#it's interesting that they have similar design and personality and voiced by the same seiyuu

[yukihime03]

“In the Hood” boys who act cool but are actually shy voiced by Maeno Tomoaki.

[icharchivist]

hello icha!! i finally got around to finishing the stranger haha,, by which i mean i just watched it today. was veryyyy excited for it as i really like the poster design for this one. anyways. this event starting w/ the sort of portrait format or whatever / that narration is like. god. threw me right back to autumn troupe. I kind of love that the storytelling format itself is so distinct for autumn! the moment I realized it was omi I started getting teary… like oh man oh man… omi…. And the connection with him taking photos! ahh!! now that I think about it… omi kind of seems a bit like early version tsumugi, huh? also I keep forgetting this man is a college student lol. suspension of disbelief I suppose. onto the play i think like. mankai should invest in a fainting courch for tsuzuru. i also went to watch the play and 1) im betting yuki had a hell of a time costume design wise like the vines on the body? such fun costuming wise and 2) the ethical implications of whatever this play has,,, fun fun. tsuzuru was clearly having some kind of thoughts. i love zeros design and am always up for a3 characters crossdressing bc 1) i think its fun and 2) the costume design. i also dearly wish this whole thing was animated bc I feel like it’d be o fun to see taichi act as zero. or at least I hope this event gets full voiced one day... moving on to the scene where omi adds soy sauce to the paella I know it’s just like haha homare funny so lets five him a lil bit but like everyone in autumn troupe making their comments on the paella and like homare just jumping in. homare autumn troupe besties. just thinking. also the way they just r like. no no no omi it’s fine if u made a mistake!! it’s ok! we like it (you) anyways <3 it’s got it’s own special taste. something something omi’s perfectly pleasant as he is now but even if he weren’t on his a-game and was dealing with all of the biker gang stuff they would love him just as hard. another thing that got me was omi telling banri that he’ll give him something sweet so juza will stop grinding his teeth in his sleep… guys… guys you’ll give him cavities…. mb omi is a college student after all lol.

anyways when i saw the actual costumes. appreciative of them, i like the lil circuit-esque detailing on banri’s outfit, and that sakyo and taichi (nine and zero) both share that like collar detail? its very symbolic and probably also literal but its a nice way to sort of signify their relation to each other visually! also sakyo just looks nice. seeing him without glasses is so great. whoever thought up the like two mole detail for him was doing gods work.

something that confused me was ryo mistaking juza for nachi for a split second? like. does juza… look similar to nachi? or was it just that ryo only heard juzas voice and made that mistake. if it’s appearance wise too. kumon nachi confirmed. I’m joking lol bc I feel like I would’ve heard at least something abt it in one of the like small conversation comments, plus that doesnt seem like itd fit summer troupes style and kumon is for sure the wrong age… but still.

i really like how for this event, the roles for taichi and omi were kinda reversed. and taichis just so like. idk. smiley. rly lifts ur spirits. its kind of nice how this event contrasts to that cg where taichi is crying on omi. I also think like. idk. considering the story of the stranger. wolf gives zero a sense of purpose and life and I think that zero helps wolf lose his apathy. it’s about “the stranger” and the ending makes him like… not a stranger, right? because he’s got a companion. in the same way, taichi brings omi out of his emotional isolation. the picture taking! also the stickers coming back… thats such a good setup! the found family of it all!!

when he was trying to work out zeros character as soon as taichi mentioned a sharp speaking style I KNEW it was Yuki… yuki would never be as honest as zero is though lol… to me i imagine she’s got a sort of juza internal monologue feel? anyways. the taichi yuki dynamic intrigues me. havent yet decided how I feel abt it but when I do… yes. sorry that I make literally no sense. I think it’s very obvious that yuki is my fav chara kind of? I’m just. hmmm it makes me think! I’ve been monologuing to myself abt the yuki and juza dynamic lately which, to my a3 knowledge so far, doesn’t exist, but its ok bc I’ll make it exist! uhhh anyways this event was very good i liked the pacing. i think it didnt drag too hard and it really properly honed in on just omi and taichi, which was quite nice. they really did a lot for just an event!

time to listen to the event song,,, ok so. ah. i rly enjoyed just for myself it was very much to my taste so. out of curiousity i was like ok lemme look up the composer / producer AND IT WAS YUYOYUPPE....... that guy is like!!!! one of my FAV producers ever!!!!!! i know him from like. his vocaloid days and god leia is still one of my fav songs to this day...! this knowledge gives me so much joy omg!!! like wow!! wowwww!!! like i knew yuyoyuppe was out there doing other stuff (i know he worked on a lot of babymetal music which is cool) but like idk. to suddenly encounter it like this. heheh.... its so nice! made me soooo happy. going to relisten to leia now haha

WAIT ONE MORE THING. i was like "haha let me look at other songs i remember liking a lot" which. for me was rakuen oasis and don't cry. anyways. rakuen oasis is ALSO by yuyoyuppe???? oh my god!!! oh my god... sigh. feel like im in heaven.

OH HI FRIEND!! so good to see you with an a3 update!! :D

godd yeah The Stranger started so strongly and the idea to still incorporate portraits in his story was really something to make us cry!

And linking Omi and Tsumugi like this is pretty interesting :O <hat is your reasoning exactly? :O

For the fainting couch for Tsuzuru LMAO and i'm letting you know there's a webcomics that addresses it in Act 2 (hough there's no spoilers aside from the fact Chikage is here)

Im glad you liked the costume and the play!!! yeah i love the designs and it is always a blast to see them this into it, and yeaaah Tsuzuru has thoughts huh. It'll get voiced sooner than later hopefully and there we'll see more in details :3c but also that's what made the seiyuu live so fun bc they perform the songs in play cosplay and replay a bit of the play everytime and it's *chief kiss*

HOMARE AUTUMN TROUPE SOLIDARITY YES. LOVING IT.

And yeah the scene itself was so cute TwT they all want to reassure Omi and be there for him it's so sweet :( but yeah i love how you say it all, Omiimi TwT

and dLKFJDFLKJFDFD Giving Juza cavities is the price to pay for sleep i guess??

yeah agreed on the costume they all look so cool! and nice catch on how those three seem linked like that with their costumes, Yuki (and the designers) does such a good job! and god yeah for Sakyo.. yeah. He has sucha good design dLKJFDF

aND DLKFJD yeah no Juza is supposed to look like Nachi physically, but mostly his face? like i think Nachi was had green hair? we see a sprite of him in a future story, and yeah, everything is in the eyebrows. so Kumon should be safe? Omi mentions he sees a lot of Nachi in Juza, and while it is mostly due to their passions i think, the fact they're also rough looking guy with a heart of gold must play a part as well. but yeah, he does look like Nachi a bit.

and i love your deeper analysis of the event yeah!!

I feel like Taichi is really an emotional core of the troupe in the sense that is, he tends to catch on what others are feelings easily. And he uses it in the early chapters to ease off the tensions and stuff, but he was being held back by knowing he was deceiving them. So now that he's more free, he can be more of himself. but yeah i also love the contrast with how Omi was the one to help Taichi through his breakdown and guilt, and now it's the other way around, it's Taichi helping him through it. and the parallelism between the play and their dynamic is spot on imo! well said!!

and god yeah the sticker things made me cry sO HARD, and the pictures! and everything!! sobs it's such a sweet found family i'm going to cry :(

And! i love what you say about Yuki, Taichi and Juza on this one. I love that Taichi keeps bringing it back to "that childhood friend" and it's always like. so obvious who it is for us rip. But it can make you wonder if Yuki was more honest as a kiddo when Taichi knew him, though now he's clearly not. I love the mention of how Zero is more like Juza's internal speech (which, if anything is another argument about why you should let Juza wear a dress, cOWARD)

but also your mention of the Yuki and Juza thing, while i can't think of them having a dynamic per se yet, but i actually wrote a post during my reread about how i was baffled at the fact they treated Muku the same way?? like both of them tried to push Muku away because they were scared of how people would react if they say pure, sweet Muku was associated to them. And i find it fascinating because i guess those two are pretty aware of how the world see them, and it used to stop them from fully allowing them to be themselves.

I also find it relevant with the fact Yuki says in his personal song that while all of this way people judge him weight on him, he rather be himself, and "I want to love myself". Meanwhile we have Juza who's also aware of the way people judge him and it weight on him, and he wants to change himself from this person he hates, this self loathing - and in a way, he can grow in a way to be "someone" he may not hate, even on stage. I feel like those two have quite a bit in common in this way of being rejected by their peers in some sort of way.

