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This Week in Anime [Week 37, 2021]
Date Published: Thurs, 16th September, 2021
It's the middle of September and start of several new journeys in the animeverse. The theme of the week is great beginnings, and as you'll soon come to witness, all the headlines are dominated by announcements for new entries in the world of anime. While this may seem like more of the same, the stories couldn't be more different! Let's jump into the Rapid Rundown and examine the freshly cooked anime that you'll be devouring on your next weekend binge:
1. Bright: Samurai Soul Gets New Visual!
2. Blue Period Gears Up For Release!
3. Visual Prison Readies For Spotlight!
1. Bright: Samurai Soul Gets New Visual!
If you're a fan of action or fantasy movies, there's a solid chance you've heard of Bright; the 2017 movie starring Will Smith. For those who haven't seen it, here's the synopsis as given by Rotten Tomatoes:
"In an alternate present day, humans, orcs, elves and fairies have been coexisting since the beginning of time. Two police officers, one a human, the other an orc, embark on a routine night patrol that will alter the future of their world as they know it. Battling both their own personal differences as well as an onslaught of enemies, they must work together to protect a young female elf and a thought-to-be-forgotten relic, which, in the wrong hands, could destroy everything."
Ambitious as the plot was, the movie failed to deliver any semblance of the hype which was built around its release. It scores embarrassingly low across all critic platforms and has been described as a movie which disappoints invested viewers and rewards those watching the movie while preoccupied with their phone or other mundane tasks... and that's not even the worst review. Whatever the case, Blight was- by all accounts- a flop as far as the original movie was concerned. A blemish on Will Smith's career, it was swept under the rug and never spoken of again.
Until Netflix got ahold of it. Even prior to their acquisition, some authorities had noted a disconnect between critic reviews and the audience's sentiment regarding the film (isn't this always the case?). Netflix announced that the film had been viewed more times in its first week than any of its other releases: in excess of 11 million American viewers within its first 3 days of release on the flatform! That's by no standards a flop, folks! In fact, these figures were enough to provoke the CEO of Netflix, Reed Hastings, to make the following comment: "The critics are pretty disconnected from the mass appeal...[they] are an important part of the artistic process but are pretty disconnected from the commercial prospects of a film. If people are watching this movie and loving it, that's the measurement of success."
Evidently, that wasn't all. The staff at Netflix seems adamant on giving the movie the recognition it deserves and has announced an anime remake of the movie, for which a key visual was released on the 14th (pictured above). The only thing that could make this news any better is the return of Will to voice the dub, but this doesn't appear to be the case. Will Smith or not, we're set on giving this entry a second chance and from the way Netflix is going about their business, it seems primed for success! For now, the wait continues!
2. Blue Period Gears Up For Release! 
Another Netflix update crept its way into headlines this week, this time regarding a new anime and its dubbing schedule. The anime in question is Blue Period, and before we go any further, here's the synopsis taken from Kodansha:
"Yatora is the perfect high school student, with good grades and lots of friends. It’s an effortless performance, and, ultimately…a dull one. But he wanders into the art room one day, and a lone painting captures his eye, awakening him to a kind of beauty he never knew. Compelled and consumed, he dives in headfirst — and he’s about to learn how savage and unforgiving art can be!"
We'd expect something like this to be a movie, so it was shocking to see that it's actually an anime. Another shocking element to the news was the statement by Netflix confirming that the dubbed version of the show would be released on a weekly basis, one week behind the schedule in Japan. This is a rare occurrence, given that Netflix is often in the habit of waiting for the sub to finish airing and then releases all the dubbed episodes together. Whatever the case, Blue Period is getting a special treatment by Netflix and many people have been quick to point out that weekly releases suit them over binge watches as they can appreciate the series better.
Regardless of whichever side of the spectrum you fall on, one thing is certain: with its release date (in Japan) set for October the 1st, this latest entry in the list of Fall 2021 anime is something we're eager to keep an eye on! October the 9th is the expected release date of the first dubbed episode.
3. Visual Prison Readies For Spotlight! 
Taking a break from Netflix but still keeping in theme with new releases, our final headline this week details the upcoming release of another anticipated title: Visual Prison. Produced by Studio A1 pictures and set for release on October the 8th, little else is known about this title aside from a vague synopsis:
"Yuki Ange is unable to fit into his hometown, so he leaves to visit Harajuku, in hopes of seeing his favorite artist perform. However, once there he witnesses a music battle between visual-kei bands ECLIPSE and LOS†EDEN. While watching their performances he is struck by sudden pain…"
The release of a new key visual along with a teaser attracted the attention of many this week. You can check out the teaser here. If anything, this anime certainly has its aesthetics in the right place! We're keen on seeing more from this and shall persue all updates on this title with particular interest!
And that's all we have for you this week minna! If you're interested in seeing more from us, you already know the drill: check back next week: same time, same place!
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