Posted by OP Sequence
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OP: 「SHUT UP AND EXPLODE」 by BOOM BOOM SATELLITES
Watch the OP! Mirror 1, Mirror 2, Streaming
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Summary:
Takehara Akiyuki is a high school student living with his mother on the island of Sentan. His parents are separated, but his mother still cooks lunches and makes Akiyuki bring them to his doctor father. On this particular morning, he delivers one to his still-sleeping father and wakes up the man in the process. It makes him late to get to the bus that’ll take him to school, but he manages to arrive before it leaves. When he notices that the pale-skinned, white-haired girl in front of him in line doesn’t possess an armband like the other students – required for boarding the bus – he decides to help her out by using himself as a distraction and by dropping his own armband in front of the girl. Akiyuki is able to talk his way onto the bus without one, and the girl is able to board as well because she now has Akiyuki’s armband. The bus ride is punctuated by radio reports of the ongoing war outside the island, and the students are unaware of the Northern Government forces coming.
Upon their arrival at school, Akiyuki gets off the bus and notices that the pale-skinned girl is still sitting. Moments after that though, the bus explodes thanks to the girl stabbing her bad with a special object. Akiyuki and his friends are thrown to the ground by the force of the blast, and since he’s relatively unhurt, Akiyuki gets back up afterwards and sees a glowing orb floating above the carcass of the bus. This orb shoots out many beams of energy in multiple directions, and one of these pierces Akiyuki’s arm, injecting something into him that causes him great pain. For the time being though, he is more concerned about his friend Haru who was standing much closer to the blast than he was. Though in shock, Haru turns out to be okay, and Akiyuki then notices that the pale-skinned girl from before is stumbling around hurt inside the bus. He rushes to help her, and to his surprise, the girl apologizes for getting him involved.
As Akiyuki realizes that she was the culprit, the girl introduces herself as Nazuna and comments on how he’ll be okay with the Xam’d of lost memories. She touches his forehead before she dies, and this creates a mask on his face that soon leads his entire body to transform into a large white creature. The guard who subsequently arrives on the scene treats Akiyuki as an enemy and shoots him, and although the impact of the bullets throws his new body onto the ground, Akiyuki proclaims that he wants to live. Meanwhile, high above the town, some aircraft drop a large round object onto the island.
ED Sequence
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ED: 「Vacency」 by Kylee
Watch the ED!: Mirror 1, Mirror 2, Streaming
It is perhaps a sign of the marketing and target audience of this series that both the OP and the ED are in English. Heck, Kylee’s song I could even mistake for something I’d hear on a top40 radio station in the States. BOOM BOOM SATELLITES performs a pretty catchy OP too, and I generally just like both the songs (more the opening though).
Well I’d be lying if I said this one didn’t catch me by surprise. As part of their E3 announcements, BONES and Sony have teamed up to offer BONES’s brand new – not even aired in Japan – series Bounen no Xamdou (Xam’d Lost Memories) on the Playstation Network. The details are in the press release, but basically you can rent (emphasis on rent) the first episode for $2.99 or $3.99 depending if you want lower or higher quality.
As for the episode itself, I was very impressed, but since this is a BONES show, the fact that it’s good isn’t too surprising. The art style makes the series feel like a cross of Nausicaa and Eureka Seven, and I pretty much had no complaints about the production quality. I did find the plot a little confusing at first (the stuff the war and everything that happened with Nakiami), and this was relatively slow-paced for most of the episode, however I should also say that I never felt bored or lost interest. It always felt like there was something big coming and that this was the calm before the storm. And indeed, the most exciting moments were towards the end with the explosion and the transformation for the main character, and they did a good job ending on a cliffhanger.
Overall, this first episode drew me in enough and made me want to see more – that’s perhaps some of the best praise I can give a first episode of something completely new. I’m keen on seeing more and am definitely considering blogging this, though I’m at current unsure what the actual release schedule is for the series, so I can’t commit to anything yet.
omg! downloading…
No video store for Canadians. =[
looks impressive =O
Okay, the op and end really make me want more.
Do we know if any fansub-group picked this show up already?
To me it seems more like a mixture of Last Exile and Eureka Seven, although there’s a bit of Nausicaa in it too.
