The
next hot anime series to reach English-speaking fans could be
Gankutsuou, a retelling of the "Count of Monte Cristo." The series from the
Gonzo animation studio will be different from previous versions of the story - the
novel and live-action movies never had battles between giant robots, for example
- but the series' main importance is in how it integrates 2D and 3D
animation along with texture mapping. "We're trying to develop a new
expression in animation," said Yasufumi Soejima, director of noted
Gonzo titles such as the acclaimed Last Exile. "When we find something
different, it's a `Gonzo style.'" The Gonzo version takes its shape
from the Alexandre Dumas novel, but goes in different direction. It'll
sound different from other anime, because the music comes from a French
composer along with using 19th-century orchestral compositions. In the
Gonzo adaptation, "We changed two big things in the Count of Monte
Cristo. The first thing we changed was what the characters were wearing
- we took away the 16th century clothes the were wearing and put them
into modern Western clothing," created by fashion designer Anna Sui.
And most of the backgrounds are made of 3D graphics, designed to look
like the world of Dumas' original story. But the most striking part of
the Gonzo version are the stylized surface textures for things such as
hair and clothes, textures that seem to float independently from the
characters. That sort of texture mapping gives the characters an
otherworldly effect.
In
many cases, Gonzo will blend 2D and 3D design and animation in the same
character. Soejima said some of the robots and mecha in Monte Cristo
are 2D above the neck and 3D below the neck. Ironically, with all of
the artistic innovations in Monte Cristo, the same animation tools are
being put to use in the creation of a new Transformers series that also
will offer the same blend of 2D characters and 3D mecha. "The
Transformers have to go through a lot of different trials," Soejima
said. "It usually comes out where it's a happy story in the end.
What we really tried to do was to keep the original designs of the
Transformers and put them in a new setting." A brief preview of the
series shows young anime style humans and the familiar 1980's
Transformers robots in three-dimensional style. "We're trying to
preserve the original feel of the Transformers. It's taken a lot of
blood, sweat and tears. We really hope you enjoy it." That new
Transformers series is due for release in September, Soejima said, and
Soejima looks forward to audience reaction. "If we show you something
that amazes you, we know we've done our job," he said.
The
next hot anime series to reach English-speaking fans could be
Gankutsuou, a retelling of the "Count of Monte Cristo." The series from the
Gonzo animation studio will be different from previous versions of the story - the
novel and live-action movies never had battles between giant robots, for example
- but the series' main importance is in how it integrates 2D and 3D
animation along with texture mapping. "We're trying to develop a new
expression in animation," said Yasufumi Soejima, director of noted
Gonzo titles such as the acclaimed Last Exile. "When we find something
different, it's a `Gonzo style.'" The Gonzo version takes its shape
from the Alexandre Dumas novel, but goes in different direction. It'll
sound different from other anime, because the music comes from a French
composer along with using 19th-century orchestral compositions. In the
Gonzo adaptation, "We changed two big things in the Count of Monte
Cristo. The first thing we changed was what the characters were wearing
- we took away the 16th century clothes the were wearing and put them
into modern Western clothing," created by fashion designer Anna Sui.
And most of the backgrounds are made of 3D graphics, designed to look
like the world of Dumas' original story. But the most striking part of
the Gonzo version are the stylized surface textures for things such as
hair and clothes, textures that seem to float independently from the
characters. That sort of texture mapping gives the characters an
otherworldly effect.
In
many cases, Gonzo will blend 2D and 3D design and animation in the same
character. Soejima said some of the robots and mecha in Monte Cristo
are 2D above the neck and 3D below the neck. Ironically, with all of
the artistic innovations in Monte Cristo, the same animation tools are
being put to use in the creation of a new Transformers series that also
will offer the same blend of 2D characters and 3D mecha. "The
Transformers have to go through a lot of different trials," Soejima
said. "It usually comes out where it's a happy story in the end.
What we really tried to do was to keep the original designs of the
Transformers and put them in a new setting." A brief preview of the
series shows young anime style humans and the familiar 1980's
Transformers robots in three-dimensional style. "We're trying to
preserve the original feel of the Transformers. It's taken a lot of
blood, sweat and tears. We really hope you enjoy it." That new
Transformers series is due for release in September, Soejima said, and
Soejima looks forward to audience reaction. "If we show you something
that amazes you, we know we've done our job," he said.