I really want them to share some stuff at some point because there's really a groundwork on it all :(

But i'm really glad you liked that event!! agreed on the pacing and i do love what it brings to the characters! it really fleshes them out and have them move forward a little and it's pretty sweet.

AND OMG THAT'S SO COOL FOR THE SONG!! i'm so glad you liked it, but that's incredible it turned out to be from one of your fav producer!!! ahah sometimes life is like that where you end up finding the stuff you loved back into new stuff! and the fact Rakuen Oasis was from him as well... that's so cool!!! just, so so cool!

im pretty sure he has more songs going forward so i hope you'll enjoy the ride even more!!

thank you once again for sharing your thoughts about a3 :3c it always makes me so happy to see them!!!

Thank youu <3 have a good day :3c

[astro-break]

Quick first thoughts on the first ep of the Hypmic Anime. Spoilers beware (and im writing this as I watch so :p)

Otome’s speech is.... questionable from a persuasive point of view. Manga did a great job of introducing her (which you can read here) but they really cut out the more terrifying parts of her speech and how she uses force to show people that she's not to be messed with

Its cool seeing everyone in their respective environments though. thats cool. Though they could have added Sasara and Kuuko (shhh i know why they didn’t let me dream)

I love how poppy the typography is. Its amazing how the visuals just leap out at you. The OP does a great job of this. The first few seconds before the title really gives me Persona 4 OG OP vibes with the influx of information given. The rest is a clear concise and streamlined way that still gives character. Animation is sparse but still carries across a general idea of each character and shows off each character object. Rendering is really nice and pays a bit of homage to the posing artwork thats done for the MVs. They also do their division hand signals and thats cute

Love how the OP has blatant HifuDoppo and DRB matchup foreshadowing

so far I really like what theyre going for. BB is about brotherly familial bonds and they show the goods and the bads. Jiro and Saburo bickering right out the gate really cements the fact that they get along like cats and dogs but you can still see that they love each other, working together when the situation calls for it

Now the 3d models. Theyre... not great but usable if you don’t look too hard. They serve their purpose and don’t actively detract from the viewing experience.

Visual typography in the rap itself are fun and poppy but they dont.... speak to me? like theyre there yes and I appreciate them but the only ones that got me excited were from Ichiro’s rap

I take my words back the group portion was kickass and I apologize

I love how they interpret the Hypnosis Speakers though. Esp. Saburo’s organs. That was super creative and I love it! If there was one thing that I felt was missing from the franchise was a deeper exploration of the speakers but the anime puts a new and fresh spin on it! Love it, especially with their attack patterns!

If the production team ever feels inclined to, Id love to see those info sheets on Otome’s desk released. There seems to be very interesting info and stats written out about each member (like capabilities, personal status etc.) They all seem unique too so I really really really hope they release images of those sheets

OOOOOOOOKAY MTC. I have such a big biased for them so Im very torn to see what unfolds

Rio striking out on his own is interesting. Out of everyone in MTC hes the biggest team player yet here he trusts his teammates to go ahead. This either displays Rio’s willingness to trust his teammates or it becomes very OOC if the anime wants to set him up as a lone wolf like character

I love how they specify its a drug deal. It means that Jyuto surely will show up and it also shows that Samatoki knows Jyuto’s motives and willingly gives black market info that he knows aligns with Jyuto’s goal. Thats A+ detail writing there and a great establishing characteristic for both of them

OOohhhhhhhhhhhhh man Asunama-san’s voice acting is god tier his work as Samatoki is phenomenal. He pulls of Samatoki’s threatening voice so well with those almost calm words before his voice becomes loud and confrontational. Those rolling syllables in contrast to Komada-san’s almost lyrical and airy speech and Kamio-san’s strict and enunciated words is such a delight to hear. It just speaks to how amazing and great these Seiyuu’s are in order to pull of such amazing work

Im so biased but MTC has such a better rap than BB im so sorry. Just by watching Samatoki’s part, the imagery is amazing. Even the arrival of his Hypnosis Speaker was awesome and sent a shiver down my spine. using the lyrics to form blades and blood was such a great thing to do. Theres so much more variety that just him standing there and shots of his hypnosis speaker. The old fashioned vignette shots, the four panel spread, the nods to old Kurosawa era films are great and I love these small details. Even the typography looks better.

Again, the interpretations with the speakers is fresh and new. Its great and I love the different imagery and attack patterns. Each one is so unique but carries across each different style of rap.

The 3d modles aren’t any better tho lol

(Hi this is Astro who is reading over their assessment again and making a note. Yeah I’m a bit harsh on BB’s rap. I’m not going to change it since I still stand by it and this post is supposed to be a documentation of my first impressions. I think one of the reasons why I’m so harsh on BB is because of their dynamic as a trio of brothers. They Have to have a more uniform approach than the other divisions. Which in of itself isn’t a terrible thing, it just doesn’t catch my eye as much as MTC did. Thats all! I definitely don’t hate BB, they’re maybe my 3rd favorite division out of the current lineup [not including TDD era teams like Kujaku Posse, MCD, and Naughty Busters] its just that their rap was pretty meh)

Samatoki crouching like a real gangstar and the cigarette kiss killed me

sadjkhfjkasdghsadjkcsdjhsdfsjhf im dying i love these trio of dumbasses so uch oh y fod someone save me aaaaaaaa (Astro note here! yeah i died when the jyuto and samatoki’s stomach growled im weak please. Samatoki’s face is just so precious and funny I might set it as a profile pic somewhere)

But also my initial assessment of Rio possibly being characterized as a lone wolf is very much jossed and im very thankful for that. It seems that Rio was simply trusting his teammates to carry out their part of the plan while he carried out his own. I like that, it really shows how much of a team these three are and that they genuinely trust each other. He’s also comfortable enough around them to invite them to dinners after work casually and not just for special occasions.

I really love MTC guys

Oooh! we get Ramuda on his design process which is really cute. the inside of his studio is super cute and retro and i love it. the poppy old music you would hear in a cafe or 90′s resturaunt is also really cute (astro note: yeah i know that in ARB you see the interior of Ramuda’s office but its kinda different seeing it animated)

the translation i have has gentaro speaking in early modern english (Shakespearian english for those who aren’t english nerds like me) but from what I can hear, he doesn’t speak in a particularly old fashioned way? Its more formal than old? and hes speaking without any of his character persona lying thing that he likes to do (as he refers to himself as “Shousei” throughout the segment where hes in Ramuda’s office which is kind of his default pronoun of choice). so its kinda odd for the translation to go in that direction but im not complaining

Gendice banter is gold but it feels... flat? a little? it doesn’t have the same impact as in the drama cds or in the manga? i feel? Also Ramuda using gratuitous english is??? idk how to feel about that

kjshf thats against the rules Ramuda omgggg,,,,,,,, (astro note again: while watching i was under the assumption that using your hypmic for monetary gain such a as buskering [which is what FP is doing] is against the rules. May not be the case but whatever)

FP’s rap might be my favorite in terms of tune and lyrics though. It’s a nice laid back bop and really gives of chill vibes. the integration of 3d and 2d is really nice and i love how they play off each other in the rap. The wordplay is so fun with little nods here and there and the beat is poppy too so it really energizes me.

Ramuda’s rap concerns me slightly since he makes very subtle and small nods towards his past (being created in a laboratory, warfare, and his overall very unpleasant life experiences) but spins it into something cutesy. It could be a coping mechanism, it could be me overthinking it. But it does make me worry a bit. Gentaro and Dice’s rap really play off each other with Gentaro sticking to stories and Dice taking up the baton by carrying on that same imagery but putting his own spin on it.

the self awareness of how scattered they are as a team is interesting though. It doesn’t seem like something you’d speak about in a rap? but i guess since its not really a do or die situation they can afford to be looser on things like this.

Right off the bat, i don’t like how they handled Hifumi and Doppo in relation to Hifumi’s fear of women. Slug made a post once talking about this and I echo many of his sentiments. Hypmic has never been very tactful about tackling this particular issue and while I didn’t have high hopes that the anime would be any better it hurts to see Doppo take away the one thing that allows Hifumi to function within society.

