Umi Monogatari, new Mahou Shoujo series from Junichi Sato

[Fencedude]

Promo Video (http://eyevio.jp/movie/242598)
Staff Details (http://www.moetron.com/2009/02/26/umi-monogatari-anime-announcement/)

Staff is an interesting selection, though the big name is of course Junichi Sato, the rest of the staff isn't quite so amazingly impressive, but we'll see how it goes.

Animation is by ZEXCS

Designs are fantastic and sexy though.

Supposedly airing for Summer Season.

[musouka]

Designs are fantastic and sexy though.

Not their outfits, though. [vomits]

[Fencedude]

Designs are fantastic and sexy though.

Not their outfits, though. [vomits]

I really doubt this show is aimed at you.

I think they're fantastic, but hey.

[something]

Satou + good animation + hot girls + magic = watched. Will easily be one of my most highly anticipated shows of Summer.

[Suwako Moriya]

Promo Video (http://eyevio.jp/movie/242598).

*Watches* All right then, it looks like I'll have another series to try in the future. Hopefully more info on what's it about will come soon.

[HitokiriShadow]

I can always use more mahou shoujo and this one looks like it has a lot of potential. Very nice animation and character designs, and its directed by Junichi Sato. Very good signs.

[Suwako Moriya]

Satou + good animation + hot girls + magic = watched.

See? This is the real reason why it's a good idea to at least learn some math. So you can better be able to tell when a formula is awesome. Granted this is assuming they don't add anything to the formula to ruin it.

[Fencedude]

. Hopefully more info on what's it about will come soon.

Naked Girls in the Sea.

[Suwako Moriya]

. Hopefully more info on what's it about will come soon.Naked Girls in the Sea.

On that note, I take it the title translates to "Sea Story" or maybe "Story of the Sea"? In any case, the idea of "Naked Girls in the Sea" sounds like a winner.

[TheGreenMan]

"Maiden of the Sea meets the Maiden of the Sky?" Why does show remind of Sailor Moon meets Kannazuki no Miko? Hell, even the girls resemble Chikane and Himeko. Marin (blond) is cute and airheaded, whereas Kanon (with blue hair) is all serious and cool. The sea and sky? Isn't that Michiru and Haruka from Sailor Moon?

[Fencedude]

The sea and sky? Isn't that Michiru and Haruka from Sailor Moon?

Or Mizushima Asa and Sorayama Natsume from Sora no Iro, Mizu no Iro.

[Ty]

Looks promising. I've seen that promo before somewhere in the last couple of weeks but I can't remember where now. I think this is the first show since Nanoha that I can recall seeing an honest to goodness magical girl transformation sequence in. They seem to have fallen out of style outside of comedy/parody use these days. Or maybe I'm just not watching the shows that still use them.

Anyway, I like the designs. Lots of skin, but it doesn't come across in a creepy way like some shows do when they use revealing outfits for fanservice purposes.

[HitokiriShadow]

Looks promising. I've seen that promo before somewhere in the last couple of weeks but I can't remember where now. I think this is the first show since Nanoha that I can recall seeing an honest to goodness magical girl transformation sequence in. They seem to have fallen out of style outside of comedy/parody use these days. Or maybe I'm just not watching the shows that still use them.


Shugo Chara says "hi".

[Ty]

Shugo Chara says "hi".

Skipped it. That's why I put that last sentence in there. :P

[HitokiriShadow]

Shugo Chara says "hi".

Skipped it.

A smart decision.

[Serial Experiments Nobue]

If this signals a mahou shoujo revival, I welcome our new magical girl overlords. :sd:

From the beginning of that video, I thought this was for a movie, as those frame rates seemed pretty high for a TV series. Even if it's just for the promo, it seems like some pretty good animation.

I've liked what Junichi Sato material I've seen so far (Sailor Moon, Magic User's Club, Princess Tutu, and I'll finally be watching Kaleido Star soon), so I'll try to keep an eye on this one too.

[Fencedude]

Anyway, I like the designs. Lots of skin, but it doesn't come across in a creepy way like some shows do when they use revealing outfits for fanservice purposes.

The guy who directed me to the trailer said it reminded him of Uta~Kata, and I can't really disagree with that.

Granted, Uta~Kata was kinda disturbing at points, but I always felt that that was the point.

[Spirit Of The Stage]

Sato and shoujo? Not interested...

*looks at top 3*

Aria
Kaleido Star
Princess Tutu

Looks like I'm wrong...*PUTS ON MUST SEE LIST*

[musouka]

Designs are fantastic and sexy though.

Not their outfits, though. [vomits]

I really doubt this show is aimed at you.

Really? Think about what target audience Sato's anime are usually for and get back to me on that. :p

It's not that they're half naked or anything, it's just those outfits are bleeegh.

[something]

Really? Think about what target audience Sato's anime are usually for and get back to me on that. :p
I wonder if he's not moving away from that, though, if you mean shoujo. Glancing at his wiki article, everything from Kaleido Star (2003) on is, if not exactly aimed exclusively at males, at least not clearly shoujo. Kaleido Star, Sgt Frog, Ariax3, and Sketchbook (supervisor role on the last one, director on the rest). Futagohime might be the exception... I have no idea if that's shoujo or not, I'd have to read up on it. Maybe it can extend back to Princess Tutu in 2003. I know shounen/shoujo labels mean a lot less with anime original work (and Tutu seems decidedly able to cross gender boundaries), but apparently the manga adaptation for Tutu was in a shounen mag.

So he undeniably has a lot of shoujo too, but it's been some years since that's been his real focus (not that I'd mind him going back to it occasionally). Unless the Wiki list missed something major.

