Canaan:

OK this will hopefully be the show for this season!
Great animation (hmm - it's a close call for which has a better drawn 1st epsiode of Canaan and Bakemonogatari)
Again, 720p HD (none of this SD silliness like K-On last season)
Plenty of drama in the first show and I guess Riyan should catch the interest of some here also :)

Detective, assassins, reporter and plenty of armed forces seem to be involved.
None of the web sites seem to know what the story is actually about, even the official site hardly says anything useful ... so again, it's wait for a sub :)
Seems like there are some guys running around with a virus that kills them when they see broad daylight and some company called DAEDALA that probably wants it?
Riyan is the 'play thing' and probably also the assassin for the boss of DAEDALA - Kamingezu ... well that's what his name looks like on the web site :)
Canaan seems to be the one trying to stop what is going on?

The web site has plenty of English to help getting around it: http://www.canaan.jp/
Why does Maria (well I think that's her name) not have a digital camera? :heh:

I'm waiting for subs for both Bakemonogatari and Canaan.

Anything Type-Moon interests me, at the very least, so I'll give this series a shot.
The impressive visuals (according to what I've seen and heard anyway) don't hurt at all.

Well. It's a sequel to the thecritically acclaimed 428 Shibuya visual novel for the Wii. I've posted that info around here somewhere but nm.

http://www.akiba-ch.com/?p=902 <= this blog entry is a most spoilerful summary of the VN.

Yeah I read that on the wikipedia page also, but didn't want to find out about the game just in case it ruined the show :)
But also the fact that none of the sites seem to have an actual summary, maybe suggests that the Wii VN story mightn't be the same?

Well - from the details of that review. It's set immediately after the VN's story. (Canaan arrives once you get the 100% completion or something in the VN)

It's also important to note that it's not actually by Type-Moon. They just got Takebouki to work on the bonus scenario/backstory (possibly delaying the real Type-Moon products for this year). They appear to be milking that by taking up the drawing style and the backstory made by Takebouki.

Ah well, I take

to be close enough to saying it's Type-Moon :D

Subs by gg are out.

*monkey2k hopes to see it DLed when he wakes up

... dashes over to TT ...

Well that was an exercise in "I have no *&#@ing idea what just happened there."

Then I reread the 428 review and pieced together a few bits. I hope this isn't a revealed as you go along thing like Ergo Proxy.

In any case I guess it's not set after the VN. In fact I'm not sure if this episode is a prequel or a sequel to the 428 story. I think it's likely to be prequel given the main 'event' happens in the VN. The episode looks like it revolves more around the characters than any story.

Note Maria Oosawa the genki ditzy annoying photographer. She's supposed to be more 'tomboyish' than her sister o.O

Ive read the interview, and watched the first ep...

-_- hmm...

Uhh..

Lets see, Its actually pretty good, though the first thought that (unwillingly) went through my head was Mission Impossible(just after reading a few lines in the storyline summary...)

I really look forward to this series...

Well Ep 2 helped explain a bit more and seems to imply: close to what I guessed is, at the least, the virus is a major part of the story.
[Spoiler=Ep 2 spoiler]Was a little surprised to find out that Maria had the virus and survived
Especially after they said it killed in 12 hours ... super dad?
And the old guy (from Ep 1) that got fried trying to kill Canaan - WTF? LOL
But the most surprising was the ending ... Hakko certainly seems like a completely different character there :) Meow :)[/Spoiler]
Looked up the seiyuu's and found ...
Canaan: Miyuki Sawashiro - also: Aruru (Utawararumono), Nekane (Negima!?), Kannagi: Tsugumi & Jin (young) ... and a zillion others - even in Bakemonogatari! but wait for it ... Princess Daisy :D
Hakko: Mamiko Noto - also: Nodoka (all Negima ...), Yell (Akikan!), lol: Tomoe (Queen's Blade) ... and a zillion others also
Liang Qi (stripper secretary who I called Riyan in the 1st post): Rie Tanaka - also: Shuri (Asura Cryin'), Misaki Yamamoto (Hatsukoi Limited), Octavia (Tears to Tiara) ... and again, a zillion others
Yunyun: Haruka Tomatsu - also: Lala (ToLoveRu), Misao (Asura Cryin'), Nagi (Kannagi) and quite a few other major rolls this year and last year
... I'll stop there :) ... wow - a lot of top seiyuu's in this show! ...

Indeed there are a lot of top names.

I'm sure I told you about the virus before :eyebrow:

Anyway - will go watch it at top speed!

Nah, I was referring to my comment about the virus in the first post having only watched the raw, before I watched a sub ...
Basically thinking that this virus thing was possibly going to be a major basis of the story ...

