Iwa ni Hana

Interview with Director Furuhashi on the making of Le Chevalier D'Eon

There is a series of interviews with Director Furuhashi on the making of Le Chevalier D'Eon which is full of outspoken insights (or at least more outspoken then the typical PR stuff from staff and cast). The interviews are available in English here:
ttp://www.productionig.com/contents/works_sp/44_/s08_/000794.html

There are a few quotes that I would like to comment on. On the fictional D'Eon de Beaumont transforming into a woman when his sister's soul possesses him:

If you overemphasize unrealistic aspects when you are rendering occult elements, you lose the freakiness. It might work with books, but when you are working with pictures, going too straightforwardly would leave no room for imagination. It would be easy to use it as a format, but at the end of the day it's not very effective. So I thought we had to take a minimalist approach. Just show a little of what would hint at his transformation from a man to a woman, like untying the hair and changing the color of the lips.

I honestly never knew that D'Eon physically changes into a woman until I read about it in this interview. When I watched the anime, I assumed that the body remains male although his voice changes into Lia's voice, and the change of lip colour is just an indication that Lia is 'there'. Now, that's a freakish touch that I completely missed.

Here is another quote on the thin line between the 'imagined' and the 'real' in animation:

In animation, there is no much difference between hallucinations or psychic phenomena. I mean, they look the same because we use drawings in order to render them. For this reason, you must really render well to show the difference between, let's say, something that is actually happening and D'Eon's hallucination. We must always question ourselves on how we can accomplish the difference between hallucination and the reality as we produce an animation.

Let me give you an example. There is a scene where King Louis XV touches D'Eon's lips. I tried to incorporate that sort of bodily touch to make the scene look more real. By the way, that part was drawn by Saburo Mochizuki who did the storyboards. He really did a great job.

Now here is another intentional touch that I was mistaken about. When I saw that scene in which Louis XV touches D'Eon's lips, I assumed that was a homoerotic thing to please BL fangirls... Apparently, the touch was only supposed to be an indication that D'Eon is in reality. Nevertheless, Furuhashi's comment on the 'imagined' and 'real' in animation is spot-on.

An excellent German fandub of 'Le Chevalier D'eon'

Today I learned a new word - fandub. It means a dub made by overseas fans who moonlight as voice-actors in their native language. Here is a German fandub of a section in Le Chevalier D'eon:

Isn't that excellent? I was almost fooled into believing that it were the official German dub or something. And the German voice of D'eon fits the role like a T.

I wish there were a French dub for this show that is nearly as good. I have often wondered what the original Japanese lines would be translated into in French.

Markerting strategies of English anime ads and Japanese anime ads

I just noticed a curious thing about anime ads in English-language press - there are almost always quotations from critics.

Compare and contrast these two ads of Le Chevalier D'eon -

The English ad obviously has a few obligatory quotations from critics (though those critics do not seem to be well-known). The ad also describes the plot in the third person ('Obsessed with her murder. Possessed by her soul').

The Japanese ad, on the other hand, has a first-person voice: 'I shall offer all that I have (私はすべてを捧ぐ).'

Come to think of it, almost all English ads I have seen of anime have without exception quotation from one critic or another. Check out the ad of Howl's Moving Castle on the left.

Japanese ads, by contrast, seem to favour slogans in the first person. Check out the ad of Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo on the right, which says: 'Age of seventeen, just learned how to time leap.'

Granted, this may be accounted for by the fact that Japan has no anime critics as we know it in the English-speaking sphere.

A very interesting contrast this is.

Could this be a manifestation that English-speaking fans tend to objectify the anime-watching experience, whereas Japanese fans tend to subjectify it?

'Overnight' and the artist Aya

(This is not strictly related to anime but...)

I am positively addicted to 'Overnight' sung by Aya, a.k.a. the ED of Le Chevalier D'eon. I have been so ever since Le Chevalier D'eon went on air last autumn, and the addiction persists even after the series has ended in this April. My mp3 player indicates that I have already played it on repeat for 2436 times. My favorite part is actually towards the end of the full version, of which the ED is but a part.

However, it has only occurred to me now to look for other works by Aya. The question is: which Aya? I am not familiar with Jpop but I know there are at least three well-known J-pop singers with the first name 'Aya'.

A search on Google reveals that the Aya of 'Overnight' is in fact a far from widely known independent artist. Here is her official website. I gather that 'Overnight' is a bit of a one-shot wonder. You can listen to the samples of her earlier works at BMG's website, and I have to say that she seems to have a very different style before 'Overnight'.

