Author Topic: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record  (Read 139663 times)

ZM

  • Overly Eager
  • Sanae~
Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #150 on: January 16, 2016, 03:11:05 PM »
A friend of mine found the first episode. It's currently RAW, though.
« Last Edit: January 16, 2016, 04:36:04 PM by ZM »

Drake

  • *
Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #151 on: January 16, 2016, 04:03:09 PM »
Sorry, but did you miss the bit where circle members are asking people to take down uploads because at this point in time it potentially hurts sales and they haven't met their budget for episode 2? We really shouldn't be encouraging this right now.


Also, since paged:
Quote
Okay, since your ReCaptcha system is broken, meaning that you can't either search or register, I'm forced to use this dodgy solution to contribute to that thread. I hope at least helvetica can come back soon to sort that out.

I personally bought it from Melonbooks with help of a proxy (Buy Nippon). My copy should arrive on Monday. From that, I'll decide if I post or not the episode in low resolution or only the first minutes of it. I want to ask the circle first about this (they seem to be English speakers too).

I fear it didn't have the recognition or exposure it deserves. Also, there's a total lack of information on their part, meaning that only people who have it in hands know what it looks like.

Before I can actually register and post a more detailed review (once I'll have the disc in hands and watch it), here are all the buying options I listed:

Melonbooks: https://www.melonbooks.co.jp/detail/detail.php?product_id=148826

Toranoana: http://www.toranoana.jp/mailorder/article/04/0030/37/37/040030373777.html

Buyee: http://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/shopping/akhb_2100000060184/category/

Otaku Republic: https://otakurepublic.com/product/doujin_software/touhou_project/product_page_1210103.html

The first two are Japanese stores that don't ship overseas, so you'll have to use a proxy like Noppin or Buy Nippon (or any other of your choice).

The second two can ship overseas but I don't know much about them. Otaku Republic is pretty expansive so watch out for possible custom fees!! Buyee almost work as proxy by itself but has has very low service fees compared to other ones (this has to be checked).

To finish, here's an ASS file for Korean subs. Just in case, it can help for an English translation: http://teamhourai.tistory.com/308

Regards, hoping you can sort your ReCaptcha problems.

And of course, the choice of proxy of this forum in general would be N-Forza: https://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,566.0.html
« Last Edit: January 16, 2016, 05:06:35 PM by Drake »

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ZM

  • Overly Eager
  • Sanae~
Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #152 on: January 16, 2016, 04:36:30 PM »
Yeah, I missed that. Took it down.
Huh, the video got removed by the user anyway...that's good.
« Last Edit: January 16, 2016, 04:53:42 PM by ZM »

StainGlass

  • Not the only one
Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #153 on: January 17, 2016, 10:31:10 AM »
Thanks for the updates and purchase links. I'm certainly going to purchase a copy, pending if N-Forza can help, or I'll use a paid deputy. I like Otaku Republic and have used them quite a bit, but their price is just too expensive this time, especially considering how weak the AUD is now.

Trailer looks amazing. I hope they receive enough funding for episode 2.

~Shin Kuroi~

  • Sleepy Cat
  • fuwaaa... sleepy...
Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #154 on: January 17, 2016, 04:34:31 PM »
ahh, i almost completely forgot about this. i'm glad that they seem to be (mostly) successful so far.

i wonder how they'll portray hijiri's backstory...
yawn...

Gamer251

  • DJ FlanFlan
  • Too lazy to type long sentences.
Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #155 on: January 20, 2016, 02:33:53 PM »
Just leaving an English ASS file for your viewing pleasure~

Courtesy of our group, TPD-Subs.

I do hope they meet more than their budget goal...  :ohdear:


"You ought to watch out, yourself. Even a high-school girl can make her own weapons these days, after all..."

StainGlass

  • Not the only one
Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #156 on: January 21, 2016, 06:38:17 AM »
Just leaving an English ASS file for your viewing pleasure~

Courtesy of our group, TPD-Subs.

I do hope they meet more than their budget goal...  :ohdear:

Thank-you!
This will be super handy when I get my copy. Thanks for subbing it!

Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #157 on: January 23, 2016, 10:31:56 AM »
Hello all. I think it is time to post my lengthy review of it (beware, it is that long!!). First of all, I'd like to thank Spotty Ren for posting in my place (the post detailing buying options was mine) during the reCaptcha incident and the admins (or one of them) for more or less finding a solution to that incident, allowing me to finally post the review. Also thanks to TPD-Subs for sharing their ASS file with us, allowing me to watch it translated, so I can understand better what's happening.

So, be prepared, here it is (also, my review sure has its caveats and weaknesses too and should be shorter, please don't assume it to be perfect).

After all that time waiting, I finally had a chance to watch the awaited animation by Chinese circle Kyoto Fantasy Troupe, The Sealed Esoteric History -moon-.

Indeed, I wasn?t stupid enough to wait for downloads to pop up on the net. I ordered it from Melonbooks with help of a proxy, and did so on December 24th 2015. I just got it on January 18th.

In case you missed them, here are all the buying options I listed for that animation, on January 18th 2016:

Melonbooks: https://www.melonbooks.co.jp/detail/detail.php?product_id=148826

Toranoana: http://www.toranoana.jp/mailorder/article/04/0030/37/37/040030373777.html

Buyee: http://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/shopping/akhb_2100000060184/category/

Otaku Republic:
https://otakurepublic.com/product/doujin_software/touhou_project/product_page_1210103.html

Now, here are all the questions you might all ask to yourself while reading this text:

- How does it compare to the two other existing animated series (A Summer Day?s Dream and Memories of Phantasm)?
- What is the story like?
- How is it close to canon?
- Does it have any fan service?
- How is the overall tone of the anime? And its pace?
- Does it use any lazy tricks/shortcuts?
- How good are the music and sound effects?
- How is it presented? Does it have voices? Subs?
- How good is the animation, character design and backgrounds? And compared to the other series?
- How is the sound/picture quality?

Throughout this review, I?ll try to answer all these questions... I said ?I?ll try?. Because I?m hardly a Touhou expert, especially canon-wise, I?ll leave my opinion as someone who discovers it with a fresh eye (and not a stupidly biased and jaded view like 4chan folks had on that thread they did).

So, what are going to begin with first? To put it shortly, this animation puts A Summer Day?s Dream to shame. I watched episode 2.5 the other day... Umm, well... such concentrate of laziness is amazing. On the other hand, Memories of Phantasm still has its own arguments to present. But we?ll see all that at the end. Let?s look at the package first.

/!\ WARNING /!\
Before starting this review, I?d like to inform you that I failed to have permission from the circle to show video and picture content (I only got a quick response from their part redirecting me to their already existing teasers). Also, they really do not want anything to leak from their DVD, including goodies. It is clearly stated in their readme file and the answer I got after mailing them clearly goes in that direction, even though they didn?t give me a clear and frank response. So you?ll have pictures of my old CRT TV (Sony 29? Trinitron SDTV) instead of high-def screenshots. I can?t do anything about that, I?m sorry.


What are the contents like?



First surprise, the DVD comes in a standard Amaray box, not a slim one compared to other existing OVAs. Second surprise, unlike what the box artwork suggests it, this is not a Video DVD. If you put that in a standard home DVD player, it won?t play. As the following screenshots show, this is a data-only disc:



The first folder contains goodies (wallpapers). The second one contains our movie. Not one file... four files!! Technical details will be given later but the animation is presented in two resolutions, 720p and 1080p and both with and without (Japanese) subtitles.

Back to the box, you also have a nice booklet inside detailing all the staff with very nice artwork. I really appreciate that, as that was lacking from the other two. As you may have guessed, I?m reviewing the regular version, not the collector set.




Now let?s talk about how it watches and how it is presented



As it was more or less obvious from their previous blog entries, it is presented in the same exact fashion as Memories of Phantasm. It feels like a regular OVA episode with animation backed up by music and sound effects, but doesn?t have any voice. The interesting part is how it watches compared to the latter. To be honest, as this relies a lot on dialogue to tell the story, even more than its competitor from Manpuku, you might find that disturbing and awkward. Some scenes are almost completely silent with sometimes quite long lines ?expressed? by a character. But the good thing is those scenes are generally short and not in significant number. The rest of the time, we have a very nice atmospheric music that goes alongside. Now, the fact that this lack of voice, even if awkward at times, is what adds its charm and cachet to it is completely up to you. You may like it or find it jarring or not give a damn about it. Personally, I wished they would have taken that more into account when making the episode. Keep in mind full voice was considered and kept in storage as an idea within the circle (remember the survey they did in February 2015).