Doppo’s breakdown mirrors a lot of my own mental state when I spiral though its shown a lot quicker than what happens to me oof. that hits close to home. though Jakurai’s advice is. Questionable. Its not the best advice to give to someone but we have no idea what kind of doctor Jakurai is so ill let it slide

Jakurai’s pose looks like hes going to do a mahou shoujou transformation lmao

I don’t have many thoughts about the rap though again. How they visualize the rap is interesting. the different imagery is quite interesting for each of them and the typography is nice a distinct but im still on the fence about the visuals here

The sound is in the same boat. The sound effects either drown out the rap or are too quet but some parts are nice at least. When they talk about Tokyo’s beating heart, the heartbeat sound is a but distracting especially since its only played once. But the imagery is at least nice

I wonder if for the eds they’re going to take a similar approach to what Enstars did and have a four different endings, one for each division. I love the blend of styles here and it really accentuates that although they’re different they mesh well together.

Ramuda’s silhouette though is hilarious. Love it.

:p and thats it. Uh not bad for a first episode. Established all 12 characters really nicely and their dynamics. I had some problems with it but then again nothing is perfect. I look forward to what they show us next week

[afinepricklypear]

Compare and Contrast: K Project vs. Bungou Stray Dogs - Part 1

I found Bungou Stray Dogs (BSD) through the K Project fandom, because fans of both shows like to draw similarities between the two. I put off watching it for awhile, though, still coming down from my K Project feels after finishing Seven Stories. Recently, I bit the bullet and binge watched the whole thing and now I need to parse some thoughts out. This is going to be a series of posts, pitting these two anime against one another in an over-analysis of their stories, worldbuilding techniques, character development, and their most popular, uncannily similar ships - Sarumi vs. Soukoku. Because I found the two through one another, I wanted to examine how they both stood up against one another. These reviews will focus on the anime versions. There are spoilers ahead.

Overview:

Both K (referred to as K Project in the fandom) and BSD are supernatural action anime focused on various organizations of ability users as they struggle against one another or work together to protect their own interests. They each take place in alternative universe versions of Japan, and feature ensemble casts. While both stories are meant to take place in present time periods, K resembles modern aesthetics with a splash of near-future, whereas, BSD takes on a 1920s-1930s vibe with a bit of a steampunk undertone.

The animation and artwork for both is gorgeous, with extreme similarities in character design and motifs. For example, the characters tentatively referred to as “main protagonist" in K is Yashiro ��Shiro’ Asano and in BSD is Nakajira Atsushi (overall, these are both ensemble shows, where other characters are explored and given spotlight), both feature a design thematic to the color white. Light features, white hair, Shiro is the Silver King in K and Atsushi has the ability to transform into a white tiger. They're both paired with a character that embodies the color black, Kuroh Yatagami in K (Shiro is Japanese for White and Kuro is Japanese for Black) and Akutagawa in BSD. Similarities in characters doesn't stop there, with Kunikida of BSD heavily resembling Kusanagi of K right down the glasses (although their personalities are drastically different) and the popular pairs of each series: tall, brooding, Fushimi Saruhiko (Blue) and short, fiesty, Yata Misaki (Red) of K Project against tall, suicidal, Dazai Osamu (Blue) and short, fiesty, Nakahara Chuuya (Red) of BSD have so many similarities beyond their appearance, including a shared seiyuu (Fushimi and Dazai are both voiced by the same person), a person might suspect that one pair influenced the other, but from what I can find, the manga for BSD came out about the same time as the anime for K (whose manga came after anime). Since Black&White and Red&Blue are popular motifs in eastern culture, the only thing maybe truly inexplicable here is actually just Kunikida and Kusanagi.

The storylines, as expected of seinen material, explores more complex, adult topics while attempting to maintain accessibility to a younger audience. This can leave older viewers with a sense that the story is too simplistic or immature, while younger viewers might feel that it's too drawn out. Young Adult viewers (between the ages of 15 to 22) I expect would have the highest likelihood of liking either title.  Also worth noting, K can be considered a complete title. There have been no announcements for new additions to the story, and its been awhile since the last new material was put out for it. That’s not to say that it may never have more material added, we are living in a time where we’ve recently gotten reboot anime for Sailor Moon and Fruits Basket, not to mention, a new series expanding on the story of Card Captor Sakura nearly 15 years after the original ended, manga and all, so it’s not impossible for K to be extended. For all intents and purposes, though, at the moment we can consider it over and done. Whereas, BSD is still ongoing, with the newest season and an official movie having been put out earlier this year (2019), and new chapter updates monthly for the manga.

Overall, I loved both series and have added them to my “regularly rewatch" anime list. I was also inspired to purchase every manga and light novel from BSD that was available in my location and hunt down online translations for the newer chapters. That being said, this will be a harsh review, I will say some negative things about both shows. If you do not want to read any criticism of your favorite anime, please ignore the rest of my analysis posts.

Read Part 2

[voyage-in-the-dark]

Interview with Yoko Taro and Yosuke Saito by WowJapan

Given that the game’s theme is rather dark, is there a hidden message that you want to convey to the players?

Yoko Taro: I haven’t given much thought to the message, but I want the players to figure it out themselves, and use their imagination. It may be a very dark message, but it is all up to how the players perceive it. So, the message that is conveyed may vary from player to player.

NieR Automata was very unique and was created with a specific audience in mind. However, Automata surpassed expectations and has sold very well overseas. After such a success, will you create a game that is geared towards a more mainstream audience?

Yoko Taro: First of all, I would need to consider the budget given to me for such a project. But I think the key to creating such a popular game was to create a world that I thought others would enjoy but one that I myself would like to see or be in.

The world of NieR is dark and twisted. But at the same time, it’s full of hope and emotion. What was your inspiration when creating this world?

Yoko Taro: Seeing or not seeing hope in the story is up to the player. As a director, its my job to provide players with the information players need to come to the conclusion themselves. In real life as in video games there are good things and bad things, so I did not set out for players to readily come to a certain conclusion, all I did was provide players with the backdrop, and the opportunities for the players to come to a certain conclusion themselves. So if the players decide that this ended up being a very hopeful story, it makes me very happy that it fits that.

Your games often feature outcasts, are you particularly drawn to archetypes that do not appear in other games?

Yoko Taro: Honestly, I do not understand outcasts myself. As someone who is a fan of pop culture and TV entertainment,  there are many things I do not understand about them. But I gather the opinions of friends who belong to these minority groups, and get some inspiration from the struggle that they face. Everybody is a little bit strange, so I take of the uniqueness and strangeness of all these individuals.

Yosuke Saito: I’m actually rather interested to see if Yoko-san be interested in working on a Final Fantasy title, featuring the similar strangeness.

Yoko Taro: I’m hoping for a big budget if I do work on it.

How is it working with [Yoko-san]?

Yosuke Saito: He’s crazy! He’s a very funny person you will never get bored of.

Yoko Taro: Like Saito-san, I like to withdraw into my own space to work on projects. While I do not particularly enjoy doing interviews, I would still like to try my best to answer questions from the press.

Why were Yui Ishikawa, and Natsuki Hanae chosen to be the voices behind 2B and 9S? What about their voices made them so special?

Yoko Taro: Ishikawa-san was chosen from a pool of seiyuus. Upon hearing her voice, we found that she was a perfect fit for 2B. There are many seiyuus who possess an very cute voice that fits well with anime. However Ishikawa-san’s calm and stoic voice was very soothing and it was a quality that many other seiyuus did not possess. This was why she was chosen.

Yosuke Saito: Actually the decision on 9S’s casting was only made at the very end of the selection process. There were many male seiyuus presented to Yoko-san. 9S was a very unique character. In the sense that he was not an adult, but at the same time he was not a child, so we had to find someone who fit perfectly in this niche area. One of the main requirements, was the ability to portray his emotions while screaming. I am a fan of Tokyo Ghoul series, but Yoko-san had never seen it before. So I asked him to watch the anime and listen to Kaneki Ken. When Kaneki Ken is calm his voice felt a little different. But when he changed into his ghoul mode, and started screaming,  Yoko-san said that he was perfect. That’s how Natsuki Hanae landed the role of 9S.

Yoko Taro: He was actually the last person to be confirmed for the cast. The main problem with hiring a male voice actor is that the seiyuu’s natural voice would be very low and that they would not be able to portray a young male role. However, if a female seiyuu voices a male role, it would be too feminine. So Natsuki Hanae-san had struck the perfect balance for the role of 9S.

