I've posted this here because I think Eberron is the perfect setting for this series. I'd like to see a structure similar to The Wire, where each season focuses on new characters and plots.
Am I alone in wanting to see this happen?
The guys behind Bebop I think could do a awesome, stylish Eberron game. I imagine they would set in Sharn and amp up the noir and pulp feel of it. I would like to see what music influence they would bring in, I think the blues and jazz would work well. It would also create a nice difference to the fantasy feel.
Eberron or Sigil I think be a awesome D&D setting too for a live-action show. Especially if it got HBO production levels, cast and well developed plot structure.
Salla have you even seen good anime series? It is a medium not a genre. It is like saying you read one bad book so all books are crud.
Wrong. Books, movies, television and radio are media; anime is a style. An ugly, nonsensical style.
Really no one who would do it justice has any respect for the D&D license. Those who have gone for the license have turned out crap. Real shame the Dragonlance movie actually got some quality voice actors, but they all phoned it in and the animation was beyond terrible. Mind you Dragons of the Autumn Twilight was one of D&D's few New York Times Best Selling novels... yet the adaption was allowed to be crap.
Would I like to see the Dragon Below trilogy or The Dreaming Dark trilogy adapted? I'd be nice but I'm not going to hope for it. If there was ever a time for an animated D&D series it would have been in the wake of the Lord of the Rings movies when fantasy was a hot property, but that wave has subsided.
I can still wish, though.
I have also realized that it is unlikely to happen...ever.
No, just no. D&D's forays into media beyond video games and novels have been rather horrid.
Nived as said it all. Every time, EVERY TIME, D&D has tried something like this it really has turned out terribly. Need I remind any body of this piece of worthless film. That was the worst movie that I have ever seen. Acting is terrible. Heck every thing about it is terrible.
On the subject of anime, has anybody seen Avatar? That was a great cartoon. Although I'm not sure if it really counts as anime...
anime is a good media, though like in a lot of other areas it has a ton of crap in it to. And regardless of what Avatar is, it awesome.
On topic... i'd love to see a fantasy driven series that was good, especially on based in my favorite fantasy setting Eberron. but as Nived said it's just not worth it if it wont be done right. Sigh... but that's just the way it is.
Wrong. Books, movies, television and radio are media; anime is a style. An ugly, nonsensical style.
No, it is you who are wrong. Anime is indeed an artistic medium. It is not just a single style. Even the most shallow of research would would reveal a huge amount of different styles.
While it is fine that you do not like anime (we are all different so we cant all like everything) it is not acceptable to use such insulting terms. A simple "I dont like anime" would suffice. As a huge fan of anime I was insulted by your words.
Please try to refrain from using insults when it comes to talking about peoples likes and dislikes.
/end rant
Now to contribute to the thread :-)
I agree that the studio behind Cowboy Bebop would be great for making an Eberron series/movie. They have made several series that already have the noir feel of the setting. I also feel that they would be respectful of the setting. However, every studio would want to add a bit of their own style and ideas into anything they do. Thankfully, their style fits very well with the setting (which I guess I already said, sorry for repeating myself).
I doubt they come cheap though, so Wizards would have to be very sure that the series would make money before they even considered contacting this group.
Wrong. Books, movies, television and radio are media; anime is a style. An ugly, nonsensical style.
You are aware that "anime" as a term encompasses a wide range of art and animation styles right? They're not talking about doing chibi-Eberron or making it pokemons (where the goal is to clearly collect all the dragonmarks and fight them!).
Yes, many anime like Evangelion or Akira are very odd and often hard for people who aren't used to the medium to get into. Yes, anime like pokemon are pedantic (and targeted at children) and anime like SuperMilk-Chan or Excel Saga are completely bizarre, and do not appeal to the general public.
However, if you watch Grave of the Fireflies, and you aren't moved to tears, you have a heart of stone. If you cannot see it's artistic merit, you've closed your eyes.
If you watch Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and find it flat, or don't see the depth of social and philosophical commentary inherent in the series, you would probably also drop the entire works of Asimov in a trash can and walk away.
If you like CSI, you WILL like Detective Conan, unless you have simply decided that NOTHING ANIME CAN POSSIBLY BE GOOD. Which would make you closed minded. And that would be sad.
You don't have to like anime Salla, but please don't be dismissive or deliberately antagonistic about it, because many of us like it, and we find your responses trollish and anti-social.
That aside, to the board as a whole, I recommend Record of Lodoss War. If ever there was a TV program that showed that D&D CAN be made into a GOOD show, that's it. Record of Lodoss war and it's various sequals/offshoots, etc. Clearly based off early D&D, good solid High Fantasy in the tradition of the TSR D&D Novels of the early to mid 80's.
