Black Rock Shooter
Encyclopedia
is a 2010 Japanese original video animation
produced by Yutaka Yamamoto
's studio Ordet
, written by Nagaru Tanigawa
and Shinobu Yoshioka, and directed by Shinobu Yoshioka. The 50-minute OVA is based on the song of the same name by Supercell
and its accompanying music video with illustrations by Huke. Musical composer Ryo and Huke, both members of Supercell, collaborated on the project. A "Pilot Edition" of the anime was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc
in September 2009, and the full version was released on DVDs bundled with select magazines from July 24, 2010 and is subtitled in seven languages. A retail version was released on December 17, 2010. A TV anime series will air in Fuji TV's Noitamina
slot in January 2012. The OVA has also spawned two manga series and a PSP
video game, each set in their own universe.
The OVA focuses on , who makes friends with a girl named who recently moved to the town. Mato quickly joins the basketball club, which incites Yomi to join the volleyball club since both clubs practice at the same time in the gymnasium. The two spend much time together over the following year, and during one outing Mato gives Yomi the same cellphone charm she has. In their second year of junior high, they end up in different classes, reducing the amount of time they can spend together. Furthermore, Yomi starts to become jealous of Mato hanging around her basketball club manager and classmate, . When Yomi seemingly disappears, Mato becomes concerned when she does not show up at school the next day or respond to her text messages. Mato becomes further depressed when she receives word that Yomi has been reported missing and is asked about her whereabouts by two detectives. One day, Mato receives a blank text message from Yomi and goes to her favorite spot in town where she finds the phone charm she gave her. The charm starts to glow and transports her to a strange world where she meets a mysterious girl named , who has a blazing blue left eye and a rock cannon which can fire 20 shots per second. As Mato tries to find Yomi, she merges with Black Rock Shooter and duels Yomi, who was possessed by an evil being called , who wields a large scythe. As the possessed Yomi is about to fall to her death, Black Rock Shooter saves Yomi from falling, and embraces her, causing Yomi's body to be free from Dead Master. The events of their lengthy battle are dispersed throughout the anime. Yomi and Mato return to their normal lives, but Yuu begins to act strangely.
The upcoming television series will continue from where the OVA left off, focusing on the lives of Mato, Yomi and Yuu, as well as Black Rock Shooter.
The manga series, Black Rock Shooter: Innocent Soul, follows Black Rock Shooter and her serpent partner, Ron, as they venture Hazama, a world between Heaven and Earth where stagnant souls that have had regrets become trapped. Left alone, these souls can become demons that can pull in other souls, so it is up to Rock to stop them so they may ascend to heaven.
The video game, which takes place in the year 2051, Black Rock Shooter is awoken from slumber and enters a futuristic battlefield while trying to remember her past.
on December 26, 2007. Ryo of Supercell
was inspired by the illustration and created the song "Black Rock Shooter
" based on that character using vocals from the Vocaloid
singing synthesizer Hatsune Miku
. Huke joined Supercell and provided the illustrations used in the music video
of the song, which was later posted online on the video sharing
website Nico Nico Douga
on July 13, 2008, which as of August 2009 had over 2.2 million views.
's studio Ordet
and directed by Shinobu Yoshioka, an original video animation
(OVA) project based on "Black Rock Shooter" and its music video was announced on August 22, 2009. The screenplay was written by Nagaru Tanigawa
and Shinobu Yoshioka, and character design was done by Yuusuke Matsuo. The music was composed by Ryo and the ending theme song is "Braveheart" performed by The Gomband.
A "Pilot Edition" of the anime
was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc
(BD) on September 30, 2009 by Good Smile Company
. The pilot contains three short animated videos showing the same scenes from the anime while playing different versions of the song "Black Rock Shooter", much like in anime music video
s. The first video uses the instrumental track from the original version of "Black Rock Shooter", the second video uses the "2M Mix" remix of the song with vocals using Hatsune Miku Append, and the third video uses the instrumental version of the "2M Mix". The DVD/BD also came bundled with an image booklet and a CD containing the vocal and instrumental versions of the "2M Mix".
The full 50-minute version of Black Rock Shooter is subtitled in seven languages, and was released as a free DVD bundled with Hobby Japan magazine on July 24, 2010. The OVA also came with Gakken
's Megami Magazine
on July 30, 2010, Animedia magazine on August 10, 2010, and is also packaged with Figma
and Nendoroid
Black Rock Shooter figurines. A retail version was released on December 17, 2010 in special (BD+DVD) and regular (BD) editions. Both editions feature a 30-second test short stop motion
video as a bonus featuring a remix
of "Black Rock Shooter" by Joe Hahn
, the DJ
of Linkin Park
, as well as its making-of
video.
