First Squad (upcoming anime series)

[Flickerdart]

http://www.first-squad.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_90iFLjdqQ

Communist psychics fight nazi necromancers and undead Teutonic knights during WWII. Yes, it's Japanese (though the series appears to be made with Russian assistance, so I figure it'll be dubbed natively in that). There's not much more info than that, but there's a trailer on the site, and the whole website looks rather nicely designed.

Wiki says this thing releases October 15th.

[Tengu_temp]

Hellsing + Valkyria Chronicles + this (http://www.comics.aha.ru/rus/stalin/1.html)?

[Flickerdart]

It would appear so. I know for sure that Stalin does make an appearance in this thing, though I'm not sure about Hitler.

[SuperMuldoon]

Could it be everything I've ever wanted in an anime is finally happening? :smallbiggrin:

[Terraoblivion]

Sounds like it will either end up being so stupid it is awesome and hilarious or so stupid that it will just be really cringeworthy.

[Flickerdart]

Well, the animation appears to be top-notch, so at worst, it'll just be something pretty to look at.

[Piedmon_Sama]

The (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0OkQpYYCDs)
soundtrack (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX29yZP3FEk)
could (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WD0WVL-HjE)
be (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjdeYCfE6M8)
the (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr3qMORtM5M)
most (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKC4M0dQ8AE)
amazing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKUONCgTRl0)
thing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jqOGpzNrg4)
ever. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0CQB_tGn08)

Ever. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy84N_U5jw0)

Of course, we should give (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbNy6rXjaUw) something (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20RldhK9354&feature=related) to (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_YSEbAWA0Y) the (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKbkpokQ-hE&feature=fvw) Nazis. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsZQBiU9llo)

Seriously, best ever.

[Comet]

I'm finding it very hard not to like what I'm seeing.

[BRC]

The concept sounds totally ridculous, yet the execution seems completally awesome. I look forward to this with great interest.

The only thing I didn't like about the trailer was the pink-haired flamethower chick. Everything else looks fairly serious and dark, then somebody in the studio realized "Wait, this is an anime. Quickly, make a chick with pink hair, an unrealistic hairstyle, and give her a flamethower!"

[Flickerdart]

The concept sounds totally ridculous, yet the execution seems completally awesome. I look forward to this with great interest.

The only thing I didn't like about the trailer was the pink-haired flamethower chick. Everything else looks fairly serious and dark, then somebody in the studio realized "Wait, this is an anime. Quickly, make a chick with pink hair, an unrealistic hairstyle, and give her a flamethower!"
And the pig-mask guy? That was pretty silly (though he's obviously a psychopath of some denomination, for ironic contrast).

[BRC]

And the pig-mask guy? That was pretty silly (though he's obviously a psychopath of some denomination, for ironic contrast).
No, the Pig-Mask guy, while somewhat silly, is supposed to be a scary psychopath. And they've got a realistic bent to their presentation that a guy in a pig-mask dosn't break the way pink hair that would require a can of hairspray a day to keep in that form does.

Edit: Upon reading the character Bios, it appears you got your description wrong.

It's Soviet Psychics versus Nazi Necromancers.

[Flickerdart]

Oh? Will fix. I had barely skimmed the bios, myself.

[BRC]

Actually, looking again it seems the Nazi's are just Nazi's. The two blonde Vampire-ish chicks appear to be Soviets as well. I only said "Nazi Necromancers" because i love alliteration.

[Flickerdart]

Actually, looking again it seems the Nazi's are just Nazi's. The two blonde Vampire-ish chicks appear to be Soviets as well. I only said "Nazi Necromancers" because i love alliteration.
Nah, the Nazis are clearly necromancers. They bring back the Teutonic knights.

[Raharu]

Looks awesome! It'll likely end up being so-bad-it's-good, but I also have hope that it's at least half-way watchable! :smalltongue:

[BRC]

Nah, the Nazis are clearly necromancers. They bring back the Teutonic knights.
True.

From their website I have built up this picture.


During the German invasion of Russia, the Soviets use a school as a cover to train a team of psychics, led by a guy I will call "Commander Stache". The team consists of
Sword Wielding Acrobat Waif.
Sniper Leader Dude with Emo Hair.
Rambo.
A Little Kid in a bomber jacket.
and Pink Haired Flamethrower Chick.

