UlasanAnime.com – Imagine an anime concept being repeatedly “pressed” through the creative filters of another distinct anime, and what emerges is a distillation of its core essence. This is akin to how strong, signature creative voices, like Mari Okada’s, manifest across different works.
- OKADAAAAA
- People in love with people in love
- The paradoxical nature of change: how things remain the same despite constant evolution.
- …and the thematic exploration of the divergence between physical and emotional passage of time.
These elements are distinctly Okada’s. While Anohana and Nagi no Asukara (Nagiasu) might share no direct plot overlap besides Okada’s involvement, examining them side-by-side highlights her unique writing style. In many respects, Nagiasu can be seen as a more refined version of Anohana, though their narrative objectives differ significantly.
This thought struck me while navigating the bustling sidewalks of midtown Manhattan during rush hour. The common sight of someone smoking in a crowd invariably brings to mind the anime World Conquest Zvezda Plot.
The third episode of Zvezda, in particular, almost single-handedly justifies the show’s existence. It embodies the kind of creativity that makes one exclaim, “Original anime are the best!” This sentiment resonates strongly, even if it’s not as overtly present when watching Anohana or Nagiasu. Similarly, a majority of my favorite series this season are original productions, and I haven’t even explicitly included shows like Kill la Kill or Space Dandy in that assessment.
The appeal of original anime isn’t solely their “anime-original” status. It’s more about the “telephone game” effect in storytelling. If a work like From the New World (Shinsekai Yori) had been an anime original, its reception could have been vastly different and more overwhelmingly positive. The current anime adaptation, for instance, faces criticism for its pacing and narrative structure, partly due to the source material’s complexities and the visual medium’s limitations. A different approach in an original anime format could have allowed for a more cohesive narrative execution. However, a trade-off exists: fewer people scrutinize the original concept, and the original work’s dedicated fanbase might not be as engaged. In the realm of late-night anime, this scrutiny is often not the primary goal. Furthermore, original works are not immune to the “committee’s touch,” a collaborative process that can influence any project.
This leads me to ponder the creative challenges faced by someone like Shoji Kawamori when developing the foundational elements of the AKB0048 anime.
I recall an interview with the creator of Rahxephon and Mamoru Oshii, likely during the US release of a film. The key takeaway I wish to reiterate is that a significant portion of Neon Genesis Evangelion’s brilliance stems from the collective contributions of its animators. Numerous talented creators injected unique ideas, small touches that elevated the series. This is similar to my earlier observation about Witch Craft Works. It’s this collaborative originality that makes original anime so compelling.
To offer a different perspective, one can trace the evolution of original creators like Mari Okada across their body of work. It appears as though she is continuously refining her thematic explorations and birthing new ideas. This phenomenon isn’t exclusive to her; the immense success of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, for example, can be largely attributed to the synergy between its creators: Shinbo, Kajiura, Urobuchi, and even Aoki, though to a lesser extent. I also admire how Madoka’s marketing strategically built anticipation and maintained an element of mystery. Nagiasu adopted a different strategy by completely withholding information, and its sales figures reflect this approach (setting aside the obvious genre differences). Both series, in my opinion, benefited from their respective marketing strategies, regardless of commercial outcomes.
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The same can be said for Zvezda. If the joke about November 11th wasn’t enough to convince you…
