Subaru + Gainax producing a new anime?

[chaos]

Carmaker Subaru and Gainax joined forces to produce a new anime. So far, the only details released were the name of the main creators, as well as a less than revealing image from it.
Shouji Saeki - director (Gurren Laggan, Mahoromatic, This ugly yet beautiful world)
Daisuke Kikuchi - concept designer (?)
Mai Otsuka - character designer (Air, Souleater, LE Chevalier D'eon)
Will this be another Freedom or will this be an Initial D?

 

[Professor Irony]

I'm calling it right now - Strike Witches with rally cars.

 

[Professor Irony]

Just spotted this on Jtor.

Subaru Witches.

 

[ayase]

...

I'm going to go to sleep for a little while now. Wake me in a better future where series' about schoolkids / cute young girls has dropped below 5% of all anime output.

I expect I'll be in for a long wait.

 

[Reaper gI]

Which car manufacture was it that colaberated in the GiTS:SAC TV movie.
Was providing (concept) car designs then.
Vehicle concept designs by a real vehicle designer, would be the sensible crossover.

...

I'm going to go to sleep for a little while now. Wake me in a better future where series' about schoolkids / cute young girls has dropped below 5% of all anime output.

I expect I'll be in for a long wait.

You want anime to die completely
Kids shows will contain kids, even if otaku anime does drop the bishoujo, bishounen anime seems to be taking off so might go down a bit.

Also this is Gainax, I beleive a recentish ANN interview said they don't want to bother with moe shows. They'd rather do their own thing.

Also aren't they supposed to be doing this http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-06-03/yamaga/new-gainax-work-to-be-based-on-novel

 

[ayase]

You want anime to die completely

In it's current form, I'd say I probably do, yes. To then rise triumphantly from the ashes of moe, cuteness and school uniforms in a more adult form. Don't get me wrong, I love animation and want it to prosper, but it just seems to be degenerating into... I dunno, all the same ****, is that the right phrase? I only have to look at the sillhouettes of the character designs to know I won't like this. Anime needs more originality, and one area it desperately needs it is character designs and archetypes.

 

[Jaymii]

In it's current form, I'd say I probably do, yes. To then rise triumphantly from the ashes of moe, cuteness and school uniforms in a more adult form. Don't get me wrong, I love animation and want it to prosper, but it just seems to be degenerating into... I dunno, all the same ****, is that the right phrase? I only have to look at the sillhouettes of the character designs to know I won't like this. Anime needs more originality, and one area it desperately needs it is character designs and archetypes.

I agree, absolutely, but I can't help see some hypocrisy there. Because I see it as not so much originality we want, because we'd love it if everything looked like Fist of the North Star (i.e. "adult" even if its sometimes a shonen). Or would we? Is this simply a case of there being too much of one thing?

There's definitely a point I'm trying to make here... :/

 

[ilmaestro]

I think the point you're trying to make is that so much more anime has been made over the last decade compared to before, that ayase just can't be bothered to search through and find all the amazing shows that are still there.

(OK, that's my point, not yours, but still)

 

[Magnius]

...

I'm going to go to sleep for a little while now. Wake me in a better future where series' about schoolkids / cute young girls has dropped below 5% of all anime output.

I expect I'll be in for a long wait.

Heaven forbid shows actually feature people around the same age as their target demographic.

You want anime to die completely

In it's current form, I'd say I probably do, yes. To then rise triumphantly from the ashes of moe, cuteness and school uniforms in a more adult form. Don't get me wrong, I love animation and want it to prosper, but it just seems to be degenerating into... I dunno, all the same ****, is that the right phrase? I only have to look at the sillhouettes of the character designs to know I won't like this. Anime needs more originality, and one area it desperately needs it is character designs and archetypes.

The bold part is pretty funny because it's actually doing exactly what people accuse moe fans of, judging a series based on appearances.

 

[ayase]

I get both points. I don't know how to describe yours either Jayme, other than maybe that "too much of a good thing would make it just as generic"? I'm sure there are still some diamonds amongst all the coal, but I dunno... I guess they're just not my kind of diamonds.

When I look back at all the series' I've really enjoyed (even if they weren't particularly deep or were just mindless entertainment) the vast majority of them seem to have been made over 15 years ago. A lot of it is style and design work to be sure, but there does seem to be an increasing drive towards particular stories, settings and character types (female characters, especially) which hold no appeal for me at all.

Apologies for the derailing but when I saw the topic and entered, curious, only to be faced with that picture... They're wearing m*th*rf*ck*ng bloomers. Their hair is the only thing distinguishing four of them from one another. I just wanted to scream (again) "What the hell happened to women in anime!?" An overreaction perhaps, but it's one thing which really gets to me.

Heaven forbid shows actually feature people around the same age as their target demographic.

Oh, like I give a ****. I want what I want, not what anyone else wants. Screw everyone else.

 

[Professor Irony]

Heaven forbid shows actually feature people around the same age as their target demographic.