An eight-episode television anime series of Black Rock Shooter, also produced by Ordet, will air in Fuji TV's noitaminA
slot in January 2012. The series is directed by Shinobu Yoshioka, with the script written by Mari Okada, animation direction and character design by Yusuke Yoshigaki and CG battle direction by Hiroyuki Imaishi
.
, titled , was developed by Imageepoch
for the PlayStation Portable
and was released on August 25, 2011. Set in a different universe to the OVA, it features animated cut scenes by Ufotable
. The opening theme for the game is "No Scared" by One Ok Rock
. A limited edition Premium Box of the game will be released, bundled with a Figma
figurine of the game's antagonist, White Rock Shooter. The game will be published in North America and Europe by NIS America, with release dates to be announced in the near future. A browser game titled was released on Nico Nico Douga
on March 9, 2011, featuring illustrations by CHAN×CO. Various Black Rock Shooter elements have been made available for the Japanese PlayStation Home
. Characters from Black Rock Shooter will also appear in the upcoming PSP game Nendoroid Generation, which is being produced by Namco Bandai
, Good Smile Company
and Banpresto
, based on the Nendoroid
series of figures.
comic strip manga
titled , illustrated by Ringo, began serialization in the April 2011 issue of Kadokawa Shoten
's 4-Koma Nano Ace magazine, sold on March 9, 2011. The series features super-deformed versions of Black Rock Shooter and Dead Master, respectively named Rock-chan and De-chan. Another manga by Sanami Suzuki, titled began serialization in the July 2011 issue of Kadokawa Shoten's Young Ace
magazine, sold on June 4, 2011.
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
produced by Yutaka Yamamoto
Yutaka Yamamoto
is a Japanese anime director from Osaka. He is the founder of the Ordet animation studio, and is formerly of Kyoto Animation.-Personal history:Originally a member of Kyoto Animation, Yamamoto rose to prominence within the company after serving as assistant director on Munto 2: Beyond the Walls of...
's studio Ordet
Ordet (company)
is a Japanese animation studio, founded in 2007 by ex-Kyoto Animation director Yutaka Yamamoto and other staff. The company initially served as a subcontractor before producing their first hit television series, Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens in collaboration with A-1 Pictures in 2008...
, written by Nagaru Tanigawa
Nagaru Tanigawa
is a Japanese author from Hyōgo Prefecture, in the Kinki region of Japan. He is a graduate of the law school at Kwansei Gakuin University. He is best known for The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya for which he won the grand prize at eighth annual Sneaker Awards and has been adapted as an anime...
and Shinobu Yoshioka, and directed by Shinobu Yoshioka. The 50-minute OVA is based on the song of the same name by Supercell
Supercell (band)
Supercell is a Japanese 11-member music group led by composer and lyricist Ryo which formed in 2007 as a dōjin music group. Supercell started out by making use of the Hatsune Miku singing synthesizer to produce vocals for songs submitted to the Nico Nico Douga video sharing website...
and its accompanying music video with illustrations by Huke. Musical composer Ryo and Huke, both members of Supercell, collaborated on the project. A "Pilot Edition" of the anime was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
in September 2009, and the full version was released on DVDs bundled with select magazines from July 24, 2010 and is subtitled in seven languages. A retail version was released on December 17, 2010. A TV anime series will air in Fuji TV's Noitamina
Noitamina
– "Animation" written backwards – is a Fuji Television programming block, devoted to anime, originally broadcast each Thursday night from 24:45 to 25:15 . It was launched with the intention of expanding the target audience beyond the typical young male demographic...
slot in January 2012. The OVA has also spawned two manga series and a PSP
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
video game, each set in their own universe.
