W40K as Anime

[Typhonis 1]

Would it work? Could they turn Warhammer 40,000 into an anime series?

[defanatic]

It'd be cheaper (I think) than other methods. Although it would have to feel like 40k (very dark, dirty sort of thing... Lasguns don't shoot little balls, they have beams (the thing I really hate about loads of adaptations) and make a 'crack' noise... Gothic architecture and so on).

Also, they can't do history bending things (events that effect the whole galaxy, just whatever system they base it in).

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

*hunts down Typhonis 1, brutally dismembers and disembowels him, patches him up, sends him off to the Inquisition for re-education, then packs him up and tosses him to the Dark Eldar for good measure*

I believe my feelings on the matter are clear.

[TheMuffinKing]

I think they could pull this off, especially with the quality of movies like "Appleseed", "Gasaraki", and "Ghost in the Shell. Wh40k could be produced with either cg or conventional animation, both would be excellent mediums to portray the awsome effects of the universe.

[Morilore]

Of course they couldn't reproduce the whole universe as an anime, but an anime set in that setting could be interesting.

Or maybe an OVA consisting of little vignettes where they examine different elements of Imperial society and its many enemies.

[Zor]

Yes, Anime is most definatly capable of doing the Dark Gothic and vast enviroment of Warhammer Universe. Best to use the more realisitic anime types from Ghost in the Shell to the steriotypical anime girl look though. Hell, i think that Tau Battlesuits were at least anime influenced in there design.

Zor

[Typhonis 1]

Theres a scene for you. A space marine dreadnought going hand to hand with a crisis suit. maybe grabbing it by a leg and playing baseball with some unlucky firewarriors

[Neko_Oni]

It could be done as long as the appropriate animation style is used. Ghost in the Shell 2:I is an example of a good style. The CG lets them pack in the detail needed to depict the gothic architecture of the WH40K universe. Some series also approach the style you'd need to use. Texnolyze for example is gritty and horrible (like 40K).

[Duckie]

Theres a scene for you. A space marine dreadnought going hand to hand with a crisis suit. maybe grabbing it by a leg and playing baseball with some unlucky firewarriors

If Dawn of War is anything to go by the Dreadnought would probably crush the Crisis Suit in one hand in a spatter of blood and then fling it away. Or other sorts of things worthy of "FATALITY".

[Neko_Oni]

If Dawn of War is anything to go by the Dreadnought would probably crush the Crisis Suit in one hand in a spatter of blood and then fling it away. Or other sorts of things worthy of "FATALITY".

While game rules aren't cosidered high up the canon list, if a Dreadnought hits a Crisis Suit in tabletop it destroys the whole thing 5 times out of 6. Worthy in fact of "INSTANT KILL".

[Uraniun235]

Yes, Anime is most definatly capable of doing the Dark Gothic and vast enviroment of Warhammer Universe. Best to use the more realisitic anime types from Ghost in the Shell to the steriotypical anime girl look though. Hell, i think that Tau Battlesuits were at least anime influenced in there design.

Zor

That's because the Tau are Games Workshop's attempt to draw in the legions of animu fa...natics who are willing to blow hundreds of dollars on owning a single anime series.

"Well, sir, our Dark Elves are quite popular amongst the angsty high school gothqueens, but Marketing suggests that there's a whole demographic out there with rich, supple money bags whose teats we are not yet greedily suckling: anime fans."
"By the Ghosts of Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Gates! We must reach out to those fellows at once, and get them hooked on our ever-increasingly-expensive merchandise by developing a new line of models catered to their common aesthetic preferences!"
"...but Bill Gates isn't dead yet-"
"Quiet, boy. The thought of all this cash is making me hard."
"I'll get the Vaseline, sir."

[Falkenhayn]

*hunts down Typhonis 1, brutally dismembers and disembowels him, patches him up, sends him off to the Inquisition for re-education, then packs him up and tosses him to the Dark Eldar for good measure*

I believe my feelings on the matter are clear.

*racks assault cannon*

Indeed.

[Sidewinder]

Bloody hell no! We have enough anime that's super angsty and gothic and makes you hate yourself after watching the director and/or writer portray horrible crimes against humanity, violence against women, and vicious racial stereotypes-- watch 'Akira' or 'Evangelion', any H-anime, and any anime where Chinese people are kissing the ass of some Japanese "savior" if you don't believe me. (I'm Chinese, and I fucking hate those fucking Japs for treating us like fucking whores.)

I admit I don't know much about Warhammer 40,000, but I know enough to know that turning such a dark series into anime will be like having Disney do a children's cartoon about life in a Nazi concentration camp-- it will NOT be pretty. Anyone who tries to do so should be impaled, Vlad III Dracula-style.

[SirNitram]

Absolutely. Anime is just a style of animation, after all, and it's proven itself capable of telling mature stories maturely. Of course, you'd want a competent, well-versed team to write the story, but that's a fucking given. It applies to movie, or 'western animation' or comic book or novel.

