Utawarerumono

Satsuki

This is another of the new anime that's coming out now, and from what I have read/seen it looks awesome.

The setting is aparently feudal Japan with more traditional fantasy elements thrown in, which is A-OK by me! I love ancient Japan and I love good old fantasy, so it's a winning combo.

I've heard that this is yet another anime based on an H game. I can definitely see the gaming elements of it, but thankfully so far there is little to no "H" part at all. They seem to be concentrating more on plot. (whoo hoo!)

Trailer:

Opening:

I LOVE LOVE LOVE that opening. I love the song, and it's got great opening animation. (especially the battle scenes)

Hell, judging by the trailer and opening alone, this on the whole looks like a very promising series.

Malintex_Terek

It does look interesting; the designs harken back to the creators of Shuffle!. From what I can surmise, it looks like there's a masked human guy attempting to settle a feud between demons and gods (who look just like humans but have different ears) and he's dealing with the princesses of both races. Pretty Shuffle!-ish, actually.

Still, I've been disillussioned by Inu-Yasha's degregation and horridly disappointed with the poor execution of fate/stay night, which is probably the most ambitious H-Game adaption to anime yet. If TYPE-MOON couldn't pull off fate…well, I hope this turns out to be a good series. I'm gonna need one soon. >.<;;

Satsuki

Eh, from what I can tell there are two major differnces from Shuffle:

1. No lame high-school antics. It's feudal Japan, a very different setting from the average high school.
2. The main lead is a grown man who (despite having amnesia) is already pretty self-sufficient. Not the usual annoying milquetoast lame high schooler most shows in that ilk have.

Both give Utawarerumono a lot more points from the get-go in my book over Shuffle.

I've also been trying to figure out the title. From what I have learned so far in Japanese Utawareru looks like the passive form of the verb utau. In my vocabulary utau has two meanings, to sing and to declare. So the title either means "That which is sung" or "That which is declared."

Malintex_Terek

@Satsuki:

1. No lame high-school antics. It's feudal Japan, a very different setting from the average high school.

Point taken, but history has shown that a change of setting doesn't necessarily imply an upgrade of quality.

Ranma 1/2 -> InuYasha

@Satsuki:

2. The main lead is a grown man who (despite having amnesia) is already pretty self-sufficient. Not the usual annoying milquetoast lame high schooler most shows in that ilk have.

Heh, too true. Almost all H-Manga seem to envolve High Schools, but isn't the target audience college students? @_@;

Satsuki

That's true, but don't forget that despite being set in the Warring-States period of Japan, Inu-Yasha's main female lead was still a high-schooler. So she brought the high-school antics with her to ancient Japan. There are no high-schoolers in Utawarerumono.

This series looks very badass and awsome. I'll go watch it right now.

The opening also rocked.

Satsuki

Now we just have to see the second episode to see if it's not a first episode fluke like many anime.

Oh, and apparently there is a verb Utawarerumono. From what I can tell then Utawarerumono means something akin to "That which becomes the repute of the world." . . . . . I don't really get it either. Someone with better skills than mine care to try?

Malintex_Terek

What was the first episode about? I hope it can pull me out of this stupor from yesterday's FSN. x.X;

Satsuki

Basic rundown:

Nameless man wakes up after seeing a dream of a monster, but all he sees are its teeth and eyes. When he wakes up he finds a girl (with dog ears and a tail) named Eruru tending him. Apparently she found him injured in the forest and brought him back. He wears a mask that cannot be taken off, for whatever reason.

The next morning he meets Eruru's family, which consists of her, her grandmother, and her little sister Aruru. Apparently their father passed away some time ago, but juding by Eruru and Aruru's reaction, the man bears a resemblance. Aruru doesn't like him for that reason.

The man and Eruru spend the day going about the village (where everybody has animal ears and tails), meeting people and such. Then Eruru's old friend (who's name escapes me) comes by to collect taxes, which have risen. He's being a general ass about it, but when Eruru tries to stop him he tries to take her as he's infatuated with her. The man steps in, and when her friend tries to punch him out, it turns out the man is able to stop his punch easily. Later in anger the old friend destroys a shrine in the forest. dun dun dun!

That night the villagers can hear roaring from the mountain. Apparently the mountain/forest god Mutipika (the tiger in the opening) is angered because of the destroyed shrine. So now the villagers have no choice but to not go out at night. But it looks like Aruru is having a strange reaction to the god's presence . . . .

End episode 1.

Malintex_Terek

So, this masked man looks like Eruru's father, but isn't a demon?

igalsfy

tihs show might be good but i'll give it some time to see where the story is going. this little village is nice by the way.

Satsuki

@Malintex_Terek:

So, this masked man looks like Eruru's father, but isn't a demon?

