Junichi Sato discussion thread

[EmperorBrandon]

Since it's his birthday, though it would be ripe for a thread on one of my favorite creators (funny thing about the birthday is that Takeo from Magic User's Club was given the same birthday - wonder if that's supposed to mean anything? :D ) There was a poll not too long ago, but there's going to be some more choices here (won't include everything, in order to keep it from being cluttered, but it will still have an "other" option). You can pick two choices.

One thing that caught my attention just recently is that I saw Junichi Sato credited in one episode of Utena (yeah, I actually recognized the kanji :sd: ), which is interesting since I was wondering if he did anything in Utena. It was the storyboard for ep. 34, which is an interesting episode in my opinion, about the background of the Prince and the Rose Bride.

[EmperorBrandon]

I noticed a lot of people mentioned Aria in the previous thread. I'm really going to need to check that out...

[Gundamhead]

Hmm... The only things on this list that I've seen are Salor Moon/R, Pretear, and Tutu. So... my vote's gonna have to go to Tutu.

[Spirit Of The Stage]

Hmm... The only things on this list that I've seen are Salor Moon/R, Pretear, and Tutu. So... my vote's gonna have to go to Tutu.

For the record, you could vote 2 times...

No brainer for me for those who know me, Tutu and Kaleido for me, but Aria and the Frog worthwhile shows as well.

[bci110]

First off, I would also like to make a happy birthday wish to one of the best directors (and my favorite) in the anime industry, Junichi Sato. :frog:

Second, my two favorite Junichi Sato series also happens to be my two all-time favorite anime series: Princess Tutu and Kaleido Star. Those were my votes in the poll.

ARIA is #1 on my R1 Wish List (replacing Karin, which Geneon licensed earlier this year). Sgt Frog is another Sato title that I'm anticipating in watching, but I heard that ADV might not release the series on DVD until 2008. I just recently started watching Magic User's Club and my early take on the series is that I find it to be a very charming, genuine series with a very likable female lead in Sae.

[The Great Bear]

I noticed a lot of people mentioned Aria in the previous thread. I'm really going to need to check that out...

I've started to watch it, and it's a pleasant little ride so far. There is some cast overlap with KS.

As for the poll, I chose Tutu and KS, since they're the two best of what I've seen complete. I'll have to admit not having seen quite a few on that list :sd:

[EmperorBrandon]

Sgt Frog is another Sato title that I'm anticipating in watching, but I heard that ADV might not release the series on DVD until 2008.

I heard that as well. That's a shame... I only saw about seven episodes of Sgt. Frog, but I remember it being very fun to watch. It's nice that I'll be going into the R1 release relatively fresh. It's going to take a while for ADV to get out the series, for sure, though. Hoping it goes well for them.

At least I'll be done with a few things by then (Haruhi, and likely Rozen Maiden as well), so my anime collection plate will not be stuffed all at once.

I just recently started watching Magic User's Club and my early take on the series is that I find it to be a very charming, genuine series with a very likable female lead in Sae.

Yay, more people seeing Magic User's Club. :)

[Gundamhead]

For the record, you could vote 2 times...
Shoot, I didn't read it through very well.
And it won't let me vote again. :( Not quite got the hang of forums yet. :sd:

[EmperorBrandon]

I've started to watch it, and it's a pleasant little ride so far. There is some cast overlap with KS.


Ryou Hirohashi and Sayaka Ohara seem to show up again (they're also going to be in Romeo x Juliet, in which Sato is the sound supervisor). Erino Hazuki, who voiced Malen and Uzura in Tutu, is the main character, which is interesting to me (want to hear some more of her).

Of course one interesting thing I noticed earlier on between some of Junichi Sato's series earlier on is that there is actually not that much in the way of cast overlap/recycling (Takahiro Sakurai and Takehito Koyasu seemed to be common, but not too many others). Princess Tutu, for instance, has a lot of the same staff as Magic User's Club, but with the exception of Nanae Katoh (who voiced a minor supporting role in MUC, where Ikuko Itoh had noticed her), there is no one in common between the cast.

[EmperorBrandon]

Shoot, I didn't read it through very well.
And it won't let me vote again. :( Not quite got the hang of forums yet. :sd:

The thing to remember with polls here is that with ones with circle options you can only vote once. If there are square boxes with checkmarks, then it usually means more than one option is possible.

[touma]

I picked Sailor Moon, which I am now rewatching for the fourth time, and Magic Users Club, which I recently finished watching for the second time.
Pretear and Kaleido Star would have been my third and fourth choices, if I had that many.
I have not seen Princess Tutu or Aria. Judging from the three volumes of the manga that I have read and what I have seen of Sato's work I suspect that Aria will be a strong contender if I do ever get to see it.

[The Great Bear]

I've started to watch it, and it's a pleasant little ride so far. There is some cast overlap with KS.


Ryou Hirohashi and Sayaka Ohara seem to show up again (they're also going to be in Romeo x Juliet, in which Sato is the sound supervisor). Erino Hazuki, who voiced Malen and Uzura in Tutu, is the main character, which is interesting to me (want to hear some more of her).

Akari is nothing like Uzura, but then again, who (or what) is? :sd:

I never really watched much of KS in Japanese, but I do own the Layla OVA, so I am familiar with how Ohara sounds as Layla. Let's just say that Alicia is a very different character. In fact, when I first heard her character, I almost thought "Is that Kikuko Inoue?" Frankly, Aria is worth seeing for the "Ara ara" scene in episode 2 alone. People who are familiar with it will know what I'm talking about.

[EmperorBrandon]

Sayaka Ohara is kind of a successor to Kikuko Inoue in many ways, and I even saw a note of that on her Japanese Wikipedia entry. She tends to get the type of roles that Kikuko Inoue is known for (the gentle, loving, and/or mature types, equated to Bridget Hoffman and Kaytha Coker in the US in my mind), but she's got great range too and play several different types well. Her Layla is just plain awesome and likely one of my favorites of hers.

[Morwen]

Pretear and Princess Tutu are the two series I'm most familiar with of his, so those are the ones I voted for. (Although I do have the first volume of Kaledio Star coming in the mail eventually, and I've seen bits and pieces of other shows.) I'm hoping to get a chance to catch up with his other series, because with what I've seen so far I absolutely love his work.

[Nork22]

Sayaka Ohara is kind of a successor to Kikuko Inoue in many ways, and I even saw a note of that on her Japanese Wikipedia entry. She tends to get the type of roles that Kikuko Inoue is known for (the gentle, loving, and/or mature types, equated to Bridget Hoffman and Kaytha Coker in the US in my mind), but she's got great range too and play several different types well. Her Layla is just plain awesome and likely one of my favorites of hers.
Funny thing about it, in the ARIA drama CDs (before the anime was animated) Kikuko Inoue was cast as Alicia. I'm guessing because of Ah! My Goddess TV, she can't exactly do 2 similar roles at the same time.

[Nork22]

Most definitely ARIA and Kaleido Star are my 2 top choices.

[Shsway]

It's still Sailor Moon and MUC for me.

Happy Birthday, Sato-san! You really know how to assemble a production team.

[Dagger]

In the last poll, I believe I picked Kaleido Star & Tutu.

This time, it's Kaleido Star and Aria. And if I had to pick just one, I'd go for Aria in a heartbeat.

[DKL]

Kaleido Star is quite possibly the most gangsta show ever created.

Ok, but to be serious, one of my favorite aspects of his direction (aside from the quirky and cheerful style.... specifically, KS and Tutu) is that there's this incredibly anal attention to detail in regards to the flow and clarity of character motivation; I really can't think of many shows that, not only convey the point clearly, but don't go around in circles endlessly while doing so as well.

I'd say more, but the Wii browser has a word-limit.

[Nosredna]

Because I'm an idiot and can't read a poll, I just went with KStar, but my other pick would have went to Princess Tutu.

[bctaris]

You know me. Magic Users Club. And Tutu.

I have Kaleido Star in my queue, finally, look forward to that.

Happy birthday, Takakura...I mean, Sato!

[LimePie]

For the record, you could vote 2 times...

D'oh! I missed that. :sd:

I put down Doremi, and my second choice would have been Princess Tutu. These are my favorite anime ever, which anyone who knows me can tell you. I'm rather vocal about my fandom. :D

[Laputa]

Magic User's Club and Princess Tutu for me.

[Yuriko]

Pretear and MUC here, but I could have used more votes :)

One of the people whose works I buy time and again without even knowing the plot of a particular series before opening the DVD box, and I've yet to be disappointed.

~Y

[Fudce]

As much as I love Tutu, I love Pretear and Kaleido Star so much more.