The OQ Weekly (20 May 2021) - The 'Legends Never Die' Edition
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Legends never die.
A few days after learning that music director Masayoshi Soken has been battling cancer for the past year, Kentaro Miura has been suddenly taken from us at the age of 54. And when I say us, I mean the millions of people around the world who have enjoyed his stories. Berserk was one of the first manga I read, suggested by my manga mentor, Jacob Parker-Dalton. Now it’s my turn to do the same. If you enjoy quality storytelling and Miura’s work has somehow slipped under your radar, give Berserk a chance. There is no better homage to a creator than enjoying his work.
Thank you for the stories, sensei.
BERSERK Creator Kentaro Miura Passes Away at 54
If you want to talk more about legends, don’t forget to join our Discord! We talk about more than just anime, manga, and games, too.
I am Ura, your guide in this amazing journey into Japanese pop, geek, and sub culture.
Thank you for joining us.
1
Getting candid.
Alicia Haddick recently sat down for a two-part interview with Adam Torel, CEO of Third Window Films, to discuss the Japanese film industry, licensing, and how overseas distribution works.
In part one, Adam talked about the origins of the company, how it wished to challenge the popular conception of Japanese film, and the trials and tribulations of distribution today. He was surprisingly candid, saying ‘I’ve only had like one or two films even recoup the encoding costs… It’s about £500 just to get onto iTunes. The customer’s maybe only paying £1.99 or something to rent it, and I’m only getting a small amount of that.’
In part two, there was a lot of discussion about how Japanese films get produced, namely through the committee system. Suffice it to say that Adam isn’t a fan: ‘These companies are filled with typical salarymen, even in the film industry. You end up just having loads and loads and loads of salarymen who can’t make any decisions, and situations where they have to ask their bosses who have to ask their bosses who have to ask their boss… It takes like three weeks just to change the color of a photo!’
All in all, this interview provides a sharp and honest insight into the reality of Japanese film production, alongside how they make their way overseas. To be honest, it gives the impression that any work that gets made at all is a miracle!
2
Mysterious liquid becomes real.
LCL is an essential part of the fictional Evangelion universe, but now it is coming into real-life as the name for a new form of respiratory treatment.
A team of researchers from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University recently published the results of a study focused on delivering oxygen through liquid to test subjects. Led by Takanori Takebe, the study tested a method of oxygen delivery through the anus using liquid that was inspired by a breathing method commonly found in loaches.
The team have named the technique the ‘EVA method.’ Although this is partially based on the English acronym for ‘expiratory ventilation assistance’, they have also stated that Evangelion’s depiction of LCL was an inspiration. In the series, of course, it’s used to help the EVA pilots breathe while they’re in the Entry Plug.
What’s more, Takebe is also considering ways to turn this artificial respiration method into practical applications to help treat breathing problems related to COVID-19 infections, so Evangelion may or may not help us recover from this damn virus.
Who said anime isn’t helpful?
3
An emotional fan festival.
Everyone knew that this year’s Final Fantasy XIV Digital Fan Festival would contain boat-loads of information about the next expansion, Endwalker, but no one expected it to get quite so emotional.
The event kicked off with a new full-size trailer, showing off the expansion’s new locations and the final version of the new theme song. After this, director Naoki Yoshida (better known as YoshiP) took the stage dressed as the new melee class, Reaper, which led beautifully into another trailer showing how it plays. Finally, it was announced that the Viera race would be getting a male variant at long last!
The second day was punctuated by a number of panels and events, but the star of the show here was undoubtedly music director Masayoshi Soken, who led a performance of ‘LAHEE’ and also revealed that he had been battling cancer for the past year.
Apparently, he begged and pleaded with YoshiP and Square Enix not to tell anyone - not even the development team. What’s more, the theme to the 5.3 expansion ‘To the Edge’ was actually created while he was in hospital: he refused to stop working like normal while undergoing treatment because he wanted things to feel normal.
‘After Masayoshi Soken’s heartbreaking announcement, producer Naoki Yoshida turned around with tears in his eyes stating just how difficult it was and that he questioned himself every day why Soken was working so hard… It was at this point that I lost it and started to bawl like a baby.’ (Corey Prasek)
4
More manga, less waste.