I agree with the one who brought up GitS 2 as a reference, though I think the animators of Standalone could do it as well.

[Ford Prefect]

I agree with the one who brought up GitS 2 as a reference, though I think the animators of Standalone could do it as well.

Production IG is an excellent studio, and there certainly isn't anything wrong with their writers either. If any anime studio took it upon themselves to produce a series based in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, I'd pick them.

However, I would suggest that no Japanese studio take it upon themselves to feature Sisters of Battle and the forces of Chaos.

[18-Till-I-Die]

It would be cool, if just to throw caution to the wind, have it done in the griity, dark, gothic style of the game with the hyper-stylized animation of something like One Piece or the like. All comical with big mouths and stuff, but against this unapologetically nihilistic, gothic backdrop of the fluff.

It sounds wierd to think in those terms, but it'll fuck with people's heads, they'll look at it and be all like "Oh its just another kiddy anime" and then the Blood Angels...unusual habits are shown in grim reality. Screw with peoples' expectations.

[Hedgehog's Roommate]

Might I suggest Anime Works. A little known group who nonetheless did an excellent job on Berserk.

[Rogue 9]

I'll disagree simply because I feel that Space Marines should be done in as "realistic" a style as possible, something that I simply don't believe that traditional Japanese anime can deliver. That, and I'd tremble to think what most anime studios would do with Nurgle or *shudder* Slaanesh.

[Ford Prefect]

I'll disagree simply because I feel that Space Marines should be done in as "realistic" a style as possible, something that I simply don't believe that traditional Japanese anime can deliver.

You see, the problem with that is that there are plenty of 'realistic' looking anime out and about, so your point is kinda moot. You won't get more realism unless you fork out the cash for live-action or a Spirits Within level piece of CGI, and I have a sneaking feeling that you wouldn't do Space Marines justice with real people.

[SirNitram]

I'll disagree simply because I feel that Space Marines should be done in as "realistic" a style as possible, something that I simply don't believe that traditional Japanese anime can deliver. That, and I'd tremble to think what most anime studios would do with Nurgle or *shudder* Slaanesh.

I'm afraid I have to baffle at the concept of sword-wielding, 12 foot tall, bio-engineered cyborgs in near-invunerable powered armour, fighting elves, orks, demons, and monsters being done 'realistically'.

[Rogue 9]

I'll disagree simply because I feel that Space Marines should be done in as "realistic" a style as possible, something that I simply don't believe that traditional Japanese anime can deliver. That, and I'd tremble to think what most anime studios would do with Nurgle or *shudder* Slaanesh.

I'm afraid I have to baffle at the concept of sword-wielding, 12 foot tall, bio-engineered cyborgs in near-invunerable powered armour, fighting elves, orks, demons, and monsters being done 'realistically'.

Hence the quotes. Fine, let's put it this way: No catgirls or tentacle monsters. Eventually some studio exec would seize upon Chaos mutation as an excuse to do that and you know it.

[SirNitram]

I'll disagree simply because I feel that Space Marines should be done in as "realistic" a style as possible, something that I simply don't believe that traditional Japanese anime can deliver. That, and I'd tremble to think what most anime studios would do with Nurgle or *shudder* Slaanesh.

I'm afraid I have to baffle at the concept of sword-wielding, 12 foot tall, bio-engineered cyborgs in near-invunerable powered armour, fighting elves, orks, demons, and monsters being done 'realistically'.

Hence the quotes. Fine, let's put it this way: No catgirls or tentacle monsters. Eventually some studio exec would seize upon Chaos mutation as an excuse to do that and you know it.

Yes, very good, you've made the obvious joke. Or just proven you're an ignorant jackass. I'll assume it's the joke.

[Rogue 9]

It was partially a joke. But the fact remains that I genuinely feel that the Japanese style of animation does not fit WH40K. The aesthetics of anime simply don't fit with the Gothic theme of that universe. You might disagree; the topic is whether we think it would work, and I don't. Beyond that, a debate over aesthetics never gets anywhere, as one's taste in art is naturally subjective.

[Spanky The Dolphin]

Rouge, really, the only way your "the Japanese style of animation does not fit WH40K/the aesthetics of anime simply don't fit with the gothic theme of that universe" thing would be true is if the only kind of anime you can think of is stuff like Digimon, Inu Yasha, and Gundam: pretty much only the mass-produced and/or commercially oriented products made for wide audiences.

The aesthetics and styles of Japanese animation are extremely broad, wider than pegging it as simply a genre rather than the medium it actually is. Personally, I've seen a wide enough spectrum and sample of anime to say that I have no problem picturing a WH40K anime being done and pulled off without any hitches.

[GuppyShark]

It might even be possible to do 40k as a board game.