In fairness, most of the moe shows that feature schoolgirls are not aimed at a school age audience.

The bold part is pretty funny because it's actually doing exactly what people accuse moe fans of, judging a series based on appearances.

I don't really get where you're coming from. As I understand it, the moe audience is usually accused of being interested in certain character archetypes as much as appearances. That is to say, you could have a show about cutesy characters without it necessarily being 'moe'.

 

[Rui]

I have an overpowering urge to doodle over the generic-looking silhouettes and produce ridiculous characters so mystifyingly awesome that ayase faints.

Unfortunately, my graphics tablet is being used by Mr Rui today.

R

 

[Jaymii]

I get both points. I don't know how to describe yours either Jayme, other than maybe that "too much of a good thing would make it just as generic"? I'm sure there are still some diamonds amongst all the coal, but I dunno... I guess they're just not my kind of diamonds.

Okay, I'll have another go: You want "adult" shows and the complete disappearance of anything other, which makes the adult shows "all the same ****". You go onto say that current anime needs more originality, referring to the current archetypes, for example; the popular big-breasted 10 year old schoolgirl who stumbles over her own words and has zero self-esteem. That character has been done to death. With more "adult" shows, that would be replaced by another archetype that would be endlessly used due to the businessmen seeing the popularity. I just your use of the word "originality" to be clashing against all your other points. Since, nothing is original if done to death. And nothing is original anyway.

I think what we need is some variety as opposed to things going away.

Sorry for being so awkward and not having a real defined point when picking up on your post, but it just rubbed me the wrong way.

 

[Magnius]

Oh, like I give a ****. I want what I want, not what anyone else wants. Screw everyone else.

Well isn't that thoughtful of you.

In fairness, most of the moe shows that feature schoolgirls are not aimed at a school age audience.

Actually, much like over here, anime in Japan is still seen as a kids thing. Sure there's a bunch of "creepy otaku" types that are a bit fanatical about some shows but the majority of watchers are still young.

I don't really get where you're coming from. As I understand it, the moe audience is usually accused of being interested in certain character archetypes as much as appearances. That is to say, you could have a show about cutesy characters without it necessarily being 'moe'.

Oh I can agree with that but they do take appearances into account quite a fair bit, I didn't mention archtypes in this case because we're talking about sillhouettes here. Either way it's still way too early to judge a show.


In any case I'll stop going off-topic. Going by wikipedia page for the books and manga, this should be a shonen show, I've been keeping tabs on it for a while tbh.

 

[Reaper gI]

Actually, much like over here, anime in Japan is still seen as a kids thing. Sure there's a bunch of "creepy otaku" types that are a bit fanatical about some shows but the majority of watchers are still young.

Yes but they watch a minority of shows (Conan, doraemon, precure, naruto, dragon ball, one piece). Look at what gets high TV ratings.

Like here shows that air hours after the watershed are not amied at kids, most TV anime airs in the midnight- 3AM timeslots. This is what sells DVDs and BDs, not the kids stuff. K-on! aired at 1:40AM on Wednesdays, that's not a timeslot accesable to kids.

The creepy otaku and kids don't watch the same stuff, and more series are made for the latter group. Almost all of what get released here is made for the latter group as well, with the exception of Naruto.

 

[fabio de lunatico]

What the hell happened to women in anime!?" An overreaction perhaps, but it's one thing which really gets to me.

It's not exactly a new show but you should definitely check out Moribito, the first set of which is due out soon. It has one of the strongest, most competent female leads in anime.

You sould also pick up Baccano because it's awesome.

 

[ayase]

@Jayme - Yeah, I think I did get the gist. I maybe didn't summarise it quite as well as I thought I could in a single sentence. It's not that I want the complete disappearance of anything other (I seriously over-dramatise when passionate about something, always take this into account) I just prefer quality over quantity, and what I see happening in the world of anime seems to be the reverse. At least, in terms of what I consider quality (which is of course subjective and entirely selfish).

@fabio - I've had my eye on Moribito and Baccano for a while. Recommendations from one as hard to please as yourself are always worth listening to.

Oh, like I give a ****. I want what I want, not what anyone else wants. Screw everyone else.

Well isn't that thoughtful of you.

Well you don't want what I want, and I don't want what you want. Our needs aren't the same; that's the very nature of conflict for ya. Every one of us wants what we want and isn't really bothered if that results in someone else not getting what they want. We're detached from their sorrow at not getting what they want because we don't feel the same way they do. "No-one ever knows or loves another" as I believe Robert Smith once sang.

/armchair psychology

 

[ilmaestro]

Actually, much like over here, anime in Japan is still seen as a kids thing. Sure there's a bunch of "creepy otaku" types that are a bit fanatical about some shows but the majority of watchers are still young.

This is *so* disingenuous that I'm actually tempted to think that you genuinely don't know what you're talking about. See what Reaper said for a fuller explanation, if you truly need one.