[Spoiler=Comments & Speculation]

• Oh hey, she's her sister. Family of psychos eh?
  The wierd lackey/boss guy also appears into S&M. Freakish villains - sounds Type-Moon inspired alright :lol:
• Eyup - confirmation that it's a sequel. I guess Maria has suffered a personality rewiring along with the amnesia and become massively girlier in the aftermath. Still chasing Canaan around tho.
• Hmm... Canaan obviously rubs her the wrong way. I think Canaan also gets a rather high level of intelligence to go along with her immense control of her abilities. Kinda like *spoiler* Shiki.
• Also note Maaya Sakamoto - She's putting her 'moody' shiki voice to good use. I can imagine Shiki's Yakuza boss days better now :lol:
• Is it sad that I can identify almost all the firearms used so far?
• WTF?! The true form of the breast monster?! :blink:
• A psycho old man and shota. Hm... more imitation (in my perception) of freakish TM villian archetypes.
• EPIC car chase song. The driver is also a freak however =_=
• Mmmmn.... Neko.....

Reverse engineering what we know so far. I don't think we've seen anyone struck down by the Virus yet - I don't think the Virus is the main plot. Given the old crazy we see in action I think the people in the previous ep were victims of Snake's synaesthesia experimentation in their minions. So main plot - Synaesthesia, Snake and CanaanxAlphard?. They may drag Maria back into things also.[/Spoiler]
Next time... Exhibitionist Neko!? :blink:

Are you certain the Nekomini Opai is not Hakko, but her sister?
Ep3 raw gave me the impression that they are the same person ...
... though that could be a completely wrong impression since it is a raw I watched ...

The sisters comment was relating to psycho exhibitionist secretary woman and Alphard :P

I don't watch raws...

Ah OK - you weren't referring to nekomimi Hakko.
I thought you were.
Hakko seems to be somewhat bi-polar ... being all reserved/timid in one case and being an "Ep3 spoiler :)" in another case - lol

Liang also seems to have a 2nd, reserved, side to herself when her sister is around ...

nya nya nya nyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!

Liang Qi - Yandere Hisui!?! :o

subs for 3 is out - damn gg - why do they have a Spice and Wolf advert in the middle ... and a Bakemonogatari advert at the end ... and a digital broadcast statement at the end ...
And just to make you think even worse of gg - with their Bakemonogatari sub they say to use VLC! gg are morons!

Meanwhile - back on topic ...
lol - yeah as Canaan almost said :) Maybe Ep 3 should have been called "Maria Sugoi"

I still don't get what's going on with schizo Hakko

gg do Type Moon stuff. Thou shalt not make bad words against gg! :angry:

[spoiler=Canaan 3]

• Maria can be serious too eh? A woman's look of disapproval XD
• Those two work at that kinda club eh? Complicated life...
  Japanese Style. Well. I'm sure some places mix and mash also -_-
• What do you call a mash up between poor japanese and chinese?
• He seems rather liberal with his girls. It's that kinda profession I guess. But what's up with that guy? creepiness level high...
• Heh, virus dragged back in after all. So they're making them all freakish mutations due to the virus. It operates by mutagenic destruction with the off chance of surviving the mutations eh?
• I'm hearing Yuri fangirl squeeing...
• She has a late model AK but has potato mashers =_=
• They're expanding on Kinoku Nasu's backstory eh?
• "You eat an amazing amount, you have an amazing antennae." - XD :lol: :xd:
• "Breast monster" as she's known in some places is some kinda spy after all...
• Hakko seems mute and dumb. Innocent and childlike state of mind. I'm surprised she's let out unsupervised by that guy.
• Hapless reporter vs. some kinda underworld guy? this could get ugly.
• Perverted lil bastard! But she does get tied up a lot eh?
• I wonder what the mark does mean and who the actual factions controlling them care. I mean, it looks like the people who created and unleashed the virus are controlling a lot of these people. Hakko may end up pulling some super ability outta of her ass at some point if all it means is 'survivor'
• He wants revenge, so... what? Did he act independantly and decide to alienate the two with his death? Canaan certainly failed the scenario epically.
• Maria is such an innocent person ;_;

[/spoiler]
Mmmn... I wonder where Canaan's mark is... >.>

Next time - backstory time, the times when she met Maria and when she met Shamu - her 'master'

P.S.

[Spoiler=Anime is certainly leading me astray...]
Rough job with my noobish skillz
[/Spoiler]

Four reasons why I started watching this anime.

1. Maaya Sakamoto (Sounds like Shiki again)
2. Rie Tanaka (Never heard her in a tough-voice)
3. Mamiko Noto
4. Original Scenario by Type-Moon (I don't think they did anything else)

Still have yet to hear Mamiko Noto's/Hakko's voice...

[Spoiler=Ep 3]I find it weird that Maria didn't react as much as I thought she would to Mino's comment about her, or the kid's grabbing.
Not that I wouldn't mind that...
It's a great break from watching all of those action/comedy anime...[/Spoiler]

Good man. He's a Kara no Kyoukai fanboy ^_^
Also from the headings - like I thought. He's deliberately adding adverts.