Plot and characters
While each piece of media takes place in its own universe, they each focus around Black Rock Shooter, a mysterious black haired girl who possesses a burning blue eye and a powerful cannon that can shoot rocks at high speed.The OVA focuses on , who makes friends with a girl named who recently moved to the town. Mato quickly joins the basketball club, which incites Yomi to join the volleyball club since both clubs practice at the same time in the gymnasium. The two spend much time together over the following year, and during one outing Mato gives Yomi the same cellphone charm she has. In their second year of junior high, they end up in different classes, reducing the amount of time they can spend together. Furthermore, Yomi starts to become jealous of Mato hanging around her basketball club manager and classmate, . When Yomi seemingly disappears, Mato becomes concerned when she does not show up at school the next day or respond to her text messages. Mato becomes further depressed when she receives word that Yomi has been reported missing and is asked about her whereabouts by two detectives. One day, Mato receives a blank text message from Yomi and goes to her favorite spot in town where she finds the phone charm she gave her. The charm starts to glow and transports her to a strange world where she meets a mysterious girl named , who has a blazing blue left eye and a rock cannon which can fire 20 shots per second. As Mato tries to find Yomi, she merges with Black Rock Shooter and duels Yomi, who was possessed by an evil being called , who wields a large scythe. As the possessed Yomi is about to fall to her death, Black Rock Shooter saves Yomi from falling, and embraces her, causing Yomi's body to be free from Dead Master. The events of their lengthy battle are dispersed throughout the anime. Yomi and Mato return to their normal lives, but Yuu begins to act strangely.
The upcoming television series will continue from where the OVA left off, focusing on the lives of Mato, Yomi and Yuu, as well as Black Rock Shooter.
The manga series, Black Rock Shooter: Innocent Soul, follows Black Rock Shooter and her serpent partner, Ron, as they venture Hazama, a world between Heaven and Earth where stagnant souls that have had regrets become trapped. Left alone, these souls can become demons that can pull in other souls, so it is up to Rock to stop them so they may ascend to heaven.
The video game, which takes place in the year 2051, Black Rock Shooter is awoken from slumber and enters a futuristic battlefield while trying to remember her past.
Song
The origins of Black Rock Shooter date back to an original character illustration titled "Black Rock Shooter" by the artist Huke, who posted it on his blog and the online artist community PixivPixiv
Pixiv is a Japanese online community for artists. It was first launched as a beta test on September 10, 2007 by Takahiro Kamitani. Pixiv Inc. is headquartered in Sendagaya, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. As of May 2010, the site consists of over 2 million members, over 11 million submissions, and receives...
on December 26, 2007. Ryo of Supercell
Supercell (band)
Supercell is a Japanese 11-member music group led by composer and lyricist Ryo which formed in 2007 as a dōjin music group. Supercell started out by making use of the Hatsune Miku singing synthesizer to produce vocals for songs submitted to the Nico Nico Douga video sharing website...
was inspired by the illustration and created the song "Black Rock Shooter
Supercell (album)
Supercell is the eponymous debut studio album of Japanese J-pop band Supercell, released on March 4, 2009, by Sony Music. Supercell had originally released a dōjin version at Comiket 74 on August 16, 2008, before the band signed a record deal with Sony Music...
" based on that character using vocals from the Vocaloid
Vocaloid
is a singing synthesizer application, with its signal processing part developed through a joint research project between the Pompeu Fabra University in Spain and Japan's Yamaha Corporation, who backed the development financially—and later developed the software into the commercial product...
singing synthesizer Hatsune Miku
Hatsune Miku
is a singing synthesizer application with a female persona, developed by Crypton Future Media. It uses Yamaha Corporation's Vocaloid 2 synthesizing technology. The name of the character comes from a fusion of the Japanese for , and future , referring to her position as the first of Crypton's...
. Huke joined Supercell and provided the illustrations used in the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
of the song, which was later posted online on the video sharing
Video sharing
Video hosting services refers to websites or software where users can distribute their video clips. Other sites such as file hosting services image hosting services and social network services might support video sharing as an enhancement to their primary mission, but in general, they are not...
website Nico Nico Douga
Nico Nico Douga
is a popular video sharing website in Japan managed by Niwango, a subsidiary of Dwango. Its nickname is "Niconico" or "Nico-dō", where "nikoniko" is the Japanese ideophone for smiling. Nico Nico Douga is the thirteenth most visited website in Japan...
on July 13, 2008, which as of August 2009 had over 2.2 million views.
Anime
Produced by Yutaka YamamotoYutaka Yamamoto
is a Japanese anime director from Osaka. He is the founder of the Ordet animation studio, and is formerly of Kyoto Animation.-Personal history:Originally a member of Kyoto Animation, Yamamoto rose to prominence within the company after serving as assistant director on Munto 2: Beyond the Walls of...
