Shadow Star Narutaru

[MeleeNewb]

At the Otakon Dealer's Room I picked up the Shadow Star Narutaru box set on Sunday (aka discount day) after glancing at the back and deciding it looked like it might be amusing. Well, despite being intensely surprised as to what actually happens in the series* I found myself enjoying it. I was looking forward to seeing how everything would turn out, when suddenly the series stopped. I began to wonder, was the box set incomplete? Did I skip a DVD? But no, it was just the most unsatisfying ending to a good anime since Berserk. Is it really that difficult for animators to tie up loose ends and not start a new arc as an anime is ending? Oh well.

Other than that I found it to be quite good, and I'm definitely going to go read the manga. Has anyone else seen/read it? Thoughts, opinions?






*The cover and art style makes Narutaru look like a kid's anime. While it isn't really graphic, it is... far from being a kid's anime.

[DanTheTimid]

I don't know if this is the case with this series as I've not seen it nor know anything about it, but in my experience the usual reason for endings like the one your describing (which are FAR too common in the anime world) is that the anime was based off a manga which it had caught up to. For reasons that I can't seem to understand, it seems anime series in japan must continue once per week every week until the day the series is canceled (outside of holidays). Because of this if an anime catches up with a manga one of two things occurs.

1) A filler arc is thrown together, usually of extremely low quality and adding very little if anything to the series. There have been a handful of decent filler arcs but in general filler episodes tend to detract from the quality of the series, weakening the fan base and depending on how long the arc goes for, some times even out right losing fans. The plus side is that once enough space is made between the anime and manga the show can recommence following the manga as intended.

2) The plot diverges into something completely different from the manga and the series is brought to an upbrupt end within a few episodes. These are most easily noticed by a series ending with huge plot holes still left un-answered, when it felt like a new arc had just been beginning (usually because it WAS in the manga), or when the seasons suddenly feels rushed do to trying to complete a ridiculous amount of loose ends in the final episodes of the series and thus not satisfactorily completing any of them.

Why the Japanese can't just let a series take say half a year off then start up again I do not know, maybe they feel people will lose interest in the series?

[Grain]

I'm a big fan of Narutaru.

While watching an AMV on youtube, a person left a comment saying that the anime didn't continue because the manga ran out of money & couldn't go any further. Factual accuracy is disputed, of course.

As for the manga, only 7 of the 12 volumes have been translated into English. The 7th volume was Victim's Eyes, Assailant's Hands (this was the ending arc of the anime). I haven't read the manga, but, over 5 volumes, the manga probably progressed farther than the anime did.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Star#Manga

I was upset too! I really wanted to know about the birth of dragons, and who that ominous girl on the giant dragon was!

[DanTheTimid]

Oh wow I actually have some of that manga series and didn't realize it, or more specifically I used to get Super Manga Blast until it was cancelled in the US and that series was one of the series featured in it. Wow that brings back some old memories, that was what, 10 some years ago?

If the anime didn't catch up to the manga I suppose lack of funding/ratings would be the next logical reason for the anime to be ended abruptly. Such a thing can end any series in any culture. Its been a long time since I've read that series but if memory serves it was a VERY unique series that had a sort of niche feel to it (aka there is a rather small group of people who would love it but most people would likely either not like it or not give it a chance). If that was the case that would explain poor ratings and the series being forced into an early end.

[MeleeNewb]

Well, I just finished the manga, and it was... affecting. The anime barely even hints at how far the manga actually goes. It's hard to describe without giving spoilers, but the second half escalates at a pace comparable to how it was at the end of the first half. Definitely worth reading the whole way.