Elven Druid!
Dwarven Fighter!
Childhood Friend Cleric!
Heroic Fighter!
Thief!
Anti-Paladin BBEG!
And his Dark-Elf Lover!
How many of you can truely say you haven't played that game, which is, in fact, the plot of RoLW?
No one?
I thought so.
That aside, to the board as a whole, I recommend Record of Lodoss War. If ever there was a TV program that showed that D&D CAN be made into a GOOD show, that's it. Record of Lodoss war and it's various sequals/offshoots, etc. Clearly based off early D&D, good solid High Fantasy in the tradition of the TSR D&D Novels of the early to mid 80's.
Wow, I had no idea this was a TV series, I remember reading the Manga, thanks for bringing this up.
On the topic an Eberron animated series; I think anime would serve the purpose well, as long as it is voice acted in English so there aren't those annoying subtitles. I'm sure Billy Bob Thornton would agree to be a voice actor, he loves doing voices for anime.:D
If Eberron was going to be made into an animated movie I think CGI would be the best medium.
It's the same as any other strong IP, hold your cards until you can be sure that whomever has the moxy to claim they can do justice to the genre actually shows some skill and the possibility of doing so. Go back ten years and I think people would have laughed at you if it were suggested that LOTR could be done as three (compotent) movies. Regardless of your personal (subjective) opinions on Peter Jackson's translation of literature to visual medium, it was a critical and commercial success.
Likewise the holders of such IP (Wizards in this case) should apply the same stringent and critical thinking to their criteria for whomever they would contract/license to develop an animated series. As the previous unsuccesful endeavours have shown, you need to be more careful in whom you hire to write the script and direct...
Likewise the holders of such IP (Wizards in this case) should apply the same stringent and critical thinking to their criteria for whomever they would contract/license to develop an animated series.
The last thing we'd want is for D&D to become like the National Lampoon title, which is pretty much rented out to any hack who wants to use it.
Anyway, what I had in mind was a series that would be at least as good as The Boondocks. I don't know whether or not you'd call that "anime." Either way, if it can't be made to that standard, then don't even bother.
That style is very compelling and is one of the reasons why I keep buying the books. Next to the setting, the illustrations themselves are masterpieces.
No offense, but Anime cannot capture the feel of Eberron I think. And that comes from someone who loves Anime!
I feel that if Eberron is made into an animated series, it has to be animated in a style that is true to the style of Eberron illustrations throughout the books.
Which are full of underdressed females with big eyes and weird hair, armor in which the shoulderpads are the most prominent feature, and swords which have a much greater metal content than it would be realistically possible to wield...
Eberron art is already half-way between western comic book style and manga, the only major differences between the two being that they rely on a different set of proportions and stock expressions/poses (well, that and the shading methods are different, but that's not really applicable to animation).
So, an animated series made in Japan directed by Mike Mignola?
Mike Mignola + Gainax = I would watch that, no mater what the base material was...
That said, I fully agree that Record of Lodos War is the iconic DnD anime series. You could watch that show and, regardless of edition, call out game-mechancis as they're happening. "Cure Light Wounds!" "Power Attack!" Awesome.
Also, if I won the lottery, the first thing I'd do is pay the Cowboy Bebop guys to do an Eberron anime. Hells. Yes.
I would love an animated series were Mike Mignola was in charge of the artwork... His style just ...fits...
I would've said Genndy Tartakovsky, who's creativity would definetly illustrate the cool diversity of Eberron.
I would've said Genndy Tartakovsky, who's creativity would definetly illustrate the cool diversity of Eberron.
Yeah that would be awesome as well.
You could almost swear he collaborated with the design time to create the Eberron setting.
If only they'd make an issue #2... If only I had a DM willing to start a campaign in Eberron. Maybe once the campaign guide is out. Maybe I'll do it myself...
/end ramble
If they weren't availabe (and I won't even swear they still exist), I'd track down whatever team did the recent The Batman cartoon.
In both cases, I'd assume character design would be done by Wayne Reynolds, but the animation styles of both cartoons really support a noir fantasy adventure
Am I alone in wanting to see this happen?
I'd like an Eberron T.V. animated series that I'd be proud to show my kids after they are born. I don't want the new D&D show to talk down their intelligence. IF Eberron is chosen, I'd like something that stays true to the world. I want something real.
Merrix d'Cannith needs to be a sometimes Ally, sometimes Antagonist of the main adventuring party that the show follows and he needs to be voiced by Jonathan Frakes.:D