whereas Rin 's role is sacrastic humor department, does liven up the otherwise a dark story. Saber was more like non-chalant humor generator.
The concept is slow build up to an epic ending as the gamestory does showing how Shirou tribulations before he become a true hero in protecting people that he loves. Thus the numerous discussion or talky scenes is essential in creating plot devices to push the story forward.
The anime seems to alternate between discussion phase and brief if spirited action sequence. The anime makers is trying to strike a balance between these to address the complexity of the story. The atmosphere is one of mysticism and dark forebodings as the magus and Servants alike scrambling for the Holy Grail. What I like is the anime succeded in striking balance between two phases, first explaining why they have to be what they be and resolution(s) of the issues at hand with action.
One thing that does absent in anime which make the original material so enjoyable is extensive internal monologues which provided so much insight into the characters especially Shirou. That is the few flaws I can find with this anime.
During the Berserker arc however, the art quality and story progression is not on par with earlier episodes, much to my disappointment. It seems they suffered by limitation of budget here. But the jarring story transition is what makes it not so enjoyable. The subsequent Caster story arc also plagued by 1 not clearly explained issue which I let the viewers to find out. These 2 arcs did decrease my enjoyment of the series.
However the ending is very beautiful and moving, fits the characters life as they should be.
Overall, up to this point, this is one of the best anime in 2006 and it is clearly DVD worthy. Below is my small tribute to this awesome story.
The story is moving and tragic, as heroes and heroines forced to fight again, reliving their legends then get killed or kill in the end. You can say the magus are evil for not giving these so called heroic spirits peace by summoning them for totally unrelated war. Assassin made a good point that he was cursing the day that he was summoned to the world again. By plying to their desire to have the Grail, they awaken again to relive human frailties tampering their heroic deeds. It must be vexing for them to fight for the prize and relive their life\'s as they know it but in such alien circumstances.
Adding to that too, is the usual human story of maguses who fought for honour, for tradition or pacifistic altruism in this totally inhumane war.Not forgetting the all too familiar greed for more power. The fact that they not able living their life as normal people must be quite a strain on their being. It is sad too, to see a decent bloke like Shirou lost his normal life and get embroiled into something like Holy Grail War. Sometimes, the most precious thing life can give is semblance of normal life. His life will never be the same again. No more ignorant bliss. Maybe he wants it, maybe he don\'t.
Then Saber, with her commitment to protect her all-too-naive current Master also is quite sad too. She is a warrior who is fighting an alien war in distant time which have nothing to do with her real life. The only thing she has is her desire to acquire the Grail. At such heavy cost to fulfill an obligation that she felt responsible for.
The list goes on. Perhaps I am too pessimistic.
That's how I see Fate/Stay Night as.: A collection of sad stories with brave, heroic tragedy in poetic quality. This anime has build up slowly the reason why heroes/heroines exist and why they willing to fight for. Ultimately heroes/heroines is people who capable of self sacrifice for a cause they believe in.
Rating 7
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