Of all the female characters you have created in your games. Which of them is your favorite?

Yosuke Saito: Devol and Popol.

Yoko Taro: Vier from the original NieR game. She’s a young lady who stays in the masked city who doesnt speak. I had originally thought of making her a main character, but in the story she was killed off. So I was quite saddened by it.

Before the release of NieR Automata, the game had already built up a fan-base in part due to the popularity of 2B. What were the considerations taken when coming up with the design of the character?

Yoko Taro: The black theme is similar to what one would wear at a funeral. The blindfolds symbolize the fact that the characters are blind to the truth. However, the operators have a veil covering their mouths, this symbolizes that the operators are prevented from speaking the truth. As for the characters who wear mufflers, they symbolize being unable to hear the truth. It’s a little strange, but these were the concepts behind the designs of the various characters. Personally, I don’t understand how a character who’s eyes have been covered has become so popular. Perhaps modeling her after Akihiko Yoshida-san’s initial design had made the character more appealing. Actually, having a blindfold might have nothing to do with a character’s popularity.

Yosuke Saito: I feel bad for the cosplayers who have to wear a blindfold because they can’t see where they’re going.

Finally, the game has already sold more than 2 million copies is there a chance for a sequel?

Yoko Taro: Back to the matter at hand, if someone gives us the money we’ll do it.

Yosuke Saito: Well we’ve been talking about how if we’re given the money, we’ll do it. But now what would happen if the entire world gives us the money? We could do a lot more. We’ll do whatever the person pays us the most wants us to do. But there’s always the risk of Yoko-san receiving a truckload of money, taking a small portion of it to make a crappy game, and running away with the rest.

[muthaz-rapapa]

Precure Movie “Reincarnations”

With KiraPre’s coming out in a little under two months (second cue to start anticipating next season), I thought I’d go through all the ones I’ve watched so far to see how many seiyuus who starred in the movies ended up coming back to voice characters (main or supporting) in later seasons.

So there’s one rule to this: it has to go from movie –> tv anime. Hence the whole calling it a “reincarnations”…thing.

Left out the All Stars movies cuz I don’t want to deal with those.

Oh, and these are in order by the movies’ corresponding season.

Warning: Image heavy. Also, crappy editing because I’m too lazy to make it look nice. :P

1) Shadow (Yes! Precure 5 Kagami no Kuni no Miracle Daibouken) –> Syrup (Yes! Precure 5 GoGo!) {CV: Park Romi}

I’m pretty sure this is the strangest one on the list. But it’s the legendary Romi Park we’re talking about. She can voice anything.

So not so strange, I guess……no, it is. It’s quite bizarre just thinking these two even have one thing in common. xD;

2) Dark Dream (Yes! Precure 5 Kagami no Kuni no Miracle Daibouken) –> Aoki Reika/Cure Beauty (Smile Precure!) {CV: Nishimura Chinami}

By far, my most favorite “reincarnation”. I love Dark Dream so much as a villain and a baddy-turned-good. That she “returned” as the lovely and badass Cure Beauty… it just made me appreciate Cure Beauty even more.

And I always get so gleeful when their connection shows up in fanart, too. ^^

3) Dark Lemonade (Yes! Precure 5 Kagami no Kuni no Miracle Daibouken) –> Madoka Aguri/Cure Ace (Doki Doki! Precure) {CV: Kugimiya Rie}

Can’t say I’m surprised that Rie Kugimiya came back. Even less surprised that she’d be voicing a Cure because she is a famous veteran.

What I didn’t expect was getting two variations of her voice in one character. Which isn’t a bad thing. I like Cure Ace’s voice. More than Aguri’s/Dark Lemonade’s anyway.

4) Dark Mint (Yes! Precure 5 Kagami no Kuni no Miracle Daibouken) –> Flora (Yes! Precure 5 GoGo!) {CV: Minaguchi Yuko}

Not surprised here either.

I don’t have much to say about this one. Yuko Minaguchi was the voice behind Hotaru/Sailor Saturn from the first SM series, after all. So whether she’s playing an antagonist or a holy-goddess-like figure, she always makes it sound so natural. And her voice is so pretty. She’s so gifted. ^^

5) Princess Chocola (Yes! Pretty Cure 5 GoGo!: Okashi no Kuni no Happy Birthday!) –> Chypre (Heartcatch Precure!) {CV: Kawata Taeko}

I’m very fond of this one because I love both of them. <3

It actually took me a while to realize Chocola had the same voice as Chypre (cuz I watched Heartcatch before I watched Yes!5) and when I did I was like “Ohhhh……”

Anyways, it’s nice that a cute character came back as another cute character. Only a very few on this list kept that consistency.

6) Dry (Yes! PreCure 5 GoGo!: Okashi no Kuni no Happy Birthday!) –> Cologne (Heartcatch Precure!) {CV: Ishida Akira}

Let’s just go with the fact that none of these surprise me, lol.

I’m always going to be expecting the veteran seiyuus to show up sooner or later, movie-exclusive or not.

7) Toymajin (true form) (Fresh PreCure!: Omocha no Kuni wa Himitsu ga Ippai?!) –> Hanasaki Kaoruko/Cure Flower (Heartcatch Precure!) {CV: Sakamoto Chika}

I don’t even remember if teddy!Toymajin ever talked at all but according to MAL, he did.

*shrug*

To be honest, what really surprised me (lol, yea, I spoke too soon \D;) was running into Chika Sakamoto again. I remember her fondly as the memorable voice for Nuriko from Fushigi Yuugi. To the mahou shoujo community, you’ll probably recognize her as the voice for Yaten Kou/Sailor Star Healer from Sailor Moon Stars.

8) Olivier (Heartcatch Precure!:  Hana no Miyako de Fashion Show…Desu ka?!) –> Candy (Smile Precure!) {CV: Otani Ikue}

P-I-K-A-C-H-UUUU~!!!

8D

Ok, but seriously, I really loved Olivier so when I think of this, I can’t help but feel there’s been a bit of a downgrade. There’s nothing wrong with Candy. It’s just that I think of her more strongly as a mascot than as a character, that’s all.

9) Howling (Suite Precure♪: Torimodose! Kokoro ga Tsunagu Kiseki no Melody!) –> Emperor Pierrot (Smile Precure!) {CV: Genda Tesshou}

Apparently.

Almost all of Precure’s Big Bad Bosses sound the same to me. I really can’t tell the difference.

10) Flat (Suite Precure♪: Torimodose! Kokoro ga Tsunagu Kiseki no Melody!) –> Close (Go! Princess Precure) {CV: Madono Mitsuaki}

Second case where the villain comes back as another villain.

Close is hard to forget (because he’s so annoying) but Flat barely had any character to him that if I didn’t look him up, I wouldn’t be able to tell who’s who in the Trio de Major.

11) Dog (Smile Precure!: Ehon no Naka wa Minna no Chiguhagu!) –> Puff (Go! Princess Precure) {CV: Toyama Nao}

This shouldn’t even be on the list but it’s so amusing that I just had to. Does it literally, right next to Nao Toyama’s name, say “Dog” in the movie credits? xD;

Well, unlike the others who do sport noticeable differences between them, there’s hardly any for these two. That one just got upgraded to a cute maid three years later.

12) Momotaro (Smile Precure!: Ehon no Naka wa Minna no Chiguhagu!) –> Aihara Yuuki (Go! Princess Precure) {CV: Abe Atsushi}

Alright, this can actually be a real reincarnation. I mean, they look alike! They even seem to have similar temperaments!

…Or is that just me?

13) Purple Buggy (Doki Doki! Precure: Mana Kekkon?!! Mirai ni Tsunagu Kibou no Dress) –> Glaive (Kira Kira Precure a la Mode) {CV: Egawa Hisao}

Hey hey~! Somebody from the current season!

But the more important question…when is Glaive going to be relevant in KiraPre again? ^^;

14) Orihara Tsumugi (Happiness Charge Precure!: Ningyou no Kuni no Ballerina) –> Izayoi Riko/Cure Magical (Mahou Tsukai Precure!) {CV: Horie Yui}

Easily my second most favorite of this bunch and frankly, there’s no need to go into extensive explanation about it. HaCha’s movie wouldn’t have been half as interesting without Tsumugi.

