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NYAF 2011 – Guilty Crown screening and Q&A

Aired: November 2nd, 2011



The room for the screening was small. The number of people that could fit in there was less than for the Professor Layton screening on friday…not that it was any surprise. I just imagined that these things would be bigger. I got a seat in the middle and we were able to start early.

They screened the first two episodes of the new Fall series, Guilty Crown. The 2nd episode was scheduled to air on Oct. 21, that friday so it was a rare treat to see something that even Japanese viewers have not viewed.

We were introduced to a post-apocalyptic world of 2029. The government in power is the GHQ, a foreign power similar in feel to the world of Code Geass. Absolute power always meets with opposition and we have Funeral Parlor, a underground resistance force that is coming to the forefront of society. Politics aside, the main character Shu is a shy highschool boy who runs from confrontation and never speaks his thoughts aloud. In a way, he is fighting himself as the world is fighting against the virus and the State. Shu meets the mysterious singer, the injured Inori and is immediately pulled into string of events that he has no control over, yet is a necessary participant.

It’s a basic premise that definitely echoes of Code Geass. Especially with the granting of a new power from the Void Genome and fighting against the government. And especially at the end of episode 2, we’re getting hints of slice-of-life school comedy in the mix. However, the animation style is definitely very unlike Code Geass. It’s darker and at times grungy. Sort of like the Ghost in the Shell style so familiar in Production IG works. Since it’s set in 2029 (later 2039,) the technology used is also familiar and again wildly different. The inclusion of viruses and Void Genome research brings the elements of medical background which seems to be a plot device in many recent series. (Another noitaminA show which ended with this summer season, No. 6, was a dystopian society with a deadly bee epidemic.)

Kayano Ai (Milia, Last Exile) is the seiyuu for Inori, Kaji Yuuki (Shion, No. 6) for Shu and Nakamura Yuichi (Hatori Yoshiyuki, Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi). *fangirls over the guys* You may also recognize Kaji-san as Finny in Black Butler and Nakamura-san as Greed in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The songs in the series are done by supercell with the ED by EGOIST. Gorgeous melodies that speak of a darker age. The character designs are unique and beautiful.

After the screening, the host announced that Funimation and Nico Nico will be streaming the series every thursday. Licensing manager of Aniplex introduced the guests: George Wada (right) from Production IG, Yamamoto Kouji (middle) from Fuji TV and Oyama Ryu (left) from Aniplex. They starte the discussion by showing some of the official art for the series, starting with the poster.

The ground opened for questions from the audience.

The host thanked the guests and plugged the streaming site and forum for the series. There are some points to note about the series itself. The noitaminA broadcasting timeslot on Fuji tv was initially geared towards a heavily male based audience. Of course, it soon developed a strong female following as well. Since it’s conception in 2005, it developed a reputation for showcasing wide range of anime from all studios that challenge the norm and through the years, it garnered a strong fanbase. Paradise Kiss, Antique Bakery and most recently Usagi Drop and No. 6 has been shown in that timeslot. Due to the broadcasting schedule, the majority of these series are 11 episodes. It starts later in the anime season and ends earlier. Even with only 11 episodes, each of the aired anime seem to carry fans deeper into their world. Higashi no Eden was a perfect example and it gave room for two movies. Planned for 2 seasons, Guilty Crown has a strong beginning and promises to introduce a story that will immerse viewers visually via the art designs and music.

It is little wonder that I couldn’t get into the screening the previous day.

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