Black Rock Shooter

Black Rock Shooter

Cover of the "Pilot Edition" DVD released by Good Smile Company, featuring the title character.
ブラック★ロックシューター
(Burakku Rokku Shūtā)
Genre Action, Drama, Science fantasy
Original video animation
Directed by Shinobu Yoshioka
Written by Nagaru Tanigawa
Shinobu Yoshioka
Music by Ryo
Studio Ordet
Released July 24, 2010
Runtime 50 minutes
Game
Petite Rock Shooter
Developer Imageepoch
Genre RPG
Platform Browser game
Released March 9, 2011
Manga
Black Rock-chan
Written by Ringo
Published by Kadokawa Shoten
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine 4-Koma Nano Ace
Original run April 2011 – March 2012
Volumes 1
Manga
Black Rock Shooter: Innocent Soul
Written by Sanami Suzuki
Published by Kadokawa Shoten
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Young Ace
Original run July 2011 – June 2012
Volumes 3
Manga
Black Rock Shooter: The Game
Written by TNSK
Published by Kadokawa Shoten
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Comptiq
Original run August 2011 – September 2012
Volumes 2
Anime television series
Directed by Shinobu Yoshioka
Hiroyuki Imaishi (CG Battle)
Written by Mari Okada
Music by Hideharu Mori
Studio Ordet
Sanzigen
Licensed by
Network Fuji TV (noitamina)
Original run February 2, 2012 – March 22, 2012
Episodes 8
Game
Petite Rock Shooter: Sexy Wakusei no Nazo o Oe
Developer Imageepoch
Genre Shoot 'em up
Platform iOS
Released September 2012
Video game

Black Rock Shooter: The Game

Black★Rock Shooter (ブラック★ロックシューター Burakku Rokku Shūtā) is a Japanese media franchise based on characters created by illustrator Ryohei Fuke also known as Huke. It revolves around its eponymous character, a mysterious black haired girl with a blazing blue eye. The original illustration inspired a song of the same name by Supercell, which gained popularity on the Nico Nico Douga website. A 50-minute original video animation based on the franchise was produced by Yutaka Yamamoto's studio Ordet, written by Nagaru Tanigawa and Shinobu Yoshioka, and directed by Shinobu Yoshioka. A "Pilot Edition" was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in September 2009, before the full version was released on DVDs bundled with select magazines from July 24, 2010, subtitled in seven languages, followed by a retail release on December 17, 2010. An eight-episode television anime series, produced by Ordet and Sanzigen, aired on Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block between February 2 and March 22, 2012. The franchise has also spawned several manga series and a video game for the PlayStation Portable titled Black Rock Shooter: The 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. Other characters also appear in more than one form of media.

The OVA focuses on a girl named Mato Kuroi, who befriends another girl, Yomi Takanashi, upon entering school. As the two start to drift apart, with Yomi becoming jealous of Mato's friendship with Yuu Kotari, Yomi suddenly disappears. As Mato searches for her, she is taken to a strange world where she meets the mysterious Black Rock Shooter, who merges with her and helps her search for Yomi, fighting off the evil Dead Master who possessed her. The television series uses the same characters from the OVA in a similar but slightly different storyline. As Mato enters middle school and becomes friends with Yomi, she soon faces personal troubles and the influence caused by another world where Black Rock Shooter fights other girls.

The manga series, Black Rock Shooter: Innocent Soul, follows Black Rock Shooter and her serpent partner, Ron, as they venture the 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. Black Rock-chan is a comedy series following the everyday life of a chibi styled Black Rock Shooter named Rock-chan and her babysitter De-chan.

Black Rock Shooter: The Game takes place in the year 2051, where Black Rock Shooter is awoken from slumber and enters a futuristic battlefield where alien forces have invaded the Earth and have been terrorizing the planet for 19 years. She must fight off the aliens, while also trying to regain her memories.

