Let's take a look back at the spring 2013 anime! Shinkage no Kyojin, Hataraku Maou-sama! Revolutionary Machine Valvrave" - many important works representing the 2010s have started! Anime 10 Years in the Past

In the world of anime, 10 years ago may seem like a long time ago, but at the same time, it is a delicate and perfect time, as some series are still being broadcasted today.

In this issue, we would like to take a look at what works were being broadcast in the world of TV anime 10 years ago - in the spring season of 2013.

Shogeki no Kyojin

The "Shigeki no Kyojin," which has been a hot topic since it was first serialized in a magazine in 2009, was adapted into an anime this season.

The worldview no longer needs any explanation. In a world where mankind is terrified by the threat of man-eating "Titans," the main character, Eren Jaeger, yearns for the world outside the walls and joins the harsh Scout Regiment.

The world is a hard world where even the main characters are mercilessly eaten by Titans. The "three-dimensional maneuvering" action gives a strong impression of life-size humans confronting the Titans that lay waste to the city. The immature boy Eren faces various ordeals and grows stronger. An ensemble drama with unique characters.

The fresh elements are fresh, but at the same time, the entertainment value of the story is maintained. The original author, Hajime Isayama, is a genius, as he says, since this is his debut work.

As such, expectations for the anime version were very high. The production team is headed by Tetsuro Araki, director of "DEATH NOTE" and "Gakuen Revelation: HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD," with Yasuko Kobayashi, series director of "Masked Rider Den-O" and "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure," and Yasuko Kobayashi, character director of "Masked Rider Den-O" and "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure," as well as the director of the "DEATH NOTE" and "Gakuen Revelation: HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD" series. The series is composed by Yasuko Kobayashi of "Masked Rider Den-O" and "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure," and character design by Kyoji Asano of "PSYCHO-PASS: Psycho-Pass.

The difficulty of the media mix in this work is that every character has fans and an ensemble drama must be portrayed. The other is that it is necessary to create dynamic three-dimensional motion pictures with motion. Because it is such a high-profile work, we cannot afford any misinterpretations. The slightest mistake could result in a major disaster.

However, the aforementioned staff members overcame these difficulties with great skill, and this work has grown into an epic series that has continued for four seasons.

The power of the action scenes and the high quality of the drawings are quite impressive, and some people said on the Internet at the time of the broadcast that it was as if they were watching a theatrical anime. As a fan of the original comic, I am very satisfied to be able to experience the creativity of the author, Hajime Isayama, in the original comic, and to enjoy the story in the anime with its movements, voice actors' performances, and reconstructed screenplay.

Isayama jokingly said on his blog ( # ), "I feel like the original is the anime and I'm in charge of the comic book adaptation, which I can't draw," but the anime adaptation was that good.

Hataraku Maou-sama!

Satoshi Wagahara's popular light novel was adapted into an anime this cool season.

Satan the Demon King, aka Sadao Maoku, was defeated in a battle with a hero and transferred to modern Japan. Although he has a hard time in the unfamiliar world, he adapts to it with his own large-heartedness and lives his life with the goal of becoming a full-time employee at a fast-food restaurant.

Then, Mutsu's arch-enemy, Emilia the Brave, who goes by the alias of Emi Yusa, appears. She works as a contract employee and stalks Maoku to keep an eye on her.

The appeal of this work lies in the fascination of the super beings, such as the Demon King and the hero, who live in modern Japan while suffering culture shock. The figure of Mutsu, who struggles with money even though he is the Demon King, and who is chided by his subordinates for his wasteful spending, generates laughter without logic.

In addition, there are many other unique characters such as Shiro Ashiya a.k.a. Alciel, who is a good money maker despite being a demon general, and Hanso Urushihara a.k.a. Lucifer, a fallen angel who is a NEET and is looked at coldly by those around him. They are supposed to be great people in the other world, but they are so human and folksy that you can't help but get emotionally involved with them.

He worked on the anime version of "Jormungandr," which was later followed by "Is Your Order a Rabbit? and "Goblin Slayer," and is produced by WHITE FOX, which is also highly regarded for its anime adaptation of "Goblin Slayer. The animation was carefully animated, including the setting of the language of "Ente Isla," the alternate world of the Mutsu family, at the request of the original creator. Although this work was highly acclaimed not only by previous critics but also after it was actually aired, a second season was not made, and nine years passed before the sequel, "Hataraku Maou-sama! However, a second season was not made, and nine years passed before the sequel, "Hataraku Maou-sama! The second season was not made, and nine years passed before the sequel, "Hataraku Maou-sama!

Revolutionary Machine Valvrave

A robot anime produced by Sunrise, its first season aired in the spring of 2013. Sunrise is a prestigious studio that has produced many masterpieces including "Mobile Suit Gundam" and led the robot anime boom.

However, in 2013, the number of robot anime productions was fewer than during the boom period, perhaps due to the current state of the market or the extremely high calorie requirements for drawing and setting (Sunrise itself was also producing a number of idol media mix works at the time, including "Aikatsu! Love Live! ). ) Still, Sunrise seemed to have a strong commitment to robot animation, and they were able to produce this work after about three years of preparation. In the spring of 2013, several robot anime titles such as "Suisei no Gargantia" and "Ginga Kikugitai Majestic Prince" were aired, indicating that there was a growing demand for robot anime.

The director is Koh Matsuo, who has created ambitious works such as "Rozen Maiden," featuring beautiful dolls, and "RED GARDEN," an unusual work that depicts a dark world of horror using the presco method (the opposite of the usual method, in which dialogue is recorded first and then the pictures are created). The series was composed by Ichirou Okochi, who is also popular for Sunrise robot anime such as "OVERMAN King Gainer" and "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. Like "RED GARDEN," "Revolutionary Machine Valvrave" was produced in a prescreening format, and the cast's performances had no small influence on the visual aspect. Perhaps for this reason, the film has also received high praise for the quality of its drawings.

This film depicts the activities of two main characters in an era when most of humanity lives in space. The first protagonist is a kind-hearted high school student named Tokijima Hurt. One day he is caught up in an enemy attack in the space city Module 77, but he manages to fight them off by boarding the mysterious robot Valvrave. He grows up while continuing to question the weight and meaning of fighting. The other main character is Ellef, a soldier with high combat skills and a clear mind. Although he is the same age as Harto, he has a ruthless side due to his experience as an orphan and a member of a terrorist group that used him up. For a certain purpose, he sneaks into Harto's school as a transfer student and offers Harto a "contract" with him. The peaceful school and war, the two beautifully contrasting protagonists, and the breathtaking story have been well received and have been developed into novels, manga, and other media mixes.

Incidentally, "Mobile Suit Gundam: Witches of Mercury," a popular spring 2023 anime, is also composed by Ichirou Okochi, the same director of this work. If you are enjoying "The Witch of Mercury" and have not yet experienced "Revolutionary Machine Valvrave," why not take this opportunity to enjoy the work of the same scenario writer who made a big splash 10 years ago?

(Text by Shinichi Yanamoto)