Someone should do a WW1 anime

[aagranov]

Maybe about the Battle of the Somme or Verdun. Ripe material I think.

[Isuzu Inugami]

Three years of running from trench to trench, waiting for the English to invent tanks? I have my doubts....

Although the Eastern front....

[Fudce]

It would really depend on the story, it could be interesting. At the same time, it could be truely terrible.

[leongsh]

Three years of running from trench to trench, waiting for the English to invent tanks? I have my doubts....
Maybe the war fought in the air. It would be nice to see Sopwiths against Fokkers.

[The Great Bear]

Three years of running from trench to trench, waiting for the English to invent tanks? I have my doubts....Maybe the war fought in the air. It would be nice to see Sopwiths against Fokkers.

That would be your best bet.

Trench warfare is not pleasant or entertaining in any way (except for Black Adder Goes Forth--the exception that proves the rule).

[Njr Scrawl]

Most likely about the Russo-Japanese war which happened before WW1. I think the Japanese won.

Is Porco Rosso set in WW1?

[Lego]

All quiet on the western front meets anime?

That or a Red Baron anime would be neat

[leongsh]

Three years of running from trench to trench, waiting for the English to invent tanks? I have my doubts....Maybe the war fought in the air. It would be nice to see Sopwiths against Fokkers.

That would be your best bet.

Trench warfare is not pleasant or entertaining in any way (except for Black Adder Goes Forth--the exception that proves the rule).
Trench warfare can be made interesting but it will be a highly depressing as it focuses on the hell the WW1 troops faced in trench warfare. There's also the use of mustard gas thrown in for good measure.

[The Great Bear]

Trench warfare can be made interesting but it will be a highly depressing as it focuses on the hell the WW1 troops faced in trench warfare. There's also the use of mustard gas thrown in for good measure.

I don't question that it can be made interesting, but the Japanese seem to prefer to set "heavy" anime in science fiction dystopian futures or alternate realities, not in actual historical settings.

A serious look at the poor tommies against the Huns would make for what I agree with you would be one hell of a depressing anime. And get ratings to match :sd:

[leongsh]

Trench warfare can be made interesting but it will be a highly depressing as it focuses on the hell the WW1 troops faced in trench warfare. There's also the use of mustard gas thrown in for good measure.

I don't question that it can be made interesting, but the Japanese seem to prefer to set "heavy" anime in science fiction dystopian futures or alternate realities, not in actual historical settings.
There are a couple of obvious exceptions though - Barefoot Gen and Grave of the Fireflies. But it would be a massive stretch for them to consider doing one about a war which they have little connection with.

A serious look at the poor tommies against the Huns would make for what I agree with you would be one hell of a depressing anime. And get ratings to match :sd:
Hawk it to the History Channel? :sd:

[The Great Bear]

There are a couple of obvious exceptions though - Barefoot Gen and Grave of the Fireflies. But it would be a massive stretch for them to consider doing one about a war which they have little connection with.

True, and that would make Njr's suggestion of one set during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905 a much better bet for seeing the light of day than a WW1 anime.

A serious look at the poor tommies against the Huns would make for what I agree with you would be one hell of a depressing anime. And get ratings to match :sd:Hawk it to the History Channel? :sd:

Good luck to anyone who wants to make the attempt.

"You want us to run a cartoon on our station?"

[Isuzu Inugami]

Is Porco Rosso set in WW1?

I think he was a WWI pilot, but the movie is set on the brink of WWII, IIRC.

[Isambard]

Maybe about the Battle of the Somme or Verdun. Ripe material I think.

The sinking of the Lusitania. Winsor McCay animated it in 1918 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN-KdPBhyjc), why not make an updated account? Then there's the whole conspiracy theory element to the story that could be explored.

[leongsh]

Hawk it to the History Channel? :sd:

Good luck to anyone who wants to make the attempt.

"You want us to run a cartoon on our station?"
Sell it as a fairly realistic look at trench warfare done in animated form.

[philnicau]

Is Porco Rosso set in WW1?

I think he was a WWI pilot, but the movie is set on the brink of WWII, IIRC.


Porco Rosso was set in 1929, during an economic depression in Italy that lead to the rise of Fascism.

[Isuzu Inugami]

Is Porco Rosso set in WW1?

I think he was a WWI pilot, but the movie is set on the brink of WWII, IIRC.


Porco Rosso was set in 1929, during an economic depression in Italy that lead to the rise of Fascism.



... The loooooong brink of WWII.... :sd:

[Suwako Moriya]

Heh with as popular as World War 2 is, I'm shocked people remember there was a World War 1. Err no idea why I said that. Still the problem with real war based anime or any story based on real war is you always worry about the well uh let's call them changes.

[Gundamhead]

Porco Rosso was set in 1929, during an economic depression in Italy that lead to the rise of Fascism.

Mussolini took power in 1922, so fascism had risen a long time ago (in Italy anyway).

I like the idea of a really serious, historically accurate anime about the Russo-Japanese. For one thing, it's not something that's very well known about. At least in the U.S. It's also a very important historical event, being the first "modern" war, as well as being a major contributing factor in the Russian Revolution.

I think it would be interesting if it focussed on poor Admiral Rozhestvensky and everything leading up to the battle of Tsushima. That's a pretty interesting (and rather tragic) story that could make for a great war movie or T.V. series.

Probably won't happen though.

[pianocello]

Most likely about the Russo-Japanese war which happened before WW1. I think the Japanese won.




It's already been done. It's called Raimuiro Senkitan .

[leongsh]

Most likely about the Russo-Japanese war which happened before WW1. I think the Japanese won.