So, for now it’s an US only release?
Best show of the season confirmed.
hmm seems quite interesting. far more than anything else this season. I’m waiting for a version with proper quality
First time I’ve seen smuggling drugs in condoms in an anime.
its not worth i, you pay $3 to rent it (= $72 to just view the series without owning it). $90 is you rent it in HD.
Your better off waiting to buy it if your going to pay that much money. Rather not support it so they can see that mistake.
eh?..xamdou?
how come its out already?
you can just rent the first 2 episodes to see if you like it first. I’ll probably do that and just wait for it.
I’m not too keen on the renting system, to be honest, but I only have 2 shows to follow that aired this summer season, so hmm… (the first episode itself was really good for something that is original and not based on a manga/light novel).
Ditto on the Eureka 7-esque characters…the redhead/Nakiami can pass as a Coralian in human form (lol) and the mechs have the same feel as the ones in Nausicaa/Porco Rosso
@Omni
Are you going to blog all the episodes?
Will it still be in the coming fall lineup?
The transformed thing gives me a Nirvash Spec-3 vibe… And yeah, the art does remind me of Eureka Seven. I hope this will be good, but than again, BONES doesn’t disappoint.
reminds me a lil of flcl
I watch the OP and, at the first seconds i was shocked that this “artist” copy this song -.-. It’s to much difficult be creative these days?¿?¿
Here’s the true song: The Klaxons – Gravity’s Rainbow
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xyrti_gravitys-rainbow_music
HEYHEY DID YOU RENT THE EPISODE YOURSELF OMNI?!??!?!!1111
There are torrents out already, no need to rent lol.
NOT THE POiNT SiNCE HE’S ADVERTiSiNG THE PSN DEAL. CURiOUS iF HE’S “SUPPORTIiE” OR JUST FULL OF “ASS”.
Ooh yes BONES
will it be subbed?
Yes. It’s hardsubbed on the PS3.
“I watch the OP and, at the first seconds i was shocked that this “artist” copy this song -.-. It’s to much difficult be creative these days?¿?¿
Here’s the true song: The Klaxons – Gravity’s Rainbow”
Lol, are you tone deaf or something? The beat and tempo of both songs are totally different.
*sigh* I bet, in Germany they don’t bring this in Sony Playstore… But good act. Bring Animes into PS3 🙂
Bones?Character desing almost the same of the Fantastic Eureka Seven?OMG!!!!!!*____* *downloading*
who says summer will be dry?
How bout just wait till someone up its up for download, which already has happened… tho he bought the SD version which i was laughing at…
i was like WHOA whats this doing out so early it aint fall yet. i have to dl this. this has been peeking my interests for way to long to avoid
The OP reminds other people of Bebop too right?
This one seriously caught me by surprise. At first I thought it was going to be dubbed, but after watching the trailer I decided to download it. It was well worth the rent! Great voice acting (in Japanese!). The quality in full HD is very high, and extremely pleasant to watch. Coming from Bone’s I had high hopes, and Bone’s did not fail. I’m actually more surprised at the fact they kept it in Japanese w/ English subs instead of dubbing the series, which really was surprising considering the video service isn’t even released on the Japanese store. I’ll definitely be watching this series, even if I have to rent it per week, it’s still worth it at only $3.99(HD version of course and no tax!) per episode.
(This is however, unless a fansub company picks it up, which is highly unlikely considering you cannot copy or purchase each episode from your Playstation 3, until the series is out on DVD. Still, I believe it’s well worth the $3.99!)
Damn. The transformation looks kinda creepy. o_O
Aki: lol. I hope that was a troll.
OOh, something new from Bones. Didn’t expect this to come out of E3
so Kurenai animation :O
LOL at paying 4 dollars to have it for 24 hours.
If I’m going to pay that price for every episode in this series, let me keep the damn episode.