Then, bless our luck, we get to hear Hocchan again! Not only as an MC but also as an adorable tsundere! Riko~!!! X3

Man, I really love it when they come back as a Cure. The tones are obviously going to be different between a role they voiced in the movie and a role they voice in the tv series but it’s fun observing just how different they are, y’know? The key is really the acting, yup. ^^

15) Princess Pumplulu (Go! Princess Precure: Go! Go!! Gouka Sanbon Date!!!) –> ??? {CV: Hanazawa Kana}

I can say with confidence that a good percentage of us is waiting on bated breath for the day when Kana-chan will finally be assigned a Precure title. And it’s going to happen, I tell you. IT MUST.

I don’t care if they make her one of the first regular Cures or a latecomer Cure as long as she is a one of the main Cures. Because wtf, Go!Pri’s movie was one the most unfavorite things I’ve ever came across in this franchise that I need to be compensated for sitting through it! If they didn’t split it into three parts, I think we could’ve gotten a hell of a better story.

Especially on Pumplulu’s part. She had such a nice personality and her character had so much potential for expansion. Like, oh I dunno, turning her into a movie-exclusive Cure maybe?! Because technically, a lot of that movie should’ve been about her. AND she had all the qualifications to become Precure. She’s kind and beautiful and strong enough to resist the bad guy from brainwashing her (which is why he had to lock her up because he couldn’t use her like he did with her parents)!

Why wasn’t she made a Cure?! Why’d we have to focus on Haruka dancing around making pudding and CGI stuff I don’t care about?!

*rants for the next few hours*

Not to mention, @rona67th‘s gorgeous fanart of her in Cure form and Mode Elegant just makes me want it to be official even more! *sobs* I’d die to see that animated. I’d give up all the others’ Mode Elegant Halloween forms just for Pumplulu to be made a real Cure. T_T

(Btw, check out @rona67th’s Cure Zephyr, too! Her design is really awesome! ^^)

*SIGH*

Well, there’s still that hope that HanaKana will be cast in one of the seasons after KiraPre is finished. I’m actually glad she wasn’t put in KiraPre. I need a season with a deeper concept and theme and overall, stronger story for any role she plays. Because it’s HanaKana and I love her so obviously I would want her to get the roles with the better everything. <3

And that’s it, I suppose. Anyone I missed, feel free to add. Though I’m pretty sure I covered all the major ones.

Guess I’ll do this again when the 2nd Precure Generation is over.

[entergamingxp]

Shin Sakura Taisen The Animation Takes Place Slightly After the Game’s Story

January 29, 2020 9:20 PM EST

New details on Shin Sakura Taisen The Animation and the Moscow Combat Revue designed by Kaguya Luna character designer Mika Pikazo. Staff, cast comments.

Sega held on January 29 the 11th Sakura Taisen Imperial Communication Department’s Broadcast stream. You can find the full stream here. It was the first stream since 2020 began. As usual, it featured MC Mami Yamashita, Yohei Azakami, who was cosplaying Seijuro, and Producer Tetsu Katano. The stream included many new details on the upcoming anime adaptation, Shin Sakura Taisen The Animation. The Moscow Combat Revue was finally revealed, along with a new trailer, story details, screenshots, and comments from the cast and staff.

First off, here is the trailer, narrated by Sho Hayami, revealing the new characters from the Moscow Combat Revue:

The biggest shock about the anime is how it takes place on Taisho 30, meaning it’s a sequel to the game, which takes place on Taisho 29. Producer Katano said the anime takes place “slightly after the game”. This is surprising as when the anime was first revealed, Sega said it would cover more or less the same story events as in the game. This is fine by me, as hopefully, I will have finished the game by April, but this is a bummer for fans waiting for the game’s localization. Fans who wish to avoid spoilers won’t be able to watch the anime as it airs. This is just a guess though, but I believe the anime won’t spoil the game much and will focus on its own story instead. This was the case with most previous Sakura Taisen anime.

Here’s the story pitch from the Shin Sakura Taisen The Animation official site: “Taisho 30 (1941). The Imperial City, Tokyo, regained its peaceful days. Seijuro Kamiyama, the captain of the Imperial Combat Revue Flower Division, was assigned to Europe, and Sakura Amamiya is temporarily replacing him as acting captain. The Flower Division’s days without their captain are full of troubles. One day, Seijuro momentarily comes back, bringing along a girl named Clara, the only survivor of the Moscow Combat Revue, destroyed after a certain incident. Seijuro transfers Clara into the Flower Division, entrusting her to Sakura Amamiya and the others, who warmly welcome here However, individuals who claim to be the supposedly destroyed Moscow Combat Revue appear in the imperial city. What is Clara’s real identity? And what is the objective of the Moscow Combat Revue? The curtain rises on the Imperial Combat Revue Flower Division’s new battle.”

On stream, we were then introduced to Clara and the Moscow Combat Revue characters:

From left to right: first, we have Clara, voiced by Misaki Watada. Next, we have the captain of the Moscow Combat Revue, Kaminsky Valery, voiced by Akabane Kenji. Lastly, we have his squadmate, Leila, voiced by Haruka Shiraishi.

All three characters were designed by Mika Pikazo. We translated her comments: “When I first heard of Sakura Taisen in my school days, it was already a legendary game. I was overwhelmed by the passion emanating from the series, the cuteness of the character designs, and the myriads of songs. Each member of the Moscow Combat Revue has multiple facets to their personalities and backgrounds. They’re all very charming. Taking all this into account, I put a lot of thought into how to design them. I’m looking forward to how they will interact with the main characters and how their feelings will clash with each other”.

自分がアニメ作品に関わらせて頂くのはサクラ大戦が初めてで、嬉しさと同時にドキドキしています…

クラーラ・レイラ・カミンスキーはすごくお気に入りのキャラです！

メインキャラデザインの久保帯人先生、そして尊敬するイラストレーターの先生方の作られたキャラと交わるのが楽しみです！！

— Mika Pikazo

PARCO全国ツアー (@MikaPikaZo) January 29, 2020

On Twitter, Mika Pikazo added: “This is my first time being involved with anime production, and it’s Sakura Taisen! I’m so excited! I’m so happy the characters I designed will be interacting with Kubo Tite’s characters and the characters created by artists I admire”.

Mika Pikazo shared more illustrations for Clara, Kaminsky, and Leila of the Moscow Combat Revue on Twitter. Mika Pikazo often uses highly vivid colors in her drawings, giving her art an eastern Europe feel at times. This is a perfect fit for the Moscow characters, as the Sakura Taisen series purposefully exaggerates stereotypes.

Personally speaking, I didn’t expect at all that Mika Pikazo would be Moscow Combat Revue’s character designer. She’s 26 and a very new pro artist compared to the other designers on Shin Sakura Taisen: Tite Kubo (Bleach), Yukiko Horiguchi (K-On), Abec/Bunbun (Sword Art Online), Fumikane Shimada (Strike Witches), Noizi Ito (Haruhi Suzumiya), and Shigenori Soejima (Persona). All of these are popular series who originated in the early 2000s or early 2010s that would be considered old by today’s Japanese teenagers, fitting Sakura Taisen‘s old atmosphere. Mika Pikazo, in counterpart, is the character designer of Kaguya Luna, one of the five most popular virtual youtubers in Japan, and, in my opinion, the only one who’s actually funny. This shows how Sega strives to make Sakura Taisen more popular among a younger audience. Besides Kaguya Luna’s design, Mika Pikazo is also the illustrator of an isekai novel themed around real-life magic tricks, titled Saikyou Juzoku Tensei: Majutsu Otaku no Utopia. The manga adaptation is drawn by Asahi Shinomura, yet another great illustrator.

Each of the seiyuu voicing the Moscow Combat Revue also shared comments on their characters:

Comments from Clara’s seiyuu Misaki Watada: “I was so happy when I heard I’d be voicing a Sakura Taisen character I started crying and we all celebrated together at my agency. Look forward to how Clara will interact with the other characters. I’m sure both older fans and newcomers who discovered the franchise with Shin Sakura Taisen will enjoy the anime”.

During the stream, Yohei Azakami mentioned he does know more about Clara, since he already recorded his lines for the anime, but he can’t say anything. He and MC Mami Yamashita jokingly added that Kohei Tanaka would have spoiled everything if he was there.

Comments from Kaminsky Valery’s seiyuu Kenji Akabane: “I got into Sakura Taisen in my school days, after watching Sakura Wars: The Movie. And I never imagined I’d be voicing a captain character one day. I was so surprised and so happy. Kaminsky is a true gentleman, but he’s also a bit weird (laughs). I hope you’re enjoying the game, and are looking forward to the anime.”

