The content of this piece was written during a viewing of the first episode of Sound of the Sky on July 2, 2011. Edits have been made for spelling and grammar, but the rest is completely untouched, and un-edited from its original format.
It’s rare for me to see such a strong start from a series. The great characters, gorgeous visuals, and incredible music make this a real treat.
1:43 PM:Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to an Anime Expo Weekend showblog!
1:43 PM:Today, I’ll be covering Nozomi Entertainment’s release of Sound of the Sky (So-Ra-No-Wo-To)
1:43 PM:Before I begin though, I’ll get the essentials out of the way.
1:43 PM:Directed by Mamoru Kanbe (Elfen Lied, Kimi to Boku)
1:43 PM:Written by Hiroyuki Yoshino (Macross Frontier: Itsuwari no Utahime, Fractale)
1:44 PM:Character Designs by Toshifumi Akai
1:44 PM:Animated by A-1 Pictures
1:45 PM:Music by Yuki Kajiura (Noir, Madlax, Eat-Man Gundam SEED, Pandora Hearts)
1:45 PM:Released by .@AnimeToday
1:52 PM:Now, let’s get this thing rolling!
1:53 PM:Open to a grim black and white scene
1:53 PM:Blue tiles, and a sketch of a soldier adorn the wall
1:53 PM:Hey, color! :D
1:53 PM:Girl in black and white crying… #Artsy
1:53 PM:She spots a soldier with a bugle
1:53 PM:“What’s wrong? :|” And now I guess that’s the girl as an adult? She’s sleeping with a bugle.
1:54 PM:“It’s been six months since the ceasefire :D”
1:54 PM:Few people goofing off, waking the poor girl up :P
1:54 PM:And she gets her reward – caramel… which is apparently a rarity?
1:54 PM:“If you’re nice to the buglers, they sound the retreat better :D” …I like that guy
1:55 PM:Looks like she’s a volunteer that joined to learn to play music… wat
1:55 PM:And her name? Kanata Sorami
1:55 PM:Intro credits are go
1:56 PM:Definitely sounds like Kajiura’s signature style
1:56 PM:Oh yes – the opening theme is a Kalafina song – Hikari no Senritsu
1:57 PM:As a side note, they put on a hell of a live show :D
1:57 PM:Anyway, back to the show.
1:57 PM:Episode 1: The Sound that Fills the Air – The City of Dawn
1:57 PM:And we have Kanata being jerked around on a motorbike.
1:58 PM:Hah… she got paired with Evil Knievel, apparently :P
1:58 PM:And she’s being assigned to a place called the Clocktower Fortress?
1:58 PM:Marching Orders Get!
1:58 PM:And they’re in French, apparently.
1:59 PM:Kanata gives her stamp of approval, and off they go.
1:59 PM:Her escort’s mission is complete, and she’s on her own in the town of Glass and Lakes – Seize (“Say-zuh”)
2:00 PM:She has an hour and a half until she has to report… she she’s buglin’, damn it
2:00 PM:Or not. SHe’s in the town now… and it’s full of alcoholics! :O
2:00 PM:And drunk, happy peoples.
2:00 PM:And she’s enjoying the sights.
2:01 PM:Yeah, she’s a tourist, alright :D
2:01 PM:Hah! “What a beautiful doll! :D” that ain’t a doll – it’s an angry shopkeep :D
2:01 PM:Whose name is Rio.
2:02 PM:Rio likens Kanata to a kitten apparently – a domestic one, at that
2:02 PM:And we’re at town square, where Kanata’s being approached by a kid
2:02 PM:Who just got a face full of orange crap
2:03 PM:Uh oh – she chose a bad day to go out – she’s getting doused with orange stuff by people… who are all screaming “THANKS :D”
2:03 PM:…wat
2:03 PM:Cute scene, but… why? ah well… we’l find out – Rio found Kanata, and she’s pissed
2:04 PM:Poor Kanata’s uniform is ruined, and she’s getting a cold
2:04 PM:and now she’s in the tub?
2:04 PM:Gotcha – orange stuff was dye, that fades out. :P
2:05 PM:It was done as part of the festival to thank the Flame Maidens that protect the city… kay?
2:05 PM:Anyway, some gorgeous artistry in this
2:05 PM:Great landscapes
2:05 PM:And we have the base now – where a blonde girl and an impatient brunette are waiting.
2:06 PM:Kanata’s apparently a master of identifying tones.
2:06 PM:With no sense of direction
2:07 PM:Again, truly gorgeous background work and animation – lots of attention to detail.
2:07 PM:And we have Rio asking how Kanata could identify the tone of her bell, before a bird scares the crap out of ’em and steals it
2:07 PM:Hah :D Kanata almost went over the balcony
2:08 PM:eyecatch!
2:08 PM:A brief mid-show comment – I’m honestly enjoying this
2:09 PM:It’s hitting a lot of the right notes – gorgeous music, beautiful artwork, a real sense of character in the cast…
2:09 PM:..and the sense that this little town is part of a living, breathing world.
2:10 PM:It’s surprisingly charming.
2:10 PM:Anyway, back to the show
2:10 PM:Will Kanata finally arrive at the base? :O
2:11 PM:Especially since Rio went off on her own?
2:11 PM:Hah… she just realized she’s late
2:11 PM:But the thief bird’s right nearby…
2:11 PM:What will she do? Disobey orders, or go to the base? :D
2:11 PM:Disobey orders, it is!
2:12 PM:And we have… Rio throwing water over the village… and a gorgeous vocal piece
2:12 PM:French lyrics, very sentimental
2:12 PM:As Kanata chases the bird… and an explanation of the Flame Maidens is given
2:12 PM:With more amazing landscape shots
2:13 PM:I see – Rio’s re-enacting the Flame Maidens’ feats
2:14 PM:This sequence really is incredible, visually
2:14 PM:And back to Kanata
2:14 PM:who’s being crazy again
2:14 PM:Crazy like a suicidal jumper, at that
2:15 PM:Ohp – she’s sinking… and she got her first sight of the real demon beast. Wait, what?
2:15 PM:“The new girl never came D:” she’s, uh… dying
2:15 PM:Hah… the blonde girl is crafty
2:15 PM:And Kanata’s lost… again >_>
2:16 PM:“Sometimes, getting lost leads to something fun. But that’s only when you meet someone new. it’s no fun being alone. :(” …true.
2:16 PM:Aw. :( Flashback – apparently, Kanata was orphaned, and comforted by a lone bugler
2:17 PM:Coincidence! Alarms are going off… at least the town thinks so. :P Kanata’s trying to get attention.
2:17 PM:And she passed out.
2:18 PM:Ohp – kanata’s in trouble :D Rio woke her up, after bringing her to the damn fortress. Incompetent girl is incompetent
2:18 PM:“I’m very sorry D:” “Damn right you are T_T”
2:18 PM:Rio has a dark sense of humor, apparently
2:18 PM:But, she seems taken by the new girl
2:19 PM:“Let me show you something :D” here comes the rape
2:19 PM:Oh wait… it’s a trumpet
2:19 PM:And Rio’s apparently a talented musician on top of being a soldier – who knew? Well… aside from everyone?
2:20 PM:More incredible scenery shots, as the sun slowly rises above the horizon
2:20 PM:“I’ll teach you how to play the trumpet :D” …might be a good idea
2:21 PM:“The commanding officer’s policy is not to use ranks here” I see where this is going already
2:21 PM:And Kanata tries to play reville… wow, she sucks.
2:21 PM:Big time
2:22 PM:Hah… everyone in the area knows it, too
2:22 PM:And end credits.
2:22 PM:Have to admit – I really enjoyed this far more than I thought I would
2:22 PM:Like Strike Witches, I can’t help but really enjoy the cast and the attention to character and tone.
2:25 PM:The setting works, and the audio-visual aspects are simply incredible. the background art and music are simply fabulous.
2:25 PM:I’m definitely looking forward to the rest of this one!
2:25 PM:As always, thanks for joining, and have a great holiday weekend!
Sound of the Sky is distributed in America by Nozomi Entertainment.
The series can be purchased at Right Stuf
