First Impressions / OVA/Movie / Series Introduction / Yozakura Quartet

OP Sequence

OP: 「kid, I like quartet」 by UNISON SQUARE GARDEN
Watch the OP!: Download, Streaming ▼

As a treat for manga readers, the trend these days seems to be bundling Original Animation DVDs (OADs) with volume releases that animate a few parts of the original source material. In the case of ones that had already seen an adaptation like Yozakura Quartet, these bonus episodes also tend to please the purist crowd, who strongly feel that the anime should be an exact moving and talking version of what they read. Whether you fall into that category or the anime-only viewers’ one like myself, this first of three scheduled episodes is a refreshing take on the twelve episode series that aired back in fall 2008 since the only constant is the seiyuu cast. The entire production staff and the studio in charge have been replaced, which is most apparent in the character designs by Sawa Ryoochimo, who also happens to be the director and key animator for this OAD version. Replacing Nomad studio is Tatsunoko Production in collaboration with (the relatively new?) KMMJ Studios, with Kusanagi studio providing the really nice hand-drawn backgrounds. A really pleasant addition is Suemitsu Atsushi composing the music, who is probably more well-known by his solo project name, Suemitsu & the Suemith, and theme song performances in Nodame Cantabile. His music adds a very soothing feel to the series, which the “Hello Hello” ending theme featured here is a perfect example of.

As for the change in character designs, I really don’t mind how it departs from original author/artist Yasuda Suzuhito’s style and provides a more “unrefined” and goofy feel to the overall series. Compared to the television series (of which I covered the first episode), Ryoochimo’s designs definitely have more of a playful feel to them, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing since it opens the door to some of the silly behavior seen in the characters. However, I can’t help but see the irony in it all when I stop and think about which audience these OAD episodes are targeted towards. Compared to the anime series where the story was loosely based and the character designs were closer to the original designs, we now have a faithful story where the characters designs aren’t. In any case, before creating Yozakura Quartet, Suzuhito worked as an illustrator and did the designs for Narita Ryougo’s Durarara light novel, whose anime adaptation saw character designs more akin to the ones Suzuhito had drawn for his own series. Being an anime-only viewer, I really don’t have a preference either way, but do find it a lot of fun watching the same cast voice these very different yet completely similar characters of theirs. If nothing else, the visual change makes this come off as an alternate retelling almost immediately. Incidentally, this episode had laughing more than I ever recall doing with the anime, particularly when 200+ year-old district mayor of Sakurashin, Shinatsuhiko Yuuhi (Matsumoto Sachi), took a chair to back of the head from his assistant Mariabelle (Tanaka Rie) for being a pervert in a young boy’s body.

With regards to the episode itself, someone will probably have to fill me in on exactly where this slots into the overall story, but with all the characters already acquainted with one another, Hiizumi Akina’s (Kaji Yuuki) “Tuning” ability already in regular use, and most of all, the mention of Enjin and youkai hunters such as Kuromaki Zakuro (Mizuhara Kaoru), I’m inclined to believe it takes place sometime after the canonical version of the events in the anime. Interestingly enough, this didn’t come off terribly out of place from an anime-only perspective, which I can’t say the same about the School Rumble OAD that animated the ending of the manga, nor the Negima ones that just cover a handful of the later chapters. The fact that this episode was mostly a lighthearted affair that had glimpses of Yarisakura Hime (Fukuen Misato) and Kishi Touka’s (Tomatsu Haruka) feelings for Akina really helped ease me into things, as did seeing Azuma Rin (Matayoshi Ai) continue working her delivery job and growing accustomed to living with humans. The actual story developments were only covered at the beginning with Zakuro breaking one of the seals (?) on the Seven Pillars that connect the human and spirit world and protect the town, and at the very end with Yuuhi explaining how Enjin’s trying to make those sakura pillars bloom to destroy the barrier that stabilizes that link. There was also Zakuro taking control of Rin and using her to attack Touka’s brother Kyousuke (Ono Daisuke) with those necromancer abilities of hers. (Rin is a Chinese zombie type of youkai.) Normally I wouldn’t mind leaving off on such a cliffhanger, but it is a bit of a long wait to see the continuation. The second episode won’t be out until April 8th, 2011, as it’ll be bundled with the tenth volume of the manga. Oh poo.

For those completely unfamiliar with this series, please see my quick overview in the aforementioned post on the first episode of the anime series. A more complete cast list is included there as well.

 

ED Sequence

ED: 「Hello Hello」 by SUEMITSU & THE SUEMITH
Watch the ED!: Download, Streaming ▼

34 Comments

  2. The “Umi no Hoshi” arc start from chapter 26 of the manga, but this episode cover chapter 23 to 25 of the series.

    I’m not complaining though, considered they covered Yae and her teddy-addiction episode.

    Vermillion
    Reply

  4. “Oh poo.” XD I’ll just wait ’til all three episodes are released. A near half a year wait is too long for a cliffhanger. o-o I think I’ll check out the series in the meantime. :B

    Pao
    Reply

  5. The art style, feels like it’s from some Digimon Movie.
    I like it. =D

    The series have different Art style, much more serious look then this. It got infected with the latest trend?

