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Despera & Serial Experiments Lain: Powered By Navi©
cj iwakura
The Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
The Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
(This thread is mod-approved, and about a specific series; not anime in general.)
So Serial Experiments Lain is (obviously) one of my favorite shows ever, and Despera's basically the next best thing to a sequel.
Chiaki Konaka is writing it, and Yoshitoshi ABe is (of course) handling the art work.
I don't know much about it, suffice it to say that I'm hyped.
Here's what little Wikipedia has to say about the plot:
And, the players:
(not very subtle on the protagonist's name)
It has kind of a retro steampunk look to it.
Here's some concept art that's been floating around:
No word on when the release of the show will be, but hopefully soon.
Also, discussion of Serial Experiments Lain is related, so feel free.
ABe and Konaka's first series, a classic cyberpunk story about the internet, reality, and what happens when the lines between the two blur.
Oh yeah: and it's coming to Blu-Ray soon.
So Serial Experiments Lain is (obviously) one of my favorite shows ever, and Despera's basically the next best thing to a sequel.
Chiaki Konaka is writing it, and Yoshitoshi ABe is (of course) handling the art work.
I don't know much about it, suffice it to say that I'm hyped.
Here's what little Wikipedia has to say about the plot:
The story centers around a 14 year old girl named Ain, who often builds devices despite the lack of scientific background for them. The sci-fi alternative period story is set in Tokyo during the Taishō era in 1922, one year before the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake.
And, the players:
(not very subtle on the protagonist's name)
Ain - A 14 year old girl who resides in her workshop inside the basement of the Ryōunkaku in Asakusa, Tokyo. A technical genius with no prior scientific knowledge, she is able to create electronic devices far beyond the capabilities of the current era. Some of the devices created include early versions of a modern computer, complete with typewriter keyboards and cathode ray tube display monitors.
Unknown Man - A man in his 30s who is an associate of Ain's. In the prologue chapter of the novel, he claims to be able to see the future through the displays on Ain's computer monitors. His face and identity has yet to be revealed.
Enoki - A military officer who works for the Japanese army's science institute. He holds the rank of 2nd lieutenant. Enoki is sent to Asakusa to investigate the unstable electrical discharge occurring in the vicinity of the Ryōunkaku.
Kimiyasu Fuenokōji - A Japanese nobleman with the title of viscount. It is unknown what relationship Kimiyasu has with Ain, but he is interested in her unorthodox inventions. He has a primary residence in Sanbanchō of Chiyoda-ku, and a second residence at the Kanda-Surugadai district.
Barbara Andrei - A Russian woman of aristocratic origins, Barbara is a refugee who escaped from Harbin during the disownment of the presence of Russians by the Chinese Republic. She lives in the Kanda-Surugadai residence owned by Kimiyasu who has taken her in. Ain is particularly uncomfortable of Barbara's presence as she is frightened of her pale white complexion, presumably having never seen a Russian before.
It has kind of a retro steampunk look to it.
Here's some concept art that's been floating around:
No word on when the release of the show will be, but hopefully soon.
Also, discussion of Serial Experiments Lain is related, so feel free.
ABe and Konaka's first series, a classic cyberpunk story about the internet, reality, and what happens when the lines between the two blur.
Oh yeah: and it's coming to Blu-Ray soon.
cj iwakura on
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Posts
Lain is my 2nd favorite anime. More is needed.
I really like Lain, I'm glad to see more similar stuff.
STEAM
I really need to work on my collection of ABe merch when I'm in Japan. Right now I've only really got Gaisokyu and Omnipresence. Fortunately Funi resurrected the old Geneon DVDs, so I won't have to pay rape price for the old boxsets like I was going to. Unless the Geneon packaging is nicer, in which case I may have to (though hopefully the premium on those will fall as demand is lowered). I also REALLY need to hunt down a copy of the Haibane Renmei artbook. That would be my holy grail, but it's super rare these days.