On stream, Producer Katano mentioned Kaminsky is a bit similar to Seijuro in the game, mixing seriousness and weirdness. In the anime, Seijuro acts overall cooler and more serious than in the game, seeing he can’t pick any dumb or perverted dialogue choices. Yohei Azakami and Kenji Akabane are both at Aoni Production. Azakami funnily remembered that back when it was decided he would voice Seijuro (this should be over a year ago now seeing how early in development Japanese videogames are dubbed), Akabane was acting super envious, saying he wanted to do it too. I remember a similar comedic scene that happened during a Super Robot Wars stream where they appeared together. Nice for Akabane, he ended up in Shin Sakura Taisen now.

Comments from Leila’s seiyuu Haruka Shiraishi: “The character I’m voicing, Leila, has a complicated past. She’s suffering because of it. Expressing her pain, loneliness and all her emotions in my acting was something quite difficult. Leila becomes more and more interesting as the story goes on, so look forward to the anime, and what kind of choices will she make.”

Next, we were introduced to the Spirit Particle Fighters used by the Moscow Combat Revue. They’re called Ekaterina and were designed by Mika Akitaka, the game’s mecha designer. He designed the five Spirit Particle Fighters Mugen used by the Flower Division, and all the other Spirit Particle Fighters and mecha in Project Sakura Wars.

Comments from Shin Sakura Taisen Mecha Designer Mika Akitaka: “I’m happy I was able to make new mecha designs not only for the PS4 game but for the anime as well. These are the units used by the Moscow Combat Revue, who appears for the first time in the series. Manabu Ono, the anime’s director, asked me to design a mecha that feels reminiscent of a bird. So it looks pretty different than the other mecha. Look forward to the anime.”

A new key visual for Shin Sakura Taisen The Animation was shared as well. It shows Sakura Amamiya, Hatsuho, Claris, Azami, and Anastasia, weapons ready, protecting Clara. Azakami said it echoes the anime’s story.

Comments from Shin Sakura Taisen The Animation Director Manabu Ono: “I’m happy but feeling a lot of pressure participating in Sakura Taisen‘s revival.  However, I’ve fallen in love with the series once again after the meetings for the anime with Sega’s staff and the game’s development team. Sakura Taisen focuses on intense battles, friendship, and love. Along with comedy and hot-blooded story developments. I wish to show all the aspects of the franchise with the anime, so look forward to April 2020.”

Last but not least, Producer Katano, Yohei Azakami, and Mami Yamashita commented on the anime as some screenshots were revealed.

They first explained that the anime’s protagonist is Sakura Amamiya instead of Seijuro, something we already knew. As previously mentioned, Seijuro got assigned to Europe. Katano mentioned Seijuro is with Lancelot and Elise over there.

They also mentioned the anime will give more occasions to shine to Reiji Shiba and Hakushu Murasame. As a reminder, Reiji is the Flower Division’s mechanic voiced by Tomokazu Sugita. Hakushu is Sakura Amamiya’s swordmaster, designed by Soejima and voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro.

This is the Moscow Combat Revue, Kaminsky and Leila, doing Russian Ballet together. They like to dance like this whenever discussing together. Sega also hired ballet dancers to do motion capture for these ballet scenes.

Lastly, we have screenshots showing te Flower Division fighting against Kouma.

【1月29日(水)生放送終了】 皆様、ご視聴ありがとうございました！ 次回は2月26日(水)放送予定！お楽しみに

#新サクラ大戦#サクラ大戦 pic.twitter.com/aajgyGASco

— サクラ大戦公式@SEGA (@Sakura_Taisen) January 29, 2020

The usual end of stream photo with Mami Yamashita, Yohei Azakami, and Tetsu Katano.

Shin Sakura Taisen The Animation will start airing in April 2020. The next Sakura Taisen stream will be held on February 26 and will include more info on it.

Shin Sakura Taisen is temporarily named Project Sakura Wars in the west and is scheduled to release on PlayStation 4 in Spring 2020. If you don’t want to wait, we’re translating the game via a let’s play. You can find the episodes we did so far on our YouTube channel. The first episode is also included below, along with our full coverage of the game.

First story details, first trailer

Unfinished French trailer incident

Comments on the Sakura Taisen series from original creator Oji Hiroi

Famitsu staff interview Part 1 Part 2

Main cast comments

Toshihiro Nagoshi comments, story, mecha details

Sumire, Kaoru,Komachi Gameplay introduction videos

Michie Tomizawa/Sumire comments

Shangai characters designed by Lucky Star’s Yukiko Horiguchi, new gameplay

Toshihiro Nagoshi comments on switch to action RPG battles

London characters designed by Sword Art Online‘s Abec, new gameplay

Berlin characters designed by Strike Witches‘ Fumikane Shimada, Yasha’s introduction trailer, story, gameplay trailers

Anime announcement trailer 

Game opening movie, Japanese Limited Edition details

Stage play announcement, OST comments from Kohei Tanaka, Limited Edition details

Producer Katano, Director Otsubo comments

Itsuki, Hiromi introduction trailer, designed by Haruhi Suzumiya‘s Noizi Ito.

Gameplay, screenshots, story details

Demo, Combination attacks details

Character Song Music Videos

Character design introduction videos, screenshots, tournament battles

Hakushu Murasame introduction trailer, designed by Shigenori Soejima, character design introduction videos

Gameplay, commercials, staff comments, collabs, DLC teaser

Chisa Yokoyama, Michie Tomizawa interview 

Stage play cast, anime trailer

DLC details

January 29, 2020 9:20 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/01/shin-sakura-taisen-the-animation-takes-place-slightly-after-the-games-story/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=shin-sakura-taisen-the-animation-takes-place-slightly-after-the-games-story

[sarapyon]

[Translation] Murase Ayumu & Furukawa Makoto: Any similarities with the character you voiced? ‘Shoukoku no Altair’ Special Interview

“Shoukoku no Altair” is based on the battle between the two major countries, the main topic this July that depicts a magnificent view of the world.

“Shoukoku no Altair” Starting from July 7 (Friday) weekly Animation broadcast at 2.25AM ~ MBS · TBS · BS-TBS http://project-altair.com/ Twitter @pj_altair

STAFF Original - Katou Kotono (Kodansha’s “Monthly Shounen” series) Director - Furuhashi Kazuhiro Series configuration - Takagi Noboru Character design · Chief animation director - Kanno Toshiyuki Deputy Director = Igari Takashi Animation production = MAPPA CAST Mahmut - Murase Ayumu Zaganos - Furukawa Makoto Cyrus - KENN Abiriga - Suwabe Junichi Suleyman - Konishi Katsuyuki Louis - Tsuda Kenjiro © Katou Kotono · Kodansha / Shoukoku no Altair Production Committee

Photographer: Fukuoka Ryouhokora Writer: Arakawa Youko

This is what we thought since we’re originally a fan

Since this is the first talk, I think with both of your performance and roles (as your character) appears to have an impression with each other. First of all, Murase-san, what’s your impression of Furukawa-san’s performance as Zaganos?

Murase: When I read the manga, my impression of Zaganos is when I thought how arrogant is he. He’s fearless and handsome, although he’s still young, he’s two or three times better (about skills) than Mahmut. I thought it would be very difficult to make Zaganos convincing. However, it’s a monthly expression (he means how to voice the character for a month or so), Furukawa-kun is perfect! His voice have a persuasive power, there’s a presence of a ‘strong feeling’ coming out with just one word. At the time of the first recording for the PV, I thought "I see, that’s why Furukawa-kun is Zaganos”, and I was convinced. Furukawa: Thank you very much……!

Then how about Furukawa-san, what’s your impression of Murase-san’s performance as Mahmut?

Furukawa: Mahmut will grow, I think that growth is one of his attractions. And the same as me, at the recording for the PV, I thought "It’s perfect for Murase-san!”. Furthermore, as the dubbing begins and carefully drawn it in the story, Mahmut is shaking, but he will gradually mature, together with Murasa-san’s acting, I think that Mahmut will become more attractive. Murase: hehe (bashful) Furukawa: How much will Mahmut bring up his mind level in the future? I am looking forward to that from now on until it ends! Murase: Uwah, the hurdle has risen (lol)! Furukawa: (lol) Murase: …Anyway, saying things like this, isn’t it embarrassing? Furukawa: That’s right (lol).