“considering you cannot copy or purchase each episode from your Playstation 3”
I’m very sure you can and I’m waiting for the HQ downloads. I’d even pay the 4$, but they don’t offer it in the EU >.>
She has an Eureka feel to her
http://randomc.bleach7.com/image/Xam'd%20Lost%20Memories/Xam'd%20Lost%20Memories%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2019.jpg
This reminds me of Renton
http://randomc.bleach7.com/image/Xam'd%20Lost%20Memories/Xam'd%20Lost%20Memories%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2008.jpg
This reminds me of Nirvash’s arm
http://randomc.bleach7.com/image/Xam'd%20Lost%20Memories/Xam'd%20Lost%20Memories%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2026.jpg
This scene looks familiar, ne?
http://randomc.bleach7.com/image/Xam'd%20Lost%20Memories/Xam'd%20Lost%20Memories%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2029.jpg
damn why isn’t this show aired normally looks like it would kick so much ass
Bones has continued to give us awesome anime, after watching this I have to say this is probably the best series I’ve seen so far this season
“There are torrents out already, no need to rent lol.”
THIS, this is why we don’t get the goods. In what way is doing that going to support the show’s production. I don’t want Sony to tell BONES to can it because of people like you. They’re taking a gamble on this new service and they probably eying the response pretty hard. People outside the U.S, I can understand your reason, but U.S residents c’mon. Give them a good showing and maybe we’ll see other studios jump on the bandwagon. I got the HD and man, that shit was big.
On another note, is that Akiyuki holding the camera in the OP? Too dark to tell but, if it is. He sure as hell looks like Hei(Darker than Black) in that part.
I love Eureka Seven so very, very much.
Haha, you thought so too. When I watched this I was like “NAUSICAA!” The style is really similar to Ghibli films so I am now even more interested.
Just finish watching it.
It’s kinda like Last Exile + Nausica + Eureka…. pretty weird combo, but works well here.
I’ll definitely keep an eye out for this one.
Initially thought this season would be dull, but now I have Natsume Yuujin-Chou, Mugen no Juunin, Birdy, Slayers Revo and this (maybe Natsu no Sora as well).
Thanx Omni!
@Aki
at $4 an episode to rent it is definitely not worth it no matter how great the anime is. You pay $4 for a 2 hour movie rental, but your paying $4 for something that last 25 minutes and has limited viewing time.
By the time you have seen episodes 1-24 you have spent enough money to buy it when it gets released for sale. I cant see myself paying $32 just to rent something equivalent to 2 hours.
Judging from the torrented version they use some really horrible fonts and typesetting, at times it is almost impossible to distinguish black and white letters on black and white background.
@SigtheREV
I get what you’re saying, and I’m 100% behind your stance in principle: “Get new anime by legitimate means to truly support the industry.” However, looking into released info about the series, it’s PS3 exlusive. The Playstation Network is no Youtube/Crunchyroll, and the prospect of purchasing a $400+ machine to just be able to rent (NOT to own!) an episode of anime seems like a very bad deal, especially in comparison to Gonzo’s new shows on said Crunchyroll and limited time on Youtube. For a show that looks, frankly, amazing, the mediums of distribution are severely lacking.
Wow animation style really reminds me of old school anime definitely a must for me
@Kadian1364
I agree completely, being only a rental was a HUGE mistake. Thing is we probably wouldn’t even seeing this show if it wasn’t for Sony’s wallet. So in a way, I can understand the exclusivity, It’s business. Sony want’s us to use their new VOD service, they give the monies to BONES to make it happen. As for other mediums, once the show has had it’s run on the PSN, I wouldn’t doubt a Blu-ray release. Even then though, that’s only one other expensive medium.
The fact that it is a rental for that price is, no doubt a prob. 3.99 would maybe even had been justified had it been to own.
Definitely echoing Eureka Seven (which I loved) and Studio Ghibli (Nausicca with the glider aircraft and redheaded heroine design, complete with Eureka’s hair clips and Princess Mononoke facial tattooes, heh – just hope she isn’t the ice princess that Eureka nor San were initially, but I do like her actions speak louder than words ‘tude so far). And a pinch of Last Exile (the silver-haired children kinda remind me of Deo and Delphine).
I’m a sucker for anime with aerial themes (heck, I’m in the Air Force), and this one, as confusing as it is, has a lot of potential for awesomeness. If Eureka Seven was any indication, the story will take a bit of time to build up but the climax should be made of pure win. Neat character designs, weird creatures, and inspired machines. The music made a nice complement and it’d be interesting to see if the PS3 model is a success or failure.