I am hoping for more great songs from her. In the meantime, I am also looking for songs similar to 'Overnight' (yes, please let me know if you have any suggestions).

The Best Voice Acting in 2006

... has to be Mizuno Risa 水野理紗, who played Lia de Beaumont in Le Chevalier D'eon. I think the wide emotional range of Lia's character is a showcase for Mizuno to display her voice-acting skills, not to mention her magnificent reciting of the Psalms at the end of the first episode - her voice just burns itself into your memory, especially the 'in the name of truth and faith, I shall take my revenge on you (その真実と忠誠の名において、私はお前に報復する)' bit. Here is an audio clip (try Internet Explorer if you have trouble playing it on Firefox):

Other honorable mentions include:

• Sakurai Takahiro in Bakeneko

The flair with which he said 'A-bu-na-i-de-su-yo (危ないですよ)' was quite something. I also like his lines towards the end of Episode 1. Here is an audio clip:

• Nakata Jouji in Getsumen To Heiki Mina

He plays several roles in the show. As we know, he has a very deep, sexy and magnetic voice. If I am not mistaken, I believe his voice went up several octaves at several places in one episode.

• Inoue Marina in Getsumen To Heiki Mina

You have to give her credit if only for the tongue-twisters she has to pronounce in the show.

• Satou Rina in Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto

She has a beautiful voice to begin with. I have played and replayed many times her recitation of lines in the grandiose manner of speech of the kabuki, which is extremely difficult to master, mind you. Here is an audio clip:

• Suwabe Junichi in Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto

He plays opposite Satou Rina in the kabuki plays within the show. Likewise, he has done a wonderful job in speaking in that elaborate manner of speech. Here is an audio clip:

This above is just my personal opinion though. I would love to hear which seiyuu you think did the best voice-acting in 2006.

'Le Chevalier D'eon' and the definition of a good OP

I once heard an insightful definition of a good OP from a Japanese fan: Besides great audio and visual aspects and creative directing, the OP ought to convey to the viewer the sekaikan 世界観 of the story. Sekaikan in this case is not the same as its ordinary meaning of 'world-view' - it means the whole package of time and place settings, relationship between the characters, the overarching themes of the plot, hints towards how the story will unfold and so forth. In other words, you should be able to tell what the story is about without checking the official website for written information (more or less).

Of the shows that aired in 2006, Le Chevalier D'eon seems to have an OP that fits this description to a T. It is packed with enigmatic symbolisms and every footage of the characters tell you sometime essential about their personalities and histories. You can watch the OP here at Stage6. In the meantime, some comments on the actual details:

[Spoilers of the whole series of Le Chevalier D'eon ahead]

1) The OP tell us about the setting, namely 18th century France. When I first saw the frame on the right, I thought to myself: 'Gee, the real Versailles looks drab by comparison.' In a way, that is probably the point of the whole show - it is a Japanese fantasy of Europe. I once heard a theory of how anime allows Japanese creators to 'transcend racial boundaries' - though it is another issue as to how successively they have managed to do so. (For example, there are sometimes stories in a foreign setting featuring characters who are decidedly not Japanese - and yet the characters say tadaima and ittekimasu when they come or leave home, and itadakimasu before they eat.)

2) The premise of the show is spelled out in the first few seconds with the sword penetrating through a falling woman (ie. Lia). Next we see a grieving young man (ie. D'eon). The transition of the frames make it clear that the two are closely related. Indeed they are brother and sister, and the story is set into motion with D'eon trying to find out the truth behind his sister's mysterious death.

3) The Latin phrase that appears on the sword below is Sit Nomen Domini Benedictum, meaning blessed be the name of Lord. So there you have a hint that the Word of God in this show has busting powers. The cross on the sword also says 'NQM,' a Hebrew word meaning 'vengeance' and also 'restoration of the proper order after a period of disruption of harmony' (hat tip to Wikipedia). So there we have a hint of supernatural elements interfering with the coming French Revolution.   

4) Shots of the supporting characters are also instructive as to their roles:

Robin shoots at the royal coat of arms with a gun that says NQM. This foreshadows his change of mind at the end of the series in 'rebranding' the Royal Psalms as the Revolutionary Psalms.

The Dauphin looking cowardly between two portraits of the French king(s) - I cannot see the portraits too clearly to tell which king(s) those are.