[spoiler=Canaan 4]

• Animated parts of their backstory. This is the stuff Nasu wrote.
• LOL ITS JOUJI THE CAB DRIVER AGAIN! Imagining Araya Souren/Kotomine Kirei singing idol songs XD
• Village disappearing - Ua virus hit? and a set of Borners as a result?
• So the group rescuing the Borners is affiliated and working for whoever Canaan works for...
• Again what is with that fracking S&M couple!??!?!
• Wtf is this corporation!? providing security for a major international security conference?
• I guessed correctly. Mentally handicapped in a childlike state.
• Canaan is either superhumanly strong - or they have the blood settings turned quite high for this series
• Seriously, who the hell does that girl really work for? =_=
• 8th wonder of the world. That's a good of describing her. She's frigging nuts.
• True enough, everything about Canaan's ability comes out of her synthaesthesia. Emotional states would mess with her mind.
• Considering she's using a Five-seveN, those are HUGE bullet holes.
• So as far as I can tell rather than physical torture she wants to corrupt and tear down this girl that her friend and master took in and taught.
• How does one have a Hatsune Miku festival? -_-;

[/spoiler]

Next time. How many manjuu can you fit in there? :o

[Spoiler=Ep 4]Huh... Maria's still being weird.
I'm guessing either there's not Chinese subber on their team, or they didn't translates those three guy's dialog on purpose?
The blood vessels... *Stares at Hakko's*
This episode seemed dragged out to me, except I'm glad Canaan's back story was revealed so early.[/Spoiler]

I see what she did there...

FMS translated most of the 3 Chinese guy's dialogue.
Though FMS had a news flash run under the show (but apologised in the subs), at least they didn't put any stupid commercials in it - I guess I'll be avoiding gg as much as possible coz they keep leaving damn adverts in.

Well - yeah Ep 4 was a tad slower - but nothing to complain about IMO :)

Are you that vehemently opposed to any disruption to your viewing experience? :heh:

Well that and having to download bigger files purely coz they have adverts in them :(

:blink: how much do those tiny commercials really add to the size? =_=

An easy underestimate is ((file size * advert time) / total time)
On Ep 3 the 3 adverts add up to 60 seconds out of the 1494 seconds i.e. 4% or at least 13.5MB of the 321MB file
However, the adverts bit rates are little higher (like the OP and ED) if they are more motion intensive than the show (which is common in adverts)

Doesn't matter to me because I'm stealing my brother's drive space.
God, having a desktop just as a server is convenient.

Though if you're nit-picky about space, I understand.

Y'kno reading gg can be kinda funny

Lol, looks like they have a lot they can spare :P

The encode itself can always be smaller - by reducing the bit-rate and making the quality more crappy ...
When I encode my kids DVDs to make the iPod nano movies a typical 90min movie ends up being 300-400Mb coz the bit-rate I use is only 448 for video (but still 128 for the audio) so total 576 - but since the screen is only 320x240 that's actually not too bad
As for watching anime - I either watch on my 24" left screen on this PC which is 1920x1200 or on a 42" LCD (1080p = 1920x1080) so I'm hoping the sub group to use a good bit-rate so it's not total crap during the 'action' scenes

OK is it just me or Maria Oosawa has a RL counterpart...
Which has nothing to do with being a photographer, but being photographed instead!
Maria Ozawa

Some of you may be too young, or just not into such things(I declare I am not into such things, but I happen to know about it by hearsay)... The difference is the Oosawa...

Well - at the bottom of the Wiki page it says "Japanese erotic cinema"
And there is no picture of her.
So, obviously, you spend too much time watching pr0n :P

I wander around a lot reading TM discussions and this has come up. Apparently the most well known RL Maria Ozawa is a pornstar. Maria Oosawa in japanese is also apparently pronounced the same way as the somewhat more notorious Ozawa.

Ep 5 sub is out by that group that doesn't leave adverts in (and usually beats the advert version by about half a day) :)

This the group that has poor translations? (so the blurb tells me)

EDIT: [spoiler=Canaan 5 - Mmmmmn.... the taste of a well thickening plot...]

