As usual, I will try not to put too many spoilers in this review, but there will be such nonetheless. Read at your own risk!

Kemono no Souja Erin is an anime that not many have watched and it is understandable. There is not a huge franchise of this story, neither is there a computer or a video game. Erin is a character from an old-school novel and the protagonist in a 50-episode series, which came out in the same season as shows such as Hajime no Ippo (new series), Afro Samurai Resurrection, Maria†Holic, Kurokami and Hetalia Axis Powers. Unlucky or just plain wrong – the choice of season was not for a drama-based series for sure. Nonetheless, this same anime managed to get one of the highest scores ion MyAnimeList (8.46) and is favourite by 305 members out of the 4264 who have rated it.

So, to tell you about the Beat Player, about Erin…

Touda – huge lizards that are virtually invincible. Used as a much more aggressive and dangerous horse, they are the weapon which many fear. In a village where touda are being cared for and raised for the battlefield, the bestinarian (beast veterinarian) is one of the mist people, a mysterious tribe that lives secluded and without communicating with the rest of the world. This woman’s name is Soyon and she has a daughter named Erin. Many things lead to drama, codes of honour, rules of the humans and rules of the myst people – everything causes every of Erin’s nightmares to be realised. Starting from seeing her mother die by being eaten alive by the touda, she cared for to nearly losing her life to losing her freedom among other things.

The drama is what makes this show as good as it is. Without it, it would have been childish – a young girl, taking care of beasts and finding love. When you add several deaths, some of which extremely painful and bloody, a royal treason and a conspiracy to overtake the throne, you get a good story that is filled with thought.

The artwork of Kemono no Souja Erin is unqiue. With its rounded faces and basic hairs, it reminds of Naruto and Ghibli while at the same time it has the mystic beasts of Wolf’s Rain. Unlike most of the anime that I have previously reviewed, I have to note that this show is not for the lovers of epic graphics, even though there are moments that will leave a long-lasting impression. This is mainly because it’s made without making use of computer software for the scenes and it’s visible in the sometimes 1D landscapes and lack of movement on the background.

For maybe the first time in ShinigamiList’s history of reviews, I will look at the cast members more seriously. First, the main character Erin is voiced by Nanase Hoshii. She is a known actress, but with only one role that matters in the anime world. Her job is well accomplished and suitable for the par of Erin, not to mention that there is only one seiyuu for the protagonist even though we hear her speak at many different ages from around 5 until her fully grown phase. Probably the second-most important person in the whole series is the antagonist – Duke Damiya. As opposed to Hoshii-chan, his seiyuu is very popular in the anime culture. Akira Ishida is the voice behind Chrono Crusade’s Chrono, Gintama’s Katsura, Gundam’s Athrun Zala, Naruto’s Gaara and many more. His work here, although voicing younger characters currently, is marvellous and suits the Duke perfectly.

The director of this TV anime series is Prince of Tennis’ Takayuki Hamana and he has done a pretty good job with the books. I would have to say that, however, from both him and character designer Takayuki Goto (Appleseed XIII, Ghost in the Shell: SAC) there is more to be asked, especially considering their other works.

One of the most memorable things about Kemono no Souja Erin, apart from the story, is the theme song. Sukima Switch’s ‘Shizuku’ is probably one things that many will recall from this show with a smile. The duo has also worked on Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’s OP ‘Golden Time Lover’ and Uchuu Kyoudai’s OP ‘Eureka’.

You can hear Shizuku at this 3-year-old LIVE session. That’s the only official video available unfortunately.

Apart of the melodies and great story, an everything-but-ordinary artwork and a silly 10-episode remake, which tells the whole plot, this anime is perfectly enjoyable even if none of these seem remarkable to the viewer and this is because it is made well as a whole.

Video: © Office-Augusta.

Images: ©上橋菜穂子・講談社 ／ ＮＨＫ・ＮＥＰ

Kemono no Souja Erin in The List

Official Kemono no Souja Erin Website

Tasogare OtomeXAmnesia began in 2009 and has since inspired an anime adaptation in 2012. The series centres on the story of a Japanese private school and its inhabitant ghost Yuuko.

Tomou Okayama’s Watashi no Ouchi wa Honya-san, on the other hand, is a cheerful story of a 5th grader who has to help her father with his adult bookstore. Serialisation of this manga began in 2010.

Source: MNJ

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Shueisha’s Weekly Shounen Jump came out with the information that author and illustrator Eiichiro Oda is being hospitaised for a peritonsillar abscess (a.k.a. quinsey) This is a type of infection that affects the throat near the tonsil space.

The manga will be on hiatus for 2 weeks, but if the condition is not improved, there might be an additional week of rest for the mangaka. This is the second instance when One Piece has been put on hold this month. Last time was when Oda-sensei announced that he’s been struck with a sudden illness.

Source: Shueisha

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Viz Media have announced that they have acquired the full rights over GoraxGoHand’s K anime. This includes translation, home video, television as well as collectables and other franchise items.VIZanime, the company’s online streaming engine, launched the series simultaneously with its airing in Japan in October 2012.

The story of the show revolves around the seven kings in a world where technology and miracles rule side by side. The seven kings, created by a scientist during the past war and turned into leaders of different group, are also beacons for their followers. One of them, however, is willing to ruin the order in a much different way than just fight for territory, which is the usual between the kings. Yashiro ‘Shiro’ Isana is a young boy and this first season centres on him and his entrance into the world of the seven kings. As he is branded murderer of an important member of HOMRA, the Red King Suoh Mikoto’s group, the young man with amnesia has to fight for not only his comfort, but also for his life.