What’s the impression for playing two scenes?

Murase: Um…… It made me angry! Furukawa: Eeehh!? Murase: Of course with my role. At first, I didn’t understand anything because whatever Mahmut is, he’s still in the same position of a general. There’s a scene where Zaganos really denied me at Zugan. At that time Zaganos, doesn’t see it in his eyes, like you’re not even stupid that there’s a cut feeling for being "zero” to him feels great…… But that got me angry (lol). I’m grateful though, because the emotion born on negotiations, in that sense I threw a very good ball (unexpected surprise). Furukawa: Ever since I was born, I never hear people talk like that in my life (lol). Murase: It feels like a test when you hear someone talk a little story, like you were instructed "Please don’t listen to the production at all”. Furukawa: I got shiver like "Eh, is that okay?” Certainly, the relationship between two people will parallel in a scene, and I guess that’s okay. Because it will be interesting if the distance gradually decreases. Murase: Yeah. Furukawa: Against Mahmut, it’s too straight! Murase: That’s true (lol). Furukawa: There’s a scene to give it straight (opinion) to the smart people, and I even thought "That’s what Mahmut does!!”. Personally, it’s because it’s close to Mahmut. So, in fact, the scene with Mahmut, I also wanted to throw the ball properly. Murase: I see. It may be more frustrating when you play as Zaganos. Furukawa: Because I’m the man on Mahmut’s side. So, I was relieved when you said that "Zaganos has persuasive power” earlier. Murase: I guess it’s more like Zaganos. I will cut it like a slap if I’m not interested. Furukawa: The mind and the role are the opposite! Murase: It’s interesting, huh.

Does it mean that Murase-san feels like Mahmut or Furukawa-san feels like Zaganos?

Murase: Yes, he does. Furukawa-kun’s seriousness is passed through the core, that it looks very much as Zaganos. Being skeptical is just a big front. When Furukawa-kun states "Is this okay?” is very Zaganos-like. Furukawa: No, it’s because I was in "Zaganos filter”……! Murase: Eh, really? Then the real person said it himself, it was a filter (lol). Furukawa: That’s how it really is…… But if you look closely, Mahmut is not the type of protagonist will have a lot of friends. I think that sort of thing is similar to Murase-san. With Murase-san, the communication is really smooth, like when I talk about Polo (shirts) he casually picks up (what I’m talking about). It made me really grateful. By deepening our bonds, I think that Mahmut will improve to his works for wearing a charismatic and natural communication skill/ability. Murase: I said this myself, but even though I didn’t do anything from my childhood, my friends have increased randomly. I try not to think about it, but it will make you think. Furukawa: I’m envious to Zaganos!! Murase: Even so, you sure do noticed that. It’s surprising! If it’s like this, I want you to praise me more like this. Hey, are you a manager? ……wait, the manager is not here! At a time like this (lol)! Furukawa: Let’s read this interview and praise it. Murase: It will be cut roughly. "Murase isn’t like that” (lol).

I hope I won’t cut it (lol). Well, what kind of story you two talk about in dubbing?

Murase: Recently, we were together at the stage for "THE IDOLM@STER Side M”. I sent a one-sided love call, "That was good!”, because I love Furukawa-kun’s performance. Furukawa: It's not one-sided! I also like Murase-san’s performance, I love it! Murase: Thanks! The distance has shrunk because of the relationship where we can talk comfortably, that’s why I’m very thankful to have this role. Furukawa: That’s true. Also, since both of us are originally a fan, we will talk about the story as well. Like I’ll talk passionately about "This directing of the original is really cool” or "my hand won’t stop turning the pages” and Murase-san will agree with me. Although it’s fun to talk to Murase-san, once the "AT field’ is fully open, I have to put out an aura to talk with him……. It’s frustrating when I switch (means they need to focus on their work mode).

Although as an original fan, what do you think about the charm of the work that you feel again when you act?

Murase: I read the original and received the theme of "How can a boy become an adult?”. Some people said there’s a message that the boy gets intelligent and smart through various experiences. It made me wonder how to make it by voice, but since MAPPA-san’s visuals is so beautiful that I can get on with the world view. Then, the generation between Ogata (Kenichi)-san and other veteran people is very human. Even though it’s a fantasy, it’s fresh. There are a lot of newly discovered charms through dubbing. Furukawa: Although I got a word that it’s fresh, I think that it’s a work that secretly shows the charm that can be shown like a historical fact that was really fiction even though it is fiction. From the international situation to the enemy’s setting, it was a tremendously thought-out original. In the animation, for example, using the original language of the story named Araba, we’re setting out an atmosphere of exchanges and devising it. Also as a fan, I’m very happy that I can do different ways of enjoying "Altair” by visualizing it!

By the way, Mahmut has a golden eagle called Iskandar, what about the two of you?

Murase: It’s iPad mini 4. The image quality of the camera is good, LINE can also do research with eating logs, and also playing app games! Furukawa: It looks comfortable on a big screen. Murase: I have a smartphone too, but I just use it to receive calls from work. Furukawa: As for me, I’m still into smartphone after all. You can check the script data first, because it’s convenient. I also bought the original of "Altair” at Kindle and I’m reading it on a smartphone. Ah, I’d like to emphasize this, but when I’m on the worksite where you see me with a smartphone, I’m checking the original (the series), I’m not playing a game, I wanted to make it clear…… I’m so relieved to say that (lol). Murase: You don’t need to worry about that, it’s okay (lol).

Anyway, please tell us the last highlight of your role.

Murase: Mahmut has a strong expression of anguish. I’m also gaining power when I play as him, like when everyone draws a painting with a brush is exciting. I’m conscious of my acting so I try not to feel ashamed with a beautiful movement for a beautiful Mahmut, so please look forward to it! Furukawa: Zaganos is really a hard character to understand in one word. It’s difficult to read from the original, so when Katou (Kotono)-sensei, the original author, was at the recording site, when I heard "How do you feel about Zaganos?”, I thought that he’s delicate and difficult. Therefore, it’s nothing different to Zaganos from the manga, rather, it’s what do we think of Zaganos from the manga can be easier to understand by voice. Also, please pay attention to the relationship with Mahmut!

★YAY!! I translated Ayumu and Makonyan’s special interview from kiki-voice since I’m really looking forward to shoukoku no altair anime m(_ _)m I hope you guys enjoy it and if you did, I hope you guys could leave a donation as I try my best to translate seiyuu interviews from now on 〆(・∀・＠)

[ashitomarisu]

What Do Some of These Supporting Characters Have to Do with Other Anime?

Please focus your attention on this character:

According to HxH Wiki, her name is Canary (why the fuck did the subs not mention that??) Personally, this is the best designed character so far in the series. Anyways, I have to explain something interesting.

[Reminder: Canary is an apprentice butler who would attack if any intruder tried to bypass her.]

Moonies know the creator of HxH is married to Naoko Takeuchi. When you see Canary, who from Sailor Moon does it remind you of?

OF COURSE. It’s obvious.

((Jovi: Master, you are not gonna do what I think you’re gonna do. Right?))

Since this is gonna be a circle, the link would continue into Precure.

((Hainoki: Oh GOD NO. CALL THIS OFF BEFORE YOU CAUSE TUMBLR TO CRASH FROM YOUR STUPID SEIYUU CONNECTIONS!))

Thus, to be brief, there is a seiyuu connection through Pluto...

..and I know it seems I don’t stress this enough but for the sake of educating those who have never seen SM, Precure, or pay attention to seiyuus as much as I do, have some respect.

Yes, I mean the fact that AiM is the link here.

You’re lucky this is where it goes right back to HxH. How?

Mariya Ise. The seiyuu behind the aspiring young idol also provides the voice of Killua. (I really underestimated her abilities as soon as he appeared in HxH.)

(OMFG. THIS EXISTS?! HOLY SHIT THIS IS SOOO CUTE AND HILARIOUS AT THE SAME TIME!! XD) SEE WHAT I DID THERE? A circle.

From a character in HxH who seems like a slight homage to an Outer Senshi to a seiyuu connection in another magical girl series, whom is friends with another magical girl with the same seiyuu as another HxH character. BOOM, but I’m not done yet.

I want to discuss another possible SM homage found in Killua’s family.

So, this is Kalluto, whom I’ve been recently introduced in the Zoldyck Family Arc. [Wait, this is a guy?!]