Three of Japan’s biggest publishers Kodansha, Shogakukan, and SHUEISHA have teamed up to develop a new, more efficient distribution method using AI technology.
Joining them in this endeavor is trading company Marubeni, who will help them set up a new distribution company jointly owned by all three publishers to achieve this. Under the current system, publishers sell their books and magazines to distributors, who then supply them to bookstores and other outlets: even so, around 40% of said publications are said to be left unsold at the end, so waste is a concern.
Of course, there’s a financial incentive. With all three publishers operating one distribution company, they can possibly offer each other a better deal than a third-party distributor can: it won’t be operating for profit, after all, but as a tertiary service. Printing costs can also be kept down, since they plan to use AI technology and RFID tags to identify where exactly books are needed and how many to supply.
Jacob thinks that this might be a good idea. ‘Linked into this is also the shift towards digital consumption... If consumers overwhelmingly prefer to read in digital form, then why are so many books being left over at the end? The most likely reason is an inefficient distribution system that hasn’t adapted to the times, which the new distribution partnership between the three publishers seeks to rectify within the year.’
This is expected to affect the manga industry in much the same way that the recent Tokyo court ruling about spoiler sites is, so watch this space.
5
History repeating.
Despite positive reviews, not everyone is happy with the final Evangelion film.
In a post made on Thursday, animation studio Khara spoke out against recent acts of hate perpetrated against members of staff involved in the production of Evangelion 3.0+1.0. They confirmed that there had been ‘acts of slander, threats, and suggestions of crimes against individuals involved in the production of the film,’ going on to warn that they ‘will not hesitate to take legal action and seek compensation for damages.’
This isn’t the first time that something like this has happened. When the original Neon Genesis Evangelion TV series came to an end, the Studio Gainax offices were vandalized and director Hideaki Anno received a series of death threats. As a result, Anno came close to seriously contemplating suicide, so it’s honestly mindbogling that some fans haven’t learnt their lesson.
‘Comments made online can have real-world repercussions, and we hope that this will serve as a real warning to those participating in hate against innocent staff.’ (Carley Garcia)
6
Romance ain’t easy.
In a recent interview with Oricon, manga creators Kouji Seo and Marcey Naitou discussed the trials and tribulations of the love comedy genre and how they attempt to overcome them.
Both authors recently started new romance-centric series in the pages of Weekly Shonen Magazine, with Seo being behind Café Terrace of the Goddesses and Naitou Amagami-san chi no Enmusubi. Two problems faced them in this endeavor: firstly, how to make a compelling protagonist, and secondly, how to treat the different female characters fairly and equally.
For Seo, the protagonist is absolutely paramount. ‘If the protagonist is hated, then it’s no exaggeration to say that the whole story could fall apart,’ he remarked, going on to explain how he tried to craft a ‘mentally strong’ main character that wouldn’t lose out to the presence of the five main girls. And Naito did much the same in making his protagonist an atheist, saying that this was the ‘complete opposite personality’ to the three shrine maidens that his series focuses on.
Seo is also very preoccupied with trying to give each and every girl their fair share of the spotlight. This includes making sure that they have an equal amount of prominence on color illustrations, which sounds a bit obsessive! Both authors hope that they can draw their female characters in such a way that none of them ‘loses’ at the end per se, but Jacob is quick to warn that ‘this isn’t likely to stop some passionate fans from flaming either one of the authors once a conclusion is reached.’
Fans will do as fans do.
7
Bonkers about backgrounds.
Backgrounds are probably one of the most overlooked elements of anime production, but two recent news items help to highlight their significance.
First of all, background art production company Bamboo will release a new art book on 21 May, featuring 500 of their backgrounds taken from series as varied as Ghost in the Shell: Arise, Penguin Highway, and The Eccentric Family. All in all, backgrounds from over 18 series will be included, showing just how many projects this one company has worked on.
What’s more, the beautiful backgrounds of Spring 2021 anime Super Cub are being displayed for all to see on the official website. This is worth highlighting as part of the show’s appeal is its down-to-earth visual design, giving you the sense that you actually could step into the world that these characters inhabit. That’s largely to do with the quality of the backgrounds.