's studio Ordet
Ordet (company)
is a Japanese animation studio, founded in 2007 by ex-Kyoto Animation director Yutaka Yamamoto and other staff. The company initially served as a subcontractor before producing their first hit television series, Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens in collaboration with A-1 Pictures in 2008...
and directed by Shinobu Yoshioka, an original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
(OVA) project based on "Black Rock Shooter" and its music video was announced on August 22, 2009. The screenplay was written by Nagaru Tanigawa
Nagaru Tanigawa
is a Japanese author from Hyōgo Prefecture, in the Kinki region of Japan. He is a graduate of the law school at Kwansei Gakuin University. He is best known for The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya for which he won the grand prize at eighth annual Sneaker Awards and has been adapted as an anime...
and Shinobu Yoshioka, and character design was done by Yuusuke Matsuo. The music was composed by Ryo and the ending theme song is "Braveheart" performed by The Gomband.
A "Pilot Edition" of the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
(BD) on September 30, 2009 by Good Smile Company
Good Smile Company
Good Smile Company is a Japanese manufacturer of hobby products, such as scale figures and the Nendoroid and figma product lines. In addition to manufacturing, its business includes figure design and marketing...
. The pilot contains three short animated videos showing the same scenes from the anime while playing different versions of the song "Black Rock Shooter", much like in anime music video
Anime music video
An anime music video is a music video consisting of clips from one or more animations set to an audio track ; the term usually refers to fan-made unofficial videos. An AMV can also be a set of video game footage put together with music which is known as a GMV...
s. The first video uses the instrumental track from the original version of "Black Rock Shooter", the second video uses the "2M Mix" remix of the song with vocals using Hatsune Miku Append, and the third video uses the instrumental version of the "2M Mix". The DVD/BD also came bundled with an image booklet and a CD containing the vocal and instrumental versions of the "2M Mix".
The full 50-minute version of Black Rock Shooter is subtitled in seven languages, and was released as a free DVD bundled with Hobby Japan magazine on July 24, 2010. The OVA also came with Gakken
Gakken
is a Japanese publishing company founded in 1947 by Hideto Furuoka, which also produces educational toys. Their annual sales is reported at ¥ 821 billion ....
's Megami Magazine
Megami Magazine
is a Japanese monthly magazine which focuses on bishōjo characters from anime and Japanese computer and console games. It is known for having many posters, pinups and large pictures among the articles. Digital Manga Publishing released compilations of what it determined to be the best of the...
on July 30, 2010, Animedia magazine on August 10, 2010, and is also packaged with Figma
Figma
is a Japanese action figure line produced by Max Factory and distributed by Good Smile Company. A large number of the figures are based on bishōjo anime characters, and are available with various accessories, such as exchangeable faces...
and Nendoroid
Nendoroid
is a brand of small plastic figures, created by the Japanese Good Smile Company. Nendoroid figures are usually replicas of an anime or manga character and are commonly used as collectors items or toys. They are roughly 10 cm in height, depending on the character they were made to look like...
Black Rock Shooter figurines. A retail version was released on December 17, 2010 in special (BD+DVD) and regular (BD) editions. Both editions feature a 30-second test short stop motion
Stop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
video as a bonus featuring a remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
of "Black Rock Shooter" by Joe Hahn
Joe Hahn
Joseph "Joe" Hahn , better known by his stage name, Mr. Hahn, is an American turntablist and director best known as the DJ and sampler for the band Linkin Park.-Personal Biography:...
, the DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
of Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
, as well as its making-of
Making-of
In cinema, a making-of, also known as behind-the-scenes, is a documentary film that features the production of a film or television program...
video.
An eight-episode television anime series of Black Rock Shooter, also produced by Ordet, will air in Fuji TV's noitaminA
Noitamina
– "Animation" written backwards – is a Fuji Television programming block, devoted to anime, originally broadcast each Thursday night from 24:45 to 25:15 . It was launched with the intention of expanding the target audience beyond the typical young male demographic...
slot in January 2012. The series is directed by Shinobu Yoshioka, with the script written by Mari Okada, animation direction and character design by Yusuke Yoshigaki and CG battle direction by Hiroyuki Imaishi
Hiroyuki Imaishi
is a Japanese key animator and anime director. His style is marked by fast and frantic animation combined with elaborate storyboarding and punchy direction.-Early career:Imaishi began his career at Gainax in 1995 as a key animator on Neon Genesis Evangelion...
.
