io9
Child hackers living in a semi-virtual future looking to discover why children are being kidnapped into a virtual reality world? Not just proof that Japanese kids really get much more exciting television than American children, but the plot of anime Dennō Coil, which completed its run in Japan last month and is available for curious westerners right now via fan-translation on YouTube.
The series - English alternate title "Coil - A Circle of Children" - was awarded an Excellence Prize by a jury in last year's Japan Media Arts Festival, and had the newspaper Mainichi Shimbun suggesting that it would impact future development on future VR technology. A surprising reception for a kids' show, perhaps, but this was the first TV series from Mitsuo Iso, who's previously worked on well-known anime Gundam 0080 and Ghost In The Shell.
The series hasn't been licensed for Western audiences yet, but given the success of the show in its home country, it's only a matter of time. Start watching now before everyone knows about it. Search for "Denno Coil" on YouTube and you'll get several episodes worth.
Dennō Coil [Anime News Network]
Comments
The series hasn't been licensed for Western audiences yet, but given the success of the show in its home country, it's only a matter of time.
I for one welcome our new Anime overlords.
Wow, not only are the kids in Japan getting advanced cyber-fiction served up--they get a daily dose of karaoke in the opener too!
I'm a little envious, very few shows on US television are operating on this level--minus stuff you might find on HBO/Showtime and the other cable networks.
Ghost in the shell; Stand Alone Complex Solid State Society (2006) has a great plot involving 1000's of kidnapped children with memories partially erased. Death bed Geriatrics and a hub cyberbrain in the healthcare monitoring system.
So this is what Japanese kids have been watching while Ridley Scott has reheated and served up Blade Runner for the bazillionth time? The South Park boys are right - directors need to stop remaking their movies. And they also need to spend some serious time in Imagination Land.
Free Hat! Free Hat! Free Hat!
Looks cool, thanks for the link.
Yes, you could watch it on YouTube - but you're better off getting a high-quality fansub of all 26 episodes from any anime BitTorrent site. And yes, it's awesome.
@Instigator: you do realize imagination land from south park is just a giant living remake of everything that has ever been imagined, right? new things don't show up there until after you know what they are.
The developed works that the Japanese have in my opinion tower over many here in the US. What we had here was good but progress is what the future is about and that's what the Japanese have. It's great that Denno Coil and other shows can be seen on Youtube it gives people an oportunity to see what a little imagination can do. Thank you, Io9 Team.
I think the rest of the world, especially Asian cinema, is continously taking Sci-Fi to new directions. Most will never get past the "cartoon" look and find out why many of us have given up on Western Sci-Fi in general.
Except for BSG, that show rocks!
@tetracycloide: True dat. So they've been spending TOO much time in Imagination Land, because they're recycling what they've already created. Anyway, Dennō Coil just added a whole new territory there. I completely agree with the article posted last week (I believe) about how America has fallen behind other nations in technology, architecture, etc. This is just additional proof!
@rikchik: LOL you read my mind.
I just watched all 26 episodes on youtube and broadcaster.com--it's really complex, scary stuff--I have a feeling it might have a hard time being licensed in the US as a children's show, which would be a shame. It's genius and has my favorite cyberwitch in the longest time: MegaBaa, the batty/cunning octogenarian...
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