[TornadoTatsumaki]

Satou + good animation + hot girls + magic = watched. Will easily be one of my most highly anticipated shows of Summer.

Ditto.

From the guy that brought us Kaleido Star and ARIA. This is one on my "watch" list.

[TornadoTatsumaki]

If this signals a mahou shoujo revival, I welcome our new magical girl overlords. :sd:

From the beginning of that video, I thought this was for a movie, as those frame rates seemed pretty high for a TV series. Even if it's just for the promo, it seems like some pretty good animation.

I've liked what Junichi Sato material I've seen so far (Sailor Moon, Magic User's Club, Princess Tutu, and I'll finally be watching Kaleido Star soon), so I'll try to keep an eye on this one too.

Haven't seen Kaleido Star yet, huh? Prepare for a ride on the emotional rollercoster.

[Suwako Moriya]

Aria
Kaleido Star
Princess Tutu

I rather like this list. Well at the very least the Aria and Princess Tutu part of it. I'm still sort of finalizing my opinion on Kaleido Star.

[Suwako Moriya]

Futagohime might be the exception... I have no idea if that's shoujo or not, I'd have to read up on it.

I'm pretty sure that Futagohime is shoujo. Or at the very least aimed at young children. Doing a bit of checking, it seems that it ran in some magazine called Ciao. Which is apparently shoujo. Regardless of what Futagohime actually is, there is one truth that can't be denied. Fine and Rein make for an awesome pair of twins.

[musouka]

So he undeniably has a lot of shoujo too, but it's been some years since that's been his real focus (not that I'd mind him going back to it occasionally). Unless the Wiki list missed something major.

Nah, I was being facetious. I checked the wiki before I posted too. (Patalliro?! Really? Damn, you really need to revisit those days sometime, Sato...)

Really, I'm just sad they aren't mermaids. :P

[Fencedude]

Really, I'm just sad they aren't mermaids. :P

Oh that would be too wonderful for words.

[EmperorBrandon]

Ah, I happened to catch notice of this a few days ago when I was updating Sato's profile on ANN, and wondering if there would be a topic here on it. I don't like everything Satojun has worked on, but there's certainly quite a few that are very high among my favorites (his works definitely tend to be to my tastes :) ), so I'm at least a little interested based on that.

[angelx03]

Stare at the pretty colored sketches and screenshots near the bottom!

http://journal.mycom.co.jp/articles/2009/05/29/sea-story/index.html

I also found out the first episode should premiere around 6/24.

[gsilver0]

I like some of Sato's series (especially Princess Tutu), but I couldn't help but laugh while watching the trailer.

Those outfits are just ridiculous.

[angelx03]

New promo is out:

http://www.sea-story.tv/special/pv.html#pv_090605

[Suwako Moriya]

http://www.sea-story.tv/special/pv.html#pv_090605

I'm confident that I'm going to love blond hair girl and red haired loli.

[TheGreenMan]

http://www.sea-story.tv/special/pv.html#pv_090605

I'm confident that I'm going to love blond hair girl and red haired loli.

The blond girl throws around aishiteru a lot, doesn't she? She said it in the first PV to the blue haired girl too

*Readies yuri goggles*

[Fencedude]

Asumi Kana, Horie Yui and Kotobuki Minako? FANTASTIC

Also, very yuririffic.

[angelx03]

Get a sneek peek of the OP sequence here!

http://www.sea-story.tv/special/pv.html

The song reminds me of something out of Aria, but the sequence itself...well.......

[Fencedude]

Get a sneek peek of the OP sequence here!

http://www.sea-story.tv/special/pv.html

The song reminds me of something out of Aria, but the sequence itself...well.......

Its very relaxing.

The outfits...are very distracting.

[something]

Get a sneek peek of the OP sequence here!
http://www.sea-story.tv/special/pv.html
The song reminds me of something out of Aria, but the sequence itself...well.......Its very relaxing. The outfits...are very distracting.
Much more distracting was the MASSIVE BLOCK OF TEXT taking up a quarter of the screen. But it looks quite nice, and I really love the outfits and designs.

[Fencedude]

Get a sneek peek of the OP sequence here!
http://www.sea-story.tv/special/pv.html
The song reminds me of something out of Aria, but the sequence itself...well.......Its very relaxing. The outfits...are very distracting.
Much more distracting was the MASSIVE BLOCK OF TEXT taking up a quarter of the screen. But it looks quite nice, and I really love the outfits and designs.

True. But at least we are now completely aware that it starts in only 11 days!

[Suwako Moriya]

Get a sneek peek of the OP sequence here!


*Watches* The song is nice and relaxing. The images are worth researching. The text is informative, but evil.

[Suwako Moriya]

The outfits...are very distracting.

I have to respectfully disagree. The outfits helped me focus on what truly matters. Wait. That came out wrong.

[TheGreenMan]

Get a sneek peek of the OP sequence here!

http://www.sea-story.tv/special/pv.html

The song reminds me of something out of Aria, but the sequence itself...well.......


It very nice and relaxing. I was expecting it to build up, but the song kept the tempo and relaxing mood all throughout.

[Serial Experiments Nobue]

::nods approvingly::

I hope this gets picked up for R1... Junichi Sato hasn't disappointed me yet. :)

[Westlo]

Get a sneek peek of the OP sequence here!

http://www.sea-story.tv/special/pv.html

The song reminds me of something out of Aria, but the sequence itself...well.......

*rages at the main characters ass being covered by text*

[TheGreenMan]

Another PV:

http://www.sea-story.tv/special/pv.html


Is it airing tomorrow?

[angelx03]

Another PV:

http://www.sea-story.tv/special/pv.html


Is it airing tomorrow?

According to the website, that is affirmative! Great way to start the summer season!