Compared to Manpuku?s attempt, I was pleased to see that it watches very smoothly, even with no voices. It?s not fast-paced, obviously, but it?s not the soporific we had with Maikaze?s attempt either. It?s in-between. The half-hour this OVA lasts won?t feel long and boring.

The overall mood is also completely different from what we watched before. It presents itself as relatively serious with only a few tidbits of funny attempts (you won?t see a grimace fest like in Memories of Phantasm). I also like how it tries to put the storytelling very upfront by developing relationships within characters and events that occur. Unfortunately, if you?re a bit lost behind regarding canon and can?t speak Japanese (just like me), this may feel a bit complicated to follow. Like in Memories of Phantasm, character psychology seems okay and tangible enough (compare that to the caricature we had in A Summer Day?s Dream). You might find all those characters endearing.

One quality I like about it over Memories of Phantasm is how low it relies on fan-service and some lame and dated puns. You won?t find any of these here. For some people, that may be a huge plus. Also, it doesn?t feel as cartooney as Manpuku?s anime.


Artwork, sound, music and writing

The visual part is probably what this OVA is best at. Sincerely, this was ravishing. The background design is amazing of detail (thank you miss High-definition) and the animation feels really smooth and neat. My only gripe is the slightly awkward character design. Some characters might look a bit weird to some of you. Also, background detail is so high it is even visible on my SD CRT TV! I think they really outdid themselves. Also, as a side note, this makes me realize how outstanding the background work is on Memories of Phantasm too.


The background design is absolutely amazing. Look at that detail. Also, watching a 1080p file on an SDTV? What the hell is wrong with me? For the info, this is a retrogaming-media center PC which is plugged to it. The resolution that?s actually shown is 1280x576 50Hz interlaced with 16:9 mode enabled, coming from VGA-to-SCART conversion (this TV has a 600-TVL tube by the way so the 1280 pixels get smoothed out in a fashion similar to subpixel smoothing in Cleartype). Also, the picture of this TV looks a lot better in real life than it does on these cheap photographs.

The sound part. Probably what we really can?t make an idea about when not having the product in hand. Well, it works. Let?s begin by sound effects. To be honest, they feel a little cheap at times. This is especially true for hard sounds (footsteps, cloth sounds, etc.) and everyday life sounds (let's smile at the same looped crowd noise we hear at every place Renko and Merry are walking around... well, honestly, it?s not that noticeable :P). You can argue it adds a charm. Also, considering there is no voice, this is the only thing your brain will hold (along with the endless lipflaps) and the fact that sometimes they?re a bit too upfront doesn?t really help. All in all, it?s not that disturbing frankly. I think they have a little work to do on this part. On the other side, all other magical, spell card, attack, explosion sounds or anything that?s not supposed to be realistic sound really nice and is on par with Memories of Phantasm.

About sound, what I like the most is the music. Yonder Voice or whoever scored that did a wonderful job. Instead of the fast and rhythmic (and sometimes ?mickeymoused?) things we had in Manpuku?s anime, we have a very nice and atmospheric score, which deserves its own original soundtrack in my opinion.

Now, the writing... Umm... As I don?t speak Japanese, this will be very hard for me to judge that part. Just like Memories of Phantasm, the characters look like they all have something interesting to say, which I hope is the case (and it is, more or less, read below). In fact, one quality that almost everybody ignored from Manpuku?s anime is how the dialogue is really well written. However, in the meantime, TPD-Subs group released English subtitles (link to ASS file in this very topic) which helped me a lot to understand better what is going on. So, basically, Renko and Merry are considering a trip to the moon but appear to be short on money. While discussing about that, they begin remembering an incident that occured ten years ago (if I understand correctly) where youkai from the Earth tried invading the Moon in order to steal the Hourai Elixir (Elixir of immortality in TPD?s subs) I presume. That?s why we go back and forth between Renko and Merry in what appears to be a futuristic world and events on the moon during the whole movie.

