The Great Unwashed Anime: November
Paul •
Despite the large number of anime series being released in the UK every month, there are still many shows that are yet to even see a stateside release. “The Great Unwashed Anime” is a chance for our team of anime addicts to give you a taster of some of the series that are currently restricted to Japanese shores; from the latest and greatest anime to the overlooked and forgotten, this unlicensed anime spotlight should whet the appetite of any curious anime fans.
Anime title: Guyver: The Bioboosted Armour
Genre: Horror, Science Fiction, Action
Preview by: Stuart Bullen
What’s the Story?
Sho Fukumachi is your average teenager – spots, homework and his ailing love life being the chief of his worries, well until he stumbles a piece of archaic alien technology that is. This so called ‘Guyver Unit’ bonds with Sho’s body, turning the humble teen into The Guyver, a slimy bio mechanoid that possesses powers far beyond that of the average human being. Unfortunately Sho’s newfound powers attract some unwanted attention, and before long he is embroiled in a bitter conflict with the evil Cronos, an ancient organization hell bent on world domination. As the series wears on and his battle with Cronos intensifies, Sho will discover the true nature of the Guyver, the human race and life itself, taking his place alongside a frightening prophecy that could change humanity’s destiny forever.
What makes it worth watching?
Battling bio-morphing monsters and bloodshed, that’s what the Guyver has always done best and this recent re-tooling from veteran production studio, Oriental Light and Magic (Berserk, Gunsmith Cats) doesn’t disappoint. Sure it doesn’t quite scale the same dizzying heights of sickness the Original OVAs did, but thanks to some updated production techniques, a handful of inspired directorial touches – the deliciously handled ‘Mega Smasher’ duel in episode 3 springs immediately to mind -and a welcome artistic overhaul, this iteration outshines its forebear on almost every level.
Story-wise this will also be something of a treat for Guyver fans burnt by the original series’ half assed conclusion, and Oriental Light and Magic have gone to great lengths to bring this ‘re-imagining’ more into line with Yoshiki Takaya‘s original vision. As a result this series feels a lot better paced than its predecessor, the added scenes of exposition and character development sitting snugly alongside the familiar monster fuelled action. And with the appearance of the uber-cool, Guyver Gigantic and the twelve Zoalords still to come, there’s every chance this series will go above and beyond even my lofty expectations.
If you’re in the mood for an offbeat tale of bio-morphing super heroes and transmuting monsters all topped off with a sprinkling of Cronenberg-esque body horror, you can’t go wrong with Guyver: The Bioboosted Armour’s farrago of gore, action and melodrama. Newbies will lap up the updated visuals, while Guyver vets will relish the opportunity to discover what lies beyond the end of original OVA. Now, if only Viz would get around to releasing the rest of the manga I could die a happy man.
Anime title: Meine Liebe
Genre: Drama
Preview by: Jo Sarsam
What’s the Story?
In the country of Kuchen (a fictional island off the coast of Europe), the top graduates from the elite and prestigious Rosenstolz Academy go on to become members of the Strahl, a body of political advisors to the king. Meine Liebe follows the lives of five Strahl candidates attending the academy in 1935- Orphe, a compassionate idealist; Eduard, his loyal best friend; Naoji, a talented yet modest student from Japan; Camus, a shy young man with a penchant for chatting with flowers and last but not least, the ambitious and talented Ludwig.
What makes it worth watching?
Meine Liebe is a story of two halves; whilst the first six episodes each showcase a different member of the cast, the second half of the series focuses more on the day to day events of the academy, mixed in with an ongoing storyline about a conspiracy against the throne that culminates in the last three episodes.
As you might expect from a series based on a dating sim, there are bishounen aplenty, and such a male dominated main cast means there are more than a few shounen-ai undercurrents woven throughout the series. Rest assured, though, it isn’t all about meaningful glances and ambiguous phrases- the historical setting has been exploited to its fullest. With tales of everything from bastard sons to the aforementioned conspiracy, there should be enough emotional depth, not to mention political machinations, to satisfy even the most demanding of viewers.
As with most Bee Train series, the animation is hard to fault, whilst the predominantly classical style soundtrack complements the series perfectly. In fact, Meine Liebe’s main flaw is that thirteen episodes is just far too short a time to spend exploring the characters and setting- but fortunately with rumours of a second series starting in January, we may not have to wait too long to see more.
Anime title: Macross Zero
Genre: Giant Robots, Sci-Fi
Preview by: Martin Butler
What’s the Story?
The latest addition to the Macross franchise, M0 is set one year before the Zentraedian invasion, when the people of Earth are still at war. During a battle between the United Nations and rebel forces, UN pilot Shin Kudo and his F14 are shot down by a mysterious new fighter plane and he finds himself marooned on the nearby tropical island of Mayan. Things suddenly become more complicated when the island’s people are caught in the crossfire of the war, and there is something strange lurking in the jungle that could define the outcome of the conflict.
What makes it worth watching?
Firstly, there are the classic transforming mecha/fighter planes that Macross aficionados know and love! Right from the opening scene, the CGI-laden combat scenes will have any mecha fan’s eyes watering: if you were impressed with those of the excellent Macross Plus, you are in for a pleasant surprise here! The creators have made good use of the latest available graphical technology, and the blend of an isolated culture’s folklore with the undiscovered alien technology theme of the original Macross makes for an interesting story that is a worthy addition to the Macross saga. Of course there is the token troubled romance and strong anti-war message, but the only real flaws are the lack of a Yoko Kanno soundtrack (the music used is pretty good all the same) and the fact that the five episodes are scarcely enough to explore all of the issues that are raised during its running time.
