Code Geass director has a new project: "Active Raid"

[LightningCount]

Goro Taniguchi, who directed on Code Geass and Gun x Sword has a new, original anime in the works called "Active Raid: Mobile Assault Division, Unit 8." It comes out January 2016. Premise: "Set in a part of Tokyo that has descended into a quagmire, the story follows Unit 8 of the 5th Special Public Security Section's 3rd Mobile Assault Division — popularly called "The Eighth" — who don powered armor "Willware" exoskeletons to counter the rise in crime."

This sounds like a throwback to the powered armor crime-fighting of Bubblegum Crisis, A.D. Police, Virus Buster Serge, and perhaps even Patlabor to some degree. There hasn't been an anime like this in a while that I can think of. Tiger and Bunny was probably the closest, but it was a little different animal. The promo image looks like a odd mix of visual styles, but it could be very interesting. This may be the first new anime of 2016 I'm looking forward to.

Source/More Details here: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... ime/.93877

[RyuseiDateSRX]

Yeah, I'm getting 80s/90s anime vibes from this. That's awesome. Sounds good. The design of the suit seems good too. Actually, does anyone else think it looks a bit like the Nirvash Type ZERO from Eureka Seven? Same colour scheme and stuff. Not only that, it looks like one of the suits from the tokusatsu Evolver, same colour scheme but inverted. Same kind of face, including the eyes and mouth.

http://www.fantastique-arts.com/photos/1567.jpg

Even has a gun that looks similar too. Wow, that resemblance lol.

This looks good so far. Looking forward to it!

[Henyo]

UCHUU KEIJI KITAA!!!!

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-b ... ual/.93976

getting strong Juspion and Spielban vibes. and the girl reminds me of Demonbane's Al Azif.

[LightningCount]

Seeing the key visual again, I think that the girl character might be an A.I. support program. She seems to be coming out of a digital/holographic portal. That might explain the "out-there" design.

The robo-suit does have a distinct Nirvash Type ZERO/sci-fi tokusatsu resemblance. But I still like the design of that suit. I wonder if there will be more like it.

[RyuseiDateSRX]

UCHUU KEIJI KITAA!!!!

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-b ... ual/.93976

getting strong Juspion and Spielban vibes. and the girl reminds me of Demonbane's Al Azif.

It actually DOES look like a Metal Hero. But in addition, it also looks like the Evolver suit that I linked to above (even the gun looks almost the same) and of course, Nirvash Type ZERO.

I guess the design is a homage to Metal Heroes maybe.

[Henyo]

UCHUU KEIJI KITAA!!!!

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-b ... ual/.93976

getting strong Juspion and Spielban vibes. and the girl reminds me of Demonbane's Al Azif.

It actually DOES look like a Metal Hero. But in addition, it also looks like the Evolver suit that I linked to above (even the gun looks almost the same) and of course, Nirvash Type ZERO.

I guess the design is a homage to Metal Heroes maybe.

realization! it also shares a bit of the helmet design and overall color scheme of FMP's ARX-8 Laevantin. that's two mechas and toku characters now.

and with the tag line "Bye Bye common sense" we might be getting another Samurai Flamenco.

[LightningCount]

Site open wtih trailer, designs, etc:

NEWS: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... ast/.94509

OFFICIAL SITE: http://activeraid.net/

I'm a little concerned about the quality of the CG, but it looks like it could be a really fun show. (Hopefully the CG is at least Tiger & Bunny level.) I like the vibe the music is giving it. And hey, I was right about the girl in the promo image being an AI.

[YokozunaBulldozer]

Judging by whatever is out so far I think I am going to like this show.
My question is are they are gonna go conventional henshin hero or G3 the transformation(people who saw Kamen Rider Agito will know what I mean).
Either way psyched for this.

[Henyo]

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... ast/.95038

AKINO Theme song! WOOOO!!!!
looking more and more like Tiger and Bunny. which is also like Kamen Rider G3 in terms of transformation.

[Raikoh]

I'm a little concerned about the quality of the CG, but it looks like it could be a really fun show.

CG is Orange, meaning it's going to be absolutely breathtaking. They bring their all even in subpar shows.

Another Shimazaki Nobunaga leading role. Yessss.

[wielder]

The show will be premiering on January 7th and is going to be split into two seasons.

New key visual:

http://activeraid.net/

Expanded plot summary:

The story is set in a part of Tokyo that has descended into a quagmire. It follows the Special Public Security Division Third Mobile Assault Eighth Unit — popularly called "The Eighth" — who don powered armor "Willware" exoskeletons to counter the rise in crime. Assistant inspector Asami Kazari is assigned to The Eighth with the task of assessing the unit's status and reporting it to her superiors. But her true goal is to rehabilitate this sloppy, haphazard, justice-less group.