All in all, I really liked how Kyoto Fantasy Troupe tried to push settings and characters not commonly seen and build something around them. That really brings some fresh air (the circle even makes fun of this at the end of the anime). All that makes it a very interesting watch. Also, I don?t think we have original characters there. They seem to be coming from the Cage in Lunatic Runagate story but I can?t recognize the male characters, as TPD probably didn?t transcribe them properly (they can?t be found anywhere on the web and the wiki, the only thing I found were the gatekeepers). I might be mistaken but if it's more or less basing itself on or taking elements from Cage in Lunatic Runagate (which I didn't read), we can consider it close to canon... but again, I'm not the best person for that. This alone makes it very desirable over Memories of Phantasm where dialogue is the only thing that add depth to their stories.


No fan-service, but some unexpected and amusing cameos


The technical side: what is the quality like?

That?s why I?m sad I can?t post screenshots. You?ll only have my descriptions as to how to gauge the overall quality.

As said earlier, we have 4 files. 2 720p files of 318MB of size and 2 1080p files of 1.8GB of size. The one I watched is the 1080p subbed one. This one should have been almost flawless considering the high bitrate (8Mbps variable bitrate AVC)... except that?s not totally the case. Relatively calm parts look clean, but once it begins to have some action, some degradation and blocking start to appear (I also checked frames individually on my computer too, with a 23? Asus IPS full HD monitor, if that is any comfort to you). Indeed, action go generally pretty fast so you?ll not likely to notice it. But beware if you?re watching it on a 50+ inch TV. I really wish they used constant CRF instead of what I assume to be 2-pass encoding.


On the left, we have a calm scene and on the right a busy one (battle with Suika). I know I didn?t have permission to show direct screenshots, but Idon?t think this should be harmful as the product is not really recognizable directly. Notice the quality drop when something busy happens. Thankfully, it doesn?t go worse than that.

Audio is AAC 317kpbs with a 48KHz sample rate on all files. Again, it should be flawless... except, hum! Analyzing the waveform through Adobe Audition?s frequency analyzer reveals a lot of frequency drops at as low as 16KHz on many BGMs, meaning they used lossy files as sources when editing! How can on earth someone serious could do that? Considering the music was most likely commissioned and not downloaded. On the other hand, opening and ending songs don?t show any sing of frequency drop (they go up to 20KHz but not over, which is okay for AAC audio). In all honesty, if you?re not obsessed with audio quality you won?t notice it. But if you?re an audiophile... Again, something to work on for the next time. Never use lossy files when editing sound if especially on something of that ambition, unless you have absolutely no other choice.


Click on each to enlarge. Notice how the graph doesn?t go above 16KHz on one of the BGMs heared throughout the OVA. That?s the sign of lossy audio thrown in the mix. Notice also how the ending only drops at 20KHz, which is what you would expect from AAC audio of a bitrate that high.

I quickly looked through one of the 720p files. I think it?s safe to consider them useless, unless the device you?re using to watch has trouble with high bitrate and 1080p files (some old BD players or multimedia gateways might struggle to play them), as they are basically Youtube-tier quality.

On the practical side, let?s look through the subtitles. Well, first surprise, they weren?t positioned with overscan in mind. They?re a bit too close to the bottom edge of the screen. On a CRT TV, subs might be either be plastered over the bottom edge of your bezel or cropped/eaten up. On a modern TV, it should be a bit better. I still recommend to disable overscan on your TV if you can, or unzoom the picture if using Kodi or XBMC on an old TV. The other complaint I have is how fast some of them are shown on screen. Most subs really go too fast to be read entirely. I think they wanted all their lines to be one-line only, which has never been a practical solution. With at least 2 lines, you are wasting a bit of screen space but at least you can read them (this is what Memories of Phantasm did perfectly). Also, it seems that TPD-Subs based their timing on the original subs, which made most of their lines a bit too fast to be read as a result. If you?re not a fast reader, that will be a problem. I highly recommend looking for lines that are too short in their file in order to merge them with lines after them (probably what I?ll do).

Now, something nobody will talk about (except me), the overall loudness. This is the aspect I feared the most. That was a pleasant surprise. In fact, only the opening and ending songs can be misleading as they are quite loud (in fact they reach 0dBFS). But the rest is fairly quiet with lots of headroom. I?m happy on this point.


Just like Memories of Phantasm, a lot of headroom is given so that various sound effects can breathe and so that it doesn?t sound squashed or assault our ears. However, opening and ending songs should have been lowered by at least 4 or 6dB, considering they were mastered with some loudness in mind (just like any other modern song, Touhou doujin music including ZUN?s own albums is no exception).


