Xenosaga Anime

[bossu]

It's been a long time between posts...

Anyway, I'm sure news of the forthcoming Xenosaga (http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/tv/xenosaga/) animation is making the rounds. Yeah. Toei Animation and Namco are producing an anime based on Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille zur Macht, set to debut in January (or early) 2005. The news was reported on MOONPHASE (http://d.hatena.ne.jp/moonphase/20041108) (originally) and eventually made its way to sites like Anime News Network and AnimeonDVD.

Here's a quick staff rundown (and no...I didn't translate this myself):

Original Work: Namco
Series Structure/Coordination: Yuuichiro Taketa
Character Design: Nobuteru Yuuki
Executive Drawing Director: Masahiro Satou
Art Design: Makoto Suwada
Supervisor: Takeshi Nagaoka
Chief Director: Gou Koga
Music: K¶suke Yama****a

I'm thrilled that Nobuteru Yuuki is a part of this, but I'm also saddened that Kunihiko Tanaka won't be doing the animation designs. But Nobu is pretty much adapting Tanaka's designs, so it's somewhat of a "win-win", in my book.

But my BIGGEST disappointment is that Yasunori Mitsuda won't be scoring the animation. As a longtime fan (like many here) of Mitsuda's, I've always been curious to see how his work would translate from game to animation. It's quite a leap and was looking forward to it, but it's not happening here. Too bad.

I wonder is Mitsuda was even offered or considered for the position? Probably not. Maybe Namco wants the animation to have its own distinct flavor, even if it is based on the games.

More news and images (in Japanese) can be found on here:

http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs/20041110/xeno.htm

[Gemeines]

:shock: This is some of the best anime news I have ever heared!! Thanks!! :wink:

[Jormungand]

But my BIGGEST disappointment is that Yasunori Mitsuda won't be scoring the animation. As a longtime fan (like many here) of Mitsuda's, I've always been curious to see how his work would translate from game to animation. It's quite a leap and was looking forward to it, but it's not happening here. Too bad.

I wonder is Mitsuda was even offered or considered for the position? Probably not. Maybe Namco wants the animation to have its own distinct flavor, even if it is based on the games.
Yeah, that tends to happen. The reason is because video game music composers and anime music composers are not the same thing. It has to do with experience. If a film/anime is made based off of a game, it is typical and more likely that a film/anime composer will be selected to score it -- and vice-versa.

Consider Final Fantasy: Spirits Within...a notable film composer, Elliot Goldenthal, was chosen to score it rather than Uematsu. Or, take Xenosaga II. The anime movie scenes were scored by an anime composer, Yuki Kajiura, while the in-game music will be done by Shinji Hosoe (and someone else, can't remember ^_^'). Those are just a few examples that most people are familiar with.

I must say though, I am dissapointed it won't be Mitsuda. But it is apparent he has been ousted from the Xeno series in favor of other composers, so it's not much of a surprise.

[bossu]

Yeah, that tends to happen. The reason is because video game music composers and anime music composers are not the same thing. It has to do with experience. If a film/anime is made based off of a game, it is typical and more likely that a film/anime composer will be selected to score it -- and vice-versa.

Yeah. I can see that. I guess not every composer can be like a Yoko Kanno, for instance; leap from game to anime and back again, although briefly. ^_^

[datschge]

I guess not every composer can be like a Yoko Kanno, for instance; leap from game to anime and back again

Three other composers I'm aware of doing that are Kohei Tanaka, Motoi Sakuraba and Yoko Shimomura. And Hiroki Kikuta apparently first composed for a couple anime series in the late 1980s before going to Square. Any others I missed?