Many discoveries and events happen in K anime’s first season and it was all appreciated by the many fans all over the world.

Source: VizMedia

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A nearly 10-minute video trailer has been released online. You can see it below.

The video has been shared by AnimeAnime (Thank you!)
In this new trailer, which was released during the Cannes Film Festival, we meet many of the characters of the story including the thief who loved the prince, but her illegal romance brought her only pain – Migaila (Nana Mizuki). The other main character we see is the young Tatta (Ikue Ohtani) – a boy who has the power to communicate with animals. Because the war killed his closest people, he swore vengeance and, although becoming a fine warrior, he lost his special abilities.

The movie is produced by TOEI (One Piece and DragonBall). PreCure’s director Toshiaki Komura takes the directing seat in this film. Reiko Yoshida (DragonBallZ) is writing the screenplay for Buddha 2 while Hideaki Mashida (Gundam, Pokemon) is working on the character design.

The second movie from the 3-part saga will be released in Japan in February next year (2014).
©2014「手塚治虫のブッダ２」製作委員会
Source: AnimeAnime

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The story begins near New Year’s eve of 2200. In a world filled with people who want to feel the greatness of the new year and new century, an acknowledged outlaw – Ragna the Bloodedge a.k.a. “Shinigami” appears at an important city. Everyone knows what he’s up to – the destruction of the current system and the founding of a world of his own. This SS-class rebel with the biggest bounty on his head is also hunter by many. A team of exactly such people, headhunters, is formed to defeat and win against him.

The original game cast members retake their roles for the upcoming TV anime series.

Here they are:

Tomokazu Sugita as Ragna the Bloodedge

Kanako Kondou as Noel Vermillion
Tetsuya Kakihara as Jin Kisaragi
Kana Ueda as Rachel Alucard
Yuuichi Nakamura as Hazama
Chiwa Saito as Taokaka
Chiaki Takahashi as Litchi Faye-Ling
Kenji Nomura as Iron Tager
Asami Imai as Tsubaki Yayoi
Chie Matsuura as Kokonoe
Tomomi Isomura as Makoto Nanaya

On the other hand, many newcomers join the production team. Although the games’ Toshimichi Mori is acting as a supervisor, Gundam 00 and Fullmetal Alchemist’s Seiji Mizushima is also a collaborator. Arakawa Under the Bridge’s Deko Akao is in charge of the screenwriting team including co-writer Tatsuya Takahashi (the IDOLM@STER). Character designer for the project is Bakuman and KissxSis’ Tomoyuki Shitaya.

The BlazBlue Alter Memory TV anime series will air in the fall season. There is still no clear date for episode 1.

Source: BlazBlue Website

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ココロ。フルエル。ニホンニ。アエル。 – this is the tagline of the new anime-streaming website with incorporated merchandise store. Daisuki has promised to not take away the licenses from the already present streamers such as NicoNico and Crunchyroll, but instead work alongside them.

Another part of the services that Daisuki provides to their subscribers is higher video quality as well as professionally translated subtitles.

Currently, members can sign up and get a chance to win a special anime merchandise item as well as watch several shows for free. A poll about which anime the members would like to watch next is also open.

Source: Daisuki

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Kore wa Zombie desu ka? (Is this a Zombie?) is written by Shinichi Kimura and illustrated by Kobuichi Muririn. The story revolves around a resurrected zombie named Ayumu Aikawa and his necromancer Eucliwood Hellscythe. The newly revived boy tries to turn this event into something valuable and good, but fate gets in his way as he unwillingly and by accident takes the powerful abilities of a stranger, later revealed to be a masou-shoujo (Magically Dressed Girl). Ultimately, Shinichi ends up being killed by a serial killer, revived as a zombie and powerful in female clothes at the blink of an eye.

All involved in his resurrected form – Haruna the Magically Dressed Girl, Eucliwood the Necromancer and Seraphim the Vampire-Ninja – get to live with him in his house as he decides to help them and the beings known as Megalos while fighting to find the reason behind his own death.

The manga has been adapted into a couple of anime series (in 2011 and in 2012) and has gained a lot of popularity within many otaku subcultures because of its variability. Cross-dressing, beasts, ninja, vampires, romance, comedy and everything else is included in the plot.

The last volume of the Japanese version of Kore wa Zombie desu-ka? will come out this autumn.

Source: Manga news

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Gantz chapter 1 first released in July 2000 and has since inspired a 2-season anime series with 26 episodes as well as two live-action film. The action shounen story centres on Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato. The two friends die in an accident, but their souls are revived and brought together with several more recently deceased people, forming a team of supernatural fighters. Together, the team uses high-tech and alien-like weapons in order to defeat the enemies within a different dimension.

The manga itself is famous for its high level of violence and sexual themes, but also for the artwork and ability of writer Hiroya Oku to create scenes that mesmerise and never let go.

Source: Manga news

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The latest issue of the Weekly Shounen Sunday magazine by Shogakukan has officially announced that the third season of Kami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai will come out this summer and it will cover the stories within the Goddesses’ chapters.

Seems like a lot of the mysteries around the Goddess entity will be revealed even for those of you who don’t read the manga by Wakaki-sensei.

Source: Yaraon!

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