Really good days for both animation and Touhou lovers

We are in a point of time that has never been so good if you?re looking for Touhou animation. We now have three series which all have their own imprint (on top of them you can add Sound Holic?s PVDs and Touhou M-1 Grand Prix and some other less major efforts). Let?s detail what I don?t like with A Summer Day?s Dream. The overall tone, the pet-like characters, all that laziness and shortcuts to fill in the time and space along with the really slow pace and completely silly plots. I can?t understand how can some of you consider it as ?better?. It sure has entertainment value, with the really lovely voice acting that drives most of its tone (I really like what some seiyuu do to the characters by improvising a bit) but some of the voices are just... no.

Memories of Phantasm set a new mark or standard for Touhou animation. Allying efficiency with rapidity and unmatched care in both art, animation and sound departments. However, its target is clearly pure entertainment and a cartooney, light tone to appeal the highest number of potential viewers. It also allows itself some obvious liberties by incorporating questionable elements and not really focussing enough on storytelling. They are, at Manpuku Jinja, in a more ?let?s just enjoy ourselves as that?s what really counts, as we?re over the top anyway? approach than others. Maybe they?re right after all. What I like the most is the audacity of not wanting to include voice acting. You would not see that in traditional and commercial TV animation. Ever! Yet, not only Touhou allows you to transcend the rules seen in the industry and art schools but it can also prove it can work if done more or less properly. In fact, Memories of Phantasm is a concentrate of really well thought and smart compromises when thinking about it and stepping back. Also... yes, I myself do prefer Touhou derivative works (and some other fan productions) to be unvoiced. That?s an aesthetic and personal preference (I also find characters to look a lot cuter that way, especially considering it?s an all female cast, don?t ask me why).

Now our lovely OVA from Kyoto Fantasy Troupe. Truly one of the nicest surprises of 2016. I really like how it tries to compensates for Memories of Phantasm caveats by focusing on storytelling and going easy with gags, grimaces and fan service. For a first attempt, I consider it as truly astounding. Gone are the days of that dodgy attempt Sound Holic offered us in late 2007. Some awkwardness is inevitable but I think it coped very well.


Now, my personal verdict

The moment everybody is waiting for. Do I consider this as better than Memories of Phantasm? The answer I?m going to give may surprise you or make you jump. I?m sorry, I just can?t distance myself from my usual anti-conformism.

Well, as good and neat Kyoto Fantasy Troupe?s anime is, I still think Memories of Phantasm still have its word. The lighter and more accessible tone, along with better mastered art clearly act in its favour. So, my folks, no. It is not superior to Memories of Phantasm, even with its own questionable artistic choices (mainly for Episode 6, as I consider it way too cartooney). Artistic choices and elements that you choose to include don?t make everything. Don?t forget we?re talking about Touhou derivative works, not your average TV programme that a network purchased to be aired on such time slot. It?s all about alchemy. An alchemy that works regardless of what you put and how you?re doing it. I guess it has something to do with the soul that is blown into it. I really wish some fine/amateur animators and MMDers could take that into consideration rather than following crowds and trends. Maybe it?s just a question of open-mindedness... or I?m just going too far with my reflection (we?re just talking about a small self-product OVA).

In any ways, I heartily recommend it, especially if you?re not fan of the cartooney aspect of Memories of Phantasm and want something more ?mature?, less childish to watch, something that can bring actual reflection rather than amusement. The gorgeous art and is really what strikes the most in it.


Okay, a final thought...

Well, one of the anime?s weakness doesn?t reside in the sold product actually but rather in the circle?s own communication strategy. They clearly have lot of work to do on that domain. If you compare Kyoto Fantasy Troupe?s blog to Manpuku Jinja?s one, differences are striking. It looks like KFT doesn?t like giving too much info or leaking too much material. The problem is that it prevents the future viewer of being aware of how the final product will look like. Sure we had come sketches early in development and some animated GIFs later but that?s all we had, really. It looks like the circle is a bit too discreet in my taste. They clearly need to work on their advertising.


Okay, I think I?m done now. I hope my review wasn?t too long or boring. If I actually made you want to buy this, it means that I did my job well and that the circle could take inspiration from it and think about what they should say from what they shouldn?t. Thank you for your reading. I really wish the circle good luck for the future.
« Last Edit: January 25, 2016, 08:33:39 PM by Dioxaz »
FM synthesis rocks. My blog.

Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #158 on: January 27, 2016, 03:10:49 PM »
Those are original characters, not characters from CiLR. Actually, I think we knew that ahead of time? It's perfectly understandable that you'd be less invested in the plot if you haven't read the related canon works.

...I haven't actually watched it myself though.

StainGlass

  • Not the only one
Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #159 on: January 28, 2016, 09:21:51 AM »
Thanks a lot for the in-depth review Dioxaz!
I was wondering if it was going to come with voice acting or not, at least I'm prepared for the lack of it now.
I'm also glad that the tone is more serious than the other two animation projects.
Looking forward to viewing it when I can.

Flandre5carlet

  • Sister of the Devil
  • "So all I have to do is 'kyuu', and..."
    • flan.moe
Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #160 on: February 04, 2016, 11:17:24 AM »
The overall mood is also completely different from what we watched before. It presents itself as relatively serious with only a few tidbits of funny attempts (you won?t see a grimace fest like in Memories of Phantasm). I also like how it tries to put the storytelling very upfront by developing relationships within characters and events that occur. Unfortunately, if you?re a bit lost behind regarding canon and can?t speak Japanese (just like me), this may feel a bit complicated to follow. Like in Memories of Phantasm, character psychology seems okay and tangible enough (compare that to the caricature we had in A Summer Day?s Dream). You might find all those characters endearing.

One quality I like about it over Memories of Phantasm is how low it relies on fan-service and some lame and dated puns. You won?t find any of these here. For some people, that may be a huge plus. Also, it doesn?t feel as cartooney as Manpuku?s anime.
I'm oh so happy about that, you have no idea - especially that last line. Finally a good fanime that doesn't rely on fanservice, fanon or cartooney humour, and instead presents an attempt at serious storytelling, with some of the lesser represented characters and storylines.
In that regard, that's where I disagree with your verdict; while Memories of Phantasm is fine for what it is (ie. "not taking itself too seriously", appeals to the largest audience), it's specifically for those reasons that I simply cannot agree on it being better than KFT's attempt. It's just... way too cartooney/fanservicey/fanoney/etc like a lot of fanworks, making KFT's anime seem like a breath of fresh air amidst all of it. And I won't even talk about Summer's Day Dream.

Thanks a lot for the review, also. Very in-depth. Still waiting to have enough cash to be able to buy my own copy. Also, as Clarste said, the male characters are OCs.

Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #161 on: March 05, 2016, 10:09:32 PM »
You don't have to agree with my verdict. After all, this is a reflection of my own thoughts. Also, I mainly wanted to emphasis the fact that Memories of Phantasm is not as bad as some like to depict it.

There's a lot of qualities that are missed because it's not to one's liking. Even though I really wish Manpuku push storytelling more upfront instead of relying on all those "entry level" and outdated gags like they overused them in episode 6 (nothing really interesting happens during that episode). To be honest, I was in "WTF mode" when watching episode 6 for the first time. It took me some time and many re-watches to really enjoy it. If they keep going in the same direction, they might get some stronger criticism.

Now, about this:
Those are original characters, not characters from CiLR. Actually, I think we knew that ahead of time? It's perfectly understandable that you'd be less invested in the plot if you haven't read the related canon works.

...I haven't actually watched it myself though.
That's what I suspected. Thank you for the clarification. I should have remembered that huge discussion on 4chan (/jp channel) trying to find out how accurate it was in comparison to CiLR. I guess there were some grey areas plot-wise during the writing of the episode and they came up with those secondary characters to "fill in the blanks". They probably did what they thought was the best.
FM synthesis rocks. My blog.

Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #162 on: April 01, 2016, 09:56:33 AM »
I don't know if it warrants a new thread, but Kyoto Fantasy Troupe have updated their site with news regarding the addition of voiceover for the first episode of the Hifuu fananime.
http://kyotofantasytroupe.net/archives/509
Here is the tweet:
https://twitter.com/fantasytroupe/status/715569881354100737?ref_src=twsrc^tfw
Nico Video with voice samples:
http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm28543106

The seiyuus are:
Maribel Hearn (CV: Kana Hanazawa )
Renko Usami (CV: Eri Kitamura)
Kaguya Houraisan(CV: Mamiko Noto)
Eirin Yagokoro(CV: Sumi Shimamoto)
Watatsuki no Yorihime(CV: Ayako Kawasumi) > SEIIIIBAAAA
Watatsuki no Toyohime(CV: Tomatsu Haruka )
Tsukuyomi (CV: Shibata Hidekatsu)
Prince Tsuku (CV: Inoue Kazuhiko)
Prince Sasarae (CV: Koyama Rikiya)
Yukari Yakumo(CV: Inoue Kikuko)
Suika Ibuki(CV: Shimizu Ai)
Yuyuko Saigyouji (CV: Kayano Ai)
Reimu Hakurei(CV: Imai Asami)
Marisa Kirisame(CV: Asumi Kana)

Honestly, I want to hype, but
Spoiler:
today's April Fool... so many people are worried that this may be a joke. But still, the voices in the video is legit, so I don't know...

If this isn't the right place to post this news, then I'll leave it to the moderators.
« Last Edit: April 01, 2016, 10:13:42 AM by monhan »

Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #163 on: April 01, 2016, 07:18:06 PM »
Again, what I said in my conclusion just holds true.

Not very smart of posting that kind of news on this particular day and with no preliminary info whatsoever (it almost gave me the impression they dropped the idea). Given the fact all voices sound relatively spot-on, even if I was personally not convinced (all this sounds pretty generic to me and looks like voice will not add that much to the experience). But it's just a personal view, as usual. Your mileage will probably vary. Still excellent news for anyone actually looking forward to this particular voiced version or wanting to hear what pro seiyū are capable of on a production of like this.

However, what I'm sure will happen now are complaints that such or such voice is not good enough or doesn't really match, etc. (probably by the same ones who complained about no voices in the first version). I wonder what they will choose to do for a possible episode 2, if they actually decide to produce it.

Also, they also posted different info on the Japanese and Chinese pages of their blog. We learn from the Chinese one that it will be planned for early May in some Chinese and Japanese festivals (the English page appears not to be maintained anymore). Some info is also present on the video itself.

Bottom line: I can already read some "Cookie☆" in the comments... oh boy, it might get fun... (they appear to have been deleted, still remain some references to a certain "UDK")
FM synthesis rocks. My blog.

Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #164 on: April 02, 2016, 02:03:25 AM »
Historically, even when doujin groups get professional voice acting, their voice direction is relatively amateur and brings down the quality.

Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #165 on: April 03, 2016, 01:19:20 PM »
Just a little update to clarify that it is real, and wasn't an April Fool joke.
The voiced version of first episode will be sold on this year's Reitaisai 13 in May 8th. Later on it'll also be available in online stores like Tora no Ana, Melonbooks, Akiba, and so on.

Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #166 on: April 03, 2016, 02:28:20 PM »
When I try to click on that Nico Nico link, I keep getting a timeout error. Is this happeneing to anyone else or just me?

Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #167 on: April 03, 2016, 02:48:54 PM »
When I try to click on that Nico Nico link, I keep getting a timeout error. Is this happeneing to anyone else or just me?

Not for me, maybe you can try a proxy, or just the youtube one uploaded by the circle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMgLgKmcXZg

The little bits of clarification that it is real can also be read in the description.

Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #168 on: April 03, 2016, 02:50:34 PM »
When I try to click on that Nico Nico link, I keep getting a timeout error. Is this happeneing to anyone else or just me?
This happens with me too. And not just with this link, but with whole Niconico.

Quwanti

  • Pixel stuff
Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #169 on: April 03, 2016, 04:22:01 PM »
When I try to click on that Nico Nico link, I keep getting a timeout error. Is this happeneing to anyone else or just me?
Nicovideo has been out for the past few days.
https://twitter.com/niconicoen/status/715824605005484034

You can use a mirror, though.
www.nicozon.net/watch/sm28543106

Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #170 on: May 11, 2016, 08:03:09 PM »
(I'm aware the topic hasn't been replied for a while now, I hope this doesn't bother - in all logic, it shouldn't)

Just a reminder to mention that the Full Voice edition of The Sealed Esoteric History has been released and... is already out of stock on some stores! (Grep and Melonbooks noteably)