Media

Illustration and song

The origins of Black Rock Shooter date back to an original character illustration titled "Black Rock Shooter" by illustrator Ryohei Fuke, best known by his handle 'Huke', who posted it on his blog and the online artist community Pixiv on December 26, 2007.[1][2] 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.[3][4][5] 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.[1] The song was later used as the opening theme for the 2012 anime television series. The song has also been included in Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F as a playable song.

Anime

Produced by Yutaka Yamamoto'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.[6] 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.[7]

A "Pilot Edition" of the anime was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc (BD) on September 30, 2009 by Good Smile Company.[6] 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 videos. 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".[8]

The full 50-minute version of Black Rock Shooter is subtitled in seven languages,[9] 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,[10] 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.[11]

An eight-episode anime television series of Black Rock Shooter,[12][13] also produced by Ordet with CG production by Sanzigen, aired on Fuji TV's noitamina slot between February 2 and March 22, 2012, and was being streamed in eight languages a day after its initial broadcast.[14] 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.[15] Fuji TV, Good Smile Company, Toho, Mages, Aniplex, Dentsu and Ultra Super Pictures were involved in the production. The series was released on DVD and BD on June 22, 2012 in a box set containing the original soundtrack and an Insane Black Rock Shooter Figma figurine.[16] The opening theme is "Black Rock Shooter" (ブラック★ロックシューダー Burakku Rokku Shūtā) by Supercell, sung by Hatsune Miku, while the ending theme music is "Bokura no Ashiato" (僕らのあしあと Our Footsteps) by Supercell sung by Koeda.[17] The television series is licensed in Australia and New Zealand by Siren Visual.[18] Manga Entertainment released the series in the United Kingdom as a subtitle-only DVD boxset on May 13, 2013.[19]

Video games

A role-playing video game, titled Black Rock Shooter: The Game (ブラック★ロックシューター THE GAME), was developed by Imageepoch for the PlayStation Portable[20] and was released on August 25, 2011. Set in a different universe to the OVA, it features animated cut scenes by Ufotable.[21] The opening theme for the game is "No Scared" by One Ok Rock.[22] A limited edition Premium Box of the game will be released, bundled with a Figma figurine of the game's antagonist, White Rock Shooter.[23] The game was published digitally by NIS America via the PlayStation Store in North America on April 23, 2013 and in Europe on April 24, 2013.[24]

A browser game titled Petite Rock Shooter (ぷちっと★ロックシューター Puchitto Rokku Shūtā) was released on Nico Nico Douga on March 9, 2011, featuring illustrations by CHAN×CO.[23] Imageepooch are developing an iOS follow-up titled Petite Rock Shooter: Pursue the Mystery of the Sexy Planet! (ぷちっと★ロックシューター　セクシー惑星の謎を追え！ Puchitto Rokku Shūtā: Sekushī Wakusei no Nazo wo Oe) for release in September 2012.[25] Various Black Rock Shooter elements have been made available for the Japanese PlayStation Home.[26] Characters from Black Rock Shooter also appear in the PSP game Nendoroid Generation, produced by Namco Bandai, Good Smile Company and Banpresto, based on the Nendoroid series of figures.[27] The game was released on February 23, 2012.

Manga

A four-panel comic strip manga titled Black Rock-chan (ぶらっくろっくちゃん Burakku Rokku-chan), illustrated by Ringo, was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's 4-Koma Nano Ace magazine between the April 2011 and March 2012 issues. The series features super-deformed versions of Black Rock Shooter and Dead Master, respectively named Rock-chan and De-chan.[28] A single tankōbon volume of Black Rock-chan was released on February 4, 2012. Another manga by Sanami Suzuki, titled Black Rock Shooter: Innocent Soul (ブラック★ロックシューター -イノセントソウル- Burakku Rokku Shūtā: Inosento Souru), was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Young Ace magazine between the July 2011 and June 2012 issues.[29] Three volumes were published for Innocent Soul between November 4, 2011 and June 4, 2012. A manga adaptation of Black Rock Shooter: The Game illustrated by TNSK began serialization in the September 2011 issue of Kadokawa Shoten's Comptiq.[30] The first volume of The Game was released on February 9, 2012.