If you are a fan of well-animated mecha and sci-fi related anime, this is worth looking into – die-hard Macross fans will also be pleased to see some insight into the background of Roy Focker’s character that was not explored to the same degree in the original series. Obviously with it being a prequel we all know (roughly) what happens next, but there is still an interesting story on offer if the mecha battles aren’t your thing.
Anime title: Rozen Maiden
Genre: Supernatural, Drama
Prevew by: James Seys-Llewellyn
What’s the story?
The lead, although perhaps not the central focus, is the young recluse Sakurada Jun, a sure-fire otaku in the making who has withdrawn from the outside world because of the stress and anxieties of life. A bizarre series of online events leads to the discovery of an ornate doll, which, in true anime fashion, comes to life.
Enter Shinku, a finely dressed “Rozen Maiden” doll with a past as well as a huge ego. Through some even more bizarre events, Jun becomes her “medium,” or, as Shinku puts it, servant. And so begins the two’s misadventures, which have both doll-based action and more focus on Jun’s life, and how Shinku effects it. More dolls and their owners come into play as the series winds on, creating a dynamic cast, yet the focus is quite clearly on Shinku…or would be, where it not for the diabolical flawed doll Suigintou, who later in the show appears to create one of the most deranged villains ever created in anime, a construct that burns with rage, jealousy and sheer malice for those who, unlike her, are pristine.
What makes it worth watching?
Looking at Rozen Maiden from a distance, it’s not hard to imagine it as some sort of doll-fetish harem anime or an adventure of child’s fancy. The character designs portray a cutesy, if elaborately stylised, world, perhaps torn out of a romanticised version of a French maid’s wardrobe. But this betrays the utter charm that the series has to offer, as well as the originality.
Rozen Maiden a pleasantly surprising series with some innovative features. At the heart of it all is Jun, and how events affect him. He’s an interesting character, despite how often the more eccentric and sometimes forceful dolls take all the attention. Throughout the series he grows and matures, so that by the end he’s a subtly altered person. Other aspects, such as the action and comedy, are not revolutionary, but serve well in the context of the series. All in all, a worthy series with enough appeal to satisfy fans of any genre.
Anime title: Mai Otome
Genre: Fantasy, Magical Girl
Preview by: Michelle Howarth
What’s the Story?
Arika Yumemiya is in search of her mother who she has been told was an Otome. Otome are powerful female warriors with magical abilities. Dragging her way across to a vast desert to the kingdom of Windbloom, Arika heads for Garderobe an academy where the Otome train. A quick string of events lead her to be caught up in an plot to harm Mashiro Windbloom (the princess of the kingdom) and Arika finds herself in danger too. Several Otome battle to put an end to the evil that has appeared, and upon seeing their abilities Arika decides she herself will train to be one.
What makes it worth watching?
Being an alternate universe version of the anime Mai Hime, Mai Otome could well be accused of existing purely to milk the franchise further without actually being any good. However Otome fortunately manages to be a highly entertaining series in itself.
Fans of Hime will be pleased to know that many of the characters from the original series have returned with similar personalities albeit in completely different setting. Key lead characters in Mai Otome such as Arika and Nina merely had cameo’s in the original series so thus develop as entirely new characters. This gives the series an air of originality as it adds new cast members too. The cast both new and old are one of the main strengths of the series with many interesting and likeable personalities developing quickly.
Mai Otome blends together a good mix of “magical girl” style abilities and transformation sequences with explosive action and gloriously timed fight sequences. While this isn’t exactly unique Mai Otome manages to do this with style and panache. Comedy is also very prevalant in the series, and there is some genuinely hilarious moments to be found within. Behind all the action and comedy there is also what seems to be a rather elaborate and serious plot looming too. Wrapping things off is also a great soundtrack by the famous Yuki Kajiura that fits the series perfectly. With so many aspects to recommend it is a show that can appeal to just about anybody.
Anime title: Kaikan Phrase
Genre: Drama, Music
Preview by: Caireen Leach
What’s the Story?
The road to fame and fortune is a long and hard road to follow, but Santa isn’t one to give up easily. He’s on the look-out for new band members; enter Towa a visual kei guitarist, Yuki the heir to a Noh theatre, Atsuro the sweet 16 bassist and Sakuya the sexy, angst filled vocalist. Together they form the hottest new band Japan’s indie scene has ever seen – Lucifer. Their journey to fame is fraught with obstacles and personal issues, but they’re not about to let simple issues like having nowhere to perform, or crazy record producers trying to split them up, effect them.
What makes it worth watching?
I’ll be the first one to admit that what this anime offers the viewer is a gorge-fest of eye-candy. This is pure fluff and at times, a little cheesy, but who isn’t entitled to sit back and enjoy something purely for the pleasure of hours of eye-candy, mixed with a blend of some of the best JPop to ever come out of an anime!
You can’t help but fall in love with each and every member of Lucifer. Sakuya is so damned sexy and Yuki dancing in the Noh theatre is a sight for sore eyes, but that isn’t all this anime has to offer. You get an insight into the indie band scene, which is quite fascinating at times, plus there’s plenty of heart-ache, jealousy, intrigue and even a smidgen of romance.
So sit back and enjoy everything Kaikan Phrase has to offer – you’ll be singing Datenshi Blue for weeks after!
