Big-Eyed Master Chief? Halo Goes Anime!
Microsoft has announced that they are producing a series of anime shorts based on the Halo series under the umbrella title Halo Legends. The series is being produced by Microsoft's 343 Industries and features creative direction from anime pioneer Shinji Aramaki, director of Appleseed and Appleseed Ex Machina and Mamoru Oshi, director of the Ghost in the Shell movies.
"The opportunity to work with talents such as Shinji Aramaki, Mamoru Oshii and others from some of the greatest anime studios is a very rare opportunity for Microsoft," said Frank O'Connor, Halo franchise development director and provider of story and creative direction for 343 Industries. "We've seen the world through Master Chief's eyes, and we've experienced facets of the universe through a variety of literary prisms, but now we get to watch new tales unfold in really rich, visually dynamic ways. I think anime fans and Halo fans alike are in for a real treat."
The studios involved in Halo Legends are Bones (Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, Fullmetal Alchemist), Casio Entertainment, Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell, Blood: The Last Vampire), Studio4*C (The Animatrix, Batman: Gotham Knight), and Toei Animation (Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, etc). The complete collection of Halo Legends will be distributed by Warner Home Video, but a preview of select episodes will debut on Xbox LIVE through the upcoming Halo Waypoint, which will be a focal point for Halo news featuring podcasts, trailers and screenshots.
I never really thought Halo had a deep enough story or universe to support this kind of project, but maybe that's just because I really wish this was happening to Mass Effect, and I'm just jealous... Still, these are some quality studios and directors, so it might actually turn out a little bit awesome.
(Credit for the awesome artwork to Jaekyu via deviantART)
Wootini
Posted to Video Games on 23 July 2009
· Comments (3)
Other stuff like this: animation, anime, halo, halo legends, microsoft, xbox live
Wow, walk about ethnic bias in the media.
Everyone is blond and blue-eyed it seems. Regardless of the fact that in reality, the percentage of people with those NATURAL traits is in the single digits globally.
Aside from that, I never really imagined Spartans being twinkish and lusty-eyed either. I can't look at Halo the same way ever again after seeing this picture. Official or not.
Halo has a richer and deeper story than you'd think at first glance!
I think it's a shame people see it as a big dumb game, because it has quite subtle story elements. :-) Can't wait!
Who's the girl in the Master Chief armor?
JK!