Reception

The anime television series was awarded for technical achievement in broadcast animation at the 65th Motion Picture and Television Engineering Society of Japan Awards in 2012.[31]

References

  1. 1 2 スランプに悩む自分を変えた｢ブラック★ロックシューター｣ ["Black Rock Shooter" Which Changes You Who is Worried About a Slump] (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. August 28, 2009. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  2. ↑ ブラック★ロックシューター [Black Rock Shooter]. Huke (in Japanese). Pixiv. December 26, 2007. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  3. ↑ そばにいるね、キセキを凌ぐネットで最も再生された曲発売 [The Most Viewed Songs That Surpassed "I'm by Your Side" and "Miracle" on the Net Are Released] (in Japanese). meVIEWsa radio. December 25, 2008. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  4. ↑ "｢流行りモノ調査隊 第54回 話題のネットスター PART2｣" [Investigating the Latest Craze: #54 Net Stars Part 2] (in Japanese). Oricon. August 5, 2008. Retrieved March 25, 2010.
  5. ↑ "ブラック★ロックシューター :: supercell" [Black Rock Shooter :: Supercell] (in Japanese). Supercell. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  6. 1 2 "Black Rock Shooter Anime with Yutaka Yamamoto Confirmed for Spring". Anime News Network. August 22, 2009. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Cast・Staff". Huke / BRS Project. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Black Rock Shooter -Pilot Edition-". Good Smile Company. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Black Rock Shooter DVD to Be Subtitled in 7 Languages". Anime News Network. July 7, 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Animedia, Megami Mags to Bundle Black Rock Shooter". Anime News Network. April 9, 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Black Rock Shooter to Add Extra with Linkin Park's Hahn". Anime News Network. July 26, 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Black Rock Shooter Gets New TV Anime in January". Anime News Network. August 18, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Black Rock Shooter TV Anime's Promotional Video Posted". Anime News Network. October 27, 2011. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Black Rock Shooter TV Anime to Be Streamed Worldwide in 8 Subbed Languages". Anime News Network. January 27, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Black Rock Shooter TV Staff Revealed in New Promo Video". Anime News Network. November 3, 2011. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
  16. ↑ "ブルーレイ・DVD" [Blu-ray/DVD] (in Japanese). Noitamina. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Supercell Performs Black Rock Shooter TV's Ending Song". Anime News Network. December 27, 2011. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Siren Visual announces Black Rock Shooter, Un-Go dub release". Anime News Network. June 21, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Manga to Release Complete FMA Brotherhood Blu-ray, Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere, Eureka Seven AO and Black Rock Shooter". Anime News Network. December 17, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Black Rock Shooter Gets Role-Playing Game". Anime News Network. August 15, 2010. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  21. ↑ "Ufotable Makes Black Rock Shooter Game's Anime Footage". Anime News Network. November 24, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  22. ↑ "Black Rock Shooter, Legend of Heroes, Class of Heroes Videos". Anime News Network. June 9, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  23. 1 2 "Daily Video: Black Rock Shooter PSP Game Promo". Anime News Network. February 7, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  24. ↑ "Black Rock Shooter Game Gets U.S. Release on April 23". Anime News Network. April 6, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  25. ↑ "New iOS Petite Rock Shooter Game Announced". Anime News Network. September 3, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  26. ↑ "｢ブラック★ロックシューター｣×PS Home コラボレーション企画発動!" [Black Rock Shooter × PS Home Collaboration Project Starts!] (in Japanese). Sony. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  27. ↑ "Daily Video: Nendoroid Generation Game Teaser". Anime News Network. May 9, 2011. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
  28. ↑ "Black Rock Shooter's 4-Panel Manga Launches This Week". Anime News Network. March 7, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
  29. ↑ "Black Rock Shooter Gets Manga in Young Ace This June". Anime News Network. May 4, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
  30. ↑ コンプティーク 2011年9月号 [Comptiq September 2011 issue] (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  31. ↑ "Black Rock Shooter, Wandering Son TV Anime Win Technical Awards". Anime News Network. August 2, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2012.

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