It's already been done. It's called Raimuiro Senkitan .
I would prefer something not based on an eroge :sd: , with less supernatural stuff :sd: and deal with the Russia-Japan war straight-on. The total incongruity of the pretty girl characters and their designs with that period of time is a big put-off.

[Gundamhead]

Most likely about the Russo-Japanese war which happened before WW1. I think the Japanese won.

It's already been done. It's called Raimuiro Senkitan .
I would prefer something not based on an eroge :sd: , with less supernatural stuff :sd: and deal with the Russia-Japan war straight-on. The total incongruity of the pretty girl characters and their designs with that period of time is a big put-off.

Yeah, that one wasn't QUITE what I had in mind :sd: Then again, Mecha makes most anything better.

[4Tran]

This is a pretty good idea, but I think that both the Somme and Verdun are too dreary and limited in scope for anything other than a short work (<120 minutes). While these are the enduring connotations from World War I, it wasn't always like that. Better topics covering the ground war would be the Western Front 1914 (the early part of the war was very fluid and dynamic), the Western Front 1918 (a period of great swings in fortune), or the war in Africa (with the great von Lettow Vorbeck). However, there are a few drawbacks: anime works haven't been particularly good at protraying historically accurate works well aside from rare exceptions like the aforementioned Barefoot Gen and Grave of the Fireflies. Even worse, most potential viewers aren't very interested in this historical period, so it'd only play to a very limited audience. Besides, these stories would probably be more effective as live action works rather than anime.

Most likely about the Russo-Japanese war which happened before WW1. I think the Japanese won.

It's already been done. It's called Raimuiro Senkitan .
I would prefer something not based on an eroge :sd: , with less supernatural stuff :sd: and deal with the Russia-Japan war straight-on. The total incongruity of the pretty girl characters and their designs with that period of time is a big put-off.

Yeah, that one wasn't QUITE what I had in mind :sd: Then again, Mecha makes most anything better.
In this case, it certainly doesn't :sd: . Hey, at least Raimuiro Senkitan is still way better than it's sequel.

[Njr Scrawl]

Probably the best WW1 approach the Japanese could do, would be to either have some Japanese involved/ caught up in some events, or to make an anime from a novel about WW1.

I think All Quiet On The Western Front would make an excellent anime, as its a world famous novel, not too long, poignantly about ordinary soldiers, & would sell its animation dubbed into many languages throughout the world.

Mamoru Oshii to direct perhaps. :)

[CGord]

Ooh, that's a good idea; I'd love to see a Miyazaki-directed movie of AQOTWF.

[Peter_JR]

I think the closest I have seen to a WWI-like anime the beginning scenes from Pumpkin Scissors. It is described as happening in a period like Europe's between the wars years. And the tank designs are seem like the later ones seen at the end of WWI.

[Dennis_Mullin]

How about a Japanese submarine on the hunt for targets in the Mediterrean? Admittedly, Austrian and Ottoman navy opposition was pretty limited and I do not remember if the Japanese actually managed to sink anything.

Or just after WW1 when newly-formed Poland and newly-communist Russia fought? Very fluid battles with crushing defeats (by both sides) narrowly avoided.

Or the railway battles in Russia fought by Czechoslovakian forces as they retreated through Siberia. I believe the Japanese ended up with some fingers in this struggle as well.


As someone else mentioned, WW1 in German East Africa has good animation potential. IIRC they were the last WW1 German forces to surrender and the last to get paid (West Germany paid owed wages to surviving native soldiers in 1957).

[pianocello]

Three years of running from trench to trench, waiting for the English to invent tanks? I have my doubts....



A bunch of sweaty guys in a dusty trench? Doesn't exactly sound like an anime that lots of people will be dying to watch. The only I could see this happening is if someone made a yaoi anime on this. Just imagine the fangirls swooning while grunting German and French soldiers go at each other (and I don't mean by fighting) and the accompanying corny dialogue. :>

[cxt217]

How about a Japanese submarine on the hunt for targets in the Mediterrean? Admittedly, Austrian and Ottoman navy opposition was pretty limited and I do not remember if the Japanese actually managed to sink anything.


Why bother with submarines? The Otranto Barrage was exciting enough for the Entente surface forces that had to watch it. It would not be much of a stretch if you put the Special Service Squadron involving in shoot-outs with the AH Imperial and Royal Navy.


Or just after WW1 when newly-formed Poland and newly-communist Russia fought? Very fluid battles with crushing defeats (by both sides) narrowly avoided.

Or the railway battles in Russia fought by Czechoslovakian forces as they retreated through Siberia. I believe the Japanese ended up with some fingers in this struggle as well.


Oddly enough, I was thinking of the journey of the Czech Legion a couple of days ago. Granted, Japanese troops were involved in actions against the Communists around Vladivostok and across the Tran-Siberian Railway, as was US (I do not know whether they were involved on the Pacific end, but that is where the 25th Infantry Regiment got the nickname of 'Wolverines' from.)


As someone else mentioned, WW1 in German East Africa has good animation potential. IIRC they were the last WW1 German forces to surrender and the last to get paid (West Germany paid owed wages to surviving native soldiers in 1957).


And if anyone has not mentioned, the hunt for Vice-Admiral Graf Spee's squadron, as well as the Emden.

There is a rich enough vein from World War One to mine for stories. But the examples from the initial post (Somme and Verdun.) are not it. How about a plot to destroy the most fearsome weapon yet seen in warfare up to 1914 (Zeppelins)? The voyage of the submarine transport Deutschland? The possibilities are endless.

C.T.

[Lego]

While I know this is WW1 but a lot of people are bringing up WWII. Besides something like Zipang I think a lot of people wouldn't take to kindly to a WWII anime from Japan. Besides Grave of Fireflies and Barefoot Gen which deal with the atomic bombings it's just a sticky subject.