The flower D'eon gives to Anna withers gradually against a sumptuous painting of Versailles, signifying that Anna will eventually die there.

Other examples include Teillagory kneeling before a man whom we later know to be the Duke of Orléans, Durand laying a lily flower before the Psalms coffin (signifying his love for Lia), and Maximilien throwing away his sword and holding the Royal Psalms with both hands (signifying his belief that it is not the sword that changes the world, but the written word).

5) Another Latin phrase appears: Novus Ordo Seclorum. The first half is written by Comte de Saint-Germain and the second half is written by Maximilien Robespierre (or should we say 'Maximilien Robespierre I'?). It means 'new order for ages'.

So there you have it. These subtle hints are laid at the very outset of the series and we only see how they all fit together by the end. Nothing is ever wasted - the characters are not making cool poses for the sake of making cool poses. The OP communicates to you what you need to know about the world of Le Cevalier D'eon and it builds up anticipation as to how the mysteries will unravel. Not every anime OP is as thoughtful as that.

I am trying to think of other OPs that fit this definition and the OP of Paprika (see Stage6 here) seems to fall into this category - I probably won't be able to comment on that until I have actually seen Paprika though.

Watching anime in a marathon run: 'Tenpou Ibun Ayakashi Ayashi' and 'Wolf's Rain'

So I did a marathon run of Tenpou Ibun Ayakashi Ayashi 天保異聞 妖奇士 in three consecutive nights, a period drama of philosophical depth which I would have missed if it were not for Anikimeiski-dono's kind tip. The only drawback to the show is the rather unimaginative designs of the youi or monsters, which look as though they have been recycled from a dozen other monster-fighting shounen series. Not that the monsters are there just for show - to quote Anikimeiski-dono: In Bakumatsu Kikansetsu universe, monsters make good people do bad things for them: In Tempo Ibun universe, good people create monsters to do bad things for them. Great characterization, intense pacing and some poignant moments - it's not a show of which you can complain of weak writing at any given point. Story-wise, it was the most mature and intellectually polished show of the fall season of 2006 (more so than even Le Chevalier D'eon by a wide margin).

I said I watched the series over three nights - perhaps I am getting old and my eyes now give up after so many hours. A few years ago, I used to be able to watch a whole series in one go during one all-nighter in the weekend. That was the way I watched Wolf's Rain ウルフズ・レイン. There is something to be said of watching anime in a maranthon run like that. If the anime series sucks you in at all, it really does feel like a long and amazing dream of having been transported to another world (espeically for a fairytale-like series like Wolf's Rain too). To add to that, when you catch up on your sleep, you would probably have one long and amazing dream of your own due to some sort of indigestion in your brain - the characters appear in your dream and various scenes appear in different slants. It really is quite something.

I wonder how other anime fans do their maranthon runs - I favour late night in the weekend and I always do this alone (in fact I would deeply resent company).

Anime to watch out for in the April line-up: 'Seirei no Moribito,' 'Toward the Terra,' 'Darker than Black - Kuro no Keiyakusha,' 'Romeo x Juliet,' 'Heroic Age,' 'Devil May Cry' and 'Coil a Circle of Children'

Seirei no Moribito / 精霊の守り人
Official Website: ttp://www.moribito.com/

I have fairly high hopes for this anime series, which seems to be aimed at a more mature audience. It is the latest work of Kamiyama Kenji 神山健治, the director of Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Production I.G., which I began to notice after Le Chevalier D'Eon シュヴァリエ, is the responsible studio. The gist of the plot is that a 30-year-old female bodyguard is charged with the task of protecting the second prince of a kingdom, who happens to be the bearer of the water fay's egg which appears once every one thousand years. There is something about court intrigues and the story is based on an award-winning work of fiction. And being the fangirl that I am, special attention will be paid to that silver-haired bishounen who is said to be bloody clever. If I have to choose one series to blog about after Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto 幕末機関説 いろはにほへとfinishes, this is the most likely candidate. You can find more useful information about this show here (and thanks for translating all that info, W-dono).

 

Toward the Terra / 地球へ…
Official Website: ttp://terra-e.com/

I have not read the original manga by Takemiya Keiko 竹宮惠子 which is said to be a classic, but then I would probably enjoy the anime series more without spoilers and comparisons with the manga in the back of my mind. My translation of the plot summary from the official website:

The stage is set in the distant future. Humankind has moved to a colony planet in order to revive planet Earth, which is in the process of being destroyed because of environmental pollution. There humankind lives by the orderly management of computers. Meanwhile, there are outcasts called Myou who possess special powers. They escape from the tyrannic eye of the government and as they lay low, they ponder on the meaning of their existence and dream of returning to the Earth. The leader of Myou, Soldier Blue, chooses a young man named Jomy who lives in Atarakeshia to be his successor, and counts on Jomy to make his dream come true. To return to their homeland, the Earth - because of this burning wish, they begin their battle to return to their home planet. 

舞台は、今よりも遥か遠い未来。人類は環境破壊により滅び行く地球を再生させるため、植民惑星へ移住した。コンピュータ管理により整然と生きる人類。その一方で疎まれる、特殊な能力を持つ「ミュウ」という存在。彼らは過酷な弾圧の中で政府の目から逃がれ、息を潜めながらも自分たちの存在意義を考え、そして地球への帰還を夢みていた―。ミュウのリーダー、ソルジャー・ブルーは、アタラクシアに住む少年ジョミーを自分の後継者として選び、夢を託す。故郷・地球へ還る―――その強い想いから、彼らの地球を目指す戦いが始まる。 

Darker than Black - Kuro no Keiyakusha / Darker than BLACK -黒の契約者
Official Website: ttp://www.d-black.net/

Many big names that appeared in Wolf's Rain also appear in Darker than Black. For one thing, Kanno Youko 菅野よう子 is in charge of the music, and the background music that appears in the trailer certainly reminds one of Cowboy Bebop. The plot summary seems to indicate an interesting story packed with symbolism. Below is my translation:

Because of the appearance of 'Hell's Gate', an unknown and supernatural territory, Tokyo has lost its real 'emptiness'*. Also appearing as though they are related are people who are endowed with special powers. The price for their special powers is that they gradually lose their human feelings. They are called 'Keiyakusha', who kill human beings with great calm and are therefore feared by all. Tokyo seems unchanged on the surface. However, because the the mystery of 'Hell's Gate', the spy agencies of many countries are using 'Keiyakusha' and the intelligence warfare is escalating to new heights. The protagonist, Hei, is disguised in Tokyo as Chinese student named Li Shun Sheng. Actually, he is someone endowed with special powers who is involved in the secret battles. He is a fearsome first-class agent who has come to be known as 'The Dark God of Death' on account of his appearance when he executes his inhuman missions. He delivers intelligence to spy agencies, and fights with other Keiyakusha whose powers are beyond his prediction. He meets many a woman with a tragic past, and leaves them behind.** He becomes involved with Section 4 of the police which is charged with investigating incidents caused by 'Keiyakusha'. In the mean time, battles surrounding 'Hell's Gate' intensify.

解析不可能な異常領域「地獄門（ヘルズ・ゲート）」の出現により、本当の“ 空” を失った東京。それと呼応するように現れたのは、特別な能力を身につけた者たちだった。
能力を得る代償として、人間らしい感情が希薄になり、人を殺めることさえ冷徹に行う彼らを、人々は畏怖を込め、「契約者」と呼んだ。

一見いつもと変わらない東京の風景。しかしその裏では、ゲートに秘められた謎をめぐり、各国の諜報機関は「契約者」を利用して熾烈な諜報戦を繰り広げている。

主人公・黒(ヘイ)は、中国人留学生李舜生(リ・シェンシュン)として東京の街にひっそりと溶け込んでいるが、 裏の顔は、暗部の闘いに身を投じる能力者の一人で、その苛烈な任務遂行の姿から、BK201「黒の死神」と呼ばれ畏怖されている、組織の一級エージェントである。

各国諜報機関が送る、予測不可能な能力を持った敵の契約者たちとの闘い。悲しき過去を持つ女達との出会い、そして別れ。 「契約者」による事件を追う公安部外事四課なども絡みあい、「ゲート」を巡る争いは激しさを増してゆく。 

* I am not sure what 空 may refer to. It could mean 'sky' or 'emptiness' or 'space'. It seems to be a special terminology that we will find out in due course in the show itself.

** There doesn't seem to be hints of romantic involvement in the Japanese original per se, but somehow the way we say the same things in English seem to misleadingly suggest so.