    FlamingYu
    Reply

  6. So close – word of the anime.
    Well i been watching the previous yozakura, i can see akina and the other character’s drawing style have change. but i can really see the effects in the fight which is quit cool. the teddy bear thing is also cute and seeing the head with a nun costume is kind of weird + katana = Whats that. and seeing Juri being stronger than hime and touka OMG.
    all in all the anime is cuter than the previous once.

    Croosboy シ
    Reply

  7. It seems to me that this episode takes place some time after the anime series concluded and yet at the same time many of the characters were drawn to appear a little younger then they were in the anime series. In other words it looks like this takes place a year or two after the anime series but the characters look to be a year or two younger as they are drawn.

    When I 1st started watching this I thought it was a prequel of some kind because the characters looked so young until someone said the cute girl (with the pink hat that delivers hot food from a restaurant in a box) had been with them for a while.

    Karmafan
    Reply

    1. These OAD’s have nothing to do with the 1st anime as the later was an adaptation decay. The OAD’s are a faithful adaption of the manga which this OAD covers three chapters from the manga.

      To be honest, i kinda wish the OAD stick to the original character design from the 1st anime. I’m not digging this new bubbly look.

      MrTerrorist
      Reply

    2. The character look a bit younger because of the drawing style. Too bad it’s not Durarara!! style, but what you gonna do…

      This arc also happen right after the anime arc. (If you take off the adaptation decay part that is…)

      Seriously, I already like this OAD more than the first one.

      Vermillion
      Reply

      1. I think you misunderstood what i said. Let me explain. The 1st anime had nothing to do with the manga and is not related to it in anyway except for character design and settings.

        For example, in the 1st anime, Shinozuka the Hanyō was the a henchmen of Gin/Enjin, the Big Bad of the series but in the manga, he’s actually the assistant of the Mayor from the next town, Rin came to Sakurashin in the 1st episode but in the manga, Rin has been living in Sakurashin for a year, Kyōsuke in the anime thinks Akina’s Tuning powers aren’t needed for Sakurashin but Kyōsuke in the manga believes Akina’s Tuning powers are needed to protect the townspeople, Akina friends have known he has been using his powers for a long time but the manga reveals he secretly hid powers to his friends sand only revealed it to them when Kyōsuke question him if he ever learn it. And one major difference between the anime and manga is that Show Spoiler ▼

        Just consider the anime and manga/OAD as two different continuity just like the 1st Fullmetal Alchemist anime and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

        MrTerrorist
        Reply

      2. Haha, it’s okay, I know what you’re talking about, I do read manga and watch the anime version. Trust me, I know the differences.

        The part I say “This arc also happen right after the anime arc.” was suppose to mean that if the anime was done faithfully to the manga version, Hoshi no Umi arc would happen right after it.

        My post was actually direct at Karmafan :p

        Vermillion
        Reply

  9. Zakuro didn’t break any seals, just an altar/shrine to worship the Seven Pillars. In the manga it was just a signboard so there’s no significance.

    It is set after the first major arc of the manga. Basically just ignore the tv series plotline but the characters personalities and Kotoha’s backstory remain the same. Oh and as shown, Hime also develops felling for Akina, which she never really did get to in the tv series. There really isn’t too much that needs to be filled to get into this oad arc except for a revelation about Enjin and the Seven Pillars, which Zakuro conveniently mentioned a bit about at the start of the ova. In a nutshell:
    Show Spoiler ▼

    I think that about covers the main details from the previous arc. There is more but it doesn’t play much significance in this arc. Heck, the stuff I just brought up doesn’t really come in much this arc either.

    justpassingby
    Reply

  12. YaY! So happy to see it follow closely to the original, unlike it’s anime series
    It’s a good thing they decided to cover ch 23-25 or the first 3 ch of vol 5 instead of jumping right into the Sea of Stars arc since this is really just the re-introduction episode
    It’s only too bad that they decided to changed most the holding hands part/ch23. I wanted to see more Hime and Touka fighting to hold Akina’s hand and Akina sort of settling it for the two instead Kotoha talking to Touka about it. But I love how they did Yae dancing around town with her bear head but I wish they showed Yae pointing the guy’s gun at him instead of her sword.
    Just too bad we have to wait for months for the next episode.

    ShadoWanderer
    Reply

  13. Didn’t know you covered the first episode of the series.
    Yeah the character design thing is pretty ironic, I was a little unhappy when I saw the trailer, but I’m already accustomed to it now, I guess the fact that I love it a lot helped.
    Waiting 5 months sucks.aaaargh.
    I dreamed I was going out with Kotoha 3 days ago.If I had to choose , I would have preferred Touka.
    What else can I say?

    Rockmanshii
    Reply

  21. I’m with TrunkMonkey on this one, Personally I like it too and cant wait for the next Episode
    @Litho,You should always give things a try. You’ll never know, You might Like this series.

    Frenzy
    Reply

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