Additional cast members:

Toru Ohkawa as Yasuharu Funasaka, the captain of the Eighth Unit
Saori Ōnishi as Madoka Amano, an operator
Kousuke Toriumi as "Kyōkai-san," a mechanic
Tomoyo Kurosawa as Liko, a virtual/AI maid who can be installed on digital devices

Hikaru Midorikawa as Kōtaro Inagi
Sayaka Ohara as Eriko Kominato
Daiki Yamashita as Doc

Links:
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... ate/.96056
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... ice/.96343

[wielder]

Active Raid PV2

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3igp8y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRmY926Z_ik

The Youtube link is region blocked. Some people don't like the opening theme, but I kind of dig it.

[Zeonista]

I do like the looks of the series from the preview. I will have to watch an episode and see if it is any good.

[wielder]

Crunchyroll has announced that they will be legally streaming Active Raid.

Here is their version of the plot synopsis:

Set in a futuristic Tokyo, Active Raid tells the story of “The Eighth,” a rash and careless unit of power-armored police called the “5th Special Public Security Section’s Mobile Assault Division.” After the Third Quicksand Disaster sinks Tokyo into a quagmire, the city's reconstruction efforts are carried out using high-output, reinforced exoskeletons called Willwears. But they can also be misused, and to combat the rising number of crimes involving them, the National Police Agency establishes at its Kichioji Branch the Special Public Security Fifth Division Third Mobile Assault Eighth Unit, AKA Unit 8.

Despite being bound by all kinds of red tape, these youngsters (there are exceptions) take on criminals using their brains, bravery, and the gift of gab.

Permission granted! Move out!

[Zeonista]

The show looks like Sentai Ironman Police Squad in its concept & execution. Eh, it could be good after all. I will definitely give #1 a viewing.

[wielder]

Well, I thought the first episode was entertaining and the opposite of self-serious.

Definitely not a show that has much of a pretension in terms of being philosophical nor intellectual, so don't expect to get any of that. It is basically the anime version of a Tokusatsu and/or Super Sentai show in almost every sense, which includes some of the writing coming across as hectic and cutting corners at times for the sake of a joke.

Admittedly, some of the initial attempts at exposition could have been more smooth and the various procedural terms were slightly overused , but I assume some of that will be addressed in future episodes. Same with the character introductions, which came across as a little incomplete.

I think the cast of characters was fun, often acting in an amusing manner, but they really have a lot of room left to grow into truly likable characters rather than being a little too obviously on the jerky side. It seems that Asami in particular is quickly becoming the target of popular hatred online, which is somewhat exaggerated in my opinion. Then again, we're talking about the Internet here, so it's not too surprising.

[Ryujin]

I enjoyed the first episode, although I felt that some of the humor, relating to bureaucratic red tape for example, seemed rather unnatural in delivery. I liked the way the characters interrupted each others' rather awkward infodumping, though.

I'll chalk it up to it being the staff still settling for the first episode.

For now, asides from the live-action metal hero aspects, it's also giving me Patlabor & You're Under Arrest! vibes in several ways.

As usual, Orange delivers on the CGI for the most part, although that silvery protective shell when Sena was launching stuck out like a sore thumb.

Looking forward to the newbie's armoured debut next episode.

[Iris Scope]

I find Asami's no nonsense personality repulsive which I guess is what the show wants me to think of her at the beginning until that inevitable point where she loosens up with the help of the crew. Takeru and Sena have this rivalry that reminds me a bit of Serge and Jouichirou in Virus Buster Serge, at least on the surface. Pardon me, it's been years since I last saw Serge so I could be wrong in that respect.

One more thing, I am HAPPY to hear Nobunaga Shimazaki sounding off with more passion in his voice instead of the soulless savior type that Aquarion Logos gave us.

[Ryujin]

Okay, things felt more natural in the second episode, and I'm enjoying the variety potential of the WillWears.

So, we get Asami's debut & why you should pay attention to your engineer. I'm also glad that she didn't have that ugly protective shell from the first episode when she launched.

What really interested me was the conversations Rin had with Inagi & the department heads. It felt to me like the writer was laying the groundwork for some political shenanigans in a future episode. Add to that the behind-the-scenes maneuverings of Creepy Logos Guy in giving people illegally modified WillWear.

[Zeonista]

The first episode had some awkwardness involved in it, mostly due to a lot of things happening. I am currently unsure if Active Raid wants to be Patlabor for this generation, Rail Wars with hardsuits, or if they want to be a sentai show that happens to use a LEO format. Hopefully episode 2 will show a strong trend one way or another. That being said, some of the characters show sign of being fun and the armors themselves have some potential. I am not ready to give up yet, let them impress me!