• Liang Qi - Definitely a yandere Hisui
• Harpoon fishin' in Shanghai bay? Surely it's full of toxins and stuff?
• Eeeeeeeeeyessssssssss............
• Indeed as suspected she works for the bad guys. However, being assigned jobs by such a high placed person does raise questions about the structure of the organisation.
• Ua virus for assassination - it seems to be used like a trademark weapon by this lot
• Among the revelations - Yun is a borner and she knows Hakko.
• Yeah, srsly. Disappearing for a night in Shanghai. Mino probably thought she was dumped in an alleyway or in the bay =_=
• High profile people visiting the club - coincidence or plan?
• "I'll only die for love." - Death flag much?
• Bun stuffing technique! The boss seems familiar with it though.
• Cockfight! With Ass shaking! The guys seem to have similar power levels, though mino via background is down a few levels.
• LOL, gg made good on their threat.
• That. Is one HUGE derringer. What is it? a 10 gauge derringer?!?! :blink:
• As expected Canaan is a little Shiki like. Usagi. >.>
• Yun along with Maria appear to be the only typical silly anime characters that are in this. The contrast between them and the 'realistic' characters is hilarious
• Now did they expect her to fail or not?
• "B-Boner?"
• I can't help but think the A-team for the series has finally formed with Mino, Maria and Canaan standing together in that shot. They are all the 'light side' characters from the 428 Visual novel that appear after all.

Theory = Snake as a result of Canaan are actively trying to develop synaesthesia in certain target groups - Hence the wiping out of a village. Evidently while a large number of survivors/borners were created only a small number manifest special abilities due to their mutations. They may or may not have their own Synaesthesia capable person.

Given Yun's apparently useless mutation (apart from probably being able to digest grass) Hakko may have suffered voicebox or brain damage - or for all we know she has some kinda ultrasonic voice attack.

Borners requiring medication to survive - other than taking this at face value I think back to spasm death people in the first ep.
Are they so susceptible to death because of their mutations or because they're cut off from the medication in their rebellion? Maybe both happens. If there's a relation between them and lacking medication, then I wonder if that means the medication suppresses brain haemorrhage by out of control synaesthesia.[/spoiler]

Next time: Maria meets Alphard again! A test of of truly how amnesiac she is! :o

@Strange_One, great description of Liang.

Finally got around to watching Canaan 5.

[Spoiler=Number 5 (Watched gg)]The Snakes are probably going to use the Ua virus to control the guy, not kill him (In my theory).
I lol'd at the Tokyo weather forecast in gg's version.
1000 a night... Hakko's expensive (Then again, I don't know if that's a lot in their currency)
What was the big explosion in the river anyways?[/Spoiler]

Have to also watch KnK 6 and Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei by gg... Neither of those have adverts though.

[Spoiler=Takeuchi Flavour: First time he tried Maria?]
This is a pretty good example of how rather average his art skills actually are :lol:

[/Spoiler]

I seem to be correct so far.

[spoiler=Canaan 06]

• I guess it's a recent trend for lovely female VAs to put out pissy psychotic voices. Tanaka Rie :xd:
• Who's the random idol girl??
• seriously what the hell is up with Yandere Hisui's bitch?!
• "So you've finally entered puberty." - Lol, an outsider commenting on the impending Yuri'splosion
• The President enters via some obscure route past the women's toilets and only has 4 SS for escort. He's obviously nowhere near as awesome as any real president.
• As mentioned before, I was right - a sonic attack of some sort. Looks to be a rather intense verson of a sonic weapon.
• Maria's amnesia is holding strong I guess. Maybe she'll remember Alphard later
• I love everyone's WTF @ the President.
• However, everyone in the crowd is a moron
• And this demonstrates why Vash the Stampede should never get into politics
• I guess Tanaka Rie was having seizures from the gruff voice and so went full genki girl power there :lol:
• Not a mission and she can do whatever she wants. Srsly. Who are these semi light-side guys?
• GOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGO
  that's all that needs to be said on that. <_<
• They've put more effort on the rifles given that they're onscreen more this time. The chinese weapons are quite identifiable as the QBZ-95. Terrorist/security people weapons are however are a confused mashup of the modern SIG rifle. Certainly a nonstandard barrel, flash hider and a stretched version of the carbine handguard that probably doesn't exist.
• ..... how the hell do you precisely control bombs that you are rapidly blowing up with a frickin' Wii nunchuk??
• AWESOME TAXI ARAYA/KOTOMINEEEEEEEE
• Hmm... Alphard was the first 'Canaan'. That certainly wasn't written by Nasu... :blink:
• Hmm.... Alphard reminds me of someone I knew.... =_=
• Heh, young Alphard voice makes me imagine a cute Shiki voice :lol:
• Maria has a serious Princess Peach thing going there... =_= really hope that stops soon...
• "AI-DESU! NEE-SAMA." - Liang Qi ain't just a Yandere Hisui. She's one of Kohaku's wet dreams.

[/spoiler]
Something that remains rather mystifying is what the heck Alphard is trying to achieve. She's certainly not selling the 'she has a desire' point to the viewers here -_-

Rather impressive. Finally we see another character from the 428 VN. Maria's father is rather convincingly drawn in the preview - certainly looking more like the 428 Actor than the somehow blonde Maria or the manlier looking than he actually is Mino.

Also - whilst looking for a picture, I discovered there is a real Oosawa Kenji that is a genetic scientist :lol: