I've been feeling sick recently so I figured I'd do something mindless that would take about an hour to complete. Writing a blog will suffice. This is Anime Trailer Park. The point of which is to examine new and old trailers and see how they impact expectations.

Long Promos:

Sekirei -Pure Engagement-

Summary: I'm intrigued
I've read Sekirei, but I havent followed the anime. When watching that first episode, Musubi's voice actress was so drastically different than the way I played Musubi in my head that I couldn't get over it. But I, like any man, am fond of a good harem story so this new season might win me back. While the animation in the trailer is a little too unrefined for my tastes (Karasuba's eyes just magically appear in the first scene), the battle music works well with the fight sequences and promoting the fighting is a big plus as this season should be much more action based. I still don't see how the story can be considered a Miraculous Love Story, but I guess Japan romanticizes harems much more than I do. Overall I want to like the trailer because I want to see Sekirei in anime form. I'm sure as soon as Musubi talks this season I'll go back to watching something else on this list.


Tatakau Shisho -The Book of Bantorra-

Summary: Round One. Fight!
The entire Tatakau Shisho trailer looks like the intro to a fighting game. There is just no other instance in which a group of characters so diverse can come together while fighting each other and not be a part of a fighting game. No other way. At least that's what I thought until I fact checked with anidb and found out that this game...er...tv show is actually about a man who has his memories wiped so he can assassinate the most librarian in the world. This plan is foiled by a beautiful woman who works in the library. The books in the library just happen to be the bodies of the dead. Now I ask you, do you see any of that bizarrely interesting plot in this trailer? If you said yes, then I applaud your ability to read into unrelated imagery. If you're as confused as I seem to be well then I welcome you. Let's join together and try to figure out fighting game characters to match the ones on screen. So far I've got Charlotte (Samurai Showdown), King (Art of Fighting) with a top hat on, Slash (Waku Waku 7), Kairi (Street Fighter EX3), Rouge (Power Stone), Morrigan (Darkstalkers) and Eliot (Dead or Alive 4). What did you get?


The Sacred Blacksmith

Summary: An answer to a medieval codpiece?
Subtlety is an amazing thing. After replaying the video a couple of times it finally dawned on me that the first thing they show you (besides Presented by Manglobe) is some cleavage. I had assumed that it was, but my better half kept telling me it was just a shield instead of being actual armor made to fill her cup size. This really isn't a big factor for the trailer, it just made me chuckle that the follow up to Presented by Manglobe are some globes.

Now that I have that out of my system, on to discussing the trailer. It seems like a stereotypical character intro trailer. Much better than Hatsukoi Limited's trailer. Of course that's really not hard to do. Its hard to gauge how the series will do based on a trailer full of unrelated scenes, but it looks like Cecily and Luke will have a relationship much like Sakura and Li from Card Captor Sakura. Where Luke always seems to come in and help Cecily while putting on a reserved and bashful front. In fact I deem this medieval Card Captor Sakura. Cecily is Sakura, Luke is Li, Lisa is Tomoyo and Aria is...umm...Meiling Li? There really isn't much we learn about Aria as half of her section was a still shot which really seemed to stop the trailer as I just stared waiting for her to twitch. So yeah, its Card Captor Cecily with a nice celtic tune that sounds like a battle theme to a JRPG.


Tales of Symphonia: Tethe'alla-hen

Summary: I've actually never played a Tales of game.
I recognize Lloyd since he's the most definitive looking character in the Tales of Symphonia, but beyond that I've got no clue what's going on. So that makes it a bit easier to rate this trailer unbiasedly. Interestingly the trailer opens up like an opera. The horns gear up and make a lot of loud nonsensical noise until they finally get together and make some music. Whats left however didn't really go with the trailer. Since the trailer is geared for the Tales of crowd, no story is presented leaving the viewer to watch small snippets of uncoordinated action sequences playing along to some music that sounds like its playing over the video instead of with it. I will have to admit that the character models look much better than many anime adaptations of console games, but the only real animation was of the lips and hair making me question the depth of the animation.


Sora no Manimani

Summary: Needs less comedy
This trailer really could have been cut into one small commercial. Starting out we get treated with a scene almost reminiscent of Haruhi Suzumiya standing and declaring her intentions in an awkward manner. She seems more reserved than Haruhi up until the title screen disappears. She then transforms into the overexcited (and slightly childish) archetype that always has some deep understanding that reaffirms the meaning of their group. That being said I really wish that every moment in between the title and when she holds her Light of Star were removed. It breaks up the flow of the opening and does nothing to add to the trailer. The comedy just seems so out of place with the soothing intro and the background reveal of Haruhi....I mean Saku's reason for being in the club. It really is disappointing as I was enjoying the trailer until Saku yelled STOP!


World Destruction

Summary: Bad editing. Also, teddy bears pirates.
The way that they cut and spliced this trailer together is pretty nonsensical. Tile credits just appear with no sense of rhythm and really change the beauty that the music conveys. I also have no idea how the teddy bear pirates or the fox man play into the story, but it does jump out at you. Once again these two don't go together with the music at all, but they do grab your attention. In fact, the teddy bear pirates really just pop out and ruin the setting all together. They are as cute as a teddy bear should be, but a story that is all about six harbingers of destruction should stay away from cutesy animals. I'm sure it makes sense in the game (or about as much sense as most JRPGs make), but not in this trailer. They are cute though. Overall its probably best to close your eyes and listen to the background music. That's where this trailer truly shines.


Dogs, Bullets and Carnage

Summary: Good Editing. No teddy bear pirates.
I never realized how short an attention span I start messing with my volume controls after seven seconds of video without noise. The trailer really reminds me of Cowboy Bebop, which I'm sure is intentional. Only issue is the characters and settings just pale in comparison. The only one that really shows some emotion is the crazed one eyed red headed gunman. This is a fault only because of the music's upbeat tempo. Nobody should be looking like they are at a funeral with jazz playing in the background. The editing however does march right in tune with the music, I just wish they didn't waste so much time with the character notes at the end of the trailer. Also, it needs more cute teddy bear pirates.