I'm really hoping for a Haibane successor of some kind, if it's ever possible. That is my favorite series ever. Lain is good too, though.
Also, has anyone read any of Abe's other doujins? I haven't had the time to obtain any, but most of them (especially Ryotsuka) look adorable and/or awesome
[/fanwank]
But yeah, Despera looks really cool. Hopefully it gets around to coming around in a decent timeframe.
Ya'll balls crazy.
I have it. 8-)
Needless to say I'm hugely stoked about Despera.
It's my grail.
Also, word is that the Despera manga is finished; the anime is in production.
From where was this information obtained? There is a surprising lack of official news for this series.
Read about it at the image board. There's very little official information.
Believe me, I've been looking.
What are the odds that this whole thing is fan-created?
Uh, since it's been posted about on Chiaki Konaka and ABe's websites? Non-existent.
3A, 1D.
Dammit, it's reportedly fake.
All I got is "Lain is god. Lain rewrote the world. END'.
It's open to interpretation, but my opinion? She's a protocol designed to bridge the gap between the 'real' world and the wired, and she was 'raised' by false parents until she was ready to integrate into the wired.
Masami Eiri is a psychopath who thought he was in control of her, but he was just a hacker with delusions of grandeur. At the end, Lain realizes she was just causing everyone pain, so she erased herself, and reset everything. She's still out there, but not in the 'real' world.
As for Mika(Lain's sister), poor girl caught in the wrong place at the very, very wrong time.
The Knights and the MIB? Whole other story.
Now, Haibane Renmei...
EDIT: Wow, okay, I will admit, the animation actually does look better in HD. I guess they actually had access to cells and such?
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
Some of the animation clips from it are subbed.
It's... different.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW1sxdZ21TU&feature=related
Take it as a sidestory, I guess.
Also, here's some more art, because I collect it.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/cjiwakura/ABe/scan8.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/cjiwakura/ABe/1276630226400.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/cjiwakura/ABe/1255275876262.jpg
And I somehow left this out of the OP:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79MN_w0VMPE&feature=related
Then my step brother took them and now I have no Lain. The moral of the story is I used to re-watch it quite often and I loved that series so a spiritual successor sounds awesome.
XBL:Phenyhelm - 3DS:Phenyhelm
It's all BS, supposedly. I found it at the ABe image board.
I own Cyberia Mix too. I really should get the official OST at some point, it's good stuff.
My favorite song from Cyberia mix:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBbHp6hPGBo
Speed's a close contender. The album is pretty weird. It goes from hard techno to creepy ambient electronica.
Cyberia Mix, I couldn't rmember the name of it, thanks. The OST is really good but the Mix grew on me quite a bit over time.
XBL:Phenyhelm - 3DS:Phenyhelm
Haibane Renmei might beat it for cult following. I wasn't that impressed by it, though I love the art.
I bought the whole series just for the pencil cards each volume came with.
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
I like his Pochiyama at the Pharmacy stories.
A group attempting to make an operating system out of Lain's Navi interface.
I don't know if that's insane or what.
Edit: Actually reading that page seems like some guys who've resurrected the old project.
These will decimate H/V scroll. HIGH res.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/cjiwakura/1281280664380.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/cjiwakura/1281280497617.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/cjiwakura/1281280441879.jpg
No Despera, sadly.
That reminds me of the weirdest scene from Lain which I can vaguely remember. Alice is in her bedroom and then Lain comes and peeks around her door. But Lain is like an alien or something.
I think I'd like ABe's stuff more if it wasnt just girls girls girls. I initially thought Haibane Renmei was the anime version of The Gilmore Girls. I'm glad I stuck it out and own it.
FF14: ARR
Also here's one from an artbook:
I need to get an IMCO 6700 Super like Reki's. That'd be cool. I also found a place in Japan to pick up all of the HR doujinshi and the art book for a much lower price than any western dealer.
Except you can find some logic in Lain's madness.
man now you are just begging me to try this