Together they fight nazis. Meanwhile, the Teutonic Knights show up as zombies, and a badass monk shows up as a not-zombie. And a pair of identical blonde soviet chicks that seem to be out of a bond movie run around. Occasionally, they fight the badass monk.

[Teutonic Knight]

I look forward to seeing how the undead Teutonic Knights wielding thirteenth century longswords fare against WWII era weapons.

[Athaniar]

This looks positively awesome. Especially the undead Teutonic Knights.

By the way, what does it say in Monk's profile? And Von Wolff's, for that matter. At least that one's german, but the font is hard to read.

[Flickerdart]

I look forward to seeing how the undead Teutonic Knights wielding thirteenth century longswords fare against WWII era weapons.
Everyone knows that swords are better than guns, so rather well, I figure. Before they get fried by the flamethrower chick.

Also, in one of the trailers, a guy is being attacked by two swordsmen, and is parrying with what appears to be a rocket launcher. Is that not awesome?

The Monk's profile is not in a language I understand. I do recognize it, however. It's inaccurate ancient Slavic script, inaccurate in that they would have shoved the vowels into the consonants to save writing room. The first word appears to be Pavel. I can also barely make out "scribe" and "former" in there.

Haha, I'm reading an article on this, an interview from one of the authors. I'll try to translate.
"...neither the director nor his predecessors had any idea of what things in Russia look like. We sent them tomes of specifications: what angle the streetlight poles stick out of the ground at in villages, what percentage of the road has to be covered with puddles, specifications for a Russian crow, specifications for a birch tree, and still the best they were doing was drawing an American Colonist village. We tried to explain to them that fences have to be lopsided, but they were confused: Why not make the boards parallel, like in real life?"
I'm glad to know they're very strict on accuracy. They're also stifling the over-politeness of the Japanese and the unrealistic facial expressions (such as the characteristic facial deformations when experiencing fear, for example). This is really going to be something.

[Seonor]

By the way, what does it say in Monk's profile? And Von Wolff's, for that matter. At least that one's german, but the font is hard to read.


Don't know what the text about the monk says, but this is a rough translation of von Wolff's text:

Sieben mal hundert Jahre vergehen im Dunklen, bis die Pforten geöffnet sein werden.
Seven hundred years will pass in darkness, until the gates will be opened.

Der teutonische Adler mit der höllischen Streitmacht verlässt seinen Stammsitz.
The teutonic eagle with the infernal army leaves his ancestral seat.

Von Rache erfüllt, einen jeden wird er mit seinem Schwert schlagen.
Filled with revenge, he will strike at everyone with his sword.

Die roten Sterne erlöschen.
The red stars perish.

Das Blut der Gerechten wird fließen.
The blood of the Just will flow.



I'm not realy satisfied with the translation, has someone a better word for "Stammsitz" or knows how to translate the third sentence while conserving the grammer better?

[Nerd-o-rama]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y66/al0013/monitoring.jpgSeriously, Psycho Mantis vs. Return to Castle Wolfenstein?

[13_CBS]

If they do another Battle of Grunwalder with the Soviets vs Zombie Teutonic Knights, I...I think I might just cry. Out of sheer joy and awesomeness.


Also, is there any word of folks like Vasily Zaitsev making cameos?

[Nerd-o-rama]

Well, Otto Skorzeny is practically a given - see Tengu's link in the second post.

[Flickerdart]

It looks like this is going to try to take advantage of mythologies more than existing personas, so I wouldn't hold your breath. The respective high command may possibly make appearances, but there should hardly be need to let the viewer see the action above the respective departments. As well, 6th Department (the Russian division) is Reconnaissance, while most existing hearoes would be sitting on the front lines, with the notable fictional exception of Maxim Isayev, who I think is still copyrighted to someone and is unlikely to show up for legal reasons, in addition to sitting in Berlin where none of this will be taking place.

[KnightDisciple]

I am kind of sad that the Teutonic Knights, who typically get overlooked for their brothers the Knights Templar (and to a somewhat lesser degree, the Knights Hospitalar) are making a major appearance...Only to be an undead evil army for NAZIS! /ominous voice.

Ah well. Take what you can get, I suppose.