The OQ Weekly (9 July 2021) - The 'Amen for Evangelion' Edition
The best curated newsletter in the Japanese pop-culture world.
I have many friends outside Japan who were VERY jealous I got to see the latest Evangelion film… multiple times (like four)… Now, they don’t have to be and they can start returning my texts and calls, because Evangelion 3.0+1.01 (more on the new name in your weekly digest) is coming to Amazon Prime this August!
No, this is NOT a joke. You have plenty of time to watch the rest of the movies. Get on it!
I am Ura, your Asuna fangirl in this amazing journey into Japanese pop, geek, and sub culture.
Thank you for joining us.
1
Swimming in success.
After much anticipation, it finally happened: Gawr Gura has surpassed Kizuna AI to become the most subscribed VTuber of all time.
More specifically, Gawr Gura’s channel reached three million subscribers over the weekend, putting her about 30,000 above Kizuna AI’s current sub count. The gravity of this milestone cannot be understated: Kizuna AI has long since been considered the first real virtual YouTuber, but Gawr Gura has managed to surpass her less than one year since her debut.
Looking ahead, this undoubtedly fills Cover Corp with confidence for the upcoming second generation of hololive English talent and possibly beyond. It should also be noted that Gawr Gura isn’t exactly alone in her achievements, either: all of the first generation of hololive EN reached one million subscribers last month, which is something that most creators on the platform don’t ever achieve. Let alone five of them within one year!
‘The only problem for hololive that comes alongside success will be learning how to properly support and care for their creators, lest more hiatuses lie down the line. Now that she carries the accolade of being the most subscribed VTuber of all time, there is undoubtedly a lot of pressure weighing down on Gawr Gura's shoulders… Luckily, judging from her latest stream, she doesn’t appear to be phased one bit.’ (Jacob Parker-Dalton)
2
Thrice Upon an Amazon.
Calling this ‘good news’ would be an understatement: the final Evangelion film will finally be made accessible to international audiences this summer.
Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time will be available exclusively via Amazon Prime Videoin over 240 countries and territories outside of Japan on 13 August. Dubbed in ten languages and subtitled in 28, users around the world will finally be able to see the conclusion to the Rebuild of Evangelion film saga, which began all the way back in 2007. The previous three installments will also be available to rent and purchase.
Speaking of Evangelion 3.0+1.0, the final film experienced a bit of a resurgence at the box office this week as a new version released under the title Evangelion 3.0+1.01. Boasting minor animation improvements and new audio without changing any of the story, the film shot to the top of the box office with an incredible 960.5% week-on-week rise in ticket sales.
‘The film’s total box office now stands at 9.5 billion yen, putting the film on track to be just the second film since COVID to earn more than 10 billion yen at the Japanese box office (after Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie Mugen Train).’ (Alicia Haddick)
3
Switching it up.
While it may not be the pro model that people have been hoping for, Nintendo made the sudden announcement that a brand new model of the Switch is on the way: one with an OLED screen.
Titled somewhat ingeniously as the Nintendo Switch (OLED Model), this new version of the popular hybrid console replaces the screen found on the original with a much larger OLED display. Although it now measures seven inches, the OLED Model somehow managed to stay the same size as the original Switch by simply reducing the size of the bezels in handheld mode.
What’s more, this new version of the Switch comes packaged with a new and improved dock. One of the internal USB has been removed and replaced with a wired LAN port for better internet connectivity, perhaps responding to a incessant request from the dedicated Super Smash Bros. Ultimate multiplayer community. A new kickstand also allows for greater versatility when on the go.
‘By taking advantage of the same-sized shell for the hardware... the main appeal of this new device is for those who like to take the system on the go and would therefore take advantage of the better display.’ (Alicia)
4
How to season two?
Anime producer Masuo Ueda answered the question of how anime sequels get greenlit in a YouTube video last Friday, highlighting how fans can make their voices heard.
In conversation with JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable and Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya character designer Terumi Nishii, Ueda explained that while a sequel can't be created without the permission of the original creator, it's better for fans to contact anime production companies over publishers.
Companies are generally receptive to letters and emails sent to them by fans, provided that they aren't disruptive. What’s more, social media is being increasingly used for market research and to gauge interest, so your tweets don’t go unnoticed. He also mentioned that although sequels are almost impossible to greenlight if the previous anime did not make a profit, certain titles and brands can be rebooted later when the market has changed.
‘Although he is no longer involved with SUNRISE, Ueda expressed his personal hope that the City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes anime film will get a sequel. From his understanding, the film made a profit, and he would like to see the production committee give back to the fans once more.’ (Kim Morrisey, Anime News Network)
5
Alchemic celebrations.
Has it really been twenty years since the Fullmetal Alchemist manga first launched? Putting our surprise aside, a special livestream to celebrate the anniversary is a pretty exciting prospect.
While details surrounding the upcoming 20th anniversary livestream are pretty sparse, what we do know is that they will be taking a look back on the history of the series and its many adaptations. There might even be some special announcements, so don’t forget to tune in on 12 July via YouTube.
Hiromu Arakawa started the Fullmetal Alchemist manga in Monthly Shonen Gangan published by SQUARE ENIX all the way back in 2001. The story came to an end in 2010, but fans around the world are still captivated by the charm and the setting of the series. It also gave rise to two anime adaptations, both by Studio BONES, as well as two anime movies and several OVAs. Talk about accomplished!
