Shopping Guide
A new season of anime began blooming along with the cherry blossoms in April. Jotarou stars in the anime JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders just like he does in the original manga, and Natsu and the gang from Fairy Tail are off on more adventures in Season 2. Even Dragon Ball Kai: Majin Buu Saga has begun broadcasting. Each one is a talked-about work spawned from an equally popular manga. However, there is one more such anime that is currently broadcasting. That anime is Soul Eater Not! Similarly to the previous popular anime, this anime adaptation of a manga by Atsushi Okubo was created by the tag team Square Enix and Bones.
The Soul Eater series takes place at Death Weapon Meister Academy, called Shibusen or DWMA for short. The goal of the school is to train students who are “weapons” and “meisters” so they can create “death scythes” capable of being wielded by shinigami. The Soul Eater anime (broadcast from April 2008 to March 2009) lasted 51 episodes and showed the growth of boys and girls fighting to complete death scythes. The fight between meister Maka and her weapon Soul Eater against Kid and Black Star is surely a pivotal scene for many fans.
Soul Eater Not, an anime that began broadcasting in April, is a spin-off to this popular work. The work tells a Shibusen story that differs from the original work. The main characters are a group of three girls. Tsugumi Harudori, who conceals her characteristics as a “weapon,” is a normal girl in every sense of the word. She then meets two meisters: Meme Tatani, a girl who is too forgetful, and Anya Hepburn, a privileged girl from a wealthy family. Focusing on these three, the series looks at their fun, but bloodthirsty, school lives. Highlights include their cute appearances and them overcoming the struggles of adolescence. Machi and Soul also make appearances as Harudori’s upperclassmen.
In charge of the anime’s opening theme “monochrome” is dance/vocal unit Dancing Dolls. The group is comprised of five familiar girls who started the group in Osaka and achieved over 10 million views on video submission sites before their debut. The average age of the members is 18. Their powerful and transparent vocals done in order to sound like Harudori and the other 14-year-old members from the series bring excitement to the work. The sound, created by popular Vocaloid producer kz (livetune), is also worth noting. Dancing Dolls had the following to say regarding this tie-in with Soul Eater Not!
Comment from Dancing Dolls:
When we heard we were chosen for the OP theme of Soul Eater Not! we were so surprised and happy we couldn’t keep quiet. We have always wanted to sing a tie-in song, and now, finally being able to, we all go together and said, “Alright. Let’s do this!” Since the broadcast started for Soul Eater Not!, we often hear fans saying, “I’m happy to be able to hear DanDoll’s (Dancing Doll’s) new song every week!” We wonder if this is repayment, even a little, to all the fans that have supported us. “monochrome” is a song packed with many messages for the future. We hope that with this song DanDoll can push into the future.
With the prologue over and the existence of witches becoming evident, the story of Soul Eater Not! is really picking up. Keep your soul healthy and watch this anime!
[Product Information]
◆ Comics
*Soul Eater Not!* Vol. 1-3 & Soul Eater Vol. 25 are on sale now!
*Soul Eater Not!* Vol. 4 released on April 12!
(Author: Atsushi Okubo, Square Enix)
◆ Music
・OP theme “monochrome” by Dancing Dolls
On sale now!
Pre-order-only limited edition (includes DVD): 1,481 yen + tax
Regular edition: 1,204 yen + tax
Label: Sony Music Entertainment
・ED theme “Yugure Happy Go”
Vocals: Tsugumi Harudori (CV: Haruka Chisuga), Meme Tatane (CV: Aoi Yuki), Anya Hepburn (CV: Saori Hayami)
Release Date: 5/28 (Wed.)
Price: 1,200 + tax
Label: Kadokawa Media Factory
© 2014 Atsushi Okubo / Square Enix, Soul Eater Not! Production Committee
This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article.
![Jacket illustration for “monochrome” limited edition anime disc (DVD included) [single, CD + DVD, limited edition]. © 2014 Atsushi Okubo / Square Enix, Soul Eater Not! Production Committee](https://resize.cdn.otakumode.com/ex/30.30/u/0f61823cef9f48acbc20630f84b7d8c3.jpg)