Initially thinking this person has that Hotaru feeling. The appearance is similar, except for the outfit, obviously.

Although, whether Naoko did have more involvement in the development of HunterxHunter can only be proven by extensive research and the fandom itself. Since starting a few days ago, there could already be another post proving something I might have thought. Who knows...

For now, I hope this sheds some new perspective for the highly curious. Maybe more SM references will appear later on. Until tomorrow, hope everyone has a safe Memorial Day!

[entergamingxp]

Muv-Luv Expo: The Summer of (Muv) Luv: All The Announcements

July 3, 2020 6:47 PM EST

Muv-Luv photonmelodies, Unlimited The Day After Episode 04, Project Mikhail, Project Immortal, Alternative anime, and more.

Avex and aNCHOR held the Muv-Luv Expo: The Summer of (Muv) Luv event on July 1, revealing multiple new details on Muv-Luv games and projects. It was the biggest Muv-Luv event since the âge 20th anniversary event in October 2019, where Muv-Luv Integrate was announced. Interestingly, one of the biggest shockers about the event wasn’t the new info in itself but the fact aNCHOR took the effort to fully translate the stream, including all the information and slides, in English. Usually, Japanese companies or events at most only do an English version of their stream, with commentators translating bits of info live. Here, Every Little Thing was translated. As such, my role to play is pretty limited compared to my usual summaries of Japanese streams, which are timelier and detailed.

If you’re really into Muv-Luv, watch the whole stream yourself. It’ll definitely be worthwhile. And if you can understand some Japanese, I’d also redirect you to Yoshimune Kouki’s weekly streams. Which I’m not paid enough to cover each week. Anyway, here’s a roundup of everything revealed at Muv-Luv Expo.

Muv-Luv photonmelodies Launches July 30 in English On Steam

Muv-Luv photonmelodies was one of the games promised by the huge Muv-Luv Kickstarter in 2015 (over 1 million dollars) that aimed to bring the original trilogy and its related games to the west, in an official manner. Now, it finally got a release date, launching July 30 for 29.99$. photonmelodies is a fandisc, as in side-stories or sequels of a visual-novel specifically made for the fans.

There are three stories in photonmelodies: A Shimmering Shard of Spacetime, which is the official Muv-Luv Alternative epilogue depicting the end of protagonist Takeru’s journey. Adoration, which depicts Europe trying to resist the BETA, and Resurrection, a story about a certain character spy infiltrating a Japanese base.

Muv-Luv Unlimited: The Day After Announced in English For 2020 Release, New Artwork for TDA Episode 4

Muv-Luv Unlimited: The Day After will be published officially in English in 2020.

In Japan, the Muv-Luv Unlimited: The Day After is a series of multiple games, included inside the Muv-Luv Alternative Chronicles releases since 2010. The latest game, Muv-Luv Unlimited: The Day After Episode 03, is included in Muv-Luv Alternative Chronicles Vol.4, released in 2013 in Japan. The next game, Muv-Luv Unlimited: The Day After Episode 04, is currently in development, and will launch in English at around the same time as in Japan.

Muv-Luv Unlimited: The Day After takes place in the Unlimited timeline, after Muv-Luv Unlimited.

New artwork for Muv-Luv Unlimited: The Day After Episode 04 were revealed on stream. Yoshimune Kouki commented each one of them starting the 1:16:00 mark. Though he also said he can’t comment too much, to avoid spoilers.

Muv-Luv Expo: New Details on Project Mikhail (Tentative Title)

Muv-Luv Project Mikhail was first announced at the âge20th Anniversary broadcast [still breathing] event in October 2019. (âge is aNCHOR’s original name). It’s an online multiplayer action game coming 2021 worldwide on PC via Steam, iOS, and Android. The game was previously described as “Muv-Luv Armored Core“. It most notably won’t be free-to-play and won’t feature a gacha system but have something similar to a subscription. At Muv-Luv Expo, we learned new details on the game’s story and gameplay.

The game’s first trailer, revealed in May 2020, stated how “your decisions guide the world”. We learned at Muv-Luv Expo it literally meant that. Players in Project Mikhail all share the same world, and each person’s actions will affect everyone else’ experience. This will allow the game’s story to depict new possibilities not seen in any Muv-Luv timeline so far. Such as changing the events of the coup d’état arc. This is pretty interesting, as Project Mikhail might be the perfect simulator for veteran Muv-Luv fans arguing for over 15 years on what plans and what choices would be better.

Players will also be able to fully customize their TSFs.

Lastly, pre-alpha gameplay footage of Project Mikhail was shown on stream at the 29:10 mark. Note that while the gameplay runs on mobile, the game is primarily developed for PC.

Muv-Luv Expo: New Details on Project Immortal (Tentative Title)

Muv-Luv Project Immortal is a free-to-play Action RPG with Strategy elements, coming to IOS, Android, PC, in 2021. Project Immortal also got a trailer in May 2020, which most notably jokes about how the game will stay playable offline even if it shuts down, a typical Cookie self-jab referencing Muv-Luv Alternative Strike Frontier which shut down in 2018. The mobile market in Japan is ruthless and saturated, many games end up closing down each year, sometimes only a few months after launch. It’s a nightmare for the artists and developers who put in ton of hard work, and the fans loose the game’s content forever.

We learned on the stream Project Immortal might be coming to consoles as well, and the development team hopes it’ll be possible. The game will have TSFs customization, a Story Mode, PvP, Coop, Random stages, and more.

Muv-Luv Alternative Anime Adaptation Project is Going Smoothly

A rough design for the Takemikazuchi in the upcoming Muv-Luv Alternative anime adaptation was revealed for the first time at Muv-Luv Expo. The project is going well. The trailer above was published in May 2020.

Muv-Luv Alternative Manga Will Be Officially Available in English This July

This is self-explanatory.

New Digital Artbook: âge Graphicers Artbook Now Available on Booth

Muv-Luv Expo Summer of (Muv) Luv: Q&A Corner

The second half of the stream was a lengthy discussion and Q&A corner. Starting the 1:20:00 mark. The staff answered questions from fans. The staff who answered were Muv-Luv original author Yoshimune Kouki, Muv-Luv General Producer tororo (Kazutoshi Matsumura), Project Mikhail Director Hitoshi Kumano, and Project Immortal developer Kitakuou.

tororo said besides Project Mikhail, Project Immortal, The Day After Episode 4, and Muv-Luv Integrate, aNCHOR is currently working on 2-3 unannounced projects.

Yoshimune Kouki would like to do The Day After Episode 04 short side stories on Marimo and Ikaruga, Takeru and Meiya. He already thought up stories for these, but The Day After focuses on the two brand new characters it introduces, Hibiki and Yuzuka. So he’s not sure he’ll be able to do it. TDA can’t focus on what every single character does.

Hitoshi Kumano: Players will be able to color-customize dropped TSF parts in Project Mikhail. They’re also considering a function to display your own squad emblem on parts.

Hitoshi Kumano: Project Mikhail will not be fully-voiced, that may seem like a downside but at least this way new scenario updates won’t have to wait for the availability of the seiyuu, and they’ll add more and more scenario.

Hitoshi Kumano: Project Mikhail won’t have romance related game systems, but it’ll be similar to that if you for example keep picking the choices that’ll please a certain girl, raising her trust levels.

The Project Immortal team didn’t think yet of whether to add romance elements or not.

Hitoshi Kumano: In Project Mikhail, which NPC you decide to help and the choices you make can be picked before each mission and won’t affect the parts and rewards you get. That way there won’t be certain choices or NPCs that are more advantageous than others gameplay wise.

Yoshimune Kouki was asked “which is the strongest TSF besides Susanoo”. He answered if you take into account every Muv-Luv material released so far, it’ll be the Hinokagutsuchi in Ayu-Mayu Alternative and coming second would be the F-47 Ishkur. The event MC added how at the end of the day each TSF is made for a different situation, so it’ll ultimately depend of the mission.

That’s everything. Thanks for reading. We’ve got tons of Muv-Luv things to look forward to in 2020 and 2021. I personally never thought the series would be localized regularly like this when I first heard of it over ten years ago. As a side note, âge is also working on a Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien reboot, which I’m personally looking forward to as well.

July 3, 2020 6:47 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/07/muv-luv-expo-the-summer-of-muv-luv-all-the-announcements/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=muv-luv-expo-the-summer-of-muv-luv-all-the-announcements