The final word goes to Alicia: ‘Fans should spotlight the work that goes into the background of a series just as much as the work in the foreground. While it’s certainly less flashy, it can have just as much of an influence on a show’s quality. Super Cub would not be the same without these backgrounds, and it’s great to see them shown some love.’
8
From animation to live-action.
Voice actors rarely make the jump from anime to live-action, but Haruka Fukuhara is an exception: reprising her role as Koyasu Tsubame for the upcoming Kaguya-sama movie.
Fukuhara originally provided the voice for the vice-captain of the cheer team in the second season of the anime, Kaguya-sama: Love is War?, but now she’ll be playing the character with her own face and body in the upcoming Kaguya-sama: Love is War Final. This announcement also came alongside the revelation that the movie will cover the Sports and Cultural Festival arc from the manga, the latter of which has yet to be adapted in the anime.
Admittedly, Fukuhara has just as much experience as a live-action performer as she does a voice actor. She was the lead in the Good Morning Call drama, for example, but it’ll be interesting to see how her performance changes between the two mediums. Undoubtedly, a lot of eyes will be upon her!
That being said, Alicia makes the point that ‘The line between voice acting and other industries is being blurred because of the growing number of multimedia anime projects... To think that a voice actor’s role starts and ends in the voice recording booth has never been an accurate statement, but it’s certainly outdated now.’ One has to wonder whether we’ll see more of this double casting in the future.
9
Terry Crews, but anime.
Like it or not, we need to talk about the Terry Crews Old Spice anime edit.
If you’ve been around the internet for the past couple of years, you’ve most likely seen the Terry Crews commercials for Old Spice. Both Old Spice and Terry Crews have leaned into the meme potential that these promos have, going as far as to share edits of the original commercial made by the unofficial Twitter account @SpiceCollab every Wednesday.
One of their latest edits is a manic version of ‘Renai Circulation,’ evoking all of the energy of an old MAD edit: think Ronald McDonald Insanity or Desu Desu Desu featuring Karen from Kiniro Mosaic. Terry Crews also shared it on his Twitter, but how did we reach a point where celebrities are sharing anime edits set to the opening theme from Bakemonogatari?
‘The language of the internet is increasingly becoming the voice of popular culture, and that voice is being molded by those who spend the most time online and those watching anime,’ Alicia explains, going on to say that ‘It’s the easy virality of anime, and in recent years in particular the power of TikTok, that has introduced the anime aesthetic to even people who aren’t fans of the medium.’
Of course Terry Crews would share an anime edit of his meme-worthy commercial. It’s the internet!
10
Otaku pride.
Talented young illustrator and creative Jun Inagawa is bringing his trademark chaotic stylings into anime form with Mahou Shoujo Magical Destroyers.
If you’ve been paying attention to the young artist scene in Tokyo as of late, then you’ll no doubt be familiar with Jun Inagawa. Having already secured collaborations with brands like NEIGHBORHOOD and artists such as A$AP ROCKY in his early 20s, he has a long, bright future ahead of him.
Given that his gallery shows could very well be described as ‘experiences’ rather than simple exhibitions, the fact that he’s now working on an anime with King Records was certainly enough to get us to pay attention. The project is apparently a sequel to his own story OTAKU HERO, which is inspired by the enthusiasm of otaku he’s seen first hand at such events as Comiket. No release date has yet been given, but best believe that we’ll diligently be keeping our ears out
‘Inagawa doesn’t take the term otaku lightly, openly wearing it as a badge of honor, which makes him the perfect person to be heading up a project focused on the passion otaku portray in their daily lives.’ (Eddie Lehecka)
Video Corner
‘This channel is always going to be somewhat biased towards the things that I personally care about. And it’s difficult for me not to care about Final Fantasy XIV. Unlike other MMORPGs I’ve played, it’s the one that’s the most centred on story and characters, letting you play it as if it’s a regular Final Fantasy game, but just a lot larger, with a much wider lore. The XIV team are massively community focused, even when it comes to the other development staff. And Final Fantasy Fan Festival this year was an opportunity for them to express their appreciation to the entire world all at once.’
See you next week!
Ura and the OTAQUEST team.
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