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Works of Adachi Mitsuru - H2, Touch, Cross Game
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on 2009-06-10 08:05:31 |
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This guy needs some serious love. He is not getting nearly enough attention from the states as he is in Japan. You know even now, Touch is the most highly rated anime series in Japan? And that its theme song is the most popular anime song done in karaoke in Japan? (And yes, it's higher ranked than Hare Hare Yukai, no matter how much some of you may love that song). The themes of Adachi Mitsuru's manga usually revolve around romance and sports. Sports include baseball (his favorite), boxing, and swimming/diving. His manga has already made it onto the big screen: H2, Touch, and Cross Game have been made into anime (Cross Game is currently airing in Japan), Touch and Rough have been made into live-action movies, and H2 is also a live-action series. His stuff is very old-school, though. Touch was aired in the mid 1980's, and H2 in the 90's. The art can seem very outdated, but there's a cleaness to the art that I find very refreshing. Also, he draws EXTREMELY beautiful girls. Their personalities are also very lovely, too. I really hope that some of you reading this will take the time to read his works. They have the best character development that you will ever see. Best romance development also, though it's not nearly as dramatic as typical shojo series. And for you young guys, there's plenty of panty shots on cheerleaders during every game (and bikini shots of girls during the summer Koshien). Some samples of his work:       |
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Re: Works of Adachi Mitsuru - H2, Touch, Cross Game
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on 2009-06-10 09:21:31 |
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My theory of why Adachi-san doesn't get the recognition he does outside of his native Japan is most other places are so fixated in how the anime looks on the outside rather than on the inside. What i mean is that it's all about the art/graphic for a vast majority. Not saying that everyone is like that but that is the main thinking of most. Being at the age i am now (early 30s) i can appreciate the older works of manga/anime creators. The likes of Rumiko Takahashi, Hayao Miyazaki, to the great Osamu Tezuka have been very much influential in the anime/manga world. I think it will only be a matter of time before Adachi-san will be mentioned in the same sentence with these creators...if not already. What i find enduring with his work is the greatness of his story-telling....often described as 'the greatest pure storyteller' it is very fitting. Touch is probably my fave of all his creations though i admit i haven't seen all 100+ episodes. One of the best romantic anime series i've ever seen, mainly cause of the pureness & heart of the main story. It's a love story one should never miss seeing. Another thing is Adachi-san sure loves his baseball. I know the sport is absolutely huge in Japan that produces some of the best players nowadays, but in i think almost all of his works the sport is deeply involved in the story. Anyways it is a pleasant to see that some are interested in supporting manga/anime creators that have a unique artistic presentation which can be described as old-school. Mangaka's like Adachi-san show that you don't need to have fancy CG to create a masterful anime/manga.  |
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Re: Works of Adachi Mitsuru - H2, Touch, Cross Game
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on 2009-06-10 12:07:21 |
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That, and his stories move very slowly. I mean, compared to most of the shojo manga and manhwa that dominate the stage. About the art... aha, I guess. Even though Cross Game is very recent and it's currently airing, it's still not getting much attention from the English-speaking community. But I have heard people complaining about how big the characters' ears are. I have actually never noticed that :) I am very young, I suppose, for getting into old-school stuff. I suppose that I am blessed this way. One of the reasons that I picked up Touch (it was my first Adachi work, and it's my favorite, too) was because I was so tired of those pretty-pretty CGs out there. Big-eyed little girls are creeping me out nowadays, what with all the lolicons out there and such. I can't stand the purely otaku fanbase anymore, so I'm searching for something more grounded. That, and I saw the trailer for the live-action Touch movie and I became obsessed with it. I love the Saito twins. About the storytelling, I feel that I never like his endings as much. The rest of it all was great, but I want more romance! I want to see them married or something. Adachi made me appreciate baseball so much more. Before, I just saw it as old men in ugly white suits chasing a little ball around a diamond-shaped stadium. But now, I think it's the coolest sport. Thank you, Adachi-sensei. I started out with the art, too, I have to admit. But now that I have realized that art is only a small part of the series, I'm much more concentrated on the storyline. |
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Re: Works of Adachi Mitsuru - H2, Touch, Cross Game
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Re: Works of Adachi Mitsuru - H2, Touch, Cross Game
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on 2009-06-16 07:07:30 |
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@ Anna-san Yeah i will agree that his stories tend to drag on a bit but since his mangas are so long i get why they are so. Despite the pacing of them i still find them enjoyable. There isn't alot of 'filler' in his stories which nowadays are way too frequent. As for the comment on the ears of his characters...you know it's the first time i ever noticed that now that you mention it. Looking at the pictures you posted they are kinda big aren't they? XD! The endings of his stories kinda leave it open-ended in a way, since it is geared more towards reality in a way the outcome i believe Adachi-san leaves it to the reader to decide on what happens to the characters. More romance is always good as long as it isn't too sappy, though often since i'm an emotional kind of guy i like it sometimes. |