But you can still order it from those places (proxy required as no overseas shipping):
- Toranoana: http://www.toranoana.jp/mailorder/article/04/0030/40/77/040030407769.html
- D-Stage: http://d-stage.com/shop/detail.php?seq=70692
- Akiba Hobby: http://ec.akbh.jp/products/detail.php?product_id=2100000062621
- Grep has restocked apparently: http://www.grep-shop.com/tsuhan/products/detail.php?product_id=16831
- Melonbooks has restocked as of 2016-5-28: https://www.melonbooks.co.jp/detail/detail.php?product_id=160331

For those who want overseas shipping without a proxy, Otaku Republic has it, too: https://otakurepublic.com/product/doujin_dvd/touhou_project/product_page_1320051.html
Beware, it's $64.29 and might be subject to additional custom fees.

Also worth of mention is the soundtrack of the OVA now available: http://www.toranoana.jp/mailorder/article/04/0030/41/11/040030411190.html

Unfortunately, I won't buy it myself because not interested (my first impressions were mixed, despite the high-profile cast and being satisfied with the unvoiced version). But I saw many of you were pretty excited by the news and are actually looking forward to it because it will feel more natural and will be a lot easier to watch (many will prefer it in full voice). If that's the case, I recommend buying this version instead of the unvoiced one (still available on Melonbooks, Akiba Hobby and Buyee, out of curiosity).
« Last Edit: May 28, 2016, 09:20:43 PM by Dioxaz »
FM synthesis rocks. My blog.

Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #171 on: May 12, 2016, 07:51:32 AM »
I bought both, although i have unvoiced.

StainGlass

  • Not the only one
Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #172 on: May 16, 2016, 09:34:39 AM »
Just bought the voiced version. Worked out well since I totally forgot to buy the unvoiced one before.

Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #173 on: June 24, 2016, 09:01:42 AM »
I didn't watch the unvoiced version in purpose to wait for the final one. Do you think it will be uploaded soon ?

Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #174 on: July 20, 2016, 06:47:38 PM »
Okay, I finally decided to write a review for the full voice version. It was time! I'm really sorry for being that late (and for bumping an old thread, again). Laziness devoured me one more time.

If you want to read my complete review, here it is:
http://dioxaz.free.fr/?p=121

Thankfully, it's not as long as my previous review, as I'm focussing on this specific version. To sum up, if you don't feel like reading, this voiced version was a pleasant surprise for me and is worth the purchase if you didn't do it yet or if you purposely skipped the unvoiced one. This is even the preferred version if you specifically look or waited for this version and, more than that, if you're new to this animated series too, as it is becoming a bit harder to find now (the unvoiced one OTOH is really easy to find, legally or not). And if you already watched the unvoiced one through some unauthorized reprints and thought it felt too awkward and dodgy for you, the issue doesn't even arise. Just go for this version instead! However, if you already bought the unvoiced one and enjoyed it, just like me, you won't miss much by not buying this one (read my complete review for more details).
FM synthesis rocks. My blog.

Critz

  • Heartwarming ★ Miracle
Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #175 on: July 22, 2016, 10:41:52 AM »
http://kyotofantasytroupe.net/archives/date/2016/07

Why, hello there,
Spoiler:
Seija and Shinmyoumaru.

Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #176 on: August 13, 2016, 04:16:39 PM »
Looks like Kyoto Fantasy Troupe has uploaded the fully-voiced version of Episode 1 on Youtube & NicoNico.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjd7A5j20hc
NicoNico: http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm29431346

Spotty Len

  • The Spottiest Len Around
  • *
  • Yuuka Master Race
Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #177 on: May 27, 2017, 10:40:17 AM »
Another episode will apparently be released at Comiket 92. They said they were going for a fully voiced episode from the start, if I read it correctly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IKyq4IA8hM

Source from Twitter

Critz

  • Heartwarming ★ Miracle
Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #178 on: May 30, 2017, 02:47:27 PM »
Can't help being excited for an episode centered around the Moriya Trio.  Especially if voiced from the get go. :getdown:

I wonder about the seiyuu cast.

Flandre5carlet

  • Sister of the Devil
  • "So all I have to do is 'kyuu', and..."
    • flan.moe
Re: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record
« Reply #179 on: May 31, 2017, 03:44:34 PM »
I love this fanime a LOT more than the other series out there so any announcement regarding it is exciting for me.

Well except if they'd announce they're cancelling the project.