Romeo x Juliet / ロミオ×ジュリエット
Official Website: ttp://www.romejuli.jp/

A production of Gonzo based on Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, but it seems that they have modified the plot substantially to comply with certain conventions in anime. Special attention will be paid to a character by the name of Francisco, a skilled archer, learned scholar and general fanservice character. In the anime, Romeo's family has destroyed Juliet's family many years ago and has since then set up a tyranny, which a certain mysterious crusader of justice by the name of 'Red Whirlwind' (赤い旋風) seeks to subvert...

There are many ways this series could go wrong, and Gonzo is known for producing amazing first episodes and let everything slide downhill afterwards. Even if Romeo x Juliet is the spirital successor of Gonzo's masterpiece Gankutsuou 岩窟王, it would seem best not to set the bar too high lest the disappointment should be too great.

Heroic Age / ヒロイック・エイジ
Official Website: ttp://www.starchild.co.jp/special/heroicage/

This is usually not my cup of tea from what I made of the plot summary. But Ubukata Tou 冲方丁 (of Le Chevalier D'Eon シュヴァリエ fame) is the creator of the story. Below is my translation of the plot summary from the official website:

At the call of the 'Golden Race,' many races ventured into space. The human race, which was the last race to venture into space, is called the 'Iron Race'. After many ages the human race, threatened by the stronger 'Silver Race,' is facing extinction. The princess Dianeira, determined to save the human race, sets out to travel to distant space on account of a prophecy from the 'Golden Race' which has been passed down for many generations within the royal family. She meets a young man. The name of the young man is Eiji*. The encounter between the princess and the young man is about to bring about a tremendous change to the universe...

「黄金の種族」の呼びかけに各種族は応え、宇宙への進出を果たした。最後に進出を果たした人類は「鉄の種族」と呼ばれた。その後、遥かな時が流れた時代、人類はより強大な種族である「銀の種族」らの脅威にさらされ、存亡の危機を迎えた。王女ディアネイラは人類存続をかけ、王家に代々伝わる「黄金の種族」からの予言をもとに、遥かなる銀河へ旅立つ。そして、一人の少年と出会った。少年の名はエイジ。王女と少年の出会いが宇宙に大きな運命の変転をもたらしてゆく・・・

* It seems there is a pun in Eiji ('Age'). The title can be read as 'Heroic Age' or 'Heroic Eiji'.

Devil May Cry / デビル　メイ　クライ
Official Website: ttp://dmc-tv.com/

Nothing much is out on this anime series yet, but going by Wikipedia Japan, the original novels and Playstation 2 games seem to have the usual stuff about magic, revenge, demons and so forth. Apparently, 'Devil May Cry' is the name of a convenience store. Judging by the artwork, I am hoping that this isn't a 'me too' anime along the lines of Trinity Blood and Hellsing.  But let's give them the benefit of doubt.

Coil a Circle of Children / 電脳コイル
Official Website: ttp://www.tokuma.jp/coil/

Let's just say that I received a very, very long email about this series from someone whose taste and knowledge in anime production staff I highly respect (you know who you are). The email sets out all the reasons why this anime may be a pleasant surprise, mostly on account of the creative staff involved (Iso Mitsuo 磯光雄 for one). That's how Coil a Circle of Children has made it to my watch-out list.   

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Finally, a note on new anime series to listen for (not watch out for, mind you). By all means, production value is probably so-so for the following shows, but the cast of stellar voice actors should make these shows a pleasure to listen to while one multitasks in other things:

Koutetsu Sangokushi / 鋼鉄三国志
Official Website: ttp://www.koutetsu-sangokushi.jp/file/jsp/index.html

In spite of being based on the Chinese literary masterpiece of war, I have a feeling that this show probably caters to BL fangirls. But the voice actors involved! Koyasu Takehito 子安武人, Ishida Akira 石田彰, Miki Shinichirou 三木眞一郎 and Inoue Kazuhito 井上和彦 - to name but a few.

Saint Beast ~ Kouin Jojishi Tenshi Dan / セイント・ビースト～光陰叙事詩天使譚～
Official Website: ttp://www.saintbeast.com/

The show is most likely crap, but my dear Sakurai Takahiro 櫻井孝弘 is to play a bookish blue-haired bishounen. 

Wellber no Monogatari ~ Sisters of Wellber /ウェルベールの物語～Sisters of Wellber
Official website: ttp://www.avexmovie.jp/lineup/wellber/

This show may or may not turn out to be rubbish, but Namikawa Daisuke 浪川大輔 is to play a blond bishounen bodyguard. So there you go.

Overdrive

Okiayu Ryuutarou 置鮎龍太郎, my favorite seiyuu, is to appear there.