We don't know if the villagers are demons or not. Everyone seems to take having ears and a tail for granted, when the man (who is named Hakuoro in episode 2) points out her tail Eruru is confused why he's so surprised.

And yes, he doesn't have ears or a tail, so at least in that aspect he's different. But from what we see in the opening, not everybody has animal aspects, so we'll see just what the divisions are.

Buuhan1

I see the frist episode is on youtube but split into 5 min clips and it looks to be subbed in chinese or something.

Any word on a fansub of this..? And rather someone will up it to youtube?

igalsfy

This post is deleted!

Battle Franky

Ok first episode, sort of slow going. Going by the OP whatever that white tiger God is, Aruru will be riding it soon enough. :closedeyes:

So is it only the females who have tails in the village?

igalsfy

@Battle:

So is it only the females who have tails in the village?

i don't know but i sure want a girl with one, seeing how they react when you touch it :biggrin:

Battle Franky

Hah, yeh! That was probably the highlight of the episode. :laugh:

Ms. Suave Debonair

Is it just me, or does the music in the preview sound like the tetris theme music?

Satsuki

No, the males have ears/tails too, it's not just a girl fetish thing.

@Buuhan1:

I see the frist episode is on youtube but split into 5 min clips and it looks to be subbed in chinese or something.

Any word on a fansub of this..? And rather someone will up it to youtube?

Err . . . that's what I watched. My Japanese is good enough so that I understood most of it, but from what I hear there's no fansubber yet.

igalsfy

@Satsuki:

Err . . . that's what I watched. My Japanese is good enough so that I understood most of it, but from what I hear there's no fansubber yet.

there's already a team fansubbing it: yesy

Satsuki

Oh, sweet. Yet another thing to download when I get home.

Duce of Transilvania

I just watched the first two episodes subed by 'yesy' i think it's going to be one of my favorite animes of the year.
As for the lead character is it possible that he's a dragon.

Satsuki

From what we can tell, he might very well be.

I just watched episode 2 on youtube, and wow, I was a little taken aback. Who would have expected villagers to be eaten and for blatant animal violence? (I shed a tear when they had to kill the tiger)

Next episode apparently introduces more of the characters seen in the opening, which is a good thing. Time to spice things up a bit.

Apparently the anime is slated for 26 episodes.

Duce of Transilvania

When i found out it had only 26 episodes i became a little bit concerned.
The opening had tons of characters, how are they going to introduce them, become friends, all that in 26 episodes. And from the opening it is obvious that there is going to be a war.
Well i will just have to watch and see, hope there will be more tail action:happy:

Satsuki

Apparently episode 3 introduces 4 of the characters seen in the opening, so that might answer your question.

igalsfy

i'm less and less confident about this anime. it's still ok but it's too slow to really start. and if future episodes are about dealing with this governor-like, that'll lead us to nowhere again.

what should i do? what should i do? :huh:

Satsuki

Well, apparently episode 4 kicks things into high gear. And introduces another character (the buff guy).

! The fat governor dude is kinda like the catalycst for everything. He bullies the neighbors, ends up killing Eruru and Aruru's grandma, Hakuoro is made the village cheif, Oboro goes to get revenge on the fort where the governor is, gets captures, Hakuoro leads the villages on an attack, take over the fort, Oboro is released by Benuwai (the spear-using guy) for some reason, Hakuoro gets another monster and fire vision, it is now predicted that the Emperor will soon take revenge on the village.
AKA "The war has begun."

Duce of Transilvania

Great episode, lot's of Oboro action and the twins were just like Legolas, infinite arrow's, you just got to love that.
One thing i just noticed in the opening, sometimes i am slow.

But are this things MECHA.

igalsfy

so this anime is about a war to protect the village or what? no journey? no great encounters? then that's it.

/me stops watching it.

Satsuki

Dude, not every series is One Piece. This is an entirely different kettle of fish from One Piece.

It's starting out as protecting a village, but if the opening and the hints are any indication, it's going to escalate into something much bigger.

Episode 5: It looks like Aruru's tiger cub is now full grown . . . .

igalsfy

@Satsuki:

Dude, not every series is One Piece. This is an entirely different kettle of fish from One Piece.

It's starting out as protecting a village, but if the opening and the hints are any indication, it's going to escalate into something much bigger.

Episode 5: It looks like Aruru's tiger cub is now full grown . . . .

dude, it's a 26 episodes serie. if protecting the village leads us to ep, let's say, 10, then what's next will be rushed.

please do not think of me as somebody who thinks every anime has to be like one piece, and don't think i only know shonen either. what i mean is that when you settle a complete new world with a character you don't know anything about, which seems to have a strange past, you don't bother the viewer with 5 first episodes honnestly not very appealing. that is, with nearly nothing happening.

well, time skip would be the solution.