Video games
A role-playing video gameRole-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
, titled , was developed by Imageepoch
Imageepoch
is a Japanese video game developer based out of Tokyo, Japan. The company, which currently employs about 120 individuals, was founded in December 2005 by Ryoei Mikage. Imageepoch's first release was the turn-based strategy RPG on Nintendo DS, Luminous Arc. Since then the company has expanded into...
for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
and was released on August 25, 2011. Set in a different universe to the OVA, it features animated cut scenes by Ufotable
Ufotable
is a Japanese animation studio founded in October 2000 and located in Nakano, Tokyo Prefecture. A unique hallmark seen in many of their works is a claymation sequence.-TV series:*Weiß Kreuz Glühen *Mobile Suit Gundam SEED...
. The opening theme for the game is "No Scared" by One Ok Rock
One Ok Rock
One Ok Rock is a Japanese rock band formed in 2005, composed of four members: Taka, Toru, Ryota, and Tomoya. They originally consisted of fifth member, Alex, but he has left the group since....
. A limited edition Premium Box of the game will be released, bundled with a Figma
Figma
is a Japanese action figure line produced by Max Factory and distributed by Good Smile Company. A large number of the figures are based on bishōjo anime characters, and are available with various accessories, such as exchangeable faces...
figurine of the game's antagonist, White Rock Shooter. The game will be published in North America and Europe by NIS America, with release dates to be announced in the near future. A browser game titled was released on Nico Nico Douga
Nico Nico Douga
is a popular video sharing website in Japan managed by Niwango, a subsidiary of Dwango. Its nickname is "Niconico" or "Nico-dō", where "nikoniko" is the Japanese ideophone for smiling. Nico Nico Douga is the thirteenth most visited website in Japan...
on March 9, 2011, featuring illustrations by CHAN×CO. Various Black Rock Shooter elements have been made available for the Japanese PlayStation Home
PlayStation Home
PlayStation Home is a virtual 3D social gaming network developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's London Studio for the PlayStation 3 on the PlayStation Network . It is available directly from the PlayStation 3 XrossMediaBar under PlayStation Network. Membership is free, and only requires a PSN...
. Characters from Black Rock Shooter will also appear in the upcoming PSP game Nendoroid Generation, which is being produced by Namco Bandai
Namco Bandai
, also known as the Bandai Namco Group, is a Japanese holding company formed from the merger of Namco and Bandai. It has interests in toys, video games and arcades, anime, and amusement parks. The new entity was founded on September 29, 2005...
, Good Smile Company
Good Smile Company
Good Smile Company is a Japanese manufacturer of hobby products, such as scale figures and the Nendoroid and figma product lines. In addition to manufacturing, its business includes figure design and marketing...
and Banpresto
Banpresto
is a Japanese toy company, best known in America for game development, headquartered in the Shinagawa Seaside West Building in Shinagawa, Tokyo. It was founded April 1977 as Hoei Sangyo, Co. Ltd. The company was renamed Coreland in 1982, and during the 1980s it worked mainly as a subcontractor for...
, based on the Nendoroid
Nendoroid
is a brand of small plastic figures, created by the Japanese Good Smile Company. Nendoroid figures are usually replicas of an anime or manga character and are commonly used as collectors items or toys. They are roughly 10 cm in height, depending on the character they were made to look like...
series of figures.
Manga
A four-panelYonkoma
thumb|right|150px|Traditional Yonkoma layout, a comic-strip format, generally consists of gag comic strips within four panels of equal size ordered from top to bottom...
comic strip manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
titled , illustrated by Ringo, began serialization in the April 2011 issue of Kadokawa Shoten
Kadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
's 4-Koma Nano Ace magazine, sold on March 9, 2011. The series features super-deformed versions of Black Rock Shooter and Dead Master, respectively named Rock-chan and De-chan. Another manga by Sanami Suzuki, titled began serialization in the July 2011 issue of Kadokawa Shoten's Young Ace
Young Ace
is a seinen manga magazine in Japan published by Kadokawa Shoten, started in 2009.-Manga artists and series featured in Young Ace:*Akuma no Ikenie by Ayun Tachibana*Black Rock Shooter: Innocent Soul by Sanami Suzuki...
magazine, sold on June 4, 2011.
External links
- TV anime official website at NoitaminaNoitamina– "Animation" written backwards – is a Fuji Television programming block, devoted to anime, originally broadcast each Thursday night from 24:45 to 25:15 . It was launched with the intention of expanding the target audience beyond the typical young male demographic...
- Black Rock Shooter: The Game website