Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou new OVA

The first volume of the new OVA series of YKK was released last week. Here is my impression without spoiler.

Story: It seems to be an original story. Alpha's cafe looks getting old and a large typhoon is approaching to Shounan area...

Animation: Character design and artwork are quite faithful to the original manga. The quality of animation and visual are good.

Music: The sound track is 5.1 Dolby Digital and the quality is quite good. The musics are composed and played by Choro Club. Some scores sound like Choros that are played by a guiter ensemble with delightful rhythm akin to bossanova. Another piece is a beautiful and imaginative chamber music with clarinet solo. The music sounds much more like Takemitsu Toru than Heitor Villa-Lobos. The ED is a bossanova but Shiina Hekiru's non-vibrato singing style sounds a bit out of tune.

Product number: SME Visual Works Inc, SVWB 7120, Region 2, 36 minutes, 5,600yen

I think YKK is more like a painting with moves and sounds than an anime with story. I like the style, anyway.

Which fansub group worked on the first release, and are they planning (if they are still in existence) to do this one, too?

I wonder whether the underwater streetlights (which still mysteriously worked in the original OAV) will survive the typhoon... ?

Somehow this makes me think of the mambo at the end of the original 'Geobreeders' OAVs. Which would make for a strange clash indeed with 'Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou'.

I also liked the originals. My only criticism with the original two OAVs was that Alpha's 'meditation' between the halves of the first episode was reused in the second.

Hopefully there will now be enough material for an R1 release.

- dbm

'Typhoon' was chapter 62 of the manga; it is collected in volume 7.

Then, that should be the one. Thanks for the correction.

Shows no hints about the lights.

<snip>

The Choros and bossanova aren't so noisy. Besides, I think it rather fit with Alpha-san's cheerful personality.

I had to pay $80 to 90 Canadian for a DVD that is only half-an-hour long which I can only watch on my computer, where I disabled the region locks, but I'm glad I did, if my money would help in any way to convince Sony to continue the series beyond the second new OVA episode in March, and the more OVA episodes there are, the more likely it is that someone like AnimEigo or SynchPoint would license it over here. Just from looking at the quality of the official site for the anime ( http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Animation/yokohama/ ) leads me to suspect that Sony may have further plans up their sleeves contingent on how well the first two new episodes sell, since it is an awfully nice site for *just* a two episode series. I was able to write off this DVD purchase as a 'Christmas present'... maybe the next episode will be an 'Easter present'.

I have to say that the animation is about as lovely as it was in the original 2 episodes from 1998, though I have just a slight preferences for the older character designs... Alpha's face seemed just a little rounder in the older episodes. Am I incorrect in thinking the backgrounds are entirely watercolour, just like another DVD I got as a Christmas present, Lilo & Stitch, the first Disney feature to use entirely watercolour backgrounds since Dumbo (and my favourite animated film of 2002)? Watercolour backgrounds give animation that gorgeous 'storybook' touch.

Also, for anyone that's wondering, yes, there is a tiny, short lesbian fan service situation, but it is nowhere near as blatant as the 'data transfer' from the first episode.

I'm going to write a review of the DVD and then shop it around to various sites.

Steve Brandon

<snip>

It looks like watercolor, but I've been wondering if Ashinano-san uses color ink for his original artwork. The background of the anime as well. Because watercolor is usually more opaque than color ink.