Sorry for the grave digging, but this show really kicks major arse. It's also NOT as generic as some may think; I heard the backstory and was blown away!

In the next episode (twenty), a mech appears, so that should be fair indication that something is going on in this show.

Oh, and I feel bad that ADV licensed it. What a horrible company!

Ruwyn

Not just that ADV licensed it, but that they changed the name to "Shadow Warrior Chronicles" which is laughably generic, especially when the show is anything but that.

I cracked up in episode 18, when Hakuoro's ever-growing harem kidnaps him leaving the rest of the male characters perturbed or frantic. I left Dori and Gura out because no one is sure what gender they are anyways.

@Ruwyn:

Not just that ADV licensed it, but that they changed the name to "Shadow Warrior Chronicles" which is laughably generic, especially when the show is anything but that.

I made a huge roasting of ADV at ANN in protest; man, I hate that company. A LOT.

@Ruwyn:

I cracked up in episode 18, when Hakuoro's ever-growing harem kidnaps him leaving the rest of the male characters perturbed or frantic. I left Dori and Gura out because no one is sure what gender they are anyways.

Dorii and Gura are male.

Not just that ADV licensed it, but that they changed the name to "Shadow Warrior Chronicles" which is laughably generic, especially when the show is anything but that.

Shadow Warrior Chronicles XD? WTF? If they were going to change the name, they could have changed it to what fansubbers translate it as, "The One Being Sung."

Dorii and Gura are male.

At first when watching the series, I thought they were female XD..Now I'm scared XD

Ruwyn

I know that they're male in the game, but they might not be in the anime adaptation. If they are, first off that's disturbing as hell and also that would paint Oboro as totally HG.

@Daisuke:

I thought they were female XD..Now I'm scared XD

!

@Ruwyn:

I know that they're male in the game, but they might not be in the anime adaptation. If they are, first off that's disturbing as hell and also that would paint Oboro as totally HG.

He was drunk.

Ruwyn

How many times have you or anyone else you known, gotten drunk and then slept with two other guys (naked)? It's just silly

And then afterwards…

!

Yeah… :ninja:

They're close. Real close. Close enough to just shrug off incidents like that.

Satsuki

It figures that ADV would license this thing just before I decide to finish downloading it!

I was also going to show this at my college club's anime nights. sigh Oh well. Guess I'll use Simoun instead.

@Satsuki:

It figures that ADV would license this thing just before I decide to finish downloading it!

I was also going to show this at my college club's anime nights. sigh Oh well. Guess I'll use Simoun instead.

Did I mention I hate ADV?

…

Oh, Satsuki, you should watch Higurashi! I've a good mind to post a topic about it soon.

igalsfy

this show keeps being very good, thanks to the interesting storyline, amazing characters and fine animation.

(higurashi is sick, but yes it's good)

Duce of Transilvania

I never thought when this show began, that i will be this bloody. People beeing cut in half, all the slaughter. Man i just love Karura and Touka.
Anyway are those twins male of female, because that episode scared me a little. Although he was drunk, so that could explain everthing.

PS: Was i the only one who hated the laugh of Niwe?

@Duce:

PS: Was i the only one who hated the laugh of Niwe?

All of Yotsuba and half the living world hated that "KYA KA KA KA KA KA KA!!"

Ruwyn

revive

Been watching the last couple episodes subbed and I'm getting an Escaflowne vibe. Though there is a definite lack of

! Isaac Newton (!!)

Did I ever mention that I can't stand Kamyu? I love how they keep on pushing the loli-harem. Aruru is fine, but the rest…well...never really cared. I love how they totally downplayed how

! Kamyu went vampire (!!) on Aruru. My head hurts

igalsfy

i feel like i miss a thousand things for never having played or heard of the game(s?)

i hope they'll manage to explain a lot of things before the end of the series and not rush it too much.

Majek

the only thing i miss from the game (from what i read) are the sex scenes. Man Hakouro banged them all

igalsfy

@Majek:

the only thing i miss from the game (from what i read) are the sex scenes. Man Hakouro banged them all

man, he's got so many hotties around him…

Duce of Transilvania

@Majek:

the only thing i miss from the game (from what i read) are the sex scenes. Man Hakouro banged them all

They are not that interesting, but he does bang'em all, and when i mean all then all!:happy:

Well it seems Hakuoro

! will go into his big monster/demon/god transformation and destroy all those mechs…o sorry i mean Avu-Kamuu

igalsfy

@Duce:

They are not that interesting, but he does bang'em all, and when i mean all then all!:happy:

is the game a galge or what? i thought it was a rpg!