@RandomStuffedAnimal
sure you can probably eat a sandwich at that price
but i would like to try the anime first
@ninjikiran
You make a good point. Shouldn’t the prices be scaled in someway? After all, these are only approximately 24 minutes long, while other offerings are full-length feature films.
Perhaps a price-gouging attempt at the anime-watching community?
I’m very interested, this episode really caught me by surprise.
the transformation looks like transforming to hollow of bleach… yuck…
how/where DO we download this, btw?
Great translation quality. Love how its actually an english script unlike fansubbers’ literal translations.
Also he turns in the Nirvash from the last episode of eureka 7
http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/412/15325008jj0.jpg
@helen
You need a playstation 3. Its part of their new movie/tv show rental service.
God if i knew how get the video from the PS3 to the computer, and make it in to a torrent lol… i would buy HD version… to share…
but i dont so just gotta bare with it or wait for better Q
there is no episodes with subs?¡
@TOMOYOfanclub
The episode contains subtitles.
——————–
would know when a new chapter?
will be weekly chapters as in japan?
Hell ya~
I’ve been waiting for this for ages!!
I already downloaded this @ isohunt.com for free… I see no point in paying $3.99 for it.
Yang, it’s people like you that make this industry look bad. No matter how you look at it, BONES could not go to anyone else to show this series on TV and SONY most likely saved this series from likely being scrapped. Stop being a douche and support BONES. They’re an incredible animation studio and deserve to be supported!!!
@ Jay “No matter how you look at it, BONES could not go to anyone else to show this series on TV and SONY most likely saved this series from likely being scrapped.”
Obviously this is completely wrong. Bones simply decided to find another way to broadcast their show, and somehow ended up in a deal with Sony which they evidently judged was more profitable than paying a TV company to air their show and then hoping for people to buy DVDs.
Also, this idea is an almost revolutionary leap in Anime history, i’m sure a company like BONES would love to be part of it.
You can find the episode on http://www.veoh under its alternate name Bonen no Xamdo. so type in Bonen no Xamdo 1 in search there it is subbed.
@Denizen “Obviously this is completely wrong. Bones simply decided to find another way to broadcast their show, and somehow ended up in a deal with Sony which they evidently judged was more profitable than paying a TV company to air their show and then hoping for people to buy DVDs.”
No, BONES seriously missed their opportunity to get this project onto a Spring timeslot, which is why they had no other choice but to resort to the PSN. It was their only option.
FUCK YEAH nice plot, animation, style, opening and more combined in a formula: E7 x Last Exile x Nausicaa + Ben 10 lol, here`s the op with the mp3 for downloading:
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=9BtvGLUpXHg
Enjoy it, nuff said.
Fantastic, its FLCL meets Eureka seven.
I really liked the first ep. The OP was awesome.
Surprised no-one has mentioned it but it gives me a bit of King Gainer vibe too — the character design reminds me more of that than Eureka, though they are both related via character designer..
just watched first episode subbed and it was amazing
Uraharasama: FLCL meets E7? where the hell is there FLCL in it?… O.o I mean, where’s the crazy read head chick with a guitar-chainsaw that drives a moped? Who also uses her guitar-chainsaw to make robotic mechas come out of people’s heads…
I don’t think 4$ price is such a big thing. Since this is an “advance” screening of the show, exclusive to PSN of course.
If it was of course a show that was already shown on TV. Then it wouldn’t deserve the 3 and 4$ price tag.
Looks preety Cool love BONES doing the animation!
Just watched the first episode : amazing. It was like watching an anime movie, animation quality is gorgeous. Now I understand why I despise so much stuff in Code Geass…
I just wonder how Omni as Japanese got his hands on this episode – especialy in that quality. You can’t make screenshots on PS3 😉
Im fairly certain that this is only a timed exclusivity deal with sony. So that those anime fans in the US who want to feel special and see the show before it airs elsewhere can. If you truly believe that this show will only ever be on the PSN store then you are foolish.
wow i am very impressed..i loved both op and ending songs and the animation was absolutely gorgeous…and the plot could be very cool…it reminds me a lot of eureka seven and actually also of last exile…and i also couldn’t help but think of darker than black when that mask snapped on to the main characters face lol
over all seems to be the start of a very and hopefully original new show~!
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