Keeping the continued popularity of the series in mind, could this 20th anniversary livestream finally give rise to the sequel that has always been hinted at by Arakawa? It’s certainly possible, but don’t count your chickens just yet. At the very least, this will be a golden opportunity for fans of the series to look back and remember all of the good times that they’ve had.
6
Quality of life.
With The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD set to release in just a couple of weeks, a new quality of life trailer has been released to highlight some of the changes that have been made to accommodate players on the Nintendo Switch.
First of all, players can control the game in two ways. You can use the Joy-Cons to control Link with motion controls in much the same way as the game originally played on the Nintendo Wii, or opt to use button-only controls. The right analog stick controls Link’s sword and the shoulder buttons are used for other optional items, such as the bow.
Even so, that much was known from the beginning, so how does the option to turn off Fi sound? Given that one of many things that made this title so divisive among Zelda fans when it initially released was the constant pestering of this in-game guide, this is a welcome move. There’s also the possibility of choosing an enhanced frame rate for smoother gameplay, as well as the ability to fast-forward dialog and skip cutscenes.
All in all, this trailer makes it clear that while The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword seemed initially to be just a straight-up port, at least some consideration has been made as to how the game plays ten years later. It’s still not a very exciting celebration of the series’ 35th anniversary, but oh well.
7
New office, new studio?
Photos of Studio MAPPA's new office annex in Suginami were released on Monday, but can it really improve the lot of animators?
Apparently, the workspace was designed with the aim to ‘improve the workplace environment’ and provide animators with a better place to work. Warm wood has been used for the desk instead of bright white, there is an open-plan lounge where employees can relax, and a shop and café will be built at the top that fans can visit.
‘The lack of skilled animators has been worsening lately,’ the architects explained. ‘One of the various causes is because skilled people in the anime and games industries have instead been going to China, which is in a good economic position. In order to secure the skilled talent, the workplace environment has to improve.’
Recently, Studio MAPPA has been rocked by claims of paying animators bottom rates on Netflix productions such as Yasuke, as well as one freelancer’s claim that workplace conditions were like those of a ‘factory.’ It remains to be seen whether a new office can truly improve the lot of employees, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.
8
Demonic renewal.
Could a comedy-centric Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba spinoff mangaplay an essential role in the newly monthly, newly digital version of Saikyo Jump? It’s certainly possible.
Titled Kimetsu Gakuen Monogatari (Kimetsu School Story) and penned by Natsuki Hokami, the series will not only fill out the pages of Saikyo Jump, but also bring in some potential new readers. Back in April, SHUEISHA announced that their kid-oriented magazine would go on a brief hiatus while it to underwent several points of ‘renewal’: among them being the idea of including more articles and more manga to increase the publication’s ‘coolness.’
The thing is, despite being literally one of the most popular and most profitable properties in Japan right now, Demon Slayer has a surprisingly small amount of spinoffs. Any that have come around have only lasted for a short while, such as Ryouji Hirano’s two stories about Giyuu and Rengoku. The fact that the manga ended relatively early, too, means that there is only a limited amount of material for fans to jump into.
‘Bagging a Demon Slayer spinoff could be a stroke of editorial genius on the part of Saikyo Jump, because all of those kids that went to see Mugen Train enough times to make it into the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time might just be hungry for more.’ (Jacob)
9
Purr-fect PR.
When you think of Shinjuku, you inevitably think of tall buildings, neon lights, and massive video displays. Starting next week, one of those displays will be updated to display an absolutely mind-blowing 3D video of a cat.
Produced by a company called Cross Shinjuku Vision, the display essentially uses visual trickery to make it look like a giant cat has made the building above the east entrance to the Shinjuku Metro into its home. The video was initially only playing once per day in the morning, but the schedule has since been updated to accommodate for the sheer amount of interest.
Coca-Cola recently did something similar with their advertisement on the front of the Q-Front building in Shibuya, so it’s likely that this kind of futuristic display will become even more common in the future. Certainly, it’s attention-grabbing.
10
Pui Pui… Parking?
More Molcar is good news in our books, but the proposition for the series’ first mobile game certainly sounds intriguing.
Known asPui Pui Molcar Moku Moku Parking, the title is being developed by Good Luck 3 and will see the player help various Molcar characters get out of parking spaces. It’s meant for the hyper-casual market, but certainly begs one simple question: how on earth are you supposed to make parking into an interesting game?
Perhaps it’ll be all about parallel parking, to the horrors of learner drivers everywhere.
‘The game looks absolutely adorable and is honesty something that I can see myself investing hours into, unforgivingly.’ (Corey Prasek)
Video Corner
‘It’s almost two years since the arson attack on Kyoto Animation, a tragic event that shook not just those within the anime industry, but people across the world. July marks the return of Miss Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon and also the studio’s return to TV animation. At the time of the attack, messages came from all over from those that appreciated the studio’s craftsmanship. KyoAni isn’t just a contract studio, but a creative force in themselves, developing original series and creative adaptations of existing properties.’
Video and Words by Callum May
See you next week!
Ura and the OTAQUEST team.
P.S. If you have any suggestions, ideas, tips, tricks, or you just want to talk geekiness with our awesome community, join us on Discord!
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more pop culture news from Japan.
We also have a Twitch channel where we build Gunpla, play videogames, and talk about Japanese culture!
If you got this email forwarded, then congrats; you have some amazing friends who really care for your well-being.
Subscribe now and get the most interesting newsletter of the Japanese culture community in your own inbox.